Sabonne from South Africa!
So sorry that I have been MIA for the past week, but I have had a whirl wind of a first week back in Durban and I am just now settling in. We landed in Johannesburg at 5 p.m. last Wednesday and ended up getting stuck in the Jo-burg airport until midnight because it was snowing! That was the first time its snowed here in 26 years. Luckily Durbs is on the sea so its not quite that cold, but still chiller than last year since we are currently in the dead of winter here.
This first week we have been working at Shepherd’s Keep, the same orphanage for abandoned HIV infants that I worked at last year. Upon our arrival on Thursday, I was sad to notice that there were not as many babies as last year, as they only had ten children. The nurse explained to me that currently there is a new trend for mothers to sell their babies on the black market as opposed to completely abandoning them, because the government gives foster grants to anyone caring for a child who is not their own, so it’s a way for people to make a quick buck. So tragic! But luckily, while we were there this week we got two new babies!
Gugu and Joshua, two babies with Cerebral Palsy, were still at the center as its very hard to find anyone willing to adopt special needs children. Josh is now 1 ½ and Gugu is now 2 ½, and both have been battling one illness after another. Gugu was originally found tied up in a trash bag and tossed in a trash bin, and they think it was the suffocation in the bag that caused her brain damage. Josh was found on the back of a bus, so they are not sure about the origins of his disorder but he is a little higher functioning than Gugu. However, we actually thought that we were going to loose Josh this week because he had such a terrible case of pneumonia, but he decided he was not ready to give up the fight and ended up pulling through. In fact, today he was even strong enough for me to sit on the floor with him and do his exercises. It breaks my heart though, because the knowledge and services for special needs children is almost non-existent here. If theses children were in the States, their quality of life would be so much better, but because they are here they have doctors and therapists who are literally playing guessing games with what to do with them next. Please pray for them, as they really need to find a team of doctors and therapists who are specialists if they are going to make it much longer. What is so great about working with Gugu and Josh, is that the smallest things, from a smile to a hand grasp. are so rewarding as its so obvious how hard they must work to accomplish it. They have taught me so much about God’s timing, as they are so obviously in his hands. He must have big plans for them, as he has revived each of them so many times when they have been knocking on death’s door.
Taylor has also fallen in love with a precious baby boy who is 2 months and less than 10 lbs. He is a premature baby named Matthew who just recently came out of the incubator. He is beautiful huge brown eyes and a fragile little body. He must stay in the hi-care nursery, so Taylor spends most of her days sitting in hi-care with him, rocking him and singing to him. I have also fallen in love with one of the new babies, a beautiful Indian little boy who is 2 months old and must also stay in hi-care due to a bad chest infection. He was brought in by the police on Monday after his mother who is a prostitute gave him to another prostitute and then never returned. Although he has a skin disorder, raspy lungs, and likely has HIV, he has a full head of hair, hysterical facial expressions, and I have come to adore him. Prayers for these two little ones are also needed as their future in the custody court system have still yet to be determined.
The final update from Shepherd’s Keep is very exciting. A baby girl, who has been there for several months, named Rejoice, underwent massive brain surgery on Wednesday. Rejoice suffered from a birth defect in which her skull closed too early before she was born, causing facial and brain deformation. A doctor from the United States agreed to do the surgery free of cost, and flew over this week to operate. Rejoice is only the 12th person in the world every to receive the operation. In the surgery the doctor took off her skull, repositioned her face and then reattached everything. After such an intense surgery Rejoice must remain in the hospital for quite some time, but I am thrilled to report that she came through it and is doing wonderfully. The doctor also said that through some miracle, she should not have any brain damage, which is normally a complication of the disorder. This little girl really is living up to her name.
Although many of the babies have come and gone from Shepherd’s Keep in the year since I have been gone, the passion and mission on the orphanage has not wavered. It seems that with each new challenge that they face, God has met them their and has continued to bless them for their efforts. I am excited to say this year we have taken video footage of our time there, and interviewed many of the staff and volunteers as we hope to make a video when we return to the States, so that each of you can have a better understanding of the miracles that happen there on a daily basis.
To end our first week back in South Africa, the family that we are staying with had a 4th of July celebration for us. Although we were not on the lake, nor did we have fireworks, we did have a proper South African “braii” (sort of like a bar-b-que), and they even put American flags on our cake. I made a apple pie and Taylor broke out some Oreo’s that she had stashed in her bag, so we were all set. As many of you know the 4th is my favorite holiday, and even though I didn’t get to spend it in the states I still had a spectacular holiday.
That’s it for this week, but next week we will be headed to a new organization called World Changers Academy on the outskirts of Durban, where we will actually be working in Zulu townships. I love you and miss you all!
