If you love to knit or know someone who does, I’d like to ask for your help with a project we are working on for our nannies here at Maria’s Big House of Hope… Each year, our nannies are given a small Christmas gift from the staff. These ladies truly pour so much love into the children, and this is just a small token of appreciation for their work.

Last fall, I received several pairs of knitted slippers from a friend, and our nannies love them!! I thought it would be really neat to give them each a pair for Christmas 2012. I know it sounds way too early to start thinking of next Christmas, but as we will need 250 pairs, I wanted to be get a head start.

Here’s where your help comes in…
If you knit, would you consider helping us by committing to knit some slippers? It can be 10, 20, 30…100…whatever you would be willing to do between now and November. The pattern is included below and I am attaching a few photos as well. You can get as creative as you would like with the colors. Most of the nannies wear somewhere around an Women’s US size 7 shoe.

Please write in the comments section below how many pairs you are willing to commit to making. The finished slippers should arrive at Show Hope’s office no later than November 1:

Show Hope
attn Rebecca McCoy
230 Franklin Rd., Suite 11JJ
Franklin, TN 37064

Knitted Slipper with Cuff
SUPPLIES:
Size #9 knitting needles, 2 skeins of worsted weight yarn-work with both skeins at once, yarn needle to sew the finished piece together

PATTERN:
Cast on 39 stitches.
Row 1 – Knit 14, Purl 1, Knit 9, Purl 1, Knit 14.
Row 2 – Knit 4, Purl 1, Knit 29, Purl 1, Knit 4.
Repeat last 2 rows until piece measures approximately 4 ½ inches without stretching, end with row 2.
Beginning of each of next 2 rows, bind off 5 stitches on needle. Work in ribbing of Purl 1, Knit 1, for 4 inches.
FINISHING:
Knit 2 together across next 2 rows, cut yarn 5 inches long and pull the thread with large darning needles through remaining few stitches left on needle. Sew top of slipper to end of ribbing, sew heel.

One of our favorite things to do in preschool is celebrate birthdays. It is a sweet time when all of the children who attend preschool, Dr. Martin and his family, our nurses, Mikey, and I come together for fun and, of course, chocolate cake. Last week we had a chance to celebrate another exciting day, Naomi’s 4th birthday. This birthday party was celebrated in a bit of a different way, though. Not only was Naomi’s MBHOH family here to celebrate her special day, but we had the privilege of celebrating with some other special guests…her forever family! Many of you have followed Naomi’s story over the past few years, and it is a joy to share that Naomi has joined her forever family and they are now home in the United States.

A great new chapter of Naomi’s life now begins with the people who will love, care, and be a part of her life for the rest of her life. Although it was a bitter-sweet day for us here as we said goodbye to her, we truly rejoice in seeing how God has provided for her. We can’t wait to see what great things He has in store for Naomi and her family.

The Whittakers and the Howertons share how Show Hope was a “game changer” in their journeys to adopt Losiah and Eliana.

Show Hope has given financial grants to help provide more than 3,000 orphans from 50+ countries with forever families through adoption. Become a sponsor to help make more of these miracles possible >

The surgical team is now in Beijing after an incredible week at Maria’s Big House of Hope. This team of medical professionals from Geisinger Medical Center and Vanderbilt University Medical Center performed several cleft lip and palate surgeries at the local hospital during our trip. It was unbelievable to see Dr. DeSantis totally reconstruct the roof of one child’s little mouth and the floor of the nose and bring it all together. It was a true work of art.

Dr. Moorhead, a friend of the ministry and ENT doctor from Texas, also put ear tubes in for these children. It is so amazing to see what doctors can do these days. All of the surgeries went well and we brought the kids back to MBHOH for recovery. They are doing great and their nannies are giving them so much love.

This medical team is made up of some of the most amazing doctors, nurses & PA’s I have ever been around. They are here to serve these orphans. The team was also able to celebrate their successes and new relationships with the Chinese doctors from the hospital. Their last surgery was performed on Wednesday.

Coming to Maria’s Big House of Hope is a life-changing experience. When you walk in the door, it feels like Exodus 3:5 where God says to Moses, “put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” As I watched as a nurse and a PA play with the children here, I saw in the eyes of these two ladies an expression that said “we will never be the same again.”

Thank you for all your prayers.  It truly has been a time of miracles over here.

You can be a part of making a difference in the life of an orphan.
Donate to Show Hope’s Mackenzie Fund to help make more surgeries possible >

They flowed through the doors, people of all ages, from the hip, young twenty-somethings, to grandparents. More than 700 people gathered last weekend to learn more about how to love and parent children from “hard places.” Some of them were in the process of adopting, or preparing to foster children, many already had children in their homes. Some were facing intense struggles and in desperate need of help and healing for their children. All of them came to the right place.

Russ and I have eleven children, four of whom were adopted from Ethiopia. Our adoption journey has been marked by great joy and significant trials It seems that within our four, we are living the complete range of trauma histories and attachment challenges, from an easy transition to the most difficult.

I had the great blessing of speaking on Saturday morning, and as I looked out at the crowd, I thought to myself, “I want to give them a message of hope.” Dr. Purvis and Michael and Amy Monroe had already offered so much good information and great tips for parenting our children from “hard places.” It was my turn to tell a good and true story. You see, Jesus doesn’t call us to adopt the fatherless because it is easy or neat and tidy, he calls us because he has something so much better than “easy” for us. He is writing a beautiful story of redemption and the amazing thing is that we get to play a part.

Nearly two years after we brought our first adopted children home, our lives were quite literally falling apart, but Jesus met the needs of our hearts when we stumbled upon an online lecture of Dr. Karyn Purvis teaching parents just like us. She gave us hope that our children could heal and that our family could be restored. Best of all, she explained why our little ones behaved the way they did, and gave us tools to parent them productively. Trust me when I say, we had to learn a new way of parenting our children from “hard places.”

Empowered to Connect, together with Show Hope, is now making it possible for thousands of families to get this amazing training in two short days. I cannot tell you how happy I am to be part of this. We want families to be as educated and prepared as possible before they bring their children home. We want them to receive children from “hard places” with open hearts and flexible minds filled with strategies and tools that promote healing.

Yesterday, my daughter came home from school, had a snack, and played a bit. When I was ready to cook dinner, she offered to help, so side-by-side we read the recipe, gathered the ingredients, and worked together to produce a delicious pot of soup. This likely sounds like a normal afternoon, but I assure you, this is nothing short of a miracle. The healing we are seeing in our daughter is so dramatic that Russ and I find ourselves saying nearly every day, “Can you believe it?”

As she heals, so does our entire family. She is no longer an orphan, she is a loved sister and daughter. Empowered to Connect is bringing a message of hope, providing families with tools, and encouraging families in their foster and adoption journeys. We hope to see many of you at our next conference in Nashville, September 14 – 15, 2012. Join us on the amazing journey of parenting children whose lives did not begin in our families, but who have been placed there by the grace of God.

Lisa Qualls is a speaker and writer for Empowered to Connect. She also writes the blog, One Thankful Mom, where she explores issues related to adoption and family life.

“In early February, I won tickets to the the Songs & Stories tour stop in Tupelo, MS. I had a great time listening to the music of Steven Curtis Chapman, Josh Wilson, and Andrew Peterson, and I feel that God wanted me to be at that show. When my husband and I learned about Show Hope before the intermission, we felt led to become Show Hope sponsors and help in some way.

“When I got home, Show Hope’s mission was still tugging at my heart. Well, to make a long story short, I am a Girls in Action (GA) teacher at my church. My girls are in the 5th and 6th grade, and we had the 4th graders in our class the night I told them about Show Hope. These girls lit up at the thought of being able to raise money to help orphans. My assistant teacher, Martha, has a daughter in the 4th grade who was adopted, so the class and Martha’s daughter Jasmine had a personal interest in the project. By the next Wednesday, Jasmine alone had collected almost $400. The older girls couldn’t be outdone, so our whole class registered our Show Hope Advocates project, set a fundraising deadline of March 1st, and got to work!

“The girls collected change and donations from family, church members, and the Water Valley, Mississippi community. We are so humbled by this experience. It was a beautiful thing to watch these girls be the hands and feet of Jesus. On our final night, the class had raised a total of $2,140. It has been an honor to support this wonderful cause. We are in prayer that this money helps bring a sweet life into a forever family”

-Monica Pryor

Do you have a creative way to raise funds in your community? Sign up to be a Show Hope Advocate today to raise funds and hope!

Register by April 30 to receive a 20% discount at the Show Hope store.

Show Hope’s third annual Spring Celebration presentation of Cinderella: Enchanted Edition was a HUGE success! Featuring amazing new cast members (Melinda Doolittle, Ryan Silverman, Linda Davis, Jessica Grové) and some favorite returning talent (Jodi Benson, Gary Morris, Nan Gurley, Jake Speck), this enchanting evening delighted the SOLD OUT audience. We were thrilled to once again work with the incredible Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, which was the perfect setting for such a majestic production.

Not only was the evening a beautiful way to celebrate the life of Maria Chapman, it also illuminated how Nashville can join the movement to care for orphans through Show Hope. The truly magical part of the evening came after the musical ended. Steven Curtis Chapman introduced Isaac Wright, who was under care at Maria’s Big House of Hope before being adopted in December. His story of coming into a family would not have been possible without the support of Show Hope sponsors and donors. Then, Yo-yo Caudill joined SCC on stage to lead several other Show Hope grant recipient families and the Cinderella cast and audience in a special rendition of Amazing Grace. It was an unforgettable experience to join this chorus of redemption led by children who were once orphans but are now treasured sons and daughters.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this evening possible! Watch the video (above) and check out our Facebook album to see more highlights from Cinderella.

“While God planted the seed of adoption in my heart years ago, He tugged at Derek’s heart through a video of Steven and Mary Beth Chapman’s adoption testimony —yanked is more like it. It therefore comes as no surprise that the Chapman family would eventually play such an instrumental role in our own journey by way of Show Hope.

“From the beginning we knew we wanted to adopt siblings, and God put Russia on our hearts. But after beginning our paperwork, my husband received news that there was a chance he would lose his job. There was so much uncertainty, particularly financially. We both doubted whether we could afford to proceed with the adoption. Amidst the fog of uncertainty, God spoke to us through a Steven Curtis Chapman song we both happened to be listening to on the radio as we made our separate commutes home. Despite the ambiguity of our future, we knew we were to continue with the adoption process and have faith that God would provide.

“After completing our home study, the agency notified us that our children were waiting for us in St. Petersburg, Russia! There was no turning back after we saw their adorable faces. The money—for court fees, agency fees, travel, etc— would just have to come. And come it did! We received word that we were granted money by Show Hope to help bring our kiddos home!

“Our babies, while biological brother and sister, were placed in separate orphanages from birth, so they had never met each other. We met our scared and tender little 23-month-old boy, Bennett, and our hearts melted. Were WE actually the ones chosen by God to be this little guy’s Mama and Papa? We felt beyond blessed. After we met our sweet 10-month-old baby girl, Celia, and saw the glimmer of hope in her eyes, we knew our family was being pieced together like a mosaic masterpiece by the providential hands of God.

“We celebrated Christmas as a family of four in our tiny, St. Petersburg hotel room with a felt Christmas tree taped to the wall. It was perfect. When we arrived back in the United States, we were surprised to be greeted by a television crew along with our friends and family. We felt honored to be able to share God’s blessing of adoption and perhaps give hope to waiting families through our story.

“Bennett and Celia are now each other’s favorite person—with Mama and Papa tied for second. We know we are called to be parents to the fatherless and are excited for what He may still have in store for our family. In the meantime, I am prayerfully working on helping others in the adoption process as well. Thank you,  Show Hope sponsors and donors!”

-Kathleen Hunter

Read more Show Hope Miracles here >

We recently had the opportunity to celebrate another exciting milestone in the life of one of our children, Jaelynn’s 6th birthday! Jaelynn is the the official “jie jie” or “older sister” to so many little brothers and sisters under our care.

Jaelynn’s excitement during the days leading up to her big day was palpable. Anytime someone asked if her birthday was coming up, she’d respond with a loud “yes!” accompanied by a big smile. Then, she’d say “Jaelynn six!” and hold up six of her fingers. She also made sure that we knew exactly what she wanted at her party…chocolate cake!

Jaelynn is adored by her nannies, nurses, and staff members. Visitors quickly fall in love with our sweet, sassy girl. What a joy to be able to watch a child such as Jaelynn grow and mature and to be able to celebrate these special times in their lives. Thank you to the Show Hope sponsors who make it possible for us to care for children such as Jaelynn and invest in her lives.

Show Hope’s Red Bus Project is officially half way through the spring tour! As the orphan care project continues to gain momentum on college campuses through social media and news media, we are excited to see more and more students joining the movement to care for orphans through this amazing student initiative!

Here are some media highlights from the past week:

“As the bus pulled in at the University of Tennessee and tents began to go up, I honestly felt an excitement. I was able to travel on the bus the past week, but there was something special about seeing it happen on my college campus. First off I have to give a shout out and a huge thanks to all of the amazing people that have traveled with the bus for the past three weeks. They do an unbelievable job and make the Red Bus Project such a great experience for everyone!

“So many students began to come out and shop, hang out, and even volunteer. For me, that’s what is so cool about the Red Bus Project. It combines two of my deepest passions: orphan care and students taking action. Being able to share past experiences with peers and encourage them to get involved was such a blessing. Throughout the day there was a consistent flow of students with questions and opportunities to share. I am so thankful for not only what the Red Bus does in coming to college campuses, but for the invitation to help stop the orphan crisis. They were a light on UT’s campus. Thanks for everything RBP team!”

-Dan Martin, University of Tennessee sophomore and 2012 Maria’s Big House of Hope summer intern

To view photo galleries from past Red Bus Project events and see the upcoming tour dates, visit RedBusProject.org.