Always A Family

About a year ago, Mark got a phone call early one morning.  A mom had died in the village and had left 4 children; one was a six month old baby.  They wanted to know if we could take the baby.  Over the next few days, along with the burial for the mother, investigations took place and the two youngest children came to live at GSF.  The baby, Maria was sickly and needed much care.  We eventually realized she had TB and then she got malaria and eventually she died.  The second child - a quiet 4 year old boy named Dennis - found his home in the GSF toddler house.  He was very introspective with a hint of mature sadness when he was taken to the burial of his baby sister at the house where his mother died.  

After  a couple of months, it was discovered that his persistent cough was probably tuberculous. We wrestled with what to do for this sweet one.  We prayed and consulted many. He couldn't stay in a house full of toddlers who were susceptible to getting the disease. We eventually realized that God had opened a place for him in our home.  So he moved in to our house and learned to like spaghetti sauce over rice and to quote "I do not like them Sam-I-am!"   When the alarm on my phone would go off every day at noon to remind me of his medicine and lunch, he would say, "time for eats!"  We all got used to his little routines, and our house seemed empty without those routines when he moved back with the toddlers.  

When this little guy had moved into GSF, the father promised that by December he would take all the children up north to family, land and home.  But by the end of the year, he still did not have the money so a plan was put in place to help him save.   The father and the other two children came regularly to see Dennis, to sit quietly together, to laugh and smile.  Then one day a couple of weeks ago, another man came with them.  He introduced himself as the brother to Dennis' dad.  This uncle had not heard from this little family in the sugar cane field for a long time and was concerned.  He finally found a phone number of someone who lived close to the family.  He called and found out the story that none of the family up north knew about--about Maria and her mamma dying.  Heartbroken, he told the family and then came with the purpose of bringing the family back together.  

So this weekend, our social worker and Dennis made the long journey to see his family, as his dad and older siblings had done a couple of weeks before.  They found a moderate home with a loving family who had already enrolled the other two in school.  So Dennis was resettled with his family.  He is now at his family land and home many kilometers away, but to tell you the truth, he still has family here.  He has lots of brothers and sisters who were asking me questions yesterday about his leaving!  There were mammas, teachers, and aunties asking about his welfare and sad to see him leave.  My kids made sure they went to say good-bye.  We all will miss him and will be eager to hear how he is doing.  That is the beauty of GSF and of God's family.  . . no matter where you go, you are still a part of the family!