Let's Do It!!

We're approaching August 31st... Does that date hold any significance for you or your children?

Perhaps it means your child will have just started the new school year.  You've finished spending quite a bit of money on school supplies, clothes, maybe even a new computer.

Maybe your child is in a year round school schedule and is approaching the first track out period where you're looking forward to doing some fun things together.

Depending on your area of the country, maybe that date means only a few more days until the new school year starts and you're making preparations and finding out who their teacher is, etc.

But for 16 year old kids in Ukraine, that date has an entirely different meaning.  

That's the day where they are on their own...

August 31st signals the day when orphanages in Ukraine send 16 year olds out the door and into the world on their own...

With a backpack and a bus ticket...

No parents or mentors...

Little to no job skills...

Barely any life skills, beyond fighting for your basic needs...

NO chance at adoption...

Into a country that considers orphans the worst of the worst...

Within a few years, while these kids are still teenagers, 80% of them will end up in poverty...

In a life of crime...

As prostitutes...

With an addiction...

In prison...

Or dead...

So, why should we care about kids halfway around the world, you might ask?

Why should we care when there are kids in our foster care system who need our help?

These are good questions... and I might just offend some people with my answers...

Why is it one versus the other?

Why should Americans help only those in Ukraine (or China, or Africa, etc) and not those in the US?  OR

Why should Americans help only those in the US and no children in other countries?

Here is my question...

Why can't we help BOTH?

There are many people who wonder why families want to adopt from foreign countries when there are many in our foster system who need help... That is a legitimate question IF the person asking it was in fact doing something to help children in our country...  

You do NOT have to adopt from either the US foster care system or a foreign country to show your care and compassion for orphans. 

Sometimes it's as simple as buying something!  

Think of what you might spend money on this week:

Groceries, clothes, gas, electricity...

ALL good things...

But maybe, just maybe, there is room in your budget so that 2 orphans can have a FAMILY?!

Yes, you have probably figured out that I am blogging about my friend April, whose family is adopting TWO orphans from Ukraine who desperately want and need a family.  Who am I to sit in my comfortable house in my easy life and deny those children the chance to have a family?

MANY of my friends have stepped up for April in different ways.  Some have donated items that are being auctioned on her Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.484762421535164.114868.482330258445047&type=1)... Some have bid on those items... Others have asked for donations from friends and family... Others are praying... I'm sure some have even donated money (http://www.eliproject.org/families-in-process/the-mclaughlin-family/)

I'm trying to get the word out so that April and her family can bring their children home quickly.  One more day in an orphanage is TOO long!

So, I'm asking for your help!

Can you give?  Bid?  Share?

Of course, I am asking for your prayers as well, because we know this is GOD's battle and HE desires these children to have a forever family.

Please ask yourself what you are able to do... And then DO IT! 

Spoiled....

I have a friend who is on a two week mission trip to Uganda.  He is experiencing something that is not seen in churches here in America.  When he described it on a Facebook status, it caught my attention:

"We taught for 6 hours straight and they begged for one more teaching.  It was hot and crowded and most people stood and yet they wanted more.  You can't get Americans to sit still and listen for 30 minutes without looking at their watch.  Help us, Lord!"

It made me think about how I view my church experience.  

• Do I want the worship to entertain ME or am I really listening to the words and singing them to God?
• Do I look for topical or surface sermons that I can shake my head in agreement to or do I want the preaching to be deep, even if it's not entertaining to me?
• Am I looking at my watch after the preaching has reached it's 20 minute mark because I'm ready to move on to the next thing?
• Do I really want MORE or am I just saying that because it's the "right" thing?
• Can I even comprehend sitting standing for 6 hours, without complaining... and then wanting MORE?!

My friend followed up the above statement with another one...one which I agree with 100%:

"America has a big problem and it's called spoiled."

How true that is, especially in my own life.

Can I even imagine spending six hours in church, not listening to our awesome praise band, but in hearing preaching from the Bible without complaint?!

Honestly, I can't imagine it...

When was the last time I spent 6 hours listening to a preacher, reading my Bible, truly studying it's words, spending time in prayer?

Sure, we're busy.... There ARE things we have to get done... But the point is that we would probably gladly spend 6 hours:

• Playing golf
• Watching our favorite sport
• Shopping
• Spending time with friends
• Planning our next vacation
• Researching a cause dear to us
• Reading the latest bestseller...

 
As I was writing this, I was thinking of all the ways I am spoiled... There are MANY ways!

I am challenging myself, and anyone reading this, to really take a look at how time is spent in the coming week.  Take a look and see if there is anything you need to give up or get rid of in order to spend more time in prayer and Bible study, learning more of who God is and what He expects from you.

This doesn't mean we never have fun, never read a book, never go places.  It might mean we read less, watch less tv, spend more time studying the Bible, spend time mentoring a young Christian (this will challenge you to study your Bible more!)...  It might involve repenting to God for our prideful and selfish attitudes... It might even mean turning to God for His free gift of salvation...

Do you think you are spoiled?  Could you stand in the heat for 6 hours and then ask for more?  

Caring for Orphans

** I struggled with writing this post.... Please read this with an open heart and an open mind... I'm not judging anyone... I'm simply sharing my heart... **
  
Psalm 68:5, 6a "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.  God sets the lonely in families..."

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." 

I saw this picture on Facebook today from Hope for Orphans....(http://www.hopefororphans.org/Display.asp?Page=home)

Look at those statistics again.... 2 BILLION Christians.... 132 MILLION orphans...

I suppose on one hand, reading that could make me think that there are plenty of other Christians in this world who can care for orphans and that I don't have to do anything.

On the other hand, this could make me really consider what my role is in caring for orphans.

I do want to say that I do NOT think that every Christian should adopt.  For some it is simply not possible due to a number of reasons.  But that does not prevent us from caring for orphans in some way.  There are other ways to help besides adoption.

• Foster care
• Respite care (short term care for foster children)
• Orphan hosting
• Giving money so others can adopt, even if it's only a little bit
• Pray

I think sometimes we as Christians pray and call it a day, when there's more we could be doing.  

Do you have a friend who is adopting and you could give of your excess to help?  Or is God asking you to sacrifice something so that your friend (or maybe even a complete stranger) can adopt?

We are sometimes so over-committed that we have no time to give to host an orphan for 5 weeks over the summer or Christmas holiday.  I understand that some families have work commitments that wouldn't make this possible.  I'm also not saying that option is for everyone, but it's an option that many people don't know is even available.

If God IS calling you to adopt, do your research!  Sure, adoption is a wonderful thing.  It is a parallel to how we as Christians have been adopted by God into His family.  But it's not an easy road.  Many children available for adoption, both from foreign countries and through US foster care, have needs that we might not be aware of until they move into our home.  We need to consider how this will impact our family, both positively and negatively.

God does give us good things to enjoy.... Vacations, nice houses, cars, sports, shopping.... These are not bad things!  But are our hearts and lives occupied in pursuing these things that we have no time or resources left to care for orphans?

I strongly believe that there are many Christians that would adopt if finances allowed them.

I strongly believe there are Christians who have the resources to provide for others to adopt.

I strongly believe there are other Christians who could provide free childcare so that those who are called to foster children could attend the many hours of required training.

I strongly believe that many of us could give up something in our budget to give to a family who is adopting.

I strongly believe that there are some who have talents that could be used for orphans, whether on mission trips, adoption fundraisers or orphan advocacy.

There is something that each of us can give.  It might be a lot, or it might be a little.  What can YOU give to provide for the care of orphans?

Here are some resources if you are interested in learning more about orphan care....


www.orphansunday.org
www.showhope.org
www.hopefororphans.com
www.reesesrainbow,org
www.newhorizonsforchildren.org
www.adoptuskids.org 

 

Ukraine Mission Trip

I thought it would be a good idea to let my son share some of what he experienced and learned while he and his dad were in Ukraine.  So, in his family blog debut....Here he is!




I had an AWESOME time in Kiev, Ukraine! Our team of 18 crazy, loud, and obnoxious Americans ;) was broken up into four groups of four to six; each group doing something different. The group I was in was the sports group. We sat in on meetings for a Christian soccer league and played basketball with some of the local kids. We also sometimes helped a church in Kiev during the time we weren't doing anything. I enjoyed experiencing the culture of Ukraine, meeting people, and getting to help the churches and ministries going on in Kiev. I had a great time and hope to go again next year!




OK, so he's not superfluous with his words....but that gives you the general perspective of a 16 year old boy on his first overseas mission trip.  ;)


One of the things my husband said about this trip is that it was life changing....  Actually, his exact, jet-lagged words were "That was the best week of my life!". I later informed him that those are NOT the words I'd like to hear 30 minutes after he has come home from 10 days away from me!  I truly think it was the exhaustion speaking... But I know that he is forever changed from this experience.  He'd love to go back again next year, but he'll have to work some major off duty if we'll be able to afford to send them both back!  And because he is a supervisor, there are so few off duty jobs available to him that it will be amazing if this actually happens for him.  


Back on the home front, my daughter and I did well.  We had something to do each day so we didn't miss the guys too much.  My daughter did make a comment that it seemed like they had been gone for weeks...and it had only been a few days since they had left.  I don't know how military families deal with being apart for months and months at a time.

Ukraine in Pictures

Since it was my husband and son who went to Kiev, Ukraine on the 10 day mission trip, I thought I'd let my son choose what pictures to post as well as make the comments on the pictures.  Maybe I can also convince him to do a guest post with more info about the trip!


Enjoy!

The plane we flew in for the 9-hour flight from Newark, NJ to Frankfurt, Germany

The Kiev Theological Seminary, where our group of 18 stayed during the trip 

There are old apartment buildings everywhere you look in Kiev!

A monument at a park in Kiev. The eyes are looking towards a nearby church and the statue itself is facing Moscow, Russia. On the shield is the symbol of communism.

A Russian Orthodox monastery in Kiev

Some of the people from the church our group (Rich, Evan, Matthew, & Caleb) visited on the Sunday we were in Ukraine
Left to Right- Ruslan, Sveta, Rich, Ruslan, Zhena, Matthew, Caleb, Evan

The five of us were one of four or five groups who did street evangelism for a couple hours in front of some dorms.
Left to Right- Sveta (our translator for the day), Rich, Stefanie, Evan, Matthew

Rich & Sergey (the pastor of an evangelical church in Kiev)

Playing basketball with some of the local kids