Sometimes God answers your prayers quickly and sometimes he says "Not yet, but watch this."
In May 2014, we received our referral from the Burkina Faso Social action for Wendinda. In June 2014, I inquired if there was anyway to get Winny early interventions. We were willing to hire someone in her country that could provide her one on one therapy or explore the possiblity of sending someone to her country to work with her.
We received an email that there was someone who might be willing to travel and would be a great asset to Winny. I contacted this girl and her family. They had traveled to Winny's orphanage that April and developed a strong connection to her. This family has first hand knowledge of adoption and attachment, communicating with a non-verbal child and the love of Christ. Our family felt like we hit the jackpot for Winny. Our original plan was for this girl, Rebecca, to travel to Burkina Faso in September and stay until December, when we had hoped to travel to bring Winny home. But later that summer, we realized that our timing was not God's timing.
(This is a photo of Rebecca's mom interacting with Winny)
In the meantime, I was contacted by a speech therapist who had a strong calling to go to Winny's orphanage. She was prepared to leave in November and stay until March. In retrospect, this was the best thing for Rebecca, as she could finish her Senior year school work before traveling. It was decided that Rebecca would move her travel date to late February in order to be able to work along side Coral, the speech therapist, for a month in order to learn the therapy needed to continue to assist Winny.
Our family was prepared to fully fund Rebecca's trip, after all she was laying down her life to go serve our child in a foreign country. How many families and young adults would do this? When it came time to purchase Rebecca's airline ticket, the amount was going to be a little over $1700. We contacted a group that we had organized a fundraiser for us. We requested that this money be sent to Rebecca's family in order for her to purchase her ticket. Can you guess what God did? The cost of her airline ticket was only a few dollars less then the money in that fund. Thank you for all who donated, many of you were our friends and family, to the Little Something Extra Fund. You allowed our daughter to have one on one care, which is so important for her at this point in her development and we will be forever grateful.
The remainder of Rebecca's trip will be in memory of my late Grandpa and Grandma Johnson. My Grandpa was always very watchful of his money, almost to the point where you would just giggle. I'm pretty sure he wrote down every dollar spent. I remember that on one birthday in my 20's I received a birthday card from him and on this rare occasion, it contained money, $7. It still make me giggle because it was such an odd amount. With the passing of my Grandparents we received a portion of the money that he had held so tightly to all those years. Kevin and I felt very strongly that this money needed to be spent as a legacy, not for material possessions. So we tucked it away, waiting for the right moment. We decide this was the moment. My Grandpa was there the day Danil walked into our family at the airport. With tears streaming down his face, he with open arms accepted Danil into our family. He got it and realized what a gift adoption was. Thank you Grandpa and Grandma in Heaven for providing this personal care and love for your Great Granddaughter while she waits to enter our family forever.
(My Grandpa meeting Danil for the first time)
With this, I ask you to pray for Rebecca on this journey which begins tomorrow. I pray for strength and love that surpasses all understanding. I pray that God reveals to her what is next in her journey and that she knows with certain that each step has been designed just for her. Until then, may she love and nurture a little girl that we have grown to love and that binds us forever together.
Our current plans are that Rebecca stays with Winny until we travel to bring her home. It is our hope that Rebecca can travel back with us to the states so that it will help ease Winny's transition. Rebecca's return trip is scheduled for early June. Will you pray that God will work this all out? Knowing that he can either say "Yes" or "Not yet, but watch this."
