These past few months have been filled with paperwork, visa applications, donation spreadsheets, trip handbooks, conference calls and many, many emails  in preparation for the August sponsor trip to China. All the hard work is more than worth it, though, to know that these faithful Show Hope sponsors will have the opportunity to meet and hold the precious children they are supporting. The team flies to China today, so please pray for them and for their trip!

Wendy Cosby and I had the privilege of leading the Show Hope young adult trip to China this past June. Here are a few of my favorite memories and highlights from that trip:

…seeing how quickly the ladies became friends and a unified team. More than once, the nannies commented on how well the team got along and they were shocked that the girls had just met for the first time days earlier. They will indeed know us by our love.

…working as a team to help put together the new playground at Maria’s Big House of Hope.

…seeing the sweet friendships the team made with the nannies, in spite of language and cultural barriers.

…watching the team interact with, play with, and love these precious children.

…being able to introduce the team to a country and a people that I love dearly.

…meeting together for daily devotions and seeing how He was working in each of our hearts. This photo was taken on the roof of MBHOH.

…seeing these young ladies obeying His command to care for orphans, and looking forward to seeing how He is going to use this trip to clarify His calling in each of their lives.

When Janice first came to Maria’s Big House of Hope, she required attention for several medical needs, including developmental delays attributed to her diagnosis of microcephaly. Although she faces challenges related to this diagnosis on a daily basis, Janice is a very affectionate little girl who brings much joy to the “Peter Pan” room.

Janice lights up at every bit of attention she receives from her nannies, and it is evident that the nannies enjoy giving it to her! Her laughter is sweet, sweet music to hear — it will absolutely melt your heart. Janice’s eyes disappear into a grinning face of pure joy when she smiles. As she bounces around the room, she discovers and embraces those around her. She loves to explore her surroundings, absorbing every detail with gentle curiosity through her small, soft fingertips. She delights in learning the faces of anyone who plays with her.

Janice has also been busy stealing hearts this summer as teams visit MBHOH. Lucinda, who was on the youth trip, said that Janice “left a forever imprint of her precious grinning face in my memory.” Thanks to Show Hope sponsors, children like Janice have opportunities to have their special needs addressed in the loving care of Maria’s Big House of Hope. Please pray for Janice as she awaits the embrace of a forever family.

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 >

My husband had the incredible opportunity to take a team of 30 to Peru a couple of weeks ago!  I can’t wait to share all that happened on his trip….so many people came to know the Lord.  Well, before he left I ended up getting pretty sick.  So, I drove to visit my mom and sister in Arkansas.  I am just so thankful for her.  She is such an incredible example of a Godly woman.  I always had a heart to travel overseas.  I went to Haiti in 10th grade and she was nothing but encouraging.  She has cheered me on and prayed for me as I left on many trips to Guatemala.  She supported me when Chris and I decided that I would move to Guatemala to live with Eliana until her adoption was finalized.  I remember my mom telling me that her dream as a little girl was to run her own orphanage.  I love that she is now an amazing grandma to a little Guatemalan diva.  She shows hope to so many!!  I love her heart and love that she’s my mom.  Is this picture of my baby girl and mom wearing their Show Hope gear not the best?!!

Love,

Lindsey

I returned this week from leading a small team of donors on a trip to Maria’s Big House of Hope, and wanted to give an update on my time there. The team consisted of two amazing families (the Ashburns from Nashville and the Barnards from the Tulsa area) who love the children at MBHOH and have seen firsthand how this wonderful facility and staff cares for the children. We had a wonderful time enjoying the culture and people of this very unique country. We flew into Beijing two weekends ago, did some sightseeing and then went down to Luoyang and MBHOH.

It was fun getting to know the nurses and nannies, and it was especially great to play with the children. These kids are so full of life and are so well loved by the staff. I am proud of the work being done, and am excited about future growth opportunities to help more children in China who have special needs. I was reminded on this trip that it really is a miracle that we are receiving partnership opportunities with the Chinese people. Everything was amazing…except the lamb some of us had for lunch early in the trip!

One thing we did on our trip was to build a deck on the roof of MBHOH. There are five nurses who live at MBHOH, and they each have their own apartment on the floor that they oversee. Their place to “get away” in the evenings is up on the roof. As roofs go, it is nice and safe, but we wanted to really make it a special space for them. Earlier in the week, Mikey (our do-it-all guy on staff at MBHOH), James Barnard, and I went to the local lumber yard to find materials to build a rooftop deck. If you are picturing an indoor lumber yard like Home Depot or Lowes, think again! We went to an alleyway market area where everyone sold building materials of some sort. I love home remodeling, so this was a fun experience for me!

To my surprise, we actually found treated lumber to build the deck.  Then we went to the “tool store”…a 10′ x 10′ store just down the street, to purchase saw blades, tape measures (metric, of course) and a speed square. We found this last tool to be the most necessary, as nothing was actually square! When we got back to MBHOH,  the lumber would not fit on the elevators. Carrying it up 7 flights of stairs while battling the heat and extremely high HUMIDITY was a job in itself. Then, after working into the evening up on the roof, the bad lamb kicked in. Wow…welcome to China!

We stayed up all night on the last evening we were in Luoyang to finish the deck. The nurses are amazing young women who love the children at MBHOH, and I’m excited to give them a place that will make their time a little nicer as they relax, laugh, pray and enjoy cool nights on the roof…I just wish they had warned me about the lamb!!

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…)

Since the completion of MBHOH, I have dreamed of actually walking the halls and holding the little ones who are there to receive vital medical care. Like many of you, I read the Show Hope blog each week and marvel at the beautiful little faces of children who do not have a mom and dad. Here at the office, we’ve enjoyed getting to know the children by name and following their progress. We’ve also shed a few tears about the ones who’ve left the loving arms of the nannies and nurses at MBHOH and arrived at their final home in heaven…now perfectly healed.

Next month my “dream” will become a reality when I travel to China with a group of Show Hope sponsors to visit MBHOH. I can’t wait!! Then Jessica, Martina, Asher, Jim and many more will not just be a photo and a name, but I will have the privilege of holding them in my arms and loving them as my own children, the ones entrusted into my care…and to your care.

I’m convinced that when James 1:27 defines pure religion as “visiting orphans and widows in their distress,” God is asking me to come face to face with those in need and to be His hands and feet…to actually go and touch them, to meet their needs, to laugh, to nurture, to love — not only these at MBHOH, but the poor and forgotten ones my neighborhood and around the world.

I’m grateful for the faithful supporters who make this work possible and I’m excited to share with them a glimpse of what their generosity has provided for “the least of these”
as we travel to China in August.

I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me. – Matthew 25:36, 40