Sick Babies

This last week has been quite a challenge for us as we have been dealing with 2 very sick babies.  Our children all came down with cold/flu but thankfully Andy and I were spared.  Shortly after two of the babies, Bridget (18 mo.) and Blessings (9 mo.), became sick with flu symptoms.  Since we didn’t want the other 3 babies to get sick we moved them to our side of the house so we could care for them.  Needless to say, we were quite busy mopping up what was coming out of both ends of them.  I don’t think I’ve ever been thrown up on more than in the last week! 

Even though we knew we would be caring for sick babies it was quite another thing to actually experience it.  Because Bridget has not totally recovered from being malnourished, we were concerned that this would be a major setback.  Once these children start going downhill it can be difficult to stop.  We spent a whole day spoon feeding them liquids to ensure that they didn’t lose any more weight and didn’t become dehydrated.  Jared and Kris were a big help and were each responsible for a baby for most of the day.  By the end of the day they had actually gained a few ounces. 

We took them to a local doctor who tested them for malaria.  In Africa when a baby is sick it is the first thing that they suspect. They both had malaria but at the lowest level detectable.  We administered the malaria medicine but the next day they were both very weak and didn’t seem to be better but actually worse.  We were told that this drug takes 3 days to take effect and that you actually feel worse for 2 days after taking the drug.  

Today they are feeling better and eating solid food again.  We are so thankful that they are on the road to recovery.  Please continue to pray for the health of these babies as they are all in fragile health. 

 

Shipping Packages to Mzuzu

For those who have asked about shipping boxes or packages to us here is what we’ve experienced so far. We have received 4 packages (1 was quite large) last week that arrived within 3 weeks and a large box arrived in a month.  They were all in good condition and nothing was missing.  The packages were sent air mail insured.  Just a reminder that shipping costs are quite a lot and sometimes costs more than what is being shipped so be ready for sticker shock.

 

Current Baby Pictures

Here are current pictures of the babies:







Blessings (9 mo)













Mphatso (6 mo)










Jacob (6 weeks)











Samson (2 weeks)









Bridget (18 mo)




Aren’t they all so adorable? Today we have a flu bug that Bridget and Blessings have caught. Please pray that the rest stay healthy or at least that we all have the energy to deal with it.

Lisa

Please Pray for the Little Ones

We ask all who read this to take a few minutes to lift the little children in prayer.  Last night Bridget became ill with stomach trouble (vomiting, diarrhea), this morning Blessings has the same symptoms and Jacob had signs of a bad cold.  This is our first big challenge, as all the children are somewhat weak and fragile in their health.  Please pray that God would show mercy on them and give them quick healing and give us wisdom on how to deal with their sickness.

 

Andy

Laundry at the Nursery

I thought everyone would like to see how much laundry we do in a day. We now have 5 babies and we do go through the nappies and clothes! The laundry on the line isn’t even from a 24 hour period but about 16 hours. Thankfully my nannies wash out the nappies (diapers for you Americans) and I do have a washing machine. We hang them on the line in good weather but dry them for 15 to 30 minutes to ensure that phutsie fly eggs don’t survive. FYI--Phutsie flies lay eggs on damp clothes and then they hatch and burrow into you skin when the clothing is worn. When they mature they come out of you skin as adults. Thankfully the heat from the dryer or an iron will kill the eggs. Pretty disgusting, but that’s life here in Malawi J

P.S. This was only the first of 2 loads of laundry that day

The Nursery is Full

We now have 5 babies at the nursery and we are full up!  We only had 4 cribs and had to borrow the fifth in order to take the last one.  We now have Bridget, 17 months, Blessings, 9 months, Mphatso, 5 months, Jacob, 6 weeks, and Samson, 2 weeks.

Last Wednesday we brought home Jacob and Samson from the hospital.  Jacob’s mother is mentally ill and left him at the market.  He is a pretty healthy boy and is doing well.  Samson’s mother died after giving birth and he only weighs 4.8 lbs.  He is so very tiny but appears to be healthy.  The next day we were called about a little boy whose mother is a blind beggar in town.  Social services wanted to send her to a school for the blind but needed us to take the baby before she could go.  Even though his name is Blessings, so far he hasn’t been much of a blessing yet.  He is very afraid as he is old enough to know that we aren’t his mother and it doesn’t help that we are white.  He cries most of the time but is slowly getting better. 

 

At this point we can take no more babies as we need to have cribs made and 2 more nannies hired.  Right now I have a nanny coming for day shift and night shift.  We don’t want the ladies to have more than 4 babies to take care of.  We have moved Bridget into our side of the house as she is getting stronger and becoming a typical toddler.  Our nursery isn’t really set up for toddling children and especially when the nanny has her hands full with 4 other babies.  Needless to say our other children are thrilled as we have all love Bridget.  We will have to begin looking at a permanent placement for her as she is now past the crisis.  Please pray that Social Services will assist us in a timely manner to find her a permanent home.

 

What 3 weeks and good food can do...

We wanted everyone to see the change in Bridget. The first picture was taken shortly after we brought her home and the 2nd was taken today which is about 3 weeks between pictures. She is truly not the same girl. She is chattering and smiling all the time. She now scoots towards things she wants (we’ll regret this in a few more weeks) and loves to walk as long as someone is holding her hands. Today she even tried to stand from a sitting position. She didn’t make it but eventually she will.

In case you wondered why we came to Malawi I hope these pictures tell it all.

Isn’t God good?!!!

Pictures...

Hi All,

I thought I would send an email with a few pictures (I hope) that just show some of our house and the local countryside; nothing spiritual or weighty, just something to get to know our area a little more. The weather has finally warmed up and the house is now above 70 degrees in the morning—very nice. I even wore shorts yesterday. We went on a picnic last week to a small lake about a half hour from town. It was on land owned by a forestry company I think, as there was a nursery for pine tree seedlings near by. All of the trees around here seem to have flowers and now that it is spring, they are starting to bloom. I will send more pictures of them as they progress, as some of them are very striking. I had another driving lesson the other day coming home from church. We were taking a dirt road “shortcut” to our house and I wasn’t paying particular attention, going along at about 10 mph when all of a sudden the ‘Cruiser jumped up and slammed back down, babies crying, and everyone else wondering what happened. I hadn’t been watching close enough and missed seeing the tree stump that was right on the edge of the road. The front wheel had gone up over it and then the car came down with the stump under the running board. Made a nice afternoon project for the boys and I to straighten out the kink in the running board, which was bent upwards about 6” from its original form. Good thing it was aluminum and easy to work! Hope all are well, we miss you guys.

In Christ,
Andy

It's Raining Babies!!

Lisa called the Social Welfare Officer this morning to check on the status of a baby in Mzimba (about 40 miles from here) that was possibly in need of our services.  Well, no news on that baby, but there were two others at Central Hospital that we need to assist.  Samson is a newborn (2weeks old) whose mother died at birth.  The grandmother who is caring for him is aging and not able to afford formula.  Jacob is 6 weeks old and was abandoned in the market by his mentally ill mother, who now can’t be found.  The hospital staff was kind enough to care for him.  So, the next stop is the carpenters where the fourth crib is supposed to be finished today (the Lord’s timing is perfect).  And then there’s always that baby in Mzimba…

 

Day to day living by Jared

Day to day living here is very similar to living in the United States, with a few exceptions.  All of us children get up at different times between 6:00 and 7:00; sometimes have a cup of tea while we read our Bibles, and wait until Mom and Dad finish their Bible study.  Kris and I then take out the compost and the garbage. The compost goes to the compost pile near the garden.  The trash gets sorted into burnable and unburnable.  The unburnable stuff, like cans and jars, go into a pit dug in the back yard near the wall. While we are in the back yard, we water the garden.  We have corn, radishes, lettuce and garlic growing now.  We then get ready for breakfast. 

After breakfast, we all do school at the dining room table, taking occasional breaks until our school is done.  We usually finish before lunch.  If we don’t finish before lunch, we have to stay inside and finish after lunch, usually somewhere else because Mama Chirwa cleans the dining room after lunch.

For recreational activity during the afternoon, Kris and I have a table tennis tournament every day, adding up the games at the end of the day and seeing how many games each of us won.  We average about 5-10 games a day.  Also, all of us kids also split into 2 teams and play keep-away with a soccer ball.  When they aren’t playing the keep-away game, Andrew, Sarah, and Alina usually play in the side yard, mixing up batches of grass and flowers to use for food while they play house.  Matthew usually sits around and reads books.

By 5:00 P.M., we come in to have dinner.  The mosquitoes start to come out, the night watchmen show up to guard the house, and we eat dinner.  After dinner, we all stay in the house because of the possibility of mosquitoes.  We sometimes play a game of Scrabble or Boggle.  Each evening, we study one chapter of the New Testament (we’re in Galatians now).  We then go to bed, usually around 8:30.

On Sundays, the schedule is slightly different.  We eat breakfast, and then get ready to go to church.  Church services start at about 9:00.  We start off with singing some hymns in Tumbuka, then break.  We get together again about 5 minutes later and sing some more hymns in Tumbuka.  During this section, we take the Lord’s Table.  After Communion, we take another 5 minute break.  Mr. Pascoe then gets out his guitar and we sing hymns in English.  The kids then go to Sunday school with Anastasia, while the older children and adults stay and listen to one of the men speak.  At 11:00, the service is over.  For lunch, my family and the Pascoe’s go to a little restaurant called Sombrero.  We have the whole afternoon to spend at home.

 

               

 

Dogs and Babies.

We bought a puppy last week, a 3 month old Rhodesian ridgeback as our other dog Jessie lounges more than is watchdog.  After two days he became lethargic and died within 3 days.  The vet here didn’t really know what was wrong but from all his symptoms we believe that he had Parvo.  Apparently it is very common among Rhodesian ridgeback puppies.  We don’t believe that he was immunized for it as the only thing required here is a rabies shot.  We hope that Jessie won’t get it as she has been immunized.  I know that a lot of people were praying for our little puppy, even me and I’m not a dog lover, but God knows best.  We must come back to the place where we truly only trust God for our safety.

…be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me…Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!          Psalm 31:2, 19

We have 2 nannies that are coming during the day for training in the hopes that they will work the night shift.  Lord willing, they will rotate nights starting on Monday so we can get some sleep.  Actually, the Lord has been sustaining us in spite of very little sleep and we are thankful for it.   The nannies/caretakers seem to be very caring and loving toward Mphatso and Bridgit.  Bridgit has finally warmed up to us and isn’t quite sure about the new ladies but she is slowly getting used to them.  It is very difficult to hand her over when she doesn’t really want to go with them but we stop in quite a lot and play with her. The nannies leave at 4 so we have them both for the evening. 

These two little babies have definitely found their way into our hearts.  When Bridgit took a few steps (with Sarah’s help) toward Andy, our whole family clapped and cheered.  Whenever she smiles, which is happening more and more, we all laugh and encourage her.  We will post another picture of them so you can see the changes in them.  Bridget has more emotion in her face and Mphatso is becoming a little fatty as he loves his bottles.

Even though we sometimes get discouraged, we are so thankful that we are here and really humbled that God could take a family that is far from perfect and use us to help these babies.  May all of you use the talents and gifts God has given you for his glory.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Mt 5:16 

 

Our Reason for Being Here...

Here’s those most waited for pictures- the first 2 babies!! Mphatso and Bridget have stories that are typical of orphans in Malawi. Mphatso was the son of HIV+ parents whose mother died shortly after his birth. He was being cared for by his older sisters (10 and 12 years of age) who had no resources for formula or milk. He was taken to Ekwendeni Hospital for treatment of a respiratory infection and was being cared for there and getting some of the food source he needed, even though that isn’t the mission of the hospital. He still coughs a lot and doesn’t sleep well at night, but is slowly improving. A couple of days later we heard about Bridget, who had been abandoned by her mother (a prostitute) at a “day care” almost 2 months ago. Don’t think of Kinder-Care when you read day care; think of a 2 room hut with minimal furnishings and half a dozen other children running around. The proprietor was an elderly woman who obviously couldn’t afford food to feed an extra mouth. Bridget was suffering from malnutrition- swollen limbs, listless, no appetite. She is still quite lifeless, but her appetite is slowly coming back and she smiles once in a while when Sarah kisses her on the neck. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40

What A Difference A Week Can Make!

The past month we have been frustrated because we seemed to be making no progress on getting babies to our nursery.  With house help and no where to really go, life was becoming very boring and we were wondering if we would ever make a difference here in Malawi.  We always say that God’s timing is perfect but we never seem to be patient while we wait for his timing!  Now I believe he was letting us experience the calm before the storm. 

Last Monday, we had no children and a week later we have two.  Now we have diapers, blankets and toys strewn throughout the house.  We have diaper pails full of nappies (diapers) to be washed.  We have a baby that likes to wake up every 3 hours for his bottle as he is making up for not having enough to eat.  We have a mama (me) who doesn’t get much sleep at night so when she finally gets up the other six children are wondering where their breakfast is.  Needless to say our lives have changed in the past week but what a blessing. Life is somewhat chaotic now but what a privilege to be a part of these little lives. 

Little Mphatso is 5 months old but developmentally he is 2 months old and he weighs only 9 lbs.  Even though he wakes up a lot at night he has become quite sweet in just a week.  He now smiles and coos at us and has become very use to all the attention.  We don’t know what his future will be as his mother is dead, his father has 4 other children to care for, and his chances of being HIV positive are great due to his family history.  Oh how we love him and pray that God has a purpose for his life.

Adorable Bridget is 17 months old and was quite malnourished when we got her.  She was very lifeless and her arms and legs were quite swollen so it was painful for her to move.  She was left at a daycare 2 months ago and the daycare operator had very little food to feed her so she went hungry most of the time.  The first night we had her she only took a few sips of water and a few spoons of porridge but when she saw the food coming she would smack her lips and after each bite she would take her little tongue and get all that was around her mouth.  The swelling in her arms and legs is going down as she is now eating better but we still have to coax her.  She wants nothing to do with me but loves Andy and Sarah.  It was quite moving the first time she reached her arms out to Andy.  We are all anxiously waiting for her first smile as she sets her jaw like a bulldog most of the time.          Today we began training a woman as a caretaker.  We are hoping she will work out and can stay here at nights so we can get some rest.  I realize how possessive I have become over these babies in just a week.  Even though I want my rest it is difficult to hand them over to a stranger to care for them.  I’m sure when the house is full of babies I won’t feel this way but the first 2 are very special to us. 

Our prayer for these children is that they will say along with the psalmist, “For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. “ (Ps 71:5)