I apologize for the rushed version…I am frantically tying up loose ends before our departure…
It occurred to me today that many of you reading this blog may not know the story of the adoption of our son, Bonface Mzungu Osoro.
SO, without any further a due…
I left for Kenya (my second trip there) about 3 years ago seeking to co-lead a team of adults with my pastor and friend, Jim Holmes. Unlike our first trip over to Kenya (we left on 9/11/2001), which was obviously…and in some ways not so obvious, a very eventful trip…this trip was very peaceful and smooth. We arrived in Rongo, Kenya and began our time there by meeting our host pastors. My host pastor and now very good friend was/is Philip. He not only pastors a church, but also runs a deaf school and orphanage. We very quickly hit it off. He has a wonderful laugh and a huge heart. One day I asked him if he had any pictures of the children in his school/orphanage. With a big grin, like a proud father, he pulled out a stack of photos. As I began to flip through the pictures I began to say a quick prayer over each of the children. After looking /praying over 6 or 7 different children, I looked at the next picture in the stack and I heard Christ say to me “this is you son.” Well, I tried to blow that off as gas, or some other misunderstanding:) After an evening of good food and great laughs I went to bed. I could not, however, fall a sleep. I kept hearing the same voice saying over and over “this is your son.”
The next day Philip greeted me at the hotel where we were staying and we ate breakfast together. I again asked him if I could see his pictures. He graciously agreed and as I thumbed through them…my eyes fell upon the same boy. I began to inquire about the boy and discovered that his mother had died about 1 year prior and no one knew who the father was. I began to share with Philip what I thought Christ was telling me to do and he began to smile. I asked him if adopting Mzungu was even a possibility and Philip began to say “oh yes, most definitely…I will take care of it for you.”
I called Kathryn that day and asked her for her thoughts and she began to cry…I knew right away they were tears of joy. My wife loves children and we both have grown to have a genuine heart for the “fatherless”.
From that point forward…we have been pursuing the adoption of our son…His grandparents adopted me…what an HONOR!!!…Philip has made several trips to Nairobi, an 8 hour trip one way, to help us out…We’ve been sending Philip money to pay for Mzungu to attend a better school. The home study…the paperwork…have all lead to this!!!
Sooooooo, HERE WE GO!!!!!
