"Raising Teo, I have learned that once a grain of sand reaches inside a shell, that grain turns into a pearl" - these are the words I was writing about Teo five years ago. Now I can say that these words still hold true in our lives as parents and I am sure in Teo's life, as well.
Teo became that precious pearl, which many regarded as a miracle, admired for its beauty and for the way it came to life. When I say beauty, I'm not talking about the external beauty one can possess, but rather about the beauty of his character, the beauty of having him walk along in God's will, being pure and totally dependent on God's will and purpose for his life.
In 1997 God brought Teo in our home and in our family. At the time he was just like the grain of sand I was talking about: wanted by nobody, a grain moved by the current of the sea in all possible directions; through human eyes he was the regular, unnoticeable grain of sand, but God saw him being more than that: he was an unpolished pearl.
Teo's mother died in 1995 and, as a result of that, the father was overwhelmed by the situation: Teo and his younger sister were motherless and uncared for. The relatives decided that, for the time being, it was in the kids' best interest to be separated from their biological father and started searching for a more appropriate environment for the children.
The first two years after Teo's mother passed away were quite difficult. Teo and his sister had no place to call home and mom and dad were nowhere in sight. All this time Teo was separated from his sister Ana, and they both lived wherever there was an open door for them – remember the grain of sand moved by the current? So the two years came and went, and Teo was still changing sleeping beds, anywhere from friends to relatives and sometimes even strangers who heard his story.
As I mentioned earlier, in 1997 God brought Teo and his sister at Caminul Felix and into our home. He was just 12 then, now he's 24. He graduated from high school, and soon after that he was given the opportunity to study in the United States. A couple of months ago he graduated from Anderson University earning a degree in business-management.
This year, in the month of June, Teo got married and he is now working on a project at Caminul Felix.
Looking back, I can see the long process Teo had to go through. In order for him to understand God's plan for his life, Teo was to keep an open perspective on life, being ready and willing to change to whatever God was asking of him.
He did turn into a pearl, because just as in Proverbs 16:3, Teo entrusted God with all of his plans, knowing that only God could place him on the highest rock.
Story told by Radiana, Teo's mother from Caminul Felix