At that time Patricia’s boyfriend, who saw one of our posters and was concerned for his babies’ condition, contacted Baby Safe.  Team member Allison then met up with Patricia and accompanied her to the clinic where she gets formula, but this time she got answers as well.  If she had formula why wasn’t the baby gaining weight?  How could the life of this child be saved, the heart of the mother restored?  After some time and a few simple questions, the answers came.  Patricia had only been feeding her baby half the amount her age required.  With this information the tide turned.

Alli showed her how to properly make the bottle, hold the baby, and feed her.  Things we take for granted as simple, but with no one to show her, how would Patricia know? Now she was provided with a checklist for what days to go to the clinic to collect her monthly formula and baby cereal handouts, and a form on how many scoops of formula is needed to prepare the bottles, etc.  In December our friends in Holland sent donations for a food parcel, providing Patricia and her boyfriend with rice, veggies, flour, washing powder, salt, sugar, and more!

Small things, things we take for granted, but enough to change the life of a mother and child.  Enough to give hope and to give life!  To tell a family they are not forgotten, to tell a mother she is not a failure, to give a child a chance to realize the destiny God has in store for her.  Patricia’s baby is gaining weight!  And now on these small foundations of hope, we pray they may begin to build their life on the foundation of the Father.  Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b).  Through these small acts of love and support, may they see the love of Christ.  May they sense the One who has not forgotten, who has not forsaken, who offers life and love abundant.

Fundisawa is 7 months pregnant and HIV +. She hadn’t eaten a meal in a few days and hardly even looked pregnant. She has three children already, they are all in orphanages. She admits with tears streaming that her children were taken from her because she used to drink a lot. She was hopelessly depressed. Her “husband” sadly meets the stereotypical description: a jobless, drunk, wife beater. She decides to make an adoption plan and is given some food. She is taken a couple days later to the adoption home for pregnant women. She goes into labor early the next day. The doctors delay the baby’s arrival but her husband meets her at the hospital and they leave to go home together, and decide against adoption.

Chandre is 17 years old with a 6 month old baby girl. Chandre has two cousins that have told her that they were raped as children by their grandfather, and he has hurt other children. Chandre now lives with this grandfather and sleeps with one eye open. She has no where else to go. She said she has never been sexually abused. Sadly she considers the 62 year old father of her baby a boyfriend, not a predator. Chandre has been given the opportunity to have help writing a resume and getting a job, and moving away from her grandfather who poses a sickening risk to her baby… But “she doesn’t want to work right now”. The grandfather was taken to court a while back and not convicted.

Jen is 14 and her mom found out that she was pregnant, raped by her cousin, and in labor, all in one moment. Jen has the face and disposition of a mere child. She nervously told her story for the first time, having kept these secrets for months. With the fear of shame and reproof she was calmed by understanding and four breath giving four words, “ Its not your fault..” Jen and her mom wanted an immediate adoption but later changed their mind and are keeping the baby. The cousin has been arrested and a family feud has broken out.

Timbeza has been a foster child herself most of her 21 years. She calls her foster mom, who is nearly 80 years old, mom. She is mentally slow but never missed a day of school. Her foster brother  raped her and two days ago the product of that rape arrived. This little baby could hardly be called a product however. When you look at her tiny face and hands, you know she is worth far more than rubies and her maker just may use her as a secret weapon. Timbeza must stay at hospital in the psychiatric ward for some time because she is severely depressed. The baby has been placed in a Baby Safe foster home until Timbeza gets better.

Shannon would hardly look up. She wouldn’t answer any questions. She looked young, certainly not old enough to have three kids already! It finally came out that Shannon’s alcoholic mother and brother have kicked her out, but still have her kids. She hasn’t eaten in two days, and yes also 7 months pregnant. The baby’s father is on drugs. Shannon admitted she was suicidal and had a plan to take her life, however she wouldn’t admit to what the plan was. Shannon waited for me for couple hours until I was done and it was the promise of food that kept her from leaving. I couldn’t let her leave the hospital in such a state so plans were made to take her to a different trauma unit. Shannon refused to go and the staff did not support me in persuading her. So she was taken to the shop for some food. With her head bowed as I was leaving, she not so shamefully asked for tax fare. Before departing Shannon made a promise not to hurt herself. She called later that week and is doing okay. Of the 8 or so shelters in Cape Town there is not one where a pregnant woman who is keeping her baby can stay.

Chanelle is 21 and has some kids already. Her boyfriend has tried to kill her before. She is 5 months pregnant and addicted to Tck (meth). Her boyfriend is a ganster and she wants help and but every attempt to meet her she has not showed. I was told this week by another girl in the community that she saw Chanelle with a busted lip. The reason she did not show last time was that her boyfriend found out and he actually stoned her, threw rocks at her face.

While my daily encounters often end on far less than a positive note, I have the joy of working with a unique demographic, where hope is always and literally birthed from suffering. Oh the paradox! The agony that a defenseless life is now going to be pulled into to the chaos, the pain, the cycle,….the pressures of a totally dependent child… this intensifies each woman’s circumstances. Yet the joy of new life, and the immeasurable love that a mother has for her child, it is often the one thing many of them can look forward to… seeing the face of their baby. The face of hope.

Hope that they will live a better life, make better decisions, have more, do more, be more.. Every mother hopes.

Cleary the odds are against these incoming lives. The weight of the societal, cultural, and family strongholds, to the faithless  may seem insurmountable. But what if one prayer of faith, that would otherwise never have been prayed, actually sets these babies apart for the King’s use. What if one prayer covering them in the invisible power of Jesus’ blood, one prayer declaring protection, preservation, declaring that they will know the love of their heavenly Father, that they will serve Him and bring Him glory, that His intentions and design for their life will not be thwarted but rather fulfilled…His plan to abide with them, empower them, bring salvation to others through them…. what if this one earnest prayer is granted. I try to touch and pray over every baby I encounter, whether in the womb or out and I “fix my eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”.

Job 6:8
“Oh, that I might have my request,that God would grant what I hope for…

( all names changed; both baby’s pictured with permission & both baby’s pictured

She was waiting for me. Her belly protruded far beyond her feet.  She admitted her despairing state as she explained her journey which brought her here to Cape Town, but in much of the same state she was trying to escape at home…. she was still hungry, degraded and desperate. 21, pregnant, a member of a fatherless family, and an unemployed mother;  in a rage this mother told her to leave. How could she have done this? They all could barely gather food each day for the existing mouths.. and she was going to try and introduce a new mouth.. how could she?

With no where to go she decided to search for her baby’s father, this led her to Johannesburg South Africa. South Africa is the common option for many Zimbabweans seeking the hope of a mere job, a mere source of income so their family’s back home can eat. She found the man who impregnated her, for that was all he really was, because with in 48 hours of Fortunate’s arrival he had quit his job, and moved out of the flat he shared with several people. He had vanished.

She had no where to go in this massive city, one of the most dangerous ones in the world. She slept at the train station for four nights straight, begging for food. But very little set her apart from the career beggars, or the impulsive beggars alike. I tried to imagine what that must have felt like..  literally not a person to call for help, not a familiar face, not a penny left, this wasn’t a momentary distress for her, but cause for true despair. I thought of the dozens of people that I could have called had it been me and I thought of what I would have felt like had I really had to endure sleeping outside at the Johannesburg central train station for four days and nights!! Fortunate remembered a friend from Zimbabwe who had made her way to Cape Town, she got a hold of this girl,  who actually said she could come and stay with her there. In Africa when you welcome a friend or relative in your home, because of the widespread circumstances of joblessness, you are in essence saying you will feed them, and completely take them in for a time. Fortunate caught a glimmer of hope but how would she travel to Cape Town. The transport was equal to nearly $80. She approached the only people she knew in Joburg, the people who had shared a flat with her former boyfriend. They actually pooled their money and bought her the train ticket to Cape Town. More than a glimmer, she was starting to see the sun again.

Fortunate’s misfortune wasn’t over though because upon her arrival in Cape Town, this friend was not there to fetch her and she had actually turned her phone off. In being consistent with warm climate culture communication, this friend has told her what she wanted to hear but was not prepared to take her and this forth coming baby in. So there she was shattered, further despairing, further from home now and sleeping in a train station  yet again.. another four days came and went and a compassionate Zimbabwean began bringing her food, and then directed her to a nearby township where she might meet other Zimbabweans who would help. Fortunate did find the Zimbabwean section in Nyanga, however sleeping on the floor of a shack with 12 other people, was not the most comforting of help and she was still dependent on Rose for food. With her stomach overshadowing her feet and and with no proper asylum papers her hope for being hired for anything was dim.

But yet she smiled when she talked about the life with in her. I asked her the miracle question… She replied that she simple wanted to have a job, stay in South Africa and be able to take care of her baby.. “I love my baby”… One person’s absolute miracle was another person’s joy to make happen. I normally try to get such women into one of the few shelters in Capetown, but for Fortunate, I had such a bold sense that the Father wanted to show her His extravagance and display His Father’s heart by totally transforming her circumstances in an instant.

I had just paid the rent on my more than comfortable flat, and yet I was going away for a month.  I left the cafe and went to my car real quick, got the okay from my landlords, and called a couple Baby Safe volunteers to see if they could take her on while I was away. After a brief consultation with the Holy Spirit, followed by absolute peace, I went back to explain to Fortunate where she could stay, and that I would book her at the hospital nearby my house (she was 9 months along by her calculations yet hadn’t seen a doctor once), that I would introduce her to a group of Zimbabwean Christians in Masi, which is the township across the street from my neighborhood, that Michelle would take her to hospital for labor, that Kate would teach her what to expect, and how to care for the baby and help her with a CV ( resume) and brainstorming for where to apply for jobs, that Baby Safe would provided a month of groceries, and more baby clothes and items then she could have dreamed of getting, and I also just so happened to have a spare cell phone that she could have as well. Fortunate took a breathe and with tears streaming down her face, she started saying thank you, over and over…

I love how Jesus LOVES making the severely unfortunatemore than fortunate.

Upon my return back to Cape Town, Fortunate had moved out of my place as she had committed to, (left it in splendid order), was employed full time and had a new place to stay (all an actual a true miracle!!!), and best of all a truly precious baby girl that she calls Tanyaradzwa, which in her native tongue means, ” I am comforted.”

” Speak up for those who can not speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”  Proverbs 31:8-9

( photos used and story told with permission)

Posted: 29 Jul 2009 05:28 AM PDT