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One Man's Trash, The Lord's Treasure
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One afternoon in March of 1999, I was working with a group of Bible Students teaching a bible study. We were in a squatter village named Libis. We had just finished teaching the bible study when a young woman of that area approached one of our lady students about a baby. The woman had on revealing clothes, and I noticed that the way she dressed was not common for that area. We later found out that she was a prostitute working the bars in the city proper.
The woman asked one of students to talk with me about taking her baby. I was a little shocked when they came up and told me what she said, so I asked to see the child. The woman left and returned with the child a few minutes later. What I saw next literally broke my heart.
They brought me a little boy only four months old. His name was Jerry. His eyes were weak with fever and his voice harsh from the many hours of crying. He had skin rashes over much of his body, and his lungs were full of cold and congestion. He had a high fever and only wearing rags for clothes. My heart began to hurt as I saw his suffering and knowing that his mother was just going to leave him behind was more than I could stand.
I told the woman that I would go home and talk to Miss Debbie, we would pray and then we would return. I looked at that little boy, put my hand on his head and said, "little boy, don't give up now, I will come back. Things are going to get better for you, I will be back."
We later found out that Jerry was a child of prostitution. His mother and family did not want him so she tried to kill him while in her womb with chemical and drugs. After his birth, she left him by himself at night while she prostituted the bars. He would lay naked all night on a bamboo floor in his own waste. Neighbors told us that it was awful the way the woman treated him. During the day, he would just lay and cry by himself in the heat of the day. She was hoping that he would die.
Debbie and I spent several days praying and seeking God's Will for the child and us. We did not come to the Philippines to raise babies, but we did promise the Lord that we would do anything that He asked us to do. Our vows unto the Lord are serious, so we went down to the squatter village to see the baby.
Upon our arrival, the woman came out to meet us. Miss Debbie asked the woman to see the child. They brought Jerry out wearing only a few rags, his body with rashes, and still sick with fever. Miss Debbie reached out her hand to the child; he grabbed her finger, looked her in the eyes and smiled. Debbie broke out into tears, looked at me and said "get his things, let us get him out of this."
We took the baby home realizing that he was very sick and weakly. We took him to the doctor for the first two months that we had him but lots of love and prayer, he began to respond. It was not long before he began to smile and laugh with happiness in his heart. We changed his name to Jereme so that we can put his past behind him.
That was over two years ago, and now I only wish you could see this little boy. He is a blessing to us each day that we have him. No matter where we take him, he stands out in the crowds. Everybody loves his attitude of joy and excitement. He fills the room with love anytime he is in your presence.
Everyday at the dinner table, little Jerry bows his head, closes his eyes and says Lord Jesus, thank you for my mama and daddy, Lord, thank you for our home, Lord thank you for our supporters. I know that he has never met you, but he is so grateful for everyone of you that had a part of sending these two Missionaries to the Philippines.