A life of hope

Can you even imagine what it was like to be a little boy old enough to understand the world around you, old enough to feel the anger and see the fear in your fathers eyes as he prepared to end your life?  Imagine your life at 10 changing countries with people you didn't even know.  Then finally reaching the land of the free only to be faced with abuse and neglect. Imagine the fear, imagine the pain, imagine the loss of hope........

De found hope with one of his foster dads.  I asked De What was it about his foster dad that made an impact in his life?  His response was "even though I caused so much trouble.... police at our house every night, multiple times I was put in jail....... he still loved me."  Unconditional love was shown to De, Unconditional love gave him hope, unconditional love gave him a promise and the possibility of a future.

At the age of 15, De was adopted by a different person and was moved to Lakeville.  It was a hard transition leaving the foster father whom he trusted and move to a new home. While at Lakeville high school, De was met with hostility. He wanted to make a new life for himself but he was faced with the negativity and harshness that comes with life and life in high school.  Until he met my niece Katie.  For the first time in his life he found someone who understood him, who looked beyond his past and loved him for who he was deep inside.  Throughout their relationship, it has been a delicate balance of trust and respect.  What De found with Katie and the rest of her family was just that.... FAMILY.  A bond that runs deeper than color, deeper than blood and deeper than any friendship.  Katie and De were married just after high school.

Together Katie and De have sought strength together in the belief that our Heavenly Father has a plan for each and every one of us.  Their plan is to return to Africa on a missions trip and help the people of Kora.  I asked De how he felt about this. "Are you scared to return to a place with so many memories? Are you going to seek out your father and your family?" De said "this is what we feel led to do.  I want to bring hope to the people of Kora and show them they can have a future."  De also mentioned he found out he has a younger sister.  He would love to find her and do whatever he can for her, but he also feels it's like finding a needle in a haystack.  "In Africa it's not like here in America where you have addresses and ways to track people." People change names, change locations and many people die at a very young age.

I find it amazing that someone like De..... someone with such a past..... such a journey can move past his struggles and see the good, see the positive and not dwell on the negative.  De's personality RADIATES joy, RADIATES forgiveness, RADIATES hope for a bright future in where ever his path leads him...... I hope his path leads him back here with me and onto a personal training program because I LOVE when he pushes and motivates me to get bigger faster stronger!! But I know I am being super selfish!!  
De and Katie have a blog that you can follow them on, as well as support through prayer and monetary donations. You can find them here at: These muddy feet.

Thank you for following De's journey these past few days.   I hope you find inspiration to realize your life has meaning, your life has hope and your life has depth!!

Jen

He tries to keep food away from me...

and yes..... he often lifts me up!

he tries to motivate me.....