“My wife Tresa and I both hurt deeply knowing that there are so many children around the world with no one to love or care for them, so with three biological children already we decided to look into the possibility of adopting to add to our family. We met with an adoption counselor about international adoption. She began to explain our limited options in regard to the high costs, and in our case the only exception would be if either of us was Native American. Tresa is, in fact, Native American and through this we very clearly felt God opening a door for us to walk through.

“In 2004 we welcomed Aja Leigh to our family and in 2007 TJ arrived. Most recently, our family was blessed with the addition of our daughter Cherish. Although the adoption process for Aja and TJ went quickly, it was a totally different story for Cherish’s adoption. During our waiting period we knocked on MANY different adoption doors (international adoption as well as adopting domestically from the foster care system), but every door seemed closed to us.  When at least we received a phone call from our agency asking us to come meet with some birth parents, we felt very sure that God had been deliberately saving us for this child. Our family was an exact match to everything these parents wanted, including the birth mother being enrolled in the same tribe as Tresa, making us eligible to adopt the baby!

“We were delighted to bring Cherish home from the hospital two days after she was born. We all immediately fell in love with her, but our circumstances soon changed. Just days after Cherish was placed with us, our social worker called to tell us the birth mother decided not to go through with the adoption plan.  We were in shock. That evening, we grieved and cried. When we took her back to her birth parents, our hearts and lives were empty, raw, and hurting.

“The following months were understandably filled with questions about why God had allowed this to happen. God very gently, but firmly reminded us that He is God, and what He does is always right…no matter if we can see it or not! Just after we were told we had to take Cherish back, we received an email from Show Hope indicating they had received our application but that they needed some additional information to continue the process. How confusing!  Because we had lost our referral, we didn’t understand the need to move forward with our grant application. Our social worker encouraged us to simply talk to Show Hope, asking them to allow any grant money awarded to be used with a future referral of another child. Show Hope was a blessing to us when we called to explain our situation. They asked if they could pray for our family and Cherish, and brought us much needed encouragement.

“Just two months after we lost Cherish, our social worker called again. This time she told us the birth mother realized she truly wasn’t able to care for Cherish and that she wanted to move forward with the adoption plan. We were overjoyed! As we waited for our court date to arrive, we received a letter from Show Hope announcing that we had received an adoption aid grant! God truly is ‘Our Provider!’

“God is so good and we’re thankful He took our family through that painful experience. We learned to trust Him, even when we can’t see His hand. We are also thankful for the Show Hope sponsors who support their work. We would have moved forward with our adoption plans even without the financial assistance of a Show Hope adoption aid grant, but it would have been EXTREMELY difficult. God knows the needs of all His children, and always provides for them. In this case He chose to use Show Hope and we are so thankful for that!”

-Daniel P

“After having five biological children, Amber and I wanted to fulfill our dreams of bringing a child into our family through adoption. It came up because Amber’s sister was adopted as an infant and it was something that she always wanted to do. We had previously pursued domestic adoption, but we pulled our application when we became pregnant with our twins. As we began to talk about adoption again, we decided to turn our focus toward international adoption and we kept coming back to one of the poorest countries with some of the greatest needs-Ethiopia.

“Our daughter Seble (pronounced Seb-lah) was referred to us when she was just five and a half weeks old. When she came under the care of the orphanage, she weighed less than five pounds.  She was ill, dehydrated and sick enough that we wondered if she would survive. Thankfully, through the excellent care she began to receive, her health began to improve and we were able to move forward with her adoption.

“Adoption is truly a journey and it is made by taking one step at a time. We faced a couple different obstacles along the way-one being financial. We did several different fundraisers including: Christmas tree sales, adoption t-shirt sales, coin drives, cookie sales, and a silent auction night. However, we were thrown off guard in May 2010, when the Ethiopian government changed the requirements for appearing in court, therefore requiring two trips to Ethiopia instead of the one trip we had planned on. This added several thousand more dollars to the total that we were trying to raise.

“The generous grant from Show Hope, which we were so thankful to get, lessened the burden we faced financially. We came up with the money and made the two trips, the second of which was to bring Seble home in January 2011. We will forever be grateful to every person that contributed to help bring Seble home, including the Show Hope sponsors who give their finances every month to help other families adopt. You will never know this side of heaven how much your gift has meant to us, and how our life has changed since we got the gift of this beautiful baby girl in our lives! Thank you!”

-Adam Stutzman

Nashville’s News Channel 5 aired this special feature on Show Hope’s adoption aid and orphan care work tonight. The video segment features special interviews with the Chapmans and the testimony of the Wright family, who received a Show Hope adoption aid grant.

Read the full story at News Channel 5 >

Become a Show Hope sponsor to make more miracles possible >

“When we look at our little girl, we cannot believe how incredibly blessed we are to have her. Our journey to Ava Bokyung was full of so many twists and turns, valleys and mountaintops that sometimes we have to pinch ourselves to make sure she isn’t a dream! Our trip to Seoul to bring our daughter home really started when we were married in December 1996. At the time we were more concerned with our careers as Christian school teachers and earning our graduate degrees than raising children. In time those desires began to change.

“One by one, God started to take away all other options except the one He wanted for us. It’s easy to look at our story and think international adoption was our Plan B or even our Plan C. In fact, it was really always a desire of ours. By the summer of 2009, a number of people – none of whom know each other – indicated that adopting from Korea may be a good choice for our family. I’m happy to say that our counsel was correct!

“Once we settled on South Korea, God moved things along quickly. No sooner did we have the initial home study done and paperwork filed than we had a referral for a beautiful baby girl. Five months after receiving our referral, we boarded a plane for a trip that changed our lives forever. We traveled to Seoul to become parents, but now we realize that God used us to provide a loving home for a child who desperately needed one. God truly has been good to us! We cannot thank the Show Hope sponsors enough for your help. In our mind, international adoption was something that rich people do, and we are not rich. It was only because of generous assistance from Show Hope and others that our dream was able to become a reality. Thank you for your part in bringing Ava home to be a part of our forever family!”

-Craig and Celeste Dunlap

“Our adoption journey began even before we were married, although the longer we were married the more we thought about adopting. After our second daughter was born, we strongly felt that God was leading us to begin the adoption process. We submitted our application and hoped to adopt a baby girl from China. Through a series of many events, God began to change our minds—not about adoption, but about our direction as He slowly opened our minds and hearts to children with special needs.

“While browsing our agency’s ‘waiting child’ list, I found Viktoriya, a five year old girl from Bulgaria. Victoriya had a degenerative condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy which would most likely cause her to need a wheelchair by her teenage years. ‘She’s the one!’ I said aloud, but I also grappled with issues like, ‘Am I ready to be the mommy to a five year old girl with special needs?’ God, in His still, small voice answered, ‘This is My will for you,’ and with a mix of excitement and anxiety I told my husband John I had found our little girl! I waited for John to comment on her age and disability, but instead he wholeheartedly agreed! God’s peace was the initial and underlying factor in this decision, and it has never left us. There were moments when we were tempted to quit, but we saw God direct and provide which grew our faith all the more.

“When we began our adoption journey, we did not have money saved for adoption expenses. It definitely stretched our faith, but God provided on time for every bill that came along. Sometimes it was through an extra paycheck for the month, other times a family member or friend graciously gave to us, and other times we were blessed by a grant. The Show Hope grant was one of these, and we are so thankful to have received it!

“We officially became Victoria’s parents in January. We were allowed to travel on our second trip to Bulgaria four months after our first meeting with our daughter, and this time we would not be saying goodbye! We are adjusting to being a family of five and we are doing well. There are many times we have been overwhelmed and exhausted, but we are thankful for God’s grace and strength. Victoria loves each member of the family – and especially enjoys having a Daddy! Thank you to Show Hope sponsors who helped bring Victoria home!”

-Stephanie Isenberg

Last Thursday, several members of our staff headed to Knoxville for the second annual Hope in the Dark event. This special dinner was hosted by the Kalu Grace Foundation with University of Tennessee’s Athletic Director Mike Hamilton and his wife Beth at the helm. 600 Knoxvillians gathered in Thompson Boling Arena to learn how their contributions from last year helped 52 African children come home to their forever families through funding  43 Show Hope adoption aid grants. We even got to meet Lidya Jewett, who just came home from Ethiopia in March. The Jewett family was surprised with a Show Hope grant at Hope in the Dark 2010.

After a question and answer time about Show Hope with our president Mary Beth Chapman, Program Director Wendy Cosby and Program Manager Kathy McKinney, CALEB offered musical entertainment for the evening. The night also featured a performance by the Mwangaza Children’s Choir and Jars of Clay. Through special videos, those in attendance had the opportunity to see the impact last year’s Hope in the Dark event had in Marsabit, Kenya in partnership with Blood:Water Mission and the impact on adoptive families through Show Hope.

At the end of the night, Mike Hamilton, who recently joined Show Hope’s Board of Directors, was pleased to announce that more than $250,000 was again raised to benefit both Show Hope and Blood:Water Mission. We can’t wait to meet and SEE more families who are personally affected by this amazing evening! Thank you, Knoxville!

This week at the 42nd Annual Dove Awards, Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman were honored by the presentation of the Gospel Music Channel’s first “Uplift Someone” award. Presented to the Chapmans by Tim Tebow, this award recognizes artists who have encouraged people across the nation to make the world a better place by inspiring acts of positivity and kindness. The award celebrated the work the Chapmans have accomplished on behalf of the 140 million orphans in the world through the founding of Show Hope.

One of the most inspiring experiences of working at Show Hope is getting to meet families who have received Show Hope adoption aid grants. In that spirit, several Show Hope families joined the Chapmans onstage as they accepted the Uplift Award. Dove viewers will see how Show Hope sponsors and donors truly change the lives of orphans who are able to come into loving families.

In a touching moment for everyone in attendance, these beautiful families also joined in the singing of Third Day’s “Children of God.” Mark Hall, Mac Powell, and Steven Curtis Chapman, who are each adoptive dads, came together for this very special musical performance.

The 42nd Annual Dove Awards air this Easter Sunday at 7pm EST with an encore presentation at 9. Be sure to tune in!

Show Hope was honored to host the spring Empowered to Connect conference on April 8-9 in Denver, Colorado. The conference again featured Dr. Karyn Purvis, a renowned child-development researcher, speaker and author of The Connected Child, along with Michael and Amy Monroe, who are adoption ministry leaders from Irving Bible Church in Dallas. In addition, founding board members of Show Hope, Dan and Terri Coley shared from their hearts about their own experiences as foster and adoptive parents.

As we continue to receive wonderful feedback regarding the event, we are convinced more than ever how important it is to provide this valuable information and teaching to all those who care for these precious children. I read a comment on a blog post today about the event that stated, “[The Empowered to Connect conference] was so amazing and I’m so thankful that we were able to go! Our house has already changed for the better, and it’s only been two days since [the conference]. Wow, I can’t wait to see where we are in three months. I highly recommend this conference and I think every parent should go twice, both pre and post adoption.” This post made my day as it succinctly highlights one important aspect of the conference for which we pray—that families would not only feel encouraged and equipped when they leave, but that they would begin to see an impact and change at home.

We were delighted to have about 450 families, professionals, and church ministry advocates in attendance from all across the U.S. and there was even a strong showing of participants from Canada. I think that officially makes it an international conference! In addition, professionals who attended were eligible to receive 10 CEC hours for attending both days, and many foster or pre-adoptive parents were able to receive training credits for their participation.

As with any large event there are many who help make it possible. We are grateful to Mission Hills Church in Littleton who gladly provided the venue space for the conference. The church staff went above and beyond in helping our team prepare and in creating an inviting, comfortable environment for all. We are also indebted to the wonderful volunteers who came to serve alongside our staff, and their hard work is greatly appreciated. Lastly, we are blessed by the ministries and the staff of Project 1:27 and Focus on the Family for promoting the event and to Focus on the Family for the gracious financial resources provided.

As promised, you can download the handouts containing the text of Dr. Purvis’ conference slides here.

We look forward to the next ETC conference in Nashville on September 23 & 24th at Brentwood Baptist Church. Be sure to register here for the Early-bird rate and a special offer, again by Focus on the Family, which provides ½ off the registration fee for a limited time when you use the discount code: FOCUS. We hope to see you in Music City this September!

Show Hope’s Spring Celebration presentation of Cinderella was once again a success! The magical evening featured an all-star cast and the award-winning Nashville Symphony, but the night hinged on the true Cinderella story of a seventeen-year-old girl named Danielle, who was once an orphan in China but now has a loving family with the help of Show Hope. Her story helped bring home the reality of the more than 140 million orphans around the world and how we can each be a part of giving orphans a lifetime of love.

The Schermerhorn Symphony Center provided a breathtaking backdrop for the production, now in it’s second year. Alli Mauzey was stunning as she returned to the title role. Anthony Fedorov expertly reprised his role as Prince Christopher, while Eden Espinosa brought new life to the role of the Fairy Godmother and Gary Morris added to the regal feeling of the evening in the role of the King.

Cinderella played to a sold-out crowd, to the delight of both first time and repeat audience members. The show also received high praise from BroadwayWorld.com contributor, Jeffrey Ellis. Read the full review by clicking here.

Directly following the musical, Steven Curtis Chapman premiered “Morning Has Broken,” a song from his forthcoming album that will release this fall. The real showstopper of the night, though, was a 17-year-old girl named Danielle. Danielle joined Steven Curtis Chapman on stage to share her moving, personal account of being abandoned as a child and growing up in a Chinese orphanage. Her life completely changed as she became part of a loving family in the United States four years ago thanks to a Show Hope adoption aid grant. To help make more miracles like Danielle’s story become a reality, the new LifeHope sponsorship program was introduced on Friday night. LifeHope sponsors donate at least $5,000 per year, fully funding a grant to bring a child into a forever family. Danielle was overcome with gratitude as she tearfully thanked Show Hope sponsors and donors who helped her transform from an orphan to a beloved daughter.

We would like to thank our title sponsors, the Nashville Machine Company and the Chapman Foundation for making this “enchanted” event possible. Seeing the story of Cinderella come to life, both through the stage production and through the story of Danielle made this a truly life-changing evening!

“One fall day, I was sitting at the kitchen table and I felt this very strong impression that God was telling me, ‘Someone is missing.’ After several days, I told my husband, Mark, and he immediately said he had been thinking about it as well. We didn’t know yet what this meant, but we agreed to pray for God to make it clear. When we learned about the huge need for orphans in Africa, we decided to give a home to older children who wouldn’t receive placement as easily as would infants. What a journey it has been since then!

“When we started down the road to adopt, we said, ‘Well, we can’t pursue international adoption. It’s too expensive.’ It was hard not to be skeptical and worry how we would come up with the money. However, God worked on our hearts, and we decided to step out in faith and pursue an adoption in Africa.

“God used Show Hope to further confirm that He will supply all our needs. We applied to Show Hope for a grant. The day we received a letter telling us we received a grant was so exciting and yet surreal! God continually showed His faithfulness as people stepped forward to give towards our adoption. All arrived right when we needed it!

“Now we have two beautiful children home from Ghana to make a happy, busy family of seven! As we ponder how grateful we are for Show Hope, we keep thinking about how well Peter and Akor adjusted and how it feels like they have always been with us. Thank you to all the Show Hope sponsors who give to Show Hope. You are making a huge difference!”

-Charmaine Balmer