Birthdays and Babies

Birthdays!

Nichols and Danny turned 1 in July and we had a giant party to celebrate! Nichols is HIV+ and his mother tried to suffocate him right after she gave birth. He has started on the Anti-Retroviral Treatment and his health is improving greatly! Danny is not sick but his mother died of a C-Section. They are both living in our 2nd house, along with 4 other lil boys. Sapphira is one of our Tia's (Aunties) that we employ to take care of them. She is a wonderful lady and a some what of a mother figure to me. 

  

These are 15 of the 17 babies/toddlers that live with us in one of our 2 houses. L-R Luis, Hawa, Alicia, Idrussi, Aninha with Antonio, Nichols crying, Quiteria with Gercio, Ricardo, Junior, Abu, Thelma, Danny, Marcelino, and Paulo. 

All of these children have been orphaned, abandoned, or their parents can not take care of them because of AIDS. 6 of our babies have AIDS as well. Currently, all of them are on the Anti-Retroviral Medicines which improves and prolongs life!

New Additions

Junior & Abu!!

2 of our newest additions! Around 9pm July 4th, the Police Station called us to say that they had 2 abandoned children at the Station and they needed us to come and pick them up immediately. Both their mom and dad left them at their grandmothers house. The grandma could no longer take care of them, so she took them to the Police Station with 3 plastic bags of clothes, some tangerines, and a few chocolates. Just like that, Junior and Abu's lives were changed forever. Since the grandmother abandoned them before we got to the Police, we didn't know their names, ages, or even where the grandma lived to ask her those questions. We brought them back to the house, gave them good food, baths, clean clothes, and lots of love. Now they are living at our 2nd baby house, doing great!! 

Moises!!

His name means Moses in portuguese. July 4th, a woman was walking home from work when she heard sounds of a crying baby coming from a trash heap off the side of the road. As she approached, she found a 3 day old baby tied inside a plastic bag! She took him to the hospital and then the hospital called us and asked us to take him in. After 3 weeks in the hospital lil Moises came to live with us. We decided to name him Moises because just like Moses in the Bible was found in basket in the river, our Moises was found in a plastic bag in the trash. Pretty cool to think of the awesome plans Jesus has for him. He is doing great, drinking lots of formula and gaining weight!