“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten….You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you, and my people shall never again be put to shame.” ~Joel 2:25-26 (ESV)~
This last week of 2010 has been a whirlwind for us at AGC Baby Centre—but in a blessed way! It seems that every time I sat down to write an update, a new phone call would come that would change the course of the week. Last Friday (Christmas Eve), we received precious Maria, a nearly-two-year-old girl who had been abandoned by her mother in the middle of the night nearly a year ago, and then was essentially kicked out of another children’s home for “staying too long.” My heart aches for Maria as I try to imagine what a tough couple of years she has had!
Monday we were blessed to see baby Mercy adopted into a new family! She was the baby that our family picked up on the way home from vacation back in April. She had been abandoned in a courtroom and discovered after the crowd cleared out. What an amazing work of God that she already is blessed with a mama and daddy, a big brother, and THREE big sisters (one of whom is an AGC Baby Centre alumnus)!
Today we received a call about another precious baby girl of about 15 to 18 months of age who had been abandoned. We named her Noel since she has arrived at this festive season as we continue celebrating the newness of life that comes from Christ’s birth. Noel today is struggling and needs our prayers. When I first met her, the caregivers said she regularly calls for her mama. She was crying a little, so I picked her up and just held her close like I do my own daughter of almost the same age. Since she was crying, I asked her, “What do you want?” My heart broke when she simply answered, “You.” She is definitely in transition, needing the love of a mama and not understanding why she’s not getting her own mama.
It’s always a struggle to see these bigger kids like Maria and Noel go through the transition. For them, it has been a tough time— what most likely have been years that the “locusts” have eaten up until their little spirits feel damaged and broken and empty. But just as we have seen Jesus redeem and restore Mercy’s life, we believe He will do the same for Maria and Noel…and for all 44 other babies still with us at AGC Baby Centre. We believe He will restore to them all the years the “locusts have eaten”, because it’s a promise of His Word.
What an honor and a blessing that we get to be a part of what Jesus is doing in restoring these precious lives! Thank you to those of you who continue to pray for each precious life that appears before you in these updates! Thank you to each one who has given over this year (and other years) to see this ministry continue to meet the needs of children in Kenya! Thank you to all who have visited and held these babies, who have encouraged our staff, and who have shared with others about this ministry! Each one of us is a part of the restoration process that is essential to the lives of these babies.
In 2010, 35 precious little ones were welcomed into AGC Baby Centre, where the process of restoration can begin! As we step into a new year, the need continues to be great, and we continue to welcome people like you to be a part of the ministry here. May Jesus continue His great works of restoration in this place through people like me and you!
So thankful for His restoration,
Staci Keter
Director
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