God sees the finished tapestry of our lives…and sometimes gives us a glimpse of what He’s done in the rear view mirror. In 2002 He reset the course of our lives in a beautiful way. Wayne & Bonnie Sue Walker were a very special couple who unwittingly mentored us in Faith in a way we believe produced large and lasting fruit!
Good Shepherd’s Fold celebrates 20 years & welcomes their founding Patriarch, Wayne Walker this month. As they are celebrating we are reflecting on God’s faithfulness to us and the significant turning point that Wayne and his late wife Bonnie Sue’s testimony of faith sparked in our walk with the Lord, 12 years ago, that began the ripple of their legacy that lasts.
In 2002, We were living in Kampala serving in orphan’s ministry. Being in the same type new ministry we knew of Wayne and Bonnie Sue as this amazing couple (who founded Good Shepherd’s Fold). Our son’s went to the same school and one weekend they came to pick up their son who had stayed with us & our son, Ben overnight a day or two before Easter in 2002. They parked in our driveway. After a little while, Bonnie Sue told Marcia about them planning the adoption of a new born girl. She was disabled and this would be their 6th special needs adoption, now 15!
Neither Bonnie Sue nor Wayne had any idea that the Lord had been prompting us to adopt Joseph (now 14). I was listening to Bonnie Sue and Marcia chat about the Children God was putting in their lives. Bonnie Sue was unknowingly counseling (and convicting) Marcia by her calm and accepting explanation of how God always makes it clear who He is choosing to place in their family…as she and Wayne were sharing some of the challenges of their most recent adoption process for their SIXTH special needs infant to add to their 5 biological children AND us discovering that they were a full 10 years older than us!!!
Oh, I had been reading the Bible about adoption, asking the Lord whether He would really have us adopt Joseph at our age then about 47. The ‘gotcha’ day in 2002 came when Wayne and Bonnie Sue drove up to our house to pick up their son and parked their truck in our driveway and we talked. I realized before then God had given me my answers but I was still holding back.
As Marcia spoke with Bonnie Sue I also spoke with Wayne and I realized how much I was enjoying Wayne and our conversation though I had just met him for the first time. I was wondering though, ‘why he hadn’t gotten out of his truck?’ as we were chatting for such a long time? So I strolled up to the window of Wayne’s truck and saw he had no legs! It struck me profoundly as another sign the Lord was giving me to take Joseph immediately from the babies home into our family. Wayne had 5 biological kids and 6 handicapped adopted kids and God was asking me to allow Him to place just ONE lonely child into our family. I was stunned by the intimate and persuasive way the Lord was working with me! His grace and love abound. No legs. I have both my legs. And we’re 10 years younger!
Bonnie Sue arrived at her heavenly home very recently and undoubtedly knows of her legacy of impact for Jesus heart for orphans…but Wayne has no idea how God used that simple meeting & conversation to impact so many lives going forward from that afternoon. That very day we went to take Joseph and home with us. He was from that day ours! Praise Jesus!
Now I would like Wayne and others to know there is fruit sometimes beyond our understanding from faithfulness. We have since then also adopted our two grandchildren, Dominick (13) and Sam (7) and we are in Uganda with The Way Home ministry working to serve a growing number of Granny-Grandchildren families (57 Granny’s and their 315 orphaned Grandchildren living with their Granny) together in absolute poverty and surviving together the death of their loved ones (her children and their Mom and Dad). One of our daughters & son-in-law have also been called to adopt and are in passionate pursuit of adding the second of two adopted grandchildren to our Family, both treasured children were joined to their family through the family of Good Shepherds Fold!
It is a privilege to know a bit of the impact the living faith of Wayne and Bonnie Sue was for us.
We thank the Lord and the two of them for being our example of Christ who exhorts us to strive to be like Him:
“A Father to the fatherless, a defender of widow’s” with His help…Set the lonely in families. (Psalm 68:5-6a)
