This past Sunday, a mission team arrived at our Diaper Drop partner, Sarah’s Covenant Homes (SCH), in Hyderabad, India. With them, they brought 6 suitcases full of cloth diapers, made possible by you! In these six suitcases were 257 cloth diapers. Most of the diapers were specially-made for older children and young adults.
More than 150 babies, children, and young adults call Sarah’s Covenant Homes home. Isaiah is one of these wonderful children. He’s five years old and was given his name which means “God delivers” because he was starting a new chapter in his life when he arrived at SCH. Prior to SCH, Isaiah spent many days simply laying on the ground on his back with very little stimulation. Though he has been neglected in his past, Isaiah is often found with a hopeful smile on his face. He has adjusted well to life at SCH with his foster brothers, and he lives with both cerebral palsy and some cognitive challenges.
His foster family at Sarah’s Covenant Homes shares the following about Isaiah:
This boy L O V E S playing tag.
He enjoys being held and chasing after one of the caregivers in Courage home, Varalakshmi, while he is propped on his house parent’s hip.
Varalakshmi is just as exuberant in the chase, shrilling with giggles as she runs around the home, up and down stairs, hiding and then reappearing–all to flee from Isaiah’s pursuit.
Isaiah lights up in this game.
He absolutely beams with a knock-you-sideways smile and the most captivating giggle that bubbles up and spills out from it.
We have wholeheartedly concluded that we’d do pretty much anything to hear that sweet laugh.
To us, this picture is perfect. We are completely in love with it. In love with how blurry it is, how candid, how silly, how sweet, how joyful. In love with how it reminds us of his sweet smile and of sweet moments we are so privileged to participate in–like chasing Varalakshmi around the house until both she and Isaiah are winded from their unending laughter. Moments of joy that go into everyday life. Moments of some sort of everyday kind of holy that can’t be matched by anything else in this world.
Photo description: Isaiah is propped on Nathan’s hip, leaning back and laughing. His hand hits Nathan in the face, and he is also laughing. Isaiah’s movement makes the photo blurry and full of life.
The gift of diapers truly makes a huge difference for both children and ayah’s (caregivers). Not only do modern cloth diapers save precious financial resources, but also basic sanitation and hygiene are improved for the children (plus the environmental benefits too!).