Alyssa Gayle and her little boy Ry Ra.......

Last night I found my daughter Alyssa Gayle staring at the computer screen. I was just about to yell at her to get to bed, when I realized that she was doing homework. My daughter was given and assignment to write a paper titled "How can one person make a difference in the lives of many?" Of course Alyssa always jumps at the chance to talk about her dream of running her own non-profit organization....only overseas! So, naturally I assumed this was a "How to do" paper. But, she wouldn't let me see what she was typing! She quickly snapped at me and said, "No mom! Go away!"
So, as I was leaving I noticed she was looking through a site of one of her favorite photographers. This site is filled with so many pictures...and most of them are pictures of orphans. As I watched her face pressed to the computer screen it reminded me of my adopted father Gale Fister. He is just a pastor of a small town....
But, he is the biggest man in the world to me. He has a passion to save as many children as he can before he faces Jesus. I am soooo happy that I named Alyssa Gayle after him :)
This morning I found this excerpt of the paper she was working on...
I found just this one sheet of paper sitting on my desk. It wasn't a "How to do" paper at all....
In just a few paragraphs my daughter had taken me to the world of a small orphaned boy...
Here is just a small portion of what the paper said....
It has not been edited by me or by her teacher....


I walk along the dirt road and stare at my black flip flops as I feel them lightly slap the back of my feet. My hands shake and my heart pounds in my throat. On the outside, I seem calm and collected, but on the inside I feel as through I'm going to collapse. I walk silently up the gray wooden steps, then turn into the large hallway that extends throughout the house. As I walk down the hallway I am cautious of every step I take, fearing of what may happen if one of the floorboards gives in. The house smells of dirt and decaying wood. Although, the faint noise of children laughing is present, it seems as though all is dead....
I scan the room quickly, looking for one little boy. My heart beats faster as I look at the faces of the many orphaned children, seeing many familiar faces, although none are of the one child I'm looking for. A small tug at the edge of my pant leg brings my attention towards the floor. A sigh of relief escapes my mouth as I am greeted by a pair of large brown eyes. I reach down to hold 5-year-old "Ry Ra". I wrap my arms tightly around his small fragile body. I run my fingers through his thinnning hair (which is gray from the dirt that he and his friends love to play in). My emotions overthrow me as he wraps his tiny, thin fingers around the neck of my shirt. Tears of happiness well in my eyes as I realize he is now safe and alive.....


That's all that was on the paper!!!! I am so frustrated! Alyssa Gayle is babysitting for her sister tonight and I will not hear the rest of the story until sometime late tomorrow :(


Here is a few of the many pictures Alyssa has collected for "Diana Joy's myspace"...