Jenna.Kristen's Blog

Knowing you are chosen [Matt 22:14] and that you are saved from suffering because Christ first died for us is an unfathomable story of redemption. The other day I heard another example of God’s redemptive power through saving the life of a 2-year old boy.

This is the story of Sudin Lama/2 yrs:

Sudin is 2 years old and is living at Bethany Home. He has a mother but she lives on the street and is mentally disabled and she was raped and she had this baby. She can't take care of herself neither can she take care of the baby. The boy was basically abandoned on the street and the church nearby were feeding him whenever they could. He was referred to us by Sushila (our staff) as she lives nearby and is affiliated with the church. We don't know who the father is.

When I touched Sudin’s back to show comfort, I felt the little vertebrae’s of his spine. He was so thin and seems malnourished even after being in a children’s home for nearly 2 months. I felt as though he would really be able to interact with me like my 2-year old niece, Daniela, but he was timid and very quite. His friend, Samuel took a few things like crayons and paper out of his hands and Sudin was very submissive. Not a normal reaction for a two year old in their “terrible two’s” when they want everything or at least they seem to think that everything is entitled as theirs.

In trying to create an iMovie about the Dream Center and children’s homes, I included some clips of our recent visit to the Bethany Home. I reviewed film showing the kids singing and dancing. It was in watching back this footage over the past several days (as well as reading his story in the TH monthly report; shown above), which I was able to really begin to see Sudin in a new light.

Everything made sense, like why his appearance was frail and that he was tame compared to the other children. He was submissive at different times but then also full of joy at other times too. He was really quite cute in the videos dancing next to his little buddy, Samuel; looking over often as he shook his booty during his dance. It was in moments like those that his story sunk in my heart and he has completely consumed my thoughts for the entire rest of the week.

It’s a crazy thing, now that I’ve met Sudin, to think back on all the times I saw mothers with children on the street. I have been past them many times while travelling to Kolkata or Delhi in India, anytime I am in another impoverished country for that matter. I would have never even have considered those children to be lacking as much as the other street kids without parents. Next time I see mother’s like these, I would definitely think twice and remember Sudin’s story. Not only will I consider the quality of health for their child, but also the unique situations some of these women were put in: husbands passing, mental illness or having been raped.

There is a redemptive story to emphasize: that God loves even the smallest, the poorest, the most neglected of children and He chooses them, just as He chose me. I am so privileged and today I hope I will never forget that. Not in order to gloat or boast about my upbringing, but to remind myself that God loves the most broken just as much as he loves me (equally). However, I have the ability to do something about it for His glory!

My favorite memory of playing with Sudin was just at sunset before we were leaving for suppertime. Jon and I sat on a mat and the smaller children were crawling all over and around us. At one point I grabbed Sudin and toppled over onto our backs. He just lay there really chill without any instincts for getting back up again. It seemed odd at first and I even pointed it out to Jonathan. That was the first moment that made me think, “Hey, this kid is really cool and chill like me. He’s completely good at cuddling, which I need and loOOOove to do—it would be awesome if we ended up with a kid like Sudin.”

Adoption was always something we’ve considered but we put it off as something to pursue in the future. I had always thought it would be great to adopt our first child but then you also think of the financial needs, which often sets the idea back a few more years due to the fact that you must first have steady jobs to be able to adopt. However, it’s a miracle in itself to meet a child like Sudin. Now I can really start to see him or a potentially adopted child as our own—In moments like those, you quickly forget the financial needs and only are consumed with the goodness God’s inspired. God does miracles and if Sudin were a miracle child for Jon and I to adopt one day, the following would need to happen:

- God would need to open up adoptions for Americans to adopt Nepali children

- Jon and I would need to be in the right place with God to become parents

- Jon and I would need to have the finances to adopt a child and sustainable ways to continue taking care of the child

- God would have to move a mountain in the heart of Sudin’s caregivers and within the organization of Tiny Hands to be able to adopt a child from a TH home

A future dream has set in my heart while at church this morning and it was to move to Pokhara and for me to help out with the Bethany children’s home on a daily basis. It would be such a magnet kind of opportunity for me to continue investing and getting to know Sudin and it would also be a way for me to learn how to care for many children overseas. I would embrace the opportunity if Jon were also interested in this kind of life. I’m not so sure Jon (or I) are completely called to this yet but it definitely excites my heart to consider the joy from that kind of life.