The Baby Center
October 3, 2009
This past week I went to Nakuru to drop off “my babies” at the African Gospel Church Baby Center. I must admit it was one of the most difficult days I have had on the mission field- ever. I have had a lump in my throat and empty place in my heart since but because so many of you encouraged me, prayed for the triplets and asked about their future, I wanted to let you know where ‘our’ babies have gone.
It was very hard to let them go after weeks of investing my time, my energy and my love. I had grown very attached, and like any mother knew each of their little individual cries. I could not only tell their cries from one another but could distinguish between the hunger cry and the sleepy whimper from the dirty diaper scream. I had figured out that Ben was too big to be next to Lydia but Caleb loved the comfort of his big brother next to him. I felt like I knew them intimately as my own children. While the challenges of triplets were new to me, the instincts of mothering, loving and nurturing little babies were not. Every parent, whether natural or not, knows the depths of the love you feel for your children.
I am reminded that if I loved them that much and grew to know them that well, how much more deeply He must love and care for us. If we love with an imperfect human love-what love He lavishes on us as a perfect Heavenly Father. They were ‘fostered’ into my family for just a few short weeks and He has adopted us as His own forever. They were formed in someone else womb, yet I loved them like my own and He is the one who has formed us all and knows every hair on our head.
The Baby Center is a wonderfully clean, safe and warm place. There is plenty of food, clothes, diapers and essentials but mostly love. The workers are Christian, good and caring and if I had to leave them anywhere I am glad it could be there with them. All the children there are under three and waiting to be fostered and ultimately adopted. Already an American missionary there has emailed me a picture and an update of how Benjamin, Lydia and Caleb are doing. I am thankful for that.
I did not take any pictures that day. I wanted to preserve all the sweet pictures in my mind of the weeks before when God gave me a glimpse into His own heart for His children. While the triplets are not physically in my care, I still feel a great burden to care for them through prayer. Will you continue to pray for all 31 children left at the baby center? You can call three by name. ~Jenn
The emotions you must have felt dropping your babies off…Hearing Paul talk about the babies in the Sat night service-and remembering being bounced around & abused as a child until I finally found a permanent home at 13 years old filled with the true love of Christ and a Christlike father-bought up so many emotions for me. My bio mother wanted a boy not a girl when I was born. Then I dealt with much abuse for years leading up to me almost being raped after school in Central Florida by some young high school boys. A young man stepped in at the right time to protect me and brought me home to his family-who were one of the only TRUE Christians I had ever known in my life-and he asked if I could stay with them. They did not want to because of unknown legal issues and since I was a girl, they had 4 boys of their own and took other boys in and did not have extra money. They took me in anyway and I had a stable loving home until I went to college. I had met so many Christians before this family who would see a need – hunger or lack of clothes – and would just “pray about it.” They would say “we shall pray for you to have food, shelter, or clothes, now be warm & go your way” and do nothing but pray. That family not only used their hands and feet and money and home to serve God treating me as family for the long haul when I was not related to them (or the same race either) but ultimately it was this experience that led me to accept Christ years later as an adult after my daughter died. It took me years to accept Christ because I needed to see genuine love in action. Sacrificial love not just words and not just for “show and reputation.” Christlike people are God’s hands & feet on earth. Unwanted & abused babies and children spend their life dreaming of having a loving, safe, dedicated, and stable family.