We got an appointment for early morning in La Vega with a judge and Luke advised we try to pick the sister up super early just in case she isn't ready. Thank goodness he advised that, he was right. When we went to pick her up last Friday she was sleeping on a love seat in her living room, fully dressed from her night before. She eventually rolled off the couch and brushed her teeth outside, and brought a shirt with her to throw on over her small tank top. This morning she was in a bedroom sleeping and told the grandmother (that owns the house) not to wake her if we showed up. We made several efforts to contact her to let her know we had gotten an appointment and would be picking her up. She said someone stole her phone, so we told the neighbor to tell her and checked her house later that evening. She knew we were coming, but she said she had no idea. The grandmother wouldn't even try to wake her up at first, but Suleidy and I weren't leaving. We awkwardly just stood there at the door in silence for a little bit. We had prayed on our way over there because I felt an uneasiness in my Spirit about her this morning (I did not have an uneasiness about the judge, just her). I opened an email from my friend Hulen when I woke up and she said she felt led to wake up and pray for me in the middle of the night. I knew it was that. I was a bit frustrated to say the least and told Suleidy I just want a minute to breath and think before we ask grandma to try...I mean, cause really, I wanted to call her out as a faker for acting like she cares for these girls but has completely shown no drive to do anything to help them be legal with me. She has never called them once, but I have to hear her complain they don't call her, don't show her love when we go to her house, etc etc. So, I asked the Spirit to take control and talk our way out of this. I walked back to the truck and told Nay and Luke what was going on and Nay said she thought it was that, too. I said, "she doesn't want to come and she won't talk with us. She doesn't want to be bothered with this stuff." She has made several comments in the past about not signing if I say I am leaving the country and some family members have told her not to sign, so I have been waiting for her to stop cooperating completely. In the moment of talking with Nay and Luke, I asked if I should offer her some money as an incentive to get out of bed. I wasn't thinking much, just like $11 (500 pesos). Luke quickly said, "NO." "Ahhhhh, you are right. Thank you for being honest." I walked back praying, feeling a little guilty that I didn't have faith in my prayers to let God take control of the situation. Suleidy was already handling business. My God can move mountains and I am trying to figure things out my way? Get a grip, Brady.
Suleidy is going to be an amazing woman of God one day. Right now, she is an amazing teenager for God. Sometimes, I don't even know what she is saying for me, but I just pray while she speaks to people, knowing that she loves Jesus and He can work through her. You would never know she is young because she carries herself like an adult. I love Suleidy like a little sister and truly value her helping me this summer with papers and school. I pray over her life often, excited to see what God does with her.
Thanks to God through Suleidy talking and saying a few things I had to gram and sister, she got out of bed and decided she would shower. We think it was on purpose to waste time and try to make us late. She walked in her towel outside to the shower that is behind a piece of fabric like curtain connected to the side of the house. The bathroom is outside over there, too. When Daniela first got here, she would always try to wear her undies in the shower and I realized later it was because she bathed in a bucket outside. One day we saw her niece bathing in her undies and it dawned on me that is why she would try to shower like that.
Once we got in the car it was a bit awkward, but I just reminded myself, we just got to get through this and be done. I told Daniela to say hi but sister missed it. Later, she was asking Daniela why she didn't greet her. Daniela tried to say she had greeted her but she didn't listen and I told Dani to just say sorry. I really don't like the sister's behavior/attitude and telling Daniela to apologize was ridiculous, but hey, we can play the game until we sign. Sister told Sul today that their other sister (Grabiela (8), in the capital) is much prettier than these 2 and more elegant, she speaks with them often to stay in touch. (I know this is true because Grabiela knew they had a "new mom.") Is it me or is that whole sentence just off? Why would you even refer to another sister as prettier and more elegant than these 2? I don't know why they don't care to stay in touch with these girls, but stay in contact with the other sister.
Anyway, we got to the office and had to wait an hour to speak with the judge. Then, we found out that the last judge forgot to put a sentence saying I wanted guardianship, it just said that I was going to be given rights to take care of the kids. I would say this is guardianship, but they wanted it written a certain way. So, we had to drive back to the other office, completely push to the front of the line (c/o Suleidy handling business and me with the "American smile back up" behind her). The lady took the paper and added what we said without even initialing it. We took it back and sat down with the judge and it went very smoothly. We signed. In a large notebook. She told us that our next step was to do adoption for permanent guardianship. They took my packet and Luke is going to go back next week while our team is here to obtain the final documents and copies for me.
I didn't cry this time :).
After we dropped sister off, Sul told us what the sister was saying on the drive home. She said that the father went after to kill Daniela and Jessica after he attacked mom, but they hid in a rabbit cage. Daniela has told me that she hid from him in some locked thing, so now I know it was a hidden rabbit cage. Daniela told me that the only reason she is alive today is because God saved her from her dad. Sister told us that Daniela held her mom in her arms as she choked on her own blood. Daniela must've told someone that mom was trying to tell her something but never got it out before she passed because sister told Sul that. The father said he was going to kill them because they weren't going to have a mom anymore and should die, too. This sister thought when she got word that her mom was hurt, that she might have tried to take her own life because she was very depressed and threatened suicide from being unhappy about her life. Instead, it was the husband. Mom was very young when she had the oldest daughter, like around 15. This man was only the father of the 3 youngest. I guess while the father was on the run, he contacted the family and said he was going to kill all of them. I know this oldest sister has fear because she constantly asks if i know anything about his trial, how many years he might get, tell her if we hear anything, etc., every time we see her.
Our next steps are to start paperwork for passports and visas! So cool!! We are enrolled for school(s)! One starts Aug. 11th and the other Aug. 28th! I am wicked excited to have RPC team here this weekend. Luke's parents, Jack and Linda, fly in this week, too, and we are excited to meet with them and have some days before the team arrives. One of my BFF's, Belinda, is on this trip and I cannot wait to hang out with her and catch up. Once they leave another good friend is flying in from Cali with her friend. A great Jesus-lovin girl I roomed with here in the DR when I first moved, Alyssa.
I am so blessed. I do not say that flippantly. Last month, I felt the pressure of having FAITH that because God asked me to take these 2, that He would provide. I felt the need to keep reminding Him to do that for me. To, uh, do it quickly, Father. Naturally, I just had to be obedient and He followed through on His end with many of you. Thank you.
My heart is so filled with love. I love crawling into bed with these two munchkins whose lives have completely changed forever. Incredible, eh? Not by anything I did but by what God had planned. He has rescued them. More than once. Several times, including their souls through Christ. Suleidy and I stood outside Daniela's old home and were in awe of just how radical her life change was physically. This house's roof leaked water on her bed during the rain. When she lived in Santiago, she had no room, no bed of her own, no space to herself. It was a one bedroom place and she slept with her sister & husband or on the couch. No a/c, of course, but also no fan. It is HOT in Santiago.
And not just physical life change, but that those 2 crazy monkeys know they are loved here. Love. Genuine love. Not just by me, but by Naomi, Luke, & Ethan, Suleidy, and my friends Jamie & Matt (although they don't know them well, they like them a lot and talk about them)...and many, many more to come. Family and friends joined by Christ's love.
As Jessica came out to kiss me for the millionth time before bed (on the porch) I said, "I love you more than anyone else in this world, third after God and your mama!" She is used to this saying because I have said it a few times. She turned around from the door, smiled her classic no teeth grin and said, "God loves me the most!" I love when she repeats things I say. Verdad, hija. Verdad!
Suleidy is going to be an amazing woman of God one day. Right now, she is an amazing teenager for God. Sometimes, I don't even know what she is saying for me, but I just pray while she speaks to people, knowing that she loves Jesus and He can work through her. You would never know she is young because she carries herself like an adult. I love Suleidy like a little sister and truly value her helping me this summer with papers and school. I pray over her life often, excited to see what God does with her.
Thanks to God through Suleidy talking and saying a few things I had to gram and sister, she got out of bed and decided she would shower. We think it was on purpose to waste time and try to make us late. She walked in her towel outside to the shower that is behind a piece of fabric like curtain connected to the side of the house. The bathroom is outside over there, too. When Daniela first got here, she would always try to wear her undies in the shower and I realized later it was because she bathed in a bucket outside. One day we saw her niece bathing in her undies and it dawned on me that is why she would try to shower like that.
Once we got in the car it was a bit awkward, but I just reminded myself, we just got to get through this and be done. I told Daniela to say hi but sister missed it. Later, she was asking Daniela why she didn't greet her. Daniela tried to say she had greeted her but she didn't listen and I told Dani to just say sorry. I really don't like the sister's behavior/attitude and telling Daniela to apologize was ridiculous, but hey, we can play the game until we sign. Sister told Sul today that their other sister (Grabiela (8), in the capital) is much prettier than these 2 and more elegant, she speaks with them often to stay in touch. (I know this is true because Grabiela knew they had a "new mom.") Is it me or is that whole sentence just off? Why would you even refer to another sister as prettier and more elegant than these 2? I don't know why they don't care to stay in touch with these girls, but stay in contact with the other sister.
Anyway, we got to the office and had to wait an hour to speak with the judge. Then, we found out that the last judge forgot to put a sentence saying I wanted guardianship, it just said that I was going to be given rights to take care of the kids. I would say this is guardianship, but they wanted it written a certain way. So, we had to drive back to the other office, completely push to the front of the line (c/o Suleidy handling business and me with the "American smile back up" behind her). The lady took the paper and added what we said without even initialing it. We took it back and sat down with the judge and it went very smoothly. We signed. In a large notebook. She told us that our next step was to do adoption for permanent guardianship. They took my packet and Luke is going to go back next week while our team is here to obtain the final documents and copies for me.
I didn't cry this time :).
After we dropped sister off, Sul told us what the sister was saying on the drive home. She said that the father went after to kill Daniela and Jessica after he attacked mom, but they hid in a rabbit cage. Daniela has told me that she hid from him in some locked thing, so now I know it was a hidden rabbit cage. Daniela told me that the only reason she is alive today is because God saved her from her dad. Sister told us that Daniela held her mom in her arms as she choked on her own blood. Daniela must've told someone that mom was trying to tell her something but never got it out before she passed because sister told Sul that. The father said he was going to kill them because they weren't going to have a mom anymore and should die, too. This sister thought when she got word that her mom was hurt, that she might have tried to take her own life because she was very depressed and threatened suicide from being unhappy about her life. Instead, it was the husband. Mom was very young when she had the oldest daughter, like around 15. This man was only the father of the 3 youngest. I guess while the father was on the run, he contacted the family and said he was going to kill all of them. I know this oldest sister has fear because she constantly asks if i know anything about his trial, how many years he might get, tell her if we hear anything, etc., every time we see her.
Our next steps are to start paperwork for passports and visas! So cool!! We are enrolled for school(s)! One starts Aug. 11th and the other Aug. 28th! I am wicked excited to have RPC team here this weekend. Luke's parents, Jack and Linda, fly in this week, too, and we are excited to meet with them and have some days before the team arrives. One of my BFF's, Belinda, is on this trip and I cannot wait to hang out with her and catch up. Once they leave another good friend is flying in from Cali with her friend. A great Jesus-lovin girl I roomed with here in the DR when I first moved, Alyssa.
I am so blessed. I do not say that flippantly. Last month, I felt the pressure of having FAITH that because God asked me to take these 2, that He would provide. I felt the need to keep reminding Him to do that for me. To, uh, do it quickly, Father. Naturally, I just had to be obedient and He followed through on His end with many of you. Thank you.
My heart is so filled with love. I love crawling into bed with these two munchkins whose lives have completely changed forever. Incredible, eh? Not by anything I did but by what God had planned. He has rescued them. More than once. Several times, including their souls through Christ. Suleidy and I stood outside Daniela's old home and were in awe of just how radical her life change was physically. This house's roof leaked water on her bed during the rain. When she lived in Santiago, she had no room, no bed of her own, no space to herself. It was a one bedroom place and she slept with her sister & husband or on the couch. No a/c, of course, but also no fan. It is HOT in Santiago.
And not just physical life change, but that those 2 crazy monkeys know they are loved here. Love. Genuine love. Not just by me, but by Naomi, Luke, & Ethan, Suleidy, and my friends Jamie & Matt (although they don't know them well, they like them a lot and talk about them)...and many, many more to come. Family and friends joined by Christ's love.
As Jessica came out to kiss me for the millionth time before bed (on the porch) I said, "I love you more than anyone else in this world, third after God and your mama!" She is used to this saying because I have said it a few times. She turned around from the door, smiled her classic no teeth grin and said, "God loves me the most!" I love when she repeats things I say. Verdad, hija. Verdad!
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