When I was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2007 on a Visiting Orphans mission trip to minister to the orphans and widows of Africa, I became ill with the typical stomach flu. I was in my motel room throwing up, with fever, etc... Our mission team had to fly out that morning because we were returning back to the city to visit an orphanage that took in newborns and very young orphans. I was so upset because when I finally got the strength to get out of bed and pack up, I found my suitcase engulfed with thousands of ants. They were all over everything and I barely had the strength to shake them off all of my things and get my suitcase down the stairs to get in a van to the airport. What in the world!!! Could I have had a worse start to my day?!? Needless to say, I made it through the flight and soon began to feel a little better.
Later that afternoon we went to the orphanage. I could barely go in because of the stench. I looked in the infant room and there laid 15-20 crying babies. Many of them were hungry, and many were soiled because there was not enough staff to change them, much less hold them.
I held a few babies but then felt compelled to go on. I proceeded on to another room where the toddlers were kept. As I turned the corner and looked in the room, there was this joyful little girl reaching up to me with open arms. She was about 4-5 months old. She was a happy baby despite being left there to lay hooked up to an IV all alone. I could not take my eyes off of her and she was waving and kicking with a huge smile inviting me to hold her. I found a nurse and asked if I could pick her up. The nurse translated that it would be best not to because she was so weak and needed fluids. When I reluctantly looked down at the little girl, I noticed that she had red marks/whelps all over her body. I asked the nurse what was exactly wrong with this little one. The nurse told me that one of the staff had found this little girl about a week ago in an alley. The little girl had been found wrapped up in a trash bag and left for dead. Luckily the hyenas had not eaten her, but when they got the little girl out of the trash bag, she had almost been bitten to death by ANTS!!!! I just fought with ants earlier that morning- what in the world.... Not only did this little girl survive suffocating to death, hyenas, but also being eaten alive by ants!
I almost dropped to my knees. The pain that suddenly pierced my heart was too much. I ran into a nearby closet and wept. HERE was this beautiful, smiling little girl that was full of joy to see me- after suffering a tremendous, hideous experience.... and what had I just been complaining about? A little stomach virus and ANTS in my suitcase- what an inconvenience for me! The feelings of guilt, of complete helplessness, conviction, and of humbleness overwhelmed me. WHO was I to complain about one inch of pain in MY life!!!! I went back to look at this little angel and thank her. I thanked her for being Jesus to me. Despite her stripes, she showed love and joy towards me and towards life. Where would this little girl go? Would she make it through the infection? Or would she go home to be with her heavenly daddy or stay in this orphanage to live a life alone? Did God save her to teach me a lesson? Why did she survive when so many babies left in the streets do not?
All that I knew was that this orphan changed my life. She showed me Jesus, she was Jesus. I had come to Africa to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and instead found Him here in this little girl. I will NEVER forget that angel's face and the lesson she taught me. I am blessed, and no matter how bad my day may seem or how sick I feel, there are orphans that are experiencing a living hell each day. I am changed forever and have seen the face of God in these children, but especially that day, in that precious little girl.
What a beautiful reminder this was - thank you, so much, for sharing this today!!
Posted by: Sarah | July 29, 2009 at 10:34 AM