Bright Star

We have a new girl at JBFC! This should be a time of rejoicing…and we are. We have a new sister, daughter, and friend. Neema is reunited with her biological sister. There is someone new to love.

And yet, the circumstances in which we have come to welcome Ester to our family have been rather horrifying. She came to us late in the afternoon on Monday with no warning from the social welfare office. Her head is covered in scabs, and she is severely malnourished.

Ester weighs sixteen pounds. She will turn four on Sunday. Yes, those numbers are correct. And beyond shocking.

It’s like the advertisements on television, except this child with swollen belly and frail arms is in my arms and looking up at me. It doesn’t quite sink in until I see our other four year old, with long strong limbs carrying her effortlessly through the dining hall, that I begin to understand just how much is lacking here.

Ester should be able to walk and run and speak and laugh. She should have memories of being held by people who loved her and who did everything they could to provide her with the best nourishment they could so her body and mind would grow strong.

Until Monday, that wasn’t the case. But we are rallying to do all we can to catch her up on missed hugs and lessons and smiles.

Rachel bought Ester a dress with matching headscarf, which looks darling. The mamas take turns swaddling Ester on their backs while they cook during the day. After school, there is a crowd of girls surrounding Ester, smiling as they take turns feeding her porridge or papaya or milk. When I hold Ester, I talk constantly, pouring words into her that I know I’ll hear back from her someday.

Ester will be greatly loved.

In the Bible, Esther was a beautiful and courageous woman who turned difficult circumstances into an opportunity to save a whole nation of her people. I don’t know why our Ester has had to endure such tremendous pain and neglect in her early years, but I do know that God redeems stories and pain and uses everything for our ultimate good. While others intended to do harm, God has taken our Ester’s story and is writing a future full of hope and promise for her.