epic announcement

My husband likes to say that I have a bleeding heart for the lost children of the world.  He says that with a patronizing affectionate tone, but he's right.  I can't bear the thought of children suffering or in pain.  It breaks my heart to think that somewhere, not too far from here, a child is walking the streets with their family not knowing how or where they'll sleep tonight.  I can't bear the thought that there are orphans at home and abroad who don't have a mother to kiss them goodnight and sing them a lullaby.  And I am angered when I see children who aren't accepted or downright bullied because they're "different," whether their clothes are worn or they have "special needs", or their skin is a different color.  These things affect me deeply.  And so I ask God this very dangerous question: what do you want me to do?

Just over a year ago, His answer came in the form of an organization called Safe Families.  This organization places children whose families are in crisis, such as homelessness or hospitalization, into homes such as ours.  We volunteer to take in these children and provide them with food, clothing, shelter and all the love we can give.  These children who have been through our home in the past year have been such a blessing to us.  And they have taught our girls so much as they have shared stories of homeless shelters and being hungry and wanting nothing more than to be home with your family.  They have taught them that people who seem different can be very much the same and that little things like skin color or your socio-ecomic status make no difference when you're rocking out to Justin Beiber (he is absolutely intolerable regardless of your hair color as well).  God has blessed us with incredible resources - a home, a family, food in the cupboard and a little enough money in the bank.  And it has been a privilege to manage His resources so that we can help others.

And so now I ask an even more dangerous question: what else do you want me to do?

This is His answer...

Somewhere across the globe is a child that God has a plan to redeem.  He has orchestrated a search and rescue that began before time and has called us to join in His mission.

So we are going to adopt...

     a child from China 

            with special needs.

Right now, this child has no hope and no future, but God promises in Jeremiah 29:11 that "I know the plans I have for you...to give you a hope and a future."  And we get to be a part of seeing that promise fulfilled.  

In case you're wondering if we're crazy we won the lottery, we didn't.  But God is so much bigger than the cost of an adoption, and we'll save and we'll apply for grants, and we'll try to raise the rest, and in the end our son or daughter (because it doesn't matter to us either way, although the girls are hoping for a little brother) will have a home.  A family.  A hope and a future.  

Want to help?  Pray for us - our first step is to begin a Home Study (where a Social Worker will interview us and determine that we're sane and fit to parent).  We hope to begin that process and have already made some calls to get it started.  And follow along, walk with us, celebrate our journey... we would love the company and it is always amazing to watch God work in miraculous ways!