Who would have guessed that there would be another adventure with men and guns?

The “Hawaii Five-O” scene played out when a shiny sports car zoomed up within inches of the front gate of the orphanage. Out jumped two men wearing black pilot-type sunglasses and dressy business suits. They adjusted their jackets as they scrutinized the area, as if they expected to be attacked at any moment. The cook and I watched from the kitchen window, puzzled, but immediately concerned. We hadn’t been notified of anybody coming for a visit. Were they coming to the orphanage? A tapping on the gate with keys answered that question, so with a prayer, the cook and I went to the gate. One of the men said they wanted to see one of the children—Lila*. I explained that the children were in school, but they insisted on coming into the house anyway. No way am I letting you past this gate. They must have heard my thoughts because one of the men handed me a court document giving them permission to come visit the orphanage. I had to honor the order. They came into the kitchen and looked into the living room, as if they were checking out a place for rental. It confused me, because I didn’t know what they were looking for, and they didn’t say a word. One went down the hall to the bedroom, and the other one leaned forward looking out the picture window. A bulge of his gun showed under his jacket. It set my heart racing. Were they mafia or drug lords? Keep us covered with your protection, Lord. I knew that if one had a gun, so did the other. However, after the quick perusal around the house, they seemed satisfied with what they saw. They said adios and left as quickly as they came. That stirred the cook and me up really well that day, but the story wasn’t over.

We kept the official document that gave these men permission to see the child, and it turned out to be a forgery. The court had no record of this document. A few weeks later, the court called for an audience and requested that we bring Lila in on a particular day. The man who had given me the false document turned out to be the child’s uncle, and he spoke English. He sure didn’t use it at our first visit. The judge acted as if the false document didn’t exist. In the process of the court audience, the judge stated that the uncle would be given custody of Lila. After the audience, I went over to him and asked him why he lied to me with the forged paper. He just smiled, took the hand of his niece, and left. I felt thankful that no harm had come to anybody, but I was disturbed at the wide range of corruption in this country and its affect in the lives of the children. This may or may not have been a case of bribery, but it added another dimension to what we faced in the work of the orphanage.

Thankfulness filled my heart for God’s protection. This story could have gone in a different direction, but we put God in control, and He proved His faithfulness to us once again. I grew in trust with each experience, and there were many more coming my way.

*Name has been changed.