Have you ever wished you could spend a day with other like-minded orphan advocates? Sometimes those of us who are passionate about adoption and orphan care feel that many people just “don’t get it.” It’s clear that churches, organizations, and individuals need a way to share their perspectives and unite their ministries to reach and help children in need. The good news is that as an answer to that need, the Christian Alliance For Orphans was created in 2008, which now includes over 80 member organizations such as Show Hope, Focus on the Family, and Hope for Orphans (a ministry of Family Life), and many others. The Alliance is a beautiful picture of “the church unified, serving the fatherless in both word and deed, bearing poignant testimony to the character of our God.”

My Show Hope co-workers and I just returned from this year’s Orphan Care Summit VII, held in Louisville, Kentucky, at Southeast Christian Church. For two days I had the pleasure of meeting many adoptive parents, some who thanked me for their Show Hope grant and eagerly showed me adorable photos of their children. I worshiped and learned from more than a thousand other people who share my love for the fatherless.

I especially benefited from hearing from highly respected Christian leaders, authors, artists, and professionals in the field as they shared their insights: Brian Fikkert, author of When Helping Hurts; Karyn Purvis, author of The Connected Child; Sara Groves, singer and songwriter; Carolyn Twietmeyer, Project Hopeful to name a only a few. But one of the most important messages for me personally came from Jedd Medefind, President of the Christian Alliance For Orphans.

Jedd made these challenging statements about caring for orphans-
It is not about taking up another cause. A gospel-fueled love for orphans entails:

1. When the going gets tough, duty, guilt, and enthusiasm are not enough. We need to be people connected to the Source.

2. When we choose to love orphans, when we open our homes, when we break into our safety accounts to give, we are forced to give up our false gods…gods of convenience, selfishness, pride.

3. We must reflect the story of how we have been adopted and taken into God’s family.

I’m grateful for the new ministry partners I met this weekend and time to spend with my heavenly Father. My prayer is that each of us will celebrate our spiritual adoption as we draw near to the heart of God and offer love and hope to the “least of these.” I hope you will join me in attending the Christian Alliance For Orphans Summit VIII at Saddleback Church in California May 2-3, 2012.

Since the completion of MBHOH, I have dreamed of actually walking the halls and holding the little ones who are there to receive vital medical care. Like many of you, I read the Show Hope blog each week and marvel at the beautiful little faces of children who do not have a mom and dad. Here at the office, we’ve enjoyed getting to know the children by name and following their progress. We’ve also shed a few tears about the ones who’ve left the loving arms of the nannies and nurses at MBHOH and arrived at their final home in heaven…now perfectly healed.

Next month my “dream” will become a reality when I travel to China with a group of Show Hope sponsors to visit MBHOH. I can’t wait!! Then Jessica, Martina, Asher, Jim and many more will not just be a photo and a name, but I will have the privilege of holding them in my arms and loving them as my own children, the ones entrusted into my care…and to your care.

I’m convinced that when James 1:27 defines pure religion as “visiting orphans and widows in their distress,” God is asking me to come face to face with those in need and to be His hands and feet…to actually go and touch them, to meet their needs, to laugh, to nurture, to love — not only these at MBHOH, but the poor and forgotten ones my neighborhood and around the world.

I’m grateful for the faithful supporters who make this work possible and I’m excited to share with them a glimpse of what their generosity has provided for “the least of these”
as we travel to China in August.

I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me. – Matthew 25:36, 40

Today I was reminded again that our work here at Show Hope really does make an eternal difference in the lives of children and families. Here’s a “thank you” note from one of our families, the Haskins, who received an adoption grant…

We just received a letter indicating approval of a grant from Show Hope. We were overwhelmed with God’s grace. We hope to travel in July to pick them up. The youngest is Jonah Caleb and the older is Isaac Joshua. The news came at such a great time as we were scrambling to complete some payments to our agency. We are so thankful for the Lord’s provision in this way!                                          With sincere appreciation,   Jeremy and Danae Haskin

As  the grants manager at Show Hope, I am so thankful for the sponsors and supporters who made this “homecoming” possible.  If you would like to be a part of helping families adopt children like these, check this out-

Click here to become a sponsor today!

-Kathy