God's Perfect Timing (by Shelly)

This morning, Cheryl and I talked about walking over to one of the teacher's houses because we had something to discuss with her and her husband. Cheryl mentioned heading over there at some point in the late morning. By early afternoon, we hadn't gone yet (very normal for a typical day here) and she came into the kitchen and asked me if I was ready to head out. I went into the bedroom quick and changed into a skirt, grabbed my camera and was ready to go. We walked down the steps, turned the corner and began to walk the length of the orphanage. As we walked past the girls' hallway, I smelled smoke. I turned back to look down the hallway and I forget what I said at the same time that Cheryl yelled "it's coming from the babies' room!" and began running down the hall. I was close behind and as we got near the room, we could see the smoke billowing out the doorway. We ran inside and a mattress was engulfed in flames ... amidst 3 children in their cribs ... Cheryl tore 2 children out of their beds and sort of threw them toward me, as I grabbed them and went running out the door with them. I returned to find many children running into the doorway to see what was going on. A lot of what happened after that was a blur. I remember high flames, a lot of smoke, children being thrown at me, and running back and forth to the outdoors carrying them. I remember putting my shirt over my face at one point as the smoke was so thick. I know that we pulled three children out of the beds in that room and one out of a bed in the next room over. I remember all the children standing outside the orphanage confused. I remember checking each and every room over twice with Marie-Joe, the oldest child at the orphanage. No more children were inside. Time for us to get out. I remember a blur of a mattress, flames, smoke and someone running by ...









The children were all safe. Out of the orphanage and standing out front. The burning mattresses were put out and lying out in the grass. Smoke filled the orphanage in a matter of seconds. We stood there in disbelief. I finally took a breath and realized what had just happened. I could barely stand up, as a sleeping child, one of my precious little baby boys, was handed to me. I squeezed him tightly and laid him down next to one of the nannies sitting outside. Deep breath ...

This was the only damage done. A couple of mattresses destroyed. More than 40 lives spared. A child had gotten ahold of a match and the rest was history. Who knows what could have happened if Cheryl and I had waited even two more minutes before walking down those stairs. Who knows how badly burnt those children could have been. Who knows how many lives could have been lost if the fire had been able spread any further. Who knows how long it would have been before the nannies (who were all outside at the time) would have gone in to check on the sleeping children and noticed ...

Thank God, we will never know the answers to any of these questions. God's perfect timing ... a miracle in and of itself. Thank you, Father, for saving all these precious lives today. You are so worthy of our praise.

Amen!!

I have been trying to post some more photos, but they won't seem to upload tonight ... this will have to be it for now. And believe it or not, that was only one of the highlights of the day! Please keep the orphanage in your prayers ... the children, the staff ... Rusty and Cheryl, and Lexi and I as well. We appreciate it more than you could possibly know.