I Surrender All...K's Story

Our flight was late arriving into Brussels on our way to Kinshasa. The two hour and twenty minute layover had now been cut to one hour and ten minutes.  I was glad we had assistance getting to our gate, knowing Mike and I would never find it on our own.  And then, we sat...and waited...and waited for the car to pick us up to take us to the other terminal.  When we inquired about the delay, we were told it was because President Obama was there and the entire airport was shut down, while his flight left.  (It was interesting to hear this Belgium's opinion of our US president shutting down their airport.)

Our car finally arrived and we were escorted directly to our gate, where we were welcomed by a smile and the waving arms of...well a woman we had never met but grew to love, in a very short time.  We had communicated with Lori via Facebook and had planned to meet each other at the Brussels airport.  She was on the same flight as we were from Brussels to Kinshasa and was going to assist us through the Kinshasa airport...and all the way to our friends, David and Sandy Francis' house.  Little did we realize the impact Lori and her daughter, K, would make upon our lives during our time in Kinshasa.

K had been abandoned along the roadside in Kinshasa.  Lori and her husband adopted K in January 2013.  They completed all the necessary steps and paperwork for adoption and she is legally their daughter. However, while they were in the DRC, ready to take K home, the DRC issued a freeze, withholding exit papers for all adopted Congolese children.  Sadly, K (and hundreds of other adopted children) is now stuck in a system where she is separated by thousands of miles from her parents.  God has blessed K and her parents by providing some wonderful Christian foster parents who take her to church and she receives English teaching twice a week.  But it is not the same as being with her mommy, daddy and two older brothers.

K is a precious child who loves her momma and daddy and loves to sing praises to Jesus. And let me tell you she can praise Him...this girl has rhythm and can play the drums like you wouldn't believe.  One of her favorite songs is "I Surrender All".  When she sings, she sings with all her heart.  She may not understand the definition of surrender but you can tell she understands it in her heart.  K is learning, through some very difficult circumstances, what it means to give everything to God...to trust Him no matter what.

As I awoke this morning, I had sweet K and Lori on my heart.  Lori is now back at home, in Tennessee, once again leaving K in Kinshasa.  She won't see her again until they are allowed to bring her home. I know God is working in and through this very tough situation.  I know he is bringing joy in their furnace.  But this momma's heart aches for them both.  Please join me in praying that God will work in the hearts of the Congolese officials to release K and all the other innocent children who are caught in the bureaucracy that is keeping them separated from their parents.  Pray that God will let K go home...home to the America where she longs to live...home to her momma, daddy and brothers.

(No pictures on this post due to the sensitive issue of this situation. One day, when K is home, I'll share pictures of this beautiful child and momma.)