Cradle of Love Baby Home

That is a strange statement, as we have been having rains since November! However, we just had about 4 days of very windy weather and blue skies, which herald the rains! And today, it started raining again.  Seems the whole world’s weather pattern is out of whack!

“Signs of the times are everywhere,

There’s a brand new feeling in the air,

Turn your eyes towards the Eastern sky

Lift up your heads, Redemption draweth nigh!”

Jesus is coming back very soon!

We have had visitors and volunteers in a constant stream. The babies are getting a lot of attention and I just hope it doesn’t turn them into spoiled children! This morning Musa was pitching a fit at the top of his lungs, because he wanted to be with Batilda, the nurse, but she was busy.

Seven babies were taken to clinic today and put on malaria meds and anti-biotics–standard operating procedure. We could do that for the babies ourselves, as you don’t need a prescription here for medicines. But, we need to cover ourselves in case something were to happen to a baby–that we HAD taken them to a doctor.

I received a call this morning from SOS Childrens Village, asking if we could take a 3 month old boy. His mother is 16  and the father (not married to the mother) just walked out on them. He likely has a wife somewhere and this was  a schoolgirl he impregnated.  SOS will take the baby into a day care when he is two.

All of you prayer warriors out there, please pray that the uncle of Mariah (Maria)  will allow her mother to sign her to our family for adoption. He is holding out for something, even though he has not asked directly. Our family is to go on annual leave in less than 3 months and we don’t have mothers signature, passport, or visitors visa to take her with us.  Thank you.

Saturday morning, early, Jerry and Tammy Backus, along with their 4 year old daughter, Rachel;  a lawyer;  and Esther from Imara Ministries, went to the village of Baby Rachel’s family. Both of Rachel’s parents are dead, so the grandparents signed all the legal forms for the Backus family to adopt her.  Her new name is Sharon Psalms.

Backus Family

Yesterday the uncle of Lowasa, referred a Maasai father to us, whose wife died two weeks ago, leaving a little boy. They came back today with the appropriate paperwork and we accepted almost 3 month old Mark into care. He smelled awful and was in filthy clothing with a black piece of cloth with two knots in it, around his neck. His eyes are somewhat sunken from dehydration and he has diarrhea. When we first tried to feed him, he vomited up some vile looking milk . We are trying to flush out his system with oral re-hydration fluids and slowly give him proper baby milk. He was just getting milk straight from the cow, out at the Maasai village.

He makes baby 10 in the nursery!

Mark, born on December 12, 2009

This afternoon a young German man who is volunteering in the area, came by with some toys. He said that a friend of his who teaches kindergarten in Germany, heard he was coming to Tanzania . She asked the children she teaches if they would like to give one of their toys to a child in Africa. Some of the children cried as they parted with one of their favorite toys. But they DID give! What a wonderful way to teach how to share. Thank you.

Amina and Selemani with new cuddly toys

Jan  and Mariah with older kids toys

This morning a wonderful group of people came to visit us from the International Tribunal. They brought us so many wonderful gifts for the babies; clothes, baby bouncer, formula, baby powder and oil, biscuits, porridge, instant cereal, diapers…THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

They stayed to help feed the babies lunch as well. What a blessing to have such caring and sharing people in our lives at Cradle!