A Place to Belong

Whenever a new child joins our Sunshine family, I write their story. It’s a way to remember, to share with others, and to help me process the moment. Each homecoming is a celebration, but also a reminder of heartbreak. Behind every child's arrival is the painful reality that they couldn’t stay with their God-given family. The reasons are most often devastating: abuse, abandonment, death, illness, or trafficking. 

The story of five-year-old Zeneide and three-month-old Adelia follows this sadly all-too-familiar pattern. Their father abandoned the family, and their mother, due to severe mental illness, is unable to care for them. That’s when we were asked to step in. 

But through their homecoming, these two little girls have brought a new awareness to me that I had as of yet not fully recognized. Over the past 11 years of developing our Sunshine House program, we have come to see benefits to our families that we never foreknew. Miracles that only God could bring about. Our children are not only being blessed by the safety and love of our Sunshine Homes Program...they are also a blessing to their house mothers as well. Our homes provide hope and a future to our children, but through Zineide and Adelia, I realized that our mothers are also coming out of a life of suffering, pain, and abandonment. Their place as Sunshine mothers gives them purpose and a reason to live.  The security and love they so desperately lacked in their previous lives is now restored through the children they have accepted. 

My heart shattered as I watched their biological mother place baby Adelia into the arms of her new house mother, Monica. She exhibited not a hint of remorse or sadness. It was like she was simply passing on a sack of potatoes. 

For Monica, however, this moment was the fulfillment of a long-held dream. Upon our first encounter, through tear-filled, soulful eyes, she shared with me that her deepest desire as a woman had always been to have children of her own. But this desire was not to be. She lost all hope when her husband abandoned her for another woman who could give him children. Since she could not have children of her own, she spent her time with the children who lived around her, pouring her love into them. With a beaming smile, she told me that the local children loved coming to her house to play and that therefore her yard, and her heart, were always full. 

When Monica arrived to take her place as a house mother in our Sunshine family, she came armed with a bag of lollipops. Our Sunshine children are always curious to greet a new mother or child. It did not take them long to show up at our new house #7 to meet Monica. She for sure won them over with her lollipops! They made sure to stop by every day!  

Monica's role as a house mother in the Sunshine family has given her the opportunity to have children of her own. Even though she has lovingly mothered five girls—Marcia (18), Katia (13), Ginoca (12), Carla (11), and Yusna (10)—for the past two years, her heart still longed to nurture a baby. 

Adelia is the answer to that longing. 

I worried about Mama Monica at first. Adelia had never been bottle-fed and would also have to adjust to a new caregiver. Would Adelia accept a bottle? Would Adelia keep Monica awake all night? But Monica’s gentle, devoted care made the transition seamless. Adelia quickly adapted and has been a content, easy baby from her first night. Monica now beams with joy. She frequently sends me photos of a smiling baby Adelia touched up with hearts and stars. It is clear, Adelia has brought light to a place in Monica’s heart she thought would remain dark and empty. 

After placing Adelia in our seventh Sunshine house, we went a short distance to big sister Zeneide’s new home...a house completed just the week before. She joined Tiara and Percina, who welcomed their new sister with open arms, showing her to her room, pajamas, and stuffed animal for her first night. 

There were happy smiles and giggles all around…until it was time for us to leave. As we drove off, Zeneide chased after our car, crying and begging us not to go. Mama Gloria didn’t hesitate but moved right into action. I watched in my rearview mirror as she scooped her up and rocked her gently, holding her close. 

That night, I could barely sleep thinking of her. But the next morning, I returned to find a joyful little girl who ran to hug me before dashing right back inside to play with her new sisters. Like so many children before her, Zeneide quickly sensed that she was now safe and loved. Thanks to Mama Gloria’s tenderness and love, she can finally just be a child…free to play, laugh, and grow. 

In welcoming Zeneide and Adelia, we are reminded that while every child’s story may begin with sorrow, God, in His mercy, is always rewriting their chapters with hope, healing, and the promise of a brighter future. In this case, He rewrote the life story for these two little girls and for their new mothers.

Welcoming Jose and Jucelina to our Sunshine Family

It is always a joy to welcome a new child into our Sunshine Houses. These days are filled with happiness, knowing that the child is now safe, cared for, and has a future. But they are also emotionally heavy. It is never easy to witness the suffering children endure in this broken world. While we are grateful to help those brought to us, we’re constantly aware of the countless others still in need. 

Meet 3-year-old Jose and 5-year-old Juscelina. 

Just a week ago, their case was brought to our attention by a social worker who urged immediate placement. The children were living in horrific conditions. Though both their biological parents were alive, their home was far from safe. The mother was described as mentally unstable and incapable of caring for them. The father was aggressively violent, beating his wife daily in front of the children, leaving deep emotional wounds. The family had no home, no food, no money...nothing. Like so many families in Mozambique, they were merely surviving day by day. 

Our Sunshine Approach Foundation primarily cares for orphaned children who have no family left to support them. However, we also make room for children like Jose and Juscelina; those with living parents who are unable to provide proper care. It is estimated that nearly 80% of children in orphanages worldwide still have a living parent. Jose and Juscelina had a father and a mother, but they were parents in name only. 

When Social Action expressed urgency in placing the children with us, even before all paperwork was complete, we knew the situation was serious. Typically, they insist on having every document in perfect order before any placement occurs. We’ve waited weeks for other cases because of delays. But this time, the urgency was clear: the children had already been removed from their parents and were temporarily living with a social worker, something we had never encountered before. 

Delcio and I met the children, their parents, and the social workers last Tuesday in a public location. When the father first saw us, the mother and the social workers told him, “Olha! Eles não são ladrões!” ("Look! They are not robbers!"). This statement isa heartbreaking reflection of the fear that child trafficking brings to families here. The workers explained who we were and what we could offer the children. The father listened quietly and thanked us for caring. 

From the start, it was clear the father was aggressive. Several times during our brief meeting, he raised his hand to strike his wife. The social workers intervened, warning him that such behavior was criminal and would be reported. We made it very clear to them: if we accepted the children, their parents could never know our location or the name of our foundation. The safety of all our children must come first. 

The mother’s behavior was puzzling and deeply sad. It wasn’t her mental state that struck us most, but the way she came prepared to hand the children over, clothes packed in a small plastic grocery bag. She kept pushing both the children and the bag toward us, as if to say, “Take them. Take them now.” 

After our meeting, we went to the local government office to seek permission from the chefe do posto (the local chief). But due to other obligations, the social workers couldn’t finalize the process until Friday. 

Then on Thursday of the same week, we were scheduled to receive two other children. When we arrived at the office of Social Action, we were surprised to see Jose, Juscelina, and their mother waiting for us again...plastic bag in hand, urging us to take them. It was odd. And it was heartbreaking. But we still lacked the father’s official declaration and the final government approval. So, once again, we had no choice but to leave them with their mother. 

By Friday, the father had submitted a signed declaration relinquishing his parental rights and consenting to place the children in our care. Everything was in order, yet we were told we would have to wait until the following week due to the fact that the chefe and social workers were busy. 

Then came today, Monday. Delcio received a tearful call from the social worker who had been sheltering the children and their mother. She told him that the mother had run away over the weekend, leaving the children behind. No one knew where she was. 

Suddenly, it all made sense. 

The mother had been preparing for this. She needed to escape her life of abuse. But first, she made sure her children would be safe. She made an incredibly difficult decision, a decision born from desperation but also love. 

Delcio moved quickly into action. That same day, the social workers, the father, and the chefe do posto finalized all approvals. 

Jose and Juscelina are now officially part of our Sunshine family. 

Please join us in welcoming them with open arms. It is our joy and honor to offer them, and all 35 of our children, a loving home, an education, medical care, daily necessities, and most importantly, hope for a brighter future. 

With each new child, our hearts grow fuller, but so does the need to provide. If you, your business, or your church would like to learn more about sponsoring a child or supporting a Sunshine House family, please contact us. We would love to share how you can help bring healing and hope to these precious lives.