Times of crisis

Today my biggest crisis had been Marina coming off her mountain bike whilst training with Dad and her sisters.

However elsewhere in Zimbabwe things are very different....

Pastor G from our congregation had to bring a message of hope to a farming community today. This community is about 50km outside Harare and they have been standing strong in Christ in both a spiritual and physical battle for a long time. They were given about 2 months to get off their farms and are now in the last 2 weeks. Some have been there for generations and despite being brave, reality is now taking its toll.

How do you pick out a few things that represent your entire life?

How do you start over at the age of 76?

How do you do "life"?

The questions of "why"and "how" are many, the only answer on where to turn: GOD

Another family tonight are in prayer for a father/brother/dear family member who goes on trail tomorrow. Again a man who loves God, who loves the people of this country despite of what he and his family have been through. A man who knows that God can turn events even at the eleventh hour. We are praying for protection over him and his family and divine wisdom for all involved in the trail.

Both groups of people above have family members in our church and as we thought of them whilst worshipping this morning, our hearts cried out to God to strengthen them. At times like this, God calls upon us to be faithful in our prayers.

James 5:13 "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray."

Jeremiah 29:12 "Call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you."

Whilst in Ghana with Samuel's adoption, my friend Maria gave me Psalm 20:1-5 as an encouragement. Tonight I want to share this and ask you to pray with us:

"May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;

may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

May he send you help from the sanctuary

and grant you support from Zion.

May he remember all your sacrifices

and accept your burnt offerings.

May he give you the desire of your heart

and make all your plans succeed.

We will shout for joy when you are victorious

and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests."

Prayers needed

From the first to the last............ each one watching for "the one that follows behind". Samuel has now discovered that he can "stand" on his head and look through his legs. He loves the way the girls copy him and laughs when we ask him what he is looking at...... Ellen laughed so much, she couldn't keep standing!

On a more serious note.

I'm sure most of you have seen the recent Zimbabwe headlines regarding the stalemate situation again in the government. There has also been some violent attacks on some of the government officials, not high ranking ones, but rather those who are a soft target - the latest being a woman on her way to work.

We have also received various prayer requests for safety and healing of farmers that had been attacked on their properties not to far outside Harare - the last couple attacked on their farm are still both in intensive care. Lots of prayer for wisdom is also needed in terms of land reform.

As we draw close to the end of the year, people are feeling despondent and apprehensive about what the new year will hold for them. Promised change is not taking place and people are turning to all kinds of practices in an effort to find an answer. Please pray that as the "Zimbabwe for Jesus" mission group go into the rural areas, their message of hope will take root in the hearts of the people. That the forces at work in turning the people away from Jesus, will have no power. That the Spirit of God will move in a mighty way.

"Lord, today I want to bring Zimbabwe and its people before You. You love the people, the country and the plans You have for them is to prosper in You. Thank you Lord that You never leave or forsake us."

3 Months.....

It has been 3 months of hectic activity, but we've found our "groove".

This photo was one of the last taken in Ghana - at our farewell braai / BBQ.

It was also our last weekend with Charlie / Samuel before he moved to Michael & Mariette.

This photo was taken this past weekend, 8 months later.

Samuel loves music, especially the drums.

There is only one thing he loves more than music, no not food, WATER!!!

Marina trying to slow him down in getting to the pool.

Ellen keeping a close eye on his "swimming" abilities.

Especially trying to drink the water!

Yvonne is the Bubble Queen!! Nobody can get this many bubbles in one go!!

Truly an amazing ride so far!

Heart breaking decisions.......

I wasn't quite sure where I was going with this entry, but here goes.....

This train of thought started late September, when I received an e-mail from Ghana concerning a new baby and the difficult circumstances surrounding the little one. The request then was for prayer for the family involved. The past 2 weeks this little one's name has cropped up in more than one conversation / e-mail with friends in Ghana. Our prayers for the little one and family became "broader" as we started praying for foster families and wisdom for the officials involved, both Social Services and BH.

A very special blog posted by a friend in September talked about the act of love when families make the decision to have their child / children adopted. Having lived in Ghana, witnessing the desperate conditions under which some of the families live, this is their ultimate gift to a child that would otherwise not have much of a chance. Despite what the world says of Samuel's biological mother, I choose to believe that she loved him very much. Social circumstances and age old beliefs (throughout Africa) can force a family into making tragic decisions, thus my belief that her choice for him was life.

My heart aches for this specific father, and every other family member anywhere / every where, who has to make the decision of letting a child go because they want more for them. Our prayer for each of them is that they will find God's peace in their decision.

At the same time there are a host of people working in the trenches, finding a loving home for each of these little ones that cross their paths. They are passionate about God and what He expects of us in terms of the orphans of this world. They deal with authorities, red tape and more paperwork than you can imagine. And... they encourage, provide a shoulder to cry on when court dates, passports, etc.. don't happen as planned, help raise funds for adoption costs and deal with even more paperwork!

"Lord, my prayer today is a prayer of thanks for each of our children that you place in our homes. Let us never forget Lord that You had a plan for them right from the moment that they were created, despite worldly circumstances. Strengthen those Lord that walk alongside an orphan; fill them with Your wisdom as they guide families (biological and forever) and open doors as they deal with paperwork. Lord, open our eyes and hearts to recognise a need and stir in us a desire to make a difference."

"Adoption granted" .....words that change your life forever!

Early morning coffee at Vic Falls with Dad & my sisters

On the 17th we celebrated 3 months of Charles Kojo becoming Samuel Charles Kojo Versfeld. Looking at Samuel's journey home and it being the anniversary of our adoption date, I would love to share some details of his adoption. I know that this is "old news" for some, but for us it will always be an awesome story.

I'm 1 today

On our first Saturday back after the Christmas holidays, Romana and Heather asked me at Youth whether I would just come and have a look at the "new baby" from Tema who was special needs and in need of lots of love. Although we had no intention to foster another Ghanaian baby as we were on our way to Zimbabwe, God had other plans. Samuel came into our lives on Sunday 11 January 2009 as the "new baby" from Beacon House and he was like a newborn - unable to hold his head up, sit up or even really interact with people. His paperwork showed that he would turn 1 on 4 February and my heart ached for this little one. The girls enjoyed arranging his Teddy Bear picnic party with some friends from Beacon House, and Samuel was able to sit up in a special foam chair - for us a huge step forward after only about 3 weeks of stimulation!

The Paul family who loved me so much

After we left Ghana in early March, Samuel was fostered by a loving family who continued to stimulate him. Mariette continued to keep me informed on each milestone and sent regular photos. During this time George and I felt God calling us to commit to a longer term "promise" for a little one, than just a foster home. After much prayer and various doors opening and others closing, we were told in early June that we could proceed in adopting Samuel. The entire June was spent running around after a Social Welfare document and on the evening of 30 June, we made a decision to take a leap of faith. I booked my ticket for Ghana, departing Johannesburg 4 July and returning 25 July - I know, 3 weeks time limit for all Ghana documents is crazy!! BUT those were the dates we felt God giving us and asking us how far we trust Him to make it happen. I met Samuel again on 4 July and I was amazed at his rate of development! The Paul family played such a big part in Samuel's life and it was a huge privilege for me to be able to stay there for my first week in Ghana, as it made the transition for Samuel so much easier. Samuel just loves to be loved and they did that and so much more for him. They are forever part of our family.

As with everything the first week was pretty much meeting with the lawyer, Social Welfare and Immigration for all Samuel's paperwork, but nothing happened in terms of the finalization.

Corrie & Johan
The rest of my 2-week stay in Ghana was spent with the Bekkers - prayer warriors!! This was that period of time that most adoptive parents dread, waiting for your court date and passport. Despite having had the benefit of going through this with our foster babies and having been "trained" well by Romana during our time in Ghana, it still got the better of me. Corrie and Maria rallied the prayer warriors and this kept me standing. After "losing" 2 court dates, I was told our date would be 17 July at 11:30. At about 9:45 I received a phone call from the lawyer stating that the clerk of the court had informed him the judge would not be coming in and our case had to be carried over to the Tuesday. I was devastated and started trying to send out text messages for urgent prayers, when the lawyer phoned back and said if I could make it to town by 10:30, the judge would see us. For anyone knowing Accra traffic on a Friday, its almost impossible!! Yet, in the back of a Muslim taxi, me singing "What a mighty God we serve" and "Step by step You'll lead me and I'll follow you all of my days" to Samuel, we reached town by 10:15. The lawyer did not want to believe we came all the way from Airport Residential! After another 10min through centre of town traffic, we were seated on a wooden bench in front of the court.

With the lawyer & Social Worker after "Adoption granted"

The judge hardly gave me time to put down the nappy bag, took one look at Samuel who was busy "doing Mommy's hair" and said "Its OK". Then I asked if he would please say the words "Adoption granted", and although they all started laughing, he obliged. He then proceeded to collect his documents and left the room with us. As he closed the courtroom door, I realised how mighty our God really is - the judge heard only 1 case that day, ours!! By 11:00 I had shared the wonderful news with George and the girls in Zimbabwe, family in South Africa and was on my way to have coffee with a group of ladies from the Bibile study. They were still going to pray for our time in court at 11:30!!!

We enjoyed coffee, Samuel and Jana enjoyed life!

Sunday, 19 July, Samuel and I stood in front of our congregation as they prayed for us for tavel mercies for Saturday, 25 July. Samuel had no passport, no court order yet and thus no visa or ticket. Tuesday morning brought about yet another passport interview and I admit I was beginning to worry that I would have to "go and come" without Samuel. Our prayer warriors from around the world prayed that God would continue to do what humans perceive as impossible. On Wednesday morning I was handed Samuel's passport, we bought his ticket and I applied for his South African visa. On Thursday the lawyer provided me with a one page document as proof that they were busy with our court documents, but he said that the chances of us getting the signed and sealed court document by Friday was slim. Friday morning brought about Samuel's visa as well as the sealed court order! The lawyer stated very clearly that this was truly an exeption! God had done amazing wonders!

I'll make a plan to get what I want
So here we are, Samuel is becoming more and more confident each day. He has some definite ideas about naps and bedtime - not his favorite activities. However anything involving water is always a winner, trying to get him out of the bath, shower or pool is a challenge.

At the Matopos with Granpa & Granny

Samuel is loved and adored by family and friends. We are blessed to have him as part of our family!

Thank you Lord for those precious ones that You bring into forever families!

Joy is …….. red lollipops!!

It’s amazing how 4 red lollipops can "make your day"!
Since Zimbabwe has changed over to USD, small change has been somewhat of a problem, as we don’t use coins. So your choices are either a "change voucher"(which you present next time as a prepayment of purchases) or you take your pick from the array of small sweets at the till for the balance of your change – thus today 4 red strawberry yogurt lollipops for my 84c change.
The girls are in the midst of exams, so this unusual treat on the way home, quickly hit the spot and reduced stress levels, whilst shooting the sugar levels sky high. Samuel could not believe his luck – when Marina handed him the lollipop in the car, he let out an excited shriek. By the time we got home, Samuel was almost too sticky to pry loose from the car seat. Since the clean kitchen floor was also in danger, Samuel went into a storage container and the rest of us girls on the kitchen floor. As you can see, we truly enjoyed watching him enjoying his lollipop – he loves to share and when they shriek "nooooo", he doubles up with laughter!!
Whilst sitting on the kitchen floor with the girls watching a very sticky boy, I thought of how God’s love is so much like a red, sticky lollipop:
- It comes from deep in His heart and is so sweet ;
- His love sticks to all of us, even to those who don’t want to accept it straight away, its there for when they need it;
- As the lollipop layers change colors until you hit the soft core, God changes our layers and work away the hard outside until we are soft to His touch and voice;
- Sometimes the lollipop falls and breaks, but unlike the sweet which can’t be fixed, God can fix those that are broken due to "sticky" life situations.
Oh what joy, to take time out on a kitchen floor for a red lollipop!!
Thank you, Lord!!

One of those days

I really intended to post this yesterday, but then what can I say - it was one of those days.

I woke up with a feeling of being blessed way beyond what I deserve. George and the girls went for an early morning cycle and Samuel had a sleep-in, so Mommy had time to have her coffee in the garden and enjoy the quiet. Sitting there I remembered a time when doctors told us would never have our own children, God had blessed us with 4! I also remembered the discussions George and I had about bringing Samuel home and how great it would be if he was here for Christmas, God brought him home in record time! God had provided us with all we needed in this new country and way, way more in terms of "non worldly goods".

Our church service normally starts with testimonies and here my "warm, fuzzy" feeling was dealt a dose of reality. The lady wrongfully accused of theft and imprisoned, gave a testimony of God's protection during the past few weeks. She again shared how she led 2 women to Christ and how she followed up by visiting them after their sentencing. She then shared a bit about her appearance in court and how she felt standing in the dock - " Standing there, I suddenly realised how Jesus must have felt. I know my most overwhelming feeling of shame and sadness can never even be compared to what He had endured for each one of us." How quick we are to wonder how God can allow things to go wrong for His children, yet in her time of shame and her sharing thereof, she made all of us more aware of the greatest blessing ever.
After this appearance in court, she and her husband were attacked in their home last weekend! This time her testimony centred on the power of prayer. She said the initial attack was filled with aggressive behaviour and anger. Whilst being pinned to the floor, she started praying and told her husband to do the same as God promises that there is power in prayer. From wanting to kill them, their attackers decided to lock them up - they even gave her her Bible when she asked for it! She testified to being intensely aware of God's presence during this time. She endured severe blows to the head and God had protected her from any damage! God is always present, always protecting, always loving each one of us, despite of what the world does to us.

I made a few new resolutions after the service:
- spend more time with those I love, really take time out with them (the dishes and washing will still be there when they each want to do their own thing);
- look for more opportunities to help and support others, small things go such a long way;
- and lastly but most importantly to be more aware of God's whisper in a world of loud noises. To be able to make the difference in a situation when He calls on me, no matter how difficult it might be at the time.

Watching Ellen, Marina & Yvonne play volley ball against Dad & Samuel, again brought overwhelming feelings of thankfulness for a God that truly loves me for who I am and blessed me way beyond what I deserve.

We continue to pray for change for this beautiful country, because as the song says: "Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing, nothing is impossible for Him."