Broken World

Ever since last Sunday, my mind has been churning. Orphan Sunday and life have done a doozy on my heart this week. I've been thinking and thinking. Torn between trying to process and wanting to stuff my thoughts down. It didn't help that Darin was away most of the week on business so I didn't have a processing partner.  Or someone to talk good sense into me when I was up too late scouring orphan care websites and blogs!

Up until about 4 years ago, I don't think I ever thought about the orphan. How sad is that? Perhaps I was too busy thinking about myself. Then God put it on my radar front and center. I learned more. I read more. I listened and thought I had it figured out.

Until I stepped foot into Irina's orphanage in Ukraine and my eyes were opened in new ways. The faces of the children who ran after us begging for candy will forever be etched in my brain. The names Katya, Anya, Stas, little Irina, Luba, Sasha, Lena, Vika and Aloyna are uttered in regular prayers. I can still smell the sweet little girl with cross eyed blue eyes that I had the privilege to hold and pray over.  She was wearing a blue fuzzy sleeper and couldn't bend her body. She had severe disabilities due to alcohol abuse in utero. I think this brokenness grieves my heavenly Father. It wasn't meant to be this way.

As we near the one year mark of adopting Irina, I can't help but look back. Irina is amazing and she has come a long way. She has had a lot of hurdles to leap over as she has learned for the first time how to be in a loving family. She is discovering that we are worthy of her trust and that we will care for all her physical needs. For 10 years she survived. Now she is realizing that she can LIVE.

However, as I consider her future I've found myself grappling with a new emotion. I feel angry. Without the brokenness of this world, Irina would be in a loving family with her birth parents in her homeland. She would have been fed, clothed, and CHERISHED. She would not have been abandoned. Isn't that how God really intended families to be? I don't doubt for one minute that God knew we would have the opportunity to step in and show Irina real love, BUT she still has so much more to face as she overcomes the wounds of her past. It's not fair.

A new compassion is being uncovered in my heart for my daughter. A new compassion is being uncovered in my heart for the orphan. The reality is that Irina has new opportunities that MANY other orphans will NEVER have, especially the older kids and the kids with disabilities. How can I dare complain? How can I take even a moment for granted? I long for heaven.

Oh Lord Jesus, keep my heart soft for ALL your children. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come.

By Jill Smith, group member, adoptive mom

VA Children who are waiting

The Virginia Heart Gallery is a photo gallery of some of the kids that are waiting to be adopted in Virginia. The gallery travels around the commonwealth and is shown in churches, businesses and civic buildings. The Heart Gallery is also a mobile installation that travels around the state.

For more information visit http://www.dss.virginia.gov/family/ap/children_for_adoption.cgi

Orphan Sunday, Serving Together

Orphan Sunday from Christian Alliance for Oprhans

This Orphan Sunday, many from our church family are living out Psalm 82:3,"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed." It's exciting to see folks moved by the testimony shared last week and enthusiastic to give towards our mattress drive. We'd love to see God reveal HIS love for the orphan, as they give. 

For more about Orphan Sunday go here.

What is Orphan Hosting?

Orphan hosting is inviting an orphan child to live in your home and experience your family for 4-8 weeks over the summer or winter holidays. Host families have the opportunity to share their values, beliefs and culture as well as learn something new from their host child. The orphans available for hosting are chosen by an interview team, who travel overseas to meet each child in person. 

In 2012, our family hosted a 15 year old girl from Ukraine.

What a fun and exciting Christmas that was for our family!

This year, we are back in the saddle, but going a different route, hosting a 7 year old boy from China.  His name is Jia and he’s known nothing but life in an orphanage. Abandoned as an infant (most likely due to deformities in his fingers and toes), Jia has never known the love of a family. 

Hosting is expensive, inconvenient, and at times, uncomfortable (they don’t speak English, you know!) So why are we doing it? Well, we learned that without hosting, orphans over the age of 6, or with special needs, or who are part of a sibling set, have an almost 0% chance of being adopted. However, with hosting, these same orphans are SEEN, TOUCHED and KNOWN. They are advocated for and prayed for and LOVED by their host family. Hosting provides HOPE to orphans who would likely never have another opportunity at finding a forever family. But…you absolutely do not have to be interested in adoption to participate in hosting a child; in fact, adoption is not on our radar at this time. Most orphans have never experienced a functional, family environment and will likely repeat the same cycle unless they are exposed to a new model. It’s impossible to hope for a different outcome if you have nothing new to model. Living in a family for even 4 - 8 weeks can truly be life changing. 

You’ll be surprised at how much YOU change, too. Hosting was and will be a great opportunity for our own biological children to see and love a child whose life is so very different from their own. We honestly can’t think of a better Christmas gift to give them this year. It is so rewarding to take our eyes off of ourselves for a few weeks, to truly see someone who is struggling, hurting, lonely and hopeless. 

Would you consider hosting an orphan in your home, possibly this summer? Check out these websites for more information:

Project 143

New Horizons for Children, INC

Open Hearts and Homes

By Tracy Scoggins, group member

Dream Big Mattress Drive

"Each November, thousands of events will echo across America and around the globe, all sharing a single goal: that God’s great love for the orphan will find echo in our lives as well. Orphan Sunday is your opportunity to rouse church, community and friends to God’s call to care for the orphan." - orphansunday.org - An Initiative of the Christian Alliance for Orphans

Please join WEPC orphan care ministry, Love on a Mission, on Orphan Sunday (Nov.2), by thanking God for your family and praying that God will bring hope to the children waiting for families.

There are close to 5300 children in Virginia's Foster Care System. Beginning Nov 2 through Nov 23rd, money will be collected for the "Dream Big" mattress drive for United Methodist Family Services. UMFS provides many services to children in the local foster care system including a therapeutic transition home for children here in Richmond. Donations can be made to WEPC, please include “mattresses’ in the memo. 

Twin sheet sets and waterproof mattress covers would also be appreciated. A collection table will be set up in the gallery through Nov. 23. 

There will be a representative from UMFS in the gallery at WEPC on Nov 2 to answer any questions folks might have about foster care training or respite care training. More information can be found on their website umfs.org

Summer Hosting Sign Ups for Eastern Europe and China!

Summer Hosting sign ups with New Horizons are open! Don't let the cost overwhelm you, many folks desire to support and others desire to host. Even if you're not able or led to, get the photo listing and pick a child(ren) to pray for! I was amazed how quickly 'my children' I selected to pray over were matched...and some with those I know:) 'Thy Kingdom come, ON EARTH as it is IN HEAVEN..'
Be Blessed!
link: http://www.newhorizonsforchildren.org/what-is-orphan-hosting/