We started our day at 6:45 am meeting for breakfast and a quick devotion from Bro. Brad Johnson…whose timing was right on target. You had us all revved up and ready to serve!
Our bus ride was better than the wildest roller coaster ride! The scenery was magnificent and we arrived safely at our destination-the malnutrition center - we could hardly wait to get started with our assignments Howie gave us a quick tour of the campus and our assignments and I wanted to tell him "we got this" but we endured the final instructions...:) The first room I walked into was the smallest little ones (canaries). I immediately knew the room was surrounded by the Holy Spirit. Sharon Cunningham began to kneel down to speak to a little baby boy in a walker and I saw a tear slide off her face and touch him before her hands could reach him. This began a deep emotional storm in my heart for the rest of the day.
Everywhere you looked there were folks from Highland Baptist Church…scrubbing floors, cleaning windows, painting walls, washing toys, dressing, holding, and feeding babies, singing, telling Bible stories, and sharing Jesus love with the workers. Ebb washed baby bottles literally all day long and filled them and washed and refilled... it was never ending and his smile was amazing. Gail was busy singing songs, playing, loving each toddler and with the help of our precious interpreter, she told the story of David and the Giant. She was a natural.
Aaron Perry made the statement during our WOW time that he knew from the very first day that he was coming on this trip and he would do whatever he needed to do. He said I am not a flexible type of person but I will do my best. Well today he started out washing windows with a man from a church in Lakeland, FL (Randy Thomas) and he had it made for the day. But then a crisis happened and Savanna had an issue with her sugar level. She was so busy taking care of the babies she forgot to eat. Savannah was feeding a little one when she started feeling sick and needed immediate assistance. Everyone close by had one or two babies that they were taking care of and we needed help! Then Cathy Gunter saw Aaron and asked him to feed a baby so he sat patiently on the floor and helped until the last child in that group was satisfied. Later as inventoried the supplies that we brought with us, Aaron befriended an 8 year old boy named Freddy to help and by the way, Freddy only weighs 27 pounds. Together they worked as a team moving all the supplies to storage. Aaron's eyes were pools of tears and his heart was broken.
I must talk about Robert Radcliffe. He flew in from his job in Africa to meet his wife, Brandy, and oldest daughter, Brittney to be part of the Orphan’s Heart team from Highlands Baptist. His plan was to help build a house for a family and do maintenance work on the facility. Well God had other plans for Robert as today he spent the entire day with a little girl named Maria. Maria has a medical issue with her spine and she was crying constantly. She cannot walk at all like the other children in her age group. Robert began to hold and walk and rock and talk to Maria and as long as he held her she would stop crying. She could not take her eyes off of him. Maria and Robert bonded to the point that he began to claim her as one of his own. She held on tight to his hands and Robert worked hard to teach her to walk and by the end of the day he even had her laughing. At supper tonight, all Robert could talk about was his baby girl, Maria. He is supposed to help build a house tomorrow for a family, but he told us tonight that it will be hard to leave "my little girl but I have to do what I came here to do". Robert’s face has been red with tears all day and his heart has been has been pulverized as God used him to show love to Maria.
At one point some of the little babies were getting tired and began to cry but all of the sudden they all became silent as beautiful angel voices were singing from down the hall. April, Amy and Richard were painting a wall nearby and they began singing the old time songs - I knew Richard and Amy could sing, but my goodness April's voice sounded like an angel singing lullaby's to the little ones.
Melanie met two boys that she called her sons, Matthew & Spencer's twins. Their names were Billy and Marvin. I saw her playing outside with the boys and it seemed so natural, Billy and Marvin were with their American mommy... Her tears bathed each one with the love of Jesus.
Bennie worked with an interpreter to share a devotional with all the lady workers. She said it went really well! These ladies work at the center 12 hours a day, 6 days a week so they do not get many opportunities to go to church. Bennie had “church” with the workers today!
Tomorrow a home will be built. 78 babies will be held, bathed, fed, and loved. Workers will be ministered to and much need maintenance will be done all in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Stay tuned!
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