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| The Indian Ocean from our bedroom balcony. |
I am writing this blog while looking out over the Indian Ocean,
and my mind is wandering as I stare at the waves and am lulled by the sound of
the water crashing on the rocks below me.
It’s funny how the mind wanders, isn’t it?
Ian, Spencer and Chloe are all with me and I am so thankful
for this family holiday time together.
Then my mind wanders to my mom, Bernice, who is in a Nursing Home in
Canada, and whom I miss a great deal.
She would love going deep-sea fishing with Spencer and Ian tomorrow, but
alas, that is not possible and it makes me sad.
Then my mind wanders from my mom to Ian’s mom, and I am
reminded that it is her birthday today. What a gift it was to us that both of
Ian’s parents are alive and healthy and celebrating birthdays still.
The thought of her birthday leads me to our Baby Seth, who
also is celebrating a birthday today – his FIRST. Seth is HIV positive and has been on life-giving,
life-saving treatment since the day he came to us. His Mother had
eight other children and allegedly killed the last one two years ago. She
couldn’t care for another baby so dumped Seth in a pit latrine and walked away.
The neighbors found the baby, called police and baby was taken to hospital. Mother was found and was arrested and
put in prison. We have no idea how
long Seth will live, but without a significant improvement in the
Anti-retroviral treatment that he is being given, it is unlikely that he will
live the life that my mom or Ian’s mom have enjoyed.
That leads my
mind to the baby who we received just 3-days ago on New Year’s Eve – he wasn’t
dumped, but would have been if a Social Welfare Officer hadn’t decided to work
overtime to save that baby’s life.
This baby was born on December 27th to a young girl who was
raped when she was 12-years old by a family friend. At the tender age of 13 years she had a C-Section and
delivered an 8.2 LB baby boy (the largest I have seen in Swaziland). The mother was discharged from the
hospital on December 31st and took public transportation to Manzini
to beg the Social Welfare Office for help. Neither she, nor anyone in the family wanted anything to do
with the baby. They were ashamed, afraid, but didn’t want to harm the baby.
Spencer and I drove to town to meet the young mother and the baby’s Grandmother
and as they handed the baby to me, they wept and thanked us for saving his
little life.
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| Spencer holding 3-day old Baby Russell. |
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| Spencer holding Chloe when she was 3 days old. |
That thought
lead me back to my own parents, who accepted me from a 15-year old girl who got
pregnant when she was only 14-years old.
That family too was ashamed, afraid and did want anything to do with me,
the baby in 1963. My adopted
parents, Russell and Bernice Willis, came to my rescue and welcomed me with
open arms. The little baby boy who
Spencer and I picked up on New Year’s Eve was named Russell, after my own Dad
who loved me and cared for me as his own.
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| Matheson, Ontario 1963. |
I shared the
story of my 15-year old biological mother with the Baby Russell’s 13-year old
mother and his young Grandmother. I
could speak with great authority to the fact that God’s plans are not our
plans, but I sure am glad that God allowed my mother to get pregnant at that
young age so that I could be there on New Year’s Eve, 51 years later, to
receive Baby Russell. He doesn't waste anything.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me
and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek
me with all your heart.” Jeremiah
29:11-13
Isn’t that a
great scripture? Don’t be afraid of His plans friends. Seek him with all your heart and you
will find Him.
Live from
Durban, South Africa … I am thankful.
Janine
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