Dec.02.09

Her name is Aaquila and she is our gift, the child we had prayed for, a child who was not wanted in her own culture, because she was different, because she was disabled, but when she was ten she came to us, a special child, bright and beautiful, her legs withered by disease, she used medal lofstand crutches to get from place to place.  Her movements slow, but determined. 

Aaquila in Afghani means Intelligent and it is fitting, even before she came to America Aaquilla could speak and read in English, she was a bright child, but she was fearful too, afraid of the affection we were showing her, because she was used to being shunned, a child who was not worthy, a curse upon her family.

To Keith and I Aaquila was a gift, an answer to a prayer we had been praying for years, we had wanted a child, and many years of treatments, of prayers had not given us that gift yet, and then we heard of Aaquila and I knew the Lord was answering our prayer.

Aaquilla is thirteen now, she uses bright purple crutches for shorter distances, or her red wheelchair to get around school, she is popular amongst her friends at school and at church.  Just several months after coming to us, she said she could no longer believe as the Muslims she had grown up with believed, she believed that Christ was the Savior and with tears in her eyes and ours she accepted Christ.

God Bless

Jessica Michelle Anaheim~