It is 10PM Monday January 16, 2012 and God has shown up in a huge way in our lives here in Africa today. Shelley and I want to give Him all the glory due His great name for He has done great things!
As you know this week is the week we are supposed to get both sides of Samson’s distant relatives to sign the Adoption consent form. Mr. Kapya and I started our day with a meeting at the local Social Welfare to seek permission for Mr. Kapya to handle the task of communicating with the families and trying to obtain their signatures. Since the families have not yet met Mr. Kapya the Social Worker felt it best if she went with him whenever he went. From the Social Workers office Mr. Kapya called the elder great Grandfather from the mother’s side that lives here in Kitwe. He answered and Kapya set the appointment for he and Betty tonight at 5PM. The great Grandfather requested that I come and bring Samson too. Shelley felt that it might also be good for the situation if David came to. So the five of us drove to the compound to meet with the great Grandfather at 5PM. He was an hour late but when he arrived he was elated to see all of us and to lay eyes on Samson again. I gave him a gift of several pictures in frames we took on the day of court of him and his family members with Samson and Shelley and me. Mr. Kapya then began skillfully explaining our need for the Adoption consent form and after about 20 minutes into this all at once the older gentleman asked if we could go to his nephews house so he too could hear what all was being said. I really wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or not because our last meeting in court drew many questionable distant family members and non-family members out of the woodwork who had strange requests, issues or objections? By faith the five of us plus the older gentleman got back in the car and drove to another compound where God was waiting to make His name known and to show His power.
I can honestly say what transpired over the next few hours was deeply moving. It was a privilege to just be in the midst of the movement of God on behalf of His people. We arrived at a very small home in the Bliangealo compound and I am not sure who all lived there but a very old lady who I believe is Samson’s grandmother who was also at the Foster court hearing was there. She was so joyful to see Samson again and to see how healthy and happy he is. She was beside herself with joy. Then no less than 20 different people young and old came to shake my hand and to see Samson and they too were filled with delight. Inside the house other than one cupboard there was not one piece of furniture. A few of them disappeared and returned with various things for us to use as our seats. Things like small chairs, footstool and jugs. Everyone in my party and the men in their party sat on these chairs and the ladies laid a mat on the floor which they sat on and requested Samson to sit with them. Another one of them showed up after walking to one of the small local stands and brought us coke’s and orange fanta’s etc. They served these drinks on a very beautiful silver type tray after carefully wiping each bottle clean.
After they looked at the pictures in the frames and the small but significant talk ended Mr. Kapya began addressing them. This time he asked me permission to speak to them in their local language, which meant I would not understand all that he was saying but they would be most comfortable. I agreed and offered for them to be able to ask me any and everything they wanted to as they began to understand the seriousness of our visit. I was able to understand about 25% of what Mr. Kapya said but 100% of what was happening. As they listened, asked questions, looked at me off and on I could see that our God was there mighty in power and at work in a special way. Although we were coming from different cultures and backgrounds we all knew God was present. There was a man sitting in the room that I had not seen before. I do not know if I will see him again. I don’t know who he was but to me he seemed like an Angel? He carried a lot of respect because he was an elder and he didn’t say much until the meeting was nearing a point where the family was being asked to consent. Then the Angel spoke eloquently about how God’s miracles occur in all ways and that the fact that we were there and Samson was now a part of a Godly family was a miracle of God and a part of His providence. Although he spoke in the local language Mr. Kapya translated what he said and it was powerful. Shortly thereafter the family gave complete consent to the Adoption and joyfully signed the form! The Angel asked me to close in prayer and the Lord filled me with a prayer of thanksgiving and joy on behalf of us all.
Tonight was a time of healing for this family. It was a time of closure for them. It was just so proper and appropriate from start to finish. Mr. Kapya was very pleased. He said that after they consented to Fostering they and especially the older lady thought they would never see Samson again. That is why they were overjoyed when we came to see them and bring them the pictures. Just before we fly back to the United States Shelley and I will go back to that same home, this time all 9 of us, for a sweet time of visiting and saying good bye. We trust by God’s gracious hand that it will only be a temporary good bye. If the Lord allows us many trips to Zambia in the future, which is clearly our hearts desire, we will come and see them so that Samson will be able to understand not only his culture but how deeply he is loved by God and how he used those dear people to execute His sovereign will, protection and grace in his life.
To each of you who have been walking down this road with us, thank you for your prayers and encouragement. Please pray for our second meeting with the other side of the family. May all of this be for the praise of His glorious name and for our joy!
Our God is Higher,
Dave
The day of the fostering hearing