Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
-Psalm 82:3
Meet my new friend, Hao* (name changed). He is energetic, bright, and bursting with curiosity. The opportunity for me to work with him a couple days a week kind of fell into my lap and I’m so glad that God thought it fitting to give me a small role in this boy’s story. He may only be 6 years old, but the boy has quite the story. A story that could easily have been tragic that the L0rd has turned into redemption with the promise of hope, just as he so often does for all of us.
Hao is completely deaf in one ear and partially deaf in the other and communicates through noises and gestures. He was born in 2010-the day is unknown. Hao has spent the last 4 years of his life in an orphanage where he’s been bound to his bed by all 4 limbs for the majority of the day. He didn’t have the opportunity to do much for himself- toileting, eating, playing, etc. His life was limited to the walls of the orphanage and even more, the boundaries of the bed where he slept.
Ten months ago, the couple that runs a deaf center here received a call from a volunteer at Hao’s orphanage. She relayed to them the conditions in which he was living and they were called to do something. Through different petitions, regulations, and logistics, Hao came to be placed in their care a little over a week ago. He is now staying at the center, with the hopes of placing him with a family in the future. Until then, he requires 24 hour supervision and a lot of investment in education and training for him to achieve the skills he needs to succeed and communicate.
Hao’s attention is sporadic and he is quite the runner. He is learning basic skills, such as following direction, feeding himself, toileting, and focusing on tasks. There are delays in his learning and interactions that at the moment can’t be distinguished between results of his environment or a diagnosis, but he is showing such potential to learn and is quite clever. He knows what he wants and will {not so} gently guide your hand and/or body to where he wants you to be. After only a week in his new environment, he has started to show interest and initiation in daily tasks such as toileting, eating, and putting his shoes on. With a routine and the love that he is receiving, the potential for him is huge.
Hao’s face exudes emotion. He lets you know when he’s upset or frustrated. He looks out the windows with a bright sense of wonder. His eyes light up with his smile and his small chuckle of a laugh is contagious. He enjoys his weighted blankets, playing with lego blocks, venturing outdoors, and is quite ticklish. He eagerly jumps up into your arms for you to hold him and he has no problem taking your hand to rambunctiously lead you to where the next adventure awaits {even if that is up and down the stairs multiple times in a row}. He demands attention in a way that can take a toll but that also makes you want to pour out all the energy and love that you have on him with abundance.
Hao’s story has a bleak beginning- one that lacks freedom and hope. It’s easy for us to judge from the outside the conditions in which he was raised and those who were to care for him there. But in reality, it was the result of people doing the best they knew how. Orphanages are often overfilled and the staff in these countries are often not equipped or trained to work with kids that have a disability, illness, or behavior challenges. This doesn’t make the way that he was treated right, but it does offer a different perspective and lend a glimpse as to how those conditions came to be. This is not the story or condition for every orphanage,but Hao is not the only child to experience this upbringing, nor is this the only place that it happens. There is not an easy or simple fix, but it is an injustice that we can continue to pray about and to lend a hand in in however our gifts and callings allow.
The good news is that Hao’s story doesn’t end there. He may not have any earthly parents, but his Father in heaven has seen him through the very beginning. He was with him in the orphanage and he has made a way to freedom for him. Because of a couple that allowed their lives to be inconvenienced {to say the least} and allowed their gifts and calling to be used to play a part in drastically changing this boy’s story, he is now out of his chains. He is in an environment where people pour out love and care for him. He is nurtured and cared for in all areas of his life. He is with people that have experienced the grace and love Christ in a way that allows them to overflow that onto him. In a way, his story is just beginning. . .
Hao,
I often wonder what is going on in that little head of yours. I’m sure that you are confused- you’re world and environments have been turned upside down. It’s hard for you to communicate with us your thoughts and wants and it’s hard for us to communicate to you what we are doing. But I hope you know that you are safe. You are protected and you have been fought for. You are loved and seen.
Thanks for the laughs and the joy that you bring to the table. Thanks for guiding me by my hand and helping me look at the world through your eyes. Thanks for reaffirming some of my passions and giftings. I pr@y that you know how dearly loved you are. By those that surround you daily and by the one who made you. I hope you grow up to know that you are smart, capable, and such a warrior. Although I’ve not spent much time with you and I may not see you again, I know that Papa has some great plans in store for you and cannot wait to one day see how they pan out. I see so much potential for you, little guy. You’ll be a hard goodbye but I can rest in the knowledge that Papa has you in his arms.
Now the L0rd is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the L0rd is, there is freedom.
-2 Corinthians 3:17
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