One thing I've discovered about international adoption is that getting very emotionally involved in another country's well-being becomes a by-product.
In addition, we need to remember that adoption is based on loss. The loss of a child, parent, country, village...any number of things. Yes, it is beautiful, but we must never forget that it first began with a loss.
My friend, Missy, and I have "talked" extensively about how to help reduce that loss. HOW to we help a mother before she loses hope? Until the only choice she has is relinquish custody or watch her child starve to death? HOW do we keep a child with his family? HOW do you help a country that is starving to death? We came up with this. And by "we," I mostly mean Missy, but I have fully jumped onto her bandwagon.
And with that intro, I will let her speak:
Last night, my daughter fussed after I put her to bed, telling Mama that something wasn't right. I went in to check, and found a wet-diapered little girl who was trying to fall asleep in a big wet circle of spilled bottle, shirt soaked through.
I let Daddy deal with diapers and fresh PJ's while I handled the sheets. As I tugged off the wet ones, my heart sank. I thought of all the big wet puddles on the crib sheets in the Enat Elam video, and the newborns with bottles propped up against blankets learning to self-feed...
I thought of my own two adopted babies, waiting for me in a care center in Ethiopia, rocking themselves to sleep. My babies.
I'll be honest. I lost faith for a moment.
The immensity of the AIDS and orphan crisis finally did what it does; it punched me in the stomach and told me that anything I can do is not enough.
As I scrambled to pull myself together and manuever crib sheets around bumpers, I prayed that God would keep my candle lit. I thanked Him for fresh sheets. I asked Him to handle the dark voice that did not belong to Him and remove it from my brain. (He did, because He does.)
In addition, we need to remember that adoption is based on loss. The loss of a child, parent, country, village...any number of things. Yes, it is beautiful, but we must never forget that it first began with a loss.
My friend, Missy, and I have "talked" extensively about how to help reduce that loss. HOW to we help a mother before she loses hope? Until the only choice she has is relinquish custody or watch her child starve to death? HOW do we keep a child with his family? HOW do you help a country that is starving to death? We came up with this. And by "we," I mostly mean Missy, but I have fully jumped onto her bandwagon.
And with that intro, I will let her speak:
Last night, my daughter fussed after I put her to bed, telling Mama that something wasn't right. I went in to check, and found a wet-diapered little girl who was trying to fall asleep in a big wet circle of spilled bottle, shirt soaked through.
I let Daddy deal with diapers and fresh PJ's while I handled the sheets. As I tugged off the wet ones, my heart sank. I thought of all the big wet puddles on the crib sheets in the Enat Elam video, and the newborns with bottles propped up against blankets learning to self-feed...
I thought of my own two adopted babies, waiting for me in a care center in Ethiopia, rocking themselves to sleep. My babies.
I'll be honest. I lost faith for a moment.
The immensity of the AIDS and orphan crisis finally did what it does; it punched me in the stomach and told me that anything I can do is not enough.
As I scrambled to pull myself together and manuever crib sheets around bumpers, I prayed that God would keep my candle lit. I thanked Him for fresh sheets. I asked Him to handle the dark voice that did not belong to Him and remove it from my brain. (He did, because He does.)
I am battling that dark voice every day. We all are. The one that tells us that we are not big enough to make a difference, because the problems of this world are too overwhelming.
So we do nothing.
And yet we have a responsibility as Christians.
It's right here in black and white. Actually, it's in red lettering.
So we do nothing.
And yet we have a responsibility as Christians.
It's right here in black and white. Actually, it's in red lettering.
What EXACTLY does GOD say about our responsibility to the hungry?
To those in Africa who are "sentenced to die" by starvation?
Well, it's harsh, and you aren't going to like it. The first time I heard these words on Daily Audio Bible, I was floored:
Soul-crushing, right?
So what can we do?
Where is the solution for this impossible situation?
After reading this post by author Tom Davis, I read his book, Red Letters. I found an answer, amidst all of the statistics that reek of death...
It lies within our five small barley loaves and two small fish.
The disciple Andrew asked:
9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” John 6: 1-14
The boy had faith.
The disciples had statistics.
Don't let Satan use statistics to trick you into thinking that you should not offer Jesus your small lunch because it won't make a difference.
Have faith. Be the boy.
Ready and willing to help? Confused about what to do?
I understand. I am, too.
I will never fully figure this one out.
Not everyone can adopt.
Not every child is adoptable.
I know that.
How about sponsoring one?
How about being the disciple who tells a lonely child of God that they are not forgotten?
The benefits of sponsorship go both ways. You and your family can write letters telling that child that Jesus has not forgotten them, and neither will you. You can back those words with a year or more commitment to sponsor them in education and health care.
Jamie Says: HOLY MOLEY she looks like my little girl!
You get to watch God work.
And He DOES.
Want to see what your tiny fish and barley loaves can do when placed in the hands of Christ?
Want to see Jesus feed the 5,000 all over again?
Do you want to be the one to hand over your lunch while everyone else stands around asking questions?
Do you want to see what He can do with your tiny fish...
And your 5 barley loaves?
Offer it to Him.
(He still puts on a show.)
Why am I doing this today, when I am sure we would all prefer a nice post about homeschooling or a walk in the garden?
Because I have a 6 month old, 9 pound daughter...
(I have a waiting 6yo the size of my current 4yo)
who will not grow up sitting in the dirt begging for water,
and a son who will never beg for food.
Because I have prayed and searched for the right charity to point my readers to, and I believe in this one, because sponsorship programs allow you to impact one person's life in a way that can change the future.
Any of these kids could have been ours.
And I mean all of ours.
These are God's kids, and they belong to all of us.
We must mark the lives of the lost
with the love of Jesus Christ.
We must TEACH them LOVE.
These photos are the proof of lives changed through
Children's HopeChest
You can be the hero by doing something that will give you more joy than you have ever known.
You can tell them you remember.
You can be the one to love "the least of these."
- Matthew 25:40
Today, you can a part of this miracle.
The blog hosting this guest post is joining together with 9 other bloggers to find 100 children their sponsor families.
10 Bloggers x 10 Kids = 100 children.
100 children loved, fed, remembered.
The children pictured below were chosen specifically for this blog.
Choose your child today, and email JWilson@hopechest.org with your child's name in order to request their sponsorship package:
Once you do, let me know and
I WILL VISIT YOUR CHILD FOR YOU.
*update: ALL of my kids are spoken for. There was such a rush in the last 24 hours and the person running the show is off for Christmas, that we aren't sure who got these last two precious boys. I will let you know ASAP when I know who is their sponsor. Meanwhile, if you missed out on these boys, but would still like the opportunity, visit Megan's blog. She still has several! Let's find sponsors for all 100 kiddos!
I promise you, this experience will bless you 100 times more that you could EVER bless these children.
$34/month = one child loved, fed, and remembered.
Says Jamie: Commit to one of these children before December 26 and I WILL GO VISIT THEM FOR YOU. Every one of them is within driving range from where I go to court. I will deliver hugs and letters and love and I will bring it back in return. Commit to one of them AFTER and I will still deliver hugs and love and will bring them back, but it will take a couple more months before I can do so. ;)
Are you a blogger who would like to advocate for these children by taking on your very own 10 Kids?
Email JWilson@hopechest.org
-Missy
To those in Africa who are "sentenced to die" by starvation?
Well, it's harsh, and you aren't going to like it. The first time I heard these words on Daily Audio Bible, I was floored:
11 Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die;
save them as they stagger to their death...
save them as they stagger to their death...
12 Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.”
For God understands all hearts, and he sees you.
He who guards your soul knows you knew.
He will repay all people as their actions deserve.
For God understands all hearts, and he sees you.
He who guards your soul knows you knew.
He will repay all people as their actions deserve.
Soul-crushing, right?
So what can we do?
Where is the solution for this impossible situation?
After reading this post by author Tom Davis, I read his book, Red Letters. I found an answer, amidst all of the statistics that reek of death...
It lies within our five small barley loaves and two small fish.
The disciple Andrew asked:
9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” John 6: 1-14
The boy had faith.
The disciples had statistics.
Don't let Satan use statistics to trick you into thinking that you should not offer Jesus your small lunch because it won't make a difference.
Have faith. Be the boy.
Ready and willing to help? Confused about what to do?
I understand. I am, too.
I will never fully figure this one out.
Not everyone can adopt.
Not every child is adoptable.
I know that.
How about sponsoring one?
How about being the disciple who tells a lonely child of God that they are not forgotten?
The benefits of sponsorship go both ways. You and your family can write letters telling that child that Jesus has not forgotten them, and neither will you. You can back those words with a year or more commitment to sponsor them in education and health care.
You get to watch God work.
And He DOES.
Want to see what your tiny fish and barley loaves can do when placed in the hands of Christ?
Want to see Jesus feed the 5,000 all over again?
Do you want to be the one to hand over your lunch while everyone else stands around asking questions?
Do you want to see what He can do with your tiny fish...
And your 5 barley loaves?
Offer it to Him.
(He still puts on a show.)
Why am I doing this today, when I am sure we would all prefer a nice post about homeschooling or a walk in the garden?
Because I have a 6 month old, 9 pound daughter...
(I have a waiting 6yo the size of my current 4yo)
who will not grow up sitting in the dirt begging for water,
and a son who will never beg for food.
Because I have prayed and searched for the right charity to point my readers to, and I believe in this one, because sponsorship programs allow you to impact one person's life in a way that can change the future.
Any of these kids could have been ours.
And I mean all of ours.
These are God's kids, and they belong to all of us.
We must mark the lives of the lost
with the love of Jesus Christ.
We must TEACH them LOVE.
These photos are the proof of lives changed through
Children's HopeChest
You can be the hero by doing something that will give you more joy than you have ever known.
You can tell them you remember.
You can be the one to love "the least of these."
- Matthew 25:40
Today, you can a part of this miracle.
The blog hosting this guest post is joining together with 9 other bloggers to find 100 children their sponsor families.
10 Bloggers x 10 Kids = 100 children.
100 children loved, fed, remembered.
The children pictured below were chosen specifically for this blog.
Choose your child today, and email JWilson@hopechest.org with your child's name in order to request their sponsorship package:
Once you do, let me know and
I WILL VISIT YOUR CHILD FOR YOU.
*update: ALL of my kids are spoken for. There was such a rush in the last 24 hours and the person running the show is off for Christmas, that we aren't sure who got these last two precious boys. I will let you know ASAP when I know who is their sponsor. Meanwhile, if you missed out on these boys, but would still like the opportunity, visit Megan's blog. She still has several! Let's find sponsors for all 100 kiddos!
1. Balyo: Now Sponsored!
By the Day family!
2. Temesgen: Now Sponsored!
By the Foy family!
3. Kazru: Now Sponsored!
By the Mathis family!
4. Rebka: Now Sponsored!
By the Siyajuck family!
5. Asamech: Now Sponsored!
By the Bernas family!
6. Habtamu: NOW SPONSORED!
By the Dalke Family!
7. Aman: Now Sponsored!
By the Brandt family!
8. Zekarias: Now Sponsored!
9. Algayenesh: Now Sponsored!
by the Gruner family!
10. Tderder: Now Sponsored!
By the Clemens family
I promise you, this experience will bless you 100 times more that you could EVER bless these children.
$34/month = one child loved, fed, and remembered.
Says Jamie: Commit to one of these children before December 26 and I WILL GO VISIT THEM FOR YOU. Every one of them is within driving range from where I go to court. I will deliver hugs and letters and love and I will bring it back in return. Commit to one of them AFTER and I will still deliver hugs and love and will bring them back, but it will take a couple more months before I can do so. ;)
Are you a blogger who would like to advocate for these children by taking on your very own 10 Kids?
Email JWilson@hopechest.org
-Missy
1 comment:
She looks JUST like New Driggers Daughter. I just noticed. :) Beautiful!
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