Last month our team served at Abiye Orphanage in Nigeria. We lived on the second floor of the orphanage and drew water from the well for our bucket showers and to flush the toilet. There were about 20 children at the orphanage ranging in age from 8 months to 9 years old.
Me, April, Josh, and Caiti will all of the kids at Abiye Orphanage
This past month the Lord really showed me that He’s given me a “Mother’s heart”. In the past I would have told you that I loved kids, but that was because I thought that was the mold I was supposed to fit. However, I really did fall in love with these children at the orphanage. I found so much joy in holding and loving the babies. It didn’t matter how many times I got peed on (leaky cloth diapers) or spit up on…or worse. I felt so privileged to be Christ’s tangible arms last month. I wanted the best for these precious children.
It was also a difficult time for me. Before the Race I was working as a nutritionist for the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program. I learned a lot about infant and child nutrition. I counseled mothers who had children who were underweight. However, it was usually because the child was drinking too much juice throughout the day and didn’t want to eat at mealtimes, not because there wasn’t enough food to eat. I was challenged this month to do what I could do and leave the results up to God. I gave a mini-nutrition class to the staff and taught them how to properly prepare a bottle of infant formula. I talked about the importance of feeding the little ones every 2-3 hours because their stomachs are much smaller than ours and fill up and empty faster.
I did my best to pass along the information that I have learned and the Lord showed me how to trust Him in a new way. These are His children. They were His children before we got there and they are still His children after we have gone. He allowed our team to spend a month with these amazing kids to hold them, hug and kiss them, play with them, love them, and to be a light and a joy. He showed me that while I may not see the harvest, I can plant seeds. I can pray for and speak life over these children. He showed me that when I felt inadequate, when I didn’t have all of the answers, when I couldn’t meet all of the needs, He can. He is in control. He has a purpose. He has a plan. Those truths gave me so much peace and comfort. It’s truly amazing that the God of the universe invites us to be a part of His work. He uses us!
These 11 month old twins stole my heart! Oh how I love these boys!
