Wintertime

One of the strangest adjustments coming to Lesotho has been the seasons being opposite. As I write this it's nearly July and I'm sitting on a heated blanket, under two other blankets, with sweatpants and a sweatshirt on. I sometimes still have to remind myself I'm on the other side of the equator. As I shiver I sometimes sing to myself, "It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas..." only to remember that's another six months away yet. For 22 years winter meant Thanksgiving and Christmas and all of a sudden now it means school is letting out for the year. It's a silly and mundane little thing, but it's still strange sometimes.

One thing winter has brought that is less silly or mundane, however, is more children to Beautiful Gate. I was told that we tend to receive more kids during the winter months, but that was made evident to me this month. Within about a 10 day span we welcomed six new children into the BG family, most of them infants. Many of their stories are sad. Some were found abandoned next to a dam or found by shepherds in a field. Some were left in the cold wearing nothing (yes, this is Africa, but for those who don't know it's below freezing at night during the winter season). We believe one was even found just hours after birth because part of the umbilical cord was still attached and recently cut. I don't know the situations of these children's mothers, fathers, or families. I try not to hold judgment in my heart. But the questions still remain: How can you abandon your child? How can you leave him lying naked in the cold? How can you just throw her away? It's something I'll never fully understand. It's why I'm grateful God is in control. It's why I'm thankful He brought these beautiful children, made in His image, to us. Here they will be cared for. Here they will be loved.

Two of the new kids have ended up in my baby house and they are absolutely beautiful. I already love them as much as I love the rest of my kids. One of them is a little girl who was born premature. At 30 days old she only weighed about 4 pounds. She's the smallest little person I've ever seen, let alone held in my arms. The other child is a boy who we received at about 10 days old. It's clear that he was probably a full term baby because at 10 days old he was already more than twice the size of my other new baby. Despite the circumstances they were found in they are both healthy. They both get fed three times a day. They both have clothes on their backs (and a lot of them too; the Basotho love layers...). They both have beds to sleep in at night. They both have dozens of hands to hold them and make them feel loved.

Aspects of life in Lesotho can be discouraging. It's true of any place, really. The high rate of abandonment versus the slow rate of adoption is enough to drive anyone crazy, especially those who know the kids personally. It can be infuriating and oftentimes it feels like Africa won the day. But then I'm reminded it's what I came here for. Not to solve all the issues (as if I could), but to love those who are here. To be light, to be love, to be Jesus to those who God puts in my life. I'm also reminded of the light Beautiful Gate is to our community. Yes, many of our kids have beginnings that rip our hearts apart, but because of BG the rest of their stories can be ones of grace, mercy, love, acceptance, and victory! It's proof that God can make anything beautiful.