Over the past couple of weeks I have been trying to find something that I could be passionate about and would break my heart the way it breaks the Lords. On Saturday Devan, Jenna and I headed to the disabled school that boarded ten children of all different disabilities. Entering the school, we looked around and saw some of the kids just outside the building. A girl named Jenna and a kid named Edwine, and a little boy named David were sitting outside as we came up. Jenna and Edwine both have autism and David suffers from something that makes him not able to walk or sit. As we walked around the school we decided to adventure into one of the rooms. As we came into one of the rooms we saw a girl named Regina lying on a mat. She has sever cerebral palsy, which is a condition where they can’t stand, sit, talk or move their arms. As we approached her we saw at least ten flies just resting on her face, unable to swat them away. Devan and I ran and swatted the flies away, heart broken as I looked at this little girl no more that 8 years old and living in this condition not able to do anything for herself.
Margaret (one of the people working at the school) told us that many of these kids were either left to die cause their parents didn’t want them or they simply didn’t have the resources to take care of their needs. They would like to be able to help more disabled kids in need, but just don’t have the money or food to take them in. Wanting to know more about the other kids that couldn’t come to the school, Margaret took us to a house about forty minutes from town so we could meet a boy named Jonah. Jonah is an eleven-year-old boy who suffers severely from cerebral palsy. His only caretaker and provider is his grandmother. His mother died when he was young and his dad deserted him because he was disabled. Jonah and his grandmother live in a small mud hut; their bathroom is a hole in the ground with no privacy protectors. As we went into the hut we were immediately hit by a stench of urine, flies everywhere. Jonah’s Grandmother was feeding him smashed up rice and Galli as we entered the hut. As I looked at Jonah my heart broke. His whole body couldn’t have weighed over 60 pounds. His legs and arms were skin and bone, and his ribs poked out of his chest. A huge gash in his legs was left open and untreated. Talking with the grandmother we learned that she does the best she can for the both of them, but with her not able to work and get a source of income they need to survive is very hard to come by. She tried to take Jonah to the hospital for treatment for his leg, but they turned them away cause they didn’t have any money. Standing there and listening to what these two go through every single say, trying to survive, broke my heart. Trying to keep tears back all I could think about was how this amazing women has come to Jonah’s aid to sacrifice everything to help him.
Leaving Jonahs house was one of the hardest things I have ever done. As I was walking away from their house, anger shot through my body knowing that I couldn’t just pick Jonah up and take him to where he could have a better life. Feeling helpless that I couldn’t give him a happy life. Right now I am praying, praying that God will be able to open a door for Jonah and his grandmother so they can have a way out. So I ask that you keep Jonah and the rest of the disabled kids in your hearts and prayers. But the Lord answered my prayer's in breaking my heart for what breaks His.
