First of all this is not my story to tell. It is the Lord’s. For it is His hand that drew us unto himself. It is Christ’s work on the cross that gave us freedom from bondage and restored our sinful hearts to make us his sons and daughters.
This story began before the earth was formed. You see, we serve a mighty, holy, gracious God who began weaving this story, and your story too, before we took our first breath.
This is our journey. Just a tiny sliver in God’s great big story for man. We are a speck in eternity. We are sinful, make mistakes, sometimes tell God no, and don’t always listen. But we love Jesus. We stand in awe that he loves us. And because of his great love for us, we love others. We said yes to this path because he first loved us. So this is a love story really. Our hearts beat for the people of Guinea Bissau, now our people.
We traveled to this tiny country because we loved one little girl. But God does funny things. His plan was there all along. Our adoption story landed us in Guinea Bissau not just for this one precious daughter, though that would have been enough. He took us to Guinea Bissau to change our hearts. To open our eyes. To reveal His plan. And he used the heart of a six year old boy to get us there.
The first time our feet landed on Guinea Bissau soil was October of 2012. The country was experiencing a military coup. The current government was ousted and the country was very tense. It was not a relaxing trip to say the least. But we were there for a little girl. Our daughter. We spent two weeks in Africa and left vowing we would never return. At least not for a very long time.
Thankfully that is not where this story ends. We came home and shared stories with our children. We prayed for the people we met. The villages we visited. The suffering. The pain. The hopelessness.
And then God moved. He softened the heart of our six year old son to live differently. Instead of gifts for his seventh birthday, he wanted clean water. He asked if he could raise $300 at his birthday party for a well in one of the villages we visited. Gift given instead of gifts received. And God continued to move.
That $300 birthday dream turned into a more than $5,000 reality. The simple birthday wish of a boy changed lives. Lives continue to change. The well was dug and a village school was completed. Hope was birthed.
So we give thanks. And we continue the work. This work is our yes to God. Yes, we will be the hands and feet of Jesus to a people that are not forgotten.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor will not perish forever. – Psalm 9:18