Gideon and Godsway

The day we arrived at Village of Life, located just minutes away from Lake Volta, we got the news that the other half of the team had been part of the rescue of two precious boys. That was not something they expected to get to do, and I think we were all completely surprised to hear the great news!

As I peeked in on them sleeping, I kept thinking, "This little tiny boy was a slave YESTERDAY!" He was just given NEW life right before our eyes!

The next morning, we got to meet Gideon and Godsway (yes, his name is "God's Way").

Godsway is only six, and the tiniest, skinniest little thing. You can see here how bony he is.

And, you should have seen this kid EAT! It was obvious that he was literally starving. And, I think he could eat like that for months and still have more weight to gain!

I love these little knobby knees in comparison to this kickball. Crazy!!

Godsway was a very sweet boy, and was a little shy at first. How easily he opened up, though, once he was given the chance to PLAY like a normal six year old.

Bubbles, balls, paints, crayons, playdough, and legos were all a big part in getting THESE beautiful smiles:

He bonded instantly with miss Hope, as she taught him to draw a heart (which he repeatedly drew on all of his papers after that), painted roads for him to drive his cars on, and taught him to write his NAME! It was amazing!!

Godsway's older brother, Gideon, is 11, and had actually been rescued once before. A different organization had returned him to his family, and they turned around and sold him again. That just broke my heart to know that he once thought he was safe, but was then given right back into the slavery he had left. I wanted him to KNOW for sure that he wasn't ever returning to that way of life.

Gideon was also a little shy and reserved that first morning, and I'm sure it was quite overwhelming to have so many white people right in his face. :) But, he warmed up quickly, and was soon sharing his smiles, and showing us his personality.

He is such an intelligent guy, and was EXCELLENT at both painting and playing soccer! We were all blown away with ALL the skills and talents these two boys have, and that we could already see in a few days time.

Isn't this painting amazing?! And, it was painted less than 24 hours after he was rescued from being trafficked. It makes me crazy in some ways...because THIS is inside of every single one of those precious children still on the lake. We have GOT to get them out, so they can paint colorful flowers too.

Gideon also really enjoyed the music...both the drums and the guitar fascinated him, and he spent alot of time doing this:

...watching Jaron do his thing. :)

It was amazing to get to know these boys, and to watch as two malnourished, scared children became happy, carefree children over just a matter of hours. We got to witness how life-giving these rescues really are. It is so quick! Within hours, these children have smiles, feel loved, and begin to experience what our children do every day: being treasured enough by another person to get food, clothing, education, shelter, and love. Wow. What incredible blessings those are.

I also loved watching how they adjusted to this environment and interacted with other kids who were also rescued from the same area. All of the sweet kiddos who we love so much, were so kind to both of these boys, and I loved watching them all play with each other. :)

"Baby Jacob" as he is called, has always been just that: the baby. Not really the big leader or the one anyone turns to for help. He is just a baby! But, Baby Jacob knew these boys from the lake, and got to be the one who helped these two boys to feel safe and secure. It was so neat to watch their friendship grow in those first days. (And, of course, Baby Jacob was willing to do most anything with them...from horseplay, to digging through suitcases, to getting a STASH of candy from Mr. Mark. He was happy to help in any way he could! :)

The older boys and girls were also so sweet and loving to Gideon and Godsway, and immediately began their roles as caretakers. This is Kwaku (one of my special friends) and Gideon, as they got ready to play soccer one afternoon.

These boys are REALLY really good at soccer. And, Gideon was amazingly tough and quick.

Oh, these sweet boys were sure a reminder for me of how uniquely purposed each of these children are. They were not made to be a fisherman's slave. They were made for much greater things. They also remind me of God's faithfulness. He is bringing them home, one by one, and He's allowing us to watch as He transforms their lives and their hearts right before our eyes. What a gift for everyone involved.