Waiting Ones

Samantha has been volunteering at New Day Foster Home since September.  Here she shares her heart for the precious children that she has been working with.

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He was the one with the infectious smile, the adorable giggle, and the propensity for running into one's arms, tucking his little hands into yours, and snuggling in.  Jonathan.

The first time he came to my notice, we were heading out on a field trip and he was the one assigned to me for the day.  He raised his arms up to me to be held, so I picked him up, and in my arms he stayed.  He became my responsibility, and I became his security, his safe place.  If I strayed too far away, he cried and cried, with big tears rolling down his sweet cheeks.  So I held him. 

It was windy, and he didn't like it, so I pulled his hood up and played peek-a-boo, making him giggle and show his perfect little teeth.  Every time there was a gust of wind, he wanted his hood back up, and spent half the day peeking out around it.  As we walked, he began to grow sleepy.  He nestled in close and laid his head on my shoulder, snuggling deeper into my arms.  He felt safe, secure. For one day, I was Mama to him.  I was the face he looked for in a crowd, and he looked to me to meet his needs, soothe his fears, play with him, walk with him, show him new things - give him love.  Love that has been given to us, we at New Day have the privilege of passing on to these children.

This precious boy no longer needs to search for a face that belongs to him, a face that won't leave him, arms that won't ever let him go, because he has finally gone home to be with his forever mama and daddy!

Jonathan's story is a joyful one, one the children still waiting here are longing to share in for themselves.

There is six-year-old Lucy, who carries around a toy cell-phone that contains a picture of a group of strangers - the family she doesn't have but dreams of every day, and points out each person, telling me that this is her Mama, Baba, Gege, JieJie...  Who curls up in my arms saying she's a 'baby'.  One's typical response would be to say, 'oh, you're not a baby!  You're a big girl!'  But to a little girl who was abandoned the day she was born, who has never been able to experience being a baby in her mother's loving arms, all I can do is rock her and hold her tight.

There is twelve-year-old Austyn who, for 11 1/2 years of his life, lived in a crib.  Every smile, every giggle, every grasp of his hand, is testimony to me of how much the world has been missing out on his precious personality.

Then there is newcomer, Pearl, with her round face, rosy cheeks and inquisitive eyes.  There is mischievous Hudson, with an adorable grin that takes over his whole face; Zoe and Camilla, who love shouting 'Ni hao!  Ni hao!' to everyone who walks into the room; Esther, who loves being tickled, and giggles all over; tiny Daniel, who's always on the go; bright Lydia, rambunctious Brendan, pudgy Poppy....so many.  Each one waiting.  Each with their own unique story and personality.

While nothing can make up for not having a Mama and Baba, we do our best to give these waiting ones as much love as a possible until their forever families find them.  So, I think each of these sweet ones are in the best possible place they can be for right now.  Even so, we all hope every day for new asterisks to be placed next to the photos of those little faces...  :-) 

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Guest Post by Long-Term Volunteer, Samantha.