Journal, September 29, 2010

Jose Enrique

Jose Enrique went home today.  Although most of the time that I am at Hermano Pedro orphanage is spent down stares with the kids that permanently live there whenever I am there I try to sneak up to the malnutrition ward and spend an hour or so with the kids that are there.  Unlike the 240 others that are at the orphanage most of the kids that are in the malnutrition ward are there on a short term bases.  Once they gain weight their parents usually take them back to their homes and in most cases they do quite well.  Just last week Gidy (Pictured below sitting on my lap with Jose Enrique) went home.  I will miss her but but it is good to know that she is now at home with her family.

Seeing how well Jose Enrique (Pictured above sitting on my lap with Gidy) was doing I knew that he to would be going home soon.  Jose and I had become good friends a few years ago when he was first brought into the malnutrition ward of Hermano Pedro.  Much like Jessica the little girl that I brought in 2 weeks ago, 11 year old Jose could not have weighed even 20 pounds when he first arrived.  Even though he was unable to talk Jose had a way of communicating with his eyes and  he had a wonderful sense of humor.  Jose loved people and liked nothing better than to be taken out of his crib and held.  Jose rapidly gained weight and with in a few short months he returned to his home.  I missed him but I knew that he needed to be with his mother and father.  Unfortunately about 10 months ago Jose Enrique was brought back to the malnutrition ward looking nearly as bad as he did when he first arrived a few years earlier.  Over the next few months Jose Enrique once again gained back the weight that he had lost and other than a time or 2 when he mysteriously came down with a fever for a few days his over all health seemed quite good.  Fact is that last Saturday while I was visiting him I said good bye to him.  I know that I would be on the road for a few days and I was quite sure that much like Gidy, Jose Enrique would soon be going home.  It was hard to say goodbye but I knew that Jose Enrique needed to be with some one who could hold him for more than just an hour or so every few days.

This evening I received a text message from a friend at the orphanage.  Jose Enrique had indeed gone home.  This time however I do not have to worry that he is not being cared for properly or that he will once again be returned to the orphanage half starved.  On Tuesday Jose Enrique once again came down with a fever and early this morning he died.  Just like with the death of Jo Jo earlier this month I question why this had to happen, but I guess God knew  that Jose Enrique needed to be with some one who could hold him for more than just an hour or so every few days.

  

He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever. 

 Revelation 21:4

Goodnight,

Yours in Christ: Dick