On September 29th, we shared an email with our subscribers of the unexpected loss of one of our precious children, Mary Logan, at The Covering. Mary Logan, age 14, passed away on September 29th, 2020, on her way to the hospital during a seizure. Mary was diagnosed with Epilepsy several years ago, and it was a tremendously difficult disease for her to live with. While we are so sad she is no longer with us, we rejoice that she is finally at peace with the Lord.
Mary came to our center in October of 2010. When Mary came to our center she could not speak and was nearly blind. She was initially placed in another orphanage but was later transferred to The Raining Season because of the outstanding care our staff could give her regarding her special needs. Since coming to our center, Mary faced many health challenges, including Epilepsy that caused her seizures. However, despite the hurdles she faced, she remained happy and content.
Aunty Geraldine described Mary’s quiet but bright personality, "Mary was cheerful and always active and had a talent for making animal noises." Ironically, Mary enjoyed making lots of noises, but she did not like hearing loud noises. Because Mary was nearly blind, she also liked touching people and things around her to have a feel for her surroundings. When Mary first came to our center she created a close bond with Sarah, Moses, and James. Sarah and James were later adopted by families in the U.S., but Mary and James remained very close. Our staff and children are hurting by this unexpected loss.
During her time at the center, an army of dedicated sponsors supported Mary. Mary made a profound impact on one sponsor, in particular, Claire Atanian. Claire took the time to share her experience with The Raining Season and the impact her sponsorship of Mary Logan had on her.
From Claire:
“It is my privilege to share my Raining Season Godly, game-changer, heart melter experience. I cannot make it shorter as God truly touched my heart and used those kids to heal my heart and make me become a Christian.
Everything started at Central College in Iowa in 2014, where I was a French language assistant, and I met the incredible Jen Diers. I got to know the sweet Sarah Diers from the orphanage. Jen brought her to our education class. Her laugh pierced my heart, and I wanted to learn more about this little sunshine. She drew me closer to Jen as I was going to her home to spend time with her. I met Lucy. At this time, I was not a believer, and Jen’s faith, her experience in Sierra Leone, and her testimony with the girls’ adoption has shown me a way to Jesus. I wanted to learn more about Him and be transformed by His love.
In 2015, I had to go back to France, but I stayed in touch with Jen. During the summer, I saw a post on Facebook from the orphanage. Patrick needed a sponsor. At the time, I was not a Christian. I was still full of fear but felt God calling me to do something about it, and Jen’s example and faith helped me to take this bold, out of my comfort zone leap of faith decision. I started to sponsor Patrick. In the fall, Jen announced she would be leading a team in May of 2016. I knew God was calling me to go. I had several issues getting the VISA in London, but I knew God wanted me to be there with this team, and I knew I had my place on the team. With time and perspective, I knew it was an unstoppable faith. I had what Jen said in the back of my mind “On the mount of the Lord, it will be provided.” Genesis 14:14.
I arrived in May 2016 for the first time at the orphanage. I went directly to the Hope Room to meet Patrick. I spent time with him, and I also saw Mary, my sweet Mary Logan. I TRULY LOVE and AM HONORED how God has used her in my life and in my faith. She was the last child I took in my arms. I did not feel anything particular for her, but I wanted to share God’s love with her because she is a daughter of God. So first, I did that as a way to please God. EVERYTHING changed when I held her. She was sitting on my knees and this little one literally falls into my arms with all the trust she can have in her heart. Her body became so relaxed and I could feel her muscles relaxing. My heart just melted. I was honored to feel she was trusting me and that she knew she was safe close to me. Her trust in me has truly pierced my heart. The following days, I spent all my time with her. I felt deeply in love with her, and even though she could not see or talk, I honestly felt that our two souls were connecting. It was the first time I was connecting that much, not through the spirit or the character or the physic, but with the soul of a person. This love grew as long as I was spending time with her. I remember one afternoon, I had Mary sitting on my knees and cuddling, I said to myself, “This is true happiness, if I could spend my life on this balcony, cuddling her, I would do it.”
When I returned to France, I talked and showed pictures of her and explained how much I fell in love with her, and she changed me. One day, I was with my Dad on the phone. He knew she could not talk or see. And he said to me, “Claire do you realize how lucky you are to have met her? How important this relationship in your life? He added, “I have been thinking about her for one week, and I have paid attention when I am buying things. You told me what we can do for a kid in Sierra Leone with $45 and how much we could help her. When I see your picture with her, I looked at her feet. And I realize she is just a human being with her feelings and her own soul. She can not talk or fight for herself. She cannot do it for herself. So we have to help her because she can not do it by herself."
I was just crying because my father is not a Christian, he is really not someone who can easily share his feelings. I was so happy because I knew we were going to sponsor her. But what brought me to tears is to see how God has touched my father through the love I have for Mary. How He can move mountains because I never thought I would hear my father saying something like that, and I never thought I could spread His light in France, because people are not Christians, and we do not have a sense of the community. I remember all the prayers for my amazing team in TRS, and I knew that with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
Since 2016, I have had a picture of Mary and Patrick in my purse. They are with me all the time, and I am so thankful for the love I have for them. They gave me a new kind of strength, a reason to keep fighting for what is just and good. They taught me about where to look, what is important, and they showed me that my love and attention can have an impact and can make a difference in someone’s life. Jen Diers once said, “God creates relationships we did not know we needed and then cannot imagine living without.”
I am so thankful to have met them, for this new love in my heart, for this strength I got from this love to fight for those who cannot. They showed me that love has no limit, that we can overcome mountains if we have this kind of love inside. We are unstoppable with it. Circumstances have no power on us when we are anchored in this love.
I am so thankful I can witness God using this love I have for the kids, to touch other people around me. I thank God for how He used Mary to pierce my heart, and I am sure he will continue to do it so through the love I will always have for her. When I met Mary, she taught me what it means to be face to face with someone's soul. She taught me what it means to unconditionally love someone for the beauty of their soul; not because of her appearance, her spirit, or her action, but because her soul is so beautiful. She taught me that I could feel a deep love for her without her needing to do anything. Jesus loves us the same way. We do not need to look a certain way or do certain things to make Jesus sincerely in love with us. We are enough just the way we are, and Jesus uses everyone. Every life and every soul really matters to Jesus. Everyone has a purpose, and Jesus has a plan for each one of us.” -Claire Atanian
Thank you, Lord, for Mary’s life. She was a precious child of God. Thank you for the impact she made in her short life. Thank you for showing Christ through Mary to the people who sponsored, loved, and cared for her. Thank you for Claire and Mary’s other sponsors for their unwavering support of Mary. Thank you, Lord, for our children, our staff, and sponsors. Thank you for showing our sponsors Jesus through our children. We pray for your continued protection of our children, our staff, and our TRS family.
Many blessings,
The Raining Season