Patience, Perfect, and Answered Prayer

I realized I haven't told the rest of the story about my housemate N'musa and whether she was accepted into her social worker assistant course. I last left off saying that I went to Cape Town and we were waiting for the college to give us an extension to find her a placement for her practical which she needed before they would accept her. It dragged out until the end of the week, when the first day of class was on Friday. They told her to call on Friday to see if they still had room. She called, they said they were full.... then they called back a few hours later and said they would actually accept her! She has been going to class, and taking forms they give her back to her new placement and waiting for hours on end to have them sign the forms! Life in Africa. I think she has much to teach me about patience. This lady knows how to wait! Answered prayer often is last minute to us, but perfect timing to God.

I on the other hand need more patience. I took a little girl from the children's home to her appointment at the government hospital for the doctor to see her and then give us an appointment to re-splint her leg (she has Cerebral Palsy, with a contracted leg and arm that need splinting). The line wasn't too long- waited just an hour which is super quick around here. On the way out though, it was pouring down rain. Even though they made me park about two blocks down from the building, I figured I could walk fast! I was too impatient to wait till the rain stopped. I should have waited. By the time we got to the car we both were completely drenched from head to toe. I couldn't walk that fast with a four year old (who can't hold on) in one arm and a diaper bag in the other. I promise you, the rain droplets here are so much bigger than the ones in Washington State! We rolled up to the guard at the gate and I rolled down my window. With one look inside at us (I had dried her, but had no way of drying myself), he started laughing at my soaked self. I laughed to. "How are you ma'am?" I'm wet, can I go home?" He continued to laugh and waved us on. If I had just waited ten minutes, the rain would have stopped, and we could have made it to the car dry. Thankfully the little girl wasn't traumatized by the experience because the next day when she saw me, she smiled and reached up for me to pick her up.

There is a little boy by the name of Perfect at the home for children/grown ups with disabilities who has latched on to my heart. I'm sure I'm breaking some law by saying his name, but I think his name is important, because he is just that-- Perfect. Two months ago when I started there I noticed him in the line up of kids waiting to be "clapped" (percussed-- breaking up the junk in their lungs) by the PT's. I noticed his cuteness, but also that he was always crying. I went up and tried to sooth him and noticed his arms and legs periodically tightening which would cause him to cry. The caregivers told me that he has been crying ever since he got there a few months ago. Obviously he was crying because he was in pain, and whatever was going on in is body that was causing his limbs to contract was painful. When it was his turn for "Jacuzzi therapy", it was so sweet to his his body relax in the bubbling water as he closed his eyes and finally had a peaceful look his face. I wanted him to feel that way not just in Jacuzzi time, so I prayed for God to do a miracle in his body and heal him.

After my two weeks away in Cape Town, my next day at LE I asked the PT how Perfect was doing. They told me that they had put him on a sedative to help with whatever was going on in his body (they didn't know), and that he didn't cry anymore. Oh great, I thought. He is probably totally out of it instead! I was happily wrong. He is totally alert and smiles up a storm! His crying has been replaced with a beautiful smile. He probably drools a cup a day (side affect of meds), but he is now so happy! Thank you Jesus for helping Perfect! God may often answer prayers differently then we expect, but He still answers them!

One last story.

I have decided to return to America shortly. It's a long story, one which I will gladly share with you in detail one on one if you are interested. I don't know what lies ahead, but I think it is the right decision at this time. I have also decided not to pursue adoption of my special little girl at this time.

Leaving South Africa and leaving her is bittersweet. My second to my last day of volunteering at LE was wonderful! The caregivers and another volunteer and I were done feeding the children in S's(the little girl) group early so we had some sweet time of tickling the children and making them laugh. It was an amazing to all be enjoying each other and hear their laughter. I will miss those children! Is it politically correct to say I love me some special needs children?

Earlier in the week I had fed S' and she had a terrible time eating her food. She would cry and scream just wanting the jello. This day though one of the caregivers came up to her and started saying "oh my baby, my special little girl". S responded to her so well and ate her food like it wasn't a problem. This made my heart soar! One of the saddest parts for me was thinking about leaving her alone, with no one loving her. To see that this lady found S to be her special girl, and for S to respond so well to her made me realize that she did have someone, and she wasn't alone.

S' has cortical blindness which means she can only see light and dark. She also has other disabilities and currently is not able to communicate through words, but I can tell that there is a lot going on in her little brain. She can tell people apart from each other, by their voice or smell. She notices there presence, but I'm not sure if she notices their absence. Last year when I visited S' she was able to repeat sounds and English words so clearly. I was disappointed to come this time and see that she wasn't able to do so anymore, possibly because she didn't hear much English anymore, but who knows. The one word I heard her say the last two months was "mama". This day I was standing near her, playing with another child and without any encouragement or anybody saying remotely anything close to this she said as clear as day "bye bye"! I nearly broke out in tears. Of course it felt like she was saying good bye to me! How symbolic. Sometimes God answers prayers before we have even prayed them!