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."

Sunday Blessing

Sunday morning saw us not dressing in our normal "Sunday best", but rather taking a more casual approach with shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops (if you really felt the need for some shoes). Together with our Bibles went fully stocked picnic baskets, blankets, umbrellas and everything short of the kitchen sink - any outing with a little one involves lots more than what we were used to. About 45min out of town, we met up with the rest of the congregation out on one of the farms. It was a truly stunning summers day and there under the trees, we had our morning service and fellowship.

As our Jnr Pastor was turning 50 on Monday, our Snr Pastor (just over 50) based his sermon on the saying "how time flies". He spoke about how in the past this was a saying often used by more mature people, but that of late it has become almost an excuse for the young. Due to our very busy lives, important things are left on the sideline whilst "we do life". He reminded us of the importance of recognising and acting on opportunities that is from God; taking time in spending time to listen for His voice; making sure that we are examples to our children in using our time wisely; and lastly to enjoy the time that you are in at the moment. Our lives change daily, God is timeless and our time on earth is but a breath of what is to come.

There under the trees, we got to know most of our "new family in Christ". Some of them had been forcefully removed from their family homes by the war veterans - leaving all worldly possesions behind. They know when there is no fresh milk or cream on the shelves, its not because of logistical problems, but rather dairy farmers not being able to milk due to intimidation by outside forces. The "loss" of children and family members as they move to other countries is heartbreaking, many have not been able to visit at all due to financial constraints.


These people have been through so much, yet they remain steadfast in the Lord. They carry each other in prayer through heartache and disappointments. They accept the wordly challenges (wrongful imprisonment) and see it as an opportunity to spread the Word. Last week one of the ladies spent some time in a police cell and was able to lead 2 other female inmates to the Lord! God is using every one of them and they are willing to be obedient in their calling "Zimbabwe for Jesus". As their voices raised in songs of worship, some with tears streaming down their faces, I realised what a honour and privilege it is to be out in the open, in God's presence, in His time!


The farming community is close to our heart as many of our church members were once farmers and some have been able to get some of their land back. We continue to pray for God's Spirit to move through Zimbabwe and change hearts. We pray for protection over all the families that are seperated due to circumstances beyond their control. Lastly we pray that we will hear God's voice when He calls us to do our part in His plan for this beautiful country.

Where were you 25 July?

I know exactly where I was!
Today 2 months ago Samuel and I started our journey home. We left Ghana at about 11:30pm on Saturday night the 25th and arrived in Johannesburg on Sunday morning at about 7am. Samuel was still very sleepy when he greeted his Daddy and sisters after an absence of almost 5 months - lots of hugs and tears brought out a shy smile from him though.

We were very aware of God's hand over our adoption journey and for our trip home, God provided one of His helpers by the name of Chris. Whilst getting ready to pack Samuel's things, Corrie and I realised that our weight allocation of 40kg would never do - Samuel was blessed with so many things from his foster family and then there was the other gifts from Ghana for future birthdays as well! With the walking ring, definitely way over 40kgs!!
As packing started a day early, we declared that God knew of our need and trusted that He would send an answer. On Friday afternoon Rene, another "Ghana family sister" phoned to say that a a good friend of theirs were booked on my flight and offered to help with luggage, etc as he had very little luggage. Chris was truly sent by God - he got a proper weight workout with helping with wrapping; booking us in with him (joint luggage 70.4kg; allocation 70kg!!!); then the whole immigration and boarding process followed. At Johannesburg airport, Chris made sure I had all the luggage and walked with me all the way to the arrival lounge - all this prior to his flight to Cape Town.

I would definitely have to rate my "coming home" flight with Samuel as one of the most emotional homecomings ever. Looking at him asleep on the seats next to me, I thought of how blessed we were to be chosen to raise this special boy. Yes, the responsibility of it all as older parents are overwhelming at times, but I also know that God is right there with us, giving us all we need to help Samuel be who God wants him to be.

Its hard to think that the little man has only been home for 2 months, he has been in our hearts since day 1 (11 January) and it feels as if he has been part of our family forever.

"Thank you Lord for bringing home all those precious new children into forever families. Thank you for the love You pour into each forever family in order to overflow into new lives. Thank you for being a loving, protecting, awesome Father to each of our children. Thank you for the plans You have for them in Your Kingdom."