August 23rd, 2023

Kelle tells about a hard day at Neema Village.

This past month at Neema Village has been a blessing. I am in awe every day to see first-hand God at work here in Africa. So much joy, precious relationships forming, moms learning how much God loves them, futures and hope blossoming, babies being fed and cuddled and lots of love happening everywhere you look at Neema Village.

That is what I expected when I woke up but I will never forget what actually happened. Social Welfare had asked us to just supply formula to a mother with a new baby but Dorris had known this mother before with her last baby, Ebenezer, and knew this new baby was most likely in danger.  We knew we had to go now to check it out.

We asked Baraka to go with us and he drove us to the house where we were all sitting inside quietly talking. I was sitting in the chair holding the baby and Dorris and the mother were on the couch.

With no warning suddenly the mother charged over Dorris and lunged at me and began to strangle her baby in my arms. I kicked her as hard as I could. She was strong and with her hands around his throat she ripped the baby out of my arms, lifted him over her head and threw him across the room. The sight of that little body as she swung him over her head and threw him at the wall will forever be imprinted on my mind.

By the grace of God, Mama Musa was in the right place at the right time to catch the baby. We were all screaming and Mama Musa quickly turned and ran out with the baby while Baraka wrestled the mom out the door to keep her from hurting anyone else. It was a chaotic scene and one none of us will soon forget.

We drove to the police station and talked with four different police to get them to pick this dangerous woman up but they said since she was mentally ill there was nothing they could do. It was a bit frustrating.

We learned she had had a birth control device put in her arm but she had bitten that out herself. There is no mental institution here so we are not sure what this poor grandmother, who says the girl has been biting her too, is going to do.

The baby is ok and is now safe at Neema Village. We are praying that he never has to go back to that house and that the mama gets the help she needs.

Later we learned that Bryson, one of our day care babies had been placed in ICU in the hospital because of a seizure I had witnessed with him that morning. That was hard to see for this normally happy little guy.

Yes, it was a hard day for everyone at Neema Village but God doesn’t promise all easy days for us. He does promise that He will always be with us.

God was all over this day!

It was a miracle that we decided to go check on this baby today; it was a miracle that we were there at the right time to see what the mother was capable of; it was a miracle that Mama Musa was in the direct line of fire and her hands were free to reach up and catch the baby; it was a miracle that Baraka had gone with us.  It was a miracle that God had gone with us!

It’s on the hard days like this that I am reminded of how God is continually working in our lives when we are listening. He is with us on the sweet easy days but it’s on the hard days like this that I really see how He goes before us in every situation. Thank God He is with us even on the hard days.

May God go with each of you and keep you safe.

Love,

Dorris