Most of us know the story of Moses. We may even have acted it out in Sunday school, dressed in Dad’s dressing gown and with the obligatory tea towel on our heads. You can imagine how stunned we were when we saw part of that story become a twenty-first century reality. International volunteer Alison Kennedy tells what happened:
“Yang Hong Tao was found floating in a basket down a local river during the floods of July 2006. We met him in hospital, where he received treatment for a few weeks before being discharged, parentless, into our care at the welfare centre.
In hospital he was known to giggle and share his smiles, but it seems the shock of moving to the welfare centre caused him to withdraw and for the first few months his feelings, other than pain, weren’t freely shown.
Meeting Yang Hong Tao today you would not believe him capable of hiding his emotions. A quick head massage or armpit tickle and Tao Tao’s glowing face breaks into an infectious giggle. This week when he uttered his first words a new joy stirred - the joy that fans flames of hope and encourages us to press on with the task of bringing God’s love to children like Tao Tao, who are trapped by circumstances and their physical bodies. “
I can’t begin to imagine what Tao Tao’s parents must have gone through, or what drove their decision to abandon him. It’s unlikely they’ll read this blog, but somehow I hope they know that he is safe, well and happy. I’ll be in Hengyang in a couple of weeks and I can’t wait to meet him.
No comments:
Post a Comment