“Marcus Baraka”
Marcus was born September 19, 2006 in Kijabe Hospital, Kenya. He had a twin sister who went home with the parents. He was left at the hospital. Marcus was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus so required much medical attention.
At the age of five months he was introduced to Wayne, Nora Lynn and Sarah Hogman (from Ponoka, AB) by a young medical intern named Elisabeth. Elisabeth loved him and was seriously looking for a home for this special boy.
She was able to make a plea for him in a church service on Sunday February 18, 2007 that the Hogmans were attending. By Friday February 23, 2007 Marcus was staying with the Hogman family.
In his short life, Marcus lived with the Hogmans in many houses. As they worked at and waited for the adoption process to run its course, they lived in houses near the Kijabe Hospital and also in Nairobi for awhile. In every place they stayed Marcus made many friends. As a matter of fact, Marcus has friends from all over the world, due to the many people that Hogmans wrote letters to during that time.
He reached out to people with an irresistible love and a smile that was contagious. He was an ambassador of hope in the spina bifida ward at the Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. Mamas saw him and dared to hope that one day their own child might be as alert and cheerful as Marcus was.
On November 14, 2008 Marcus and the Hogmans went to their final court appearance for the adoption. It was on that day that Wayne and Nora Lynn realized the adoption was not going to be finalized. They began to search for a new home for Marcus. Ian Castleman Orphanage opened their arms to him and he went to live there on Friday November 30, 2008. He had a happy two weeks with the children there, once again gathering friends around him.
On Monday December 15, 2008, at the age of 2 years, 2 months, and 26 days, Marcus went peacefully to sleep and woke up in the arms of Jesus.
He leaves to mourn his foster parents, Wayne and Nora Lynn of Ponoka; foster brother, Erik (Alicia); foster sister, Sarah; Elisabeth; grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins and many friends in Kenya and around the world.