Judah's story

When we think about children in poverty,  I think its easier to distance ourselves.  We imagine that other cultures are so different from our own, that we somehow believe their sorrow is different too.  But the thing is, parents love their children. Whether their homes are like ours or not, their love for their children is.  They love their kiddos just like we love our kiddos.  Poverty doesn't change that.  It just complicates it.  Watch this brief video about Judah and listen to his mother's realization:



 There are so many things that our children have access to, simply because of where they were born.  And there are so many children that do not have access for the same reason -- where they were born.  In our global society, we can change that.  I encourage you to consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International.  You'll be richly blessed, and at the same time, you'll be a part of blessing another family in ways we can't quite measure.  You might just provide another mom the opportunity to tell a story like Judah's about her own son.  Click here for more information.

ideas for giving

Ok.  I am going to try to make this quick, but y'all me + the words get all cozy when I sit down at the PC.

I think I mentioned this before, but I am going to go ahead and say it again.  While we were in "the waiting" part of our adoption, a few people {more than I would have guessed} said to us, "I'm so glad you are getting one from over here instead of paying all that money to another country.  There are kids here that need families too."  This always bugged me a bit, because I don't think it really matters where the child without a family is - nor do I think there is an "acceptable price" to pay for an adoption; like there is a cutoff of worth-it vs. overpriced.  Gross. 

However, I know there are people that fall into the camps of "help here" and "there is enough help here, help elsewhere."  (ie. local vs. overseas) I fall right down the middle, most of the time.

So today I have two ideas for how you can give, one for here and one for there.  Both of these ideas are in the vein of orphan prevention/family preservation.  Adoption is, of course, one way to ease the orphan crisis (and obviously, one I believe in wholeheartedly!) but there is SO MUCH more that can be done to help stop the growing number of orphans in the first place.  Many children become orphans as a direct result of poverty... living in one of the wealthiest nations in the world makes this idea so incomprehensible.

"Poverty is not necessarily an issue to solve; it is an opportunity to serve. As we go through each day, our heart's cry should be, Lord, where would you have me give, serve, and invest myself to bring hope to the poor?"

~Orphan Justice author, Johnny Carr

Poverty is an opportunity to serve.  Let that settle in for a moment.

 
LOCAL::
I mentioned this yesterday, and I am going to expand on it today.  The caseworker that I work with most directly also stopped by the closet to chat with me on Tuesday.  She told me that their office is working on getting car seats for all of the caseworkers.  She reminded me of the cars eats that had been in the office when I first came to help sort through things in the spring.  One was expired.  She didn't know those things had expiration dates (some of you didn't either, am I right?)  She was explaining that it would be nice for each worker to have a dedicated car seat in case they need to transport children. 

Also?  She mentioned that sometimes the difference in whether or not a child comes in to foster care is a car seat.  Some children come in to foster care in this community because their parents do not have a car seat.  Y'all.  She also mentioned that the same circumstance is true for pack-n-plays.  Babies need a safe place.   Not all parents have the cash to drop on a pack-n-play.  I have two pack-n-plays in a closet right now.  They were generously given to me.  Not everyone has generous people in their lives supporting them.  This is an opportunity to serve right here in this community.  If you have (or know someone that has) a car seat or pack-n-play that can be donated, let me know.  We'll get it to the right place.  Of course, these items should be in nice condition. We can buy new pack-n-play mattress pads or sheets if yours are stained due to the horrible Rotavirus. {Oh, that might just be ours.}

OVERSEAS::
If you are far off {or close-by but would rather help far off}, I get you.  And because I get you, I am going to go ahead and link you up with Compassion International again.  You can do more than sponsor a child there, so go ahead and really click through the links on their website. 

If you are interested in giving, serving, and investing yourself in a way to bring hope to the poor, as Johnny Carr says above, I urge you to consider sponsoring a child.  It is one of the best decisions our family has made.  Our bigger boys know about Uganda because that is where Junior lives.  We often pray for his family and their needs.  We talk about some of the challenges Junior faces, and write him letters to encourage him.  I mentioned before that we also get letters back from Junior.  These are such treasure.  We get to reach across the ocean and serve a family in poverty.  We get so much out of our sponsorship that the cost is no longer an issue.

 Compassion International is the real deal, they work with a local church and serve the local community.  They are continually seeking ways to bring about sustainable change in the communities they serve. Compassion International did reach their goal for Blog Month, but there are still plenty of children in need of sponsors.


If you ever, ever, ever, have any questions about sponsoring a child, I'm your girl. 

One more thing, if you've been thinking that you would like to help our local foster care supply closet with donations (see yesterday's post), but the shipping seems outrageous.  Might I suggest you bravely call YOUR local office and see what needs they might have?  I'd be happy to bounce ideas around with you.

P.S. the quote is from Orphan Justice, you HAVE to read it.  You just really should. 

high-fiving trees

I posted this little tidbit on Facebook last night:

Went out for a couch-to-5K run with Walker tonight. It was a big milestone - 5 min warm-up, RUN 20 MIN. Up until now he has had walk breaks, so this was tough. He was fading around the 13 minute mark so I was trying my best to encourage him. He started reaching up & touching tree branches as we ran by... He says, "you know why I like to touch the trees?" Me: (no idea) "it cools you off?" guessing. He replies, "No, I imagine they're my fans giving me high fives along the way."

Man, I love that kid. And yes, he did run his 20 minutes. Like a boss - with lots of fans.

My friend, Lisa, responded first, and her words made me get tears in my eyes and a catch in my throat almost immediately.  And I wasn't quite sure why.  She said, "Keep making sure you have trees in his path and he will run long distances."

I'm thinking she said it tongue in cheek, my heart immediately thought about the importance of marking his path with encouragement.  Last night, he imagined the encouragement himself, and I pray that deep down he will always be able to find that encouragement within, from the Spirit that lives in him.  I want him to run long distances, and I want him to know he is being cheered along the way.  Always.  Whether he's actually running or just living all out for Jesus.  My heart wants him to run far.

It got me thinking about the 3rd assignment for Compassion International's blog month.  (Remember the goal is to sponsor 3160 kiddos this month!) I picked this photo of this little boy because I think his timid expression speaks volumes.

This boy with the dirty, sideways shirt and the penetrating eyes.  In so many ways, he is not unlike my boys.  Or your children either.  He just happens to have been born in a country that is stricken with poverty.  The thing about poverty, this kind of poverty, is that it is hard to imagine for us North American folks.  We prefer to kind of pretend like it doesn't exist, or worse, like its no big deal to "those people."  Or you know, like its not our responsibility.  Gross.

Here's the thing, though.  That little guy, he is in need.  Just look up at his face for a moment.  Really look at him. He represents so many other little ones just like him.  His parents love him desperately.  They do what they can to provide for their family.  He knows his parents love him, but the challenges he faces on a daily basis are difficult for him to bear.

He needs to know he can run long distances.  He needs to know that he can set goals.  He needs to imagine those high fives from his fans as he presses on toward his goals.  

By choosing to sponsor a child, a world of hope is opened up to them.  They receive medical care, healthy food + clean water, and an education.  They also get introduced to Jesus.  It is only $38 a month.  Compassion International will provide the child you sponsor with enough to get through each day, and by doing so the whole family will benefit.

One of the absolute coolest things about sponsoring a child through Compassion International is the access you get to your sponsored child.  You get to send him/her letters.  You can send family photos and let your child know you are praying for him.  Your words will be the branches his fingertips brush through as he runs the race marked out for him.  Your letters offer hope in a very tangible way. 

(If you follow along on a Compassion Bloggers trip, you find out how the children treasure these notes from their sponsors.  You can read through past trip posts if you want to do some research.  Click here.  Grab a box of tissues if you do!)

The cool part?  The children write you too.  And you get pictures!  We have seen the boy we sponsor grow up so much over the last-almost-4 years.  His timid stare in the first photo has disappeared into a beaming smile.  He has begun writing his letters himself and we watch his handwriting improve with each new letter.  I still can't say for sure who is getting the most blessing out of this deal, us or him.  We keep our notes and photos in a notebook, because they have become treasure to us as well. 

I promise you, this is the best $38 a month you can spend.  If you take your family out to dinner, you will likely spend close to this amount.  Do your kids light up with hope as you walk out of the restaurant?  Not usually, its just another meal.  What about if you go to some sort of attraction and spend $38 on trinkets and souvenirs (or elephant ears, whatever), do these items become treasures for your children?  Not likely.

I'm not saying going out to eat, or buying our kids trinkets is a bad thing.  I'm just asking you to consider redirecting some of your funds in your budget from the-not-that-big-of-a-deal-column to the-awesomely-amazing-hope-giving-column.  I'm telling you, you will not regret it.




I'm leaving you with a song.  Because this is how I am wired and songs tangle-up in my thoughts ALL THE TIME.  As I considered Walker high-fiving the trees, and my responsibility to make sure there are more trees along his path; as that morphed into thinking about our opportunity to "be the trees" that high-five Compassion kiddos, this song came to mind.

3 things about hope

When Brad deployed the first time, there was a heated discussion in my Sunday School class about hope. One man was convinced that "hope" was weakness. Of course, in my emotionally-exhausted-state I could barely offer a counter argument without tears. I remember trying to explain that Hope was the very thing carrying me through each day. This encounter caused me to reflect and study up on the word hope.

When the second Compassion International Blog Month blogging assignment came to my inbox, I was pretty sure hope would be the word I picked. After a few days of marinating in my head and heart, it was confirmed.

1. Hope floats but its also an anchor.  I know, its probably cheesy to allude to a Sandra Bullock movie in a post about Hope.  I can't help it, that movie title is a good one.  So often, hope is lighthearted and surrounded by happy thoughts.  Think of the hopeful atmosphere at a graduation ceremony or a wedding ceremony or even a redeployment ceremony.  Hope floats indeed.  But its also an anchor.  Its the thing that holds us steady when nothing in the world seems steady at all.  It tethers us to Truth when everything around is tumbling apart.

We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. - Hebrews 6:19-20 (HCSB)

2. Hope believes but it also expects.  I think we often interchange the word "hope" with the word "wish".  As Christians, though, Hope is so much more than wishing.  Perhaps that misunderstanding in my Sunday School class years ago had to do with confusing hoping for wishing.  They aren't the same.  Hope is grounded in belief, built upon expectation.  There is a precedence for the Hope we hold on to.

For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. - Romans 8:24-25 (NASB)

3. Hope can be given but it cannot be taken.  This is perhaps the most exciting part about this little post today.  We can give Hope.  And this Hope we can give is the kind that changes lives forever and can never be taken away.  It is the richest of gifts, and we, as believers, are so privileged to be able to share it.  Compassion International is such an amazing organization to partner with because they not only meet basic needs, they introduce people to Jesus.  They don't just provide clean water, they also point to the Living Water.  They don't just serve healthy meals, they furnish spiritual nutrition through the Bread of Life.  They don't simply administer basic medical care but also grant access to the Great Physician.  They don't just rescue children from poverty, they do it Jesus' name.

There is a song by Bebo Norman called, "I'm Alright" the lyrics begin with this way ::

I have a little hope here in my pocket
Wanna share of it with you
Just be careful that you don't drop it
Don't worry if you do

We've got Hope in our pockets!  We can share our hope with those that need it desperately.  Its only $38 a month.  I know, you immediately think, "We don't have an extra $38 a month."  I get that.  But I would encourage you to think about what "extras" you currently spend $38 on a month (cell phone? internet? soda? donuts?).  Maybe you can find a way to move a couple items around in your budget to make room for giving some hope away.  You will never regret it.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. - Romans 12:11-13 (NIV)

If you aren't sure where to start, one fun way to find a child to sponsor is by narrowing it down by a meaningful date, like your birthday!  Go ahead and take a peek!

 

note to {my childhood} self

I am participating in Compassion International's Blog Month.  The goal is to have 3,160 new children sponsored this month.  Feel free to click through any of the links to find out more about sponsoring a child.  You aren't committing to anything by checking it out.  Promise! 

The first assignment was to write a blog post to my childhood self.  I wanted to think it over a day or so... then we had "the dog incident" and my arm has been a mess ever since.  But this afternoon, I realized what my childhood self needs to hear.  {And likely my adult self needs to hear it too, maybe you too?}

Listen up, Mandy.  I need to tell you something.  It comes from a place of adoration.  So I'm going to whisper it to your little girl heart. 

Not everything in your world will make sense.  Things will happen that your little head cannot understand and your little heart won't have a clue what to do with all the feelings.  You'll try to figure you out.  You'll try to shove it away.  Its OK.  The good news is, God will work it all out for good.  

I know that sounds a little too simple.  But I am looking at it from this side -from 30 years down the road.  And I can tell you that God has woven such a beautiful life for you out of those hard things you didn't understand.  He brings peace to places you wouldn't guess, and heals hurts you were afraid to talk about.  He really does work all things out for good.  Often its the things we really have a hard time understanding that turn out to be such a beautiful piece of the picture. 

The thing about this Truth, is that it keeps building throughout your life.  So I, Amanda, can look back at you, Mandy; and be encouraged even now.  I've seen all the good work God has done up to this point, I've seen how He has worked out details that no one could have predicted.  So I know looking forward that He will continue this good work of His now.

Even when things happen that my head cannot understand and my heart doesn't have a clue what to do with all the feelings.

He is always good.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

P.S.  I feel its important to add, though, that the matching outfits with your sister don't last much longer.  Keep smiling, its not forever kiddo! 

photo scavenger hunt fun!

So you might have noticed the little "I blog for Compassion" button over there on the right side bar.  Its a recent addition to the blog, although I've posted a few times over the years about our involvement with Compassion International.  By signing up, I basically volunteered to write about prompts that will be emailed out.

So this is the first "officially prompted" Compassion International post!  Fun, huh?

Even more fun is that the prompt was basically to read about the Photo Scavenger Hunt that Compassion International is hosting for the remainder of the month of July.  Read here to find out all about it.  You can totally join in on the fun.

Its a way to celebrate their two year mark on instagram.  I wanted to wait to participate until Wilson and Walker got back from Camp Barbie.  I think they will have fun searching for the items to photograph with me. Of course, one of the items was easy enough for me to just turn and snap right here.




Oh, and did I mention there are prizes?  You know me with prizes, right?  Check them out! Giddy.  I tell you.

We love the work that Compassion International is doing around the world.  It is an honor to play a small part in their bigger work.  By supporting a child, we are helping to keep his birth family intact.  I know its hard to imagine from the comforts of North America, but the depth of poverty in some parts of the world is a major factor in the orphan crisis.  Compassion International does an outstanding job of releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name!  They take a holistic approach and the benefits that children in their programs receive end up helping their entire family to some extent.  Their approach has even been researched by a third party with outstanding results... read more here.

I could go on and on.  If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask.  I believe with all my heart that Compassion is in the business of orphan-prevention.  It is a critical piece to the larger Orphan Care movement.

a little part of something big

You know we sponsor a child through Compassion International, right?

I really think its some of the best money we spend monthly.  We got a letter from Junior this week.  Its the first one we've gotten from him since he has seen the twins (we wanted to wait until it was officially official and finally final before we tried to explain it all to him.)  We sent him a picture sometime after Christmas and told him the story of our newest family members.  In his letter he said, "I love the twins.  They look alike!"  I'm just giddy over it.  We all get a kick out of his notes to us.  We wrote him back this week.  Below is a picture of what Wilson and Walker wrote to him.  Walker wrote a verse on the cut out of his hand, and Wilson chose a proverb to write and illustrate.  They did this on their own with just a nudge of encouragement.  ;)

One of my favorite things about sponsoring through Compassion is their transparency.  They recently participated in an independent study on child sponsorship programs and the results are incredible.  You can read more about it here.... an especially good read if you are skeptical about the benefit of sponsorship programs.

They also do Compassion Blogger trips which allow bloggers to come visit development centers and share their experiences.  There is a blogger trip ongoing in Nicaragua right now.  I cannot read a post about someone meeting their sponsored child and not cry.  Every. Single. Time.  I do sincerely hope that we will one day meet Junior.  God knows this.

You can read the bloggers posts here. Compassion Bloggers featured posts.

And I strongly, strongly, strongly encourage you to read this one today. "I've seen Best Again."  I think it really captures the beauty of sponsorship and the gift it gives to families across the world.

 You wanna be a little part of something big?  Click below to find out more!

junior

 On a summer Tuesday we draw pictures for a boy in Uganda.  

We draw clouds and sky and grass.

We pick a verse and put it on construction paper.

We choose stickers and write a letter.  We tell him we are praying for him and his family.  We are grateful to reply to his note, and throw in some extras for fun.  Junior's most recent letter to us... he wrote without the help of a translator!  Its the first letter of the kind with no one else transcribing his words.  We are seeing this boy grow.  And we marvel that we get to be a part of it.

So as we write, we do it together.  Babies put crayon to paper, while the rest of us do our part. (And shortly thereafter, crayons to mouth, naturally).

We are blessed to be a part of Junior's life.  We celebrate when we get a letter.  I get teary-eyed when we get a new picture.  This is one of the most marvelous ways to remind our family that we are blessed... and that we can be a blessing to others ... and in turn, we are blessed even more.  Over and over!

If you don't already, would you consider sponsoring a child?  We sponsor through Compassion International. Click here to check it out. 

How Junior has changed our lives...

... also known as the Compassion International post.

So, if I am honest with y'all, I've put off this post for two weeks now. I have been prompted to write it - clearly, without a doubt - and yet, I've talked myself out of it. And here I sit, deciding to be obedient. I don't doubt for a second that this is intended specifically for one of you.

So be prepared.

We started sponsoring Junior through Compassion International last year. I first thought about sponsoring a child while Brad was deployed but I didn't want to sign up for it while on our "deployment" pay and then have to back out of it when Brad came home. Finally we made time last year after we were settled here, to look on the website and select a child to sponsor.

This won't be a surprise to anyone - we knew we wanted a child from Africa. We also wanted a boy so our boys could relate. We choose Junior because he is in between Wilson and Walker's age.

After we signed up, we received a packet with his picture and some background information about him and his family. We wrote him a letter and included some stickers and coloring pages.

A long while later, we got our first letter from him. I had no idea how amazing that would feel.

We've exchanged a few letters now. Junior is still pretty young, so his letters are brief and you can tell that someone helps him write them. He also draws us pictures. There is a format for his letters so he includes information about what he is learning at school and what he likes to do at home, etc. Its always a treat to hear from him.

But his last letter brought me to tears.

Brad and I had just had to make a financial decision that was somewhat disappointing. We felt like we had let the boys down, and that perhaps other people were unhappy with us too. I did a lot of crying about it. I did a lot of praying about it. I also cried and prayed as is common in my relationship with Jesus. God can handle that sort of thing. In the end, I felt a lot of peace about our decision, although I wasn't very thrilled with my initial response. {Lord, if I could learn to respond to circumstances immediately the way you want, wow, that would be awesome!}

Then we got Junior's letter. He told us about school and a song he is singing there. He told us that he likes to fetch water and collect firewood for dinner preparation. And he told us that his family prays for us. And my eyes stung immediately. This little boy, who has so little in terms of worldly possessions, prays for my family.

I've been to Africa, I can picture what Junior's house might be like. I can imagine the sounds and the smells. I am humbled to think that in that little home prayers are offered for my family.

I thought about how I had just been crying over a financial decision we had made. A decision that in terms of eternity will have little to no impact. I cried over it. Meanwhile, this family in Africa was praying for me. I thanked God for Junior. I thanked Him for leading us to sponsor this little guy. I thanked Him for letting us be a part of His bigger picture.

Junior gives us perspective. Junior teaches us about being thankful and working hard. Junior teaches us about faithfulness. We hope to sponsor Junior throughout his entire childhood. One day I hope to meet him here on earth. I look forward to the day we meet him in heaven. There are many more children like Junior, would you consider sponsoring one?

Sponsor a Child

what are you doing Saturday night?

Help Haiti February 27th - HelpHaitiLive.com from Compassion International on Vimeo.

ever heard of...

World Malaria Day?

I hadn't until recently, and guess what? Its today! Here are a few links if you are intersted in finding out more...

World Vision has a special page dedicated to Malaria, with lots of good information.

Compassion also has a campaign called Bite Back.

I am sure if you google World Malaria Day, you will find much more. Keep in mind, Brad is taking medication everyday while he is there. He has a net that is treated with a chemical to deter these mosquitos, in case he isn't in his regular sleeping area. If Brad is exposed to malaria, he will be treated for it.

Every 30 seconds a child dies of malaria.