Home For Sick and Dying Babies - Day 1

Half of our team visited the Home for the Sick and Dying Babies on Tuesday morning which opened all our hearts.  We were blessed to spend the morning holding these precious children and even had the opportunity to feed many of the babies.  Another mission team from Miami was also visiting, and they played guitar and we sang and danced with the little ones.  Love best describes our time spent at the home.  Love radiated throughout.  From the outstretched arms of these children reaching for us, complete strangers, to the selfless staff at the orphanage, and then to the love between the children and their parents.  By chance I happened to be the only one in the nursery when visiting hours ended for the parents, and they were all bringing their babies back to their cribs.  The nursery went from fairly quiet to a room full of almost 60 babies and toddlers crying out for their parents in a matter of a few seconds.  Although it was a heartbreaking moment, it was also wonderful to witness the love between parent and child.  I was overwhelmed with emotion.  I pray that my presence at that moment and my attempt to distract and hold some of the children provided as least some comfort to the parents, especially the two dads who were struggling to leave their little girls.  I couldn’t help but think how I’d feel in their situation and how I would behave just as the one dad had after leaving his daughter in my arms continuously peeking around the wall until he knew his little girl was content and calm.

Jennifer