Show Hope™, the orphan care ministry founded by Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman, is pleased to announce the success of their recent one-day fundraiser with St. Louis’ JoyFM. Held last Wednesday at the St. Louis radio station, the effort raised close to $80,000 specifically for Show Hope Special Care Centers, such as Maria’s Big House Of Hope. Located in one of the poorest provinces of China, Maria’s Big House of Hope provides life-giving care for orphans with special needs.

Both Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman personally joined the station and 70 volunteers for the 12-hour fundraiser, answering calls and callers’ questions, all the while raising funds as well as raising awareness for adoption and orphan care. Starting at the 6:00am morning drive and going until the 6:00pm afternoon drive, donations from more than 700 people came in from not only around the city but from around the country and the world, even receiving an email from an online listener in Scotland. Sharing the mic with the Chapmans was JoyFM’s morning drive host Sandi Brown, also an adoptive parent.

“This is the third time in six years Sandi Brown and the JoyFM listeners have joined us to help change lives through their combined generosity,” shares Scott Hasenbalg, Executive Director of Show Hope. “It is remarkable to witness various parts of the body working together for something beyond ourselves, and I am grateful for the 700 plus people who answered the invitation to be a part of something special.”

Making the JoyFM airwaves even more exciting was that the Chapman’s celebrated the birthday of their daughter, Stevey Joy, who turned 9 years old on Wednesday. In her honor, the station asked donors to give in amounts of nine, so all day long generous donations came in from $9 up to $999.99!

Wednesday was followed up by another celebration for the family. Steven and Mary Beth Chapman celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary with a sold out concert wtih JoyFM in nearby St. Peters at Church on the Rock. Chapman’s “Songs & Stories Tour,” supporting his brand new album release re:creation, continues through November 3rd. For tour dates and more information, please visit stevencurtischapman.com.

The St. Louis visit was surely an exciting and successful time for the Chapman’s, JoyFM and for Show Hope. For further information, or to host a radio fundraiser with your station, visit ShowHope.org or contact Charley Redmond at contact@ShowHope.org.

Steven Curtis, Mary Beth, and I will be in St. Louis, MO tomorrow (Wednesday, October 12) with JOY FM radio as they host their second radiothon fundraiser for Show Hope.  JOY FM is the Christian radio station in the St. Louis area, and they are long-time supporters of Steven and Show Hope. Tune in to JOY FM during the morning drive, mid-day, and afternoon drive as the on-air talent and the Chapmans talk to listeners about the ministry and impact of Show Hope. They will especially highlight our work with orphans with special needs in China at Maria’s Big House of Hope.

JOY FM Listeners will be asked to call the station, where 25 volunteers will be taking calls, to make a donation to support Show Hope’s work at MBHOH.  The goal for the day is to raise more than $100,000! Please pray for Show Hope as we reach out to the Christian radio listeners in St. Louis with a little music, weather, traffic…and an opportunity to engage in orphan care!

If you are interested in listening or donating online, visit JOY FM’s by clicking here >

Earlier this summer, we challenged you to help us reach 70,000 new “likes” on the Show Hope Facebook page to help us receive $70,00 in donations from three anonymous donors. We reached our goal thanks to your amazing response! Watch the video below to find out the exciting prizes we’re giving away to thank you!:

Use the discount code found in the video to pre-order the cool new Show Hope circle tee for 50% off!! Be sure to visit our Facebook page and enter the sweepstakes for the opportunity to win other Show Hope gear and the grand prize of a trip to Maria’s Big House of Hope on one of our 2012 short-term trips! To enter, visit our Facebook page and click on the SWEEPSTAKES tab under our profile picture. More details are available on the sweepstakes page.

“If you walk into the Jungle Book room at Maria’s Big House of Hope with a camera, you have to have a certain understanding: you will no longer have control of that camera! Isaac loves to take pictures, and I now have an abundance of random pictures on my camera that he has taken over the past couple of days. Upon entering the room, Isaac will come over and ask for the ‘piktur.’ Then, he holds the camera up and yells ‘KAH-SMILE!’ If you are lucky, he might even take a picture with you. Isaac has a lot of fun taking these pictures, as evidenced by the huge ‘kah-smile’ on his face.

“Here at MBHOH, a smile means everything. It shows that a child is happy and wanting you to return that smile or responding to the smile you are giving him or her. A smile is a display of trust. When you walk into a room, some of the kids may be unsure at first, but usually all it takes is for you to smile and they know that you are here to love them.

“This love is frequently shown on the faces of the nannies here at Maria’s. It is obvious when you enter the room that these children are adored by their caretakers. When a kid falls and starts crying, all it takes is the nanny to pick up the kid and all is well with the world. Maria’s Big House of Hope would not be half of what it is without these incredible nannies. These women share wonderful bonds with the children.

“We pray that one day each of the children at MBHOH will have a loving home where they will be able to share smiles with their forever families. These smiles are truly precious. Next time you ‘kah-smile’ at someone, you might be changing a life.”

-Elena Bell

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“Before coming to MBHOH I had heard facts like 140 million orphans are living in the world today and every 18 seconds a child is orphaned. Before coming here I knew I would be seeing a handful of those orphans, but I never really stopped to think how God has made each of these children so unique. I have seen God in every child’s eyes that has looked up at me. As I started to hold and play with the children, I started seeing them as very distinct human beings and not just one of the 140 million orphans. It wasn’t just because of their special needs, but little things like what makes them laugh, cry, jump in your arms or shy away.

“There’s Cadence, who makes his nannies and everyone here laugh each day. Isaac has so much joy that you can’t help but smile when you walk past the door and he calls “come in, come in”! Then there are the sweet little babies like Joseph and Milton who are content just to lie on your chest and hold on to your finger; And Hannah, though she doesn’t like to be held, her big black eyes look at you with so much hope and peace that I melt every time I sit next to her. These children deserve all the time, prayers, love and hope that we can give them. I’ve had the amazing opportunity to meet these beautiful children. I’ve been able to hold, tickle, snuggle, hug and rock them to sleep. During this trip God has taught me that the orphan crisis is so much more than just a number.”

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. -Zephaniah 3:17

-Hannah Kelsey

To help provide life-giving care to the children at Maria’s Big House of Hope, become a sponsor today >

“After just a few days in China, the team, the kids, and the staff already feel like family.’Team Awesome’ is how our team has been jokingly referring to ourselves, but it really is the best way to describe the people I have been serving with. At first, coming to on this trip to Maria’s Big House of Hope was really overwhelming, but after a few minutes with the team it got easier. There have been small annoyances along the way such as a flight being delayed twice, but God has made us all feel like we were coming home rather than somewhere new and different.

“Our first assignment for our team devotionals was to find a child we had a unique and personal connection with and to write about what they may think or feel about their past and future from their perspective. At first I feared I may not find that special connection with any of the children at MBHOH, so I prayed as I headed to the fourth floor with Katie, one of our team leaders, and a few other team members.

“As you can probably guess, I fell in love instantly. I found “my” child on the first floor I went to. It was like we had a magnetic connection. I was halfway afraid that she would not have that same connection with me, but I knew God was in control and walked right on over to pick her up. Her name is Caroline, and she has big, brown, sparkly eyes that you simply cannot resist. Before I knew it, we had been giggling and cuddling for over thirty minutes, and she accepted me as her new friend right away. I never could have imagined a child so beautiful and fun, but God knew we would share that moment of pure joy long before either of us were born. Praise God and His wonderful creations!”

- Amberly Holden

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“What an adventure! Alongside people I have known for just 72 hours, I have flown halfway (literally) across the world, hiked up the Great Wall of China, and arrived at Maria’s Big House of Hope. It all seems surreal; there is no way this is happening. After months of planning, preparing, and praying, we are at Maria’s Big House of Hope! We arrived late at night, but could still see the building, painted like the sky, letting us know that we had made it.

“We can already see how God has brought us all together and brought us all here. We have all been humbly reminded and have been reminding each other that there is no way this could happen outside of the love of Christ. Our hearts share a common bond that started us all on this journey. I am constantly reminded of how we were once orphans until we were adopted in to Christ’s family.

“The children here are breaking our hearts already. Seeing smiles on their faces is a beautiful reminder of our purpose here, to show these children hope. It is evident that those who have been here before us have done exactly that. There is an overwhelming sense of God’s presence here, leaving us with the feeling that this is a story of grief being beautifully redeemed as a way for others to hear about the work taking place here.”

-Sara Jennings

To help provide life-giving care to orphans at Show Hope Special Care Centers like Maria’s Big House of Hope, become a Show Hope sponsor  today >

Students long to live outside themselves to serve others, so this summer The Movement students in Nashville have decided to help the Department of Children Services by revamping their Safe Room. The Safe Room is a place where children who have been removed from their families go during their time of transition into foster care. While the unknown conditions of their situation can be very scary for these children and teenagers, the Safe Room is a place filled with toys, games, movies and activities where these kids can have fun and be distracted from their worries. DCS and the Safe Room currently are moving to a different building, which is a great opportunity for the Movement to help. We are excited to see the ways our help and service with DCS will encourage and comfort kids during a vulnerable time of their lives.

Movement Students have been going twice a week to pack up boxes, sort through donations, and paint. To help with the costs of paint, toys, craft supplies, and games, The Movement has partnered with our local Chick-Fil-A to raise funds for our summer service projects.  If you live in the Nashville area, we invite you to join us at the Brentwood Chick-Fil-A (330 Franklin Rd Brentwood, TN 37027) tomorrow, Thursday, July 28th from 5-8 pm. When you mention Show Hope/ The Movement, 15% of the profits from your meal go to The Movement service fund. Please come support our students’ summer service and bring your friends and family!

A few days ago, Caitlin and I were sitting in the lobby of Maria’s Big House of Hope when little Miss Naomi came strutting off of the elevator wearing a new red dress. Her hair was pulled back in an elegant bun and she was wearing her fanciest shoes. Her eyes were beaming as if to say, “This is my new dress and I feel beautiful!”

Every little girl deserves to feel pretty and adored. We are so thankful for the nannies here at MBHOH who take the time, effort, and care to make our children know they are loved. Seeing Naomi‘s joy in wearing her little red dress is a tangible reminder that she is not only loved by the staff and visitors at MBHOH, but that she is dearly loved by her Heavenly Daddy who holds her in the palm of His hand.

Join us in prayer that this beautiful little girl will soon know the love of a forever family of her own. Naomi is also featured on the July 2011 prayer calendar. Click here to download this prayer calendar.

Before I started interning for Show Hope this summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Liberia, Africa. This is where my passion and motivation to help orphans began. I had never been to Africa before, so I was really excited to go on a mission trip to help orphans at the Safe Home Children’s Village at the end of May. Liberia is just coming out of a decade-long civil war, but most people in the world are unaware of the injustice happening there. Their civil war destroyed and corrupted most of the development. Before the war, they had electricity, running water and a good school system. Today, these things are almost nonexistent. The country is in a great state of rehabilitation, but there are very few resources for the impoverished people.

After a very long plane ride and drive to the orphanage, my twelve-person team arrived at a village called Aflala. Although exhausted from our journey, we were encouraged at the sight of the whole community waiting for our arrival. The people of Aflala put the phrase “Southern Hospitality” to shame in the ways that they were so intentional about making our team feel welcomed in their country. The purpose of our trip was to work with the orphanage and the school many of the orphans attend. All of the lessons taught at the school are based on what teachers remember from before the war. My team and I focused on helping these teachers and students improve their reading skills through the use of Phonics. Our time working on the orphanage was so rewarding. These precious children longed to be loved and to simply have the freedom to enjoy childhood. I miss the children at the Safe Home Children’s Village everyday.

I am so excited for the opportunity to go back next year. Until then, I will be at Show Hope advocating on behalf of orphans from my desk in Franklin, Tennessee. In Liberia, I came face to face with orphans and the true need for orphan care. It is in remembering this very real purpose and passion that I find motivation while I am hard at work helping Chris Wheeler keep The Movement going through the summer. I have been finding students to participate in an awesome service project with our local Department of Children’s Services. We have also been brainstorming for the next round of Movement Clubs that will be introduced at high schools this fall. I have experienced first hand how life-changing it is to join the movement to care for orphans. Please Check out The Movement facebook page and website to learn more ways students are helping orphans this summer!

Please remember to “LIKE” the Show Hope Facebook page itself. While we encourage you to press the “like” button at the top of this post, those will only go toward this post and will not be included in the new fan count for donations.

Wow! In just one week, YOU have already helped us approach our goal of tripling Show Hope Facebook “likes” and receiving a $20,000 gift from an anonymous donor. We are truly blown away by your support, and this enthusiasm has not gone unnoticed. We are ecstatic to announce that a second anonymous donor wants to get involved with this project! This second donor has agreed to help us extend our goal to reach an additional 25,000 new fans and receive another $25,000 as we continue this special Facebook campaign throughout the month of July.

Once again, Show Hope will receive $5,000 for every 5000 new “likes” up to an additional $25,000, resulting in a total donation of $45,000 to Show Hope from these donors who are excited to see the movement to care for orphans shared in the social media world. If each of our new fans invites two more people to LIKE Show Hope on Facebook, we can very quickly reach our new goal.

To assist you in helping us reach this new goal, we are asking you to

1) Post a photo of yourself to our Facebook wall with an “I LIKE Show Hope” sign.

2) Change your profile picture to the same photo you post on our wall. Include a tag on the photo or in the caption that leads to the Show Hope Facebook page.

This is an easy way to continue to share Show Hope with your friends. You can create your own sign or print out the “I LIKE Show Hope” PDF that we posted in pictures of Steven Curtis, Mary Beth and Shaohannah Chapman on Facebook yesterday.  Thank you for your continued support. Keep sharing and inspiring your friends to show hope to orphans!

Download the “I LIKE Show Hope” PDF >

LIKE Show Hope on Facebook >

Learn more about this project >

Update 2: A THIRD anonymous donor is helping us extend our campaign to August 10. This time, each new LIKE means $1 for orphan care. Help us reach our goal of 80,000 total fans by August 10!

Update 1: A second anonymous donor has agreed to continue this campaign up to a total of $45,000 if we can reach 55,000 total fans by the end of July! Please LIKE Show Hope on Facebook (note: The “Likes” of this individual post located directly above this text do not count toward total Facebook likes) and continue to share our page with friends!

We have exciting news! An anonymous donor has agreed to give Show Hope up to $20,000, but we need YOUR help! For every 5,000 new “likes” on the Show Hope Facebook page, $5,000 will be donated to Show Hope up to $20,000 through July 31st.

The money that we receive from this effort will help bring orphans into families through Show Hope adoption aid grants and will help provide specialized care for orphans with special needs through Show Hope Special Care Centers.

We are thrilled about this opportunity, and we can’t wait to SEE how you will engage your friends in orphan care through sharing about Show Hope. Over the next month, we’ll be posting more pictures, status updates and blogs to our Facebook page to help our new followers learn more about Show Hope! All of this energy will help our current followers redouble their efforts to care for orphans too.

Remember, we only receive funding when we reach a new 5,000 new fans milestone. If you’re keeping track, we are currently at about 10,000 fans. Let’s see how quickly we can reach our first funding goal and get to 15,000 fans! We are depending on YOU to help us, so share this post through Facebook, share our page, suggest Show Hope to friends, tweet like crazy, be creative, and have fun!

You can find Show Hope on Facebook at facebook.com/ShowHope