From One Family to Another

Monday was our last day with our family in Congo. Tuesday afternoon Didier left his biological family there and I left my spiritual family there, and together we climbed on an airplane to see our family in the States Wednesday evening (Thursday AM on Congo time). Didier considers Papa Jim Hagen in Idaho his father in every way, Didier is an adopted son to Jim, and it is a joy for them to be together, even though it is sad that Didier is away from his other family in Congo. Papa Phil and his son Matteus are also overjoyed to be together with their Stateside family, although it is sad to be away from the family in Congo as well. The sadness would be deeper if I wasn't with my son and my brother on the trip, my brother who has also gone from one family to another, my brother who I will see again next month when he speaks at our church, brother Didier.

Matteus has gone from one world to another, from one family to another, from Congo to California, from Africa to America, from his temporary family to his forever family. We look forward to introducing him to his new church family as well. He has gone "from one family to another" in more ways than one, and so have I (and so have all Christians).

It's difficult to describe the emotions and though our 36-hour journey over land and sea is now over, a new journey has now just begun.

Here is the sun setting on our final day on the other side of our journey

Didier is in the background playing his guitar. Matteus' first love, Didier's moto-car is on the right and some sweet kids in the family community are on the left. The world is their playground and their sandbox is endless.

If you were around these kids here you would understand why it’s hard to be leaving.

It was sad to be leaving these people who have made such an impact in my life and will always have a special place in my heart. My sadness was alleviated by the sweetness knowing I am bringing one of them with me who will always have a special place in our family. I pray he will make an impact on other lives in America that may never be able to travel to the country of his birth where I was privileged to spend more than 5 weeks this year.

Last time I was here, I tried for three days, to get him to smile, tickling, etc., but of all the kids at the orphanage he was the only one I couldn’t get to smile. He hadn't had much to smile about in life, apparently. Here is him in my arms when I first met him.

It's amazing how much he has changed to be with the Christian family in Lubumbashi and now with ours in such a short time. Now he has the biggest smile of them all when he’s with dad and here is giving me the thumbs-up in the orphanage (and the moto-car in his hand helps too!)

He's like a whole new person, kind of reminds me of what some Scriptures say about a greater spiritual transformation when we're transferred from one kingdom to another, from one citizenship to another, from one family to another.

Below is on the wall of the orphanage from Psalm 68: “A Father to the fatherless … God sets the lonely in families”

Beneath it are the names and hand-prints of the children adopted through Didier who are now in America. On the right is the newest addition to the wall.

The Scripture teaches us that we all were in a different family (Ephesians 2:3) BUT GOD saved us (v. 4-9), made us His handiwork (v. 10), brought us near (v. 13) to Him our new Father (v. 18) into the family and household of Christ (v. 19). Though my recent physical journey was one of my hardest days (1.5 days to be exact) by God's grace we endured for the joy set before us. It was infinitely harder for our heavenly Father and His Son to bring us into His family, but I am so thankful that Christ endured the cross for the joy set before Him so that we can experience the Father's love (Hebrews 12).

There is great rejoicing in heaven everytime a child is brought home in the Father's love (Luke 15), and yesterday there was great rejoicing on earth in the Sacramento airport, from one family to another.