weep for the children...

I don't like to take photos of children.  However, we spotted this little girl walking through the middle of traffic...going from vehicle to vehicle begging for money.  Gesturing to her mouth and repeating the same phrase over and over and over again we understood what she was asking.

My heart goes out to children all around the world who are hungry, abused, trafficked, neglected or abandoned.  In every single country we have visited we have seen children in need.  India is no different.  We may not ever see this child again but we can pray for her and all the others like her who are wandering the streets.

I wonder where her mother is.
I wonder about her background.
I wonder if she was genuinely hungry.
I wonder if someone else took the money she labored to raise.
I wonder if she is scared as she weaves in and out of cars, motorcycles, trucks, rickshaws, and bikes.
I wonder...and I weep for the children of the world. 

Never underestimate the power of prayer!

Today has been a day of prayer.

Prayer for the people of  Oklahoma.  Prayer for a friend whose mother was killed in a car accident.  Prayer for our clients at the Child Development Foundation.  And prayer for a little one who had open heart surgery today.

Prayer is not the least we can do.  Prayer is a powerful thing to do.

Never underestimate the power of prayer!

What's in the news in Belize? Triple Murder

This weekend we heard reports of a young mother drowning three of her four children. Today there was confirmation of the story and details were released by the police.

Here is the story as reported by Patrick E. Jones on Facebook:  

TRIPLE MURDER: Police today released details of the tragedy that unfolded on Saturday afternoon in which 3 young children drowned, allegedly at the hands of their mother, identified as Felicia Chen, 22. The victims of the drowning are:Triana Teul, 4; Thomas Teul, 3 and Trinaya Teul, 1. According to the police report, Felilcia Chen went to Belizean Beach on Saturday morning with her four children. Police say that when Chen arrived she “took all her four children and walked with then into the sea until all three were drowned.” The eldest child, Trina Teul, 6, reportedly ran out of the sea and alerted someone on the highway of the incident. Police say the bodies of the deceased children were identified by their grandmother and taken to the KHMH where autopsies will be carried out. Police have since detained the mother of the children, Fellicia Chen, pending the outcome of the investigation.

As I was doing research about this young mother I found another story on Facebook that tells some of her tragic history:

Felicia: student, mother, accused of Filicide
by Jose Sanchez (Notes) on Monday, April 29, 2013 at 2:00pm
When I taught in a classroom, there was this vibrant third forms group 3B2. I had recently migrated from the public school system to a private one. 3B2 students had a good mix of energy from all parts of Belize City, there were students also from P.G. It was easy to notice when one is falling behind because there were so many of them who held promise and an excess of energy. Some students were talking about attending UWI, others were talking about careers. It was a different tune to listen to, as the stories at public high school that I heard were more of this sort “Sir, we can go there?” In response to asking them to view an exhibit at the Image Factory. Or “Sir, police raid my house last night and we had to go to station because they found weed my brother hustle with. Nonetheless, early on that year I had second period Lit. with 3B2. The class would be empty as the girls moved on to third period in the bio./chem. labs. So while I went over some work in the empty classroom, that is when Felicia walked in maybe on two occasions. The school had a system, so after clearing with the office she stopped by her homeroom to take her bags. I asked her about her tardiness. She could only say that she got late taking the bus. But I noticed her repeated absences and I asked her homeroom teacher. But apparently she was being taken in by this school as a ‘comeback kid’ after pregnancy elsewhere. The education system did not give up on her, and this particular institution which has been famed in literature for being harsh on pregnant teens, was giving her a chance. Pregnant teens don’t march for graduation, but they can get their diploma. They may take an exam, but not with their class. I repeat, this part of the system did not give up on her. I also asked her classmates, the ones who had that excessive energy to look into her but they said instantly that she kept to herself. She did not complete the term. The next time I saw Felicia it was on  the January 5, 2009 on News5.




Eighteen year old Felicia Chen, pregnant, and her one year old baby Trina Teul, were hit by a bus. The bus ran over Chen’s left leg and the toddler was bruised and under the bus.


Felicia Chen, Accident Victim



“I was going shopping because I was eight months pregnant so I had to buy the rest of stuff because I don’t know when I would have the baby... I just put my one year old on top of the sidewalk and as I was about to put my foot on the sidewalk I just felt something hit me hard right here. And the next thing I know I just looked and I saw my one year old underneath the bus. And she was, she was just vomiting everything up and then I tried to stop the bus but the bus didn’t want to stop and so my foot went underneath the tire and I was holding the tire and I was holding the tire and I told them to stop because I did not want them to ride over my baby.”


“The only thing I worry about is my baby girl because she is the one that is really traumatized in all this. I feel very sorry for her because she was born premature already, she is a sickly baby and now all of this that went on, I don’t know if she’ll ever get better after this. I just want to tell everybody whoever saw it what happen, please contact my mom or please go to the police station and make a report please because for one I won’t have my life back and worst my daughter because she is in complete shock right now.



I was surprised to see that she was on child number two. Eighteen and two children. She should be like the rest of her former classmates, having fun somewhere dancing, being foolish in love, studying at sixth form...maybe just finishing high school.




But now she’s at the police station being questioned about the death offour year old Triana Elica Teul, three year old Thomas Edilberto Teul and one year old Trinaya Felicia Teul four year old Triana Elica Teul, three year old Thomas Edilberto Teul and one year old Trinaya Felicia Teul.  One year old, Felicia had barely rested from giving birth. Twenty three years old, unemployed, under educated, and being a mother from when the father could have been arrested for carnal knowledge. What hospitals did she give birth? What clinics did she attend? Why did social services miss this case? Let’s stop with the ‘why’ because when will it stop? should be the next question. And Trina, the girl who survived the bus accident and now the loss of her siblings, who will help her?

An article on CNN quotes Cheryl Meyer, a psychologist at Wright State University in Ohio and co-author of several books on the subject.  He said, according to the article  “it's probable that a mother kills a child somewhere in the U.S. once every three days.  One common trait among women who do not follow through on such harmful impulses is positive social support, she said. But many women are afraid of seeking help because they are afraid of being ostracized or accused of bad parenting... The Ohio psychologist says women who kill with purpose tend to be devoted mothers in their 30s who have suffered some kind of loss, and who murder all of their children at once by a violent means such as a knife or a gun. Those who kill by neglect tend to be younger and of lower socioeconomic status, who do not kill all of their children at the same time, and the cause of death is usually suffocation or smothering.”

Paula Bruce, clinical and forensic psychologist says cases, mothers who turn against their own children have chronic depression. Continual feelings of insufficiency and unexpressed anger can build up over time; killing one's own children is the "ultimate expression of rage," she said.  In some cases of filicide, the mother is unable to think about the experience of the child and can focus only on her own feelings of pleasure or distress, Bruce said."Getting rid of the children is just about getting rid of her own pain, not about thinking about the children as separate from her. Late this evening, Felicia was charges with three counts of murder. This afternoon, I went to buy some lunch and I saw one of her former classmates, Maya. I told her about it, she was surprised. Maya was having lunch with a friend at the Brodies deli having a good time as any person barely over twenty years should be. Felicia could have been sitting on the other end of that table.



Felicia Chen, Charged with 3 counts of Murder

______________________________________________

The murder of these three precious children is such a tragedy and speaks to the need for wider spread access to mental health care here in Belize. As well as that this stigma regarding seeing a therapist needs to end. Fear of people thinking that everyone will know their problem or a fear of what the neighbors will think is killing the children here in Belize.  This girl began having children a year before the legal age of consent to sexual activity according to the laws of Belize and I am left to wonder if anyone was held accountable for that.  One reporter asked the question, "is she a victim or a murderer?"  My answer...she is both.  And sadly she will have to live the remaining days of her life with the consequences of both states of being.  And I pray that someone is there for little Trina, the survivor, as she moves forward in life and seeks to understand what happened that day.

Why would a ten year old girl commit suicide?

There is tragic and truly sad news coming out of the Orange Walk district. The reports I am getting say that a 10 year old girl from San Lazaro village committed suicide by hanging herself. Multiple reports are that the primary school girl was found hanging by her mother. It is truly a tragic and sad situation.  ~Patrick E. Jones

I saw this horrific news on Facebook last night.  There were well over 100 comments made on this story.  A few were expressions of condolence for the family.  Some wondered if it was linked to some type of abuse. A few even sounded off about how it could be a murder and not a suicide.  Most were in shock that a ten year old would think to do something like this.

What kind of trauma happened in the brief life of this little girl that caused her to lose all sense of hope?  Was it a lack of love?  Or because of physical or sexual abuse?  Was it related to depression?  Was she being bullied? All we can do is speculate until more facts are released for this case.  But it left me wondering...just how common is suicide in children?

I searched for statistics on child suicide and discovered that it is the third leading cause of death for children aged 10-14.  Doesn't that boggle your mind?  Back in 2011 the Ministry of Health in Belize put together a suicide resource pamphlet teachers.  However, most of the discussions here are centered on teens and not on younger children.

Suicide prevention was discussed at a Mental Health Conference in September last year.  In May of this year counselors from Orange Walk Technical High School spoke with the press to discuss suicide in adolescents and it was reported that the number of suicides for 2012 at the time was five.  While compiling information for this post I could not find any stories or statistics related to young children committing suicide here in Belize.

As we wait for more details regarding the death of this ten year old we pray for families whose lives have been affected by suicide here in Belize and around the world.  For children to find hope in the midst of despair.  And for families, teachers, counselors, and all who work with children to be vigilant to any signs that a child might be at risk.

Won't you join us in prayer?

Praise Time

A while back Tom and I spoke at this church in the village of Roaring Creek for a Women's Conference.  I finally took the video off of Tom's phone and uploaded it to YouTube.

The man in the long sleeved white shirt is the pastor, the drummer is one of his sons, and the two young women singing who are dressed alike are his wife and one of his daughters.

Tom teaches at this church now two times a month on Wednesday nights and we truly enjoy the lively praise time there.

 Be careful when you play it...you might want to turn down your speakers.  It is pretty loud! 

Celebrating Children's Day

When we went out for a walk on Friday we were a little too late to see most of the Children's Day excitement.

However, we did see this little guy still in costume on our street.  The next day he was outside again playing in the same suit.  It reminded me of when my sons were little and one of them only wanted to dress like Batman.

hanging out with the girls...

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Tom and I were able to sleep in for a bit before Olya called needing to run some errands. She dropped the girls off and we had fun watching Finding Nemo and Shrek 3 in Russian! When her mom called for us to bring them home Eera didn't want to leave because she heard me say that Tom was going to the supermarket. She wanted to go to! Just like her mom she loves going out and when it was decided that we would go "shopping" she was willing to get dressed to go "out"!

DyaDya (uncle) Tom and Totyah(aunt) Alida took the girls out to buy candy and a Disney magazine before taking them home!


In this photo big sister Eera is commenting on the action in Shrek 3 while little sister Yanna is chilling out on the couch!

The Name Game

On Sunday we were at church and they were having a ceremony to honor all the children who were taking a step from one level in their education to the next.

As the names were called in the earlier grades we heard a name that sounded very familiar. I believe that she was going from kindergarten to first grade. I didn't want to to talk during the service so I asked Tom about her name when we got home.

We both heard the same thing. This girls name was... Beyonce'. Yep, just like the singer.

the joy of email!

Tom calls this her Austin Powers look!











Yanna has the remote!












The top picture is Eera and the second is her little sister Yanna. I got this in an email from their mom, my friend Olya. I am sure they were taken with her husband Vova's cell phone. Isn't technology wonderful?! I cannot imagine how much Yanna will have grown by the time we get back home to Russia in June.

Tom's turn

Tom fed Yanna when she was here on Tuesday. It was my turn to take the photos! Yanna is five months old and heaven knows what she will be able to do when we get back here... right now her favorite trick is turning over. By the time we return in July it will be sitting up by herself or something very grown up like that! Valentine and Sveta's little girl will be a year old by then and another young couple at church will have had their first baby. Life goes on!

babies and stuff

Taking care of a 5 month old is exciting, draining and fulfilling. Each time I get a chance to care for Olya's daughter Yanna is a complete joy.

Yesterday Yanna was here all day. She took two naps and Olya had to wake her up to take her home. Olya and Volva had errands to run so Yanna stayed with us and they took Ira with them. Ira was not thrilled about that arrangement she wanted to be with Uncle Tom and Aunt Alida too!

Afterwards, Olya and Tom went over to the store where he jewelry was being sold to check on the inventory. Tom took back all the items he had for sale over there... it appears that the location of the store may be changing as the owner of the building may be tearing it down to build something else. Tom still has pieces at Garmonia (Harmony) Bible Store here in town.

We heard that our ministry partners out at the rehab center are new grandparents. Mother and baby are doing well. Angelina was born five minutes after her mom got to the birthing house. She is 47 centimeters long and 2.5 kilos.

All has been quiet on the southern Russia front this morning. Spencer is at school. Nathan and Tom are still asleep and I thought I would pop online to read the news and decided to stop off here as well.

I hope you have a great day!

Baby abuse alleged at Russian hospital

Please keep these items in your prayers...


Baby abuse alleged at Russian hospital

By MIKE ECKEL, Associated Press Writer
Thu Feb 1, 11:11 AM ET

Prosecutors said Thursday they are investigating allegations that workers at a central Russian hospital taped infants' mouths shut to keep them from crying, in a scandal that has sparked widespread outrage.

In a second incident, prosecutors in the Far Eastern city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk said they had opened a criminal probe at a kindergarten where an employee gave unauthorized injection to children to help them sleep. According to some news accounts, all or some of the babies were orphans.

The alleged mouth-taping at Hospital No. 15 in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg, about 900 miles east of Moscow, has received wide coverage in the Russian media.

According to a statement posted on the prosecutor general's Web site, investigators found that hospital workers allegedly used tape or adhesive bandages to shut the mouths of infants on several occasions to quiet them.

Regional prosecutors were conducting a criminal probe into whether hospital workers could be charged with dereliction of duty or child abuse, the statement said. It was unclear when or if charges would be filed.

Earlier this week, Russian TV broadcast video reportedly taken with a cell phone that showed a crib with sleeping baby who appeared to have a pacifier taped to its mouth.The Interfax news agency on Tuesday reported that Yekaterinburg city health officials had reprimanded the hospital's chief doctor and its chief nurse.

Russia's health and welfare institutions — including hospitals and orphanages — fell into disrepair after the Soviet collapse as government funding dried up. Though government revenues have risen with world oil prices, many welfare institutions remain woefully neglected, as often as not victims of corrupt officials, and employees are often paid miserly wages. In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, regional prosecutor Tatyana Kutuzova said that investigators had opened a criminal probe into whether a worker injected children to calm them down or to help them sleep.

She told the NTV television network that the worker lacked the necessary training and qualifications and should not have been working in the kindergarten.Lyubov Kuritsina, a regional education official, said the worker had been fired.

In another recent incident that caused widespread shock, an infant in southern Russia had to have her arm amputated after an injection for a routine illness caused a blood infection.



***** just a note on the article*****
This last children's hospital mentioned is the one here in Krasnodar where Ira spent last week. It is in horrible condition according to Olya. And although there had been a news story announcing the scandal and claiming that the head doctor had been fired... he was in fact quietly rehired.

Sick child

We have been praying for Ira (eera) this week. She could not keep any food down was put in the hospital. Hopefully, when she sees the doctor tomorrow she will be deemed well enough to come home. She is eating now and playing with other children in the hospital. Please remember this little one and her family. She is very dear to us!

rainy day fun

We watched a father and son play badminton in the rain!















our play area just behind the building















ready to serve















waiting to hit the ball back.


This time last year we had temperatures of -20. This winter all we have had is heavy winds and some rain.

TV day!

Thanks Dad for all the TV programs that you sent!

So far we have watched a football game, Shark, Without a Trace, Cold Case, CSI and the Rose Parade. As a special treat after the Rose Parade we got to see the first episode of Life With Ed.

It is always a joy to watch American TV... we can make popcorn and tune out our culture stress for a bit. And the good news is that we all finished our homework so the TV did not get in the way of that!

---------

Tom is working with Olya now as his language helper two days a week. Tom and Lena's schedules don't match now he is not available in the mornings to work with the rest of us. So I am watching girls while Olya helps Tom with his lessons. Today just Yanna came over with her mom and she cried the entire time. Olya said that she fed her some new food. I felt so sorry for this little one. She had gas from both ends and it was obvious she was in pain. She would fall asleep in my arms and then a gas pain would wake her up. I pray that she gets some sleep tonight so that Olya can get some rest!

Orphanage

Spencer and I were back at work today at the Detsy Priyut. We had fun with the kids. We, along with Sonja, arrived before Oksana did and the kids were very surprised to see us so we got huge hugs.

I was glad that the gaurd at the gate opened up for us immediately after I told him why we were there. Then I was able to ask a different worker where we could set up to spend time with the kids. I know that I still make grammar mistakes but I am understood and that gives me the confidence to keep on talking and allowing myself to make mistakes so that I can learn to say it right.

The kids had visitors before we got there and they had large bags of candy from it. They were so happy with their new wealth that they were all giving us candy.

It was very touching. Can you imagine? These kids have so little and yet they wanted to share!

I had the kids making snowflakes from 3 different patterns that I found on the internet. Girls and boys jumped right in and got to work after one explanation. And when Oksana arrived she had them make Christmas trees using plastic cups, glue and garland. It was cute.

One of the boys, Losha, wanted Spencer and I to see his room. He had decorated it and hung his snowflakes and Christmas tree up for all to see.

One of the games we played was:

we separated into two teams. Each team stood in a straight line holding hands. The first person in line had to watch Oksana as she flipped a coin. If it landed with the number side up the first person in line had to sqeeze the hand of the person next to them and so on...transmitting the "signal" to the end of the line. The person at the end of the line had to pick up a package of gum when they received the signal. It was funny how many times a signal was wrongly transmitted or the kid at the end picked up the gun as soon as the coin was tossed. When the game was over the team who had done it correctly the most times won the package of gum to share. There was enough gum in the package for everyone on both teams to share!

We left tired and happy. Spencer and I had babysat for Ira and Yanna yesterday and he went back again today to sit with Yanna while Olya took Ira to a playschool session. He said that he had been taking care of children for "two whole days and was worn out!"

why did the Sharp men stay home from school?

Nathan was feeling ill. He felt sick to his stomach. Spencer had a stuffy nose. And Tom wanted to stay with me while I babysat for Yanna and Ira. (Eera)


Ira was only here while her mother was shopping at the outdoor market. She showed up with her little raincoat on and her little yellow umbrella in her hand. She and I read some books together. I have a book called "The First 1000 Words in Russian”. All the language students have it. It is an Usborne book. I read to her in Russian and she repeated after me. It was cute. After about an hour her mother called and was ready for her to come home. I got her dressed to go outside and Spencer walked her home. He said to her “give me your hand” in Russian and she had her umbrella in one hand and Spencer’s hand in the other!



Yanna and Tom took a nap...Yanna on our bed and Tom on the couch. When she woke up I got her bottle ready and then Tom fed her. Spencer and I took a few pictures of her wearing a hat I crocheted last night. She is such a joy! The boys marveled at her little hands, feet and face. We just sat and held her for two hours until Olya came to pick her up. She was trying her best to talk to us. Each of the boys took a turn talking with her and holding her. Plus since she is just 7 weeks old we could speak to her in English. What a great way to spend a rainy day!

aren't you supposed to sit on the baby?

Tom woke up and saw that Yana was here. She is six weeks old. Her mom wanted to go out and run some errands and I had told her that I was available if I was not in school.

I thought she would use me during the week and that this morning I would be sleeping in! Yanna got here at ten and stayed until 2. She is a sweet little girl. She is a lot like Spencer in that she wants to be touched all the time. If you lose contact with her she cries. So either Tom or I held her the whole four hours she was here. When her mom came to pick her up she was waiting to hear our complaints...

we didn't have any. She is only six weeks old. It is normal for her to want to be held. Maybe since Tom and I have done this before we don't see baby quirks as over demanding and frustrating. If she were 8 or 9 years old and needed constant holding that would be a different story!