Stark Contrasts!

Ok, this might be overload of blog posts - but who knows when I'll get on the internet again...

When I was feeding baby Elizabeth last night, I almost couldn't handle the contrast.

I've got to correct myself from last night's post: she's 10 months old, not 9.

The exact age of my grandson Gideon.

Just a few hours between me holding him, feeding him, playing with him

And now (trying to) do the same with Elizabeth.

OH, the contrast!!!

Gideon is full of life, smiles, spunk, sounds, loved to the max by not only his parents but his extended family. He's crawling, standing, close to walking (don't you dare take your first step, Gideon, until I'm back!). He eats just about the same food we do, drinks his milk bottles like a champ - 

and weighs 3 times as much as Elizabeth!

What I fed Elizabeth last night, was a tiny bit of watery broth/soup with a little fruit juice.

I was told she hardly eats, and doesn't take the bottle, doesn't drink milk.

Elizabeth is lethargic and can't hold her head up yet, but look - she grabbed my necklace! That's more than what she did 5 months ago!

And all I could think of is this quote I read a while back:

"Where you live shouldn't decide IF you live."

Don't get me wrong. Elizabeth lives and I do believe that she has a bright future ahead of her.

But had Remmie (see article in last post) not stepped up and been willing to face MANY challenges because of it (she's also had to stay with Elizabeth in the hospital LOTS lately, on top of running the home),

Elizabeth wouldn't be here today.

This is just what it WILL take for us Christ-followers to be HIS hands and feet in this hurting world!

Taking a step of obedience and faith and going beyond ourselves and our comfort zone,

holding on to GOD for all we're worth

and then persevering when we feel like we can't do it...

There are more "Remmies" out here - and I'll get to meet some as I move on today!

When I was at Dubai airport, lugging around my 7kg hand-luggage and a heavy backback for a couple of hours (I maxed out on every kg I was allowed to take), I noticed that some people had small carts carrying their hand-luggage - and I thought, heck, why don't I get one of those? And I did manage to find one. What a difference!

The weight of my stuff hadn't changed a bit, and I was still the one "carrying" it.

But because of the carts with 4 wheels, I hardly felt the weight.

I just pushed it along and it was a breeze, whereas before it was getting heavy and tiring.

Part of my mission is to encourage the "Remmies", the ones who do the hard nine yards, caring for the orphans under VERY challenging circumstances and with often very little support.

I feel like God's calling me to provide such carts  -  some "wheels" to make the burden lighter for these precious ones - through:

Friendship 

Encouragement

(lots of emails have been going back and forth since my last visit)

Prayer

Visits 

(Remmie was SO THRILLED when she found out I was visiting again)

And obviously practical and financial help 

(I haven't been able to do much of that for Remmie yet)

If she had more money, she could hire more local Mamas to care for the kids, which is a real need and even better than ever-changing volunteers that the kids bond with just to loose them again.

She could also get some new clothes - and cloth diapers (the kids are "wet" most of the time)

She could also get them fresh veggies and fruit.

Oh well, enough rambling - the day is starting - and I'm gonna sign off to have some time with

JESUS!!!

Thanks for your prayers as this is a big day - including a 4-hour drive to my next destination - and I haven't slept much.