I went to check up on Franco, Rosie and Rael to talk with their parents, Patrick and Ester, to get a better understanding of what their situation is. When we got there Rael was just sitting outside in the dirt in front of their house and Rosie was sitting alone in the doorway. We knocked on the door and found the Patrick sitting inside the house. We started talking with him and found out that he has been sick with Typhoid for about two weeks. He went to the hospital, but was unable to pay the 400 shillings (about 5 dollars) for the medicine so he has been suffering. After we left the home we went to buy him medicine in town because without it he would be dead within a few weeks. 

          We asked Patrick where the mother was and he said she was on her way home so we gave the girls some Plumpy Nut and waited for her to come back. When she got back we talked to her a little bit about the girls and her family. She told us that they had been living in Shimo La Tewa for only one year. Before that they lived in El Doret and they were getting help from some of their neighbors. She showed us a picture of the twins when they were around six months old and they looked so healthy and happy. Now the situation is much different.  Ester can only look for small jobs close to the home because she has to keep her eye on the twins during the day. The father does not have a steady job and goes around when he is healthy looking for small jobs that pay a little over a dollar a day, but since he has been sick the family has had no income. On top of that, the family is behind on their rent so even when the father is healthy enough to find work the money will have to go towards the house so there still won’t be any food. 

Ester went on to tell us that three weeks ago they took Rael to the hospital. The doctors told her that there was nothing wrong with her except that she needed better nutrition. When we were there Leila, stood her up and her pants were so big that they fell right off her body. She is literally nothing but skin and bones. I have never seen a child that emaciated before. It instantly broke my heart and made me realize that Rael is another case where if something is not done, she will die. Obviously, I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. So I took a day to pray about what I could do to save this child and help this family. 

After talking with Leila we decided that we would take the twins from the home for two months. This way the parents can work to get back on their feet and pay off their rent and work to have enough money to have food in the home. Also during this time the girls will be given supplements and good meals so that they can hopefully reach a healthy weight and catch up to other kids their age. The home where they will be living has 8 other children around their age and caring adults that stay with them day and night. After the two months, hopefully the situation in the home will be improved and the children can move back in with their family and stay healthy. We went to talk to the parents about this idea and they both agreed. 

We wanted to get the girls checked out at the hospital before we took them to the home. So we picked them up and took them to Sister Fredas.  The staff was shocked at how small the girls were. Rael weighed 4kg and Rosie weighed 8kg and an average three year old should way about 15kg. When Rael was born she weighed 3.8kg and in February she weighed 6.8kg. They were both treated for malaria and then we took them back to their home for one last night before we take them tomorrow morning. When we went in to bring the girls back, Patrick was laying on a makeshift bed on the ground. Despite his health, he had gone out to work all day because he told us he was disturbed by the way his kids looked. 

           When we back today to get the kids the whole family was sitting outside on a blanket. I took some Plumpy Nut out of my bag to give to the father and Rael started crying immediately. So we fed them while we talked with the parents and got some of the information that we needed in order to take them. After they were finished eating we took the girls and they said goodbye to their family. The father  called Leila later to check that the girls were adjusting well to the change. We brought them to the house, gave them a bath, put clean clothes on them, fed them a good meal and put them down for a nap. When I went back after their nap Rosie was playing with the other kids. Rael still needs some time to gain strength, but it was great to see her clean and able to just relax. 

I am so thankful that God had made a way for these kids to get the help that they need. Special thanks to the Gamboa family who will be supporting these children as they work towards getting healthy. I am excited to see the improvements they make as they begin eating good meals and having the strength to learn to walk, talk and play.  Sorry this blog is so long. I've been trying to update my blog for days, but the internet has not been cooperating.  Here are some pictures from the week. 

Rael sitting outside her house with Rosie peeking outside the door.

Rael standing with the help of her mother.

Ester sitting with Rael

Rael with fists full of Plumpy Nut

Rael with Plumpy Nut, which is probably the only thing she ate all day.

Rosie eating her Plumpy Nut.

Rosie finished her Plumpy Nut, and licked the wrapper clean.

Patrick sitting floor of his home after a heard day of work.

Rael and Rosie

Rael sitting next to the place where her parents sleep.

Rosie and Rael sitting with their new friends at their new home. 

The house where the kids are staying.