A Place of Refuge

Tuesday is weigh-in day at the main house, and there was a quiet sense satisfaction in the NICU as each child's weight was announced, then charted in the blue ring-binder.

Sarah: 4 weeks old is up to 5lb 12.5oz
Rosena, 5 months old, has recovered past the swollen stage of her malnutrition. The skin is hanging from her arms and her thighs, but she is gaining weight. She is up to 5lb 13.5oz.
Frantz: 10 days old, arrived yesterday weighing 8lb 12 ounces. His weight today is 8lb 13.5oz.

When Sarah and Rosena arrived, it was immediately obvious to all of us, that our orphanage in the Kenscoff mountains was a life line to them. But why would a gorgeous, fat, healthy and thriving newborn like Frantz need GLA, we had all wondered? Magaly, the Haitian administrator explained:

Frantz was brought here yesterday by his anxious mother. Last week, a premature baby from the same remote mountain community that Frantz is from, was murdered by a Father who insisted that since the date of the infant's birth did not correlate with the date of conception, this child was not his. This week, Frantz' father levelled the same allegation at Frantz' mother. The new mother was tortured by gory visions of her son's future. Our Haitian administrator was equally disturbed at the possibility of what may happen to the baby. Really, it didn't bear thinking about. She couldn't live with herself if she turned the mother and child away, only to hear on the radio a few days later, that the child was dead. Magaly honoured the Mother's request, and admitted Frantz.

So for our newest baby, GLA is a place of safety, and a refuge. I hope that when you are grown, Frantz, you will understand that your Haitian Mother made what she believed was the best choice for you. This was a decision underpinned by phenomenal love and great faith. I hope that you will cling to this. I hope that your mother's sacrifice will be affirming to you. It is a measure of what you are worth.