We started off by heading out to Bosnia and going to pick up Dani.  We got to meet his three older sisters and his grandmother. Dani’s mother is a widow and struggles to provide for her family on her own. She is such a sweet lady despite the many struggles she faces and was so thankful that Dani will now be getting the care and attention he needs.

Beautiful Bosnia

Dani's house

Today was move in day for Dani. He seems to be settling in nicely and doesn’t even seem to notice or mind that he is in a different place. He can sit on his own, but he is perfectly content to just lie on the floor, play with his hands and grunt. He is truly a little bundle of energy and never stops moving. He's a sweet little guy and I am excited to be able to watch his progress. 

When we got back to the house with Dani we had a sweet little surprise waiting for us. Somehow, a woman had heard about the house and showed up with her daughter while we were out. They patiently waited for us to come home. When we came in the door we were greeted with a huge smile. Julie seemed like she had been living at the house for months. She was so comfortable and so happy just to sit and play with the other kids. 

We had this sweet little girl in front of us and didn’t know if we should bring her into the house or not. So we decided to talk to her mother to find out a little more about Julie and then after we went to visit their home. She has a very severe case of epilepsy. Often when she is standing and walking around, she has quick little seizures that cause her to fall to the ground. Her mother seemed very distant and stressed. We asked her if Julie was on any medication for seizures and she told us that they stopped giving it to her four years ago because they couldn’t find it in town. I know that it is available and costs only about a dollar for a month’s supply of pills because Brian takes the same medication. We arrived at a fairly nice home with a nice sitting room and two separate bedrooms. The house the clean and nicely furnished with a few luxury items that most of the families where the kids at the house came from could never afford. We met Julie’s two younger brothers who were both healthy and happy. We got back to the house and heard and Julie ate two full plates of rice and beans for lunch. The poor kid was hungry and probably had not been giving any breakfast in the morning. After lunch Julie’s mother told her it was time to go and Julie didn’t want to leave. Her mother started hitting her and pulling her around because she wanted to go home and Julie wanted to stay. Instantly my heart was broken and I knew that this was God’s way of answering my prayers for clarity in this situation. So we told her mother just to go home and bring Julie’s things to the house. 

Julie enjoying her lunch

Julie is already a joy to have in the house. She plays nicely with all the other kids. She can walk well on her own, can feed herself and go to the bathroom on her own. Even though she cannot talk, she is a good little listener and fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow. It is heartbreaking to know that this sweet little girl has lived in an environment where she was not loved and viewed as a burden. God is faithful and brought her to us and I am thankful for all five of my little bundles of joy. 

The sitting room full of little ones.

I’ve written about Dani before. I first met him in January when we were doing a clinic in a slum area called Bosnia. Getting a diagnoses here is hard because there are few doctors that are knowledgable enough to diagnose special cases and no machines available to do scanning. Dani has many characteristics that are present in those with Autism Spectrum Disorders. I met his mother a second time at the District Hospital where they were treating Dani for Meningitis even though he showed few symptoms. He was discharged two weeks later and Evelyn, his mother, said that there was no change after the treatment. 

Sleepy Dani and his mom, Evelyn

So we went back a few weeks later to visit them in their home. It was a bit tough to find them because she has no phone and we only knew the general area where she lived, but God is good and after asking around we found someone to take us to their home. They live in a farming area and his mother was preparing the land to be planted when we showed up. She greeted me with a big smile and then invited us into her home. We could hear Dani in the back room of the house where it was very dark. We talked to her a little about her son and her situation and told her about the house. It’s understandable, but many parents don’t tell the whole truth about their children’s eating, sleeping and other habits because they don’t want to give all the gritty details and scare us away. Evelyn, however, was totally honest the whole time and is so kind and grateful. We decided that Dani would be a great fit for the house and he will be moving into the house this Tuesday. Please keep Dani in your prayers as he makes the transition and settles into his new home. 

Everyone at the house is still doing great. Isaac is eating well and gaining weight and getting healthy. His little muscles are starting to loosen up and we are finding new ways for him to sit and work various muscles. He is back to his happy smiling self. He particularly enjoys laughing when one of the other kids is crying or when they are getting scolded. His sense of humor is great. 

Today I started working on writing with Cyril and Lavender. It was more like working on how to hold the pen because neither of them have any practice. Their faces say it all. Lavender was super excited and colored for about an hour straight. Cyril on the other hand was less enthusiastic and needs a little more time to get used to the idea. 

Brian is doing great. Tuberculosis takes months to fully go away and Brian just finished his sixth month of medicine. So we took him to the doctor for a check-up. Since his father had started then stopped the medicine he will take the medicine for six more months to be sure that it doesn’t come back again. 

Brian is still as cute and happy as ever. He is getting physical therapy to help him get to the point where he can sit on his own, but we are getting creative at finding ways to get him to practice.

Brian in a basin

We also are working on getting him to reach and grab things. It’s a little challenging at times because Brian doesn’t really have much interest in toys. So today when we were working with him there was a little chicken that had wandered into the house. So we grabbed that up and now we found a way to get his attention and Brian has a new little friend. 

Today Leila and I took Brian and Lavender to the district hospital to get physical therapy. After therapy, Dr. Nabongo, the physical therapist, told us that he had another child that lives nearby that he wanted us to meet in case we have any openings for the house. So we went to meet Ruth. 

Ruth was happy to see Dr. Nabongo

She lives behind a busy street just outside of town that is full of mechanic shops. Her father left the family so it is just Ruth and her mother. Life is difficult as a single parent, but the added pressure of being a single mother of a child with disabilities is much harder. Ruth is an only child so there isn’t even any brothers or sisters to watch out for her while her mother is off at work. So all day Ruth sits right where we found her. Another missionary group had donated her a stroller so she sits in that outside during the day while her mother is at work. Her mother leaves the door unlocked so if it rains a neighbor can at least put her inside so she can get out of the rain. Ruth is nonverbal and cannot sit or walk on her own, yet she was one of the most joyful children I have met. Just looking at her sweet smile made everyone in the room smile too. 

Ruth is such a beautiful little girl. God keeps putting so many kids heavy on my heart. We can’t take them all into the house, but we can support them every way possible until God’s perfect timing allows doors to be opened. Pray that Ruth and other children in her situation will feel God’s comfort and love and that their families will have the God given strength to carry and do all they can to support their children. 

 Lavender is making great improvements. I’ve been working with her on gaining strength so that she can learn to sit completely on her own. I came up with this easy little game of lining up some toys on the chair and then she takes them down. She is all smiles and always asks to play. It’s great that she enjoys it, plus gets to work on strengthening all sorts muscles while working on her grasping as well. 

I had been leaning her against the chair so that she can work on sitting and holding her self up while we play. Then today I tried so see if she could sit on her own and she can. She needs a little more practice to be able to sit without someone close by, but she’s improving quickly. 

Waving to the camera.

Sitting all by herself!

I have been reading books with her and Cyril that have letters and numbers in them. Lavender can already count to five (in Swahili and English) and is starting to recognize a few letters. She is such a smart little girl. 

Cyril is also doing great. We took her to the dentist to get her tooth removed last week. She was already a good little eater, but now without that painful tooth in the way she is eating even more. She is getting healthier and happier by the day. She is becoming a good little listener and even takes her own plate to the sink when she is finished eating. Her and Lavender are becoming friends. I heard Lavender asking Cyril to pick up the toy that she dropped and Cyril got up and handed it to her. All the kids sit in the room and just laugh with each other and you just can’t help but smile. 

Isaac has been having a tough time getting healthy, but I think that now he is on the road to gaining weight and strength. We have been having trouble getting him to gain weight and keep his food down. For the past three days we have starting him on a new eating plan and he is eating well. He has five scheduled times during the day where he eats. One of his snack times is made up of either baby formula or baby cereal. This contains all the nutrients, including iron, that he has been missing because he is unable to chew certain foods and is easy for him to eat. Not to mention he loves them. He is starting to relax and becoming more comfortable and his arms and legs are starting to be less tense. We have been working in stretching his arms and legs a couple times a day and he actually enjoys it. He is back to his happy little self and has the sweetest laugh I have ever heard. 

 I have seen God answer so many of my prayers about these kids and the house. He truly has his powerful hand on me and these kids and my house moms. Please pray for continued health for these precious little ones and for us as we continue to care for them and show them God’s love. 

Had a great birthday today. In the morning I had a couple of things to do around town and then in the afternoon I got a call to go down to Leila’s and they surprised me by having a little celebration at her house. I walked into a room full of smiling faces singing happy birthday to me. .My kids were over and we had cake and a delicious meal. I am so blessed and can’t wait to see that God has in store for me this next year of my life. 

Cutting the cake

Cyril patiently waiting for her cake. 

Cake time!

Took Cyril to the dentist in town today. The left side of her face is swollen and red because she has an infected tooth that needs to come out. So we are going back on Friday to have it removed. Cyril wasn’t a big fan of the dentist and couldn’t wait to get out of there. Afterward we got her some medicine for her infected gums. Then we went and bought her first pair of shoes and she was so happy and focused on walking that she wouldn’t even look at the camera.