New Picture of Miss Avalyn

The orphanage sent new photos to the E family.  Here is one of them.  Introducing their Avalyn (now obviously older than the first photo they had)...

Today the E family is having a photo shoot fundraiser.  A photographer friend of theirs is taking family photos in the beautiful Texas bluebonnets.  All proceeds will go to the E family's adoption.

I have no doubt whatsoever that God will multiply every effort and every dollar to bring this sweet pea home to them.  His math always boggles my mind!

For those of you reading these updates, please join me in praying for God to touch the hearts of people to invest in placing His child into her forever family.  And if you want to help them financially, just put on your creative hat and come up with your own little way of earning some money to send to the E family.  One family recently had a yard sale in Ohio in order to raise money for a family in Georgia who was adopting (and they had never met each other!).  YOU can play a pivotal role in the E family's adoption.  Every penny counts, and God will multiply the money and the effort. 

Step out and just watch as God works in and through you!    

Follow Along on a Faith Journey!

Most of the time, I post information and photos of children who are in need of someone stepping forward to adopt them.  Oftentimes, I am busy "on the side" walking alongside other families who are in the middle of an adoption.  It's one of the most amazing ministries God has placed in my lap!  I've watched Him move mountains for people who step forward to adopt.  I've had a front row seat for miracles of His provision, and over and over again, He proves His faithfulness...and the "WOW" factor never gets old!  

I could tell you many stories of how a family stepped forward to adopt and had no idea how they would pay for it.  Then, over the course of weeks and months, the pennies and dollars all came in right on time...EVERY TIME!  It's quite a blessing to hear those stories with happy endings (and I have several I could share with you!).  But, I thought it would be even more faith-building if you could hear an adoption story, play-by-play...in real time.  In, other words, there is not yet a happy ending.  In fact, the story is just beginning.  This is a true, real life account of a real family who just recently stepped out in pure faith to adopt a treasure who has Down Syndrome.  They are at the very beginning of this wild ride, and they have no idea how God will provide all they need.  

I have such absolute faith in my God's provision that I have decided to share their story as it happens...because I know that there IS a happy ending that we just cannot yet see.  When God calls you to do something, He rarely shows you HOW He's going to accomplish it.  Oftentimes, it seems impossible to our human minds.  But, after the step of faith if taken, He puts a foundation under that step.  Then, the next step again feels impossible, but once we take it, our foot falls not into thin air but onto His all-providing palm.  Soon, the "impossible" is accomplished, as we realize that He was really telling the truth when He said, "With God, all things are possible." 

So, I'm inviting you and anybody else you know to check this blog frequently during the next several months as we chronicle the walk of faith of one family.  

Here's a brief introduction...

In November, we were contacted by our adoption case worker, asking if we or anyone else we knew would be interested in adopting some children with special needs in Taiwan.  My husband and I looked over the information and prayed about it, but we knew our place this time around was to advocate and pray for the children.  I contacted a family we have known for a long time (really really long time...the mom and I met in 2nd grade back in the dark ages of Brady Bunch and Holly Hobby).  They prayed about it, and stepped forward to adopt this little sweet pea (whom we will call "Baby A"): 

"Baby A"

She's just about the cutest thing you've ever seen, isn't she??!  

And here is the "E" family who stepped forward to adopt "Baby A."  Some families just shine, and this is one of them.  The sweetness you see in this picture is true-to-life.  They are precious.

The "E" Family

If you have ever said to yourself (or if you're particularly brave, you may have said this to someone else), "If I only had the money, I'd adopt...," you are going to love this story!  The E family stepped forward to adopt "BabyA" without a single penny saved for an adoption.  Some may call this crazy.  Others may call it flat-out irresponsible.  But we who have walked this path know that it's really called FAITH.  Understand me on this: GOD LAID IT ON THEIR HEARTS TO ADOPT.  He didn't say to wait until they could afford it.  Remember when He told the fishermen to leave their nets and follow Him?  He didn't tell them to wait until it was convenient...or even to wait until after they were done fishing!  Same with the E family.  He simply put the burden on their hearts to adopt.  Have you ever felt that burden?  Did you shrink back because there was no money saved for an adoption?  If so, stay tuned to this story of the E family as it unfolds.  Your faith is about to get a boost!  :)

Basic facts about the E family:  Dad is a teacher and coach, and Mom is a stay-home-homeschooling-mom.  They budget their money, watch their pennies and shop sales.  They are Christians who seek to walk their talk, stepping out to truly trust the God they have always believed in.

Basic facts about their adoption expenses to date:  So far, the only big cost they have incurred has been their home study.  Every penny of that was deposited into their account just before it was due (via tax return).

The next expense is $9500 DUE IN TWO WEEKS.  After receiving unexpected checks (God is already busy prompting hearts to give to them), they now only lack $7000 of this next fee.  And here is where the story is a cliff hanger.  They don't know how they will pay that next big chunk of money.  They DO know that God will provide somehow, some way, though they cannot yet see the answer.  The fact that so much is due within 2 weeks can bring even the bravest to push the panic button, but the walk of faith often feels like a step into thin air (off of Mt. Everest!).  You feel there's just no way in the world, and then God shows up right on time.

The E family is not sitting back in easy chairs though.   They are planning to do their part in the fundraising, with some local fundraisers in their town.  They plan to work, work, work to bring in funds for their adoption (more information will be posted as they have their fundraisers).  As they do their part, they are trusting God to multiply their efforts just as He multiplied the 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed 5,000+.  His math is always mind-boggling!

So, join us as we walk alongside the E family, getting a front row seat to watch the play-by-play.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
1) Commit to pray daily for the E family until they bring "Baby A" home.  And commit to pray for "Baby A" to be safe and healthy in her orphanage.
2) If God prompts you to be part of the blessing of bringing "Baby A" home, please consider helping the E family raise funds.  (Just leave a comment for me, and I will get you in direct contact with them).  God places orphans into families, and He uses His body (us, His church) to do that.  If He prompts you, then give your "widow's mite," and watch Him bless it!  :)

I will update this blog each time I have any new information from the E family, so check back often!  

Brent

One of my sweet friends asked me to post Sir Brent on my blog, so here is the information from Reece's Rainbow:

Boy, Born June 21, 2005

Look how darling this little one is!   Brent is HEALTHY, with no noted heart conditions.    He is active and an Orphanage favorite.   He is considered lower functioning than  Spencer or Kareen, but will truly blossom like a flower in a loving family environment.   

Brent has been transferred 

Please give Brent a chance! 

$3300.75 is available towards the cost of my adoption!

So, what can YOU do for little Brent?  

1) You can ADVOCATE.  Send my blog address to your friends and family, and ask them to read about Brent.

2) You can GIVE a donation into his adoption fund at this link.

3) You can PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!  Prayer is the big work.  God is Father to the fatherless, and He sets the lonely into families.  Pray for Him to move in the hearts of Brent's forever family to step forward to adopt him, even if they have no idea how.  (Every adoptive family has wondered how in the world they would afford an adoption, but God supplies the funds in miraculous ways!)

**BRENT HAS ALREADY BEEN TRANSFERRED TO A MENTAL INSTITUTION, SO IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT SOME PRAYER WARRIORS REALLY STEP UP TO THE PLATE TO PRAY FOR HIM EVERY DAY UNTIL HE IS ADOPTED***

(And thank you, C, for bringing Brent to my attention.  You are always so faithful to keep an eye on the Reece's Rainbow site.  You are a prayer warrior, and I am so thankful for you!  Prayer is the big work, and you're a busy worker!  :)  Keep us on our toes!)

What is the Value of a Life?

***This video would not display the entire screen here on the blog, so if you would like to see all of the screen, please CLICK ON THIS LINK.***

Rise Up, Prayer Warriors!!

Forgive my lack of posts.  I've been busy with helping a good number of people walk through the adoption process.  This is a "job" I thoroughly love!  If you yourself are thinking of stepping out to adopt, be encouraged that many are standing in your very shoes right now...looking down that long, winding, unknown path and wondering, "Can I do this?"  I encourage you to take that first step.  I've watched over and over again as people just like you step forward, and upon each step of faith, God moves mountains.


Now, turning to the "big work" in orphan ministry...  Many months ago, I asked my mom's cousin Meric to please pray for one of the orphans on Reece's Rainbow.  She prayed for him faithfully day after day for months on end, and she would ask me for updates often.  I loved her simplicity of faith and her determination to present this little guy before the Father.  There had been no progress, and this child was still without a family and in danger of being transferred to a mental institution.  Meric didn't care what the statistics were.  Instead, she just kept presenting this little boy before her King's throne each and every day, reminding Him that He was the only One who could raise up a family to adopt.  I have to admit that my faith wavered in the long wait, but Meric's faith stayed solid and sure.  Then, sometime during the Christmas holidays, God supplied that miracle in a big way.  He not only provided a family to step up to adopt this child, but He also provided an adoption fund that supplied almost every bit of the necessary funds for his adoption!  Meric was thrilled but not the least bit surprised.  And my faith grew.  Again, I realized the often overlooked aspect of prayer.  It is indeed the most important work in orphan ministry.


So, I come before you today, trusting that God is going to send someone to this blog who WANTS to be a part of helping orphans but simply doesn't know how.  It is YOU, my friend, that will play a huge role in aiding an orphan...right now...and right where you sit behind your computer.  I want you to see little Nathan's photos below, and I would absolutely love for you to commit to pray for him every single day until God places him into a family.  Pray with faith, and bring Nathan before God's throne every day.  Cry out to the Father of the fatherless on behalf of Nathan.  You may be the only one in the world praying for him right now.  PRAYER IS THE BIG WORK!!!  It moves mountains.  And Nathan needs someone's faith to move mountains for him.  Please commit to daily faithful prayer, and then check Nathan's process on Reece's Rainbow.

Nathan 16G

gxqz-16G

Boy was born in November 2004

God, please don't let this happen anymore!  I can not bear to see these precious gifts wasting away before our eyes.   God, help Nathan and all of these children find forever families…let the world understand the gift they are, that they shuold not be hidden away and mistreated like this   

Look at Nathan, as an infant, and what he has regressed into….neglected, malnourished, but full of potential and life, even still.  God help him find a family who will accept him no matter what his needs are. 

An Adoptive Family's "Thankful Tree"

Every year we do something special in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.  Yesterday our children headed outside into the woods to find a tree branch that we could use for our "Thankful Tree."  We cut leaves out of construction paper, and everyone wrote several thing for which they are thankful.  Now our tree sits in the corner of our dining room and has been proclaimed as "my favorite thankful tree of all!"  :)

Along with the more typical leaves that were labeled with "Mama," "cookies," "my warm house," and all the pets names, we also have some leaves that are specific to our individual journey as an adoptive family.

Here are some of our daughter's leaves (which she doesn't understand just yet, but it is an ever-repeating part of our "family talk"):

In big and little ways, our family tries to incorporate her life story.  It is part of her.  It is part of us.  And we truly are thankful.

And as a side note...  Five years ago today, a precious birth mother in Taiwan wrapped up her little baby in blankets and placed her in a busy place where someone would surely find her and begin her journey to her forever family.  We honor that sweet birth mom, and we are thankful for her immense sacrifice.

Aging Out of the Orphanage

At the young age of 16 years old, many orphans "graduate" from the orphanage and are given nothing but their few worldly possessions and a bus ticket.  They say goodbye to friends.  (All photos provided by New Horizons for Children)

And head out on their own, having no idea what lies before them...

They leave, with no training in how to live in the world and no mom or dad to call when they run into problems.  And problems they DO run into.  One out of 5 will commit suicide within the first year of being out of the orphanage.  Two out of 5 girls will end up in prostitution.  And many will resort to a life of crime just to survive.

Please don't look at these children, feel sad and then do nothing.  Someone has to stand in the gap.  Someone is needed to PRAY for these children every day, laboring behind-the-scenes in agonizing wrestling prayer on their behalf.  Someone is needed to step forward to adopt.  Someone is needed to give of their financial resources.  Someone is needed to advocate for a child until he is adopted.  Someone is needed to go to these orphans and work alongside them.

You are needed.

I cannot help but wonder who it was that was supposed to step forward to keep this lonely teenager from the street-living that is ahead of him.  Are we indifferent to his life simply because it's not in our own backyard?

God, forgive us!  Do we really believe You when you say that when we refuse to help these children, we are really refusing to help YOU?  This is YOU walking down this road, and we refused to take You into our home...

"Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons!  For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me.  I was thirsty, and you didn't give me anything to drink.  I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home.  I was naked, and you gave me no clothing.  I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'

"Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?'  And he will answer, 'I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'  And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."  ---Matthew 25:41-46