As I sit down to write this blog, I have just completed a
full load of laundry outside on the patio by hand. I’m pretty sure I should
smell like Tide laundry soap for the next 24 hours. The power has just come on
again (it goes out for about 4-5 hours a day) and I am enjoying the nice, cool
breeze of air conditioning. Oh, daily life in India… It’s these little things
that make life here so unique.
Lately, it has been very hot outside! I know that this
weather is nothing compared to the summer months here when its 100+ degrees,
but after leaving a summer-less and cold Seattle, my body is definitely in
shock to the humidity and the beaming hot sun that seems to suck all the energy
out of you as quick as possible. I also have not had much of an appetite since
I have been here. The first time I went back to Ramya (my favorite restaurant
here in Ongole) I went running straight to the bathroom to throw up at my first
sight and smell of Indian food. Weirdly enough, my body has had a harder time
adjusting to the food and weather than last year. I am hoping that I will get
more of an appetite soon, cause I need the energy especially when the days are
long and hot. If you could pray for this, I would really appreciate it!
Otherwise, I am definitely in good enough health to be out and about going to
the homes and loading the kids up on lots of hugs and kisses. Lately, I have
been going over to the girl’s apartment, where two other volunteers from Canada
named Nikki and Sara are running an “Ability Camp” for four of our SCH kids.
They have chosen four kids from victory home who need a lot of one-on-one
attention to get moving a little bit more. One of the four kids is Cedar! They
bring the kids to their apartment everyday and work on numerous exercises and
physical therapy type activities to hopefully pull out the full potential of
the kids. They are really pushing Cedar to sit up on his own a lot so he can
develop some more core strength. They also are trying to teach him how to
crawl. Their goal for him by the end of the month is to be at least moving
around on his own or even better, making strides towards standing up and
walking. It’s been really interesting to watch him in this type of environment
opposed to the overwhelming and sometimes chaotic environment that the victory
home can sometimes bring. He is definitely having a great time! I’ve never seen
him smile more, talk more, explore more and laugh more. With all of the
stimulation around him, he isn’t sleeping all day long and is instead alert and
awake for the whole day. I feel like I have gotten to see so much more of his
silly, quirky, sweet little personality since he has been at this Ability Camp.
Everyday, the kids spend about an hour in the kiddie pool. It’s probably my
favorite part of the day to be able to watch him smile and laugh while he plays
in the water. He loves it! Whenever you pour water on him, he gets so excited.
It has me smiling from ear to ear watching him light up and become a different
little boy in the water.
Despite Cedar’s excitement and joy throughout the day, he
still is showing no signs of motivation to want to crawl or sit up. I’ve
noticed that he seems to be more and more engulfed into his own little world.
His body is like floppy noodle when you try to have him sit up or practice with
him on crawling. Every now and again, when you stand him up, he shows the
ability and strength to stand. I know that deep down in there, Cedar could
start crawling, standing, and then walking if he wanted to. I’ve found that
it’s all about motivating him. I can’t tell you how many times my brain has
tried to find the different possible reasons why this little boy would have no
motivation to want to walk. Cedar will be 4 years old in a couple of weeks.
He’s getting older, his legs are growing longer but he remains in the same 6
month old developmental stage. It breaks my heart. I can’t imagine the kind of
world he lives in with absolutely no sight and facing an immense amount of
abandonment and neglect in the first years of his life. I know that a lot of
his lack of motivation comes from fear, a fear in simply what he cannot see.
I am hopeful that this next month at Ability Camp, with
Sarah and Nikki working with him daily, will bring about some really good
changes and hopefully a milestone or two for Cedar. Aside from the work that
Nikki, Sarah, and I will do with Cedar, I will leave the rest up to God. I will
pray, and I hope that you will too, for this precious life that God has placed
so heavily on my heart. I know that when the day is done and we have put our
time in with Cedar, God will be the one working out a miracle in his body,
mind, and spirit. I must remember to lean not on my own strength and ability to
help Cedar but step aside and let God do what He does best. Prayer: It’s the
most powerful tool we have as believers. Please pray with me for Cedar.
Cedar having fun in the pool!
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