Journal of Sacred Work

   Yvan was born with a death sentence. His crime? Club feet. 

   American children receive love & treatment. In Yvan's Ivory Coast village the tradition is to kill "disfigured" children. 

   Who would be Yvan's executioner? This horrifying tradition dictates that it must be his grandmother.  She chose otherwise. She hid the child & hoped for rescue. 

   Thousands of miles & light years of culture away two angels named Reeves & Amy Northrup tuned their hearts to God's love & heard the grandmother's plea. Blessed with a beautiful home & family in Sylvania, Ohio the Northrup's could have ignored Ivan's woes. After all, as so many say, "You can't save everybody."

   The Northrup's live a different creed. They believe the Apostle John's statement that "God is love" & we must be agents of this love.  They live Leandra Medine's words: "Don't try to be something for
everyone, just be everything to someone."

   Reeves & Amy are quick to credit the platoons of caregivers it takes to save the life of one child: Doctors, nurses, pilots & dozens of other volunteers built a human bridge from the Ivory Coast to an island of hope & carried Yvan across it. 

   Yes. Yvan found a cure. But he found so much more. He experienced God's healing grace through the love of the Northrup's & others. What a joy it was to watch a bit of this healing as the tiny child embraced the 6'7" Reeves. 

                                                  —–

   Amy's & Reeves' hearts will break when they perform their next act of Radical Loving Care. Soon, they will surrender the boy they cherish so he can return to his family in Africa. 

   There are Christmas gifts & lifelong gifts. Yvan goes home with both.

   "He has touched all of our lives," Amy says.

   Now you may let him touch yours.

-Reverend Erie Chapman

Note: Thank you to my sister Martha for introducing me to this lovely family.

Photographs by Erie