For Baby V

It was a normal Saturday morning, making breakfast with Isaac while watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. I was in all my pre-shower Saturday morning glory when my phone dinged. I immediately recognized the name...awww, one of our Bamboo Mommas. *smile* She and I had just talked on the phone two days prior. She and her husband are experienced parents to a child with Down syndrome already and were in the final adoption stretch, just waiting for The Call to travel to China any day. In fact, she had been putting the finishing touches on her new daughter's room as we chatted. Baby V's 2nd birthday was coming soon and everyone was hoping she would be HOME to celebrate.  Maybe they had gotten the call! 

"I just got a phone call from (our agency) that our sweet girl passed away this week. She had a horrible cold, which turned to pneumonia, and she didn't make it. She died in the hospital, alone, just weeks before we could show her the love of a family. Please pray for us here grieving the daughter we love who is now wrapped in the arms of the Lord."

*GASP*  

"...she died in the hospital, alone..."

Alone. 

Oh, sweet Lord! 

I stood in the kitchen and bawled while the toast burned.

Can you imagine any worse nightmare? My Isaac had just turned two when he was hospitalized with a simple virus that evolved into terrible pneumonia...but he was HOME, with his mother...ME. For eleven days in a cramped hospital room he was NEVER alone. The two times I left to get some much needed sleep, my mother was at his side, cradling him, comforting him, praying over him. At ALL times he was surrounded by the people who loved him most in this world...except...except, no one loves him as much as the One who created him.  

I am confident that sweet Baby V was in fact not alone. Her earthly body may not have been surrounded by humans, but I know (I know it!) her Heavenly Father was at her side...softly caressing the single dark curl on her head and whispering of the day He created the moon and the stars. Maybe even recounting the day her earthly forever mother & father had met their Savior and how much they loved her; how many times their hearts whispered her name as they prepared to bring her home. How she will immediately recognize her older American sisters when they finally arrive in Heaven with her. Exactly what the Lord spoke to her spirit I don't know, but I am certain of His presence as she was released from her earthly body and skipped joyfully into her Creator’s loving arms. He has promised us this, I will never leave you for forsake you. Never. Ever.

Thank you God for this promise!   

Sadly, Baby V story is not an isolated one, especially in China.  Often poor families who know their children have special medical and developmental needs abandon their sweet children in hopes of someone...anyone...can provide for their precious treasure. Not every child is found in time (they go straight into the arms of Papa God, hallelujah). When the child is found, many times the social welfare services can't (or won't) provide for the medical or developmental need and ultimately neglect is the reason they enter into Heaven. For some, they are matched with a family, who loves, who hopes, who fights to bring their baby home...like Baby V, and the deep layers of bureaucracy in all countries involved make for a horribly lengthy process to retrieve your fragile child. When overworked, understaffed orphanages can't send a trusted caregiver or nanny with every sick child that needs to go to the hospital...well, you know the end of that story. 

Practically, there is little that those of us on the outside can do to 'fix' the problem. Because ultimately the problem is a result of a deep-deep fracture in the soul of man.  In believing one lie---You can do this without God---we invited all the horrible that has taken place in all of history. Let's be very clear, this is OUR fault, not God's.  

Spiritually though, we have power. We can bow our hearts and invite God back in! We can repent for devaluing all the God has declared good and believe for healing. We can contend for hearts to change...including our own...and fight for little ones like Baby V.  

The Bamboo Project Family has circled the wagons around Baby V's family left behind to grieve until they hold her in Heaven. They have also dedicated themselves to daily prayer. Each family storming the heavens for our children, for the families pursuing, for the babies waiting, for birth parents, and government officials; for God to move deeply in the country that gave us our beauties and the country that lets us raise them here. We firmly believe Baby V's story does not have to be repeated. 

Will you join us?