It’s times like these that I really wish there was a better way to be a fly on the wall of our life than this blog. My fear is that typed words cannot paint the picture of the story I want to tell with all its nuances and intricacies. My fear is that it’s really too long if I type it all out and you’ll be bug-eyed and lost by the time you get to the end–missing it’s beauty. But it’s a story I can’t not tell.
PREFACE…geez, you know it’s bad when there a subtitles involved. You may want to go grab a hot beverage of choice and settle in for the long haul.
It was after a Focus on the Family broadcast during Adoption Awareness Month four or five years ago about Antioch Adoptions that God first started tugging us toward orphan ministry. We had decided we couldn’t afford to adopt but perhaps God was calling us to help others instead. Antioch Adoptions provides fee-free services in Washington state in an effort to get kids into homes. We figured that if they could do it so could we. That was just the tip of the iceberg. Years later God has opened our eyes and hearts to a much bigger picture than adoption.
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Over the past couple years, we’ve taken in hundreds of hours of conference audio, webinars, and books that basically led us to this conclusion–Everyone is called to orphan care (not adoption, orphan care). Orphan care comes in all shapes and sizes.
As you read the story, see if you can pick out all the different people and ways they helped orphans.
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About 3 years ago, Patrick and I had a vision to see an Ethiopian orphan hosting* program come to our church. The problem was no programs to that country existed, and we were not equipped to start one.
*When eligible orphans (usually ages 8 to 15) spend 4 to 8 weeks in the U.S. for a “cultural experience.” Many of these children are able to find forever families.
We had all but forgotten about it when an old friend called and said, “I’ve just been hired by AWAA to start an Ethiopian hosting program in Maryland, do you want to help?” Um-mm…yeah!
Ten months later 5 families (coincidentally all acquaintances of ours) welcomed Ethiopian children into their home for a month. Throughout that month, the community came together to provide lots of American experiences to the kids from a trip to the zoo to an old-fashioned, American birthday party. Generous donations from the community allowed us to send an extra suitcase back with each child packed chock full of stuff for their orphanage.
By God’s grace, each of the 5 children have families (either their host family, a family they met while here, or a family who was able to connect to their host family some other way).
Recently, one of the families traveled for their court date in Ethiopia. They needed someone to watch their kids while they traveled. We volunteered but needed someone to watch our dog since the kids were allergic. Another host family volunteered.
It may seem trivial as you read it, but from where we watch, the beauty of the community working together to bring these 5 children home is astounding
…it’s the Gospel in action.
