El Sauzal Amigo Blog

Josue and Lilia are excited to adopt!

The following story was written today, by Roy Ketring, the Orphanage’s American liaison. 

At the end of October 2005 DIF, the Mexican Social Service, brought two new born baby boys to the Orphanage each less than a week old.  One baby was abandoned in the hospital by his prostitute mother and the other baby was found in an Ensenada Catholic Church’s bathroom.

Josue Espinoza, Lilia his wife, and his two daughters Keila and Karen who live with them made the decision to not put the babies in the Orphanage’s Nursery where all other babies have been placed.  Rather they took the two infants up to the Director’s Apartment where the family lives and began raising the boys.  They named the boys “Josuecito” and “Ruffito” after Josue and his son in law Ruffo, Erika’s husband.

Shortly after the babies arrived Keila began to call Josuecito her child and took care of him and Lilia chose Ruffito as her little boy.  It wasn’t long and the entire Espinoza family had fallen in love with the babies and considered them as part of their family.  They then began a quest to adopt them.  They were aware that DIF has a policy prohibiting someone from hand picking a child for adoption.  Yet they tried anyway but were denied even though their track record for taking care of abandoned, abused, and needy children was impeccable.  Even the local DIF Supervisor tried to get the DIF Board to make an exception for Josue and Lilia. 

Then in May 2006 DIF came and took the children and gave them to other adoptive parents.  This ripped the hearts out of this family all of them including Ruffo and Erika.  (We wrote about this in Baby Josue and Baby Ruffo leave the Orphanage and Saying Goodbye.)  I was advised by an Ensenada attorney that they could fight DIF and win the boys back but Lilia said, “No” to my suggestion.  She said they did not want to jeopardize the lives of the children that they were already caring for or perhaps cause DIF not to bring other needy children to the Orphanage resulting in a hardship on the kids.  While they were still experiencing the pain of loosing their boys they put the Orphanage children and any future Orphanage children’s needs above theirs with their decision not to fight DIF. 

Josue and Lilia then decided that they wanted to adopt one or perhaps two baby boys to fill the void in their lives.  This decision brought back joy to this family.  They have been attending mandatory classes, had their apartment inspected and have been completely scrutinized by DIF’s adoption authorities.  Josue told of stories of Lilia asking for exotic foods like someone pregnant.  She would smile ear to ear every time he would say this in front of her.

Even Ruffo was smitten by the baby boys.

God has honored their obedience as Josue told me today, on this day of LOVE, February 14th, that they have been approved to adopt and the woman who gave them this news also said, “you are going to be the first to receive a child” and then pointed her finger towards the sky and continued saying, “because you have a lot of help from up there.”  Another woman who with her husband were also approved for adoption said, “remember me because you are going to be first to receive a child.”

Yes there is a lot of help from up there and joy abounds in the Espinoza home tonight.  Thank you Jesus for answering their prayers.  (To be continued when the baby boy or boys arrive…)

Little Ruffito

Yesterday, baby Ruffo left the Orphanage.  (See Baby Josue and Baby Ruffo leave the Orphanage.) Ruffito, as the family calls him, is being adopted by a Mexican family. I talked with Erika yesterday, before he left.  She told me how she had spent extra time just holding him. The other family members were doing the same, giving him love and holding him, even as he slept. When it was time for him to leave, Erika drove him into Ensenada.  She wanted to meet his new parents.

It is hard to explain how painful this can be, but I understand a little. When I was a teenager, my parents brought in a 5-month old girl to adopt. Angela was a vivacious, energetic baby who had just gotten out of a body cast after being in it for two months.  She had healed from multiple broken bones, from abuse. Her caseworker assured us that when all the paperwork was ready we could adopt her. The head pediatrician from Children’s Hospital said no judge would send her back to an abusive home like that.

Two and a half years later, to our shock, a judge decided to send her back to her parents. It was hard for my whole family; I was devastated. She was my little sister, and I was old enough to care for her like a mom. During that time I felt as if there were a large dark, heavy blanket pressing down on me. I felt unable to breathe due to my grief.

A social worker later told us that because we loved Angela like we thought she was going to stay with us, we gave her a permanent love, a love without reservations. The social worker said it gave her the best start that she could have in life.

By loving baby Ruffo and baby Josue so deeply, the Espinozas gave a true blessing to the families that adopted them. At a critical time in these babies’ lives and development, they were loved and cherished deeply. That love will help them the rest of their lives.

  “I am so happy that Bombay has a family…”

On Tuesday, 6-year-old Bombay was adopted. When I found out, I immediately thought of my 20-year-old friend Kelly from Auburn, Washington. Kelly has spent a lot of time at the Orphanage, more than many gringos. A month at Christmas, several weeks during past summers - in that time Kelly has grown very attached to Bombay. Last summer, she teased that her boyfriend would need to get used to the idea of her adopting Bombay. It was only a joke, and yet…

When I got the email, I forwarded it onto Kelly. Her response said so much:

My emotions are so confused.  I am so happy that Bombay has a family but I’m really sad that I wont see him any more.  Do you know anything about the family who adopted him? 

When a child is adopted from the Orphanage, or when his parents come to bring him home, it is a bittersweet time. There is a lot of love at the Orphanage. And that love is what helps the children to grow and thrive. But that love is also what makes it hard when a child leaves. 

So as Bombay leaves us, starting his new life with a new family, we think of his smile (and his laugh, Kelly says). There will be more children that come and fill his spot…but they will never take his place in our hearts.

   Kelly and Bombay, July 2005