"God, bring her back."
I will never forget the morning that Marie came into school and announced that she was not going home but instead moving into the girls house. She had it all arranged and she would be living with us starting that very day. "What's going on Marie?" we asked. She explained that her stepfather hated her, wanted her dead and she wouldn't be going back. Greici and I gave the kids a long recess and went to the house to talk with the mom. We told her we had heard Marie's story and would now love to hear from her. She started in, "If she said he's mean---he is. If she said he hits her--he does. If she said he's a drunk--he is. And if she said he is touching her privates--he is."
Their home was the size of our dining room and all seven of them slept in the same double bed...a recipe for disaster for Marie so we scooped her up that day and worked to get paperwork prepared. She is the sweetest thing. She looks a lot like I did as a child and I am so proud of the way she advocated for herself.
We could see New Hope rise up in her as she dared to dream for more!
Two weeks later mom came to pick her up. She blamed the step dad and father. But it seems that Marie is more valuable to her as house help and nanny. Her own little Cinderella. We are praying that God protects her. We are praying that God moves in the heart of her mother. We are believing that God has plans for her life that include her safety and much more. We hoping for the Cinderella ending.
We went to visit her the other day after she missed two days of school. She was sitting at her front door and looked very ill. When we asked what was wrong she said she was mad that her mom had left and refused to take her. When we inquired about her health she said she needed insulin but there was no money. When we asked if she had eaten she said no. We asked if she ate the day before, again the answer was no. We scooped her up for a second time and carefully walked her weak little body to the house to get a meal.
The girls prayed for Marie, "God bring her back."
Join us in prayer for Marie. We know that what God has started he will be faithful to complete and we praise him with singing!