Africa: Adventures of a White Middle Class Housewife, Part 6

Our day today concluded with the “Abandon Babies for Christ” or ABC. It is a real house just a few yards from where we could be living with 15+ little ones, unwanted by their families, abandoned, some most close to death with no where else to go. Gary had told me about little Ben from his trip here a couple months ago. Ben is the size of a two or three year old, so I was shocked to learn his seventh birthday is just around the corner. There were several little boys I was holding. One sat and held on to me tight while I rocked him and sang to him. He was very sweet and if I stopped rocking he would push me to start again. Ben was hated by his parents, abused, neglected and one day in a final attempt to end his life his father (or man at the house) tried to boil him alive. The neighbors heard the screams and rescued him and brought him here. His body is badly scared, he is frail and does not speak, but only a month before he could not get out of bed and wanted nothing to do with people. He smiled at me, played with the other children, and wouldn’t release his hold. Gary could not believe it was the same child. The Lord is using this place to heal this little boy.

I have always wondered how people go to a third world country and chose one child to adopt. The need is so great, and there are so many children, what highlights the one that will become your own? Is there anything more demonic than when we victimize what we are instinctively created and commanded to protect?  This concept is so foreign to me; I simply cannot wrap my mind around it.