Unstoppable

It's not every day that you get to see the world from someone else's eyes. But today, I did. Around 11:20am I found myself in the car with my Mom and a piece of Africa herself. No more than two feet from me was a wealth of stories, trials, and triumphs and I didn't even have to ask questions. Her name was Dr. Laure, and in her soft, measured voice that is given to occasional eruptions of contagious laughter, she began to weave her life story.

But first, let me rewind a little bit. There's a family in our church that has been waiting to fetch their two adopted boys from the Democratic Republic of Congo for more than a year. They had three kids when they started the adoption process and at the beginning of the year found out that another biological child was expected. Finally, after much waiting and praying, the DRC government allowed for the boys to come to their home in the US; the day after the baby was born. Thus, a family of five became a family of eight in less than 48 hours. Imagine the craziness of God's timing and talk about a whirlwind of change! We're all wowed at the Lord's faithfulness.

Dr. Laure is the amazing, amazing woman who has fostered those two boys in the DRC and brought them over to their new home here at the beginning of this week. Since everyone in this booming family is super busy just getting readjusted (we're talking six kids all under the age of 6), we were asked to take her out and show her around the area, something my Mom and I were more than happy to do.

Back to the story. Dr. Laure told us how, at the age of 36 and five days before her 6th child was born, her husband died. Heartbroken, she grieved over her husband while nursing the baby that would never know his father. "God, what am I supposed to do? He will never know a father's love..." What God spoke to her nearly two years ago in light of that tragic event is what has brought great joy to so many families.
"There are many children out there that are suffering and do not know what it's like to be loved," He said, "I want you to love them." She was incredulous,
"But I cannot! I already have 6 of my own!"
Yet God's voice reassured her,
"Yes you can, because you know what it's like to suffer, they need you."

She prayed that God would give her the love for them and submitted to God's will. Two years later, she has her 6 children plus 8 other foster children under the age of 2. Again, wow.

All this she tells us in excellent English, her 4th language.

At one point we were talking about churches and she said, "I am Mennonite." Mom and I both smiled widely, "Really?! We're Mennonites too!" She was delighted. It was at that moment that I was absolutely astounded that God had brought us together. Not only does she share the same passions that Mom and I do (medical care for children and orphans, etc.) but she's also a Mennonite! Who would have guessed that this rainy and cold Thursday afternoon we would have been united with a Mennonite sister from the other side of the world?

Mom told her of my plans for nursing school and missions, voicing some concerns about the dangers of the locations that I want to go to. Dr. Laure laughed, "I think you should go where God calls you." So simple, yet so true. If I'm in the Lord's will, then I am in the safest place that I can possibly be.

We took her out to lunch and went to the mall to show her around. Her essence is sweet humility and she left a huge impression on me. Here is a woman who could have reached her wits end and let it overcome her. But instead she pushed on and allowed her suffering to empower her to help the suffering of others.

Her trials were not in vain.

She could have shaken her fist at God and said, "This is not the life that I wanted, what are You doing??" Instead, she has accepted the life that God has given her and has followed His will. The fruit of this following of His voice is that there is now an overjoyed family going to bed tonight knowing that everyone's where they should be: home. Her work is allowing other families to know that their most precious children are being cared for until they can bring them home. Her life is a testimony that proclaims Isaiah 61:

to grant to those who mourn in Zion—

to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;

that they may be called oaks of righteousness,

the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

They shall build up the ancient ruins;

they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

the devastations of many generations.

God makes beauty from the ashes and for Dr. Laure, this is nothing but the truth.

A smart and experienced doctor, a mother of 6+, a beautiful heart with a beautiful singing voice, pouring herself out to the least of these, truly this woman is unstoppable.

Yet somehow I think it has less to do with an unstoppable woman, and more to do with an unstoppable God.