"I will not leave you as orphans..." - John 14:18
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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

December Waitlist Numbers


We just got our waitlist numbers, and I'm too excited to write anything before I share them with you, so here they are:  

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

Boy:
July - 24
August - 22
September - 22
October - 22
November - 19
December - 16

Siblings:
July - 8
August - 8
September - 8
October - 8
November - 7
December - 4

We're getting so close! Please keep us in your prayers. I pray for God's perfect timing, but as I'm sure you all know by now, I sure do hope His timing is soon!! Though I know I must, I just cannot wait to hold our new little one(s) in my arms for the first time and to FINALLY bring them home! 

Still, we continue to wait with patience (as much as we still have on reserve) and trust that the providence of God will prevail.

...
A little story.

Last week, our girls watched an old Christmas cartoon. In it, orphan children opened Christmas gifts, but the quality of the gifts were poor, and after a short time of play, all were broken. The children cried as their hopes dashed just as quickly as they rose. 

After watching the show, I noticed a dramatic change in our five year old daughter's countenance. She was close to tears as I asked her why she was so sad.

"Mommy, why did God make orphans?" she asked. 

"Honey, God didn't make orphans," I said, as I began to explain why bad things are in the world, "There are orphans because sin is in the world," I concluded. 

"Well, then, why doesn't God tell everyone to help the orphans?" She asked. 

"He does. He tells each of us to care for both the widow and the orphan. Not everyone is called to adopt, but all are called to participate in one way or another to help orphans," I said.

"What can we do to help?"

"Well, we're adopting. When we bring our babies home, they won't be orphans anymore. They'll be ours. They'll have a mommy and a daddy. They'll have two amazing sisters. And there will be two less orphans in the world!"

"But what else can we do?" she asked with a tear streaming down her cheek. 

Watching my five year old wrestle with the question we're all intended to ask ourselves has been a beautiful experience. The question tough to face, but we all must.

What can we do? 

How do we solve the worldwide orphan tragedy? How can we share the love of Christ with these beautiful children? How can we show them (not just tell them) that they matter, that their life was not a mistake, that they are loved by not only the one and only true God, but by us? 

I don't claim to have all the answers, but I do know this. When looking at the sheer number of orphans throughout the world, the problem can seem daunting. So much so, in fact, that we simply give up before we even begin, erroneously thinking, any effort we take won't make a dent in the problem. But let's take a moment to look at the issue at hand.


UNICEF estimates there are 143-210 MILLION orphans worldwide. This number doesn't include trafficked or enslaved children or those in countries who don't report to UNICEF, so in my mind, this is a low number. 

Still, there are an estimated 7 billion people living in the world today, 4.2 billion of which claim to be Christians. 

So, if each Christian played their part and answered God's call to care for the orphan, the problem would, theoretically, be solved. As we've mentioned before, not all people are called to adopt, but I know several people who would adopt if it weren't for the high cost. They simply cannot afford to adopt. So, perhaps, if you're not called to adopt, you are called to supply financial assistance to a family who has the desire to supply the love and care to an orphaned child by becoming their "forever family." 

Honestly, I cannot tell you what role you're intended to play, but I do know each of us are called to act in one way or another. Alone, we do make a difference. Together, we can achieve the unimaginable. If each of us do something, no matter how small, there will be change. Change we can see! 

All I ask is that you begin to pray about what role God would have you play in orphan care. 

Here's what we've been up to since our last update:


Avery's Christmas Program


Christmas!








Pearler Beads

Skiing!


Thank you, once again, for the continued support and prayers!!! We hope and pray you had a very merry Christmas and had fun bringing in the new year!


Happy 2013!

5 comments:

  1. I'm so in love with your girls' hearts. God is beautifully shaping them to be like their Mommy :) Praying for your precious babies to be perfectly protected by God's own Spirit and His army of angels until they are in your arms. Thank you for reminding us of our commission to take care of widows and orphans. Yes- we can all help in one capacity or another. Prayer over these children is a monumental gift we can all give and it makes more of an impact than we can possibly imagine! Thank you beautiful Coombs family! xo

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    1. I second Travis' thoughts!! We are so blessed to have your support and prayers. It's nice knowing others have been down this road before. Blessings!

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  2. Noelle - I've never had the pleasure of meeting you, but I've heard great things about you from Laurie. I just wanted to say thank you for your support and prayers. Laurie and I are so incredibly blessed to have such a great support system around us during this wait. So... thank you! Much happiness and many blessings for you & your family this coming year!

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  3. praying for you, laurie! so excited that the numbers are getting closer for y'all. :) lora

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  4. Laurie, you have a beautiful story and a beautiful heart. I will definitely say a prayer for you and your new babies, and continue to watch as your story unfolds. If you would like to, please visit my blog sweetlybrokengirl.blogspot.com. It doesn't have anything to do with adoption (as much as I'd love to adopt), but it does have to do with the journey that we take as we walk with God. It is my prayer that it helps encourage people. Take care and God bless you and your family! - Heather K

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