I was beyond ecstatic to find out that I would be able to go back to the baby house on Friday. When I arrived it was cold and overcast outside so the babies were not allowed to go outside. This meant I had my five little ones from the day before and got to help with about 20 more infants under 7 months! We carried the babies two at a time from their beds, bouncers, and swings to a room that had mattresses covering the majority of the floor. I spent the day with three other Aunties sitting on the floor holding babies. Yosef wanted to be held most of the day and didn't nap much unless I was holding him, so he spent the majority of the day in one of my arms. Unless we were feeding we always had two babies in our hands. I don't think I am ever happier than I am when I am holding two infants!
The babies at Imani are so content and happy! Not a single baby screamed for any length of time. They would just fuss a little when they were hungry or if they wanted to be held. They all lay really close together on the mattress so they sooth eachother. It is so precious! If one baby would cry the babies next to him would let him suck on their fingers or hold their hand. They were all younger than 7 months, but they instinctively knew to comfort eachother. I noticed as the kids get older they only get better at comforting eachother. The kids at Imani B (the older kids house) honestly loved and cared for eachother. Everything at Imani belongs to all of the children. They even rotate the clothes around so that none of the kids have a "mine" attitude. The kids don't expect anything and lack the sense of entitelment that so many American children have. I hope I can raise my kids to know that everything they have is the Lord's and that the only things that truly matter are God and people. So all of you mothers who are reading this, how do you practically instill these characteristics into your children?
Anyway, Thursday and Friday were definitely my favorite days (suprise!) and I would love to go back and work at the baby house for a longer period of time. I am trying to see what that would look like seeing that I am planning on spending the next five years at school to be a Neonatal nurse. I trust that God will provide the time and the finances if he wants me at Imani and I will continue to seek his will and his perfect plan for my future. Isn't it encouraging and releiving to know that God is in control and not my silly little self!
The pictures are of the outside of Imani A (the baby house) and two of the Imani B kids who were helping at the baby house. The kids are looking out at Kayole, the area Imani is located in.
2 comments:
I love the idea of rotating clothes in order to instill a giving and sharing attitude. I am definately going to do that with my girls when they get to be the same size. Good idea! Another way that I like to show the girls (well, really just Suzannah right now) that these thing are not ours is by continually going through our toys and clothes and giving them away. Most of their clothes and toys are given to us as handmedowns and so it is fun to complete the circle. Suzannah loves doing this and I hope that she is really understanding the reason for why we give our best things away, not just our junk.
Lindsey,
Your posts have me in tears. What an amazing trip. Like yu, I would want to bring all of those precious babies home with me- what's a few more, right? :)
I wish I had insight into how to instill gratefulness into our kids here in America. Outside of donating a lot of clothes and toys, I'm not sure how to help my own kids learn to appreciate all that they do have, and to be happy with less. There are those rare and wonderful times, though, when one of them sacrifices for another. I'm reading your posts and showing your pictures to the kids- they were moved by that photo of all the babies on the mattresses on the floor. A picture can speak a thousand words, especially to a child. I know it'll take more than the occasional "let's-clean-out-the-toybox" ritual, but as they grow, Ted and I want to keep "an attitude of gratitude" foremost in their hearts.
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