Quite a bit has happened since I left Kenya and said goodbye to Beatrice. While in Kenya I wrote two blogs about her, you can read those by clicking on
Beatrice and
Beatrice Update. In the Beatrice Update blog, I wrote that Beatrice would be staying with a woman from the church and would also be receiving medical care and therapy sessions. Things did not work out with her staying with that woman and instead she has been staying with Phillip, the youth pastor, who had been helping me with her while I was there. He and his wife took her in and had been caring for her and taking her to her medical appointments. She was showing improvement and put on weight.
One day while people from the church were going to visit John, Beatrice’s father, they didn’t find him there, but instead found a little boy sitting outside crying. It turns out he was Beatrice’s little brother, Patrick. He was in terribly bad shape, clearly neglected and starving.
Here is a recent email from Bishop Emmanuel, the pastor from the church I worked with, updating us on Beatrice and her brother.
Melissa has improved so much though she has physical
deficiency. She cannot talk, neither walk, but there are some improvement after
attending physiotherapy regularly in the hospital. She had a leg fracture but
now she is healed, doing her normal exercises.
Patrick has improved much better than Melissa; previously he
was emaciated due to lack of food and care. You remember informing you that he
was staying with his grandmother who had no source of income and since John the
father of the two was not assisting at all, the grandmother decided to abandon
Patrick at the house of his father. When we were visiting John for spiritual
assistance, we did not find him but for our surprise, we found Patrick crying
outside the house and nobody helping. We had no otherwise but compelled to take
Patrick as well regardless of financial limitation.
So far Patrick has improved a lot and has begun to exercise
the talking. Even physically, he is healthier than Melissa. Martha and Jennifer
had previously did some basic shopping for them before leaving our city but
now both of them will need some more
shopping of beddings and normal clothes.
Their father John has not yet changed from alcoholic habits.
We have tried our level best to draw him closer, especially attending church
services but he did it for a little while and later went back. Please keep
praying for him as well. —–
Beatrice and her brother Patrick are in a loving home, receiving attention, food, and care.
I want to thank my parents and the parents of Jennifer Mitchell for taking these two little children on financially and giving them the ability to receive care, nourishment, medical attention they needed, and giving them hope. You guys saved their lives. Thank you also to those of you who have donated to Beatrice, it is needed and appreciated. And my prayers go out to Phillip and his wife, Idah, for taking the children into their home.
Here are recent pictures of Beatrice and Patrick
Beatrice is now 8 years old and Patrick is 4
Please keep Beatrice and Patrick in your prayers for their full recovery.
God is good, all the time.
