The day finally came when the letter from World Vision was found in the mailbox. It contained wonderful news, but I knew this recent update was going to be bittersweet to one little girl in this house.
One of our sponsored children Maria, the little girl who shares a birthday with my K (age 7), had been reunited with her parents. She no longer needed our sponsorship. The World Vision staff had previously believed her to be an orphan, so this was wonderful news. Our journey with Maria had ended.
We needed to share the news with the kids. I decided to tell them while we were sitting around the table after dinner. K, immediately began crying. After all, for over a year K has exchanged letters with Maria and prayed for her. She feels a deep connection to this little girl living in Africa.
"Oh mommy. I know this is good news, but I am just so sad. I miss Maria."
It was difficult to explain that there wouldn't be goodbye letters exchanged. We just had to rest in God's plan for Maria's life and thank Him for this news. So we did. We prayed, quite a few times that night. We thanked God for this little girl we had come to love and asked Him to keep His hand on her life.
K spent some time drawing a picture as she worked through her feelings. It was such a sweet memento that I decided to put it in a frame for her. Now it sits on the dresser in her bedroom. It is a reminder of a special relationship, and it is a reminder to pray.
Later that night, we decided to sponsor another child. We were able to find another little girl in Zimbabwe who is only 9 days younger than K. She was excited about getting to know another little girl, but told us that she will always miss Maria.
I will too.
Our family was blessed through Maria and her story. I know it was hard for K, but it was good at the same time. We were able to pray for and rejoice with a little girl that we have never met. I pray that this journey will have a lasting impact on K. I know that I will never forget her sweet, tender heart for the friend she never met.
And I pray that she will develop the same bond with her new friend, Pertunia.
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6 comments:
I have always wanted to sponsor children "for" my children and have never been able to afford to do it. The opportunity is on the horizon and may soon become a reality, and as I look forward to that I'm glad to hear that it is working so well for your children. Thank you for being willing to sacrifice things you would otherwise be able to afford in order to provide for the world's poor. I hope to someday join the ranks of those who can.
Your K will never forget this other girl her same age and will carry her in her heart forever. Now her heart will expand and embrace yet another person who will impact her life. This touches my heart.
What wonderful news! What sad news! What great news! I am sure Maria will always remember K and your family! What a great picture and way to remember Maria!
We've been through the same experience with Jose's 1st sponsored friend "Otro Jose, I" ... we now have "Otro Jose, II" (he keeps picking boys with his own name), but I know God sees the heart our kids have for those who need some help. God will honor Kayleigh's love for Maria, even though Kayleigh herself will move on.
Heaven's gonna be awesome, isn't it?!
That is sad but great news. :) And what a wonderful way for K to work through her emotions. Her response shows a great level of maturity that few kids her age have. :)
That's very touching. A bittersweet moment, but such a blessing to your family to be able to think globally and be light in the world. Thanks for sharing.
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