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).