Life is Precious

Obedience is the bedrock of our tradition in faith. As a pastor, I’ve been telling students and young adults to be obedient for almost 10 years in ministry. I believe that God honors obedience with blessing. I know this in my mind, but it hadn’t truly connected to my heart until this past year. Keri and I knew that God was asking us to adopt a child, and that our family was incomplete. We knew God wanted us to do this, but it seemed impossible. Financially, it would cost us over $20,000 to adopt.

Faith actually had to be put into action. When this happens it requires something of you. It was very difficult, but we continued to trust that God would find a way for us.
We initiated the journey to bring our child home. Our church helped us with fundraisers, we were able to create a CD that raised more than we thought, and God placed some very special and generous people in our lives.

We received an email in January 2006 from CWA with a picture and DVD of Wondu Lala. It had some medical information, as well as the incredible story that brought him to this orphanage. Wondu is from a primitive tribe in Southern Ethiopia bordering Kenya called Hammer. This region has many different tribes and superstitions, but this particular tribe had a belief that we could not comprehend. They believe that if the firstborn male’s top teeth come in before any other teeth it’s a curse to the tribe. Famine and devastation will be brought to the whole tribe if the child remains in the village. The family can stay in the tribe as long as they kill the child. If they don’t sacrifice their child for the tribe, then they are outcast and exiled from the village. Wondu was not sacrificed but left in a church to be found. He was there for a few days until he was rescued by a local Christian man. We knew that this was our so,n and couldn’t think about anything else but getting him home to us. The painstaking process of governmental red tape was excruciating, and it seemed like it would take forever. Many friends and well-meaning veterans of adoption told us not to get our hopes up, and that this would take a long time. We were ecstatic the day we received word that all paperwork was completed, and realized that the process of submitting paperwork to holding him in our arms only took 9 months! God is so awesome!

We traveled to Addis Ababa in June of 2006 to bring Wondu home to us. His homecoming was an event for the entire church community. It was truly overwhelming to see our church and family meet us at the airport in Detroit, Michigan. His arrival marked the end of one journey, and the exciting beginning of another.

When we finally arrived home, we traveled from Michigan to Florida. On the long drive we found ourselves driving through Flat Rock, NC and at the office of CWA. We didn’t intend on stopping, but couldn’t pass up the chance to personally thank all of those wonderful people who helped bring him home to us.

William Wondu Hastings was rescued from certain death and we were blessed with the final piece of our family puzzle. He is such a happy and fun little boy. His laugh is contagious and his sisters and brother love him so much. Most of all we have learned that God provides when we obey.

Matt and Keri Hastings

Would you like to have your family featured in one of our adoption stories? Please let us know by emailing Tana Alfrey, Communications Assistant.