A Dream Being Realized?

Over a year ago, I started this blog to be an outlet for all that was being revealed to me by my heavenly Father. I was just overwelmed at the mighty hand of God moving in my insignificant (not to Him, cause we're all special to Him) heart.
Last month, the first organizational meeting for Prism International was held.
It was exciting to have my family and few friends attending the meeting. There was some good points brought out and the attendees were sent off with the instructions to pray and seek God's will for their lives personally as to whether He was calling them to this ministry.

This month, we'll be discussing our mission statement and a permanent name.
I'm asking all followers of this blog to pray for us. I don't know anyone who has much experience developing the different elements of a non-profit. I don't want people to be afraid of following an unknown path. Many times in our walks as Christians we are required to chart a little unknown territory, but we must remember that there is nothing unknown to our Lord. He loves the orphan, the widow, and the stranger and He has commanded us to seek justice for them, provide for them, and to visit them. See Deut 24: 17-22

One of my favorite songs that has become a prayer of mine is by Britt Nicole
I wanna feed the hungry children and reach across the farther land
And tell the broken man there's healing and mercy in the Father's hands
I, I am small ,but you, you are Big enough
I, I am weak, but you, you are Strong enough
To Take My Dreams Come and Give them wings
LORD with you there's nothing I can't do

You can listen to it here.
We all know it's God who does the work and accomplishes His will. He allows us to join Him where He is working.

Shining the Light of Christ into the Heart of Orphans!

I recently read a very moving post by Matthew Nasekos at Story Grace.
I have reposted it here on my blog, because it illustrates what I hoped will be accomplished through the non-profit organization that I am working on. Matthew and his daughter are currently in Ukraine ministering to children in orphanages with another father-daughter team. The daughters, for those of you who don't know, were both adopted from one of the orphanages they visited. You can read their blogs here and here
Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Deep Desire to be Loved and Adopted

The following is from a letter written by someone who visits orphans every day:
"Little boys shoveling snow in the freezing cold with no gloves... screaming teachers... older boys bullying younger ones... kids running wild around the orphanage... or lonely kids wandering the hallways alone... during the last few weeks I have seen all these things and more in the orphanage.

The reality of life in many orphanages is shocking.
It is not a pleasant reality to talk about.
For those of us looking in, it is much easier to pretend that it doesn’t exist.
For the children trapped in the middle, it is easier to think “I am okay, I can make it”.
But no matter how we all look at it, the harsh reality remains the same and it won’t go away until someone steps in to help. That someone is ultimately God because He is the one who loves the children most of all, and I also believe that God wants to use us to help these kids know and understand His love.
In many ways I feel helpless to do anything that will really make a difference for these kids.
I feel that all I have left now is my voice, my words to express to you what I have seen and heard in the orphanages, to speak out for these children, and to communicate their deep desire to be loved and adopted into a family.

In these last few months the urgency of their needs seem to fill my heart even more, I have been quick to share with you about the desperate situation these kids are in.
But as I long to share with you and show you the reality of life here, I have been reminded of an important lesson. . . .the lesson of what must come first, and that is crying out to God for these children. He is the one who can save them. He alone is the one who can work in hearts and lead His people to action on their behalf.
And so, today, I want to thank you for joining me in lifting these precious orphans up to the Father and ask you to continue. He wants them to be loved and protected, safe and cared for.
“The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow.” Psalm 146:9a
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families,” Psalm 68:5-6a
And he calls us to be involved: “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:17
“Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Psalm 82:3"
If you are interested in receiving a prayer calendar for the orphans, contact me.

Some Pictures From October Mission Trip

James 1: 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Adoption is not just for childless couples anymore

In 2003, I went on my first mission trip to Ukraine and visited an orphanage there for the first time. After the third mission trip, I was beginning to hear God's heart for orphans and recorded in my journal that I wanted to do something to help orphans. In an effort to do that, I turned to the Internet and stumbled upon the blog world. The first blog I read was Kristina's Story. Reading blogs has began a journey for me. Where it is leading me, I'm still not sure. I know it is a path that God is laying piece by piece before my eyes. Since then, I have read many blogs by adopting couples and the majority of them are couples with children.

Another part of the journey is reading books. I have posted about Tom Davis' Fields of the Fatherless. In this book, Tom states, "If only 7 % of professing Christians around the world responded, every single orphan in the world would have a home". He also quotes John Piper as describing adoption as the 'visible gospel'. According to Ephesians 1: 5 we've all been adopted into God's family. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.

November 8th is Orphan Sunday. I encourage all readers to pray about promoting Orphan Sunday in your church. There are free downloadable resources at http://www.orphansunday.org/.

You can also order hard copies of the material. They have posters, fliers, bulletin inserts, as well as, sermon notes and small group Bible study material.

In a little more than a week, my family and I will return for our second mission trip together. Please pray for us as we make final preparations As we make the trip, please pray that we will clearly hear God's voice concerning orphans and orphan care. There are some links on the right of the page to blogs of adopting families. You can learn many details about the process of adoption through reading their blogs.

Help Wanted

My family and I are going to Ukraine on a mission trip in October. We have been working on Bible lessons and crafts. Does anyone out there have any Ukranian children's music that would be suitable for a backyard bible club or know where I order music from. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

SBC Resoultion on Adoption and Orphan Care

Southern Baptist Convention Resolution on Adoption and Orphan Care
Adoption Voices is a wonderful website that I recently found out about and joined. It is a place where you can get more information on adoption and adoption related topics. That’s where I found out about this resolution.
The Southern Baptist Convention resolution states:
“WHEREAS, In the Gospel we have received the “Spirit of adoption” whereby we are no longer spiritual orphans but are now beloved children of God and joint heirs with Christ (John 14:18; Romans 8: 12-25; Galatians 3: 27-4:9; Ephesians 1:5); and
“WHEREAS, The God we now know as our Father reveals himself as a “father of the fatherless” (Psalm 72: 12-14), and shows us that we will be held accountable for our response to “the least of these brothers of mine” (Matthew 25: 40); and
WHEREAS, The satanic powers and the ravages of sin have warred against infants and children from Pharaoh to Molech to Herod and, now through the horrors of a divorce culture, an abortion industry, and the global plagues of disease, starvation, and warfare; and
WHEREAS, Upward of 150 million orphans now languish without families in orphanages, group homes, and placement systems in North America and around the world;”

The SBC has
“RESOLVED, That we call on each Southern Baptist family to pray for guidance as to whether God is calling them to adopt or foster a child or children; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we encourage our pastors and church leaders to preach and teach on God’s concern for orphans; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we encourage local churches to champion the evangelism of and ministry to orphans around the world, and to seek out ways to energize Southern Baptists behind this mission; and be it further……
RESOLVED, That we pray for an outpouring of God’s Spirit on Southern Baptist congregations so that our churches will proclaim and picture, in word and in deed, that “Jesus love the little children, all the children of the world.”
It was so huge to me when I read about this resolution on someones blog in Adoption Voices. I'm glad I joined. If I hadn't, I never would have heard about it. My church is a part of the Association of Southern Baptists. It is an encouragement to me that they are challenging churches to start orphan care ministries and christians to adopt.
If you want to read the entire resolution, click right here- www.sbc.net/resolution.asp?ID=1194

All Adoptive Families Go Share Your Story at OrphansDeserveBetter.org

Christian Alliance For Orphans has launched a new website called Orphans Deserve Better in response to Warner Bros. new movie, Orphan. On this website, you can sign a pettition to ask Warner Bros. to contribute a portion of the proceeds to orphaned children, read facts about orphans in the world, watch a video message, find out how you can serve, and share your story of adoption. The petition states, "The film delivers a distorted picture of the difficulty and pain these children often carry. It also sells short the great love the so often return to those who reach out to them with care and compassion. We assume that you did not intend this, and we recognize that the film could be described as a far-fetched thriller. But the power of such a film to subtly shape attitudes and perspectives remains. In that regard, the movie Orphan, does no favors to the many children who share its name. For the sake of the world's more than 140 million orphans, people deserve to know better. They should have an honest understanding of the deep needs orphans face- as well as the satisfaction and beauty that can be found in embracing orphans as a mentor or adopted family, foster parent or nonprofit volunteer."

Please visit the website to share your story and sign the petition. www.orphansdeservebetter.org