Story of Zeke

 A short story about Zeke.

Zeke is our great nephew and was adopted by our niece some 10 years ago.  He also has a sister who was adopted by another local family and her name is Bertie.  They both were adopted from Zoey's Place in Malawi, Africa.

Here is how Zoey's place was born. 

"The story of Zoey’s Place began on a mission trip to Malawi, Africa in the summer of 2013. God lead a team of missionaries from Rock Hill Baptist Church on a very specific journey to help a special orphan named Trinity that was only a few days old. Their encounter with Trinity opened their eyes to the life threatening issues that Malawian orphans face. God began to stir a great vision within the hearts of these willing missionaries. It was a vision that seemed too huge to ever be a real possibility, but with God ALL things are possible.  Zoey’s Place is named after a beautiful baby girl, and though her time here on earth was short, the lives she has impacted are too numerous to count.  We believe that God ordained this moment. While here with us, Zoey and her family showed God’s love and grace to so many. Zoey’s Place will also show God’s love and grace to many hungry children in Africa. Orphans at Zoey’s Place will not only receive food for their physical body but food for their spirit, as they are being taught about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Malawi, Africa is home to over 1,400,000 orphans. Malawi is a small country on the southeastern side of Africa. Year after year it remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Health issues such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, cholera, typhoid and many other diseases along with unsanitary living conditions and poverty cause the life expectancy of a Malawian to be very low, leaving many children as orphans. These orphans are extremely vulnerable to starvation and disease, especially in remote villages. These orphans are literally “the least of these.” We believe these children matter to God, so Zoey’s Place seeks to be the hands and feet of Jesus by intervening in the lives of these precious children."

About Zoey...

 Parents of Zoey.....  Samantha and Mark

Samantha is our niece and her husband is Mark.  Their beautiful baby girl (Zoey) passed away in 2012 from complications that she had had since birth.  Zoey was one year old when she passed in 2013  which was the same year that God began a ministry that had not been named yet...

That very year, the mission in Africa was named after Zoey Kate.  

The mission was quickly built and in no time, the building was filled with orphans.  Zeke and Bertie were two of the little ones at the mission.  Our other niece (Samantha's sister) Jiffy, made a trip to the mission the following year and her heart was led by God to adopt Zeke.  After sharing with her husband what God had placed upon her heart and much prayer, Jiffy and her husband (who is also named Sam) flew back to Africa to begin the process of adopting Zeke.  After several months and several trips they were able to bring their little boy home.  At this same time Zeke's sister was adopted by a very loving family and she now lives here in the same city as her brother Zeke. They both attend the same High School...  

There is so much more to this story...Perhaps some day, Zeke's parents will write a book about how God moved not only in their lives, but in the lives of these orphaned kids.. 

By the way....Zeke's adoptive parents had 3 boys and another one on the way....They are now parents to 5 big boys...

Family is important!!

Shug.....

   

Wordless Wednesday

 

Wordless Wednesday:

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Celebrating #97

 Celebrating 97 Years of a Life Well Lived

This weekend, we gathered to celebrate a very special milestone—my father-in-law’s 97th birthday! What a blessing it is to celebrate nearly a century of life, love, memories, and family.

There were about 20 of us who were able to be there, even though we missed another 15 or so family members who couldn’t make the trip. While we certainly wished everyone could have been there, we made the most of every moment together.

The facility where he lives has a beautiful private lake, so what better way to celebrate than with a little fishing? And yes… the birthday boy caught a couple of fish! Now, to be completely honest, there may have been a little assistance reeling them in, but in our book, if the fish made it to shore, it absolutely counts! At 97 years old, you’ve earned the right to let someone else do the heavy lifting.

After fishing, we enjoyed a wonderful meal together, followed by gifts, birthday cake, plenty of drinks, and even more laughter. Those are the moments that become treasured memories.

Of course, we couldn’t let the day end without taking family pictures. Looking at the lineup of great-grandchildren made me smile. The boys have definitely taken over the family tree! They outnumber the girls by quite a bit, and to make matters even funnier, those boys are now towering over the family’s two great-granddaughters. I don’t know what they’re feeding those boys, but whatever it is, it’s working!

Our Zeke...(has on the Texas Christian Shirt) was adopted when he was only 3 by Sam's niece and husband.  He was living at Zoey's place which is a ministry orphanage in Malawi Africa.  (More on this story in a later post)

As I watched everyone laughing, fishing, eating cake, and simply enjoying being together, I couldn’t help but think about how precious these days really are. Birthdays like this one isn't just about adding another candle to the cake. This one was about celebrating a legacy.

Ninety-seven years represent countless stories, lessons learned, prayers answered, hardships overcome, and generations influenced. Looking around that lake, I realized that each child, grandchild, and great-grandchild is part of that legacy, and this is what I would call and incredible gift.

Life moves quickly. Children grow taller before we realize it. Parents become grandparents, then great-grandparents. Calendars fill up, and schedules get busy. But days like this remind us to pause, gather, laugh a little louder, take the pictures, tell the stories, and celebrate the people who have helped shape our lives.

One day, these family photos will become priceless treasures. The fish may not have been record-breakers, and the cake will soon be forgotten, but the memories we made together will last far longer.

Happy 97th Birthday to an amazing father-in-law. Thank you for showing us that a life isn’t measured only by years, but by the people who gather around you to celebrate those years.

Here’s to family, fishing, laughter… and to having someone nearby who’s willing to reel in the fish when needed!

Shug....

Happy Sunday Sweet Friends

Happy Sunday, Sweet Friends. ☀️

What if, before asking God for anything today, we simply thanked Him for everything?

For the prayers He answered…

For the ones He lovingly said “not yet” to…

And even for the doors He closed that we didn’t understand at the time.

I posted on Friday about our Air Conditioning not cooling.......  I was supposed to go to Dallas with Shanda and Mylee on a shopping trip that day, the very day the air quit cooling.  I have no idea what God may have been protecting us from, but all day on the Thursday before, I had an uneasy feeling about us making this trip to Dallas. When I went to bed, I asked the Lord to give me peace about it or to close the door for us going.  

Well....the air stopped cooling around 1:00 am and the very next morning we had to call for someone to come fix the air conditioning.  Not only were we not able to go to Dallas (I needed to be here for the service guy) but, the air company worked us in that morning and my air was up and running before noon.  I do believe this was a God thing.  

Looking back, there have been many times when I have been disappointed… only to discover later that God was protecting me?

Sometimes our greatest blessings are the things that never happened.

As I begin this Sunday, I don’t want to focus on what I think I am missing. I'm going to Look around at what God has already placed in my hands.

A home, my family, friends, church, a sunrise, the birds singing early this morning, and His mercies that are new every morning..

It is wonderful to realize that gratitude has a beautiful way of turning “enough” into abundance.

I am already excited about the wonderful things that God is going to put before me today. 

Have a blessed Sunday! ❤️

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” — Psalm 107:1

Shug....💛