William's birthday

William turned 9 on Tuesday. I'm not even

 sure how that is possible.

I get teary-eyed every time I open the pantry and look at his growth marks on the door. His physical growth is unbelievable.

I smile everytime I see him making his brother laugh, wrestling with his daddy, or coming to me for a hug. His emotional growth is incredible.

I praise God everytime I hear him singing a worship song, talking about God, or bringing his overly-worn New Testament out of his back pack. Yeah, he takes it to school EVERY DAY and gives it to his friends to read. His spiritual growth is inspiring.

In just 3 1/2 years, the tiny little 5-year-old who was once known as Little Guy or LG has grown and matured in amazing ways. (He comes up past my shoulder now and will likely pass me in height very soon.)


Daniel, Cole & William
(Cole is one of William's best friends)

I am so thankful for William. He is kind and caring, a wonderful son and a super big brother. He's taught me what it means to be a mom - and thankfully, looks over my faults for the most part. He even tried to show love and compassion when he said to me Monday night (as I was icing the cake that he requested),  "It's okay mommy - not all cakes have to look nice!" :)


Happy Birthday William!
(Thanks for joining us on Tuesday, Meghan & Jon -
sorry I didn't do better taking pics!)



Becoming Aware: Literal Eyes being Opened



Adeye, with
Harper & Hailee

 Many of my blog readers might know Adeye Salem as "No Greater Joy Mom" (http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/). Many of you may recognize the sweet faces of her girls Hailee & Harper (pictured here with Adeye).

The Salem family is a homeschooling family. They are a missional family. They have a house full of children. They have biological children, and they have adopted several times. They have so many stories they can tell that share the evidence of God's love, His mercy, and His grace.

But in addition to all that happens within their own family unit, Adeye is also a strong advocate for specific children and specific families that God lays on her heart.

One story is that of Julia - HERE is the first post Adeye wrote about her. And HERE is the blog written by Carey, who is now Julia's Mommy. (By the way, please pray for Julia as she is in the hospital with doctors working to restore her digestive system after such a long period of malnutrition).

Another is about Vanya. He was in desperate need of a family. Adeye entered the scene with guns blazing, and brought together an amazing fundraiser. And soon after, Vanya's forever family had committed to him (visit them HERE).

In addition, Adeye will often blog about other advocates and the fundraiser they're doing for families or waiting children. (one of those is HERE).

One of the most beautiful stories (at least in my opinion!) that Adeye has shared about their own family's experiences comes from their youngest, Harper. On one particular as Adeye was visiting Harper in an Eastern European orphanage, she had no idea whose eyes were watching her. They were, in fact, the eyes of Harper's birth father.

He had been coming to the orphanage regularly to give monetary contributions, but never to see his little one. It's something he just didn't think he could handle - just like how he & Harper's birth mother felt they couldn't handle raising a daughter with Down Syndrome. But when he heard an American family was adopting Harper, he had to see for himself. He watched from afar. And he saw a mom who found worth in a child in a society that deemed her unacceptable. He saw love. He saw devotion. And he saw a remarkable resemblance between this woman & Harper's birth mother.

And God began working on his heart. Several months later, Harper's adoption led her birth parents to begin their own adoption journey... to adopt a little girlwith Down Syndrome! (Read that post HERE)



Anthony & Haven



The stories go on and on. And now, Adeye's husband is also blogging. His blog is - no surprise here - No Great Joy Dad! I am super excited about the ministry he's starting. Have you ever heard a woman mention that she'd like to adopt, but her husband isn't on board or has certain concerns/reservations? Anthony tackles many of the questions and concerns that husbands often have when their wives approach them about with the prospect of adoption. He's real. He's genuine. He's passionate. And he's unapologetic. I love it!

As I was preparing to write this post, Adeye shared a new post about her daughter Haven. Haven came their family via international adoption in 2008, but not before she went through the devastation of having a family come to adopt her and then, for whatever reasons, choosing to leave her behind (read Haven's story HERE). Haven is a beautiful little girl who is blossoming before her family's eyes. While Haven is non-verbal, she has no trouble conveying her thoughts and needs to those around her. And just this month, another significant moment in Haven's life occurred. For almost 3 years, they were told that Haven's vision was fine. But this month, they found out that was not true. Haven was in great need of glasses. Now Haven's eyes have been opened - in a literal sense! Read about Haven's sight HERE.



The Salem Family

I'm so thankful for the Salem family, and others like them, who so boldly seek to answer the James 1:27. Their eyes have been opened, and they cannot be silent. Praise God!

Now that your eyes have been opened, how can you help?

• Pray: Follow Adeye's blog and pray for the children and families that she mentions. Pray for the Salem family as they seek to provide advocacy and support to orphans and adoptive families. Pray for their children as they grow and become all that God intends them to be.
• Give: Consider giving to a family who's seeking to adopt a child with special needs. Visit Reece's Rainbow and sponsor a family!
• Go: Do you feel led to pursue a special needs adoption? Contact Reece's Rainbow to learn more!

Becoming Aware: Kirill's Story, and our Mighty God

Remember Kirill? The little boy that a judge deemed unworthy of a family? (read my March blog post HERE)

                  Our God is greater - our God is stronger!

Today, Greg & Tesney Davis stood in the supreme court in Kirill's home country. And today, the original ruling was overturned.

In just a few short days - as soon as they have the court decree in hand - they will be brining Gregory Kirill Davis home to his forever family! He is an orphan no more.

God is good... all the time!

http://oureyesopened.blogspot.com/2011/05/god-of-miracles.html



Becoming Aware: Ethiopia

My eyes were first opened in November 2007, when I walked into an orphanage in Mariupol, Donetsk. God began working on our hearts long before that, but the reality of those faces in that building: that's when it really hit home. We now have two sons from Ukraine. We have hearts burdened for the fatherless. I seek to advocate for other children and families. And I lead the orphan care ministry at our church (Cross Pointe Church).

While going to Ukraine wasn't easy, most of the things I mentioned above weren't THAT far from my comfot zone. Sure, parenting was something we hadn't done before and it's definitely challenging! Advocating for others is easy and a pleasure. And leading orphan care ministry is such a wonderful priviledge!

But I prayed that God would use my passion to do something more.

Early this year, I heard about a Cross Pointe trip to Ethipoia that was focused around orphan care. I was very interested and put my name on the list to join the team. But as the date drew closer and details began to formulate, I was unsure. Did God REALLY want me to go on this trip? It would cost $3,000 - money we certainly don't have - and meant 9 days away from my guys.

I prayed. And prayed. And prayed some more. I told God, "if this is what you want me to do, I'm trusting you to provide the funds." I sent out fundraising letters and did a donation request on facebook.

Airline tickets were purchased for the team. And within just a few weeks of sending the letters, I had about 80% of the money I needed.

I remember talking to Zack one night and saying "if those tickets weren't already purchased, I'd probably back out." I had plenty of excuses. Too much time away from my family. Very limited vacation time at work. Lots of immunizations. Travelling as a team of five - with the other four being two married couples, leaving me the 'odd man out'. Yeah, excuses.

When I went to bed that night, I couldn't sleep. God convicted me BIG TIME. He reminded me of what I had prayed to Him. He answered my prayer. He provided the money I needed. I'd asked Him to do that if He wanted me to go. And He did.

So it was obvious. He wanted me to go. I laid in bed and repented. I asked for forgiveness, and asked Him to open my eyes to the opportunities ahead.

And so here we go - leaving in just 10 days! I'm totally stepping out of my comfort zone, but I'm so excited to see what God has in store!

Here's a little about our trip...



Team Ethiopia 2011



Bethany Christian Services has recently started a foster care program in Ethiopia. Evangelical churches within the country are becoming more open to the idea of foster care and adoption. But the truth is, very few people within Ethiopia have any experience with or knowledge of adoption.

 

From May 29 to June 6, our team will travel to Ethiopia to work with Bethany’s in-country staff in an educational and exploratory fashion. We will meet with foster families and those interested in or curious about foster care. We will proclaim Jesus Christ through their own adoption stories, and will seek to share how physical/earthly adoption of a child into a family is a picture of the spiritual adoption that God offers to us.

 

We will meet with church leaders and share ideas on how to address needs of orphaned and vulnerable children. We will also visit at least one orphanage in the area.

 

In all of these opportunities, we will prayerfully explore and investigate ways that Cross Pointe can provide support and partnerships that will spread the name of Jesus and live out James 1:27.

 

Click HERE to visit the team Facebook page (and be sure to click LIKE to follow along with team updates during the trip)

And click HERE to follow the team on Twitter

So now that your eyes have been opened, how can you help?

• Pray: Pray for the team: for safety in travel and for clarity in the message they present. Pray for the children of Ethiopia that are fatherless. And pray for the churches and families that are stepping up to answer the James 1:27 call. Join the Facebook page, or follow on Twitter to learn how to pray specifically, and to see how God is at work.
• Give: A few team members are still a little short on their funding. You can make a tax deductible donation to help them out! Visit http://crosspointechurch.com/. On the top-right corner click on Serving & Giving, then Online Giving. Select the Guest Transaction button. Enter desired amount under Missions. Click Continue and follow instructions to donate. DON’T FORGET– This final step is necessary for the team to get credit for your donation. You will receive a confirmation email. Please forward this email with the comments: "This donation is for the Ethiopia mission team" to ContactUs@crosspointechurch.com
• Go: Check with your church or local churches/organizations in your area and sign up for a mission trip. Or contact Bethany Christian Services (http://www.bethany.org/). 

Team members with our families



First Dance

Several months ago we captured this FABULOUS video of Savannah and Josh dancing. We all had a good laugh...


Little did we know, they would soon be surprising us all with a wonderfully choreographed first dance at their wedding reception!


The newlyweds are now on their way home from their honeymoon in Maui, and we pray that God will richly bless their marriage.

Becoming Aware: Witness the process

Want to watch as someone becomes aware of the plight of orphans? As someone's eyes are opened to the James 1:27 call? Here's your chance.



Whitney



For those of you that don't know, Zack and I worked in youth ministry when we first got married. Following a stint as a youth pastor at a start-up church, we decided to take some time off from youth ministry. But in the fall of 2003 Zack and I accepted our friend Donnie's invitation to teach the 12th grade Sunday School class at the church we were attending.

That experience was one of the most challenging of all of our ministry experiences! We dealth with a group of high school seniors, most of which were incredibly cynical and defiant. Looking back I know it was a good experience for us to learn and grow, but in the moment it was tough.

But not all of it was tough. There were a few moments and a few of the students that kept us going. One of those students was a young lady named Whitney. Whitney was kind and soft-spoken, but when the moment was right, she was vocal & unapologetic about her faith and her beliefs. She was preparing to attend UGA and hoped to march in the Redcoat Band. Whitney was one of the bright spots in a difficult situation.

And now, Whitney is about to have her eyes opened.

Last week, Whitney departed for Haiti. For most of this summer, she will be working at an orphanage there called Orphanage on the Rock. There is a ministry based out of North Wake church in North Carolina (http://haitilove.net/home/) that coordinates mission trips and her stay.

Whitney hopes to be able to blog weekly on the Haiti Love website, so be on the lookout for her observations. And check out the website to see how you can help!

So what can you do now that your eyes are being opened?

• Pray: pray for Whitney's work. Pray for the children in the orphanage. Pray for the work being done by Haiti Love. Pray for financial partners to step forward.
• Give: The Haitian government is cracking down on orphanages for a variety of things, including the lack of resources to adequately care for children. This includes this orphanage. Check out http://haitilove.net/2011/05/welcome-to-haiti/ to read more and find out how you can help through financial support.
• Go: This organization is constantly looking for teams to come on mission trips and for people like Whitney to volunteer their time and talents to the children of Haiti. Check out http://haitilove.net/going/ for more information.

More to come

I still have several more posts to write for my series on Becoming Aware, so stay tuned. This has just been a crazy week and I haven't had much time to write.

For now, here are a few more pictures from the wedding weekend to hold you over... (some mine, some from Savannah's mom)

And a 'wedding funny'... after the wedding (before the reception) we were bragging on Daniel, telling him how great he did. We asked him if he enjoyed it. He shrugged, then pointed to the 2 pastors & said "yeah, but I didn't like that story. It was too long!" (sorry Donnie & Jason!)


Time with family at the rehearsal dinner

 

Hanging out with Pop & Baba at the rehersal

Barbara & her daughters-in-law,
at the bridal brunch



Savannah with her sisters & nephews



The bridesmaids (see me? I'm the really old one in the middle!)

A new Dove

Sorry I've been slack in blogging, but we've had quite the busy weekend!

Zack's younger brother Josh got married this weekend. We had a great time spending the weekend in Hartwell with friends and family. I'll post some more pictures later, but here's a teaser for now...

Savannah

First dance

The ring bearers

All the girlies

Becoming Aware: Eyes Wide Open

Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes. ~ David Platt, Radical

For the Nalle family, the story began with a boy named Aaron.

They first saw a picture of Aaron in December 2009. A five year old boy, he was (quoted from their first blog post in January 2010), "cognitively normal, considered high functioning and looked a bit like Rob with the deep dimples. He suffered from a condition called arthrogryposis, which limits the movement of his hands; but from the description, his case seemed fairly mild."

Seven months later, Rob & Julia were traveling half-way around the globe to add Aaron to their family.

What normally takes 5 weeks took the family almost 3 months. Tricky legal challenges caused big delays. But God is bigger than the Eastern European court system, and in early October 2010, Aaron arrived in the US and became the youngest in the family of five.

Aaron Nalle



The Nalle family began to attempt to create routine, comfort and love on their new son, and get him the medical care he needed and deserved.

And yet with all of that going well, there was something they couldn't forget.

The Lost Boys. The boys from Aaron's home, the majority of whom are older and/or are simply not eligible for adoption. 110 boys, ages 3 to 35.

You can read Julia's first heart-wrenching blog post about the Lost Boys HERE.

While their eyes had been somewhat opened when they first laid eyes on Aaron's picture, the reality really hit home when they began spending time in the special needs home where he lived. The lost boys - the little ones and young men who live in that home - they were weighing heavy on Julia's heart.

Soon, she began advocating for two of the lost boys that were eligible for adoption: Brady and Heath.


She fought hard, so that these 2 lost boys would not be lost forever.

In December of 2010, a family stepped up and commited to Brady (http://www.happyhartmanfarm.blogspot.com/)


Heath



Heath is still waiting for his forever family to step up & bring him home.

Julia's fight didn't stop with these 2 boys. She knew this group home needed the support of a ministry, but she wasn't sure how to make it happen.

Thankfully, through the power of the adoption community via blogs, email and telephone calls, and more importantly, through the power of God, a ministry stepped up and committed to working with this home.

Read about the day the lost boys were found, HERE. Alyona and Slavik minister to children & teens in Ukraine, including those in prisons, and those in orphanage and special needs homes. And they agreed to begin working on a relationship with the staff of the Lost Boys' home.

They've visited once, and are continuing contact with the director in prayerful hope to continue a relationship.

So what can you do to help?

• Pray - pray for Heath to be given the gift of a family and a future. Pray for the other lost boys, particularly those who have no hope of ever leaving the home. Pray for Slavik & Alyona's relationship with the director. Pray that the director's heart will be softened to allowing ministry inside the walls of the home.
• Give - you can give to Alyona & Slava's efforts by donating to Harvest International HERE.
• Go - Heath needs a family. He deserves a better life. If you're interested in adding Heath to your family, visit http://www.reecesrainbow.com/ to learn more. (By the way, there are also many other little ones waiting for their families through Reece's Rainbow as well.)

The Nalle family's eyes have been opened. They're aware. Julia advocates for Heath, for the group home, and for families that are in the process of adoption.

And now you've read their story and you are aware. What will you do? Proverbs 24:11-12



Genesis 1:31

Daniel learned his first memory verse this week...


And this verse just happens to be the first one William learned, back in early 2008...

Becoming Aware: Knitting for Orphans

So maybe you don't feel called to adopt. That's fine. I know that not everyone was meant to adopt.

But as Christians, we're ALL called to help orphans (and widows!), according to James 1:27.

And as I've mentioned as the theme of this series, once we're aware of the issue, we can't pretend we don't know, and we need to act (Proverbs 24:11-12).

So if not adoption, then what?


Melissa in Moldova

Melissa Brown has a heart burdened for orphans. She also has a knack for being quite crafty. When I first learned about Melissa, I knew her as the "Nifty Knitter" - a girl in the singles group at our church that taught school and likes to knit.

I then met her at a cookout. And I found out just how small the world really is!

As it turns out, I graduated from high school with Melissa's twin uncles. In fact, I was friends with them and hung out at their house from time to time. And in college, Zack and I cleaned their parent's house (Melissa's grandparents) as a side job. I probably dusted baby pictures of Melissa, not knowing that someday we'd be friends, she'd been my all-time favorite babysitter, my sons would be among her biggest fans (they L.O.V.E. Ms. Melissa!), and we'd be spending a lot of time together working on orphan care ministry!

EEROP member delivers hats in Romania


Melissa combined 2 passions - orphan care and knitting - and created a non-profit organization called EEROP (Eastern European and Russian Orphanages Project). EEROP "is designed for people who want to knit, crochet, or craft for children living in some of the coldest and most desolate places on earth."

EEROP gathers donations from more than 135 knitters, crocheters, seamstresses, and other handcrafters, and provides them to orphan organizations throughout Eastern Europe.

The current EEROP project, "The Next Big Thing", is a project to collect 154 blankets by the end of this year for (read details HERE).

Many of the blankets will be for children over the age of 6, so they'll need to be big. What types of blankets can be donated? EEROP shares on their site: "You can send in blanket squares or start an odd ball blanket. You can make a blanket from two pieces of fleece by hand tying the edges together. You could quilt one. You could crochet one. Use your imagination!"


So how you can you help?

• Pray: pray for the ministry to continue to flourish, and pray for the children who receive the blankets and other items from EEROP
• Give: Maybe you don't sew. That's okay! They also accept donations to help cover shipping and operating costs. http://www.eerop.org/EEROP/Donations.html
• Go: But I'll bet there are some readers out there that are quite handy with a needle! I'm also pretty sure I know some of my blog readers that have put together those no-sew fleece blankets - you know the ones like you see HERE that are held together with knots. EEROP can use all of those items! http://www.eerop.org/EEROP/Donations.html And you can particularly help with EEROP's "The Next Big Thing"

Visit Vivid Creations' site: http://www.vividcreationfibers.com/

Check out the EEROP website: http://www.eerop.org/EEROP/Home.html
And the EEROP blog: http://www.eerop.org/EEROP/Blog/Blog.html