Princess Nalu

We call her Princess Nalu.  Nalubega Ruth is her Ugandan name, and she is the princess of our family.  It's hard to explain over this two dimensional page the miraculous transformation that has taken place in this child since she came to into our family two years ago.  You would have to see it to believe it.

Ruth has experienced more loss and trauma in her short life than many of us ever know.  Besides watching her father die and being abandoned to the orphanage by her mother, Ruth was run over in the village as a small child.  When I met Ruth, she barely spoke, did not make eye contact, and dragged her leg painfully.  She wouldn't look at me because she was sure I would not want her.

She never received medical treatment after the accident, and she confided to us later that she just lay in the village, could not even sit up, and eventually taught herself to walk again using sticks.  She lived in chronic pain.

A few days after she came to America, this is what we learned.

Ruth had been walking around for seven years with her skeleton badly misaligned from the trauma, causing constant pain and an inability to run, sit on the floor or do anything but walk awkwardly.  Her dream was to swim one day.

Enter into the story one of her ANGELS.  While still in Uganda, I was praying for wisdom about how to help Ruth with her physical limitations, and God spoke to me two words, the name of this woman.  She has been treating Ruth weekly for the last two years, and NEVER CHARGED US ONE PENNY.

 

Now my beautiful Ruthie can run, swim and dance!  Bye bye pain, hello happiness. 

 

 

(here she is about a year ago trying her first ever run with a little help from her big sister.)

Oh, and she would want me to mention that after considerable practice, she can also do the ultimate tween move...the split.

 

But, missing so much school as a result of her accident put her far behind other kids her age.  The orphanage director told me to keep her back in school, that she had no confidence and her grades were very poor.

Enter ANGEL NUMBER 2.  My husband's boss retired right around the time our kids were adopted.  She wanted to do something meaningful with her life, and as a former teacher, asked if it would "be alright" if she tutored Ruth.  Oh, and yea, she has NEVER CHARGED US ONE PENNY.  Hello A/B Honor Roll! 

 

 

You know how sometimes people will say: "How can you afford to have so many kids?" I just have to laugh.  The blessings that will rain down on you if you step out in faith just defy explanation.

 

As a result of these TRUE ANGELS ON EARTH, my frightened, broken, silent little girl has blossomed like an amazing butterfly.  She beams, she glows, she is stunning.  It's hard to even explain how much we love her.  She is truly our little princess.