One of the little women in my life is very special and dear to my heart (they all are!). However, I will not use her name since some of the kids in the ministry may read this and I want to protect her. We will call her Lori. When I first met Lori she was only five years old. She was always dirty and running every where. I am not sure in those days I ever saw her run! She always smiled and no one could know what she was going through.
She always had jiggers in her feet, non stop digging out jiggers! I always felt so sorry for her going through the digging out but it did not stop her from running and enjoying herself. Lori always had torn clothes and it seemed that she only had about three outfits. She didn't care either. I always envied her attitude about life, and I never knew at that time what she was going through.
She came over to my house often just to get a bath. She hated the first one I gave her but after that she started to make it a regular thing!! I think she just liked being cared for! I always hated putting the dirty clothes back on her after bathing. Once I gave her some new clothes that I went and bought for her and she went home with them and I never saw her wear them again. I asked her about it and she would just smile and not answer. I then began to look into what was going on in her life.
She had lost her father to AIDS. Her mother left her because she was so sick. She stayed with the Grandmother on the father's side. The Grandmother was always sick and she had a husband that was a step-grandfather to Lori. The Grandmother made her work in the gardens, carry water, cook and do just about everything by herself. Her Grandfather drank all the time. He was most often drunk!
When Lori got sick one time, and I could see the Grandmother was doing nothing to help her and she was going to die from malaria, I took her in and had her treated from my home. She was happy to be in my home. I made sure she got good meals, baths and clothes to wear. She had a bed to sleep in too. I really loved her so much, but then one day her Grandmother showed up to take her home. This was after about one month. She said she was old and sick and needed her at home. I asked her if she was concerned about the young girl's welfare and life. She just kept saying that she needed her to help at home.
I later came to find out that the Grandfather was raping Lori nearly every night when he came back drunk. She did not tell people anything or show it but she was going through hell on Earth. I cried and cried wishing I had never allowed the Grandmother to take her back. I finally got help from the government in getting her removed and put her in a foster home. She was not raped there but still made to do a lot of work.
Lori developed such a feeling of unworthiness and life is not worth living by the time she reached her teens. One would never know she was the same child that ran every where and came for baths! It took several years of help for Lori and alot of love to help her. Most of all, however, it has taken the Holy Spirit to heal her. When she came to Christ and gave her life to Him she changed so much. She began to do well in school, have a little confidence in herself and not think bad of herself.
Today Lori is in University and I am excited to see how the Lord is working in her life. I know she will be a real testimony to others who have gone through what she has. God bless you my dear daughter and may our Lord lift you up even more and bless you so much, Mom K
She always had jiggers in her feet, non stop digging out jiggers! I always felt so sorry for her going through the digging out but it did not stop her from running and enjoying herself. Lori always had torn clothes and it seemed that she only had about three outfits. She didn't care either. I always envied her attitude about life, and I never knew at that time what she was going through.
She came over to my house often just to get a bath. She hated the first one I gave her but after that she started to make it a regular thing!! I think she just liked being cared for! I always hated putting the dirty clothes back on her after bathing. Once I gave her some new clothes that I went and bought for her and she went home with them and I never saw her wear them again. I asked her about it and she would just smile and not answer. I then began to look into what was going on in her life.
She had lost her father to AIDS. Her mother left her because she was so sick. She stayed with the Grandmother on the father's side. The Grandmother was always sick and she had a husband that was a step-grandfather to Lori. The Grandmother made her work in the gardens, carry water, cook and do just about everything by herself. Her Grandfather drank all the time. He was most often drunk!
When Lori got sick one time, and I could see the Grandmother was doing nothing to help her and she was going to die from malaria, I took her in and had her treated from my home. She was happy to be in my home. I made sure she got good meals, baths and clothes to wear. She had a bed to sleep in too. I really loved her so much, but then one day her Grandmother showed up to take her home. This was after about one month. She said she was old and sick and needed her at home. I asked her if she was concerned about the young girl's welfare and life. She just kept saying that she needed her to help at home.
I later came to find out that the Grandfather was raping Lori nearly every night when he came back drunk. She did not tell people anything or show it but she was going through hell on Earth. I cried and cried wishing I had never allowed the Grandmother to take her back. I finally got help from the government in getting her removed and put her in a foster home. She was not raped there but still made to do a lot of work.
Lori developed such a feeling of unworthiness and life is not worth living by the time she reached her teens. One would never know she was the same child that ran every where and came for baths! It took several years of help for Lori and alot of love to help her. Most of all, however, it has taken the Holy Spirit to heal her. When she came to Christ and gave her life to Him she changed so much. She began to do well in school, have a little confidence in herself and not think bad of herself.
Today Lori is in University and I am excited to see how the Lord is working in her life. I know she will be a real testimony to others who have gone through what she has. God bless you my dear daughter and may our Lord lift you up even more and bless you so much, Mom K
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