Beautiful::Africa

In the village people were walking here and there going about their business when the cry of a baby was heard. It was difficult to locate the cry’s origin when these strangers suddenly discovered it came from the pit latrine that ran though the city. A little life was awfully discarded.

This newborn boy was fished out and taken to the local hospital where he was treated for acidic burns and other sores. He was not in good health. The baby boy was strong and fought through his injuries and before long was sent to us at the Beautiful Gate care center.

His mother had given birth to him in a hospital in South Africa and had left his wrist identification tag on his arm. With the information from the band the Child Protection Police Unit traced the mother down and returned him to her.

Emotions swung between disbelief, to anger, to questions of “how could they?”! An emotional storm!

Then God quietly reminded me not to judge, to look deeper into the circumstance and to quiet my heart. It was hard, but after calming down we at the Beautiful Gate Care Center were moved to pray for the situation. Please join us in prayer first, that the relatives of this child and mother will watch and care for them. Second, that the police will hold the mother accountable to her community service and keep a sharp eye on the situation. Finally, that we can give all these things to the Lord because He is stronger than our weak and feeble hands.

As this baby boy left our hands another baby boy filled them. We carry and take our newest member in love and will nurture him. We have faith that God will find a good family for him just as He recently found a family for yet another one of our delightful boys. God is good all the time!

~Sue Haakonsen