Shielded

M23 rebel army outside of deserted house after entering  Rutshuru

For those of you who read our first post about why we are adopting, I mentioned that our lives are a journey of learning to trust God as He stretches us beyond what we can bear.  Always in return, He reminds us that He is trustworthy.  We have yet another story of His power in our inability.  If you read the last post, just less than 2 weeks ago we were fearing for our childrens' lives in Goma.  There is a rebel malitia group by the name of M23, that had violently overtaken a town (Rutshuru, pictured above) just 25 miles north of their town and were presumed to be heading toward Goma.  What can we do from all the way over here?!  We can't legally take them out of the country yet.  In a country where murder of entire villages and rape of young girls to old women is commonplace, we could see catastrophe around the corner.  I had remembered reading Psalm 10 a few weeks ago and noting that it sounded a lot like what the fatherless are experiencing now in countries like the Congo.  The night I heard of this impending danger, all I could do was cry out to God and remind Him of what His word says about Him.  It says in Psalm 10 "Arise, O LORD, O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted.  ...  you have been the helper to the fatherless.  Break the arm of the wicked and evil doer...  O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more."  I pled with Him for their safety and prayed His Word back to Him. That night and still today I couldn't help but think about all of the orphans who DO die in the hands of wicked men.  What would be the fate of N and A?  Does God rescue every time?  No.  Why not?  I don't know.  But I trust that His wisdom is greater than mine and we too as fellow humans have some great measure of responsibility in the matter.  Maybe He's waiting on us.

I am so relieved to say that God did shield and protect them!  This is an excerpt sent from another mother waiting on children who are in the same orphanage with our children.  Her Rwandan friend lives on the border and takes food in to our children. She wrote:
             "I awoke yesterday to a very upsetting email from our Rwandan friend saying that things were looking bad for Goma and that the war was very near where the orphanage was. He was asking for prayers for the situation. Today, I woke up and there was a much better email from him. He said that the troops for some reason had fled into the forest and had not gone into Goma. Praise God they didn't go where our children are :) I cannot tell you how relieved I am today. God is taking care of our babies and all the other orphans in Goma :) He did say that people were still scared and not going far from their homes and most shops were closed. Food is very expensive."

The bible tells of armies of angels protecting those who were trusting in God in dire circumstances.  Could the troops have seen some warrior angels that night?!  I don't know but I am certain that God had his hand in it one way or another.  The next morning we saw news reports that the UN had sent in troops to protect the city! http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i-5mGUlfesCQ4brpbExqtUzgvx2g?docId=CNG.0237ab58454ec150010d2c920a06e63d.301  Sometimes, there are things in life that we just cannot control.  I am forever grateful that I know the God who holds the universe in His hands and who loves and fights for those who call on His name.