LOVE and Tears

Early this week, I learned of the passing of two beautiful little girls in Ukraine, Margarita and Katerina. These little girls were living in the institution that babies are transferred to when they turn four. It really hit home for me because though Noah would have been sent there had he been in that country and had he not been adopted by someone. He was considered 'unwanted' and by some standards hopeless just like these and so many others. These girls could have had such a different life but they died of the flu. They suffered alone, without a mother to hold, nurture and love them. They died alone, without ever knowing the love of a family. My heart is heavy with the suffering that they knew during their short journey's on this earth. But my heart rejoices that they no longer suffer and that they are no longer alone, that they are now in the arms of a loving Father in Heaven. They now know LOVE!

Earlier today I received an article regarding children in institutions in Bulgaria. My heart breaks to think of these precious children, children like Noah and my friends Breelyn and so many others, children with limitless potential, suffering, without the love of a family, in these institutions.

These children cannot speak for themselves. They cannot call out to tell us of their suffering, of their pain, of their hunger, of their loneliness. They cannot, so we must do it for them. We must be a voice for these children.

For the next two days on Reece's Rainbow (February 14th-15th) the pictures of all of the waiting children in Bulgaria will be viewable by the general public in an attempt to raise grant money for them and help bring them home to loving families (you can ALWAYS donate, but this is a concentrated effort to get these children home as quickly as possible). Won't you please consider donating to the grant funds of these precious children? PLEASE follow the link to the page and donate even $5 will help! EVERY penny adds together to help! PLEASE pray about whether the Lord would have you to give one of these children or another child across the world a HOME and a Family and LOVE this Valentine's Day! Go HERE!

As you spend this day focusing on LOVE, imagine for me what you would think of love if you had NEVER been in a family. Never been kissed and hugged and loved on. If you grew up in a crib instead of rocking in a mother's arms! It rips me to shreds EVERY time I think of how often Noah's cries had to go unheard, and I KNOW it was not because of lack of caring at his orphanage but how much can a couple Nannies do to care for so many babies? Noah was in one of the best orphanages I have come to find out about and I know he still suffered because he was there. Imagine a place much worse. Please think about the most money you spent on a valentine's day gift today and give AT LEAST that much back to God in the way of helping one of his little ones! And please do consider if one of these is saying mommy or daddy to YOU!

In closing, I'd like to share with you a poem written by Meredith Cornish in memory of Margarita and Katerina. This really got me and most of it can be said of any orphan across the ocean waiting for a family to call their own!

While we were. . . .

While we were eating...
... they were hungry

While we were playing...
... they were restrained

While we were tucking our kids into bed...
... they were alone

While we turned up the heat...
... they laid in the icy cold

While we wrapped our children in blanket sleepers...
... they laid in their own excrement


While we sang songs and listened to music...
... they listened to the screams and cries of those around them

While we rocked our babies...
... they silently rocked themselves

While we hugged our kids...
... they scratched at their own faces and pulled their own hair for stimulation

While we cried over scraped knees...
... they moaned in their loneliness

While we brushed our daughters' beautiful hair...
... they had their heads shaven to stave off the lice

While we fought off the flu with love and nourishment...
... they got the flu and went Home.

No longer suffering... but so many more still are.



Margarita



Katarina