An orphaned girl finds her true Daddy.
At five years old, Lisa had only known insecurity and abandonment. Her Father left at the news of her mother’s pregnancy. Lisa’s mother left her to find work, leaving Lisa in the care of her sister, Lisa’s aunt. Now, Lisa’s presence was causing strife between her aunt and uncle. But when Lisa’s aunt heard about Every Orphan’s Hope, everything in Lisa’s world changed. “I walked into what felt like a huge house where I had three meals every day. I was so happy and felt so loved and wondered, ‘where does all of this come from?'”
Lisa could now attend school every day, a privilege she was previously too poor to have. Lisa recalls, “Going to class, having books and pencils in my bag, and seeing a teacher inside my classroom was all new to me. I didn’t want to leave school and woke up super excited every day. I had shoes, clothes, a bag, and food. I had everything!”
Mama Florence became Lisa’s mother and introduced Lisa to the Bible and Jesus Christ through morning devotionals. “We gathered as a family, and it felt so real.”
Mama Florence also insisted that her children have dedicated time alone with God. Every day at 4 pm, Lisa talked to God. For years Lisa would go into her room, flip through pages of the Bible and say words to someone she wasn’t sure was listening. Then, in the fifth grade, her relationship with God changed. “Everyone in my class talked about their families and their daddies. I began feeling lonely, asking, ‘Where is my family? Where is my daddy?'” Her questions turned to bitterness.
One day, without a reminder from Mama Florence, she flew into her room, knowing that God was the only one who could help her. Lisa cried her questions out to the Lord. “I heard Him clearly say to my spirit, ‘Lisa, allow Me to be your Father. Give Me your heart.’” That encounter was the day she surrendered her life to Jesus. “That day, I said ‘yes!’ to God,” recalls Lisa.
But this was not the end of the battle for Lisa. “The enemy’s voice kept attacking me, telling me I am not loved.” She continued questioning whether God was enough and if He would provide for her. “During this time, God used His people like my sponsors, Uncle Gary, and donors to Every Orphan’s Hope to build me up physically, emotionally, and mentally.
All the donations that came in while I was in this spiritual battle proved God’s love for me. I felt loved and seen. I found a sense of belonging and a well-defined identity in Jesus Christ. Before long, I knew God was my Father through His family, and this knowledge remains.”
Lisa is now 20 years old and in her first year of a 4-year Business Administration program. She hopes to marry one day and use her education to do missionary work through business with a ministry-minded husband.
