Orphan Sunday

After visiting the motherless home last week, my roommates and I have been making plans I continue to see the babies. We would love to be able to go on a regular basis and, Lord willing,  be able to build a relationship with the home. The best time for all of us seems to be from 8:00-10:00 on Sunday morning, before church.

Things went so much better for us this week. The strict matron we met last week was away(at church ironically) and there were very few workers around. Because of last week, we were timid to hold the babies at first.  As the babies would get fussy, we'd pick them up and hold them. By the time we left, every baby had been held for some amount of time. 

Although things seemed so much better than before, the orphanage is still run on an un-altering schedule. Today we arrived around 8:30 and all of the potty trained toddlers were sitting on the plastic buckets they use for potties. After being there for about 15 minutes, I tried to ask the woman working there if we could get them off and how long the kids usually stayed on the potties. She didn't speak much English, but she told me they could not get off the potties until 9:30. The poor babies have to sit for an hour on the potties!

I sat beside a few of the kids, because they just looked so bored! While I was sitting, one the the girls scooted her potty over so she could be right next to me. It looked so funny, but at the same time it was slightly heart wrenching to watch. After the hour, they were allowed to get up, and some of the kids had empty pots. They didn't even need to use them!

This was the little potty scooter. 

Having a blast as you can see. 

While I was sitting with them, one of my roommates came over with an infant and asked if she could change the diaper. "No, it's not 11:30 yet," was the reply. It was 8:45, and that baby was going to have to have a dirty diaper until the changing time. We tried to ask if we could change it, but was just told that it wasn't time. 

 When they were done with the potty, the little ones were clambering all over me. They didn't want to play, they just wanted to be held.

I tried to play games like "ride a little pony" but it's a little difficult to do with 4 on your lap. 

The most amazing thing was seeing babies that had shied away from me last week, climbing onto my lap just so that they could be held. 

Also, some of the kids actually started smiling and laughing with us this week. 

At one point, when I had all of the kids on my lap, they were so squashed together that I thought they'd be crushed, but when I tried to move any of them, they'd start crying and climb back to my lap. They're just begging to to held!

I got so hot and sweaty, but I wouldn't have traded those hugs and snuggles for anything!

Ahh bless my soul... His little laugh cracks me up every time it look at this picture!

When it was time for us to go, it was so hard. The babies were crying and clinging to us. It was hard to go, knowing that the babies might not be held and cuddled until we return. I can see why they don't want us coming, because all the babies cry when we leave, but it was SO worth the crying to know that they'd been held and loved by someone.

As I was leaving a thought passed through my mind of, 'man, I really love these babies.' About that same time, one of my roommates reminded us about November being adoption awareness month. For many churches, today is "Adoption Sunday."

As people around the globe focus on adoption, I was also reminded of God's adoption and unfailing love for us. If I could love this tiny baby, who might smell and be dirty, who has done nothing to "earn" my love, and who is a helpless baby... How much more does the Heavenly Father love us?! 

"I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says The Lord Almighty."

-2 Corintheans 6:18

How great and awesome is our God, who we also get to call "Abba," our father... daddy. Ps. 68:5 says he's the father to the fatherless. 

Not only that, but we are called his heirs. We, his adopted children, will enherit his eternal kingdom. 

That's too incredible for me to even wrap my mind around!!

"How great the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure, that He would give his only Son, to make a wretch his treasure..."

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God te Father is this: to visit orphans... in their affliction. "

-James 1:27