Joint Heirs Adoption Ministry

We're BACK!!!

2011-06-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

And excited to get back to posting!!! We developed a facebook fan page and have been doing more updating there than the blog, but that's all about to change. And you wanna know why?!

We're BEYOND EXCITED to announce that our little ministry is growing! JHAAM is partnering with Joy's adoption agency Children's Home Society and Family Services to advocate for their waiting children!!! That's right! We will be featuring waiting children on our blog on a regular basis! Sharing photos, profiles and information on these precious children that are waiting on their forever families to find them. For God to bring them together. And what an honor to be able to serve in such a way that we may be the ones He uses to help these little cuties find their new mommy & daddy!

We are overjoyed to have been asked to advocate for these children with CHSFS and hope you will check back on a regular basis to view the waiting children! Who knows...... your future son/daughter may be just a post away!

Thirsty?

2011-01-24T11:03:00.001-08:00

So tell me, what's your passion? What are you hopelessly addicted to that you drink day after day after day. My vice.....the good Dr. Yes, Dr. Pepper is my nasty addiction. Like smoking (except I kicked that habit YEARS ago thank goodness), I have to (or at least think I have to) have it everyday.

Yes, yes, I know it's pathetic. My drug of choice is a sweet syrupy cola in a plastic bottle. I prefer the mini bottles because they don't go flat as quickly. And when I get busy or I'm working away at my desk it's not like I'm taking it through an IV so I don't want it to get hot and flat. Hence, the smaller bottles stay cold because quite frankly they don't last very long. But every time I try to drink a 20 oz it takes me all day.

Because it's so darn sweet I actually grow tired of it after some time (which can be months, but still it happens). When this state of taste bud denial happens I reach for a Pepsi.

Some people are coke junkies. And I'm not talking cocaine. Strictly coca-cola. And think of the many many uses we've been taught this little number can do!

Everything from meat marinades to cleaning battery acid from your car battery. Works like a dream! lol But my all time favorite use that I've seen shared for Coke:

Got The Trots?? Keran from New Zealand wanted to share this Coke tip with us; "While living in Papua New Guinea as a child, my father and I got a bad case of the trots. (As you often do in 3rd world countries). We went to the Doctor, and he told us the most effective treatment would be to get a 2ltr bottle of coke, take the top off and let it go flat, and up to room temperature, then drink 1 glass every couple of hours. BINGO... all fixed up inside!" Thanks Keran... I won't be going out of the country with out a supply of Coca Cola!!

It's a new generation these days though. Kids now drink Gatorade and Powerade which is really just hyped up sugar water if you ask me. Yes, I know all the benefits of drinking and refueling your electrolytes. We even use them once in a blue moon if someone in our house gets the flu. It's easier to get a kid to drink blue powerade than it is to drink pedialyte.

And as a parent you find out these awesome POWER drinks will have you driving straight to the dentist. Yes, the dentist. These sugary drinks are the WORST things you can let your child drink as the sugar deposits that stick to their teeth will likely have you spending more in dental bills than the average person.

So, what should we do? As a health conscious generation we have discovered bottled water! Aaaaahhhh..... pure, crystal clear, cold, fresh, non-chlorinated WATER! The best thing to quench your thirst. And the best thing for your body. Right? We're told that we should drink a minimum of 8 glasses a day. Which I'm guessing is equivalent to about 4-5 20 ounce bottles per day. And I know some folks who actually get that much water a day. When my kids are playing sports, I buy them bottled water rather than powerade's. They may drink twice as much to keep hydrated but I'm okay with that (no sugar remember?!)

And with sooooo many options for bottled water, well it's pretty convenient to pick one up anywhere. Gas station, vending machines, grocery stores, Wal-Mart (that's redneck for Macy's--couldn't resist, lol). The possibilities are endless, the supply is NEVERENDING! Have you ever seen a store that was out of bottled water? You can even take those big jugs in now and fill them at your local grocer so you aren't drinking tap water. Because face it folks, some people are bottle snobs. Yes, I said it. They refuse to drink from the tap. Trust me. My son has a friend that has never, NEVER, drank water from a tap. The boy is 15 years old and thinks it's terrible that my son drinks tap water and claims the chlorine and other crap that's in it will decrease his health over time. Seriously. Scarey.

Yes, he thinks THIS is going to cause my son harm. You wanna know what I'd like to share with this family? Just how idiotic this truly is. You wanna know what I'd like to see this family do? Drink this:

Think I'm being a bit sarcastic? A bit dramatic? Well, think again. Because a great multitude of the world's population do just that. This is the only source they have for water. Life sustaining fluids.

And don't think for a second that I 'googled' this image. Yep, I googled the pop, the powerades and the bottled water. But this, this is a picture my friend Christie shared with us last week. She is living in Uganda, trying desperately to show them the love of Christ. The love that other Christians are to poor out on the least of these. This, dear readers, is where Christie and the people of the village of Bugabo get their drinking water. Not from a tap, not with chlorine added to take away the parasites and make it crystal clear. That's a luxury folks. They have to go and fetch water and carry it.

This sweet little guy is only four years old. What do you have your 4-yr-old doing today? I bet they're aren't packing water. Preschool maybe? But that's another post, and a soapbox of another kind.

You see, people really do have to drink water like this. Everyday. Because we know that we must have water to survive. It sustains us. So, you drink what's available. But, as my son's classmate likes to point out how all the 'preservatives' in tap water are bad for his health, people fail to realize just what BAD water can do for you.

It doesn't make you chubby and healthy. Remember looks can be deceiving. It makes you bloated and wormy. Yes, wormy. Just like we treat our pets for worms to keep them healthy. When we go to these measures to care for the health of a pet yet pay no attention to God's people hurting around the world. Needing simply fresh clean water. What have we become?

You know, years ago (decades even) we could claim ignorance. We didn't have things like internet, wi-fi, heck even television! So we knew very little of how people in other places lived. In other states, much less on the other side of the world.

What is our excuse now?

That it IS the other side of the world and why should we care? It's not our problem. Out of sight, out of mind. These people choose to live this way. If they wanted something better or different they would do something about it.

Really?

REALLY?

Reeeaaaallllyyyyy?

As Christians we are called to care for the least of these. Jesus tells us of this repeatedly. REPEATEDLY folks. It's not a 'duty'. It's a command. And there are several ways we can be the hands and feet of Jesus. Some like Christie (love ya girlfriend!) make the BIG sacrifices and give up their life of 'normal'. Their urban lifestyles tossed aside to live a life of serving as a missionary. Some pray. Others give. What I'm asking of you is to consider giving. Giving to their fund to build a borehole. A simple well for their friends and family to obtain fresh water.

We all know that beneath the earth's surface is water. God has given us everything we need to sustain life on this earth. The book of Genesis tells us all about it. But when some of God's people struggle to obtain what they need to live a healthy life, it's up to more of God's people (that's us!) to help provide it.

How can you look into these beautiful faces and not be stirred to help? Not want to provide basic needs for them to grow and thrive.

♥ This is Cate, Resty & Henry ♥

♥ Mastulah & Ali ♥

This woman couldn't........

We ♥ you 'Chuwidgety'! (Christie)

And certainly I couldn't. We (between my husband, my daughter and my sister) are currently sponsoring 5 children from this village. Five beautiful gifts from God. (Cuz we all know God doesn't make mistakes and he certainly don't make no junk! :) right?!) But we're doing more than that. We're helping by contributing to the fund to raise money to get that borehole. To be able to provide fresh clean water to the faces we have grown to love and care about. These people have become a part of our family.

Can you go back to your desk, your work, your Dr. Pepper without thinking about someone else needing fresh water? To help with the borehole simply click THIS LINK and you will be taken to Christie's blog. You can read more and see videos of the village and daily life she is living in Bugabo. More importantly....is that little DONATE button on the sidebar! Specify in your paypal donation what you want the funds to be used for. (i.e. borehole, sponsorship) Yes, I included sponsorship there.... go ahead, really step out of your comfort zone why don't you? Sponsor a child AND give them clean water!

If I had enough money, I'd pay for that borehole myself. But it's going to take more than me. It's going to take the body of Christ (all of us Christians!). Unless of course Donald Trump is reading this post, and then Mr. Trump, feel free to paypal compassinmyheart@yahoo.com approximately $10K and we'll scratch this off the 'Faith List'. ;) I'll personally send you a thank you card!

Merci Jezi!

2011-01-22T22:22:00.000-08:00

That's 'Thank You Jesus!" as I was taught in Haiti. ;) We have some exciting news to share at JHAM! We have educated a family on adoption and after much prayer and discussion (after much, i.e. MONTHS! lol) the family have decided to move forward with an adoption! We are uber excited and can't wait to share with you this family's journey! Stay tuned to see who is stepping out in faith to follow where HE leads them.

Merci Jezi for another family who said YES!

Merci Jezi for setting the lonely in families!

Merci Jezi, for one less orphan tonight!

Just...... Merci Jezi!

Join with us as we pray for and support this family in their journey.

Advocating for David

2011-01-11T13:38:00.000-08:00

Sharing from another blog friend. Could you be David's family? Pray, pray for direction, pray for David's family to come forward for him! We know that God has a good and perfect plan for us all! ~Jeremiah 29:11~

Davids' Story: URGENT NEED!!!

Earlier today I posted "a plea for a boy in Latvia," and later received more information about his story. It is heartbreaking, and he is URGENT need of prayer and adoption!! Please read his story, and PRAY! Below is the message I received:

"Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors:
I have prayed over the last few days about how to share this story, and I have no words to adequately express it. However, it has to be shared and I will do my best. Many who have heard it are so sick over it, our hearts just ache. We know God has a plan; is it you?

In January, 2010, I met an awesome child/young man at an orphanage in Riga , Latvia . His name is Davids. He was one of a few children we were introduced to that day for consideration in our Summer 2010 orphan hosting program. He was really sharp and smart, had a great sense of humor and looked you in the eye when he tried to speak the good amount of English he had already learned. I remember asking his favorite things to do and he didn’t hesitate to explain he loved kite flying in the sky and dreamed to be a pilot some day! He also enjoys soccer, basketball, swimming and all sports. But, the thing that surprised us most was his age! He was already 15 and effectively the size of a 9 or 10 year old child. We asked the orphanage director more about him later, and were told Davids is healthy, just small and has the kindest, gentlest heart. He generally plays with the younger group of kids because the older ones make fun of him and claim to be “too cool” to hang out with a guy his size. As for history, he has been in 4-5 different orphanages, but has managed to keep hope for a brighter future. He is a sincere and especially child towards younger children. Lego building is one of his hobbies! I remember, he made a joke when I asked him if he liked dogs and cats…a traditional question we ask… He said, “of course! But, I am no cannibal.” And gave us the biggest smile of all! Later, when he was among the group and doing art projects, he drew a picture of a jet airplane landing under a sky that resembled the American flag. When I asked him to explain it, he told me, “My dream to fly airplane and live in family in America !” From that point, he had us at “hello” and we were committed to helping him fulfill his dream.

For the summer program, Davids was hosted by a multi-cultural, multi-racial family and he did awesome! He was kind to his younger host brothers and sister and enjoyed just about everything they did. He especially liked to build and make things and play sports outside, with swimming being one of his favorites! He learned a lot more English and wasn’t shy to use it either. While his host family was not his forever family, our team and staff was so thankful when we received a call from a couple who wanted to go and visit with him before his return to Latvia . We knew time was short, and we encouraged anyone who might be interested, to meet him asap. After one meeting, the family who went, let me know they would be adopting him and how encouraged and inspired they were by Davids. After many discussions, we realized that he needed to know the plan, as his birthday was coming up…his 16th birthday, which means several things to an orphan. First, it means they are about to age out and can’t be considered for adoption. Second, it means that they are on their path of graduating the orphanage and will soon be on their own. Third, it means life as they know it now: food, shelter, protection and security is about over. In the first year after a child leaves the orphanage, generally 15% commit suicide. So, it was decided for me to talk to Davids when our interview returned to Latvia this past August and see how he felt regarding this adoption.

When I sat down with him, I had a translator with me, but he didn’t need her. We sat on a sofa in the social worker’s office and I asked him how he liked America and what he thought? He explained he loved it, and it was more than he ever imagined! I asked him if he remembered this particular man who came to meet him and spent time with him the week before he returned to Latvia , and he said “Oh Yes and we had fun!” I went on and said, “Well, this man told his wife about you and they want me to tell you they are so happy, and they want to adopt you.” Davids’ look was utter shock! He said, “Who, me?” and I confirmed it was indeed him. He said, “Oh yes! VERY VERY much YES! And, they want ME?” He was just the most excited kid I think I ever had the pleasure to tell about an adoption. Most kids are shocked, but usually have to think about it and have several questions to ask before they really accept it and consider it as real. Davids’, on the other hand, was just the happiest kid on the planet that day; his dream was coming true.

Last week, I got an email from his adoptive family… now just 10 days before his 16th birthday,it basically said they felt that they would adopt a girl they met (which was planned all along), but they no longer wanted to adopt Davids’. They had changed their mind. The next day, I got an unsolicited email from Davids’ social worker in Latvia . This is what she wrote:

"Hello Le Ann,
I wish to ask you about one of our boys, his name is Davids T. He was hosted Summer 2010 at a host family in IL. Since he was close to 16, we got information and you shared with him that there is family who will adopt him. It was not the family who hosted him, but another one.
Till this day we never received more information about the adopting family, and we confirmed that the Ministry also has no information yet. I must share, we are all worried and concerned. Davids became so nervous in this last month, his attention to everything is gone. Yesterday he was moved to hospital, because of problems with his stomach relating to the stress of not knowing. We know this all is because he is so close to his 16th birthday; it's on 23 January this year.
We don’t know what to say and can't say anything to Davids because we don't know. It will be a shock for him if it's not true, he has so long lived with this thoughts focused on this adoption and a family in America.
We wish to know the truth to share so he can know and be happy again.”

We have tried to contact his family and explain, show them, what their decision has done to this child. So far, there is no response, but more importantly, there is no time with only a few days that remain for someone to file the I800 with USCIS to adopt Davids’. I have explained to his social worker what the full situation is, and as a strong Christian, she has agreed to pray earnestly with us for a new family to come forward for this child! The adoption agency who was working on this case has agreed to do everything they can to expedite the adoption and assist where possible to get them through the system.
If you or someone you know is interested in moving NOW to adopt Davids’, this is what needs to happen:
1)You must already have an approved home study issued by a Hague Accredited adoption agency in the USA . It must be able to be amended to show you are approved for at least one child, a boy, who is age 16 or under.
2)You must be willing to file with the USCIS the form I800, which will specify Davids’ as the child you intend to adopt, and it must be received prior to January 23, 2011. If done, this gives the adopting family 180 more days to complete the adoption.

Here are a few photos of Davids’: (the one on bottom is me telling him he was being adopted).

Please join us in immediate prayer and action to locate and identify Davids’ Forever Family!!! You are out there somewhere and God knows exactly who you are and He doesn’t make mistakes. We just need to get the word to you about him."
Le Ann Dakake, Director of Hosting Programs, New Horizons for Children 678-313-8321 cell
Or
Cathy Sawyer, An Open Door Adoption: 404-667-0694

12 Days & Counting

2010-12-28T20:31:00.000-08:00

this post was taken from a blog friend and you never know who might see this through another friend of a friend. please pass it along, share it with everyone you know. you can tell from the date that it was posted....this sweet boy has 12 days and counting now. time is running out, but nothing is impossible with god!

december 20, 2010

twenty days is all this handsome young man has left to find his forever family.

just. twenty. days.

and then--he will never have the opportunity to be adopted again.

oh my heart. i cannot stand the thought.

look how sweet he is....

i cannot even imagine being in his situation. seeing countless "little kids" leave the orphanage with their mom and dad and wondering, wondering, wondering, if his turn will ever come.

sadly for this young man, time is about to run out. he has waited for such a long time on waiting child lists--but no one has ever said "yes" to him. can you imagine being passed over so many times?

absolutely heartbreaking for any young person.

according to the agency that has his file, apart from a history of hep b (just like our girls--very easy special need) he is healthy, smart, and a great thirteen year old kid.

goodness, i just know that his family is out there somewhere. i know someone will go. why? because i believe with all my heart that there is a family for every child who waits. they just have not found him yet.

unfortunately, there's a catch...

he absolutely must be adopted before his fourteenth birthday in february. that means that his family must already have a dossier in ch*na. they must be in the process of adopting another child from this country and are willing to add this boy to their adoption. or, their dossier is in country and they are waiting on a referral.

one of my favorite lines from the movie, "faith like potatoes" is when angus buchan says, "the condition for a miracle is difficulty, however the condition for a great miracle is not difficulty, but impossibility."

god loves to show his glory through seemingly impossible situations.

it's time to stand a trust the father for a great miracle for this sweet guy. as time ticks by and things become more and more impossible, i ask myself again, "is anything impossible for the lord god almighty?"

i know the answer all too well. so do many of you.

nothing is impossible! nothing at all. not even this.

please, friends, can you help us to spread the word about this young man? post him everywhere you possibly can in the hope that his mom and dad will find him soon--before it is too late. once he turns fourteen he will be considered unavailable for adoption. he will never know what it feels like to be loved and treasured by parents. he will remain in the orphanage until he is sixteen...and then...well, who knows? it is the sad reality of any orphan who ages out of the system. hopelessness.

twenty days...that's all we have to get the word out there on the internet. will you please help? will you pray with us for the great miracle that he so desperately needs this christmas? will you help to spread the word wherever you can?

i so appreciate your help. you guys totally rock.

let's give him the best christmas present ever...a family!

if anyone wants more details, reply or leave a comment to this post, or e-mail me at renealynch at yahoo.com and i can put you in touch with the ones you need to talk to regarding this sweet boy!

Visiting Orphans

2010-11-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

WOW!!! Yep, you read that right! You can win a FREE mission trip to a country of your choice! Visiting Orphans is giving away a free trip to one lucky winner, and it could be you! I have to throw in..... I hope it's me! But hey, anyone that can receive an opportunity to practice "Pure Religion" (James 1:27) would be incredible and we live for nothing more than to serve our Lord.

We've had the chance to serve in missions work in Haiti in 2009 and oh what a blessing it was. Just when you think you are going to help and serve someone else (which you DO!!) the Lord surprises you and blesses you beyond measure. Some of you have read my posts before on our trip and you can certainly look through the archives and read them. But what I can tell you is this: "Once our eyes have been opened, we can't pretend not to know...." (Proverbs 24:12) Your life will be forever changed and your heart for the orphan will burst with a desire to better serve our Lord. You will learn exactly what it means by feeling able to “deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Mark 8:34)

Please visit their site and enter to receive a chance to win. Click HERE to find out how. You can also check out MY CRAZY ADOPTION and enter the giveaway that's going on there to receive more chances to win! Good luck!!! I'm anxious to see who will be serving with visiting Orphans in 2011!!!

So....where will you decide to go? El Salvador, Costa Rica, Haiti, Ecuador, Honduras, China, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, India, Ukraine

See what Amanda (the girl in charge at VO!) has to say about WHY they are giving away this trip!

Visiting Orphans Heart from Amanda Lawrence on Vimeo.

Orphan Sunday

2010-11-07T20:43:00.000-08:00

Our church began Revival today....on Orphan Sunday! :) We were blessed with a message from Bro Daron about "Serving"! How ironic! Ron let us share a brief message at the end of the service to (hopefully) inspire everyone to continue to recognize that November is National Adoption Month.

Bro. Daron - We're looking forward to a return visit and even more excited to be able to visit their church soon!

Joy and I were blessed to share and present a message during Children's Moments this morning. So, that is what I want to share with you today. Surely, if our children can wrap their minds around what we shared it will sink in with some adults. ;) I know it did with several of the adults in our congregation.

We know that God made His world perfect. He designed it to be just what He wanted, and just what we needed. Because we know God doesn't make mistakes, right?! There are enough basic resources such as food and water in our world to feed the entire population of the world. God has children all over the world and we know He loves us all just the same. But for some reason all those resources aren't being shared with everyone in the world. We know we should share, our parents teach us about sharing.

We talked about how much money a BILLION dollars is. And of course the kids said, "that's a LOT OF MONEY!" We explained that it would take 13 billion dollars a year to provide basic nutrition to all the starving people in the world today. That seems like a lot doesn't it?

But do you know what Amercian Christians spend just on bottled water each year?

3 BILLION dollars.

American Christians spend 4 BILLION dollars a year on Makeup! (ugh....we all do it ladies! Fess up.)

We spend 7 billion on sporting events.

We spend 11 billion on coffee.

13 billion on our pets.

20 billion on soft drinks.

21 billion on cable TV.

Each time for each statistic we counted out play money for the children (1 dollar was 1 billion) and provided them with an object to represent each thing. (a bottle of water, a bag of makeup, football, movies for the cable tv, a dog food bag from our puppy at home).

We spend EVEN MORE than all that money put together on eating out each year.....105 BILLION. (a pizza box and a happy meal container worked wonders).

How much did we need to provide food to the starving people of the world?? ONLY 13 billion.

If we have so much, why do we give so little? If we're spending 8 times as much money on just eating out as it would take to feed everyone in the world what is wrong??

The bible tells us in James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world." We need to learn to look after others and serve the Lord, by serving His people. ALL of his people, all over the world. The things that we have that we don't necessarily need represent the world to the children.

Then we prayed that God would help us to find ways to shine His light in the world by serving others. By looking after orphans and widows by giving up something that we don't always need and using that money for others.

Joy and I, Orphan Sunday 2010

I know I enjoyed sharing the message with the children and I know Joy loved our time too. She made an AWESOME new video that we shared with the congregation at the end of the service and we shared a little bit about JHAM (Joint Heirs Adoption Ministry). Our orphan advocacy ministry that we began over a year ago is still going strong. We will continue to advocate for the orphan. We pray that you will find ways to do the same and serve others for Christ.

Our biggest cheerleader! Jia!

I'll share Joy's video with you very soon! We will be speaking out (more than normal! lol) the rest of the month to recognize National Adoption Month!

National Adoption Month

2010-11-07T19:36:00.000-08:00

Choose to give HOPE.....

Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.

60 Feet

2010-11-07T19:34:00.000-08:00

Another way you can serve, check out 60 FEET. So many children in the world die for diseases and infections they contract by drinking dirty water. When only 60 feet below the earth's surface is clean, fresh water. God provided all we need when He made the earth perfect. It's a shame that we don't know how to utilize it's resources, or those of us that do choose not to share them. Nathalie chose to begin a ministry in Uganda to help the children and people she discovered on a mission trip. See what they are doing and watch this clip. Check out their website and choose to serve today by helping with their ministry.

Nathalie from Sixty Feet on Vimeo.

Are you Weird?!

2010-11-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

There's absolutely nothing I can say about this..... just watch, and learn. Please, take the time to watch this video. If you don't have time now, do it on your lunch break, do it while dinner is in the oven, do it while your kids are playing in the tub and take a mommy (or daddy!) break. Do it before you go to bed when everyone is tucked in. There, I've given you four suggestions of when you can do this, so no excuses..... Be blessed.

So I'm Blunt.....

2010-11-07T19:19:00.000-08:00

Get off your butt and start moving your feet!!! Don't be afraid to take a risk for God. He gave His all for you, choose to give your all for Him!

Choosing to See

2010-11-07T19:16:00.000-08:00

If you love to read, and you love adoption....or better yet, if you love to read about how Christ can change our hearts and our lives and how He works through others, then this book is a must read!!!

Most folks in adoption circles (and many more beyond!) know of and love the Chapman Family. Read their story about their lives together, their adoptions of their three girls and their loss and the triumph that came from that loss in Mary Beth's book "Choosing to See".

You can also find more information about their orphan ministry and how you can help support orphans in China and around the world at their website SHOW HOPE. If you are in your adoption journey they also provide grants and funding for families so be sure and check out their site. It may be that the Chapman family is going to help your family adopt!

Say YES!

2010-11-07T19:08:00.000-08:00

Have you said yes yet? What, what...... are you waiting for?

How does it feel to have no family? How does it feel to become part of one? See 6 lives change in two-and-a-half minutes....

Catching Up!

2010-11-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

We've been updating facebook regularly and thank everyone for following there, but have been a bit neglectful of the blog! :) So we're going to share a few updates and things we've been up to. Thanks for sticking with us! Keep watching for more exciting news in the very near future!!!! =)

Remember the WIPHAN organization that we were supporting with sponsorships and the Warm Up WIPHAN campaign? Well, here is a thank you from them for those who helped keep them warm during their winter season. :) Remember WIPHAN stands for WIdows and orPHANs.

A Warm up Wiphan Thank You! from Wiphan Care Ministries on Vimeo.

Remember you can help children and women in Zambia through WIPHAN by clicking HERE.

Soles 4 Souls

2010-04-27T09:16:00.001-07:00

As we continue to advocate for the orphan and the least of these, check out our weekend!

My girlfriends that co-founded Joint Heirs Adoption Ministry(JHAM) and I sat at our local shoe store on the main street in our little podunk town Saturday (in the pouring rain!) and collected over 650 pairs of shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AWESOME is the only word I can think of to describe our day.

We partnered with Soles4Souls who provided collection boxes and flyers to distribute for our 'cause'. They are awesome to work with! The Girl Scouts in your community can become involved to earn merit badges. (we only had one girl scout show up but it was encouraging and fun to remind her she will be the ONLY girl scout in our area with one of the S4S's badges! :) The local shoe store, Brown's Shoe Fit, is a participating business with S4S, and gave each person that donated shoes on Saturday a coupon for $20 off a new pair of shoes! Pretty awesome!

We got our schools involved and the kids at my son's school started collected two weeks prior to the drive. They donated two full boxes of shoes!

Then we also had the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) collect shoes at the middle school and high school in our local town (my kids go to a country school so the pics you see above is the entire 8th grade class my son is in! lol)

It was so much fun to work with the girls all day and we banded shoes together from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Yes, every single pair of those 650+ shoes had to be rubber banded together. But it was interesting to see just what kind of shoes we got!

Yes, shoes of all kinds!!! These had never been worn!!!! (I'm thinkin' that's a good thing!) lol We figured they might have been bowling shoes. It was hard to think of how many hundreds of dollars people spend on shoes...... that they never wear. We had so many people bring shoes that still had tags on them, new soles or were still in boxes. We as American's are so very spoiled (some are blessed....that's a better word huh?) and don't even know it. As we banded all those shoes together we thought of where they might end up. China, Africa, Haiti, Chile, even our own inner city hospitals in Kansas City. I wonder where they will walk next. Knowing my shoes have seen the sandy beaches of Hawaii and now they may walk on the rocky ground of Haiti. One day seeing the sun and having fun, the next day comforting and protecting the feet of a mother who walks miles to bring her child fresh water.

Now that's humbling.

Joy and some of the shoes that people had in boxes. yep, some people actually save the boxes their shoes come in! lol (not me)

Now THOSE are some LOUD shoes! ;)

So.... we made a decision yesterday. We are responsible for shipping ALL those shoes to a S4S's warehouse where they will be distributed. Can you imagine the shipping cost of over 650 pairs of shoes?! Staggering! We are going on a road trip! The girls and I decided we are driving the shoes to the main warehouse in Tennessee! Now, that's going to make for some awesome bloggin' and pictures! Stay tuned, in the next couple of weeks we're heading out with all those shoes! Who knows.... we may stop in to say hi to some of you bloggy friends!

That's little Miss Jia (Joy's daughter from China that she brought home forever last summer), the kids were all a big help actually and it was fun to have them around to 'encourage people to stop and share their shoes with us!

Two of Melinda's cuties! Acel & Meah. Meah came home forever from China last year too! I can't tell you how great it feels to work with these girls and do what we do. Advocating for the orphan and the least of these. And seeing our kids get involved with us is even more of a blessing!

Me, Melinda & Joy

Joy's mom is always our little angel in disguise too and she was kind enough to buy us all lunch. Pizza in the trailer (you didn't expect us to sit in the rain all day did you? ;) Joy's hubby has a racing trailer that we were able to conduct our shoe drive out of.... nice and dry). Thanks for the Pizza Mellanie! But thanks even more for the shoes! :)

Hopefully, we have prevented a lot less of this...

and a lot more of this....

Maybe someday the girls and I can go on one of their distribution trips ourselves and help put all those new shoes on people's feet....

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”

Hebrews 10:24

Won't You Help Us?

2010-04-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

The following was shared by the Joint Council on International Children's Services. We believe this needs to be shared, read and others need to stand up and do what they can to ensure international adoptions continue! The children, God's children, need us! Please pass this forward or complete the steps to share about your adoption experience! Thanks and God Bless!

We Are The Truth

A Campaign and Call to Action

The outrageous treatment of Artyem by his adoptive family has rightfully resulted in outrage by the Governments of Russia and the United States and all who care about children. The tragedy has cast a light on intercountry adoption that says it is not safe, the system failed and adopted children cause insurmountable problems. The heartbreak of Artyem Saviliev’s abandonment has once again elevated a singular incident to a level which may result in the suspension of intercountry adoption. Suspending adoption, even temporarily, will only cause thousands of children to suffer the debilitating effects of life in an orphanage.

You, the community of adoptees, adoptive parents, adoptive grandparents, child welfare professionals and child advocates know that the outrageous and indefensible actions of one parent are not indicative of how children are treated by adoptive families. You know that families who encounter difficulties do not simply abandon their child. You know that help is available, that solutions are found and that families can thrive. And you know that suspending adoption does not protect children but only subjects them to the depravity of an institution…and an entire life without a family.

You, the adoption community know the truth. You live the truth. You are the truth.

Join our campaign to bring the truth to light and help children in need find a permanent and safe family.

What You Can Do

1) Sign the letter to President Medvedev and President Obama: The letter asks both Presidents to ensure that intercountry adoption continues uninterrupted and to aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone involved in the abuse of children. You can sign anytime, but doing so before Tuesday night would help us get the letters to both Presidents before President Medvedev leaves the U.S. To sign the letter, click here.

2) We Are The Truth – an adoption blogger day: To ensure the world knows about every successful adoption, on Thursday, April 15, 2010 blog about your adoption or the adoption of someone you know. It doesn’t matter if your adoption is with Russia, domestic or otherwise international. Let the world knowyour truth!

3) Tell Your Truth with Video - make sure the world sees, hears and feels the thousands of successful adoptions from Russia by:

Send Joint Council your successful Russian adoption video via email to alexa.m@jcics.org.
- Video should be a maximum of 3 minutes.
- A release must be sent to Joint Council or we cannot accept your video. For a copy of the release, click here.
Joint Council will translate the video into Russian and post it on our YouTube Channel.

4) Tell Your Truth with Words and Photos

Send Joint Council your successful Russian adoption story via email to alexa.m@jcics.org. Send us your stories through:
- Photos (please do not send more than 10)
- Essays (maximum 500 words)
- A release must be sent to Joint Council or we cannot accept your story and/or pictures. For a copy of the release, click here.
Joint Council will then compile the stories and pictures, translate them into Russian and post them on our website and/or blog.

5) Share Your Truth

Joint Council will post, forward and share your stories via Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Joint Council will be updating our YouTube Channel and Facebook page as the stories get compiled and translated, please subscribe to us on YouTube, Twitter and Fan us on Facebook.
You do the same by posting on your Facebook, Twitter, blog and website!

Want to help more?

Are you willing to speak to the media about your Russian adoption? If so, please email betheanswer@jcics.org with the following:
- Your name(s)
- City, State of residence
- Contact Phone Numbers
- Contact Email
- Short 4 sentence bio about your adoption
Do you speak Russian?
- We are in need of individual volunteers who can help our staff translate the videos and text quickly. If you are interested in helping, email Joint Council at intern@jcics.org.
Do you live in the Alexandria, VA area?
- Joint Council is in need of short term volunteers over the next two weeks, email rebeccah@jcics.org if you would like to volunteer.

Adoption Tax Credit

2010-03-31T21:35:00.000-07:00

Awesome News!!! Taken from the Rainbow Kids adoption website:

Adoption Tax Credit Victory

Now a credit and a refund

March 01,2010 / Martha Osborne

With the signing of the new health care bill, adoptive parents received some very welcome news. Not only will the adoption tax credit be extended until December 2011, but it has also been increased from $12,170 to $13,170 for adoptions occurring after January 2010. And for the first time, the credit will now be refundable. Families may receive a refund for documented expenses for the adoption of their child.

What this mean to adoptive families:

The best news: This new tax law means that adoptive parents may apply up to $13,170 of their adoption expenses toward their taxes owed, thereby decreasing the amount owed overall by this amount. However, the news gets even better. For the first time, families may be getting cash back from the IRS for their adoption expenses. That's right, the credit may now be taken as a refund for the first time. In the event that the couple owes less than the tax credit amount stated, they may receive some or all of the balance as a refund on their Federal taxes.

The tax credit is important to both international and domestic adoptive families, but it's greatest beneficiaries are the children who will now have permanent families thanks to adoption being more affordable. Many groups and individuals have successfully lobbied to help extend this tax credit beyond its original expiration date of December 2010, and are still seeking to make the tax credit permanent. As we celebrate the extension of the deadline to December 2011, we must also remain vigilant in seeking to make this legislation a lasting gift to the children who wait.

Mocha Club Update!

2010-03-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

How cool that we can receive updates on where our sponsorships are going and how they are helping in Africa! Remember THIS POST where we invited you to join with us and Mocha Club to support Orphans in Africa? Well, now you can see what the guys have been up to for the last three months with the support that they receive through this awesome opportunity!

See what happened on Char & Skiff’s last 10 days in Africa…living in rural Zimbabwe and Ghana, eating local food, and hanging with folks at several Mocha Club projects – the Zimbabwe orphans in Bulawayo, the Grace Orphans and the Grace AIDS project in Sunyani, Ghana…

So, if you haven't done so already.... won't you JOIN US in supporting this ministry in Africa?! It's only $7 per month (the cost of two mochas!) and you receive a FREE t-shirt when you join! Seriously! What are you waiting for?! :)

FREE Food & Water

2010-03-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

What an awesome thing to do! Giving someone free food and water. There are two great sites that do just that, while playing learning games. These would be great for your home schooled students or for your child to share at school with their teachers. Get the whole class involved and see what an impact you can have on the world!!!

A great opportunity to provide food is www.freerice.com

Pretty great day.... all in all I've donated 136 cups of water and 460 grains of rice in the last 20 minutes.

I dare you to beat my record! ;o)

Just click on the donate now button to start playing. Here's the link in case my html doesn't work right is www.freepoverty.com

Dressed for HOPE

2010-03-26T08:06:00.001-07:00

I LOVE wearing adoption shirts. Anything to advocate for the orphan! We're getting ready to make some new ones ourselves, but you MUST check out Kim's new fundraiser for their adoption! You seriously cannot pass this one up! Check out her blog HERE and I'd like to tell you not to enter so I can win, but hey..... it's for the greatest cause I can think of! Creating bigger families through adoption! Bringing orphans home to forever families! So buy as many entries as you can afford!

If you win, you get ALL of this!

AND THIS!!!!

Incredible!!! Even if I don't win this sweet giveaway I can't wait to see who does! Congratulations Kim on the coolest fundraiser I've seen to date! You rock girlfriend!

Please.... GO!

2010-03-25T09:43:00.001-07:00

World Water Day & New Financial Aid!

2010-03-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

There are lots of things in the works for JHAM! We have some exciting events coming up this spring and summer to benefit the orphan and advocate for adoption! We're so excited to share those things with you in the VERY NEAR future! We're going to be meeting later this week to get some things in place and start the new season off right!

TODAY..... is World Water Day. You can 'celebrate' with us and get one of these:

When you buy a water bottle, 15 Africans get clean water. That means fewer women in Africa will have to walk six kilometers to collect water. And because of this, they won’t be carrying the 44 pounds of water that they normally carry on their heads that whole way. Think of what they could do with all the time and energy saved.

That’s not the bottle’s whole impact, though. Now, you can use your “Ripple Effect” water bottle instead of having to buy bottled water. You save money, and fewer plastic bottles end up in landfills, where they can take 1000 years to decompose. By refilling your water bottle from the tap, you save the energy and resources that otherwise would have been used to manufacture, ship, and dispose of plastic water bottles. With over 50 billion bottles of water being consumed yearly, that’s a lot of energy!

Now consider this: the amount of water used in one flush of a toilet is the same amount as an average person in Africa uses all day for washing, cleaning, cooking, and drinking.

In fact, 311 million Africans lack access to clean drinking water. That’s roughly 45% of the population.Some of you might be thinking this is because there is no water in Africa, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Only 4% of the total renewable water available in Africa is used yearly due to a lack of wells, pumps, reservoirs, and other irrigation systems. Shocking statistic, isn’t it?

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

NEXT is a new resource we found for Adoption Funding! Awesome site! Awesome folks fighting for the plight of the orphan! Check them out by clicking the logo and 'about us' link below! We hope this will be a valuable resource to someone in search of financing to finalize their adoption!

Mocha Club

2010-03-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

Joint Heirs has formed a team with Mocha Club to help with orphan care and vulnerable children in the Darfur area in Africa. You can join us in this endeavor to provide help to the 'least of these' by joining our Mocha Club team by clicking HERE.

By joining the team you donate a mere $7.00 per month to help these children. When you join the Joint Heirs Adoption Ministry Mocha Team you receive a FREE t-shirt also! You can find details on how to obtain your shirt on the Mocha Club site or contact Renea or Joy through the sidebar contact info on this blog to help you! We'd love to have you join us!

This is an excerpt from the Mocha Club site about the project we are sponsoring:

HIV/AIDS, disease, and war have taken the lives of so many parents in Africa, and that has left orphans for us to care for. These orphans have no form of child services or housing, and therefore are left to fend for themselves, often alone in the desert or the bush. In the Darfur area, the number one cause of death was wild hyena attacks, because the orphans had no safe area to sleep at night. They are also extremely vulnerable to slave raiders when they are left alone.

We provide the children with safe housing, protection, and complete care - food, education, spiritual direction, medical care, and vocational training. And this is only the beginning, as our goal is to develop these children into future leaders in their own communities. Join Mocha Club members in caring for the next generation of Africa – children of hope and dreams.

Each month we will be providing updates on exactly where your money is going, we may even be able to include video, podcasts and other blogs showing your efforts in helping! Thank you!

Widows & Orphans - WIPHAN

2010-03-08T07:49:00.000-08:00

One of my bloggy friends, Andrea, is wanting to spread the word about their organization called WIPHAN. They are in need of sponsorships and we want to share with everyone we know (or that reads about us!) what you can do to help!

I know first hand what sponsorship can do for a child. We love our sponsored child in Haiti and it's such a blessing to see her and know what we are doing to help change her life and her family's life. But even greater is the blessing she is for our family. We have changed hearts and changed lives because of Smerelda and children like her. We needed Smerelda as much as she needed us. This week I'm going to be sharing nothing but sponsorship blogs and posts! So fasten your seatbelts! It's going to be a bumpy ride! But one you'll enjoy I'm sure!

From Andrea's blog:

Wiphan was started just 3 years ago…and we’ve just had our 501 non-profit status for TWO years. It went from one friend of ours—to our family—to 3 more families…and we had a board! For awhile—it was just us + 450 orphans + 150 widows. We trusted the Lord to provide the thousands of dollars of month we would need to run–and He has always provided. Last year we started our sponsorship program to invite OTHER FAMILIES to join us! I would LOVE to see all TWENTY of our children who still don’t have sponsors sponsored by Friday!

OK—so how can you help?! We need voices! We need others who have hearts for orphans to speak with us! And if you have a blog—well, you have a voice and you probably have lots of readers!!! The MORE people we refer to the Wiphan site…the MORE people will find out about Wiphan and our sponsorship program!

Zambia isn’t really open to adoptions…so for these kids–the only hope is for them to be cared for in country. We have TWO schools and 450 kids—with MANY MORE who would LOVE to be in our program. BUT before we can grow–we need to find sponsors for the children on our list. Many of our children waiting for sponsors are “older children”. Maybe you don’t qualify for adopting an older child–but you could sponsor one!Maybe your budget really is too tight–but you could blog about them and be their voice!

Lent Study - Day 5

2010-02-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

Wow.... for those that think God doesn't speak to them all I have to say is, maybe you just aren't listening closely! Today was Sunday, my favorite day of the week! Our family is usually joyful as we get up and prepare to go to church. Coming home, fixing lunch together and joking and laughing, taking afternoon naps, playing games and watching NASCAR. (I'm rolling my eyes, but must include hubbies hobbies right?!) lol

I hadn't read forward to see what today's Lent study was until this evening. I know, I should have, if I'm going to keep this study going I need to be prepared at least a day before and plan accordingly. When I opened my study guide to see what it was.... talk about a moment of awe. God was preparing me for today without me even realizing it.

My hubby and I went out for dinner last night on our date night and I tend to feel a bit guilty overindulging in good food at times. We didn't eat breakfast this morning before church and let me tell you our bellies were both growling mid-way through this mornings sermon!

We looked at one another and spontaneously and at the exact same time said, "I'm hungry!" lol We had just talked about fasting the day before and a friend who had just done a three day fast who is working in Haiti. Discussing our thoughts on how difficult or easy it might be. Then during the sermon it led to fasting. Which of course brought food to our minds even more!

I told my husband that I feel ashamed when I say I'm hungry. Knowing there are soooo many people....children....in the world who are hungrier than I can imagine. I feel ashamed of being overweight and binging on junk food so often.

We get home from church (after an hour drive that should have only taken ten minutes. Can you say SNOW! but that's a post for another time), I started fixing lunch after changing my clothes and we all sat down and ate. I marveled at my children laughing, fighting over the ketchup. Arguing over who gets the last piece of homemade cheesy bread. I'm praying in my mind for all the children who are hungry right now. Right at this very moment dying because their bellies are empty, their bodies are malnourished and starving. Trying not to cry when my family is enjoying the sabbath.

After the kids leave the table I confess to my husband the thoughts of guilt and sadness. How can something that is such a blessing for us be so barren for another. How or why did God decide in his grace to allow my family to be born in America rather than Africa? Rather than Haiti? My heart aches for the ones I want to help, but can't seem to reach. I want to feed the world!

I imagine in another time, if I were born to another generation I would have been in the Peace Corp and would have never looked back. I dream of a day when I can go on missions for weeks... months on end. I often times ask the Lord to break my heart with what breaks His. And sometimes I have to be reminded.... be careful what you wish for. Not that it's a bad thing, but you better be prepared for the helplessness you sometimes feel. The agony it can bring to a Christian heart when you feel you have never done enough.

Wanna know what the Lent lesson was today?

"Think about a day in your life when you were hungry. Really, really hungry."

Yes Lord, I'm listening.......

Every THREE seconds a child dies because he or she was hungry.

That's a hard fact to grasp huh. When my children claim they are hungry, what's for supper? They have no idea what it really means to be hungry. So desperate that you are dying.

--James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:

to look after orphans and widows in their distress

and to keep oneself from

being polluted by the world.

Lent Study - Day 4

2010-02-21T17:29:00.000-08:00

Yep, today I'm rich! Filthy....stinkin.....rich! How do you define rich? The dictionary of course defines it by ones worth. Wealth, luxury, social prestige and privilege. My Lent study challenge today....defining RICH.

My definition of rich is far from that. And believe me, it's been a struggle teaching it to our children through the years. Thinking their friends at school are rich because of their big fancy houses, their nice new cars, the gaming systems and countless cell phones (before cell phones were ever so popular). Teaching our children that riches come not from possessions but love. Our love for one another, our love for and from the Lord. Our love of fun and spending time together. I'm rich beyond measure.

My children are healthy. School comes easily to them, there's no struggle in studies or frustration from lack of understanding when it comes to their homework. And believe me I have friends that this is not the case and oh the times I've prayed for their sanity and patience with their children.

My husband and I have our health (for the most part....he claims he's getting old) lol. Up until this past summer when I had a case of the dizzies that turned out to be a side effect from some vitamins, I had never once spent time in the hospital other than to give birth to my children. I'll be 40 this year. I have friends and family that have had numerous health issues, surgeries, taking regular medications.

We've most always been able to pay bills and provide for ourselves with necessities of food and shelter (and yes, even the splurges of cable television, cell phones, etc.).

We are blessed. We have a paper stuck to our refrigerator that, basically summed up, says that we dare not complain about earthly things for our Heavenly Father gave such a great sacrifice for our souls. How dare we complain. Isn't His grace enough? It's more than sufficient! I've always loved reading that over and over. It's been on our fridge for over 10 years.

My riches can be found in my header image. Three children and my wonderful husband. Yes, I think he's pretty wonderful. Even the days when I want to call him ugly names. I know I am his greatest love and am second only to God in his life. I can't ask for more than that.

Don't get me wrong. We've had our share of troubles, misfortune and heartbreak. But overall our lives are blessed.

As I traveled to Haiti and saw people with so little..... no shelter, no food on a regular basis, no clean water....how could they laugh and smile so at times I wondered. Then it dawns on you. Our families are what makes us rich. The exact things I try to teach and instill in my children I was seeing in action. They have the love of God and their families and children. Of course they smile and laugh. But that alone shouldn't keep us from helping to make their lives even richer with the blessings we can share with them.

lent Study - Day 3

2010-02-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

A large number of the world's poor can fit all of their possessions into a small suitcase. Today my study challenges you to make it personal and imagine you live in a poor family, in a poor country. Select five of your possessions and pack them into a suitcase or duffel bag.

FIVE!

Five? Seriously?

Just five...

And I know I should be sensible about this too right? Like...my laptop is out of the question. Even if I took it, I wouldn't have electricity to charge it. Lucky for me I've spent time in a third-world country, and had to wait on my luggage. ;o) I know what is 'necessary' for me. lol But five? I can fit more than five things in a carry on bag. I can fit WAY more than that in my purse!

After much thought, here are my top five:

1. The Good Book -- My Study Bible

2. A good sturdy pot. I'm no 'Pioneer Woman' with fancy turquoise crockery but I get by.

I could cook and boil water with ease. Of course I'd grab my biggest one, but it's got leftovers in it, in the fridge. Wow... I have a refrigerator. :s

3. Extra underwear. I'm not about to show them, so you get a view of the front of my dresser. ;) But after spending time in Haiti.... clean underwear. Ranks right up there with my Bible.

4. Aaaah.... toothbrush. 'Nuff said.

5. My iPhone. Yes, my iPhone.

One of the things I remember so vividly was going to church on Sunday morning when we were in Haiti and there was one bench along an outside wall that had a very long extension chord with a surge bar outlet LOADED with cell phone chargers! It was actually kinda funny, but at the same time, you should have seen people waiting to charge their phones.

The iPhone.... so many possibilities. Maybe I would charge people to use it.

And as I'm thinking of my top five, I'm looking around the house at all the things I'd have to leave behind. We...are....so.... SPOILED. Our material lives tend to become 'normal', expected....

Most people in third world countries live on less than $2.00 per day. Can you imagine? My electric meter spins WAY faster than that. Not to mention the food, personal hygiene items and cleaning supplies we go through in a day.

And as I sit here tapping away on my new laptop, watching the winter olympics on my BIG screen television and listening to my iPod I feel empty.

My son went on his first youth retreat tonight. They are attending Acquire The Fire in Kansas City and he is so excited. I'm grateful for the friends he's going with and my friend Joy and her husband Jack for chaperoning. I wish we could have gone. He packed his bag last night for his trip. I'll meet him again on Sunday morning at church when they return. And for 30 plus hours, what did he pack?

Sleeping bag and pillow (begged for an air mattress and I told him NO!)
Clean change of clothes and his extra hoodie because he's stylish like that.
TWO ball caps. Because we must be coordinated right? My fashion conscious teen has an OU cap to match his sweatshirt and his Jesus Saves cap for concert night.
His cell phone (and charger)
His digital camera (and charger)
His iPod

What didn't he pack that mom had to include:

toothbrush & toothpaste
deoderant (someone will thank me)
brush (his hair is totally out of control.... imagine a blonde afro, seriously)
his cooler full of food! Hellow!

I guess that's just one more reason God made mothers. I just wish I could be a mother to so SOO many more. What would you consider your prized possessions? It also brings to mind the earthquake again. Imagine if you were fortunate enough to own a home and some other worldly things and in a instant it was all gone. The people we've seen left with nothing. We need to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

One last thought to leave you with.... tomorrow is about being rich.

Lent Study - Day 2

2010-02-18T09:15:00.000-08:00

So, day two of this Lent study is experiencing life without clean water. A challenge to go 12 hours... just twelve, without water. Nothing water based or mixed with water. That means from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. no water, no coffee, no tea, no soup (which is on my menu tonight for supper!), I think I should have planned better! lol

I knew from looking ahead what today would bring. And I surprised myself when I stopped to think about the magnitude of such a problem. Something we take for granted, yet learning to live without clean water. Before I went to bed I didn't review the 'rules' for today so I had no idea how many hours. If it was indeed 24 hours, an entire day..... or just 12 hours.

And I began to get thirsty!

I drank an extra glass of water before bed (which by the way had my bladder aching when my feet hit the floor this morning!) lol And then I found myself already making excuses when I got up. So aware of what my day was going to involve. Saying to myself, 'Well, if it's 24 hours, I'll go 24 hours from 8 a.m. till 8 a.m. tomorrow.'

So I drank another glass of water as soon as I was done in the bathroom. ;) I realized how desperate I was becoming. I just don't know if this is a good exercise for today. 'kinda silly' I tried to tell myself.

And then God reminded me of why.... Why I was becoming desperate. Why I was so thirsty. I don't want to fail at this. I remember the faces of the children I saw in Haiti. I remember the site of the old man drinking from a puddle on the side of the road. I see the faces of children through others' blogs on their missions in Africa....

I can't drink.

Lucky for me it's only a 12 hour test. And right now I desperately want a big glass of ice water! I don't even drink a lot of water in a normal day. Not as much as I should. But today is something that will keep my mind focused on Him. As I focus on Him, I know He will direct my thoughts to the ones I truly need to help. Not myself.

FACT:

A child dies every 21 seconds from

a water-related disease.

This amounts to nearly 6000 deaths,

or the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets

crashing....everyday.

Lent Study - Day 1

2010-02-18T09:07:00.000-08:00

Follow along with JHAM as we journey through a Lenten Study with Richard Stearns and The Hole In Our Gospel. As you read along I hope your heart is changed, I hope you are inspired to take action. I hope you will participate with us! :)

As most probably already know Lent is a time of preparation for the death of Christ on Good Friday and His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. The period of 40 days of repentance with prayer and fasting are to mimic Jesus' 40 days and nights of fasting in the wilderness and the temptation by the devil.

As we choose to give up something for Lent it doesn't have to seem like a major undertaking or racking your brain for some incredible, newsworthy, life-threatening vice. We are not Jesus....don't try to fast completely for 40 days. I doubt you would survive. ;o) However, find something that is a crutch to you. Something you depend on way more than you should. Something you indulge in, yet don't need.

Jesus was tempted after his 40 days of fasting. When he was hungry and thirsty. When he was vulnerable. Giving up something for Lent is not God testing us, but a way for God to provide wisdom through experiences that test our faith. Our strength. Our endurance. When we are most vulnerable is when we tend to fail. When we tend to rely on our own understanding rather than leaning on God. After all, the Lord's prayer says, "Lead us not into temptation". I think God uses the temptations we are confronted with by the devil to serve a greater purpose to glorify Him. So when I am having sugar withdrawal from that sweet dark carbonated liquid love in a can...I'll be looking forward to the great things He has in store for me. That He opens my eyes to during this lent season.

The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. You can go to the site by clicking the book title, there you will find information about the book, how to obtain it (at a discount price!), video clips about Richard's message and there are links to a reading guide and study actions to do everyday during Lent. Did I mention their FREE?! :) Bonus!

I know this is going to be an awesome book and will share my thoughts as I'm reading, but for day one we are to tell close friends or family if our Jesus is God-sized or if we've shrunk Him to our size.

An anonymous quote from the book says we have shrunk Jesus to the size where He can save souls, but now don't believe He can change the world. Well, I'm here to tell you CLOSE FRIENDS my

Jesus is God-sized!

I've seen first hand some of his miracles and know that with Him ANYTHING is possible. If the world had more faith in, and a relationship with Jesus I believe the 'changing the world' would be much more obvious! What 'size' do you think Jesus is? We need to put our faith and belief into action.

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

1 John 3:17

† Update on Haitian Adoptions

2010-01-22T10:04:00.000-08:00

The following link is the latest update by the State Department on Haitian adoption. Please read it carefully!

http://adoption.state.gov/news/children_affected_by_natural_disasters_conflict.html

There has become a lot of interest in adopting from Haiti due to the crisis situation. It has even opened new hearts to adoption and people are stepping up and wanting to be adoptive parents where they never considered it before. That is awesome and definitely the work of an amazing God touching hearts.

While there is interest and people want to help these orphans we must remember that the adoption process is not 'totally' revamped due to a crisis situation. There are still guidelines that need to be followed to ensure children are in fact orphans and that child trafficking does not become an issue. Sad as it may seem, there are people who will try to profit from such a situation. Haiti also has many orphanages that house children who are not eligible for adoption. Haitian parents will bring their child to these special orphanages so their child can receive an education, vocational training and be fed a regular diet that they are unable to provide. These children are raised to be educated citizens with the hope of bringing a brighter tomorrow for their country Haiti.

If you are new to adoption or just considering it and want to apply to adopt be prepared for some disappointments. This will come with any adoption as well as the overwhelming joy that it brings. Please bear in mind until government buildings and such can be restored in Haiti there will probably be a hold on any new Haitian adoptions. People are being led to believe that because of the orphans we've seen on TV that have been flown out of the country it should be so easy for everyone. NOT TRUE! Those children were already matched with families and in the last stages of the adoption process.

Do not attempt to travel to Haiti with the hopes of bringing children back. This is illegal! It can also cause unnecessary problems with relief aid at this time.

Please, research any agency before applying for adoption, as well as country information you can find from the state department. If you are confused and feel overwhelmed that is what we're here for! Don't hesitate to contact us by e-mail or phone if you have questions about the process or what can be done to help your family adopt.

† For His Glory

2010-01-19T16:57:00.000-08:00

An Urgent Call to Act on behalf of Haiti's orphans and "For His Glory Adoption Outreach". Click the link or the photo to read more information on what you can do to help more of Haiti's orphans to their forever families.

As some of you may know if you are keeping up with the situation in Haiti some of the children from the orphanages are being brought out of the country and united with their adoptive families in the U.S. This of course is being done with humanitarian waiver/parole for children who are already in the adoption process. All I know to say is, "Merci Jezi!" (Thank you Jesus! in Creole)

Those wanting to adopt from Haiti or who have had their heart changed by the disaster and now wish to adopt will of course not be this fortunate in the process. But there is always hope that laws and red tape can be changed for the future of Haiti's orphans.

Continue to pray for the country and it's people. This will be a situation that will not be remedied within a few weeks or even months. They need our continued support for a better future.

* UPDATE: Also just wanted to let everyone know that we have heard from our friends that Celissa (the girl posted below) has been found and is safe and alive! Another Merci Jezi!!!! We don't know all of her story yet, but are just thankful that she has been found.

† Support For Haiti's Orphans

2010-01-15T12:06:00.001-08:00

Joint Heirs Adoption Ministry will be providing relief aid to Canaan Orphanage in Haiti. With the connections that we have through Haiti we've learned that Canaan is taking in more children everyday and has been providing relief to as many as they can in Port. Making trips into Port to provide food and water to those in need. They have begun rationing their own supplies at the orphanage which are obviously going to be depleted soon. There is not enough fuel to continue making trips to Port but as people are depending on others for transportation or just walking, more and more are coming to Canaan to seek shelter and care. Canaan also provides a medical clinic for malnourished children and I'm sure with the disaster situation they can expect to start seeing additional children very soon.

I have met some of the workers and staff at Canaan and know that with donations provided Sister Gladys and Pastor Henri can be trusted to use donations in a necessary and honest manner. If you are interested in supporting the Orphanage at Canaan with us you may use the Chip-In box below or feel free to click through to the Canaan Orphanage support page and make your donation directly through their site.

These are just a few of the children we met at Canaan.

We continue to pray God's blessings upon the people and children of Haiti. If you have questions, please feel free to contact one of us directly or leave a comment below. Thank you for your continued support of our mission to care for "the least of these".

On one of the outer walls at Canaan you see this painting. Tet Kole Nan Kris means Togetherness in Christ.

† Searching...

2010-01-15T09:10:00.001-08:00

Below you can read the information regarding Haiti and the families and friends we have been praying for and the link to make {legitimate} donations for aid and relief to victims. The links provided are missionaries currently working in country and can help victims. Please feel free to visit their links of their missions and the organizations they are affiliated with. If you don't feel led to give through these missions, please find some way to help support the families in Haiti. Right now they need money for food, water and medical supplies. Things cannot be shipped into the country such as clothes, shoes, etc. and there is more immediate need for necessary, life-saving items like food, water and antibiotics and other medical provisions.

I urge you to continue to pray and keep the victims in your thoughts as our lives continue to go on as regularly scheduled, they are displaced, burying loved ones (if they are fortunate enough to provide a burial--most victims will go into a mass grave), they search for food. I encourage you to fast for a day, one day and try to understand the urgency for their needs.

Please pray for our friend Celissa. She has yet to be found. Roberto and Alex are making another trip into Port today to search for her and others they are still waiting to hear of their safety. I'm not sure what school Celissa was teaching at but we have posted her photo and information to the CNN search site as well as Earthquake Haiti facebook group in hopes of finding information about her.

Celissa is able to access the internet from school to visit with us on a regular basis.
We have not heard from her since the earthquake.

We pray for your safety and well-being Celissa and know that God is with you.
We ♥ You!

Please continue to visit the links in the next post for the missionaries and their updates as they become available. Pray for their safety and that provisions will come soon. Everyone is running out of supplies at this point.

If you'd like to read more about our trip to Haiti you can click HERE.

† Prayers & Aid for Haiti

2010-01-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

* UPDATES INCLUDED *

Have you ever gone somewhere and felt like you had been there before, or like it was a home away from home and you didn't want to leave? That's how we felt about Haiti this summer. After yesterday's earthquake we're left heartbroken today for the people of Haiti. Not just the ones we know, but the ones we don't know that are still God's people.

To most yesterday was just like any other typical day. Even myself. I got up, took my shower, did household chores, sat down to work at my computer and spent my day in a normal routine. I checked my e-mail around 4:30 and started discovering messages about earthquakes and Haiti. Huh? There's no earthquake in Haiti..... then I discovered the news. I don't turn my television on during the day and once I clicked into yahoo I saw the home page and the news releases. Instantly my heart sank.

My mind raced with all the faces of the people I met, those I didn't meet but passed on the street or drove by along the road. One can't begin to imagine the fear and devastation they must be facing. It's one thing to live in a world like we do where disaster may strike but there are plans in place and methods to follow to ensure we don't stay 'down' for long. We're America after all. Power gets restored, telephones work, there is more than one airport..... Imagine being in a country that has no regular current of electricity. You live on generators on a normal day and now your world has collapsed and there's not even a source to bring fuel to your country to run your generator (which believe me is the least of their worries!). No phone, no electricity, no roads left to get through.

We made new friends and found family in Haiti. Not just the other missionaries but the native people of Haiti. Roberto and Alex who spent every day with us from sunrise to bedtime. Marjorie who cared for us and fed us. Celissa, Claudia, Linda, Smerelda, Miko, Stanley, Mackline...... the list goes on and on. Where are these faces? Where are these loved ones?

Marjorie was our 'mom and grandma' in Haiti. We love her beyond belief. ♥

Leslie and Chris are missionaries living in Haiti with their adopted Haitian daughter Olivia. Chris went to port to have the truck worked on. The last time Leslie spoke to him was 45 minutes before the quake. Imagine wondering where your husband is in the middle of a natural disaster with no phone and no way to communicate. Luckily, after countless hours..... he made it home last night.

* Chris made it home, but the 'countless' hours before his arrival he had spent in Port after the quake trying to help others. He was near a 3 story school full of girls that collapsed and was trying to pull them from the pile of rubble and debris. You can read his heartbreaking story on their blog that is linked below. My heart breaks for Chris as he had to leave some girls behind to find help and wasn't able to return til morning, only to find the girls had died in the night. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Leslie and her daughter Olivia
Kevin and Olivia

Keith's new wife is in Haiti while he is stateside right now. Imagine not just being away from your spouse and knowing of their safety, but being in another country.... across an ocean. There is no 'coming home' to the arms of the loved one. Luckily, before bedtime last night Keith was notified that his wife was alive and safe. Yet he still had to go to bed with his arms empty.
Those of us here (and in Haiti I'm sure) began to pray. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Have you ever literally stopped what you are doing and fell to your knees and prayed?

Roberto, Me and our sponsored child Smerelda

Roberto and Alex let us know last night that they were safe but they have family in Port that they cannot contact and don't know of their safety or whereabouts. They have become our family. When someone you love is hurting, you hurt. I may not know their extended family but I pray for them. My heart aches for them.

* Roberto and his father traveled to Port yesterday and were able to find his brothers and they are okay. Last we heard he was still searching for his mother. They have brought members of their family home with them to Montrouis.

Roberto, Taylor and our sponsored child Smerelda

Alex! These men have a heart of gold. I believe Alex had found his siblings and they are okay.

Remember the wedding we just went to in December? Bobi and Marcus flew home to Haiti YESTERDAY! Only by the grace of God did they arrive, make their routine trip through the airport, out of Port and traveled to Canaan safely. They were far enough away from the point of the quake that they were safe and unharmed. Can you imagine just arriving home from a long vacation only to be thrown into disaster within hours. Can you imagine being their parents and not knowing how they are just hours after you've said good-bye at the airport? They had no way of contacting their parents. Luckily through the wonder of internet and before they lost power they were able to get a message to friends to notify their families. We praise God for their safe return home. Now they are caring for the dozens of children at the orphanage where they live.

* Bobi and Marcus have updated their BLOG from Canaan Orphanage on their account of the earthquake as they were driving home when it happened. There are also links if you are interested in supporting Canaan Orphanage and their relief efforts.

My 'sister' Diane still has regular contact with her children's biological mother in Haiti. Can you stop for a moment and imagine having your son turn to you and want to know if his Momma Cheri is okay? How do you tell your children you don't know for sure? How do you comfort them? (sorry Diane..... don't cry. Know that I love you and I'm still praying for Cheri and the kids. We know they'll be fine. xoxo)

Diane with Momma Cheri and Brian and Kristi's siblings.

* Diane received word that Cheri and the kids are fine. Roberto went out and found them to let Diane know of their safety. Many prayers have been answered. =) There are many more in need of prayer.

I can't tell you how much I want to be there today. I've yearned to go back for the past 6 months. But never so much as the last 24 hours. You can't live with someone for the period of time we did, sleep under the same roof, share all your meals together, pray together, worship together, work together, play together without loving together. A part of my family is hurting today. So please, when you know of someone in Haiti who is safe, don't stop your prayers there. Be grateful for their well being and praise God for that blessing. But remember there are still thousands of others who need your prayers still.

Me and Mackline (she's 7 and has brittle bone disease)
Roberto, Kelsey, and her sponsored child Claudia
Diane and one of her sponsored children Miko (Michael)

Kevin and another girl they sponsor Alexandra
Taylor made MANY friends with her long blonde hair. ;o)

These aren't just faces in the crowd.... not only do they belong to someone here on earth, they belong to our Lord. If you are wondering what you can do to help the people of Haiti.....the very first thing you can do is pray, and secondly you can click on the link in the sidebar (or below) for the mission and donate through paypal or click on the chip-in box and funds will be sent to Leslie and Chris' mission Clean Water for Haiti (which they are so desperately going to need now more than ever, and gas alone to run vehicles to transport people and water and food will be in short supply) and a portion will go to the Heartline Ministries and Life Connection Missions to help any in need. We may not know who they are right now, but God does. These are reputable missions and people we know that are working for the people of Haiti. You can read updates on their blogs and here. Thank you for your prayers.

* Please also keep Britt & Kris and their family in your prayers also. You can read her blog and updates HERE.

If you'd like to read more about our trip to Haiti you can click HERE.

† Shopping With a Purpose

2009-12-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season is upon us! I don't know about you, but I have yet to dive into my shopping! I dread it for so many reasons. We no longer buy gifts for the adults in our family and only buy for children (our own and nieces and nephews). This year I want to do something different, when I shop and buy something (if I don't make it myself) I want it to be something with a deeper meaning and purpose than just something I grabbed at the last minute from the shelf at the department store. Below are some links and photos of items that would make great gifts but also support wonderful charities or families adopting so .... shop without guilt!!!! Know that money you spend not only buys a gift for your loved one, but provides funds for others to bring their loved ones home to forever families. :) Shop till you drop!!! I dare ya! :o) (and just a little heads up.... soon to come, we're making our own little boutique shop with goodies for the same purpose! Future gift giving ideas will be found at Pish Posh Tots too!!!)

Sugar Plum Orphans

Need hair bows, look no farther! So cute and so unique and for a great cause!

Beads For Life The beaders and tailors are primarily impoverished women who are hardworking, intelligent, and strong in their desire to improve their lives. They make gorgeous handcrafted paper beads from recycled paper and turn them into necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Because the beaders use recycled, colorful paper, the beads help prevent environmental degradation. What was trash becomes beauty, money, food, and hope.

Light Gives Heat

Last year I gave these SUUBI beads as end of the year teacher gifts and for Christmas! They are very cool and go with so many things and support the women of Uganda! There are also other items for sell here.

Small Wish

This talented mom has the cutest baby slings I have ever seen and they are affordable! Stock up even if you don't need on enow because they make great baby gifts and help fund their adoption!!

JUNKPOSSE

This talented adoptive mom and grandma makes beautiful jewelry and You can keep up with her on her blog as well!

Sseko Designs

These are the cutest shoes ever!!! You buy one pair and then purchase straps is additional patterns! Go and read about the wonderful things they are doing in Uganda and support them by SHOPPING!!

What a WIN-WIN

Bacon Bit Knits

Hand knit in Alaska and 100% goes towards their domestic adoption fund. If you are aware of a mother looking to place her baby for adoption this family's profile can be seen here!

It's Poppy Dip

Here you will find some of the cutest and most affordable outfits for your little girls! Sallee is the blessed mom of 5--3 bio and 2 adopted from Ethiopia! She is sewing these beautiful clothes to raise money for their 3rd adoption! SHOP! SHOP! SHOP!!! These are photos of my girls enjoying their Poppy Dip outfits!

James 1:27

Need cute Christmas cards, birth announcements? This creative mama is using her gifts and talents to raise funds for their adoption. All you have to do is pick out what you like, insert your photos and info and them have them printed! SOOOOO Cute!

GOBENA COFFEE

who doesn't like coffee..... even if you don't buy it knowing that 100% of proceeds are reinvested into the lives of orphaned children!

147 Million Orphans

Here you can find cute hats, shirts sweats, bags, jewelry....and each purchase tells you how many orphans in Uganda will be fed with each purchase! Knowing that makes shopping fun!! Adopting families can also sell their shirts as fundraisers for their individual adoption!

This family is beading their way back to China for a little sister because their son has convinced them that is where she is!

JUSTLOVE If you love coffee you can buy free trade coffee here and part of the proceeds help build a school for older children in Ethiopia. If you are an adopting family you can also sell their coffee as a fundraiser!

Ethiopia's Calling

This family is selling some really cool shirts, bracelets ,etc to raise funds for their African adoption!

† Where Does the Time Go?!

2009-11-23T18:39:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the absence! Sometimes life just gets too hectic for us and blogging can tend to take a back seat. I encourage everyone to continue with the 40 days of prayer. The list can be found on the orphansunday.org website. I know we've all been praying everyday for God's children, we don't need a list, but it's got some pretty good topics to share your heart with God about.

Now.... onto our latest share! We've recently received a couple of donations that were very surprising but greatly appreciated! We said it was our dream to become a non-profit and I think the Lord is leading our steps in that direction without us even knowing it. It's such a blessing and very exciting to know that we will be able to help a family bring their child home. We don't know who that is right now, or when that is..... but God does. And we wait for his guidance with our organization and all the red tape.
We'd also like to encourage you to check back in the next day or so as we're going to be posting links to some awesome stuff! You'll be able to do your Christmas shopping from the blog!!! Something for everyone, and the best part of all..... the proceeds will help families and orphans all over funding their adoption expenses. God is good. We give Him all the praise, glory and honor for our many blessings.

† Can You Help?

2009-11-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

Please visit this sweet family's blog and if you feel led to give, please donate to help this mama get to her sweet baby boy. His name is Keshawn and he is such a cutie. I found their link through another bloggy friend and discovered they will be traveling to pick up Keshawn in just a few short weeks but still need a bit of funding for travel expenses. They need $2,500 to cover their travel to Ethiopia on the 28th. If you are unable to 'chip-in' financially through the fundraiser link on their blog at least take the time to stop and pray for their family. Pray for the funding to come, for travel mercies and for a safe journey home with their beautiful son. Thank you!!!

Please visit their blog:

Nations Around Our Table

Romans 12: 8

If it is encouraging, let him encourage;

if it is contributing to the needs of others,

let him give generously;

if it is leadership, let him govern diligently;

if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

† Orphan Sunday • Day 9

2009-11-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

Was an incredible day. Joy, Melinda and I have worked so hard to bring this day together with our open house and sharing with the community what we had planned.

We started our day at First Assembly where we were invited to speak. The message given by Pastor Randy was awesome. I was so impressed that we made such an impact on his heart and his church that he shared a message devoted to God's heart for the orphan and widow. It was a perfect morning spent with family and friends.
We were just a bit nervous to say the least but people told us we did a great job and thanked us for coming. It really means a lot that Pastor Randy invited us to speak at First Assembly.

My son Tyler loved this slide from the overhead presentation during the sermon.

Pastor Randy Cowart at the open house. My son loves taking pics when people least expect it. :)

Once we left the church we headed to the Open House to set up and decorate. There was a LOT to do. We had lots of help (our boys are big boys), the kids helped move tables and chairs, Joy's mother had made cookies for us and helped decorate, my mom was there to help and let us use her 'yearly' employee use of the center for our event. We didn't have to pay for a space this way and really appreciated it more than she knows. My daughter helped set up displays and Cindy (our friend) was kind enough to do some babysitting duty while we worked. Everything could not have been done without the help of these people. :)
When you entered our event the first thing you saw was the guest book and a poster with our pictures and the proclamation from the mayor. Since we've only been working together for about a month this is us... we will be building a scrapbook soon from our times spent together and our advocating activities! :)
We collected information from various agencies and sponsorship advocates over the last month. We had a whole row of tables dedicated to adoption agencies for international adoption and sponsorship through World Vision and Life Connection Mission (our trip to Haiti) and had pictures and items from our trip displayed.

We had a row dedicated to domestic services and foster care/foster adoption where a specialist from Family Services set up. We enjoyed having Becky with us.
We had a 'coffee house' with a lending library where visitors could sit, enjoy coffee and cookies and check out books that we have collected through our own research and reading. My favorite area was the Christmas area where you could shop from the Christmas Tree of Hope, share in our donation jar or make purchases through World Vision for children around the world. Unfortunately my photographer son forgot to get a pic of that side of the room! lol :) I didn't want to worry about pictures yesterday so some of the things I wanted got missed, but we still have great shots from our event.
We worked really hard and enjoyed spending the day together with our families and a few friends. We missed Melinda and are keeping her and her family in our thoughts and prayers. I'm sure she'll be able to join us soon.

Joy & Jia

Being our only 'officially' adopted sweetheart Miss Jia was the star of the show! The kids all enjoyed playing with her and so did a few of us adults!!! She's precious to say the least! My kids even said they discovered their new 'favorite 3 year old'. She just makes you happy! Her momma would tell you how incredible she is and what an impact she has had on their lives. But I can tell you she's made an impact on so many more people that her little heart realizes. We ♥ u Jia!

Tyler & Jia
And look.... my daughter who favors little boys fell in love with Jia yesterday. Maybe a little sister isn't out of the question. ;)

Then, before our day came to an end we had a pleasant surprise. Ron & Beth Tucker showed up with little Lucy Lu!!! We totally forgot she mentioned wanting to come and meet us and see the open house. Her and her husband drove about 2 hours to come to our Open House. Beth and Joy met through the internet while researching the special needs they had in common with Jia and Lucy. It was so nice to meet them and visit for a while. Lucy is totally adorable too and we loved watching all the kids playing together. When God tells us to become like little children it's so true. Something we need to remember as our kids remind us it doesn't matter where you come from, how old or young you are, or what color your skin is.... we're all God's children. He loves us all the same and the least we can do is to love one another.

Joy, Jia, Jory, Beth & Lucy Lu
Beth and Lucy Lu - We ♥ You!

We had no idea what to expect for our open house but we know God has a plan for us. If only one person was introduced to adoption that will make a difference yesterday and provide hope for God's children then our work was well worth it. We hope everyone else that had an Orphan Sunday event had a terrific day and maybe we all played a part in changing the life of orphans around the world. Thank you to everyone that made our event possible and promoted it for us!

What did you do yesterday? Share your Orphan Sunday event or link in the comments section please!! We'd love to see!

• Day 9 of Prayer •
Today, pray that God would break the heart of your city’s pastors with the plight of orphans. Ask that He would convict them to lead their churches to pray, go, and love in Jesus’ name.

† National Adoption Month • Day 6

2009-11-06T06:50:00.000-08:00

• Day 6 • Today, ask the Lord to help your church family to live out Proverbs 31:8. "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute."

† National Adoption Month • Day 5

2009-11-05T08:43:00.000-08:00

We will have a live webcast of Steven Curtis Chapman during our Orphan Sunday event. Check out the 'personal invitation' from SCC himself. :)

SCC Invities You to Join in on Orphan Sunday from Show Hope on Vimeo.

• Day 5 • Today, pray for the fatherless in your community. Ask the Lord to care for them and to protect them and to defend them and keep them safe.

† National Adoption Month • Day 4

2009-11-04T05:08:00.000-08:00

The following is a documentary, "I Am Because We Are", that was shared with me from another bloggy friend. It does take some time to watch, but so worth it. Just when I thought I knew what we were up against with our mission my heart was touched even deeper. Please find some time to sit and view this video. Even if you have to set aside 15 to 20 minutes here and there. Look beyond the fact that a celebrity is bringing it to your attention. Don't let the focus be on her, unless you ask yourself why is she the one doing this instead of so many others....including ourselves. The photography and stories are stunning and inspiring, yet they will shock you and tear at your heartstrings. Allow yourself to see the urgency to simply love. Please find time this week to watch "I Am Because We Are".

I know the girls' (Joy and Melinda) have their hearts in China and Guatemala. For good reason, that is where God has called them. Mine is in Haiti and Africa. I'm just wondering what He has in store for me there... I wait for His timing for the answer. Wherever God calls you, please follow. It may be one of these countries, it may be in your own backyard. God's people, needing us, are all around.

• Day 4 •
Today, ask the Lord to help your church congregation to feel His heart for the orphans as seen in Psalm 68:5-6 "A Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families..."

† National Adoption Month • Day 3

2009-11-03T06:06:00.000-08:00

• Day 3 •
Today, ask God that of the 2 billion Christians in the world, 7% would show hope to a single orphan, looking after the child in their distress. Ask the Lord to convict the church around the world that if we did this, there would effectively be no more orphans. Ask the Lord to show each of His followers that we can each do something.

† National Adoption Month • Day 2

2009-11-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

Promo for "3 by 3 by 3" Documentary from David Watson on Vimeo.

The video from the Weimer family can also be found on their blog Blessings from Ethiopia. What an awesome family.

• Day 2 •
Today, pray for your pastor to have guidance and provision as he seeks to follow the Lord's commands to care for orphans.

† National Adoption Month • Day 1

2009-11-01T16:42:00.000-08:00

It's officially November 1st and National Adoption Month!! How exciting! I wonder how many people will choose to follow God's call to adopt this month. How many people will have their lives changed forever. I wonder how many orphans will find the love and security of a forever family this month. How I hope and pray that God places it on many MANY hearts in the coming weeks. Over the next 40 days we will be sharing a 40-day prayer guide for orphans. I encourage everyone who reads this to commit to doing the daily prayer request. Gather with a friend or two, people from your congregation or your own children and offer up the prayers. Matthew 18:20 tells us where two or three have gathered together in my name, I am there in their midst. Together we can change the lives of God's children around the world.

• Day 1 •
Today, pray that the Lord would give you a personal sense of responsibility for the next 40 days (and beyond) for praying for orphans, your pastor, your church, and your community. Ask Him to break your heart for the orphans. Ask that He would help you to see orphans with His eyes and His heart. Ask Him to use this 40 days of prayer to change you and your church.

National Orphan Sunday is only one week away! We're looking forward to an awesome opportunity to speak out for orphans! And for anyone who is also hosting an event we pray and wish you much success! God Bless.

† Check Us Out!!

2009-10-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a good week for JHAM! First the radio signing and today Joy and I met with our city mayor, Cathie Smith to sign a proclamation for our city to recognize November as National Adoption Month! Woo Hoo!!!! After our broadcast on the radio station they have been using bits and pieces of our recording for public service announcements. How cool is that?! Joy got the chance to go back to the station to record even another PSA. It's brought attention to our cause in ways we never expected. We've had individuals send text messages, offer commercial space for a 'headquarters', individuals coming to us showing their interest. It's completely amazing. We've even had individuals share with us that they themselves were adopted and thought what we were doing was terrific. That to me is something.
I think decades ago adoption was not considered or if you did adopt it was taboo. You didn't discuss it and people had a different view of adoption than they do now. I like living in the now!!! After our little visit with the mayor Joy had to go back to work and I had most of the day to spread the word. I started delivering information to area churches and presenting pastors with a letter, brochures, flyers and a CD with a slideshow to share with their congregation. To plead with them to share the message on orphan Sunday and invite their churches to the open house. I just know, like Joy has said that there are people in our community that God is about to call to adopt. He is about to open their hearts and their lives to an indescribable joy they never imagined. We're excited to be a part of it!!! Here is the video that Joy made for our ministry. Enjoy!

We're movin' movin' movin'!!!! We missed Melinda this morning very much but were so happy to bypass this milestone. Joy and I were discussing earlier this week that we must really, REALLY be onto something here. A real movement that pleases our Lord more than we can imagine. There are great things in store for us because the devil is doing everything he can to attempt to prevent our work. Deaths in our families, sick kids, sick spouses, possible job loss in our families. It just keeps coming. But we aren't disturbed by this. As Joy loves to say, "We're disturbed from complacency!" I just like that we're disturbed! lol :)

† Orphan Sunday

2009-10-27T07:47:00.001-07:00

Mark your calendars!!!! November 8th is Orphan Sunday and JHAM will be hosting an open house to share information with our community and surrounding area to raise awareness of the orphan crisis!

We will have presentations from various organizations, informational packets from adoption agencies, speakers that range from agency reps to seasoned adoptive parents. We will even have profiles of waiting children that are available for adoption! You never know when a little face in a photo will steal your heart away! :o)

Date: November 8, 2009
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Grundy County Senior Center
Trenton, Missouri

Please come, share your foster/adoptive experience with others, or if you are interested in adoption pick up some information and contact numbers for those who can get your started on your journey to a new family with one of God's children. We look forward to meeting you!

† We're LIVE!

2009-10-26T19:28:00.001-07:00

Today was an exciting day, and even though we missed Melinda bunches it was great to see and hear the response from our ministry.

Today our website went live! Woo Hoo!!! :) It's awesome and we'd like to thank bludomain.com for donating a template and one year of hosting in order for us to have a 'real website'. I love being a computer geek and building the site and adding our information is just a bonus! :)

Also, we gave a presentation/talk on "KTTN's Open Line" in our hometown. John Anthony, station manager/owner invited us to share our ministry on the radio! 92.1 FM and he shared that on weekday mornings like we debuted we probably reached approximately 10-15,000 listeners! How exciting is that?! Seems silly to some, but to know that so many people heard our message and what we're about is great news for us three girls! Even if we reached just one person that felt compelled to follow their heart and brings home a child, it's one less orphan in the world! We would like to thank John and the staff at KTTN for hosting us this morning and we're looking forward to coming back later this week to record our public service announcement.

After our broadcast we were even offered a commercial space for business! Maybe someday that would be awesome! I know that we all have the heart for this mission and would love nothing more than making it a career but right now we know the reality of our responsibilities with our careers and families as well. So, stay tuned, one day you may see a big sign and a painted window for the headquarters of Joint Heirs Adoption Ministry! I can picture walls covered with photos of children who have found their forever families! Incredible.....

† Employee Benefits

2009-10-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

Some of you may be aware already, others may be searching...reading that vast, seamingly endless wealth of knowledge on the world wide web only to become even more confused and overwhelmed... there are benefits available through some employers to help pay for the cost of adoption.

I have been researching several sites, going to actual verified employer sites looking to see if they provide their employees with adoption grants. So many I've researched have not, my own husbands included I'm afraid. Being self-employed as I am, I guess I provide adoption funding but it's something I'm working for.... It's called a paycheck. :)

Then I found this resource EMPLOYER ADOPTION BENEFITS Click on the link and see if you can find your employer listed. Remember, just because they are not listed doesn't mean they don't provide benefits. Check with your personnel office to make sure. I'd also recommend if your employer does not provide adoption benefits that we try to make a difference and make a change with our companies.

You see, while the cost of adoption can be a daunting and overwhelming part of the process it should never be a deciding factor in your choice to go ahead or not. There are so many avenues for financing and we truly believe that if God has led you to this important decision in your life, He has tugged at your heart and you are stepping out in faith to follow His command, that He will see you through it. He will provide.

But it also doesn't hurt to do your part to make it a success either! :) The hardest thing for me to understand and it's downright disappointing is that employers like McDonald's, Domino's Pizza, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, even the "Book of the Month Club, Inc." provides not only leave but actual financial support in the way of grants to it's employees...... yet my husband's employer, the great State of Missouri does not. Our own state agencies, some that even advocate for adoption and foster care and support those adopting through the foster system as licensed foster/adoptive parents does not support it's own employees by assisting with adoption. Creating forever families for orphans. Does that seem a bit confusing or disappointing to anyone else?

Remember this list was developed by the site it links to and your employer may not be listed, or some of the benefits listed may have changed. It's definitely something worth investigating! Watch for more funding/fundraiser resources in the future!

Advocating...
Renea

† What Now?

2009-10-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

† 147 Million

2009-10-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

Most people will tell you when they begin their journey to adopt that they don't have the money, but God will provide. Which in every situation I have heard about or read about there's not one single family that has complained that they couldn't do it. That God didn't help them.

There are 147 Million orphans in the world. You may not be able to save them all, but you can save one. If you don't feel led to save one (or perhaps two!) on your own.... you can save dozens, hundreds even! By supporting those that choose to adopt in other ways. Today is one of those opportunities.

147 Million Orphans is a site designed by two mothers with 13 children who are bringing orphans home and giving them a family and feeding those left behind waiting for families. They are running a special for the next 48 hours before they launch a new 'web store' selling t-shirts, bags and more to raise funds for adoption expenses. Check them out, buy a great tee and support the children. I bought two! :) LOVE the designs! Plus, it would make a great gift for someone and Christmas time is a'comin! Blessings today.

Advocating....
Renea

† Advocating for Ecuador

2009-10-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

While visiting with Amanda from Visiting Orphans (VO) about their programs and trying to set our church up with an orphanage in Africa she expressed an immediate need for an orphanage in Ecuador. She has been working closely with their administrators and they have had their funding cut off by their government and are in immediate need of assistance.

If you are a leader in your church with a missions committee or family ministry, or know an organization in your community who could partner with this orphanage for their needs please contact me or Amanda at Visiting Orphans to help. After reviewing their programs at VO and talking with Amanda you simply 'adopt' the orphanage. Your church groups or individuals can make vision or mission trips to the orphanage once a year (or more if you want!) and help with their needs financially as well as other items they may need. For example if something breaks down at the orphanage such as a washer or refrigerator and they don't have the means to repair it, your church group would fund this expense or raise money to help with the costs. You're caring for the children as well as the facility. Cards and letters, pictures can be sent back and forth between your group and the children.

If you are interested in helping and partnering with this orphanage please contact us and we can send you more information and even photos of the children. They are beautiful children!!! I don't know that I can share them here now, but will check with Amanda.

We are commanded by God to help the least of these, and sometimes an effort like this seems like the LEAST we can do.

† Advocating
Renea

† New Blogs

2009-10-14T06:23:00.001-07:00

I know we all have plenty to do no matter what our day involves, but sometimes you just gotta stop and smell the roses... I mean read the blogs! :) They are daily inspiration for me and sometimes devotional, and almost always just a chance to bring a little extra joy into my life. Hope you find this week's blogs as inspiring as I did!

Do They Have Salsa in China? These twin girls crack me up!!! They will keep you smiling and laughing for days just remembering the funny things they do and say. From their post this morning "No Man" I literally LOL...yep, I started laughing out loud and Tanner ask what was so funny.
Blessings From Ethiopia has many posts that make you think. The questions and doubts you may have about family size, or birth order, sibling groups, older kids adoption, these people have it down pat. :) They had three biological children and then adopted a sibling group of three. Then ANOTHER sibling group of three. Nine children. They are amazing and a blessing to read their blog.
Blessed is a family of 9. Seven children total, only two birth children and the rest born in their hearts. Joy has some amazing posts, one of which you'll need to scroll down for when she was ask by a checkout clerk in the store if she treats her children differently because some are adopted. I myself have to remember that people only ask questions like this because they don't know. It's our job to enlighten others and advocate for adoption. It's a wonderful gift from God, just as our own biological children are.

† Imagine...

2009-10-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

Read this on Trina's blog....

I didn't write this story and actually not sure who did. The author, more than likely has been where most of us have been at one point...the fears of the unknown. If God has called us to something, He will hold our hand every step of the way. After we surrender to God and obey his calling on our lives...in any area...., fear is lifted....and many, many blessings flow. Obedience. Trust. Faith. PEACE.

Imagine with me for a minute…

Right now, today… you are small and alone.

You are hungry and lost.

You have no home, no parents, and seemingly no future.

You are scared, and weak, from days without food. You have nowhere to go, nowhere to be.

People walk by you but they don’t even look your way. It’s like you are invisible, nothing.

You keep walking, your feet are bleeding and sore… and yet still you manage to cling to the small bit of hope, the little voice inside your head that says maybe, just maybe, one day things will get better.

Maybe one day -you will matter.

It is getting dark outside- inside your fear is growing.

Where will you go?

Your heart is beating faster, and your fear becomes overwhelming, consuming your every thought.

Then you see it, a dirty, broken cardboard box and you bow your head thanking God for His provision.

For you have found it- shelter.

Safety, if only for one night.

You slip underneath it, hugging yourself, vowing once again not to cry- because by now you know tears are a waste of your strength.

Your eyes become heavy, despite the sweltering temperature.

As you begin to drift off to sleep you pray, hoping, dreaming, of a family of your own one day...

of a place where you will matter...

to someone.

Somewhere else in the world is a family...

They are just sitting down to dinner together.

They are smiling and their laughter fills the room.

Dinner is served and they bow their heads and they pray- thanking God for their many blessings… their home, their job, the food that is set before them.

They lift their heads and go back to the laughter and the joy.

They talk of their upcoming vacation plans, the lunch date they shared with a friend today and the movie they plan to see this coming weekend.

More laughter, more excitement, more.

As the leftovers are scraped into the garbage can and the table is cleaned up, hot bubble bathes are taken by all.

Evening settles in, and the family slips under their down comforters preparing for a good night's sleep.

Before turning out the lights, the husband leans over to kiss his wife good-night. She shyly smiles at him and begins to tell him that she has been feeling that perhaps God is calling them to adopt.

The room grows quiet as they are both lost in their own thoughts… their minds are flooded with questions, concern, and then inevitably -fear.

How could they manage?
Another child?
Why, they already have two!
Where would they put the child?
Who would share a room?
How could they afford to adopt?
Would they be able to take that vacation?
What would people think?
What if the child, you know, caused ‘problems’?

As their eyelids become heavy, they begin to drift off to sleep... and they think to themselves ‘surely not’.

Surely God knows this is not convenient.

Surely God wants them to take that vacation they deserve...

Surely he knows how busy they are.

They have plans and they have dreams.

As sleep overcomes them, the temperature in their master bedroom is perfect… and their pillows are fluffed to perfection.

Life is good for them, just as they had planned...

Because after all, they matter...

Too much...

to themselves.

Some Christians will not be called to adopt but what can we do for the orphans? Could we encourage a family that is adopting? Could we sponsor an orphan? Each of us need to ask God for direction and what He would have us do for the least of these.

And maybe your child is waiting on you.

† Meah's Story

2009-10-07T08:07:00.001-07:00

The following story was written by our co-founder Melinda for No Hands But Ours. (No Hands But Ours was the vision of a mother of 9, 4 (and one on the way) from China with special needs, whose passion continues to be finding homes for the children left behind. Stefanie saw the need for a site that would provide education, resources, and encouragement for families considering SN adoption, as well as advocacy for children who still wait for their families.)

by Melinda, mom to Meah from China with hemifacial microsomia

When my husband and I were in the process of adopting again, we had looked at all the programs and chose to adopt minor special needs from Vietnam. We also thought we would adopt a 2 to 4 year old... little did we know. While waiting, I would always look at the waiting children, even the ones from the other countries.

In October of 2007, a new China waiting child list came out and I began looking at the list and saw this little girl that I could not quit thinking about. I just felt this instant connection. After 2-3 weeks, I showed my husband her picture and he also felt a connection. I knew that we both felt something, but there seemed to be so many obstacles. For one, she was 7 years old. Our sons were 6 and 3 and our daughter was 4, this would completely disrupt the birth order. Secondly, we knew nothing about her medical condition. The left side of her face was malformed and she had a little ear on the left side of her face. My husband said, "Let's just look at her file, no one else has even looked at her file." So that's what we did. The Monday before Thanksgiving, Mark requested her file from CHI.

We looked at the file and didn't see any other medical condition, except for her little face and ear. Our pediatrician was out of town for Thanksgiving, but we left the file for her to review. I also had an ENT review the file and the ENT forwarded the file onto a specialist. I think we had all ready made up our minds, but the specialist said, "She will have to undergo several surgeries, but there is no reason that she can't be a healthy, happy child." Once our pediatrician returned from the holiday, she said, "This is very do-able, I have another patient with this condition and she does great!" Enough said, oh, but one more obstacle...a little boy who prides himself on being the oldest. I set down with my son and I showed him the picture of the little girl, we have come to know as Meah, and said, "This little girl is one year older than you, but dad and I think she would be a good fit for our family. "What do you think?" He said, "She looks sad and I think she needs a family and we have a great family." That was all we needed and we asked to adopt her.

That's when the paperwork craziness started. Since we weren't even in the China program, we basically had to start from square 1, but it was worth it. On July 28, 2008, we met our Meah for the first time and she was truly incredible. This is not true with every adoption, but Meah had little adjustment. She was very happy to have parents and be on her way home. Once home, we went to the children's hospital to be evaluated. We were told before we went to China that Meah most likely had Goldenhaar's Syndrome. Once she was evaluated by the plastic surgeon, she was diagnosed with hemifacial microsomia, which basically means the left side of her face is underdeveloped. She has good hearing in her right ear and we found out that her left side is capable of hearing, but she has no outlet. She has had phase 1 of the BAHA (bone anchored hearing aide) surgery completed and will be able to use the left side to hear at a normal range. We are expecting a surgery in January to start moving her left jaw forward and then approximately 8 weeks after that surgery she will have a major reconstruction surgery. There will be more surgeries and orthodontic care, but we're taking it one step at a time.

Meah has a truly incredible spirit. Before we went to China, I told my husband, that we all ready know we love her, all she has to do is love us, it's her choice. She has definitely made a choice to be a part of a family, to show love, and to love God. Fortunately, there has been little adjustment for us, it was like she always belonged here, but hadn't found her way. As one of our friends said, "She is the missing piece to your puzzle."

Our family blog is www.copelandsaplenty.blogspot.com. If you have any questions, leave a comment on our blog with your e-mail address.

† Featured Agency

2009-10-06T09:17:00.001-07:00

Something to keep your interest up until the website is complete.... I'm sharing adoption agencies. Their links and contact info so you can check them out for yourselves to see if they might be a fit for your family to start your journey to a forever family.

All God's Children International is a Christian non-profit organization that has been in business for 18 years. Started by a couple who themselves adopted from Russia and wanted to continue bringing orphans home to families. They provide international services as well as some domestic services for certain states. I have actually submitted a preliminary application through their website and receive info from them on a regular basis even though I have not officially started the adoption process. Everyone I've spoke with was very pleasant and eager to help. You can check them out by clicking the link above or the photo link below.

We will also have information and packets available from their organization at our open house on November 8th, recognizing Orphan Sunday.

Please remember the content through the internet links made available through this website shall not be construed to reflect the official position, policy or endorsement JHAM regarding the organizations, opinions or doctrines of the groups or organizations described. Links supply information on these organizations provided by the organizations themselves.

† AB's

2009-10-05T06:53:00.000-07:00

What are AB's you ask? Adoptive Bloggers! I thought it would be a great idea to share once a week a new blogging family and their journey with adoption. I've yet to find anyone who said they regretted their decision to follow the call of their Lord in expanding their family. Not one who said they wish they wouldn't have done it. :) So, for those of you still sitting on the fence maybe there will be stories of encouragement or maybe just the smile of a certain child that melts your heart into submission. Encouraging, promising, loving, inspiring....that's what these blogs are to me. I hope you enjoy them too. Since we're just starting out, you definitely need at least a couple of places to surf right? So I'm sharing three new sites this week. Enjoy!

Our first is No Matter What. Visit the Neil family and their two daughters from China. They are in the process of adopting their third daughter. Awesome blog, beautiful girls! Great photography! Someday I wish I could meet all these wonderful people.

Take your next click on over to Longing for Lucy Lane and visit the Johnson Family. This is one of my personal favorites. I visit Kristi's blog daily and their daughter Lucy Lane from Africa is so stinkin' cute and you will just fall in love with their family that includes 4 biological children as well. Her sisters have adopted from Africa also and her older sister Kelly is a huge advocate for orphans and adoption also. You'll find many awesome links in her sidebar.

Next, head on over to Building Blocks and visit Todd and Amy. They have 7 children. To quote Amy, "4 the regular old way, 2 adopted internationally from Guatemala, 1 adopted through the foster system." Beautiful family and Amy has developed a fund called Pass It Forward Adoption. Her family has an 'adoption jar' that they put extra money into as well as take donations and pass it forward to other families needing funding during their adoption process. You're gonna love this blog too.

I hope these families will inspire you. It helps to see others I think and their life experiences. Knowing you can adopt weather you have no children yet, have small children, or a whole house full. God will bless you when you follow Him. Wherever you are in your journey to adoption, we pray for you today. Happy Monday!

Advocating....
Renea

† It's Coming Together!

2009-10-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

With lots of hard work (which seems to come so easily for us), determination and prayer we are getting things off the ground!

A website is being designed at this time. We are scheduled to do a live radio show coming up October 26th. We're taking our mission to the ministerial alliance next week for our local churches to spread the word about Orphan Sunday and our open house is being planned. There's going to be lots of information, fellowship and raffles/silent auctions. We're so excited and can't wait to share with everyone we know!

Spread the word to your friends and family! We look forward to meeting you/hearing from you soon!

Following His Lead--
JHAM ♥