Our group gathered for prayer, and I could hear loud sniffling. My eyes scanned the girls, stopping on the new ten-year-old cutie. I stepped over and put my arm around her in a reassuring hug.

“I want to find my daddy. Please pray with me,” Najera choked out.

The girls took the cue and gathered around her, praying for a common request that one of the biological parents would be found. Najera’s round puppy-dog eyes looked up at me for encouragement. “Oh, honey, God hears our prayers, and we can trust Him for the answer. He knows what is best for us.” My words brought a smile, but I wondered how much she accepted in her small heart. I added to my prayers that there would be healing for this little gal, knowing how rare it is to locate a parent.

Najera* lost her mother in a bus accident four years before entering Shadow. She had been passed on to a neighbor and ended up in the court for placement in an orphanage. Najera told us about her father and cried out for us to find him, but with only a name, a search would be useless.

Najera leaned into the power of prayer and faithfully sought the Lord on behalf of her father. We joined her, wanting God’s will for her life and healing in her heart.

A year passed, and we received a call from the court saying that a man claiming to be Najera’s father had called. The woman who had cared for Najera after the death of her mother contacted Julio*, asking for permission to adopt her. Julio had been on a hunt for Najera ever since he had heard that his ex-wife had been killed. He had come up short in finding any information about Najera’s location until now. The lady at the court told him how to contact us, and Julio made the call to see his daughter. We explained to him the legal procedures he needed to take through the court system, including getting permission from the judge.

Meanwhile, my heart did acrobatics at the thought of Najera reuniting with her father. Questions pummeled my mind as to how he lost track of his only child. I had many doubts, even though we saw the answer to our many prayers. Lord, please let this man be a true father who is full of love for his daughter. I cringed at the thought of him marching in to be her father but instead being the type of person who abused his children. Lord, if this is not your will for Najera, please close the door. I had grave concerns, and my prayers continued on Najera’s behalf.

We kept the information undisclosed to Najera while the court did their investigation to check out Julio and confirm his biological claims. It turned out that Julio had lived and worked in the same area as Shadow of His Wings Orphanage for the last four years. We passed by his workplace frequently and didn’t know that the target of Najera’s prayers labored in a shop yards away.

Julio explained to the court that he divorced his wife, and she had taken their daughter with her. The mom and daughter moved, and he couldn’t find them. When he saw the death report on the news, he hoped a place of residence would be given, but none appeared in the information.

The time came for Julio’s visit and for us to explain to Najera that her father had been found and her prayers answered. Julio carried his court order in hand when he entered the office, and Najera zoomed into his embrace. Tears flowed freely from everyone in the office. All my doubts vanished as I observed the father-daughter reunion. I thanked the Lord for answering the prayers of spunky Najera.

*Names have been changed.