WHY: YOU CAN BUY AWESOME, ORIGIONAL ART BY LOCAL ARTISTS AND EACH PENNY GOES TO JACOB'S ADOPTION FUND!
Hillary and I spent the day getting ready for our special event! All the girls will be helping day of, though!
Will you say a prayer for us? Will you pray that the event is successful, and that God multiplies our efforts and that we can earn alot of money for Jake's fund? THANKS!
143,000 orphans in the world spend an average of 10 years in orphanages or foster homes.
In countries such as Ukraine and Russia, about 15% of children who age-out of orphanages commit suicide before the age of 18.
60% of the girls become prostitutes, and 70% of the boys become criminals.
Every 15 seconds a child in Africa becomes an orphan due to AIDS.
Did you know that you can help change these statistics?
These statistics are taken courtesy of the Home for Good Foundation www.hfgf.org
November 7, 2010, is Orphan Sunday. This is a time for you and your church to promote orphan care and adoption. If you would like for your church to celebrate this event and encourage others to care for the "least of these," go to orphansunday.org to learn what tools and resources are available.
I think it takes a brave person to adopt "older children" (Can you really be considered older if you aren't even 11 yet?) This awesome family just got back from the Ukraine after adopting two "older" children from there. What an amazing opportunity for these kids, to actually have parents, to actually be able to learn about God. Watch this short video of their adoption, the first scene of their meeting just gets me :,)
You can follow this family with their new additions along with some other adopted kids on Smiles and Trials.
Now, I feel like I need to explain myself. You might be thinking, Amy, why do you care so much about adoption? You haven't adopted, and you're pregnant with one of your own.
Yes, I know, and I never used to ever think about adoption in my life. That was until my very first trip to Romania. I will not be able to put into words here what I experienced for two reasons; first because it's hard for anyone who hasn't been there and seen the orphanages, and seen the many children locked in up in those rooms to really understand a short paragraph about how horrible it was. And second, it's wimpy but it's hard for me to let my heart even go there again. It is much easier for me not to think about it.
There were so many babies there, and after being the only one holding them day after day, you start to feel ownership of them, like they really are your babies because I was the only one who ever did hold them with love, and maybe ever. These babies are beautiful, and they don't cry. They just lay, stiff, staring at you.
While holding these beautiful children, I would just make a frantic mental list of people who would be able to take one of these children in and save their lives, and my list was long. I thought of my elderly neighbor, and how she would adore holding and loving one of these babies, I thought of almost everyone I knew, and I actually knew a lot of people in America would could take on of these children in and save their little lives, in fact, I could only think of a few who couldn't. But, people don't really adopt children. People don't really want an overseas baby, especially one who might be stiff in their little bodies from lack of being held. It might effect their good lives or be a hassle.
So, each day I would lay my babies down, and I would walk away, until the day came that I laid my babies down forever. Any progress they had made with me would be forever erased with months of staring at white ceilings and cribs slats.
I would have taken one. I would, at 18, taken Rebekah and smuggled her out. I often dreamt about foiling that stupid guard at the entrance. I would bring her home and raised her on my own, or found a family for her who would love her and her tiny pixie nose, long curvy lashes and dimples cheeks. That sweet girls who practiced smiling with me, and stretching, and falling asleep in loving arms.
I can't really think about her too often, because no one wants to be around a crying person.
Since Romania, I have been to many orphanages around the world and met some of the most amazing children who would light up the life of any family who would take them in, if they were only given a shot, but none orphanage so bad as Romania. Kenya's orphanage has less food, less clothing and more disease and dirt, but the children seems so much healthy emotionally. Nothing was like Romania.
So, God had to lay some scars on my heart to have me care about adoption. I literally celebrate when I see an adoption story, because I know what these children are being saved from.
Ok, now I'll go wipe my tears and end this post! I hope I explained myself at least a little.
I've really been trying to be healthy recently. I feel hungry more times in the day than I ever used to, and I sometimes find myself filling up on not so healthy snacks. So, last week, I wanted to be very proactive about making a lunch that is absolutly healthy.
So, we have quinoa, tomatoes, bell pepper, black beans, onions and peas all sauteed together. I have been reading all sorts of health benefits of quinoa, and let me tell you...it was delicious! And I felt great afterwards, no guilt and lots of energy!
So, if you're ever in a lunch pinch, try it our. It's surprisingly delicious!
Two weekends ago we went to Las Gaviotas in Mexico with some friends. They were nice enough to take a picture of Andrew and I at our official "half way point" of 20 weeks! Enjoy. (And no, we didn't plan our outfits.)
So, as you know, I read some of the blogs of the people who are diving into adopting special needs children through Reeces Rainbow. I think I love these blogs becuase these people who decide to do this aren't super special, super spiritual, and are very real with their fears and emotions prior to meeting this child they have chosen to come into their home. One in particular adopted a young, beautiful girl with a heart problem from Serbia last year, who a few months ago passed away due to complications. On her blog yesterday, I feel like she said everything I am trying to tell myself on a regular basis, and majorly challanged me......to say the least............
Make a Difference Monday
Posted: 26 Jul 2010 12:23 AM PDT
“It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.” ~Mother Teresa
I was going to stop with that powerful quote, but there's so much more I want to say.Basically, I'm tired. I'm not tired of the things you might think...not tired of dishes, laundry, kids...those are all blessings, and I never tire of blessings. I'm tired of people sitting back thinking that theyr'e waiting for some magical moment to step in and make a difference in the life of just 1 child.Waiting to sponsor that child until they get a larger paycheck.Waiting for our "own" kids to grow up and move out and then we might consider helping someone else's children.Waiting for our house to get cleaned up before we think about a home study.Waiting for more bedrooms before we can possibly add another child into our home.Waiting...Waiting...Waiting...While we wait for our lives to be perfect before we consider helping another child, guess what?There's someone else, a helpless child, who is waiting...waiting...waiting...for us to get our act together and decide that RIGHT NOW is the time to make a difference. Right now is the time to step up to the plate and say YES. Right now is the time to trust God with our lives, our homes, our finances, instead of relying upon self.Right now is the time to realize that as we wait for the right time, a child dies of starvation. A child dies of neglect. A child dies of malnutrition. A child is ignored. A child is abused. A child wishes for a clean cup of drinking water. A child is sold into sex slavery. A child aches for a mom and a dad. A child yearns for just one person to tell her that she's special. A child wastes away in a crib in an orphanage, waiting for someone to rescue him. All of this while we wait at a fast food restaurant, getting angry when it takes longer than 3 minutes to get our food. While we wait for our pocketbook to grow larger, wishing our waists would grow thinner, and hoping our gym memberships will get us in shape so that we'll be in a better position to help others.When will you decide that RIGHT NOW is the time to make a difference?"To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world." ~author unknownOne life matters! There are so many ways to help, to make a difference, to help orphans and live out James 1:27 (to care for orphans and widows in their distress).
Feed 1 child. (through a child feeding sponsorship)
Pray for 1 child. (that he/she would find a home and be kept safe until God unites them)
Foster 1 child. (it's free...you actually get paid to do this)
Adopt 1 child. (yes, adopting 1 child really does make a difference)
If you're ready to commit to making a difference RIGHT NOW, go register to attend the Together for Adoption 2010 Conference to find out how YOU can make a difference in the life of 1 child. Or more. :-) There are SO many ways for you to make a difference. Come find out how. CLICK HERE to register.
"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."
~Mother Teresa "We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty". ~Mother Teresa "There is more hunger in the world for love and appreciation in this world than for bread." ~Mother Teresa "The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread." ~Mother Teresa "The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved." ~Mother Teresa
Ok, this is a short post, with just a link to a blog I have been following of a family who went to the Ukraine to adopt a little 7 year old girl named Bianca with HIV. When they got there (a few weeks ago), they found out she was unadoptable! So sad! But, they were able to get another referral of a little girl who was 2, almost 3. At first, the husband said no way! Too young! But, once they met her....
The only reason I am sharing this is because she is the cutest little girl I have ever seen! Scroll and look at this precious little face. "So sweet she can cause a sugar tooth ache" says her new mommy.
