The phone rang, and my hand groped around the bedside table for it. With the phone in hand, I turned on the light, squinting at the clock. Who would call at 3:00 am?

“Halo,” I said in a croaky voice.

“Is this Shadow of His Wings?” a woman asked.

“Yes, it is,” I responded.

“This is the children’s court in Villa Nueva. We have rescued three children who need a safe place to stay,” explained the woman.

Waking up slowly, I decided this had to be a joke. We had never received calls from the court during the night, and I didn’t even know if they had a court in Villa Nueva. “I didn’t realize you folks worked during the night,” I replied, fishing for the jokester to come forth.

“Señora Bishop, we work at all hours, depending on the need. These three children, ages 2, 7, and 8, are in need of a place to stay while there is an investigation. Can we bring them to your orphanage?”

Still not convinced that this woman was serious, I decided it was best to go along with her. “Yes, of course, we will take them. When can we expect them to be here?”

In my mind, I figured we had at least three hours to prepare for them, because it was a three-hour drive from the City. Since this case would require official documents, I could add another couple of hours.

The court secretary committed only to the fact that it would be an early morning arrival, thanked me, and then hung up. I sat in bed wondering who would joke about something like this. If true, it had to be a serious situation for a middle-of-the-night call. I imagined several horrific scenarios that may have prompted it. Unable to sleep the rest of the night, I called our social worker before the sun came up, so she could prepare for the girls. She also thought it might be a joke, but agreed that we needed to treat this circumstance as true.

The police and court official drove through the gate of Shadow of His Wings at nine in the morning. We stood at the door of the office, waiting to meet the rescued girls. My heart felt pain when I saw these dirty, tired girls. The oldest one looked at me with fear. Her face was pale, and her eyes full of tears. The other two seemed to be tranquil, but I knew shock could appear that way.

“Lord protect these little ones, and fill their hearts with peace,” I prayed. I thought of their ages and the stories we’ve heard regarding the other children who had joined our family. However, this was one story I wasn’t prepared for.