As many of you know WE ARE ADOPTING!!! As much of a challenge as that presents, God continues to challenge us in adopting 2, a boy and girl. If He wills then so be it…

Already we have had lots of questions, from well meaning people. Sometimes you feel like a pregnant women who is ready to SLUG the next person who says “Are you still pregnant”… But it is just out of curiosity that people ask.

So I wanted to answer some of these questions as well as tell you how you, our friends and family, can help us.

First off the questions:
Why adopting: Short answer; because we have felt God telling us to “Look after the Orphan” for years and as we do that through missions etc. we see that it’s one thing to go or write a check but another to really take care of an orphan. We fell that God is telling us it is time. I could go on for hours on this topic… I could tell you stories of how God has directed my life from the very first missions trip to Jamaica, to my Trip to China with the James Fund, Steven Curtis Chapman among others and a Family who was adopting. Or I could tell you about the passion God has given me to help the orphan and the 10+ trips to Mexico and Guatemala that I have had the opportunity to lead with the James fund. Or I could tell you about how He gave me the opportunity to help on the ground floor of a new company Good Goers where we take our Family Christian Stores guests on trips with us to these places…. Or about how God has enabled me to help our network of 5 churches in their Missions by becoming the Network missions Trip Coordinator. And so on… Every where I have turned God has continued to challenge and develop myself and my family towards this.

Why not locally: This is a big one for many people. Personally, I can just that is not what God wanted. Yet now that people ask I have been thinking through some of the things that others might say. First off in America we do not have the old fashion Orphanage style of child care. In fact we do have a SYSTEM to care for these children. In many other countries there is not a system. There may be a sweet old woman or a couple who have started a home, but not a government system. Does that mean that American orphans don’t need care or love? Not in the least. The second thing that causes many to not adopt locally is that there have been legal precedents set where a birth parent can get the child back 5 or 10 years later. There is no finality to the adoption where as from other countries there are.

Why China: It all starts with my trip in 2004. I saw things that broke my heart for China. The people, the culture… I could tell you stories of a man who when our bus stopped about 2 hours out of Beijing, he walked a mile across his field (With a pink umbrella… don’t believe me see the picture in my office sometime!). He told us how the government came in and bought his land that he didn’t want to sell. Yes they paid him fairly and set him up for life, but his family had been on that same land as farmers since before the Dynasty’s.
I could tell you about standing on a wall that is so old that parts have even been forgotten. To see names inscribed possibly by the fingers of slaves who died to create this wonder.
But mainly I would tell you of Zehong. It was at a home for Mentally Handicapped adults that we met her. She was 12 years old and stuck out due to her ‘normal’ nature. She was not suppose to be in this home, yet due to sexual and physical abuse by those who were her protectors at previous orphanages, she and a friend ended up here. Then the friend was adopted and she was left alone. Now at the age of 12 she knew that in less then 1 year she was on her own.
While we were there she took a liking to my $5.00 sun glasses so I gave them to her. She wore them all day while showing us her hula hoop skills, and jump roping skills. She also wore them as she helped to take care of those who were in the home. Then when the full day was done she tried to give them back. I grabbed the interpreter and explained they were a gift for her. It broke my heart when at that moment she opened up. She had never been given anything. She shared the story of abuse, and how she just wanted to be loved.
I came home to the states and did everything I could to adopt her. In fact one of the high ranking officials from my company tried as well, but it was not to be.
That is what endeared my heart to China.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO:
First off: PRAY!! We will need it as this is a tough process filled with lots of paperwork and potential delays!

Second to prayer we will need your help and support financially if possible.
The cost for adopting 1 is around $36,000. To adopt a second child could cause it to go up to around $40,000.

Over the next few months we will be seeking your help.
There will be 3 ways for you to help.
1) Flower Bulb orders. We will be selling Flower Bulbs for $6.00 each. These Bulbs will be shipped to us to deliver so this might not be the best for those who do not live in our area.
2) Adoption Bug T-shirts: We will be setting up a page with T-shirts that allow you to purchase an adoption shirt and help us.
3) Lord Willing, we are applying for a matching grant through work with Lifesong. This is a $5,000 matching grant which means if we can raise $5,000 it will be matched giving us $10,000!

So please pray for us and pray how God would have you to join us in our journey.
Mandy and I will be adding more to the blog’s to try to keep everyone in touch with the process…

Here is some contact info for all of you:
Curtis’ blog: www.idratherbecaving.blogspot.com
Mandy’s blog: www.mandysabusymommy.blogspot.com
Or find us both on Facebook.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and potential future support!