the orphanage

this is not an easy post to write.
but i need to get it out...all these details swim around in my head and keep me up at night.
night after night.

this is the information i have gathered on my own from other people's comments/blogs/etc.

the orphanage where our boys will come from (and likely are living right now) is called Home of Hope. it has these infamous blue doors that everyone knows it by.

as families have been to rwanda over the last year to get their children, and i've watched intently, i've gathered some information about the orphanage that is sometimes helpful, sometimes heartwarming, and often hard to hear.

this is the only orphanage right now that is set up for adoption in the entire country.
the orphanage is run by a group of nuns.
there are only amazing things said about these nuns.
they love the children immensely...have bonds with them...some of the bonds are the only bonds these babies have had in their little lives. this is about the only heart-warming thing about it...and i cling to it in the wee hours of the night/morning as i'm trying to sleep and can't...

the orphanage actually has some older, mentally handicapped people in it as well that are cared for by the nuns.

the children in the orphanage are divided into rooms by age group - infants, toddlers, older children.

there are around 150 children total.
most of the children are 2 years old or older.

when you pick up your child (ren) you only get to see the room that your child slept/lived in. you don't get to see the rest of the rooms.

you also can't take any pictures inside the orphanage.

there are 50 toddlers and 2 caretakers for them.

they get 1 real meal a day.

most of them have some parasite that gives them awful diarrhea...the parasite is most likely from the water at the orphanage. this can be dealt with once they get home...but it's not fun or easy.

all the children in the orphanage are abandoned.
which IS illegal there.
we will find out and get to see where they were found....and any circumstances/people involved.
we will be given any info they have on the children...but it isn't much.

they are on a pretty strict schedule at the orphanage (understandably!) take naps at the same time every day, etc...which will hopefully help them adjust to our "strict" schedule :-)

the following two links are from a mom that was at Home of Hope picking up her little girl in December.
from my eyes
another experience

they say adoption isn't for the faint of heart.
and "they" are right.
this is a hard road.
in many ways.

BUT...God is with us.
and that is what gets me through all that that you just read.
God knows all that.
God loves all those children so, SO much.
and He is going to use us to physically care for 2 of them.
we are honored.

does He want to use you, too??
just ask Him...He'll make it clear!