Whilst being
onboard the Africa Mercy I have had the opportunity of signing up for a number
of “Mercy Ministries”. Mercy Ministries take you out into the depths of the
communities here in Point Noire and allow you to visit orphanages, handicapped
tailors, deaf schools, seniors centres and a truly touching special one for me,
the Baby Crèche.
Whist travelling in
a hot car, 30 minutes out of the port, windows down, dusty bumpy roads and
taking in the poverty around me I never knew that what I was about to enter
into would change my heart and my life forever.
As I got out
of the car and walked along the dirt path to the baby crèche I tried to prepare
myself both physically and mentally for what I was about to experience. As I
walked in, instantaneously my world was shaken and my eyes yet again opened to
the worlds poor and abandoned. At one time I looked down at my feet and counted
17 children all just needing love & nurturing. I held a two month old,
light as a feather, undernourished and underdeveloped, for my whole stay there that
morning. Unsure of this little boys name, to me he was just perfect. His big
brown eyes staring into mine, I could have looked back into his forever. These
children either orphans, abandoned or in care due to poor family circumstances.
There was
one mama there caring for 17+ children and I couldn't help but tell her what a
beautiful person she was. I truly admired her dedication to these children.
Anyone that has small children or has been in contact with little people would
know that there is a lot of work involved. Take that, multiply it by 17+
babies, mix in poverty, lack of food, minimal hygiene and sickness and you can
only begin to imagine the circumstance for these beautiful little people at the
baby crèche.
I’d like to
share with you another precious little person, Melkhiat.
Melkhiat is TWO years old and weighs a TINY 4.5KG. His severe malnutrition is likely a result of either metabolic or malabsorption issues in addition to having been born into poverty.
It is
possible that he has a medical condition that even in the west would be
difficult to treat, but living as he does now, as an orphan baby in this
poverty stricken part of the world, make his chances of growing into a healthy
child almost zero.
As I put him
down for the last time he screamed. Tears rolling down my face, I had to walk
away. I wish he could have stayed in my arms forever. I don't know how much
longer of this life this tiny precious boy will live or in fact thousands and
thousands of other orphans around the world, but he is truly in my heart for
eternity.
2 questions
I had to ask…
How do you
leave that? How do you put these children down who so desperately want to be
held and loved on?
People often
ask me why do you believe in God? I have many reasons but one hit hard through
my experiences at baby crèche. I need to believe one day justice will be served
and the last be first because really, how else could I leave those little
people. It has become extremely clear to me how much I need to have a faith
whilst being alongside the poor. My love for these people is indescribable. I definitely need the poor more than they
need me. Africa continues to show me the FULL extent of my heart every single
day. Now that I have seen, I am responsible. Faith without deeds is dead.
Not every day
here is like the ones I have shared and it's all those other days that get me
through the tough ones. I know that there is a love like no other for these
people and I have seen that here am comforted by that. My feelings for these
people go much deeper than words will ever describe..
As he clung to my chest
during these visits he will continue to cling to my heart for the rest of my
life.
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