So This month in Mozambique we are working with an organization called Youth For Christ. We are partnering up and doing different things.. such as: working with prison ministry (as i mentioned in my last blog) we are speaking at soccer games/tournaments, we are preaching and leading worship at local churches and we are also visiting a couple local orphanges to play with the children and help out where needed.
. This year we have visited quite a few childrens homes and played with kids and it is always hard to leave. They are always so full of joy and excitement. They are so beautiful. All of them.
Today was our first day at the homes here, there are four Dutch people from Holland staying at the house and we have visited with them a few times. As we got there we realized all the older children had to go to school so all the children left were around 2-5 years old.. which is the PERFECT age for hugging and loving on them. We walked in and immediately each one walked up to us and reached for us to hold or play with them. Such an amazing warm welcome, you can tell these kids are eager for love and that they must get plenty of it. My teamate and I just looked at each other and could read that the other was thinking "This is heaven!" As we were playing a few women walked in really dressed up in professional clothes but i just assumed they worked there. The owner (a south african woman) met with these women and then as they got up, they announced to the dutch group that a child was being adobpted from the second house that they had.. right then. So she went to the truck and we all stood there in shock. The friends we had made didn't know what to do. They had spend a substantion amount of time at the childrens homes and this child was apparently one that had made an impression on them. 6 months out of last year they spent with these children and another month this year.
We weren't going to go to the other house just so that they would have some space but they asked us to come and we took off walking to the other childrens home.
As i walked into the back yard.. all the little children were in their plastic chairs. The social worker women stood behind a table as the owner of the home cut some cake and poured some lemonade for the children. This is when i looked up and saw her face
She couldn't contain the sadness.
I know in all this that it is supposed to be a happy time. This little boy is finally going to have a family. A loving mom and dad.
But in this all i could think was that this woman was losing one of her sons. And i know she felt the same way. I'm not sure if the children knew completely what was happening but they were very quiet and still. They could sense something big was happening.
The child being adopted passed peices of cake out to his friends as the new mom-to-be beamed proudly with tears going down her face… and then the children all bowed there heads and prayed.
I watched both moms- the former mom and the mom to be- start crying and both watching- so proud of this young man and thats when i totally lost it. I cried and wept and sobbed.. all at the same time im pretty sure. I looked to the people around me crying and realized i wasn't the only one.
I am not a cryer.
I was today
From that point the children sang a song and then the all layed hands on the 5 year old little man. They closed their eyes and prayed for him. Did I mention that these children were all under 5. I was blown away.
Watching this child say goodbye to all his family and the only mother he's ever known was the hardest thing i have ever had to watch. I hope i never have to see that happen again.
I know im supposed to be happy for him.. Im suppoed to be full of joy that this kid has a chance at a real family with real parents and real siblings but i couldn't help but be sad for the people he was leaving behind. And just the idea of getting to know your family from the begining and only being 5. It has to be terrifying.
But I also know.. because i know how loving of a heavenly father we have, that God's plan for this child is more than we can even imagine. The example and the impact he will have on his new family excites me. I love in Romans when God reminds us "Romans 8:18 "Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later" That may be taken out of context a bit for this story but i don't think it is any less relevent. This child and his former "family" will suffer slightly but in this God will reveal how truly amazing and constant He really is. For Jeremiah 29:11 says "I know the plans i have for you" declares the Lord "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope" AMEN He has a future for this child and regardless of what happened to his biological family.. God has shown His love by providing a caring and loving family into his life. This is the heavenly father i know. Despite hard circumstances He still wants the best for us.. even though there may be pain in the redemption.. we know that His plan is bigger than our minds can grasp. We don't always see the end result but through my faith and what Gods word promises us I know His way is true and right and honorable
I am declaring this verse over that child
Psalm 30:11 "You have turned my mouring into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy!"
