Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Truth

Aaron has surgery today.

I slept little last night.  The worry over today coupled with some images I saw yesterday robbed me of rest.

I tossed and turned.

Torn between wanting to focus my heart today on Aaron's needs and yet not being able to release the pictures in my mind.


So, while my littlest sleeps quietly in the next bed, I am writing this post.

Writing from deep within in my heart.

We left 110 LOST BOYS behind.

We watched and loved from afar 66 of them.  The 66 who could walk or sit in a wheelchair.  The 66 who were brought outside and placed in sheds every day. 

Their conditions were miserable and caused us great sorrow.

But we knew that they were only part of the story.  Hidden away in the back buildings were 44 more boys.  44 more LOST BOYS in the laying down rooms.  Boys between the ages of 5-18.  Boys who could not sit up on their own.  Boys who were unable to feed themselves.  Boys who lay day after day in their beds with no stimulation. 

We knew they were there.

We had glimpses of a few that broke our hearts.

But not seeing them makes them easy to forget.  Easy to ignore. 

Easy.

Not today.

Not after seeing this precious treasure.

PICTURE REMOVED TO PROTECT THE ADOPTION PROCESS

Nine years old.

Lost for NINE YEARS until yesterday.

Lost until God whispered and a family answered the call.

Never held.  Never held.

Never held until yesterday.

At first so stiff.  Terrified. 



But with soothing words and whispered prayers from a broken Mama's heart...

She calmed....

Relaxed....

And eventually laughed.



Lost no more.

Forever and Forever Loved.

Do you see why my heart cries deep within me?

We left 110 Lost Boys behind.

Sometimes it is easy to forget them. 

After all, they are the Lost Boys.

But not today.

Not today.

44 boys are across the ocean in Aaron's former institute lying in cribs and beds IN THE SAME CONDITION as this babe.

Truth hurts.

Please dear friends - pray for this newly found treasure.



She is in a country that requires several trips.  She doesn't get to go home yet.  She has to go back to that crib and lay there day after lonely day for months and months.  She is in pitiful condition.  Her parents fear for her life.

Please pray that her story will move the officials to expedite the adoption process.  Please pray that God will sustain her life until she can come home.  Please pray for her family as they are in shock over what they have seen and heard. 

Pray.

Their blog is HERE.

And shout.

Shout loud and long and clear because she is NOT one of only a few.  We know of 44 boys who are in the same condition. 

Hanson is one.

Available for adoption.



Not quite SIX YEARS OLD but already a Lost Boy.

Already a Lost Boy.

He lays in a back building at Aaron's old institute. 

Hidden. 

Wasting away.  Day after lonely day.

My little one is sleeping in the next bed.  He faces a hard surgery today.  We know he is going to suffer.

But he is no longer Lost.  He is a found, precious, precious treasure.



There are so many more.

P.S.  If we can figure out how to get internet at Shriner's (a mystery we have yet to untap in all of our visits there), we will be posting updates on Aaron's surgery on my Facebook (Julia Arnold Nalle).









8 comments:

  1. When I saw those pictures my heart just broke. We all need to stop, pray, and listen for that stirring in our hearts that comes only from God and then we need to ACT.

    Adoption is big and God can call us to any one of many positions to care for the orphan. Maybe it's Russia, maybe Ethiopia, maybe it's special needs, maybe its foster care. And maybe you advocate for and donate to other families in the process.

    Whatever it is He is calling you to...go! For some your response is a matter of life and death.

    Brooke
    www.TheAnnessaFamily.blogspot.com

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  2. Prayers for Aaron today...and your heart as you struggle to balance everything, including the hurt for those left behind. You shared beautifully..if beautiful can ever be a word to describe the desperation of the situation...how adopting from these hard places can change us, how we can feel just a tiny bit of the hurt He must feel when he sees us let the littlest of His children suffering. Every day I am reminded... Jennifer

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  3. Thank you. I am blessed to have the opportunity to pray for your sweet son. And thank you for giving us the chance to pray for this sweet little lost but now found little girl. Her condition is ,,well there are no words. It is beyond the beyonds. Please dear Jesus, make her strong enough to hang on until her Family can take her HOME. I will spread the word about this little treasure. And again, thank you for doing what you do. Much love to Aaron.

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  4. You have such a beautiful heart. I pray that the Lord will bring you His peace and comfort today. It WAS such a hard day....for so many of us...to see Katarina! OH! How our hearts ache for hers....and for Susanna's and then there are those of us who have not seen our boys (children) yet over there in that same country. We wonder...."Has Toni been to our orphanage? Has she seen our child?" and we wonder what our director is like and how the workers are with our children! Yet, we KNOW the Lord knows and we pray for peace.
    I pray for Aaron's surgery today....that it will be miraculous as to how smoothly it goes and how healing it is and how easy the transition out of it will be. I pray that there will be a peace that passes all understanding in your family's lives today while all of this is going on. I pray for comfort and God's blessings to fall on you. In Jesus' name, Amen

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  5. Julia- are we the same person?!? I seriously almost named my post about Katerina today "Truth" because of Verity (Susanna's daughter) meaning truth. I should have gone with it...sounds like God wants a message shared!

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  6. We're praying for you guys today.

    Thanks for continuing to share the stories of all these little ones who have no voice of their own.

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  7. Praying for Aaron's surgery today!! Praying for all the children lost waiting desperately to be found!!!! GOD BLESS you for advocating no matter what is going on in your own life!!! You sure were made for the job HE has given YOU!!!!!

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  8. Aaron, I am praying for a quick and easy surgery and a refuah sheleimah (full recovery)!

    Sarah

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Loving words from kind people make our hearts glad!