Last week I had the chance to visit Savana in W. It was an unforgettable experience. It was the most ministry I have seen here in China. This team works with mentally and physically disabled children all day at a clinic and in an orphanage. It was heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time. I can’t believe what this team endures in a week.
I was able to spend a morning in the clinic and an afternoon at the orphanage. It was high energy and hard work at the clinic as they took their clients thru their workouts. So much love and patience. It was incredibly emotional when one mom said that she couldn’t handle it anymore, and that she was going to drop her son off at an orphanage. Thank G_d for this clinic, where parents can get a rest and help with their disabled children. And a voice of reason that says, “No, you cannot do that.” “Hang in there, we will help.”
Then we traveled outside the city to the orphanage. I can’t lie, I was scared. I didn’t know how I would react to the conditions. Within 5 minutes Savana and I were in tears after we entered the baby room. We scooped up babies and pr_yed over them as we tried to get a hold of ourselves. I asked Savana if it got better over time, and she said “no”. Emotions run high.
After about 10 minutes everyone left to go do physical therapy with the children that needed it, and I was left with 2 women and 15 babies! Teeny tiny newborns up to about 18 months. I worked my way around the babies. There was one boy who was about 6 or 7 who was mentally ill. He would constantly try to grab my hand and pull me. If I wouldn’t go with him, he would dig his nails into me or grab saliva off his tongue and try to wipe it on me. So unnerving. Every day since then when I think about it, I wish I would have called out the evil spirits. I did not think of it at the time. Perhaps there was a reason I didn’t think of it.
Many of these children are at this orphanage because they were confiscated as they were being sold over the Vietnam border, most likely into prostitution. The orphanage is a blessing compared to this fate.
It was an image I will never forget. It won’t leave me. So I’m pr_ying what I am supposed to do with it. Savana is back with us for a little while. Her time there wears her down. I am grateful she can rest here. She has one more stint before her time there is done. Many of the team suffers from illness because, so many (practically all) of the children are ill. But, they persevere. As a mother I want to rescue Savana from pain and sickness, but she is resolved. This is where she has been called. The safest place is in the center of His will, no matter the conditions. So we press on. Lift us up dear friends!
