I have more fantastic news for you guys…it was just too much to type it all on one day, but actually Eli, Ellie, Lily, AND Mikisa Mae all received their positive rulings on the same day!

Remember the little girl I told you about back in February? Our friend (and roommate) Christina heard about a child who was being made to beg on the streets and apparently had some significant special needs. This was right before the Ugandan presidential election and the are where Mikisa was living was considered a “danger zone”. Christina called and asked if she could bring Mikisa to live with us for a time while she tried to decide how to help her.

On February 16^th, Christina and I pulled up to a little shack in an out-of-the-way neighborhood in Kampala and found this little girl waiting. She had been living with a kind stranger for the past two years, spending her days sitting by the side of the road begging for money and her nights sleeping in a corner of this woman’s home. At 5 years old, she weighed less than our 9 month old twins. She fit easily into Ellie’s clothes and could barely keep food down. Christina scooped her up and we went to a restaurant for lunch. Within minutes if sitting down to eat, Mikisa looked up at Christina and said, “Mama.” We suspected from that moment that the end of the summer would find these two forever connected by that word.

We lived a few scary weeks in which Mikisa struggled to recover from malaria and malnutrition. She’s a fighter, though, and before long she was smiling, trying to move around on her own, and even beginning to talk (though we have no idea what she was saying).

Now,  just a few months later, Mikisa is a new little girl. She can move around faster than ever and has not only learned to understand English, but also says MANY words and phrases. My favorite is one that I taught her, “hot mama!”. She’s a joyful little girl who hears music in the most mundane parts of life. It’s impossible for her to sit on the toilet without singing. In fact, it’s impossible for her to do anything without singing. She is in love with her mama and I am SO happy to officially introduce her to you as:

Mikisa Mae Swinger

Mikisa and her mommy have been living with us for the past few months and Christina has been a huge blessing helping with our five children. It has been such a privilege to watch her become a mother so unexpectedly. She listened to Jesus and has willingly embraced every aspect of motherhood, even the most difficult ones. There is no doubt that these two were made for each other. When Christina walks into the room, Mikisa does a happy dance and reaches up to kiss her face. Christina was wonderful before Mikisa, but this new season of her life has made her even more beautiful – the way it always happens when you step into something God asks you to do, even without knowing how it will all work out. Love you, Christina!

I can’t wait to continue sharing Mikisa’s story with you, but in the meantime, please go to Christina’s blog to read the back story.

The video below shows a little more of Mikisa’s story and I’m so excited to be able to share it with you now that she is officially Christina’s!