Have you been amazed by the way God works lately? I’m currently reading through a book called “A Praying Life.” In this book Paul Miller talks about the story that God weaves in our lives.
My story has recently taken an interesting and joyful turn. For years I’ve prayed that God would give me a family of my own. I’ve patiently waited and longed for an answer to that prayer. I’ve had ideas of how God might respond to my request, but I never expected what He has recently done in my life.
Six months ago I learned about a little baby girl who was struggling for life after the death of her mother. I had met her mother a couple months earlier, while she was still pregnant with the baby and struggling for life herself. Medically, there was little I could do for her and she died only 2 weeks after giving birth. When I first saw the baby, she was one month old and barely holding on to life. She was dying of malnutrition and pneumonia. With her family’s permission, I took her home with me, hoping to get her stronger so that she could finish her recovery with her family.
Her first few days of recovery were very uncertain. She weighed only 3 ½ pounds and every bit of her energy was going to trying to breathe. She didn’t even have enough strength to cry. The second night she spent with me was especially scary. In the middle of the night her breathing became more and more difficult. In spite of the medication, care and prayer that I was giving her, her lungs were barely able to give her enough oxygen to survive. It looked as if she would die, right there in my arms. I’ve seen God do a few miracles, so I decided to pray. I prayed that God would heal her body, that He would show Himself powerful, that He would give her a future and that He would draw her to Himself. Before I even finished my prayer, she coughed twice and fell into a restful sleep, breathing much better. The next morning, though she was still a critically ill child, it was apparent that God had already begun a miracle of healing in her little life. She continued to recover very quickly. I was daily amazed at the progress. She didn’t yet have a name, so I named her Annabella, which means ‘easy to love.’ My hope is that God continues to answer the prayer I prayed that night, and Annabella finds her identity in Christ.
Ten days after she first came home with me, I took Annabella to see her family. They were amazed to see how strong she was and rejoiced with me in God’s healing in her life. It was at this visit that I tried to start the discussion of how the family was to prepare for Annabella’s homecoming. However, they recognized the difficulty of caring for such a sick infant and refused to discuss the possibility. Instead they asked me to keep her longer.
At subsequent visits, I tried in vain to encourage Annabella’s family to accept the responsibility of caring for her. Baka babies are raised in leaf huts, surrounded by dirt and germs. One positive for them is that they are always breastfed, which protects them to a certain extent from malnutrition and poor sanitation. Annabella, however, could not be breastfed, as her mother had died and there was no one else who could provide her with breastmilk. Though I wished to see her reunited with her family, I wondered if they would be able to provide her with clean water, formula, food and a clean environment. I was perfectly willing to help out financially, but I feared that she would succumb to the 50% childhood mortality rate in our area.
I agonized over what to do with this little one that God had put into my care. I dreamed of adoption, but I didn't want to deny Annabella's family of the opportunity of raising her. I also wondered what kind of life she would have, raised by a single missionary woman. I could not give her a father. I prayed about this problem, and through tears sensed God telling me that He, himself, would be a father to her and that He would take care of both of us. Through lots more prayer and surrendering to God, it became clear that God was giving me the go-ahead to adopt Annabella. I went back to the family with this idea and they were excited about the possibility. They were particularly happy that she would learn English and go to school.
A subsequent meeting clarified some of the unknowns about adoption for the family and assured me that they really wanted me to go through with this, and I headed to the lawyer to draw up the papers. I had already been through the wringer while trying to get guardianship for Annabella, so I wanted to do it right this time. I was informed that I was five years too young to be able to legally adopt Annabella, so I had to become her guardian instead. This is a different kind of guardianship than I had tried to get earlier and will give me the right to take her to the US whenever I wish. It is basically the same process as adoption, but I can not change her name or her citizenship. It was a huge disappointment for me that I could not adopt Annabella yet, but I know God is in control and that He is taking care of us. There will be a hearing at the end of this week, and I will find out if the guardianship has been accepted by the appropriate authorities. If all goes well, the papers will be finished in January!
There are many more things to praise God about. Annabella is so healthy and strong. After the very difficult beginning she had, I am happily surprised that she doesn't seem to have any health or development problems. She's bigger and further along in her development than other Baka kids her age. Each time she learns a new thing, am completely amazed. Not only that, she is a true joy to have around.
Praise God with me for this new addition to my family and pray that God will continue His amazing work in Annabella's life.
