A Mom and Dad At Last!

by Joy Casey in Ethiopia

Galeta is a little boy who was in danger, at the age of five, of being one of Gimbie’s “street boys.”  But a Seventh Day Adventist missionary there got him into YWAM’s Widow and Orphans Home and he has been adopted by a wonderful family in the U.S.  Yesterday, I got to go with Rob and Su Soutter to pick up their son from the transition center to begin their lifelong journey together.  Galeta will join his new brothers and sisters when he flies home on Friday.

Every time I have the honor of witnessing a glad reunion such as this, I realize again just how much of a miracle adoption is.  I think back to the first time I heard of this little boy and then the first time I saw him in our orphanage.  I did not know what the outcome would be for his life or who would step forward to adopt him.  I did not know how long the process would take or how well he would adjust.  I could only rest in the knowledge that God knew all of that and had this boy’s days in the palm of His hand.  Our Lord has blessed Galeta exceedingly abundantly with a wonderful family that God knew he needed and who needed this special boy.  I am forever grateful that I don’t have to worry about the future of the children God assigns to our orphanages to care for.  He already knows exactly the family that He wants for each child.  He knows the bumps in the road to adopting that will be used to refine a mother and father’s relationship with Him.  He knows!