Last Friday, I had the opportunity to speak at the Chapmans’ Barn at an event to introduce the Show Hope Student Initiative! This was our first time to begin rolling out some of the heart behind this new student movement. As Emily (Chapman) Richards and I were brainstorming prior to the evening, we decided that the best way to illustrate what the Initiative is about is to give students the opportunity to share, so that’s exactly what we did! I invited four students to come up and share about their own desires to engage orphan care around the world. There’s nothing quite like hearing a student declare their dreams and share the convictions of their heart! It’s through students like this that we will mobilize a generation to care for orphans. To say we’re mobilizing students to mobilize students may sound redundant, but we believe it’s the key to getting young people on board. We believe that students are capable of far more than most adults are giving them credit for! I reminded the audience of this truth so clearly detailed in 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

In addition to having a few students on stage, we also had a small army of students parking cars, directing traffic, running the Show Hope merch booth, and helping set up and tear down afterward! As I thanked the students for their hard work, they turned around and thanked me for letting them be involved! In all it was a fabulous night that has already served to spur great momentum. So many students have shared with me lately how excited they are to lead the charge and begin putting their faith in action toward the care of orphans around the world!

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.

When you walk into the Tinkerbell room at Maria’s Big House of Hope, you are sure to be greeted with an enthusiastic wave and the huge smile from a little boy named Lucas.  At just over one year old, Lucas was admitted to MBHOH in November 2009 with a diagnosis of Down Syndrome. Now, a year later, his personality is blossoming as his sense of humor becomes more evident every day.

What Lucas loves most is making other people smile. When Caitlin Ruff visits with him, his sweet giggles quickly fill the room.  As he cracks himself up by making silly faces,  Lucas’ infectious laughter makes it impossible not to join with him in the fun. Lucas also loves to clap and return the applause he receives from his nannies as he learns his new words.

Lucas loves to play with his roommate Lebron. These little guys love to race each other around the room in their toy cars.  We invite you to pray for him (he is featured on today’s Show Hope prayer calendar.)  Like so many other children at MBHOH, the path to permanency can be challenging for little ones like Lucas.  We are grateful to all of you who have joined with us to care for these precious children through your monthly Show Hope sponsorship.

With November being celebrated as Adoption Awareness month, this is a great opportunity to not only pray for health, hope, and permanency for Lucas and the other children at MBHOH, but to also invite others to join in caring for the “least of these.”  Show Hope today!

PLEASE NOTE: While this blog was originally posted in November 2010, the Show Hope supplies wish list found below is updated as needed. The last update was May 2011. If you have any questions, feel free to comment on the post.

Now that Adoption Awareness Month is upon us, November provides a perfect opportunity to help raise awareness for the plight of orphans worldwide. Gathering these supplies is also a great activity to help bring the holiday season to life.

Around the world, millions of orphans live in institutions that are unable to care for the special medical needs of the children under their care. Millions more remain homeless and are left to secure their own shelter and comfort. These children are certainly among those Christ refers to as the “least of these.” Through Show Hope’s Special Care Centers in China, you can make a difference in the lives of some of these children!

As Show Hope’s flagship special care center, Maria’s Big House of Hope has already provided life-giving care and hope for hundreds of orphans with the most severe medical needs. Now, two additional centers have opened in Jiaozuo and Zhengzhou, extending this quality of care to waiting children.

One of the sweetest gifts in this work is the ability to see children who once sat on the edge of hopelessness find new hope. You can be a part of making this a reality. In addition to becoming a Show Hope sponsor, you can help provide much needed supplies for these special care centers. A short list of supplies is posted below, as well as a link to the full list of supplies needed.

(We are over-provided at the moment with blankets, shoes and clothing for older children, and toys. If you have already collected these items, please consider donating these particular items to other organizations that may have a greater need for them. If you have not yet purchased, please use the list below to provide the greatest impact for children in Show Hope Special Care Centers.)

Join us today in this exciting opportunity to transform the lives of these beautiful children. Join us in showing hope!

Needed Supplies – medications may be store brand or name brand
· Cough medicine for infants and children; expectorants
· Infant Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen
· Antibiotic ointment or cream
· Infant liquid multivitamins with iron
· Preemie diapers (not newborn but specific diaper for preemie babies)
· Oral Replacement Salts Flavored Powder – (Pedialyte® or other brands)
· Teething Gel
· Micropore tape (various sizes needed of this lightweight tape used to secure bandages or dressings)· Cough medicine for infants and children; expectorants
· Infant sleepers, one-piece, footed – size preemie up to 12 months
· Toddler one-piece footed pajamas – boys and girls – size 18 months, 24 months, 2T and 3T
· Onesies – size 12-24 months

Items can be shipped directly to Show Hope to the attention of “Special Care Centers Donations.” Please also include a Wish-List Packing Slip inside your package for ease of reference as we move these items to our special care centers. The shipping address is provided on the Packing Slip.

SH special care centers packing slip (.xls file)
View the complete Show Hope supplies wish list > (.doc File)

Other ways you can get involved:
Become a sponsor and help provide life-giving care to orphans with special needs every month!
Go on a short-term trip to Maria’s Big House of Hope!

Dylan and Susie

When you walk by the Cars room in Maria’s Big House of Hope, you are likely to hear the  giggles and see the wave of a cute, 17 month old boy named Dylan. His hair has the endearing tendency to stick straight up, making him impossible to miss. Dylan’s best friends, Asher and Susie, live in the Cars room with him. These friends share a unique bond because they all received corrective surgery when the Geisinger Medical team visited MBHOH last summer. They run around together, laugh, and play. As some of the oldest children in their room, these three amigos also enjoy visiting the younger babies and sweetly patting their heads.

Dylan is still getting the hang of walking, but he loves to run around the room as fast as he can. When he trips, he never stays down long. Our little adventurer is quick to get back up and rejoin whatever game his friends are playing. Thought his activities may be unconventional, Dylan is always finding new ways to entertain himself and the others in his room. He rides in toy cars backwards, climbs into his baby bouncer with one leg sticking straight up, and enjoys having his hair put in a rubberband to keep it out of his eyes. It is a delight to watch him play!

Dylan is very affectionate, and relishes being held and snuggled with. Caitlin Ruff, our long-term MBHOH volunteer, shares that Dylan is a master at blowing kisses. He has not yet learned that they are used for goodbyes, and has the precious habit of blowing kisses at random. Thanks to the life-giving medical care and nurture that Show Hope sponsors are providing at Maria’s Big House of Hope, Dylan has the hope of sharing this love with his forever family, with whom he has been officially matched. Please join us in prayer for this little guy and his parents as they wait on the final approval to bring him home!

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!

We first featured Judah in the Maria’s Big House of Hope spotlight in January 2010. Since then, Judah started preschool and is having a great time! He has become quite mobile and has gained enough strength and control of his hands to hold a marker so he can color. Like other children his age, he would rather use the floor in the classroom as his coloring book than the actual paper, but we lovingly view his coloring skills as a great success!

Judah has a wonderful sense of humor and loves to pretend he is a bear or lion. At other times, he pretends to be a musician who plays the keyboard. He also particularly loved it when SCC visited again over the summer, and enthusiastically remembered his friend with the guitar. Thanks to Caitlin Ruff, our long-term volunteer at MBHOH, Judah’s new favorite song is Justin Bieber’s “Baby.” He can often be heard singing the chorus of the song.

Caitlin also tells us that Judah is an encourager. He is constantly telling Carissa what a good job she is doing in their preschool class. Judah makes it a point to watch her while she works on  her project and tell her it looks pretty. We can’t wait to bring our sponsors more updates on this sweet boy as he continues to thrive in the loving home provided at MBHOH.

Are you looking for a fun, unique way to raise funds for your adoption? A great way to put your hobbies and creativity to work is by making homemade crafts! You could make pottery, jewelry, paintings, cards, photographs or whatever your creative passion includes. As you sell the goods to friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors, be sure to explain that the proceeds will go towards your adoption.

A great example of this is Rachel and Rob, a couple I recently met at the Empowered to Connect Conference. They are currently in the process of adopting. Rachel’s homemade crafts are amazing clay pottery pieces sculpted into the shape of a leaf. Each individual piece has its own unique character, and comes with a note explaining “a common symbol used for adoption is the tree of life and this leaf represents one life on that tree, the life of the child we hope to adopt.” What a fantastic way to not only share your family’s story, but to bring others along on the adoption journey as well.

I’m so excited to begin my new job at Show Hope! Yesterday was my first official day as the Director of Student Initiatives. My job is to get students (Junior High through College) involved in orphan care. How incredible is that? The sky is the limit on what this can mean, and I love that…I can’t wait to fully dive in! I want to be a part of leading students in putting their faith in action. I firmly believe that students are capable of far more than most adults typically give them credit for. I like to remind people to “never underestimate a teenager!” Soon, we’ll be sharing story after story of what God is doing to care for orphans around the world through the influence of students!

The Show Hope staff is amazing! I am thrilled to partner with such high-caliber people! To celebrate my first day in the office, Nick, Melissa, McKensey and I ate at Which-Wich for lunch. On the side, Nick and I began playing an ongoing game of “likes & dislikes” to start getting to know each other a bit better. I already found out he really likes burgers…and I told him about my deep love of bass fishing!

For the most part, my first day was all about settling in. I love having a new office to make my own. I’m going to be hanging a giant white board in my office so that the brainstorming may begin full throttle. I also asked my beautiful wife Lindsey to help me decorate my office…she’s a genius at that stuff!

I thank God for the work He is doing, and for the opportunity for me to be a part of it!

It is so hard to believe that my sweet girl has been home for 2 years…it feels like yesterday!!  Eliana’s “Gotcha Day” was on October 2!  We are so thankful to the Lord for our precious little girl.  She brings us so much JOY and HOPE.  Every time I look at her, my desire to help families bring home children from all over the world grows.  We can’t imagine our life without her…and honestly, it feels like she has always been with us.  It was such a long journey.  There were times I didn’t feel like we would make it, but the Lord blessed us beyond what I could have ever imagined.  So many people helped us bring our little girl home.  I am still so thankful for the grant we received from Show Hope…it came at the perfect time.  If you have any questions about adoption, don’t hesitate to ask.  We want to walk this journey with y’all. If you want to help bring awareness to the millions of children that need homes, don’t forget about our Show Hope store….wear hope!!!