Welcome Deli!

This little beauty was welcomed into Haven of Hope yesterday afternoon, just 12 hours old.

Fidelis (Deli) was named by her mother before she handed her over to us. I have known about this situation for some time and was prepared to take her into our home as a safe haven. We do not know how long she will be with us, but it is our hope that she will be able to safely return to her mother within the next two years.

Please pray for this little girl's mother, a child herself. She just gave birth to her father's baby and is now facing the repercussions of her family's wrath, though innocently caught in the web of cruelty. Though it seems illogical and unreasonable, it is the common view and reaction of some tribes here. Rather than the family and clan directing their anger at the father of the girl, they accuse the daughter and demand punishment, even death. At this point, the baby would not survive if she was taken into the family's home. We will be a safe haven for Deli until the time it is safe for her to return to her mother, until she can properly care for baby, until the family's anger has died down, until the situation settles, until the baby is old enough to not be easily "discarded" or thrown out.

Until that time, we pray for the mother of little Deli, and we will take advantage of every moment we have this little angel in our home, showing her Jesus, loving on her and giving her all the things she needs to begin a strong, valued life. She is a Cherished One!

276. Newborn, head still in need of a warm, cleansing bath.

277. Aunties’ welcoming yelps and joyous shouts for a new baby.

278. Teeny tiny newborn cries.

279. Cries for the tight comfort of a mother’s womb.

280. Soft squeezes.

281. Watching volunteers experience the joy of a new baby in the home.

282. Happy Auntie Jully, loving a new baby.

283. Auntie Maggie claiming “her girl” from Day 1.

284. New baby wearing the gift of our Cherished Handworks ladies.
285. Eyes squinting open, Deli's first glimpses of her new world.