“He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy.”             Psalm 72:4

          I now know why a shepherd would search so hard for his lost sheep.  He searches because it is so painful to lose a sheep.  We’ve lost one of our Betikara lambs this month and we are suffering deeply.
          When school ended this year, extended family came to offer each of the lambs a time away from the Center, a time with family who haven’t seen them for a year or more, a time for a little vacation.  The Betikara folks decided that two weeks was a fair amount of time for the lambs to have their visit.  Each family member who came to the center, signed a letter stating their intent to provide a specific lamb with a two week vacation.  They provided addresses where they were taking the lamb and signed a statement promising to bring that particular lamb back to Betikara on a specified date. 
          The system worked beautifully really.  The children received a respite, a little vacation, and they strengthened ties with blood relatives.  It worked well, except in the case of Toky.
          Toky has been at Betikara since June 5, 1999.  Neighbors found him abandoned by mother and stepfather, living alone in the house, and begging for food.  He was 4 years old at the time.  Betikara struggled with local authorities to get custody of Toky.  The local authorities thought he should continue to be supported by neighbors.  The neighbors were unable to provide for him on a permanent basis, and Betikara embraced Toky with loving arms and hearts. 

          Toky has more than thrived at Betikara; he has blossomed.  He is loved deeply by regular Betikara workers, the neighbors who fed him when he was abandoned all those years ago still come to visit, volunteers threaten to put him in their pocket and sneak him home with them. School teachers are amazed at his progress.  Visiting moms gather him into their laps and then don’t want to let him go.  He has fixed himself into all of our hearts.
          In all these years, Toky’s mom has shown up only two or three times.  The first time she came, he absolutely refused to have anything to do with her.  During the second visit, he was polite to her but cool.  Last month, Toky’s mom came again asking for a two week visit with her in her home.  Our hearts were filled with huge doubts.  Toky went on his vacation without much show of emotion.
          It’s been more than a month now.  Toky is still not back.  We’ve searched for him several times.  Neither he nor his mother was at the address she provided.  Three weeks ago, Dinand, a Betikara primary caregiver, went again in search of Toky.  He found mom but no Toky.  Dinand explained to mom that Betikara has legal custody of Toky and are still responsible for his well being.  He requested that she come to the Betikara home on a given date, and he told her that if she didn’t show up for the meeting, that Betikara would be forced to bring the police into the situation.
          She showed up at Betikara on the appointed date with her new boyfriend but minus Toky.  Our hearts were so heavy it was difficult to even carry on  a discussion with her.  We spent the entire meeting shooing the other Betikara lambs away from windows and cracks in the doors.  They too were very concerned and unsettled.
          Toky’s mom wants him back.  Her situation is unchanged.  She is living with yet another boyfriend and he admitted freely that he had no part or lot in the matter.  He told us that he didn’t even know about Toky until Toky’s vacation with mom started back in July even though he has been with her for some months.
          In a country where laws are clear and the court system actually operates, child custody is always a difficult and unclear issue.  Here, there are no clear child custody laws to begin with, and if Betikara comes to the attention of the government in a bad way, we stand the chance of losing everything.  With all this in mind, Betikara decided to try to encourage her to let Toky stay at Betikara and to give us the opportunity to try to work with her situation also.  She was not interested.  Toky is hers and she wanted him back.  We pointed out to her that her situation was no different than the first time Toky was abandoned, but our words fell on deaf ears. 
          When we saw we were getting nowhere with her, we explained that she would have to go through the same process that we went through all those years back when we received custody of Toky.  She must go to the office of the city government, write a letter stating that she is taking back full responsibility for Toky and releasing Betikara from any responsibility for Toky.  That letter would have to be signed by a government official and by two other witnesses.   If she would bring that letter to us, then we would release his birth certificate, legal papers, and school records.  We encouraged her to bring Toky with her when she brought the letter.  Both Toky and the Betikara folks need to say goodbye to each other. 
          Toky’s mom was still resistant.  She wants the child but doesn’t want to do the legal paperwork.  We gave her a one week deadline to obtain the proper letter for his release to her.  She never even agreed to show up on the following week.  That week has passed.  We have no legal letter of release from her and she still has Toky.
          Betikara is feeling the intense pain of losing a cherished lamb, but we do not give up hope.  We put this matter into God’s hands everyday asking Him to do what is best for His little lamb, and we ask Him to give us wisdom as we proceed to search for Toky.  We pray in faith that God will bring him back to Betikara, and we ask you to add your prayers to ours on Toky’s behalf.  And while you pray, please remember to ask our Father to comfort the other Betikara lambs who are missing Toky so much. 

  Indiana Church of Christ 
  225 East Pike Rd. 
  Indiana, PA  15701 

“He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.” 
                           Proverbs 19:17