Roots in the Dominican Republic: Daniela's 4th Anniversary!

A whisper in the night woke me up to surrendering a call to take-in Daniela.

Tears and wrestling with the Lord all night turned into a yes, Your desire and will, not mine. I finalized it with her sister on a Friday and Monday I picked her up. She had nothing packed to bring. Her neighbor even asked for her shoes back because they were borrowed. We both were a little shocked.

Life was horrible in the beginning but I clung to the fact that God led me to the girls and anything else would be disobedient. I don't even know how I lived without them now.

I sit with D often asking her to tell me her thoughts. I want to hear the things the devil is saying to counter act what is real and what isn't real. There are lots of secrets around her life that I am slowly releasing as she gets older, too. I'm against telling her a story when she is 18 or 30. Knowing the truth helps her to understand and process it all now.

She told me a few weeks ago, “I didn’t think I was ever going to be loved again. My Mom was gone, my Dad wanted to kill me, and my (older) sisters didn’t love me. No one loved me after my Mom died. I wasn’t even allowed to cry about my Mom. I would have to hide in the bathroom to cry. Then, I moved here.”

The devil’s lies run deep. I’m thankful for Jesus whom sets us free and replaces lies with TRUTH. A miracle took place the day mom died.

A miracle.

2 little girls were kept from harm from a demon-possessed man screaming, “I killed your mom and I’m going to kill you.”

But Jesus never allowed it to happen.

Dad never found them even though they were feet away and Jessica had been hysterical in screams. Yet, Dad could not hear it? I do not know. I just know Jesus said no. They were saved from death. The lion not only didn't kill them, it did not even scratch them (Daniel 6). Daniela's name is derived from the name Daniel, "God is my judge." Jessica means God beholds, or God sees.

Indeed.

This is Love...From a Savior.

2 years later the Holy Spirit would have me pray a very specific prayer over my kids to a Jehovah Witness claiming my girls as His kids and that will be in His Kingdom. Then, months later they were both Saved from this earthly life and died with Him, to Live with Him (2 Tim).

D said she hid Jessica and ran back into the house to help Mom. To see what she could do. She was 9. She stood frozen-- like we have in dreams when you can't move, as she watched Dad swing a hammer at Mom's body. She said Dad was emotionless. No crying and no anger, just swinging and swinging like a robot. He looked up at her. Looked at Mom, then turned to Daniela slowly walking towards her. Finally the frozen body effect melted, and she ran out of the house screaming and the neighbor teens came out running to help. Dad ran for the hills.

BUT.

The real Father ran in. Jehovah Rapha. The One that heals. The One that is capable of erasing all of this horror and replacing it because He is Jehovah Shalom. I asked D to tell me about her thoughts the other day. Tell me what the devil is saying...her response was nothing to do with her mom and dad and the trauma. It was an everyday kid thing about getting along with her cousin. Inside I cried the happiest of tears driving and looking out the window-- pacing my breathing to not allow tears to fall out of my eyes. Really??

Happy 4 years, mija! In a few more days, we would talk the other older sister into letting me have Jessi.