Changed Lives
Anne (not real name), one of our first children, is now fifteen years old. When she came she was a survivor and little more. Her father had been murdered in prison. Her mother was legally blind and struggled just to provide food for her five children. Her mother was also emotionally unstable. Anne was the oldest and cared for her siblings most of the time as her mother would travel to nearby towns to sell vegetables door to door.
At times Anne was beaten mercilessly by her distraught mother, who would tie Anne’ s hands behind her and tie the rope to a post and then beat her with a wooden stick until her fury receded. Many times when Anne was in some kind of trouble with her mother she would run to the jungle and sleep there over night, preferring to face poisonous snakes, scorpions, and malaria carrying mosquitoes than her enraged mother. Her brothers and sisters faced this same brutality.
When we went to make a plea to the mother to release her children to go to the Door of Hope where they would be lovingly provided for, she consented to send the two oldest and a one year old baby girl. The mother said to us that if you take Anne you must take the baby, also, because she is the one who is taking care of her. Some months later she released the other two children to come to be with us at the Door of Hope.
When Anne first came she was accustomed to doing whatever she wanted whenever she wanted because her mother had been away most of the time. It was often difficult for her to accept the boundaries that were necessary for her to be integrated into a family atmosphere. When she rebelled against a request or refused to follow a guideline she would receive counseling and sometimes loving correction. These actually became times of bonding in a positive way with her house parents.
She has blossomed into a respectful, obedient and joyful young lady. After being with us for a number of months she would cry at times and say that she could hardly bear to think of her brother and sister who were still struggling to survive under the terrible conditions at home with her mother. She was so delighted when we were able to bring them to be united with her at the Door of Hope.
Our vision and commitment is to care for Anne and all the children we receive until they are married or finish their education and move away to follow their chosen careers. With God’ s help we will watch over them in the same way that we would watch over our own children.
