homecoming

Since Tuesday night I have been so anxious to share this experience with you. 

Christine is from the Congro, but I titled this post "homecoming" because on Tuesday night Christine came home to her husband and three sons.

A little background on this families story. I will try to keep it short!

This family lived in the Congo during a time of civil unrest. Rebel armies seem to foreign to me that they are something that I cannot even understand. For whatever reason, {I believe it had something to do with being associated with a certain political group or religion} they believed that the father's life was at risk. 

Because they felt that he was ask risk, the church sent him away to a safe place during this time of uncertainity. While their father was away, the mother and one of her sons went to the well to get water for the family. 

She never returned. She was kidnapped by the rebel army. The same army that the father was in hiding from. 

The young boys {between the ages of 6 and 13} were left at home and quickly realized that she was not coming back. The oldest boy, Peter, assumed the father role and fled the house in fear that the rebels would soon come to their home for them as well. 

They did the only thing they knew to do - they ran. They traveled on foot for 300 miles. Can you even imagine the weight of responsibility. After approx. 300 miles of traveling, the boys were eventually picked up by the Red Cross. Through a long process, they were transferred to an orphanage in Kenya. It was not until two-three years later that they heard word that their father was alive. They were reunited and after a bunch of red tape, they came to the USA as refugees. 

They have been living in Lexington for over five years. 

From 2001 until 2008 they assumed that their mother had been killed by this rebel army. 

In 2008 they were told that she was ALIVE! 

Since 2008, they have been going through multiple processes to bring her home to them. It takes a little longer when the nation you are from believes that you are deceased!

Praise God, on Tuesday night she came home. 

It had been nine years since they last saw one another.

The boys waited anxiously, holding roses for their mother.  

Waiting in amazement that the day was actually here. It was really happening.

 

  

 Then, they saw her coming down from the escalator. At the first sight of her one of the boys shouted with joy "THAT IS MY MOM!" and threw his rose into the air!

It was one of the most amazing embraces I have ever seen. So full of joy and so overwhelming. 

Her youngest son was the first to grab her. They hugged and cried into each others arms.

  

  

 

 

Second to seeing her embrace her sons and husband, was this hug. This blond women, Paula, has been a mother figure to these boys for the past five years. She met them through the High School soccer team.

She is truly a saint. Literally every time that these brothers were anywhere E and I would ask them if they needed a ride and their response was always "no, Ms. Paula is coming to get us."  

When these two women embraced, I heard Christine say "my sister." That is truly amazing to me. Only because of the love of God, Ms. Paula cared for these boys. Although they had never met, Christine heard of the way this women cared for her family, and because of their shared faith she called her sister. Christine knew that they are both precious children of God, and "sister" was the only appropriate way to greet her. 

 

  

This picture makes me laugh. While this was going on I heard someone say "there's no way these people are going to get this one for the 11:00 news ... he's preaching to them a full sermon." 

 

Christine and her three boys. Just to give you a reference, she had not seen the one of the far right since he was six years old. I also love how they all dressed up so fancy to greet her!

Pure joy.

 

 

And last but not least - one of my favorite parts of the night was hearing a 1st grade boy tell Christine that he has been praying for her to come home each morning and each night for two years.

No wonder God tells us to have faith like a child.