Born in Our Hearts...

I had really hoped to have this post done before Mother's Day, but that didn't happen

{yes, it's long, but it's an important part of our family}.

I've made mention over and over about our African kids...and I thought it was time to properly introduce you all to them.  Before long I am going to be having a blog redo and they will make their way to the header....cause they are really our kids too.

Here's how some of our treasures were born in our hearts:

Back in July of 2008 Dw and Emma went for the first time to Uganda.

Part of the time there was spent ministering alongside a ministry called African Hearts.

African Hearts is made up of a team of young men who grew up on the streets.

Most of them true orphans or just abandoned by their parents to live on their own in the streets.

Either way, they lived on the streets until meeting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.

Their passion for other kids growing up on the streets cannot be denied.  

They know what it's like!

So a few years back they formed a ministry to serve the street boys in Kampala. 

They started with a home {of approximately 16 boys} for boys off the streets.

{It has now expanded to a second home that is for younger boys 

and it is located in a village outside Kampala.}

These homes are a safe place to have a "family" sharing the love of God. 

So back in July 2008, while in Africa and serving with African Hearts, Dw did some leadership training with these young leaders.  During one of these teaching times my sweet hubby was comparing God the Father's love with the love of an earthly Father.   {Dw did not know that they had all grown up on the streets at this point.}

As he was talking about the Father's love, Dw realized that these young men all had kind of blank stares on their faces.

He stopped and said, "Do all of you have a dad who is active in your lives?" 

They all shook their heads and explained that not only did they not have a dad active in their lives, they also explained that they all had grown up on the streets without father or mother.

OH!  

Wow.

Upon hearing this news my tender-hearted husband was so moved by the stories of these precious young men that with tears in his eyes, "Well if you are willing, I will be your father."

Do you know what they did?

They jumped out of their seats and started shouting and praising the Lord! 

Dw said they jumped up and down, up and down!! 

 They gave each other high fives!!  

They hugged Dw over and over! 

They kept shouting!

{You'd have thought they had just won the lottery!}

Since that summer of 2008, we have come to understand that for these kids of ours, what Dw said to them, has had profound meaning in their lives. 

In fact the magnitude of what exactly this meant to these young men was not really understood initially.  

  We had never really thought about adult orphans.  

These boys were once on the streets.  

They had nothing...including a mom and a dad.  

They have longed all these years for a mom and a dad.

After the "adoption" of these grown kids, we have worked over the years to nurture our relationship with each of them through Skype, phone, email and Facebook.  

We love them and there is no doubt, they love us.  

Anytime we write or talk to them, they call us  "Mama" and "Dad".  

It is very humbling to us.

All these years I have wanted a boatload and 

my dream is coming true.  

How faithful God is!

"He makes the barren woman to be at home, 

the joyful mother of children."

This past year one of them went through an extremely difficult time.   It was very serious.  Dw would talk to our son over in Africa at all hours.  We would stay up at night on our knees interceding on behalf of the situation.   Finally, after a few weeks of the intensity and seriousness of the situation, Dw and I decided that Dw would go to Africa himself.   As it was, within no time the situation turned.  Dw did not go.  But our son knew that Dad was willing and was ready to come.  

We love them like our other children.

And they know it.

If someone messes with them, the mama bear and 

papa bear come out in us.  

We aren't kidding.  

Don't anyone mess with these kids of ours

Don't even think about it! 

Well somewhere in all that, a couple of years ago, a young woman started to work with African Hearts.  Her name was Moreen.  She also was a complete orphan.  She has longed for a mom and dad.  And yes, Dw told her that we would be her mom and dad.

When I was in Africa this time, whenever we were together, she would snuggle with me.  Just the closeness seemed to confirm in her heart that I was her mom.  She introduced me to a group that she also ministers to as her mom. She was beaming.  It moved me to tears.  

So, sweet friends, we really have four more sons and one more daughter.

When Dw took the GO Team in January of 2011, they had the privilege of attending LuTaaya and Sondra's wedding.  Dw was there as LuTaaya's dad.  In the African culture there are traditions that are performed by the Father of the groom.  

Dw, being LuTaaya's dad got to do that!

He was so humbled by this privilege.

And LuTaaya and Sondra have shared with us that they are expecting a baby.  The grooms parents choose the middle name for the baby.  They have told us that once they know what the baby {through sonogram} they will tell us so we can begin to consider a significant middle name for this precious treasure.  {We will be Mimi and Jaja again! How cool is that?}

 LuTaaya and Sondra 

{our daughter-in-love}

Can you just see Jesus in LuTaaya's face?  

His story is amazing and one day I will share that as well.

LuTaaya is a gifted leader and passionate about Christ.

 The visionary.

 He has built a school.  

And not just any school.  

He built it in the village and the reason he did?  

So that they could tell the kids about the love of Jesus.

And isn't our daughter-in-love just beautiful? 

Radiating.

Junior

{tender-hearted,  gentle, soft-spoken and kind of shy, extremely loyal}

Junior works with the African Hearts Kampala home as an uncle to the boys.

Moreen

{sweet, loving, cheerful and gracious to all...

She serves with the African Hearts Ssenge village home as a mama

 and she works with a women's ministry as well. Such a treasure!

She is also in college as well.}

 George

And can I just say? I think it is amazingly cool that God would allow me a son named George, after my love of George Mueller {of course Elijah's middle name is Mueller}...

Our George is dependable.  Steady. Like a rock.  Tender.  Sooo sweet.   

George and Junior went almost everywhere with our GO Team last month.

They would protect us at all costs.  

I absolutely love this picture of our George.  

He serves with the African Hearts Kampala home and is in college full-time.  

.

 So there you have it!!

~all our other kids~

{L-R} George, me, LuTaaya, Sondra, Emmy, Moreen, Junior 

African Hearts Ssenge Village home

{Kenny couldn't be there.}

Note the little guy on the far left...  

That's my other son...Vincent.  

I will tell you about him another time.

We took the team to the Nile River.

Absolutely gorgeous.

Junior, Emmy, me and George

Sisters 

{Forever}

at the airport, leaving to head back to the States

We love these treasures so much!

Such an honor to be their mom and dad -

 an unbelievable privilege.

And definitely not a commitment we take lightly. 

They are ours.

Forever.

George, Moreen, Emmy, LuTaaya, Junior and I.

I am one extremely blessed woman,

humbled that God would be answer my lifelong prayers...

 Mom of Many:

15

{so far}