Baby Angel.

   I think today was one of the hardest days I have had in ministry since I’ve step foot in Africa just a little over a year ago.  I knew that God would call me to do some crazy things, but sometimes I forget that occasionally that means we are called to do hard things.  Things you never thought you would be equipped to do which lead to feelings you never thought you would ever feel.  Maybe this is just one of the steps of me becoming more like the God I so willingly serve.  He does and feels hard things all the time.

    I guess I should start with the story.  It all starts last April-ish.  I don’t know if any of you had read any of my previous blogs, but if you haven’t, I’m going to tell you the story about Angel.   I met her right before we headed home last May in the Clinic.  Here mom was in hysterics because she was not able to provide milk for her baby.  It wasn’t until we ran into her mom, Gloria, in the township a few weeks later carrying the baby while she was drunk, did we realize how serious the baby’s condition was. We went home with Gloria, stripped the baby of the 6 layers of clothing, and discovered that the 6 1/2 week old baby girl was nothing but skin and bones.  It was a terrifying sight.  We spent some time with Gloria, provided some food, hooked her up with some ministry contacts…and then a few short days later, headed home on a plane to America.  Never knowing what would ever come of baby Angel.

     Little did I know, God wasn’t finished with her yet. I have been back in Africa for almost three weeks. The first week and a half went by in a whirlwind.  At the beginning of this past week, my clinic team was joining up with one of the house visit teams to do some afternoon ministry.  So, Kristen (another leader) and I decided to walk our teams into the township and then let them at it.  We dropped them off, and then started towards town.  We started to walk by where Gloria and Angel lived, and I said out loud “A house visit team needs to visit this family I know today.”  Kristen quickly asked me if I would like to stop, but I felt that a house visit team needed to go for some reason.  Three hours later, I arrive back at base and a house visit team runs up to me to tell me about this baby Angel and her mother Gloria.  They had found them. I never told them where they lived.  God led them. They quickly gave me the run down and then told me that Angel was now 7 months old…and still in bad shape.  My heart broke immediately. It was horrible.  After talking with Christina and Holly that night, I decided I would go back and visit. I just really had a hard time trying to figure out what am I supposed to do about this injustice?  What do you do?  You can’t provide all the food when the entire family are alcoholics and don’t work for their food, but you can’t just let a baby starve to death.  Ugh.

      I went back to the house the following day with a few of the girls and Holly.  By the end of our visit, Gloria agreed to allow us to take Angel and her older sister, Blessing, to the house for a bath.  In that time, we took Angel to a friend of ours, Nelly, who runs a Children’s home here in Jbay.  At the first sight of Angel, she told us that she was close to being totally malnourished and that she would take her in.  I was shocked. Nelly is an AMAZING woman.  So that began a crazy process for the next couple of days.

      That afternoon, we took the girls back and decided to bring Gloria to Nelly’s house to speak with her. Nelly told Gloria that she was not interested in taking her child legally, but desired to take her indefinitely to get her healthy. Gloria was thankful for that option, but wasn’t sure what her family (her mother, etc.) would think. So, we made arrangements to meet with her entire family the next day.  We went the next day, and every thing went over fairly well.  They were concerned about it a bit, but then decided that this would probably be a great opportunity. After discussing for a while, we all decided that we would come back on Sunday, which is today, to take Angel to Seventh Heaven Children’s Home.

    I was really excited for today because I new that we were doing the “right” thing.  I dont think I realized how difficult it would be to have to be the one to take a child from its mother.  Having to take someone away from the person that is supposed to love them the most just didn’t seem right.  I know that it was what God wanted, but still. I’m just having a hard time processing it I guess.  Part of me wants to be mad at Gloria. I want to be angry and upset about this injustice.  Sometimes I want to ask God why He lets things like this happen. But I am always reminded that at the end of the day, God is still God.  He is still Good.  He loves this child WAY more than I love her.  Seeing her like that breaks HIS heart ten times more than it breaks mine.  God still is pursing her, and pursuing her entire family. At the end of the day, Gloria, even after I took her child, called me her friend.

     God has some crazy things He wants to do in this childs life.  His Kingdom is coming. Please pray for Angel and her family.