"I will not leave you as orphans..." - John 14:18
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Monday, December 17, 2012

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!! We pray for blessings and joy this Christmas season for all of you!
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Saturday, December 8, 2012

November Waitlist Numbers

Happy October AND November people! Travis here writing this month’s update for our (belated) October and current November waitlist numbers. Without further a due, here they are…

Girl:
June - 41
July - 33
August - 30
September - 29
October - 28
November - 26

Boy:
June - 31
July - 24
August - 22
September - 22
October - 22
November - 19

Siblings:
June - 12
July - 8
August - 8
September - 8
October - 8
November - 7
  
You may be asking, “Why do you guys always copy & paste last month’s numbers into this month?” Well… there’s still not too much movement in the Ethiopian courts so we’ve been caught in a bit of a holding pattern. I liken this journey we are on to a sailboat in the middle of the Atlantic (or maybe the Pacific… nicer waters there) that’s cruising along at a nice clip only to unexpectedly have the sails fall still one day with not a breath of wind. Our ship is stagnant in calm waters– for the moment. Sometimes we are able to relax on the deck of the ship to enjoy the sunshine and crisp air. Other times, we feel like jumping ship & making a swim for it under our own efforts. In the end, Laurie, the girls & I continue to wait with confident and expectant hearts that God will fill our ship’s sail full when the time is right.

This month, I would like to level a challenge to all of you. I’m asking you to explore your heart & soul, to pray, to talk with your spouse (if you’ve got one) about how you can impact and serve the 210+ million orphans of this world. God speaks to us about the importance of orphan care. As John Piper put it, “The deepest and strongest foundation for adoption is located not in the act of humans adopting humans, but in God adopting humans. And this act is not part of his ordinary providence in the world; it is at the heart of the Gospel.” 

Laurie & I have been called to serve these orphans by adopting one or two of them into our family, but that doesn’t mean that adoption is the only way to serve orphans. There are countless ways to engage in these little lives that are in need of someone to love them:
  • Become a Foster parent.
  • Volunteer at a local children's home (usually a transitional home children are taken to before placement in a Foster home).
  • Help get a chapter of The Mentoring Project started in your community. To find out more about this amazing organization visit thementoringproject.org.
  • Volunteer your time as a "Big Brother" or "Big Sister" for a local child who may not be an orphan, but who is in need of a positive role model.
  • Go to an orphanage and serve the fatherless.
  • Donate your lightly used clothing or toys to a domestic children's home or an international orphanage.
  • Take your children to serve disadvantaged children in your community to foster a heart for the fatherless in the next generation.
  • Most importantly, don’t turn a blind eye or a hard heart toward orphan care when the opportunity presents itself to you. Take action and observe the blessings that flow from your selflessness and generosity!
In our society, it is easy to be complacent and forget about these children who are innocent, defenseless, and vulnerable. All I ask is that you merely consider stepping outside of your comfort zone to see if your heart is calling you to share your love with a child who is in dire need of it. Every small step that one person can take can have an unimaginable impact on just a single child. Just think about what we can do as a community!

It's been a while since our last update. Here's what we've been up to:


Our annual trip to Apple Hill...







Avery's field trip to the Pumpkin Patch...


The Nevada Day Parade


The much anticipated and always talked about "Daddy Daughter Ball"



Halloween


Laurie's Birthday


Avery reading our church newspaper...


We've discovered crimping.

Christmas Tree Cutting!



Dinner with friends...







Until next month...