We Say Goodbye to Chepito

Me and Chepito

Can you really lose your heart in less the one week? Yeh, you sure can. 

Back in March we became a Honduran foster family so that Luis could stay with us until he is adopted. Last week IHNFA paid us a visit. When they arrived unannounced at the gate, I assumed it was to check up on Luis. What they really wanted was for us to take one...or two...or four...babies they desperately needed to find temporary homes for. They all but begged us to. How could we say no? And so Jose, or Chepito as we called him, (Joey) came into our lives, an 8 month old beautiful boy, with killer dimples and a take life as it comes attitude.

Barbe and the 2 babies.

He was a good baby...as babies go. Hahahaha. It's been over 14 years since we've had a baby in our care. Here are some of the things I had forgotten about babies. I forgot how soft the bottoms of their feet are. I forgot how often they wake up in the middle of the night. I forgot how good they smell after a bath. I forgot how bad they smell with a dirty diaper. I forgot how wonderful it is to have then snuggle up against you with their heads resting on your shoulder. I forgot that you need to move the really, really toxic diapers out of hands reach. 

Thomas patiently holding Chepito

My boys too, fell in love with him. They actually spent hours playing with him or holding him and feeding him.

Mark and Ben entertaining

Although he is looking at the camera, Chepito loved to have the boys make silly faces at him. He would laugh and giggle endlessly.

One of the things he loved most, besides eating, was taking baths. He loved it!

Bath time!

And then 5 days after arriving, IHNFA called to tell us that they had found his grandparents and that they wanted to take the grandson they did not even know they had into their family.

Barbe and I were relieved, happy and saddened at the same time. Relieved because I am not sure at our age and as busy as we are, we are really prepared to care for a baby. Happy because he will be with his own family, and saddened because we fell in love with him.

Our neighbors in Maine were and are foster parents. I have a new respect for them. Foster parenting is not for the weak of heart. Without a doubt, it is challenging, rewarding and something well worth devoting your life too.

Towards this end, we have decided to begin working with other families who are also interested in fostering children, especially babies as these are the most difficult to place. I was amazed at the response I received from all over Honduras when I put the idea out on facebook. People who said they had been wanting to do this for a long time, but weren't sure how to. People who were already working with IHNFA to help place babies and are excited to be working in a more collective manner. And of course IHNFA, or as it is now called since last week, DINAF is thrilled with the idea of having additional families available to receive children.

I am excited about the future. It is challenging. IHNFA only last week was dissolved as a government agency by President Orlando. Plagued with problems, over weighted with employees and underfunded, the new DINAF was formed and is still in the process of development. No one is sure what it will look like when it is all said and done. One thing that has been announced is that they want to work more closely with churches, NGO's and non profits which fits nicely in with what we want to see happen. The needs are huge here. A low estimate has it that there are over 10,000 children in the care of DINAF currently. This in a country with a population of only 8,000,000 people.

My hope is that what we are doing in helping provide homes for babies, will also aid my work with Living Hope Adoptions Agency who I represent here in Honduras. There are so many children here who need a family and so many people who want a child. My prayer is that the new DINAF will make it easier for adoptions to take place.