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.

Jim and Abby Summer 2009

Eruptions of giggles come from a round faced little boy in a baby walker as he proudly pushes himself through the room, examining all that interests him and stopping to make sure his ayi is still watching. If not, he will once again squeal with laughter to draw her attention and then continue on with his exploration.

Cadence's Admission Photo

It is hard to imagine that this is the same Cadence that arrived to MBHOH in October. At just over 3 weeks old, he was in immediate need of specialized care for his spina bifida. Once that was received, and after several months of building his health, Cadence was sent for the surgical repair of his spinal area. As he recovered under the loving care of the MBHOH nannies and nurses, Cadence began to bloom into the happy little boy we love to snuggle with today. What an incredible change we have had the blessing to see in his 9 months here with us!

Through the help of Show Hope sponsors, Cadence not only received the surgery he needed, but now has the hope of health. Thank you for the impact you continue to have on his life! As he grows and discovers the world around him,  please join us in praying that Cadence will soon come into a forever family of his own.

Are they not the cutest family in the world?!!  The Chapman family has been in China for the past 3 weeks…and the Show Hope staff has missed them SO MUCH!!  We are so thankful for all that they have done to make Maria’s Big House of Hope what it is today.  I can’t wait to hear stories!!  I’m sure Mary Beth will be blogging all about it.  Check out her new web-site at www.marybethchapman.com.  If you are interested in buying a Maria’s Big House of Hope t-shirt, click here!  All of the proceeds of this shirt go directly to help the precious kiddos.  Hope you are all having a great week!!

Much love,

Lindsey

We are so proud of Caleb Chapman, Will Chapman, Hunter Lamb & Scott Mills!  Check out their band at calebmusic.com.  Their music is incredible!!  You can also follow them on twitter @calebtheband.  They are so good at what they do….and their music is amazing.  Even in the midst of all that is going on, they still support Show Hope through it all.  That is just their hearts!!

Lindsey

P.S.  To buy the shirts they are wearing….go to www.showhope.org/store!

“One of the most important things we learned on our adoption journey is that it is all in God’s hands and we must trust Him every step of the way. Eight months after we began our process, we completed all of our paperwork and were ready to send everything to Ethiopia. However, two days before we were going to send it off, we realized we had to start fresh with a different agency because of ethical concerns that were raised with the first agency. We were frustrated with the need to switch agencies, as we expected a long wait and additional paperwork as a result.  Looking back, God used the switch to direct us to the little girl that He intended for us, and we are so very glad that we listened to Him.

“As we started our adoption journey, we had no idea how we were going to be able to pay for our adoption, but we were confident we needed to be obedient to what God was calling us to do. I remember saying to a friend at one point, ‘At the end of this, we’re either going to look really stupid or really faithful.’

“The morning of Dec. 14th, we received a call from our new adoption agency saying that we had not passed court in Ethiopia that day. It was a very difficult day, as we knew that meant a delay for us. After that call, I walked out to the mailbox and found the letter from Show Hope saying that we had been awarded a grant. God was so gracious and His timing was amazing! It was just the encouragement we needed at that moment.

“God has been so faithful. We received 2 grants, one of which came from Show Hope, held amazing garage sales, saved, and recently found out we’ll be able to use the adoption tax credit! I am thrilled to share that our adoption is paid in full!

“When we finally got to meet Erkinesh in Ethiopia, she was a shy, sweet and scared little girl. We spent the week together in Addis Ababa, then flew home. The past four months have been difficult, but not without joy! We are daily seeing progress and have so much hope. We believe that now is the time for healing.

“We are so thankful for the Show Hope sponsors who helped to make our adoption possible! We are thankful for your willingness to give to families that you don’t even know, and especially thankful for your love for orphans. We have been so blessed by your generosity and your love. Thank you so very much!”

-Sharon Bonnett

For those of you who are Show Hope sponsors, you have been able to previously meet these beautiful MBHOH children, Carissa and Grace, through recent Show Hope Sponsorship Updates. As we often receive requests for updates on the precious children in our care, we thought we would start with some news on the progress of these sweet girls.

Carissa, has continued to blossom and flourish through the physical therapy she has been receiving since the first Geisinger Medical trip in March. She is also a student in one of the new kindergarten classes. While she experiences mobility limitations due to her cerebral palsy, she is a very involved member of the class. Carissa is a bright and cheerful student.  She is beginning to learn English words and really enjoys learning, singing, and playing the maracas.  This beautiful girl loves to be included and involved in all activities in the classroom and has enjoyed the teams who have visited MBHOH recently.

You may recognize Grace as one of the eleven beautiful children who received surgery during the Geisinger surgical trip in June. Grace had her cleft palate repaired, and is now recovering well. She attends one of MBHOH’s kindergarten classes with her best friend Ella, and is a friendly little girl who is a much-loved member of the MBHOH family. Through her kindergarten class, Grace has been learning sign language for small phrases like “please” and “thank you” since her early speech was impaired by her cleft palate. She is a quick learner who is enjoying the stimulation of doing puzzles, physical activities and crafts during class time. Perhaps most of all, she enjoys playing with Mikey, our MBHOH liaison!

Please pray for Carissa and Grace, and others like them, who continue to wait for forever families who can care for their particular challenges and needs. If you have yet to become a Show Hope sponsor, we want to invite you become a sponsor today and join us in caring for these hidden treasures!

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.

The Show Hope team is excited to announce the initial launch of Shirts of Hope.  We consider it a great honor to help you bring your precious children home!!  Click on the link below to begin the Shirts of Hope process.

www.showhope.org/shirtsofhope

We would love to hear your feedback as we are smoothing out the details of this new program!
Blessings,

Lindsey Wheeler
www.showhope.org/store

As the Geisinger medical team now settles back into their lives at home (and each pushes through their ensuing jet lag), we thought it might be nice to have a quick glance back at the events of this past week at MBHOH. Eleven children received successful surgeries to correct their cleft lip or palate, and while each surgery was unique, all were a success thanks to the diligent care, long preparation, and expert skills of each person involved. Our deepest thanks go out to each member of the Geisinger team for their selfless service as well as to the staff at MBHOH who together bring such tender and loving care to these children each day.

The 11 children receiving surgeries were: Skyler, Oliver, Grace, Asher, Dylan, Lakeisha, Kristin, Ella, Brooks, Whitney, and Susie. As you can see from the surgery schedule on the whiteboard, it was an amazingly full and busy few days for not only the Geisinger team and these 11 children, but also the nannies and nurses who have worked to bring these children to this point in their care.

An additional noteworthy event that took place this week on the “Smile Floor” of MBHOH was the departure of David (featured in the photo above), who was called back to the orphanage to await the upcoming arrival of his forever family. Although his presence is already missed at MBHOH, we are endlessly thankful that we are able to celebrate this beautiful news. We look forward with hope to his arrival into the arms of his forever family.  Please pray for David in the upcoming days — that he would know his family even before they come for him and that his transition would be sweet and full of familiar comforts.

Of course, all these miracles couldn’t be possible without the ongoing prayers and support of all the Show Hope sponsors who have done so much to see this day come for these children.

On their behalf, we say “thank you!”

Oliver's pre-op photo with his nanny.

Oliver's post-op photo. He is healing beautifully!

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!