Little ones to him belong...

The past few days have gone well with teaching the Baker's kids and all. Marissa, Jamie, and Chrissy have run into some issues in trying to get their visas, so they will be gone for longer. Meaning, we will teach for longer. Hopefully, they will be back Monday so that Taylor and I can take over Emily's classes when she leaves on Tuesday. I am so excited to begin teaching. Emily has been helping me to learn the Ch1nese that I need to know in order to teach. My pronunciation is terrible with all of the different tones, but I'm learning. Whenever we aren't teaching, which right now we teach 8:30 to 3:30, we are playing with the children. They are all so precious. Everyday I am spending time with a different child, as I try to get to know all of them. Each of them carries with them a precious story. Most of them beginning with abandonment and sickness but through SFCV they are being given life, hope, love, and a future. SFCV gets them the surgeries they need and helps them to recover. They have a home here that feels like a home and not an institution. They have an ayi that cares for them and with the ratio being about 3:1 they have strong bonds to them. They get to go to school and to therapy if they need it. They get to make friendships with children their age as well as the staff and everyone that comes through these doors to help. They are loved by so many here. SFCV also helps these children to find families, cause that is what they all need. This place does so much for these children and they are so much better off because of the work done here. I feel so privileged that I can be helping this cause in the slightest way. The l0rd is also here. In the volunteers that come through. In the English staff and a lot of the ayis as well. His love is here.

Today, I was holding a little girl named Leah. She is new to SFCV and only a few months old. (I'm not sure exactly how old she is) They do not know what is wrong with her. When she came here she was malnourished and they thought she may have a heart problem. They know now that it is not a heart problem but they don't know what is wrong with here. She doesn't cry, doesn't even make noise, and she is extremely small. The smallest, frailest child I have ever seen. The truly sad part is that a lot of the caretakers have superstitions. Some of the children they believe have an illness that is bad luck. Because of this, they do not want to touch those children. Leah is one of them. For some reason there is something about her that they do not want to be near. For the past week, I have been going and holding her everyday for at least a half hour when I can. She will just look at me or at the window. She makes no sounds except for an occasional sneeze and hick up. Today, as I was singing J*sus loves me to her, in my awful voice, the words really hit me. "Little to ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong" We sing these words so often over the years that we don't stop to think about them. This child that I have been praying over is his and this child is in his hands. The l0rd has a plan for this child and even though she has been abandoned, cast out, and unloved, he loves her. So everyday I go and hold her and rock her and sing her that song. And, even though I know that no memories are made until around the age of three, I like to think that one day when this child grows up she will have a memory of that song and this crazy white girl singing it and she will come to know our amazing s*vior who loves her and cares for her. Please pr*y that she will get better and they will be able to figure out what is wrong. Please also continue to pr*y for the work being done here.

"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me" Mark 9:37

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of g0d belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of g0d like a little child will never enter it" Mark 10:14-15

(Lots of pictures of the children to come soon)