Baby Elijah

 Just over a week ago a fellow missionary friend opened her front door walked outside to open the main gate to allow her husband entrance onto their property, while she was outside she heard a baby cry.  She walked closer to the boundary wall and the sound came louder as she looked closer she found a bundle under a tree and it was a little baby boy all wrapped in a chitange.  

After looking around to see if anyone was around she brought him into the house.  In Zambia when you need to report something you cannot call the police and give your report,  you need to go to the police station and pick them up, so Tammy and her husband went and reported the abandoned baby and they were told to take him to the hospital.  

At the hospital the baby was checked and assumed to be about 6 weeks old and in good health.   

Considering it was the weekend, Tammy asked permission to take the baby home and keep him until social services was open on Monday morning.  She named him Elijah.  After visiting the social services they were told that the office would call around and look to see if there was space in any of the orphanages around town.  Abandonment of a child is a criminal offense in Zambia so if the mom had come back she would have been arrested and put in jail.

On the right it Tammy and Joe the couple that found Elijah and on the left is Justine and Preetika the couple who will adopt him

Justine and Preetika with Elijah close to the tree where he was found

Once again Tammy asked if she could keep Elijah at her home until further decisions were made.  Surprisingly the authorities said yes and she was able to keep the baby and care for him while waiting to hear the next step.

A few days later a couple that serves as missionaries in Livingstone during the last 4 years called Tammy and asked about the baby.  They were home in the US on furlough but had been praying for an open door to adopt a baby.  Well to make a long story short, the couple is now back in Livingstone and have chosen to adopt baby Elijah.

God is amazing and it has been such joy to watch this story unfold.  Tammy and her husband Joe have loved and cared for Elijah weeks now and as soon as paper work happens Justine and Preetika will welcome baby Elijah into their home as their son.  For now they are spending as much time as possible with him.

In Zambia abandoned babies are not common especially in the Southern Province where we live and adoption is very difficult as well, but doors have been open and God's favour has definitely been shown all around!  

What an absolute blessing~~