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.