The day before we left for New York, I received my fall newsletter from CWA. I thought it would be perfect reading material while we were on the plane so packed it in my carry on. On the second flight, I enjoyed reading each story of lives that God had changed through the gift of adoption and my jaw dropped open when I turned another page to see our family photo and story staring back at me! :) We had been asked to submit our adoption story...but I forgot all about it! It was fun to read, again, what the Lord had pressed upon our hearts to share and to know that God might use it in some small way to encourage others who were either in the process of adoption, thinking of starting or, just as importantly, apart of the ministry of adoption through their gifts of money and prayer.
I had already been in tears just a few pages before our story when I saw the "Christmas Gift Catalog" and saw that they were highlighting Ethiopia this year. They listed 20 ways in which we all can help....wells for the orphanages, teff flour (enough to supply one month of Injera bread to an orphanage), bunk beds, rescuing prostitutes,etc... My eyes welled up specifically when I saw listed 3 ways to help women start up small businesses to be self-sufficient. Women like my dear boy's mother. She is so often on my heart and in my prayers...my heart lept to see an opportunity to help her and women like her be able to provide for, and keep, their children through their own egg/chicken business, Injera making business or sewing business.
Jesus came to earth as a baby ultimately to die and give up His life so that we might have life and I can't think of a more precious gift to give to celebrate Jesus' birthday than to give out of our plenty to those who are helpless and poor and, as a result, starving and dying. Only Christ can give eternal life, but we have a beautiful opportunity to help give physical life and then to pray for God's saving grace to touch these dear orphans and widows with His eternal life. If you are interested in helping in any way, you can click HERE to see the catalog online (it seemed kinda small and fuzzy to me, though) or you could email me and I'll mail you the newsletter.
Another opportunity to give that has become very dear to my heart is the ministry of Katie, a young gal (like a modern day Gladys Aylward, if you ask me!)working in Uganda. Her blog is called "The Journey" and is on the left side of my blog under "Our Favorite Blogs". Her ministry is called Amazima Ministries International There are some precious ways to help the dear children of Uganda through the ministry the Lord has given her there!
Today, I got an email from Show Hope letting me know (in case I missed it, which I did!) that our adoption was highlighted back on October 30th. It was fun to follow the link and read about our adoption through the eyes of someone else! I thought you all might enjoy checking out their post on our adoption that they titled "Dancing in the Streets"I sit here with a full heart to be apart of something so special and dear to our hearts. Something that is even apart of the "Christmas Story": ADOPTION. Jesus Himself bears the same title that we all do as believers: ADOPTED. He was adopted by Joseph and we...well, we have the amazing privilege of being adopted by Jesus' Heavenly Father...the King of Kings, God Most High! And we have the same promise that so many earthly orphans, like our boys, have been promised throughout the years:
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18
Comments
And I loved reading the article on you guys...it is neat to read it from an outside perspective!
How cool that your story is going to encourage so many other families. God is awesome!