A gift from God

You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. Amy Carmichael

This last week the Lord gave me an unexpected gift. I traveled down to a church camp with my pastor and his family. I met 5 adopted girls. (The next best thing to being back in Ecuador!) They quickly became a joy and blessings. I was able to have just a taste of what life looks like for them...the struggles and joys, the heartaches and pains, they have lost so much but they are gaining so much more in Christ! He is providing for them, caring for them, binding their wounds and broken hearts. It was amazing to see them with their parents and friends

It was such an amazing, unexpected gift from God. I found myself being drawn to tears more than once throughout the weekend. It was so much more than I would have thought or imagined that God would allow me to see in part, the continuing journey of these sweet adopted children so closely. These ones who have suffered more than any other children I know.

I went down with only the hope of having a little Rest & Relaxation, but I was blessed beyond measure with hospitality, friendships, fellowship, spiritual encouragement and renewing. God is an awesome God!

Touched

I am a night thinker and as I lay here trying to fall asleep my mind is full, my heart is touched and I'm so undeserving of it all! As I look back over this past weekend and think of all the people that have loved so richly, have given so freely and touched me so deeply.

What does one say? Thank you is never enough!

People we don't even know, some we may never meet....

People have given, donated, bought, shared, encouraged and blessed me and my family beyond measure. A church family opened their doors and their heart to me and through me, to my family. All for a little girl....in Ecuador. I am the only one that has ever met her, but so many people have opened their hearts and been touched by this little girl.

How can it be? Why would God do all of this for me? He has crossed boundaries, countries, lines and state. For His purpose and plan, its so humbling and exciting to be a part of this plan. I never would have imagined or fathomed the journey God had for me in 3 months in Ecuador, and how He would continue that journey after I arrived home. It is such a blessing to be able to share and talk about what God has done and is doing in my life.

I can never thank you enough, I pray God's richest blessings on all of you!

Each step along the journey brings us one step closer to God willing, bringing this little girl home, who I have come to love as my little sister.

Choice or Calling...

I use to think that Adoption was a choice that a family made....

But I have learned that Adoption is a calling....

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"Adopting in God's mind was not Plan B. He predestined us for adoption before the creation of the world. Plan A was not lots of children who never sin and never need to be redeemed. Plan A was creation, fall, redemption, adoption so that the full range of God's glory and mercy and grace could be known by His adopted children. Adoption was not second best. Its was planned from the beginning." John Piper

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Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Psalm 82:3

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27

There are an estimated 143 million orphans in the developing world.

It's a gross understatement to say there are more children than adoptive families. Statistics from the US State Department show that in 2009 there were a total of less than 13,000 international adoptions completed in the US.

The numbers are crushing:

*15 million children have lost both mother and father.

*Tens of millions more are fatherless.

In the US alone 514,000 children live in our foster care system, and approximately 115,000 of them are waiting to be adopted right now.

*There are 18 million street children in India alone.

But a single statistics matters more than any other:

--It only takes one caring individual to make a lifelong difference for an orphan

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What can I say? What can you do? I can't rescue all the children in the world! I can't fix all the social and legal problems. I can't get all the children adopted into loving and caring family's, I can't even get them all into loving and caring orphanages! I use to think of adopting as a choice, a family might chose to do this. if they can't have children, if they have the money and want to help an orphan, or if they simply want to help a help out an orphan. But when I stood in a room full of orphans, when I heard a girl with autism ask, where is my mom? When I seen children ask for a family, when I was surrounded by children that were full of behavioural issues and trapped with no way out....adoption and orphans took on a whole new meaning.....

Does it make sense to adopt a 9th child? Does it make sense to adopt a child that is blind or deaf? Does it make sense to adopt a child that has severe special needs? Does it make sense to spend countless hours, waiting, praying, and fundraising? Does it make sense to bring a foreign child across language, cultural and physical differences? Does it make sense to go through the pain, the adjustments, and the heartaches that adoption costs?

No, no, no, I think it sounds absurd, I think it sounds like a lot of work, I think it sounds like we should all just forget about it....

But wait...does it make sense that countless children are waiting for families? Does it make sense that just because they have a physical or mental handicap they shouldn't enjoy a family life? Does it make sense that we shouldn't because we have a large family....when they have no one? Does it make sense that we should give up because we can't afford it, when God has promised to provide, watch over, care for and protect these children that are so precious to Him?

Can not God provide a way?

For my family we never would have embarked on this journey if it hadn't come as a calling....if it hadn't required faith....if we hadn't stopped to say, "Your will be done, dear Lord". So God is moving mountains and we have the privilege of watching, participating and seeing what God will do.

Musings...

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God and the prisoners heard them. Acts 16:25

This verse just struck me! First of all they were singing when they were in the worst of conditions! Not only were they in prison singing, not only were they singing in the middle of the night, but they were singing loud enough for everyone to hear them! They were singing to their God, the one they could have resented saying, "You could free us". But they contently sang and praised God right where He had placed them. O that I may sing with a heart full of joy and praise to my God regardless of everything and everyone around me.

You can take the girl out of Ecuador, but you can't take Ecuador out of the girl....
I have heard many sanging but since I have gotten home I think this is one of the truest! I am still discovering all the ways God has worked and moved and changed my life. I am still adjusting back into life and seeking God's will. It all seemed like such a straight shot but God is not confined to my thoughts and plans, I am so thankful He is not, and I am so thankful He is working and changing me, my hearts desires and my goals and ambitions in life. I still need all the prayers I can get! :) I want to be willing to do anything as long as God will be glorified!

Sharing my heart....

Since I have been back home, one of my very favorite things to do is to share and talk about Ecuador and all that I experienced there and the amazing things I saw, and how God has worked in my heart and life through this trip. It has not been an easy adjustment back into life here. I have changed, my heart has changed, my perspective and my priorities. Some days are harder than others....(like yesterday! :) Everywhere I go, I see and think of these children.....they are so engraved on my heart! Last evening I went to my siblings homeschool group program and there are two adopted children, that brought me to the brink of tears many times throughout the night.... I kept seeing our own special "Miss A", and all the children who have not been so blessed as to have a family.

Some nights I just sit and look at pictures, and all the precious joys and times I had there come flooding back, other nights as I pray for them, my eyes fill with tears, when I hear people complaining about how they want to get more things, I silently cringe when I think of how much they have, when I walk into stores, I think of all the needs all the items could meet, when I sit down to eat I think of the children, and how much they would love the chunk of meat on my plate. The children, the places, the needs, the love I have for them...

Last Sunday I had the privilege of sharing with my church about my journey through Ecuador. I gave the super short version...If I really said everything I would like too, it would take hours and hours....It was such a blessing to share with my church family, they have prayed for me, supported me and walked with me on this journey. I have been so blessed by them and their love for me! I set up a table with items and pictures from Ecuador and it was so neat to see the children all crowding around looking, and asking questions about different places and people. I have so enjoyed sharing and talking with people!

If you are interested in hearing about my trip you can listen here but if you would like to talk to me  in person, I would love too! Just contact me, and I would love to share with you or a group. I have been so blessed by God, I want to share it with everyone I can!

Around the World....

I recently seen these articles, and thought they were very interesting! You might be interested in taking a look at them.....

A weeks worth of grocery's for families around the world.

Children's favorite toys from around the world.

Children's places to sleep around the world.

We seldom realize how blessed we are, most of us have just been raised where we have plenty. Many of us cannot fathom what it would be like to not know where your next meal is coming from, or not having a place to sleep at night, or not having shoes to wear, or just having a couple of toys. Our thoughts of being poor, mean something like, not being able to go on a trip we want to, or not having top brand clothing, or not being able to buy everything we want. But we have it so good! We ought to stop and be thankful, because we are so blessed! We live in America, the land of plenty...the grocery stores are packed with hundreds of options, we have restaurants  clothings stores, toy stores, and in case you need financial help we have tons of programs to help out, we have soup kitchens and clothing banks. We have 2nd hand stores, clothing swaps, and garage sales. Most of us throw food out that gets bad before we eat it, most of us complain because we need to go through our things and get rid of stuff because we have too much! Can you fathom what its like to be an orphan and have a bed and maybe a drawer of things to call your own. Can you fathom what its like to try to steal off of someone else's plate to try to fill your belly? Can you fathom being a two year old on the streets fending for yourself?

What can we do? We can't help it we were born here! You're right, but maybe we should stop and make ourselves aware, and help and support and pray for those who do not have the everyday essentials that we are so blessed with! Maybe we should stop to realize how foolish our grumbling and complaining is, how despicable it must be in God's eye. Shouldn't we stop to at least thank Him?