Goodbye Andrew

Last Friday the head of the Welfare Dept visited the orphanage. She had two African women with her I didn't recognize. She began to tell me that each of these women were interested in adopting a baby. They came to see our babies. We are not the only organization that cares for babies. In fact there is a home for babies less than a mile from us and they have over 50 babies. But they wanted one of our babies. In order to adopt in Tanzania there cannot be any known living relative of the child . Two of our babies were abandoned...Andrew and Destiny. They have no living relatives because the police have not been able to find any information regarding where they came from, except that Destiny was left at the bus stop and Andrew was dropped off at the hospital.
The women visiting our orphanage took one look at Andrew and Destiny and said they wanted them. All that was needed to be done was to go to the police dept and have the police sign the papers stating their investigations were complete and they have officially closed the files on Andrew and Destiny. The police signed the papers this morning and the women returned to our orphanage to pick up the babies.

I had all weekend to think about this before they came on Monday to take Andrew. It is interesting to process emotions in a situation that is completely new. I have four nieces and three nephews. I love them very much. But Andrew was different for me. He was my baby. I named him and made him my own. I would hold him everyday and fed him and rocked him to sleep. When he would cry the workers would tell me and bring him to me...he was mine. I love that little guy.
They took him this morning. I held him and cried. I kissed him and he smiled...he just started doing that this past week. I miss him already. I cry as I write this because I love that little guy. Andrew had only been with us for one month but in that short time he won my heart.

I will write another blog about Andrew after I have had more time to think about what has taken place this morning...it is all still so new. It's lunch time right now. I liked feeding Andrew and holding him until he fell asleep...my favorite part of the day.
The Lord gave me Andrew for a short time, but enough time to hold him in my heart and remember him for the rest of my life.

I know that it is best for Andrew to have a home and be raised by Africans, but I didn't know when we took him in that there was even the chance that someone would come and take him. This has all come as a surprise and it happened so fast. I will pray for Andrew for the rest of my life. I've never known a baby like Andrew...he was mine and I love him.