Orphans of Tangier, Morocco

While in Tangier I volunteered alongside the trio visiting from Spain: Maria Jesus, Sara and Itania. On one particular weekday we took a day and visited an orphanage for physically and mentally disabled children. The orphanage was built fairly recently and is in a beautiful, upscale area of Tangier.

Our first couple hours were spent alongside approximately 20 older disabled children. We played games, watched TV and spent time singing and chatting. It was a real challenge to keep about half the children calm and engaged with what we were doing…they simply wanted to run around and jump off chairs and couches and the like. Even with some really direct and fairly stern discussions as to what was not acceptable they were resolved to be a bit on the wild side that day.

The second hour was pure joy. We went upstairs into the nursery and had the opportunity to hold and cuddle the newborn orphans. Although they, too, had mental and physical challenges we were able to caress them and sing to them and they immediately responded with smiles and calmness. One of the boys in the nursery had a very significant problem with liquid. buildup under the skull. His head was enourmous compared to a very petite body (comparable to a 1 year old). I immediate fell in love with his gorgeous eyes and his ability to follow me with his eyes when talking to him.

I asked the nurses if he could understand me when I spoke to him. They informed me that he was 8 years old and that yes, he could understand very well what I said to him althgouh he had very limited ways of signaling a response. As we departed I hoped that I could return again some day even though I understood that the little boys life span would likely not permit me to be with him again.

I left thinking about this little boy that stole my heart. I pondered on the realization that God allows these physical and mental disabilities to occur in individuals so that they as well as we might be perfected. Meaning, as we care for the physically and mentally disabled we help them accept our love while we leave behind our selfish interests to love, both being edified and perfected.