Babies!

Last week the Village of Hope completed the paperwork, met with the relatives, and bought new beds for twins - they arrived a few days ago.
A boy, Soudnel, and a girl, Soudline, just 4 months old. There's a buzz in the air with their new brothers and sisters - the children who live here. And everyone is sharing about the interactions they are having with these new little ones.
It is so exciting to have them here! And it is a reminder of yet another family who just couldn't care for the children they brought into the world.
Which is so heavy on our hearts.
BUT Praise God for providing for His children!
The Father, for reasons we don't know, chose Soudnel and Soudline to be Haitian, to be born in a town nearby, to arrive now, to bless us with their smiles and giant cheeks, to compel us with their cries, to help us to focus on the present and to pray, more and more, for God's leading us towards the incredible possibilities in the future.

Rachel suggested this as the "Welcome to the Orphanage" photo.

Soudnel's very laid back...unless he's hungry. So funny.

With Soudline and Kethia.
And Soudline's spit-up on my shoulder.
Classic.

He Knows Our Name

This past Wednesday I was considering what to blog about and found myself on a rabbit-trail of sorts through blogs connected to MOH.

I'm going to straight up pilfer one written almost 2 years ago by a fellow who used to live here. To see the original go here: http://jershurk.weebly.com/1/post/2010/05/a-girl-with-no-name.html

It's from May, 2010. He writes this:

"A Girl With No Name

A guy came into the hospital the other day with his infant daughter, sat down and then asked a woman to watch his daughter while he used the restroom. He never returned. No one knows who he was. So now we have an abandoned baby girl we are keeping at the patient dome until we can figure out what exactly to do next because we have no records of anything in regards to this baby girl.

Pray for her. Shes not eating much."

I scroll down to see this picture:

And it hits me between the eyes. I know her name.

And as I am overcome with tears and the miraculous thought of what 2 years can bring I begin to laugh. Because they prayed she would eat.

Meet Angelie. Our biggest, feisty-est, arguably best eater in the toddler room. Yesterday afternoon she was practicing 'braiding' my hair, running around, playing (and bossing) the other toddlers, yelling, singing, laughing and loving life. This girl is a power-house. God has big things for her and He always knew her name.

Photo cred: Abby Lynch - who takes amazing photos
which you can see and even purchase here: www.fotosbyabby.com

A gift this morning:

Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.
Col.1:9-12