Please, Do Something

I know everyone has their favorite charities to whom they give each year, but I felt really impressed to share this one with you today. As many of you know, we adopted our Li'l Empress through the wonderful services of Living Hope Adoption Agency.  What most of you DON'T know is that the biggest reason that we felt led to choose this agency out of the tons we researched is their sister organization, called Living Hope International.

Living Hope International is a not-for-profit that intentionally and generously cares for those children in China who cannot be legally classified as "orphans," because they have known, living kin who claim them as family. This, by definition, also makes them unavailable for any international adoption program. Make no mistake, these family members usually still care very deeply for their young grandchildren, nieces, or nephews. They just do not have the resources to feed, house, or educate them. Instead, these children have been surrendered to the care of the various homes run by Living Hope International.   They are taken in, provided for, loved lavishly, educated, and even given trade skills. They are equipped and prepared to enter Chinese society and be contributing adults who can care for themselves and their families. The staff who do all this live out their love and their faith in front of these kids every day. THEY ARE CHANGING HEARTS AND TRANSFORMING MINDS, through the power and the action of The Word.

Group picture of the kids, staff, us, and the other

family that traveled with us to adopt - from Sept. '08

Recently, we began a formal sponsorship of a young girl who grabbed my heart back in Sept. '08 at a visit to the Beijing home. Lois has never left my heart or my thoughts and I found myself ELATED to learn that she would be traveling with the Living Hope Angels when they came to the region this fall. This Living Hope Angels tour was a fund-raising and awareness campaign that gave us multiple opportunities to interact with Lois, (thanks to a great translator!) and to see the sweet spirit and bright mind that she possesses. As we observed this side of Living Hope International's ministry and mission in their homes, we obeyed the prompting of God to provide financial support that will allow Lois to continue to live in a home full of love and big, wide open doors of opportunity. Her picture is posted on our fridge, and now our whole family stops to look at it, remember the lovely girl that they finally all got to meet, and pray for her.

"Our" Lois, hugging me on the day we met.

She said to me, "I will not forget you."

And she burrowed into my heart that day.

I rarely talk about this kind of thing here on my blog, because I get that money and giving and charity are a very personal thing. But at this time of year, many folks are looking for additional ways to be generous. And I'm putting this in front of you, praying that the incredible blessings of wealth and freedom that we enjoy here in the U.S. and as children of our AWESOME FATHER might prompt someone to step out and give generously. It's a smaller, lesser-known charity, but it is doing big, amazing things in lives and hearts.

Classroom tours from our Sept. '08

visit to the Beijing home

Truthfully, it's changing our hearts and minds, too. The power of investing so tangibly in the life of another person - participating in their equipping and educating is something that I know is also investing in my own kids here at home.

I trust that you will check them out and prayerfully consider what you can do. Even if it's is just sharing the information with someone you know, someone who has a heart and a passion for China, it's something. 

Please, do something.