Abandoned

It's 3:11 am here in Romania. I have been up for a couple of hours.  I cried myself to sleep. I just cannot stop thinking and praying for the abandoned.

*Abandoned (adjective):  deserted, neglected, discarded, rejected, cast aside, forsaken.

Sunday afternoon was by far the most heart wrenching day I have ever had.

Let me catch you up...

Last week Child Protection called up our missionary friend and told her about a gypsy lady in a village that just had twins and does not want them.  They were trying to encourage her to keep her children and they would help with food and diapers. They wanted Robin to go and see if she could talk to her and maybe encourage her to keep them.

The government doesn't want to take them because they have no money for foster families.  There aren't any foster families waiting really.  In so many ways, it is SO different from back home.

So Robin went to see this lady and took food and diapers.  She would NOT accept them.  She told her that the food and diapers didn't matter...she just does not want her babies!  


I cannot comprehend this, but I do not live her life and I have never walked in her shoes.

Well, this twins have been on my mind a lot. They have been on Robin's mind a lot.

She called me Sunday afternoon and we went to this village together just to talk with the mom and check in on them.  When we arrived she had already taken them up to the hospital and just left them.  Abandoned!

The Lord sets the prisoners free;

the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the sojourners;

He upholds the widow and the fatherless,

but the way of the wicked He brings to ruin.

Psalm 146:8-9

We drive to the hospital to see if we can find the twins.  A security guard takes us to the building where they are and as he is trying to find a worker (there were none to be found!) we could hear crying babies coming from a room.  We peek in the room and there are several abandoned babies there crying and some sleeping...and they are all alone!

My mind couldn't help but wonder how long had they been left here?  

When was the last song sang to them, if ever?  

When was the last diaper change or bath?  

When was the last touch?  

Two workers come up and we ask if they know where these twins are. Sure enough they were there in that room.

It was the size of a bedroom. Walls lined with cribs.  A sink in the corner with a baby tub and to the left of that a changing table.  The walls were bare.  No toys.  No rocking chairs.  No body in the room looking after them. 

There were the twin girls and two other newborn babies, as well as an 18 month old girl with a cleft palate that needs surgery badly. The 18 month old had been left here since she was basically a newborn.  All of them just left here....abandoned.

The 18 month old was rocking back and forth in her crib.  My heart just felt like it sank.  A huge giant pit in my stomach.  I just wanted to sneak out with all of them and bring them home....my little Paige would be in heaven! :)

But it didn't take her long to come over to the edge of her crib and play with us.  She was very easily entertained and it didn't take much to make her laugh. And her laugh?!  Completely adorable!  

While there we just got to hold, rock, love on and feed the babies their bottles.  It felt good to know that today they were touched, prayed for and loved even for just a couple of hours.  

This was by far the worst thing I have seen.  The workers here do not care about these babies.  It's a job. They don't stay in the rooms to play with them or hold them.  The babies for the most part are just left alone in this room.  My heart just breaks.  I want to do something so badly to change it all and give them a home.  And all I can do is pray right now. 

So will you pray with me for these babies right now?  Just for a minute or two?  

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows

is God in His holy habitation.

Psalm 68:5

I will not leave you as orphans;

I will come to you.

John 14:18