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!

Looking back on 2010, it is hard to believe that the Night with the Chapmans tour is actually over! No more bunks and venues and catering?? After both the tour and the holidays, I feel like I have almost forgotten what “real” life is like, but I’m happily adjusting to life back in the office in this new year.

The tour was incredible! I had the awesome privilege of meeting so many different volunteers across the country. The grant families blessed me with their adoption stories, and the Show Hope Supporters continually shocked me with their willingness to fill in the gaps. It was truly a vivid picture of what God does when we step out in faith together! We had 2000 new sponsors sign up on the tour to join us in caring for orphans through adoption assistance and orphan care! All that to say I couldn’t have done any of this by myself, so THANK YOU to everyone who volunteered or who became Show Hope sponsors this tour!! I am so grateful to have had this experience with all of you!!!

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now”
– Philippians 1: 3-6

It was one of those precious afternoons that I hope to duplicate many times over.  With a day off from work for me and school being out of session for my 8 year old son Cole (yes, even home school kids take a break even when their classroom is the same place Christmas is celebrated – the living room) we took a half day and had ‘father and son time.’  We took in a matinee, hit the bowling alley, split a steak together and then topped it off by sharing a hot chocolate.  We love our favorite women in our lives, Mom, Maya and Leah, but it was nice to not just break away and knock down some pins or plug into an entertaining movie together, but it gave us a chance to ask each other questions and engage each other without distractions.

Several times throughout the afternoon, with smiles on our faces, we were both able to acknowledge how blessed we were and how lucky we were to have each other. The sober reality is that many children are without parents and a ‘father-son day’ is a distant hope and dream for them.  I look back on the year and rejoice for our partners, supporters and adoptive families as to what we have enabled for hundreds of orphans worldwide who made their way into forever families this year – hopefully countless new father and son days like the one I enjoyed or at least in days to come.  I look ahead into the New Year with eager anticipation of what God might do through each of us playing our roles as He has ordained.  Thank you to those who have made a financial contribution to Show Hope and thank you, in advance for those considering one.  For those considering one, right now, before the end of the year, it is never too late.  A decision you will make today, will set in motion significant life change for orphans in the near future as we purpose ourselves as a tribe of His people to meet the greatest need of an orphan, a forever family!

Click here for year end donation.

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”  Psalm 68:5

Daily Prayer: Emmanuel, God with us, thank you for breaking into history to redeem all things.

Merry Christmas from Maria’s Big House of Hope and all of us at Show Hope!

Vinnie, a Ugandan mother, woke early in the morning before sunrise to tend to her garden one day back in March of 2007. Vinnie has three sons and a daughter whom she cares for as a single mom. Vinny’s husband died of AIDS several years prior, and she has been working diligently to care for her family ever since. She planned to work in the garden on Thursday night, but recalls feeling that she needed to wait and wake early Friday morning to care for her crops.

It was still dark when she arrived, and in the midst of her work she heard what she thought to be a cat. The sound continued, and it soon became apparent that what she was listening to was not the faint cry of a cat. After following the sound to investigate, she found a 5 pound or less baby girl who had just been born and immediately abandoned, still attached to the placenta. Vinny took the baby girl home, cleaned her up, and decided that she would take her in as her own. God had given her a very wonderful gift that day. From that day forward this precious little girl would be known as Gift. Gift is now 3 ½ years old. She is full of joy and energy! The picture at the top of this post was taken during my recent visit to Uganda.

December is a month where gifts are abounding. We take gag gifts to White Elephant nights, we buy presents for friends and family, we wait to see what gifts will be under our tree on Christmas morning. The story of this precious little girl reminds me that gifts come in all shapes and sizes, and are not necessarily the way we expect them to be sometimes. Let us all with open arms be willing to accept the gifts God has for us this Christmas. And hey, if you want to give a gift to Show Hope this time of year, we’ll take that too!

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17

One of the best gifts that comes with being involved in the work of Show Hope is the opportunity to see children, once struggling and in need of critical care and healing, come not only to a place of survival and health, but also to the place of permanency in the love of a forever family.  Last night, as the rest of us were sleeping (or in my case, should have been except for the excitement), four families held their children in their arms for the first time, children who were helped by our special care centers!!!

Asher, Oliver, Susie and Victoria are the little ones who just met their families for the first time.  We are endlessly thankful to see this day come at last and wanted to pass this wonderful news along to our Show Hope sponsors who had such a big part in their journey to a forever home.

It is easy to sometimes forget that each one of us directly contributes to this work and makes a life-changing impact on the lives of these orphans.  On behalf of the Chapman family, the staff of Show Hope and Maria’s Big House of Hope, and the families who have welcomed these children at last, we want to extend our deepest thanks.

As you pray for the transitions of these four precious children into their forever families, please remember to pray for other children who have been matched and are awaiting the arrival of their own forever families. Pray, too, for children like Isaac, Carissa, Theo, Judah and Jessica who face additional challenges in their adoption because of their special medical conditions and age.

Thank you for your part in seeing these little ones home safely!

Updated 12/16/2010: Steven Curtis Chapman’s Huckabee performance of “Meant to Be” will now on December 18.

Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman will head to New York City to visit Fox & Friends for a LIVE interview tomorrow, Friday December 3. SCC will be singing his new song “Meant To Be” heard on VeggieTales’ new DVD It’s A Meaningful Life. The DVD also features the voice of Stevey Joy Chapman as “Emma the Rhubarb,” and special Show Hope bonus features. Bob and Larry are showing hope this Christmas through an exciting partnership between Show Hope and VeggieTales! Visit our VeggieTales page to watch the “Meant to Be” music video and learn more about how you can be involved.

The Chapmans are also taping a segment for Good Morning America that will air December 30; and Huckabee, an appearance that is slated to air December 11. Be sure to check your local listings for on-air times.

It was a beautiful way to begin my day.  Recently, when I came into work, a note was waiting in my inbox from Mikey Shook – Show Hope’s liaison to MBHOH.  Mikey’s note was short…just long enough enough to tell me that the Newlin family had just visited MBHOH.  Having that little bit of information immediately brought an unexpected joy to my heart that hadn’t existed moments before.  Through that little announcement, I was reminded of one really beautiful aspect of this work….seeing children, who once hung on the edge of even their most basic survival, now coming to a place of hope, security, permanency, and a future.

How did the Newlin’s visit bring all of this to mind?  If you look closely at the face of their daughter, you may start to realize that this little one in their arms is actually someone you may already know….MAE!!!

Mae holds a very special place in the history of our special care centers as she was the first child at MBHOH to have completed the full cycle of care offered having received pre-surgical care, necessary surgery, and post-surgical care while at MBHOH.  In March of this year, Mae left MBHOH’s care in order to be processed for adoption.  Now, that long-awaited day day has come!

As you can imagine, it was a sweet gift for all the MBHOH nurses and nannies who had earlier loved and cared for Mae to now see her in the arms of her forever family.

WELCOME HOME TO YOUR FOREVER FAMILY, MAE!

A star-studded cast is teaming up with the Nashville Symphony to present Cinderella: The Enchanted Edition to help advance Show Hope’s mission of meeting the most pressing needs of orphans in distress around the world. It will be a “one night only” concert performance with colorful costumes, a flourish of makeup, a dash of dancing, and a good measure of magic.

Featuring Broadway stars such as Alli Mauzey who starred as Glinda from Wicked, Anthony Fedorov who was an American Idol finalist, Gary Morris, who played Jean Valjean in Broadway’s Les Miserables, and the Nashville Symphony, this special evening is sure to be a memorable celebration of the important work that Show Hope is doing. The night will also feature GRAMMY Award-winning artist Steven Curtis Chapman as well as many others!

Friday, April 15th, 2011 7:00 pm
Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Nashville, TN

Tickets available now!
Call 615-687-6400 OR

1. Visit the Cinderella event page at the Nashville Symphony website.
2. Click “Purchase” and select your seats.
3. Login or create an account with the Nashville Symphony to continue with your purchase.
4. Complete the checkout process as instructed.

**If you are having trouble purchasing tickets online, please call the box office at 615-687-6400**

Disclaimer: Ticket availability is subject to change. Artists performing are subject to change. Tickets purchased are intended for personal use only. The resale of tickets is strictly prohibited.  The Nashville Symphony may include additional fees to the ticket price. Review all applicable disclaimers before purchasing.

Dan Cruver, Chris Wheeler, Jason Kovacs at Together For Adoption

A few weekends ago, just before my first day in the office at Show Hope, I had the privilege of attending the Together for Adoption conference in Austin, TX. This is one of the largest adoption and orphan awareness conferences in the country! While I was there I ran the Show Hope booth. I also had the opportunity to represent Show Hope on a discussion panel about adoption fundraising. On top of all of this I was able to network with a lot of the other ministries and orphan care advocates!

I came away from the conference reflecting on the fact that we truly are all in this together (hence the conference title)! I’m so thankful for all of the other incredible ministries out there making a difference in the lives of orphans around the world. It was so exciting to hear from the other contributors about what they do and the creative ways that they do it. I was also struck with just how many people Show Hope has been able to help already! So many families and ministry leaders shared with me that they had received a grant and that it had made a huge difference in their stories! It was neat to meet so many excited families who are just on the verge of starting their own adoption journey! Encouraging them, praying with them and sharing about my own adoption was a special privilege for me as well.

Way to go “T4A,” you guys put on a great event! I’d love to especially acknowledge Dan Cruver and Jason Kovacs for their hard work in making this event so excellent! Well done gentlemen!