UPDATE (September 17, 2010) – While pre-ordering for Choosing to See is now over, you can still help Show Hope with your purchase!! For each copy of Mary Beth’s book that is sold online or through your local retailer, royalties will come directly to Show Hope. With your support, Choosing to See reached the New York Times best-seller book list in its first week of release and will help care for orphans around the world!

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Over the next week, two dollars from each Family Christian Stores sale of Mary Beth Chapman’s book, Choosing To SEE, will benefit Show Hope! These funds will go toward operating expenses for Maria’s Big House of Hope. Both online and in-store purchases made by next Tuesday, August 17, 2010 will apply.

I am one of the privileged ones who received an advance copy of this book. As an insider who walked alongside them during some of the harder moments life presented to them over the last couple of years, even I found myself turning the pages eager to soak in the golden nuggets of God’s truth that was or has been revealed to them as time has pulled them away from “the abstract painting” that Caleb alluded they were “too close” to see at Maria’s memorial service. You should know, however, that this isn’t a book only for those who have experienced loss. If we are honest with ourselves, many if not all of us can relate to the wrestling that goes on with God sometimes regarding our plans vs. His plans. Mary Beth’s transparency about that is admirable and I am proud of her for being vulnerable. I know she has put tremendous prayer, time and energy into this for God’s glory and Show Hope’s benefit. Ultimately, orphans will benefit. If you had thoughts of buying this book, now would be a perfect time to do so through our friends and long time supporters at Family Christian Stores.

Purchase Choosing to SEE online >

Find a Family Christian Stores location >

Earlier this week, a man stopped by our office to give us a framed scripture.  He works for a small business who sells these unique pieces. He said they heard about Show Hope and wanted to bless us with this gift. Of course I thought to myself, “Well that’s awesome. Thank you!” When he opened up the package, I saw the words “Give in Secret” Matt 6:4. Hmm… That was an interesting choice of a verse to frame. I thought about it a little more and read the full scripture just to see exactly what it says.

3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

After pondering the gift we were given, I thought how fitting it really is. An organization that is supported by contributions of individuals certainly relies on this verse. Show Hope has hundreds of donors who “Give in Secret” each month. These donors have decided in their hearts to give to orphans, to help make a difference for one child. No one has to know about their giving. They are giving to the Lord’s work. So let me say “Thank you!” to all of our faithful  Show Hope sponsors who give to the needy month after month. May the Lord reward you as he promises to do.

I have always been an early riser, and perhaps that has played a part in developing my deep love of sunrises.  Just over two years ago, my husband and I moved back to Tennessee with our children.  We had moved here from a neighborhood on the far north side of Chicago called Rogers Park, and the school our children attended was located in the South Loop.  Our school commute required an early morning trek down Lakeshore Drive, and while the distance from our house to school was only 12 miles, the trip took around 45 minutes.  Although this extended time in the car allowed us to practice spelling words and memory verses while we were all held captive by the commute, there was also another upside…

During these early morning commutes, our conversations were often interrupted by a breathtaking sunrise over Lake Michigan.  I always found myself compelled to have the children stop what they were doing to take a moment to share in its beauty.  Like a well rehearsed dance, my children always knew what would come next:  my question to them about what verse the sunrise drew their minds toward.  Upon my question, the children would begin to recite the first two verses of Psalm 19 to me.  Hearing this small section of scripture seemed to be the only sufficient remedy to my heart as it worked to process the beauty and splendor of what was before us:

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

When I visited Maria’s Big House of Hope in March, I had the opportunity to watch the sunrise from the rooftop.  Although its appearance was much different than the sunrises I had enjoyed over Lake Michigan, it communicated a deep and abiding beauty I hadn’t seen before.  This same sun that gloriously worked to claim the day in Chicago was now working to give light to the children at MBHOH now waking to a new day.  I was further reminded of the beauty held within the walls of the building below me…the precious children, each made in God’s image, and in so, declaring God’s glory through their very existence.  With these truths in mind, that sunrise still stands as one of the most beautiful I have ever witnessed.

3 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.

4 Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

11 By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

When I first heard that there are an estimated 140,000,000 orphans in the world, it seemed like an astounding and shocking number that I couldn’t wrap my mind around. The challenge seems so great that we often give up and decide that we can’t make a real difference. I believe that alone we can do little, but together we can accomplish GREAT things! It is through this desire to become a part of the movement to care for orphans that I learned about Show Hope.

I was a stay-at-home mom who longed to find a place of valuable service to a ministry here in Franklin, Tennessee. I didn’t know what that would to look like, but I knew that God was calling me in the direction of orphan care and adoption. My husband and I were not in the position to adopt at the time, so this would be my way of addressing the orphan crisis in the world. Through much internet research, I found myself on Show Hope’s website, and instantly knew I wanted to help this ministry in any way I could. I contacted Show Hope and they just happened to need volunteers at the time.

As I was entering data into a computer system, as small as that seemed, I knew I was passionate about this cause. Eventually, I was hired, and I feel blessed to be able to serve God through this ministry each day. If everyone contributed in some way, no matter how small or large, we could truly make a difference in the lives of orphans. There are so many different ways to get involved: volunteer your time, go on a mission trip, give financially, adopt, foster, pray, and the list goes on. I urge you not to numbly look at the numbers as statistics, but to let your hearts be stirred and to become a voice for those that do not have one.  I thank God every day for Show Hope and what this ministry is doing in the lives of orphans daily and for letting me play a small but vital role.

“Defend the cause of the weak and the fatherless; Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Deliver the weak and needy from the hand of the wicked.” Psalm 82:3-4

I had the opportunity to watch an extremely thought-provoking movie, Inception, and let me say this: it did not disappoint. Easily one of the most highly anticipated movies of the summer from a director whose vision and aptitude at crafting a surprising and compelling story continue to deliver, Inception was intellectually engaging and entertaining. I would not officially endorse it, but for those who want to discuss it, here’s a chance! Leave your comments below and let us know what you think!

Inception follows the story of a man named Cobb who is an “Extractor”, which means he enters people’s dreams and extracts sensitive information from their subconscious. One of the extractor’s team creates a dream world, and they connect to one another with tubes that feed a chemical compound so that Cobb and his team can interact with their victim in a dream that the victim perceives as reality. After a botched job, the victim of an extraction turns out to be a potential client who was giving Cobb an audition. Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is then tasked to accomplish “Inception”, which is basically the opposite of “Extraction.” He must enter another person’s dream and place an idea there that the victim believes is his own.

The movie deals with a really interesting, complicated, and detailed “dream world” that Christopher Nolan, the director, slowly reveals throughout the movie. Never too cerebral, and excellently paced, the movie unravels its mysteries without overwhelming you, and though questions remain when all is said and done, the dream world with its rules and guidelines feels real without ever coming across as contrived.

For this extremely difficult job of inception, Cobb assembles a “dream team” of dream specialists, and the movie begins to follow the plot movements of a con man or caper movie like “Ocean’s Eleven.” This makes the movie enjoyable, but at its heart, the movie never lets go of its gravitas and wrestles with compelling ideas and questions in unique ways. At the most basic level, Cobb wants to get home to his kids, but he is racked with guilt over an incident that happened to his late wife. That wife, Mal, continues to haunt him in his dreams and ruin his efforts to accomplish what he sets out to do in dream world.

Moreover, the question of “what is real” is woven throughout the movie as Cobb must use his “totem”, an item only he knows about, which tells him if he is in someone else’s dream or if he is in the real world. Cobb’s totem is a top, which spins forever in a dream state but eventually topples over in reality. The movie flawlessly weaves various story elements, characters, and themes together, delivering such a punch at the end that it is hard to believe anyone would walk away without wanting to discuss it with someone.

You might be asking yourself, what does all this have to do with Show Hope and adoption or orphan care? Well… (more…)

Guess who I just handed a Show Hope Miracles Book and t-shirt to?  Brad Paisley!  Some of my co-workers saw him from a distance and let me know that he was near our Show Hope offices, and I thought to myself, “Seize the day!”

He was in the middle of trying out   a new guitar at a music store, and I felt horrible for interrupting him.  I quickly said, “Excuse me sir, my dad is Steven Curtis Chapman . . . I think you may know him.  I work for Show Hope and our offices are nearby.  Show Hope is the organization my parents started.  At Show Hope we give financial grants to families who want to adopt but are unable to afford it…”  I think I was speaking a million miles a minute so as to not take up too much time.

He was such a kind guy.  He totally stopped what he was doing and asked how our family was, saying he really respected the way in which we have walked through the tragic loss of Maria.  He talked very highly of my dad, even calling him a hero of his!  He was very grateful for the Show Hope shirt, and seemed interested in reading through the Miracles book to find out more about what we do!

All that is to say, Brad Paisley is a great guy and it was a pleasure getting to meet him today.  But, I think the greater pleasure was getting to share the message of Show Hope with just one more person who may not have known about it this morning when they woke up.  As I was trying to garner up courage to interrupt his guitar playing, I kept seeing the faces of all those little ones at Maria’s Big House of Hope! Their story is worth telling, and that is why it is such a privilege to share the message of Show Hope with others so they know how they can most effectively be involved.

I encourage all of you to share the message of Show Hope with somebody today!  Perhaps you can share about one of the children from Maria’s Big House of Hope who have been spotlighted recently . . . Or about an adoptive family who was able to see their adoption dream become a reality because of Show Hope donors!  Thanks so much for your continued support and remember . . . “Seize the day!”

My journey with Show Hope began last year when I had the opportunity to travel to Maria’s Big House of Hope. I’ll never forget waking up each day and listening to the pitter-patter of little feet and baby giggles while I drank my morning coffee. I met my Jesus face-to-face as I gazed into the eyes of His treasures. I laughed with them as we played the tickle game, snuggled them while they slept, and wept over them as I dealt with the harsh reality that these children are indeed orphans.

I have spent this summer interning with Show Hope. It has been such a blessing to be involved with the work of this organization. The staff has been so wonderful to take me in as one of the team. We’ve had our share of laughter (Hosting three small dogs in the office and dressing up as cows for free chicken, just to name a few), and I’ve been able to witness firsthand the heart and soul behind this ministry.

As I look back over my summer, I realize how much I’ve learned. I suppose I came here with a fairy-tale image of adoption and orphan care, but orphan care is not an easy road. It’s filled with ups and downs, disappointments, set-backs and even failures. But in the midst of the dark moments, we have the assurance that there’s always Light at the end of the tunnel because we serve a God who has promised He will not leave us as orphans (John 14:18). Although the journey might be hard—it is a journey of abundant joy, triumphs, and forever families.

As my time at Show Hope comes to an end, I am counting many blessings. What an honor it’s been to play even a tiny role in the bigger picture of God’s plan for the orphan! Caring for the forgotten is a mighty command and a high calling, but more than that—it’s a divine privilege.

It is with great excitement that we are able to share that Show Hope’s work in China is expanding!  Since the inception of this organization seven years ago, I don’t think any of us could have dreamed of all the ways in which God would invite us into caring for orphans. We knew that helping reduce the financial barrier to adoption would be the core focus of our ministry, but little did we know that we would someday also have the opportunity to be involved with ongoing orphan care, specifically in China.

Maria’s Big House of Hope officially opened last summer, July 2009, and since then we have seen nearly 120 children come to this facility and receive the much needed medical care, love and attention that each child deserves. Thanks to our many Show Hope sponsors, the finances have been provided to help pay the ongoing running costs of this facility.

As we have continually discovered while working in the fields of the fatherless, the need of orphaned and vulnerable children is always so great. The work being done in China, as well as that of the many organizations advocating on behalf of these children all around the world, is not only beneficial but life-saving as we work to show hope to each child. With the need being so great, you might very well question if Show Hope’s work in China will expand. Well…it is with great excitement that we announce just that!

Show Hope has been invited to partner with our friends in China to financially provide the on-going running costs of another special care unit for medically fragile orphans. This unit, located on the fourth floor of the new children’s welfare institute in Jiaozuo city of the Henan province, is only a 1½ hour drive northeast of Maria’s Big House of Hope in Luoyang. This particular care facility exists specifically for severely disabled children and those in need of hospice care until they enter eternity. The children, nannies, and nurses officially moved into this unit a little over a month ago. Once this care unit is running at full capacity, there will be approximately 60 staff members, 2 nurses and 36 babies.

Once again, we find ourselves both humbled by God’s invitation into this wonderful ministry, and grateful for friends like you who support us in it. If you aren’t already a Show Hope sponsor, please consider partnering with us in our initiative to provide the best possible care for one of these precious treasures, and help us to expand our efforts to reach as many of these waiting children as possible.

Today marks the first anniversary of the opening of Maria’s Big House of Hope! To celebrate, we are bringing you more news from Mikey Shook about the surgeries that have been going on this week. We are sorry they have not been more regular, but electrical and internet outages in China prevented daily postings. At any rate, Show Hope is beyond thrilled that the support of our sponsors has helped to change lives and establish MBHOH as a wonderful healing home for these precious children with special needs in this first year of operation!

Monday began early with the 6:30am repair of Asher‘s cleft palate. It is so interesting because Dr. DeSantis, the plastic surgeon, was gracious enough to show us what he does as he goes through the surgery. Grace, who was featured in the last sponsorship update, was the second  surgery of the day, and her cleft palate repair went great!! After lunch, Dylan’s cleft palate repair was completed, thus ending the 12 hour day of surgeries succesfully!

Monday evening, Steven Curtis, Mary Beth, Shaoey, Stevey Joy, and Robin, Joyce and Katie Hill arrived at MBHOH. They didn’t skip a beat when they got here, and ran up to the the surgical ward to take a look at what was going on. As they had been traveling for about 24 hours straight, they quickly called it a night to prepare for the next morning of surgeries.

On Tuesday, SCC led the group in morning prayer. Brooks was the first child to have surgery that day, and also the first child whose surgery SCC and Mary Beth were able to witness! As you may have seen on MBC’s blog, they were able to get up close and watch the entire surgery as Dr. DeSantis explained the procedure. Rob and Joyce Hill, along with their daughter Katie and the Chapman girls, were able to scrub in to watch the next surgery. They all had a blast seeing the incredible transformations taking place first hand.

The last surgery to wrap up an amazing week was for Susie, whose cleft lip was repaired. The procedure was quick and smooth and the team finished by 4pm. Everyone took time to rest and shower before we went to a great western-style dinner. We were all exhausted, but happy because of the massive and amazing impact of the week’s happenings on the children at Maria’s Big House of Hope.

Several of the children who had surgery earlier in the week are already back on their feet (literally and figuratively) and smiling away this afternoon! It’s amazing to watch the resiliency of these children through their recovery. One day we see them in the recovery room just after surgery, and the next day they are smiling (though a bit sore) back to their regular selves. This truly has been an incredible week in the unfolding history of MBHOH. Thank you for your prayers!

Show Hope is partnering with Empowered To Connect to bring the Empowered To Connect Conference to Nashville, Tennessee. This two day conference focuses on equipping families, churches and professionals to bring hope and healing to adopted and foster children. Hosted at Covenant Presbyterian Church by longtime Show Hope board members and friends of the Chapmans, Dan and Terri Coley, the conference will take place during September 10-11, 2010.

The Empowered to Connect Conference features two tracks with sessions and workshops led by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Michael and Amy Monroe. Dr. Karyn Purvis, co-author of The Connected Child, will share her research, tips and strategies for easing post-adoption family life. All participants are highly encouraged to attend sessions on both days. Professionals are eligible to receive CEU credit for their participation in the conference. Early bird registration takes place through August 11.

For more information about the conference and conference registration, please visit showhope.org/connect

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