Eye Contact

Hello All. Since school's been out, I've been a bit relaxed in blogging. I am in Kenya at an SIL retreat right now. It's been refreshing on many grounds: a deeper realization of God's grace, social time with people in SIL that I can identify with, enjoyment of God's creation (including a a mermaid's enjoyment of playing in seaweed laden waves!), and luxuries like lots of vegetables cut up for me at the buffet every lunch and dinner!

Before I came here I stopped with friends in Mombasa at an orphanage for babies. I realized that I've never really held an infant for a long period of time, nor fed one. There were older babies, but I really liked the infants, because they seemed hungry for eye contact, along with the milk. Eye contact is something I can give, so I felt happy to do so:) I was hoping that the eye contact communicated to them a little of Jesus' love for them, even though they don't have a mother to love them.

The Baby Life Rescue center is an amazing place; Selpher and Peter, a Kenyan couple who met during their service with YWAM, take care of up to 10 babies at a time in their home. They have two ladies who come help with the feeding, hand washing, cleaning, holding, changing, etc. Their prayer and aim is to have the kids adopted. Some go into foster care. When I was there I got to go with them to pick up Night and Philemon from the child agency of the government. Night, 11 days old, and Philemon, 1 year, were orphaned days earlier when their mother died in prison. Selpher and Peter have very sweet countenances and humbly love the kids. They would like to move to a larger place, where the kids could have outdoor play areas and they could take in more babies in need.