This week, we have been working in another group home for special needs. It has been an amazing time. We have felt the renewing of our strength as we go and do not tire of playing with the children. There are twelve children in this home, the oldest is 15 and the youngest is 7. We have enjoyed every moment of pushing Emilut on the tricycle, dancing with Adriana, running all over the yard with Claudia, walking with them into town to get ice cream and watching Marius dance as LeAllison sang to him. These kids are truly amazing and as I sit and watch them my heart is filled with love and compassion for them.
Last night in the group home, one of the caretakers, Tubi, came out to the yard with two photo albums. She shared some stories about the children and she said that Bobi was her favorite and went on to share his story. Bobi, at age three, was in the hospital. He was unable to walk after already having two years of therapy. The doctors said that he would be a vegetable for his life. She was one of the caretakers at the home he was placed in. During their breaks all of the caretakers would go to the store or sit outside and smoke. On her break, she would massage his feet and spend her time working with him. Eventually she taught him how to walk and now, at age 10, he runs around the yard like all of the other children. The love for him was evident and you could see it in her eyes as she looked at her “Bobitsa.” It was truly a miracle to see how her unconditional love had brought him so far.
The translators and in-country staff have also been a huge blessing to us. They are always so willing to take us shopping or to the post office to buy phone cards or whatever we need, and they do all this without complaining. They have been great about translating what the kids are telling us and also for the entire two to three-hour long church services. We would be in quite a bind if they were not here. But we have also enjoyed watching them interact with the children. The kids all have great respect for them and flock to them as soon as we arrive at the homes. They share story after story of what these kids used to be and how much they have changed.
