Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Michelle's Moving On



Michelle has moved. Not this Michelle, baby Michelle! She is now a precious six-month-old happy and healthy baby girl. For a while she has been at a point where she no longer needs the one-on-one care she has been getting in the Tumaini na Afia center. Her family is not in a position where they feel they are able to provide the care she needs; but at the same time they want to be able to have a relationship with her. So they were opposed to the idea of adoption. Our team was able to locate a Children's Home where Michelle was accepted. (The ELI Children's Home in Kipkaren is full so she could not stay in our community.) Last week she moved to her new home in Kakamega. When she is older and her family are able to care for her they will bring her home.

The pictures are of William and my last visit with Michelle. I will miss her dearly. I stopped in to spend time with her every day on my way to the clinic. I wasn't able to go along with her on her journey to her new home. Her caregiver Victoria told me that Michelle went very willingly to a mzungu (white) man at the home. He was surprised that she wasn't afraid of him. Victoria explained that Michelle is used to me so the white skin doesn't scare her.

I will miss her but at the same time I'm happy that she has a more permanent living situation and is no longer living in a transitional state.

What is amazing is that just a few days before Michelle left two more children came to us in need of Victoria's wonderful touch. I'll try to get pictures and their story up sometime soon. In the meantime please join me in saying a prayer for Michelle as she adjusts to her new home.

1 comment:

SMC said...

That's so exciting! Praise God!