So much has happened since I last wrote on my blog that I am not sure where to begin! Be patient with me, I beg you! I want to fill you in on so much, but understand that if I were to give you all the details, in reading, you may find you’ve signed up for a novel.
"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with JOY!" Psalm 126:3
In the months since I’ve written, we’ve seen many of our sweet children finally united with their forever families! We miss them in the home, but realize how blessed we are to have been part of each precious journey. We’ve also seen some new beautiful personalities enter the home and have fallen in love with each of them!
Meet some of the new little wonders of Door of Hope ;)
During the month of February we were quite busy with admissions and suddenly during the months of March and April, we had none! We are unsure as to why, but it seems that many of the homes like ours were experiencing the same lull in intake. For Door of Hope, with all of the changes happening within the ministry, we were able to concentrate on some of the restructuring, for which we’ve been transitioning for months!
In mid-April we welcomed a new couple, Mark & Sara, who will be serving the ministry in various capacities for at least 6 months. Sara is a trained social worker in the US, and will be filling the vacant position within Door of Hope. Since I have absorbed this position since February, I am SO relieved to have her here! We have been working closely together for the last month in training, and she is doing a beautiful job communicating with the mothers and other family members. She takes initiative and has a passion to fight for the best placement for every child who comes through our doors. We are blessed to have her!
Nicole, whom I mentioned in my last newsletter, will be taking over the position as Children’s Manager when I leave next month, and she is already doing a wonderful job! Nicole is a very gracious and compassionate person, with a lot of experience with babies! She is a certified Sleep Specialist, and before moving to South Africa she would become part of a family when a newborn entered the scene, to help the family adjust to a healthy sleep schedule. We have seen great improvements in our children since she introduced a new schedule, and I’ve appreciated the expertise she’s brought to the home! She also has a very pastoral heart, so I have enjoyed seeing our aunties benefit from her supportive nature. We’ve a lot more ground to cover in training, especially in regards to the Starfish program, so please be praying for the process as we continue!
"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1
Tuesday the 19th of April, I arrived at the baby house at 5:30 am to take my little Wildflower to HIV Clinic. When I got to the door, I was met by two frantic Aunties. They told me that they had just been phoning me when I arrived at the baby house... our beloved girlie with cerebral palsy was not breathing. When I arrived by her crib, I took one look at our sweet girl and realized she too, had finally reached her Forever Family. This was the event we’d been cautioned about since she arrived. My heart was thanking the Lord for the 2 1/2 years He’d given her, but as I scooped her up out of her crib for the last time my arms did not want to let her go. The Aunties and I remembered the time we’d been blessed with her and we thanked the Lord together in prayer.
The day that followed was hectic. I had to fetch medicines for my Wildflower even though she’d missed her appointment. We made arrangements with the undertaker, went shopping to buy a special dress for our girl’s memorial, and at the end of the day I had to go fetch my car from the shop where it had been for almost 2 weeks. When I got into the car I turned on the CD player for the drive home, overwhelmed by the events of the day. It was at that moment I heard for the first time, ‘Heaven Song’ by Phil Wickham. I listened and wept, while the Lord ministered to my heard through the words of this song...
It was so sweet, the image that came into my mind when I heard those lyrics. Our beautiful girl, who had been bound in so many ways by her earthly body, was free! She’d fought hard, taught us so much, added so much joy to our lives, and then the Lord rescued her. In the days that followed, I felt like the He’d come to fetch our baby girl so peacefully while she slept because He knew otherwise we’d still be fighting to keep her! Stephanie, who was scheduled for a visit to South Africa, arrived just three days after we lost our girl, and it was a precious gift to all of us that she was here to celebrate Nomthandazo's life with us.
"I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you." John 16:22
Please be praying for the entire staff of Door of Hope, especially those who serve our Starfish. The transitioning is happening everywhere in the ministry, and they have been greatly affected by it. I believe that we have recently been able to provide some stability in the programming, as well as some much needed support for the Aunties and Uncles who are loving these children and serving the Lord so well.
"When your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." James 1:4... We're working on it ;)
On a personal note, I do not know how I will manage to board a plane and leave these children I have been so blessed to be able to love in Christ’s name for so long. However, I know that the next steps are part of a wonderful journey I’ve been on for a long time, and that they are building blocks for the work the Lord has placed on my heart for the future. That, I can rejoice about! I am SO looking forward to some time at home with my family and friends, even though school again after eleven years seems a bit daunting! Haha! Please be praying especially for my health, if you will, and also in the area of finances. Right now things are extremely tight, and there are some major expenses to consider as I leave. I am believing the Lord for the provision to complete what needs to be done before I head home, and He hasn’t yet let me down ;)
Thanks for your prayers and for checking in to read up on life & ministry with my babas at Door of Hope!
Much love and blessings,
Beth
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