Original post from Sept. 22, 2013>
I could sit here and write about how I felt first walking into clinic, how my day was working as a pharmacist, or how no one understood when I called out their names with my American accent…but it doesn’t seem important in comparison to telling you things about Shafic. He is truly a spark of light in each day, his smile is precious and sweet, and he each word he speaks feels like it is straight from his heart, pure and true. Shafic is 14, almost 15, he is a big boy (taller than me) and he has been at Hands of Love for at least 3 years.
I want to go back for a moment to the “son” story (I briefly mentioned this on my last post). Justin and I have always written to Shafic and our two other boys (at the Namadhi location) and addressed them each as “son”. It always felt right and seemed like a good thing to do, like God put it on our hearts to do. On Thursday, after lunch, the children did a performance for us. They sang a beautiful song about how the orphans cry and about how hungry they once were and how scared they once were…..during this part the children were very emotional (as were we), some of the children even had tears in their eyes….it just completely broke my heart. BUT then the song changed, it got more upbeat and lively, and they began to sing about how God brought them to Hands of Love and how happy they are because they now have parents, they are loved by their parents, and have protection because of their moms and dads. In this very moment of the song, I broke down, I tried to keep from crying but I couldn’t. I realized for the first time that Justin and I, no matter how many miles away we live, are Shafic’s parents. We are all the family he knows and has left here in this world. We are his parents now, and Shafic, he is our son.
Today, Sunday, in church we were to turn to the person next to us and say “I am blessed because I am here”, and when I turned to tell Shafic he said with no hesitation in his voice, “I am blessed because you are here, Mom”. I felt like the luckiest person in the world…..I am so proud to be his mom. I am truly blessed by Shafic. He is my son now and forever. I don’t know what the far future holds for him….I don’t know if he will stay here the rest of his life or maybe one day make his way to America….but I do know I love him so. Meeting him has been the second best moment of my life. When I tell him I love him, I mean it with all my being. And when he says back to me “I love you, mom”, there is nothing sweeter. It will be so hard to tell him bye, until next time (because it will not be bye forever). I am trying not to think about that moment.
I find comfort though each night as I pray….I am so incredibly grateful to our great God; that he proclaims in His word to be the Father of all orphans, that He loves them so, that His heart breaks when theirs does, and that He protects them, and mostly I am thankful that He has so blessed Justin & I with these sons.
I also have a lot of photos with Derrick (the small one in green) he is Whitney, my sister’s Ugandan son. Wayyyy more to tell you later.
I could sit here and write about how I felt first walking into clinic, how my day was working as a pharmacist, or how no one understood when I called out their names with my American accent…but it doesn’t seem important in comparison to telling you things about Shafic. He is truly a spark of light in each day, his smile is precious and sweet, and he each word he speaks feels like it is straight from his heart, pure and true. Shafic is 14, almost 15, he is a big boy (taller than me) and he has been at Hands of Love for at least 3 years.
I want to go back for a moment to the “son” story (I briefly mentioned this on my last post). Justin and I have always written to Shafic and our two other boys (at the Namadhi location) and addressed them each as “son”. It always felt right and seemed like a good thing to do, like God put it on our hearts to do. On Thursday, after lunch, the children did a performance for us. They sang a beautiful song about how the orphans cry and about how hungry they once were and how scared they once were…..during this part the children were very emotional (as were we), some of the children even had tears in their eyes….it just completely broke my heart. BUT then the song changed, it got more upbeat and lively, and they began to sing about how God brought them to Hands of Love and how happy they are because they now have parents, they are loved by their parents, and have protection because of their moms and dads. In this very moment of the song, I broke down, I tried to keep from crying but I couldn’t. I realized for the first time that Justin and I, no matter how many miles away we live, are Shafic’s parents. We are all the family he knows and has left here in this world. We are his parents now, and Shafic, he is our son.
Today, Sunday, in church we were to turn to the person next to us and say “I am blessed because I am here”, and when I turned to tell Shafic he said with no hesitation in his voice, “I am blessed because you are here, Mom”. I felt like the luckiest person in the world…..I am so proud to be his mom. I am truly blessed by Shafic. He is my son now and forever. I don’t know what the far future holds for him….I don’t know if he will stay here the rest of his life or maybe one day make his way to America….but I do know I love him so. Meeting him has been the second best moment of my life. When I tell him I love him, I mean it with all my being. And when he says back to me “I love you, mom”, there is nothing sweeter. It will be so hard to tell him bye, until next time (because it will not be bye forever). I am trying not to think about that moment.
I find comfort though each night as I pray….I am so incredibly grateful to our great God; that he proclaims in His word to be the Father of all orphans, that He loves them so, that His heart breaks when theirs does, and that He protects them, and mostly I am thankful that He has so blessed Justin & I with these sons.
God thank you for being Shafic’s almighty Father,Shafic is on the left of this first photo, in the light blue shirt (matching his Dad). :)
thank you for protecting him when we did not even know his name.
Thank you for loving him, always.
Thank you for blessing Justin and I with the opportunity to come on this trip.
Thank you for blessing us with a son.
Thank you for blessing us with Shafic’s sweet presence.
You are a great God.
Your plan is perfect. And I rest with that peace and promise each night.
Thank you.
I also have a lot of photos with Derrick (the small one in green) he is Whitney, my sister’s Ugandan son. Wayyyy more to tell you later.
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