Tuesday's Child - Deli

Precious little Deli. She is one sweet little baby, and quite beautiful.

Deli was diagnosed with Rickets at about two months old, her case being a genetic deficiency. Her head reshaped itself but her legs have been bowed. As she continues vitamin supplement therapy, her bones are straightening and there is very little evidence of the deficiency now. Deli is ten months old now. She crawls all over the place. She likes to pull herself up and bounce, especially in her crib. She likes music, too, and when sitting in a Bumbo chair, her little legs wiggle back and forth as she tries to dance. So cute!

 She is one happy little girl! Joy truly radiates from her little face.

I had posted before that her mother was going to sign over rights for her to be freed for adoption, but that did not happen. When she was made aware that if her daughter were adopted she would have no rights or contact with her in the future, she decided not to sign. In this case, I must say that I was disappointed. The more I learned about the family, the more burdened I was about Deli's future - the more afraid I was for her future.

Over the past few months, the story of Deli's future has changed numerous times. There is a great deal of drama surrounding her and her family. However, her young mother has recently come to visit and is beginning to develop a relationship with Deli. We have spent a great deal of time counseling the mother and reinforcing the importance of building that relationship before taking Deli back into her care. She has married, and the new husband who once said he would never allow the baby into his home, has had a {miraculous} heart change and has agreed to take her home. He has even come to visit and was very comfortable with Deli. He really seemed to enjoy her. Even the aunties were very pleased at their interaction.

I know that God has a plan for each of our babies' lives, but I must admit that I have struggled with knowing what is best for Deli's future. I generally agree that the best place for a baby is with their biological family ~ if that family is capable of caring for and loving the child. I also know that the Kenyan government and the Children's Department will always, hands down, give first preference and rights to the family. With the recent changes in the family situation, many of which I am not at liberty to post publicly, I am beginning to feel more hopeful for Deli's future with her biological family. I can see that her mother truly does love her.

Please pray with me that God would go before Deli and prepare her family to take her back into their home. Pray for her to be cared for, protected, and loved unconditionally.

Wordless Wednesday - Joy!

Deli's future

I love Mondays. Though I talk and/or email with Rebekah, who is in Kenya managing things for me while I am away, most every day, Mondays are full of information. We have Monday Management Meetings (MMM), and getting the notes from that meeting is always a highlight for me. Although there are many items that are just business - the mundane daily goings on, frustrations being dealt with, problems being solved - there are also bits of information that I love to hear, things that make me feel good, connected, close.

Today's MMM notes held some exciting news. Angie, our baby house manager, met with the mother and grandmother of Deli today. If you don't know or do not recall her story, you can READ IT HERE. Short story is that Deli came to Haven of Hope as a place of protection, having been born into a situation that was not safe for her, in a less than desirable set of circumstances.

This is Deli, just as she arrived at HOH, 12 hours old

As time has passed and the situation with Deli's biological family has had time to settle, they have made the selfless decision to place Deli for adoption. Though we believe that it is best for babies to be with their biological families if at all possible, we also understand that adoption may be a better option in some cases. Please pray for this family as they make decisions for the future of this precious little girl. May the Lord's will be done in this beautiful baby's life.

God has a special plan for sweet little Deli's life. She is a sweet little baby, dearly loved by so many in her life. May God wrap His arms of love around this little darling every day of her life, and may she always know how that she is dearly loved and cherished to her Heavenly Father.

Deli

Little Deli is growing!

This is Deli on the day I left, so tiny and small.

Look at the sweet little thing slipping from newborn to little baby! I can't wait to get back home to squeeze this little darling.

Oh, what I will miss!

My baby girls are gonna GROW! These little things will be scooting around all over the place when I get home in a few months. I tried to soak up as much love as I could before I left, but I am afraid those little squeezes won't be enough to last until I get back.

Sweet little Deli is three weeks old now.

Winnie & Annabelle are now four months old! Time flies.

David was a little jealous of the baby holding time. Sweet boy wanted in the picture, too. 

I can't wait to see how big these little ones are when I return. Until then, I'll just keep staring at these pictures of the sweet little girls and remembering how squishy and squeezable they are. 

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.