One day, we thought, when we have our own house and good
jobs, once we’ve started a family of our own and the kids are in kindergarten,
sometime years from now when we’re well established and financially stable – we’ll
bring Gabriel and Juli to the US to finish high-school or go to college. Won’t
that be nice of us?
We had only been in the States for a few months. We were
working temp jobs as we searched for something permanent, maybe even with
benefits. As we tried to get our feet under us, my parents generously allowed
us to live in their house rent-free. Oh, and I was just starting my second
trimester.
Someday, we thought. Someday we’ll get back into missions.
Someday we’ll be in a position to help our family back in Nicaragua. Today we’ve
got a pretty full plate though, so not this day.
We have enough to do; we couldn’t possibly help anyone else.
Except.
Except.
Except every time we called home it seemed the situation was
a little bit worse. Gabriel kept talking about quitting school and getting a
job to help support the family. In every picture on Facebook, he was a little
bit skinnier. We would talk to their dad for an hour of everything’s fine,
everyone’s doing great, only to find out at the end of the call that there was
no food in the house.
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| Day 1 |
Sometimes Jesus calls softly, gently encouraging you to
follow Him. Other times He comes right up to you with a bullhorn against your
ear.
So we stepped out into the open air in the faith that God
would teach us to fly before we splatted into the ground. And He did, of
course. He led us directly to an amazing school which already had a heart for international
students. That isn’t so say this hasn’t been a massive slog at times, but there
have been miracles too.
The brother of one of the school parents donated $4,000
worth of dental care so Gabriel could eat again without pain. When he got hurt
in gym class, an orthopedic surgeon from our church stepped in a fixed him up.
And then there are the countless tiny miracles of teachers and tutors who showed
mercy to a boy who struggles with English.
He didn’t drop out of school. He doesn’t do backbreaking
labor for 23 cents an hour. Gabriel just graduated 8th grade from
one of the best schools in the nation.
Give praise to the Lord; His love never fails.
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| Graduation Day |
As we sat waiting for the graduation ceremony to start, I
looked back at the past couple of years. We now have that house of our own and
steady jobs. I can’t brag about our financial security but we’re all fed and
clothed. All fed. That kid who came to us wasting away is big and healthy and
strong.
We weren’t ready. We weren’t prepared. We did it anyway
because Jesus was calling.
We met Gabriel in the middle of the stage to give him a hug
and walk up the center aisle for a photo (that I’m sure I sprouted several
extra chins for). And then we sang the benediction which totally wrecked me:
Go, My children, fed
and nourished, Closer to Me:
Grow in love and love
by serving, Joyful and free.
Here My Sprit’s power
filled you; Here his tender comfort stilled you.
Go, My children, fed
and nourished, Joyful and free.
-Go, My Children, With My Blessing by Jaroslav Vajda
What is God calling you to do?
