Baby Emanuel Update

Baby Emanuel's health continues to improve.  He has added weight since we moved him to his new home.  As you know from my previous posts, special needs children are viewed as a curse in Liberia.  They are actually called "devils."  Recently, we removed Emanuel from his home because his mother threatened to "destroy" him.  Emanuel was placed in the loving home of Augustine and Josephine.  Augustine and Josephine continue to experience some persecution for bringing him into their neighborhood but things have quieted down quite a bit.  It is still unclear rather Augustine and Josephine will be forced to leave their neighborhood.  Their rent is due at the end of the month.  Their landlord has not agreed as of yet to let them remain.  

We have been working on getting medical exams and paperwork together so that Baby Emanuel can make a trip to the United States to have his many medical needs treated.  A mission called "Ray of Hope Medical Missions" is working hard to raise the funds and arrange medical treatment for Baby Emanuel.  The medical system here in Liberia is government run and full of corruption.  The citizens are supposed to receive free medical treatment but due to the lack of money, the government often does not pay the doctors.  Doctors often refuse to work with you unless you offer bribes.  This has been the case with Baby Emanuel.  When Emanuel is being looked at, the nurses remind the doctors that Emanuel is the baby that is going to America.  The doctors automatically assume that they can get a lot of money from us if they make the process difficult.  To make a long story short, we worked for a week straight, making multiple trips to the hospital, simply to get a medical report from Emanuel's medical visits.  Sad!  The doctors wanted bribes and we refused to pay them, believing them to be unethical.  We also know that if we pay bribes, all our future medical visits will be plagued by bribes.  

We are now trying to figure out how to get Emanuel's medical report to those who need it in the USA.  We live in the middle of a rainforest.  We are looking for someone in Zwedru who can scan the documents and email them for us.  We may have to send them to France with our friend Christine when she returns home later this month.  She can then mail them to the USA.  

Please keep Baby Emanuel in your prayers.  He sill has a long road ahead of him.