All About Maya

Yesterday, I didn't want to tell you about our first day with Maya in lots of words, just because sometimes I think pictures can tell a story that words can't.  I've had that in my mind all along.  I really just wasn't sure how to describe what a day like that was like.  Now that I think most of you can understand, I'll tell you now a little about our little girl.

Maya is two years old, and she'll be three at the end of April.  However, she's wearing 9 month clothing.  She doesn't look all that small, but its just because her overall growth has been somewhat stunted, so everything appears to be proportional.  Her feet are teeny-tiny.  My guess is that she might wear a shoe size that a six to nine-month-old baby would wear. . .

 

But they're cute feet :).

She can make some sounds, but she doesn't speak any words at all.  It seems her heart condition may be a little more serious than we first thought.  She has had surgery already, and that has repaired the major issues, but she's still taking two types of medication.  When they closed her up from her surgery, the doctors left part of the site open (on the inside, not the outside).  We're not entirely sure why they did this, because when the explanation was interpreted to us yesterday, it was a little hard to understand.  Once we're given more information, we're considering taking her file to Dr. Colvin at UAB.  He was my pediatric cardiologist when I was pregnant with the twins.  I have no doubt that she would be in excellent hands with his care.

However, she's happy, she's content and she took to us very, very well. 

When we visited yesterday, we were pleasantly surprised that the orphanage seemed to be doing a good job at taking care of her and it appeared that they were also very involved in the care of the other children there.  We're afraid, though, that today we may have found out a different story, and that's very worrisome to us.  Our social workers from Lifeline, Jana and Stephanie, arrived yesterday.  Today they went with us to the orphanage for our morning visit, and while we played with Maya, they toured the facility.  They saw some things that are just.  plain.  wrong.   Its was the kind of things that broke my heart two years ago that made me realize that these children DESPERATELY need rescue. 

It was the 5-year-old little boy that was wearing an infant onesie . . . because its what fits.  It was the little girl that constantly took her lowered head in her hands because she wasn't used to all the attention that she was being given at the moment.  Its the little baby that stares through the rails of her crib 24/7 with brain cysts that probably won't survive.  And its the little girl who was picked up by a single arm placed in a chair. 

Its these things that were happening in Maya's home.  The place she'll be until we can get back here to take her home.  We really felt ok about things yesterday, but its what we didn't see that we know now.  That's such a problem with us . . . all of us.  We're so ignorant of things that happen in other places.  I truly don't mean that in an 'ugly' way, but 'ignorance' just means we don't know.  Well . . . we didn't know.  Now we do.  Now YOU do.  There are horrible things that are happening to kids in these places.  Things that, if they happened in America, wouldn't be tolerated at all.  What gives us the right to know about it now and wash our hands of it?  Just because its not our country?  Well, maybe not, but its God's people.  We're ALL God's people, and we're commanded to do so many things . . . love our neighbor, treat others as we want to be treated, take care of those who can't care for themselves . . . all of these things are so important.  ESPECIALLY to those that are so innocent.  It just hurts.  It hurts to see this all over, and now it hurts to know that Maya may be subjected to things that are so wrong.

But, she looks good.  I'm kinda shaking my head at myself for getting off on something that wasn't exactly meant to come out in this post, but I have a true passion for this now.  I think its really just beginning with us, and I want to do all that I possibly can to get people involved.

Here's a few more pics of our visits from yesterday afternoon and this morning . . .

 

Here's a couple of videos from my phone . . .

 

 

 

 

These pictures were taken during our afternoon visit today.  Maya wasn't quite as active during either visit as she was yesterday, but knowing what we know now, I guess I'm not surprised.  She was 'rocking' herself today a lot.  This is a typical behavior that institutionalized children will display.  It's their method of soothing themselves when there are no other options available.  She's still content and you can tell she really likes the attention . . .

 

 

Don't ask me what's in this bottle.  I don't know, and until I have to, I don't want to . . .

 

 

 

I expect that with each visit, we'll all get used to one another, and that's a great thing.  The only part that stinks is that we'll walk out of that orphanage Friday without her.  Man.  I'm still not sure what kind of superpower emotional support the Lord is going to give us, but I have no doubt that his hand will walk for us, reassuring us that in his perfect timing, we'll be back to bring her home, never to darken those doors again.

 

Love,

 

Paige 

 

**Ok, so here's an update 20 minutes after I posted the first part.  Craig thinks I'm too critical.  Let me clarify something:  Not a single person, whether in the orphanage, in the community (well, except for the guy in the change office . . . long story), or on our team has been anything but kind to us.  When I talk about the problems with the orphanage, I'm not exactly sure who to blame.  Maybe its a problem with resources?  I'm not sure.  All I know is that things are bad, and I don't know who or what to place 'blame' on with that.  The natural thing for me to do when I'm referring to issues within the orphanage is to say just that:  the orphanage.  You can blame the walls, the floors, the lack of grass, whatever.  There's just problems there that need to be fixed by somebody.  And . . . I also don't mean to sound critical of anybody to doesn't specifically throw themselves out into a foreign country to do whatever.  I honestly believe that not everybody has the same purpose.  If we did, then we'd all chase the same ball while others were still flying.  Not everybody should adopt, not everybody should give thousands of dollars to specific organizations, and not everybody should go and live in foreign countries for purposes that God has intended.  Absolutely not.  We all have different tasks we're supposed to accomplish.  All I want you to know about is a need.  If that so happens to be something you can help with, then by golly, your field is wide open.  PLEASE don't take anything I've written here as a judgment call, because it isn't at all.  This is just where my heart is now, and I guess the blog is a sounding board.  I'll say this again . . . we've been supported in so many ways by so many, and that, in itself, is a call to action that many have taken, and its appreciated by us so very much.  This is serving!  This is helping!  You're doing it! 

 

Ok...that is all :)