Seeing Her for the First Time

She was about two weeks old when we saw her.  We came into Parakou for the February Day of Prayer--I believe everyone came in for this one.  As we came in, Mary a midwife from Bembereke and a good friend who knew we were looking to adopt said to me, "You have to see this baby.  L. is taking care of a Bariba baby, but she is beautiful.  You have to see her.  She looks like she could be Fulani!"  When I found she was Bariba I wasn't really excited to take a look at her, but Mary insisted! I walked over to the baby bathtub that had a small pad in it to make it into a comfortable little bed for this precious looking little baby girl.  As I took a longer look, I fell in love with this two week old baby girl.  She was gorgeous--wavy dark hair, long legs, and toes.  Just the most precious thing! 

The devotional that day was the story of Ruth and how she refused to go back to her home land to stay with her mother-in-law. She chose to stay with Naomi!  Here was this tiny baby named Ruutu (Ruth) and Milton and I talked the whole afternoon about this tiny little thing.  She had been brought to the mission by her family, after her mother died.  Pasteru Bio Saka had brought her to the mission. She was wearing a sweet little lavendar dress wrapped in a blue towel. He walked in with her and said he needed to find someone to take this little one.  She was a week old.  M.B. who usually took in orphans was on home assignment and L. said she would take her.  L. was a single older lady who not only spoke Bariba and could communicate with the family, but made sure Bake Ruutu was well cared for.  She made sure she got the medical care she needed. She had some really cute little rompers made for her that matched a couple of her outfits. As we listened to Ruutu's story that evening at a restaurant, I itched to get my hands on her.  I wanted to take her home then.  We told L. that if the family was willing for Bake Ruutu to be adopted that we wanted to adopt her.  We had seen two other babies who were staying with other missionaries on the Parakou compound but we did not feel the attraction to them that we did with Bake Ruutu. It was very difficult to leave the next day and return to Kandi, not knowing if we would be able to get her or not. We didn't even know what we were getting ourselves in for.  God was not finished showing his will for us.  He wanted us to know beyond a shadow of doubt that this adoption was his will! If I didn't know so, I soon would!

From France and the leather African baby face, an article in Moody Monthly, a meditation on Ruth.  What else would God use to overwhelm us with His will?  Have you have similar experiences in your life or through your adoption experience?  Share those with us!