It's a Small World ... and a Big God After All

Jim Hagen was a member of Gold Country Baptist Church (GCBC) here in the small town of Shingle Springs, CA, before he retired and moved to Idaho. Several years ago when he was in Congo on a trip (he also has a family connection there), he met a seminary student named Didier ... and a wonderful relationship developed between Didier and his adopted "Papa Jim."

A young boy named Joel came into Didier's care in the ensuing years and Jim knew of a family in his church in Idaho who wanted to privately adopt. I think it was in 2007 that the Cowley family in Jim's church in Idaho was able to adopt this boy from Didier's home.

In the summer of 2010, Jim Hagen and Didier visited California, and let our church know Didier would be able to share in our morning service if we desired. This is what Jaime wrote on our blog:

"Last June 2010 a native pastor from Congo (aka DRC) came to share with our church ...

He was hard to understand.

He spoke for only 15 minutes.
It was riveting!
It was life-changing.

He spoke of the despair and devastation in his country ... Babies are discarded ... Life is bare and hard. But this mans hope is not in this world. His hope is in the Lord. He lives each day for the hope of glory!

His name is Didier Mukotshi. He is a pastor of 2 churches, father of 6, and has opened his heart to orphans. When he came to visit our church he asked for help with the well because it was necessary to have it to open the orphanage (by January 1, 2011).

I knew I could take a baby from the other side of the world, give love, home, family, care... the Gospel. I knew this was not beyond our physical and emotional capabilities. But I did not know how.

We started the process of a "Independent International Adoption." It took tons of time, research, reading, questioning... to understand what that is and how we were going to do it. [A big part of this was phone and email conversations between Jaime and Amy Cowley in Idaho, as talking with someone who had actually completed an adoption through Didier and this country was vital for us having the comfort level to proceed] There were only about 10 adoptions in the DRC in 2009. Total.

Our goal was to have the American homestudy process done by January 1, 2011, so we could take the first baby available. We did! We had all the piles of paper and requirements ready. We had prayed about age, sex, number of children to take... We felt a boy, under two would be best for our family."

 

 

Back to November 2011. Another family that used to be a part of GCBC, the Price family, moved to Idaho a couple years ago. Jaime told them about Didier speaking at their church this past Sunday and the Price family visited and took these pictures with him.

What's interesting is that Mike, the boy's math teacher, is married to Amy Cowley below - they are the couple who first adopted through Didier and in some sense helped start the whole process that has brought other children adopted through Didier to our community in CA, including the Price's former pastor's family, the Laytons! Here is the Cowley family with Didier, and Joel has become quite a handsome young man.

Some might say "it's a small world after all." I would say "He's a big God after all."

 

 

God's Providence moves in mysterious ways. Consider some of the providential connections:

- If Jim hadn't been a trusted member of GCBC we probably wouldn't have brought a complete stranger named Didier to come to speak to our church in June 2010

- If we hadn't met Didier and had this providential connection with a trustworthy pastor from Congo opening an orphanage at the same time God was moving in our hearts toward adoption, we undoubtedly would not have ever pursued adoption from Congo, much less a risky private adoption

- If it weren't for our church helping Didier's property get a well so they could open their orphanage in the time frame they did ...
-if it weren't for Jim's church in Idaho having a family who had already adopted through Didier Jaime could talk to (Amy) ...
-if it weren't for us meeting with Jim Hagen to discuss our adoption and inviting our friends the Wilmarths and Loucks who also wanted to adopt and were right behind us in the process ...
-if I hadn't gone to Congo in August with the Wilmarths (I was initially considering not going) and let Didier know we would still like to adopt a little boy if one became available ...
-if it weren't for some of the providential connections with people in Congo we were able to establish or strengthen on that first trip ...
-if God hadn't providentially guided us to Matteus on September 6, 2011 ...
-if God hadn't given me personal contacts with key people in Congo who knew my situation and loss with my first son and wanted to help me in extraordinary ways to adopt the second time in a miraculous timeline ...

 

 

We could multiply all kinds of "if's" ... but as I looked at 5 Congolese kids last night who were all playing together at the Louck's home (Matteus Layton, Brandon and Kara Wilmarth, Jamie and Jordan Loucks), I could only marvel at the Providence of God who not only predestines our spiritual adoption (Ephesians 1:5) but also orchestrates all things according to His sovereign will (v. 11). It's hard to imagine not seeing the joy that these little ones have brought to our families from the series of events above, and it makes me marvel at the God who has adopted me and works all things together for good for His children. 

 

 

He's a big God after all.