Welcome Home Gift

WE HAVE BIG NEWS......

We recently welcomed another member into our family. 

Her name is Gift and she is 13 years old ( 14 soon) 

I ( Leah) first met Gift on my very first trip to Uganda in 2010. 

At the time she was a very frail and sick little girl. She'd actually only just come out of hospital that day and was back at the children's home I was visiting ( the one where Roberts grew up).

She was having issues with her health again, with complications of HIV. Having been abandoned on the side of the road as a toddler, her body was weak and frail and she had been picked and taken to The Salvation Army childrens home. 

Rob had been there when she was bought in so had known her from that first day. 

When I met her that first day - she quickly attached herself to me, and I to her. She looked about 2 years old, but was more likely 3/4 ( we don't know her exact age obviously due to her being abandoned and very sick when found). 

I spent the next week with a little shadow with me, she went with me everywhere I could take her. She'd sleep near me and laughed and smiled often, which was something the managers said she didn't do very often. 

I remember in that week that God was writing her name on my heart very strongly. I'd love to give her a home one day I had always said.... but didn't know what the future would hold. 

Maybe thats why I didn't give Robert much notice that first time I met him that week, I was too busy playing mum to a gorgeous little girl :) 

Fast forward 3 years and I am back in Uganda and Rob and I reconnect and fall in love ( or I did... He had done that 3 years earlier apparently ;) 

The topic of Gift came up - and we both said if one day she needed a home, she would find one with us. At the time she was very happy and settled at the childrens home, obviously surrounded by other kids who had become like siblings, and staff who were like her mums and aunties and uncles. 

2014 visiting with Mum and Dad

012So we made the commitment to visit her when we could ( she was many hours from where we ended up in the North of Uganda) and we would provide support for her whenever it was needed. Despite how little we got to see her over those years ( usually only once or twice a year) she told all her school friends she had a mzungu mama. 

She had the opportunity to meet my parents and youngest brother and sil and nieces when they were in Uganda. She was very shy at those visits! 

Late 2016 pregnant with Ezrael

Fast forward many years and a month before I was due to return to Australia to have Adlai - we got a message that the children's home Gift was at would be closing ..... and that obvioulsy Gift had no one. They knew we loved her and so of course we said we would take her. 

I hopped on the plane not having any idea of how that would all work out. Gift had no idea and it was too late for me to get to the village to visit and tell her. 

Roberts did some of the paperwork and speaking to necessary officials etc and we thought it might all happen - then we find out before he returns to Australia that no the children's home isn't closing now and so if we want to we can still apply for custody etc, but she can remain where she is for now until we get back from Australia. 

So we decided we would continue the process when we got back to Uganda so we could meet with Gift and see how she felt and go from there. Thinking that would only be 6 months or so it didn't seem like a big deal .... then Covid happened of course. 

But everything seemed fine since we knew she was happy and settled where she was so we werent' worried.... - until about a month before Christmas 2020 - we get news that, no the children's home is in fact closing and Gift will definitely need a place to go, and that it will be closing within a matter of weeks. 

My heart hurt so bad! Here she was needing a home, a home we had always said we'd provide - and we weren't even there! 

I cried a lot of tears in the shower .... not knowing what to do. 

Our last visit before I came 2019

Thankfully God had it sorted, we made contact with the probation officer and they video called us and interviewed us. We explained the situation, and explained that while we werent' there now - our SIL and brother are living in our home and there is room for Gift and they will love her as part of the family. 

Months went by - literally, while all the necessary departments tried to sort themselves out! The children's home was closed, and all the other children went to extended families or people they knew. Gift meanwhile was left at the children's home ( with the managers ) waiting for news of what was to happen...... it was terrible not having any idea of how she was feeling about it all... we weren't even sure what she knew... did she even know she was coming to us? Did she know we weren't actually in Uganda and she'd be going to stay with our family??

Anyways - after some time we finally got the call that it was sorted - we were granted custody and she would be dropped to our place in Uganda in two days time. 

She would be free to live and be raised by us for the time being and when we can get back to Uganda we can make it more official if thats what everyone desires. 

So finally - Gift came home! 

Honestly it was a huge emotional thing for me.... I'd dreamt of this... but now I wasn't there to help her through the process. I'd orginally dreamed of taking in this little girl named Gift... now she's a teenager... with all these huge emotions I'm sure about what has occured the last few months but again....we aren't there. 

It was also a huge emotional week for me as I was facing some new health challenges - so on one hand I had this new horrible new diagnosis we were (and are) still processing, Rob was about to sit his exam and Gift came home... all in the one week! 

But at the end of the day.... the only thing that mattered was that SMILE!

So precious seeing her sitting at our home

She's home

Doing homework and study with our sister in law

She was happy - she instantly connected with little Eden ( our nephew) and my sister in law had made up a nice bed for her and they worked hard to make her feel welcomed. 

Within a few days she was registered into a new school right near our house and was settlnig in.... we finally got to have a video call and to hear the words that She is happy to be home with us and our family... whatever that looks like at the moment was incredible. 

In her new school uniform

She's been settling in beautifully and we know she is loved and cared for. 

Who knows when we will actually get to live as a family, in the same country, or same house.... but in the end I guess it doesn't matter - because she is safe, loved and cared for.