Friday morning we got a call from the Department of Social Welfare in Angono. ‘Can you take a little girl we rescued into the little children’s home?’

Deborah said, ‘Yes; of course.’ But we haven’t seen a baby in Cindy’s condition for a long time. When she arrived she was caked in black grime. It took three baths and gentle soaking with baby oil to loosen up the filth around her tender eyes.

She is two months old, but feels like a premature baby in your arms—only 4# 9 oz. Her eyes stare blankly, but she is responsive and feeding well. We've had awesome responses for collecting breastmilk for her. She wasn't handling the formula very well because she's probably never had it before. But the breastmilk will make a huge difference for her.

Yesterday, Joy (our social worker) and I, went back to the police station who rescued her, and they took us to where her mother is living with her grandparents. Again it was a difficult situation. Maricel, Cindy's mother, is mentally unstable and will need psychological evaluation. She answered right away, as we had been told by the police, that she is 15. But she's actually 24. And their living conditions are pretty rough.

Fortun- ately, they live near to family who have been helping them out somewhat, but neither Maricel nor her parents have any source of income besides begging. Materially, many Filipinos live much worse off than Maricel is, but with her mental challenges thrown into the bargain, I don’t know how long Cindy would have survived with her. Like us, the family is very grateful that she is now at tlc.

We have found that the best way to support the children in our home is to establish a fund in their name for the expenses during their stay at the little children's home. Cindy needs our prayers and support as the work of rebuilding her life has only just begun. Send me an email if you would like to contribute to Cindy's care, or look for me on FaceBook for more pictures and information on Cindy.