I asked about Alex yesterday--the little boy with CP that won my heart in Guatemala. Apparently the hospital put a feeding tube in for him briefly (or promised to), but now he is without it again. Our agency rep, Melissa, is trying to have him moved to the malnutition section of the hospital for better care. I am so sad for the children who 'live' there--trapped in their beds, soaked in their own urine and staring day after day at their mosquito netting. I can only imagine how their misery will grow as summer brings hotter weather. I am fairly sure the hospital isn't air conditioned. Please do not forget them in your prayers....
On a happier note...a friend finally helped me to find the website of the orphanage we visited--the one run by a Christian couple, Steve and Sheryl, from America. When we were there, Sheryl shared with me that they have purchased some land and are saving the money to build an orphanage that is large enough for all of them to live together. Currently, the children live in two locations, a block apart, because they outgrew their original place. If you are interested in donating to this project, or praying for them, please visit their website. It is: http://lovethechild.org/Home/Welcome.html . There are individual pictures of the children--how fun! There is very little help available for children with special needs in Guatemala. All of the children at Amor del Nino have some type of special need (with the exception of one baby who was thought to have medical problems, but does not).
From time to time people tell me that they wish they could have adopted, but it just didn't work out. I want to encourage you that if you have a heart for orphans, it is never too late to make a difference in a child's life. There are many ways to be involved, and the need is truly overwhelming. A friend of mine sent me a quote the other day that really made me think.
"Have you ever faced this kind of moment? A moment filled with opportunity
yet you let it slip away? Has it ever been in your power to do good, but
you chose instead to do nothing? You didn't choose to do evil..you just
chose not to get involved."
He then ends the section by saying "I am convinced that the greatest tragedy
is not the sins that we commit, but the life we fail to live. Wake up
tomorrow morning asking the dangerous question, "what can I do today to make
a difference in the world?"
I have so often been guilty of doing nothing. Sometimes I think we just don't really know WHAT to do, so we do nothing.
In view of that, I thought I would pass on the opportunity to help the children at Amor del Nino. It will not go unnoticed by our heavenly Father whose heart is so very close to the orphan. When Steve and Sheryl's dream is realized, I can just picture the children running through the grass, playing on swings and slides...enjoying the fun of eating together in the same room, having everything wheelchair accessible for Hannah and Jose. Let's help make this a reality...let's DREAM BIG and make a difference for the children of Amor del Nino! :)
