"Deep within my
heart’s memory is a child named Eva. In the corner
crib, with great effort, an infant was trying to
raise her head and shoulders off the surface of the
bed. Her soft smile was a warm welcome as our eyes
met. Then, I saw her incredibly thin arms as her
tiny hands moved towards her mouth. Her body
stiffened as Karleen gently lifted her out of her
bed. I cannot recall ever seeing the use of such
rigidity to compensate for lack of muscle tone.
In disbelief, I asked her age, “Eva is fourteen
months old.” I took my turn rocking her
side-to-side, holding her little head against my
shoulder. Her body began to soften, molding itself
against mine; both of us grateful for even this one
brief encounter. Last night, unable to fall back to
sleep, I angrily asked, Why aren’t those babies
being fed?” The answer came slowly, “They are being
fed, but there is no one to hold them, no one to
love them. These are the ones who fail to thrive.
You feared seeing these little ones, but they are
the reason you came. And if you were to return, they
are the ones that would bring you back to Romania .”
- Carolyn, Pediatric Nurse
"They (two Christian
doctors) are well trained, but hampered by shortages
of medications and modern technology. There are only
two CT scan x-ray machines in the whole country
(1992)! Upon returning home, I have the tendency to
look at all we have through their eyes, and I am
saddened and humbled…it doesn’t seem fair. However,
the ultimate hope for all of us is in Christ and
this hope is growing in Romania like a healthy tree.
We added a leaf or two."
-David, M.D.
"Playing guitar and
piano is second nature to me. However, to play while
looking into eyes that hold nothing but innocent
wonder…it was one of the most profound and humbling
experiences of my life.
One day, I had the opportunity to engage a specific
child for a considerable period of time. This had
been impossible with him until he engrossed himself
in my music. Staring nose to nose, he held my face
in his hands. Although there was a language barrier,
a connection was made. Afterward, he came up to me…
and again held my face in his hands. He said
something to me in Romanian and walked away. I
turned to the translator who had a look of total
astonishment. She translated his words, 'You have
made me very happy today.' He was nine years old and
this was his first sentence." - Dan,
Musician
"One seminar (to
orphanage staff) seemed absolutely on target. At
first, the staff seemed unresponsive. Within
minutes, however, they were asking and describing
games they played. In reality, this was an animated
group of caring people. The director told us that
the boys were crazy and incurable, but by the end of
the seminar even he seemed to have some hope."
Pat, Occupational Therapist
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