There is a little girl who reminds me of my Charlotte, and my niece Selah. She is 5 1/2. Her name is Terri Lynn and she is one of the many children with Down Syndrome on Reece's Rainbow. Last December when she turned 5, no one threw her a party, or gave her any presents. No one sang her a song or baked a cake.
In her country, children with Down Syndrome are kept in a Baby House until they turn 5. Then they are taken on a car ride- for most, the only one they will ever have- to one of the many Mental Asylums in the country. Here they will have their heads shaved and be assigned a crib that they will never leave. Some will have their wrists and ankles tied to the bars. They will not be changed, or taken to the bathroom, or played with, or given toys, or fed anything but porridge in a bottle. They will be drugged day and night with adult tranquilzers so they dont bother the "caretakers" with their crying or whining or asking to be held.
Research shows that about 95% of children with Down Syndrome die of starvation, neglect,or abuse within the first year in the Asylums.
After just a few weeks, she is not the same little girl. Her beautiful hair, her pink cheeks, that curious look in her eyes, is all gone.
No one cares that she wears boy clothes, or clothes that fit. No one cares how those bruises on her face got there, or what or who caused them.
But we should care. We know she is a child of the Most High God. We know that a child with Down Syndrome has so much more potential than what her current environment has in store for her.
There are many families trying to raise money for Teri Lynn. There are no prizes to offer, just the knowledge that by donating you are helping rescue this little princess from certain death.
Terri Lynn doesn't have a family yet.
Most times families who consider adoption end up not going through with it because the cost seems too great.
But, as we are singing in VBS this week, Our God is so BIG!
Soon, I just know it, her Mommy is going to see her picture and know this is the little girl she has been praying for. And she won't have to worry about how on earth she will get the money because it will already be there.
God doesnt need our help, or our money, but what a blessing it is that He gives us the chance to be a part of something like this. That He opens our eyes to see beyond our little comfortable bubbles and gives us the opportunity to do more than just talk about being the hands and feet of Jesus.
