"to make peace"

June 14, 2006
This is Lincoln. I’m warning you that this is a graphic post that may be hard to read. Last week when we were in Mpumalanga, I received a phone call from Janis. We had just received a new baby. He had been found on a trash pile in Freedom Park and brought to us in a cardboard box. He had blister marks around his neck where someone had attempted to strangle him at birth. Dr. Neil told Janis that this baby has an amazing will to live. His name means “to make peace with someone.” I couldn’t wait to get back from our trip to meet this new member of our Lighthouse family.
Last night the police brought 4 siblings to the shelter. I’m not sure how much I can say for legal reasons, but they are very badly beaten. They have bruises on their faces and open wounds on their backs from being beaten with a cattle whip. It breaks my heart to think that someone could do that to a child. Please pray for their physical, spiritual, and emotional healing.
The shelter is now in desperate need of expansion. We are hiring more staff to care for the additional babies. We are moving the babies to the new room in David and Janis’ house even though the construction is not done. It’s going to take some time before we have the finances and resources to complete the construction of the room and building of the new bunk beds for the older kids. I’m excited to get to work on those projects, but for now I’m caring for Jenny and the kids as they are all sick. It will all come in time.