A boy in Africa…

Photo courtesy of David Held

What a wacky last month or so– earthquakes of huge magnitudes rocked Haiti, Chile, Argentina leaving tsunami threats in their wake…it’s hard to fathom all this suffering. And yet, I am reminded that these are the “birth pains” that foretell of the return of the king who will make all things new again. It’s so hard to reconcile suffering and mercy in the same breath, Lord help me believe.

When I hear Solomon’s story, I can’t help but believe. This boy was orphaned when his only living family member, his father, died several years ago. Solomon grew up suffering a lonely life, but God was merciful in providing him a home at Kolfe boys orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Not only that, Solomon was in his room on that day that my family visited Kolfe, and went out to meet them when he heard this lady was giving hugs to all these boys telling them that they are loved and special. That lady who didn’t want to visit Kolfe– the odler boys orhpanage. She thought it would be a threatening place. She was shaken to her shoes to see these boys, and Jesus told her to be his arms and hug them. God urged Solomon outside and both that lady–Mama Eileen and Solomon were forever changed. Too old to be officially adopted, Eileen & fam adopted him through email, sending care packages with other adoptive families going to Ethiopia. Solomon went from being lonely and depressed to awakened to new life in Christ, aware for the first time of what it meant to be a believer. The Lord proved himself able to care for even Solomon, a lonely African orphan, and now he wants to share that love with others.

Now, this story gets crazier. (Which is so like God.) Mama Eileen is my mom. If you know my mom, you know she never wanted to go to Africa. She went, along with my dad and sister, to pick up her babies, Josiah, Keziah and Keren. But then she went back!! My family really felt that the Lord wanted her to go to Solomon’s graduation from high school. So she went. Solomon had been failing classes when he was depressed, but with people now in his life who care about him and pay for his school, he wanted to do his best, to prove them proud. When they called his name, and only then, did they find out that he was graduating as VALEDICTORIAN.

Solomon has been given the prestigious honor of a full scholarship to the college at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. This is unheard of as an international student. This is so God. The only thing standing between him coming to school here is on this Friday, March 5. The TOEFL exam. He must pass this exam in order to get a visa. Please pray with us that he will be able to pass without trouble. And then, pray with us that the US will grant him a visa for studying, which they can be leery of granting to orphans, for fear they won’t return home. But, you see Solomon is not a Mestas. He is God’s. Who knows why else my mom and this boy were brought together, if not to bring him to study here in Wake Forest, NC for an even bigger picture!?

Please pray for his visa, for his exam, and for the money to get him here (plane ticket and health insurance). For more on Solomon’s story of suffering mingled with mercy, see http://jobsdaughters.blogspot.com.