Who Will Go?

Have you come to the point where you can say " I will go if you send me, Lord!"  ?  Here are a couple of videos that I've found to be thought-provoking and can help us examine where our hearts are on this subject:


Did You Know from on Vimeo.


and

CAFO Summit 7 - Did you miss it?

I missed it.  I tried so hard to get to the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit VII in Louisville, KY last week - it was so close!  A mere 6 hours drive away from us.  But I didn't make it.  So I plan on drinking in every moment that will be re-capped tonight on the Mother the World Momcast Podcast at 8pm EST by the ProjectHOPEFUL team.  If you missed it, too, join us!  If you were there, join us! You may be able to chime in with some of your own thoughts from the Summit.  See you there!

Every Child. Period.

Pitting cause of orphans in the US against cause of orphans globally, as though it were either/or, is crazy. Mission is local & global. ~Dr. Russell Moore

 It can be SO easy to get dogmatic in the adoption world.  Dogmatic about what country has the greatest need, what special need everyone should be passionate about, whether everyone should adopt older kids or infants.  But the truth is that EVERY child needs a family.  No child is 'just fine' or 'better off' in the foster care system or in an orphanage.

I found this blog post this morning that I thought was a really helpful perspective and thought that you would benefit from it, too. 

 

Rethinking Adoption: Infant Adoption

 

 

~Jennifer 

Vote for Project Hopeful June 11th!

Toyota USA is giving away 100 cars to charitable organizations over 100 days from May 9th to August 16th and Project Hopeful has been put on the finalist list for June 11th's giveaway!  They have put together the promotional video and just introduced it today.  Be sure to spread the word and vote on June 11th!!

If you join the facebook group and go to the 100 cars for good tab, you will be able to fill out the reminder form so you don't forget to vote.  Ready, Set, Go!

ATV Giveaway for orphans

There is an urgent need for funds for the family adopting Little Miss Addison and some friends took over their blog to introduce this amazing giveaway!  Make sure you read this:

http://ascendtothehillofthelord.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-do-you-say-when-jesus-asks-of-you.html


~Jennifer

Kindred Spirit

It's not often that I unleash my inner Anne of Green Gables and say that I've found a Kindred Spirit, and even less often that I would say so about someone I don't even know...someone out in the world wide blogosphere.  But there is one out there and her name is Chantelle.  Post after post after post that she writes, I find my own feelings, struggles and passions written in the most compelling, beautiful ways.  I want to be her if I ever grow up.

I don't know how in the world I first found her, but I remember vividly the first time that she shook me to the core of my being.  It was in a video where she in a very simple, brief way cut painfully through a lie that I had believed about the world without ever knowing it.  That lie or set of lies I should say, was about HIV/AIDS.  You name the lie about that disease, and I probably held it as a dogma.....but it was dogma from the Pit. And it shames and angers me every time I think about it.  I'm so thankful that God used her to defeat the Enemy's hold on that portion of my mind.

This is my shout-out to a woman who changes lives:  Thank you, Chantelle!

Money, Money, Money....and adoption

So much of the decision to adopt, our discussion about adoption and the process of adoption are about money, aren't they?  Drives me bonkers, but it is what it is.

Thankfully, there are seasoned adoptive families who are talking about it.  One of them is Julie Gumm, author of the soon-to-be-released book Adopt Without Debt.  She was interviewed last night on the Momcast Podcast and it was a great episode!  As soon as the archive is posted, I will link it here.

Then this morning I woke up to see this post by one of my favorite bloggers at Rage Against the Minivan called Why Does Adoption Cost So Much? (and why we didn't just send that money to Haiti).  I love her openness about their expenses as well as her perspective on the whole subject.

I'm getting ready to host a Yard Sale and Silent Auction here at our little house at the end of May to help a couple of local families who are adopting and I hope to come back here and tell you all of the good, bad, and ugly of how it goes.  Wish me luck!

Do you have any brilliant fundraising ideas?  I'd love to hear them!

~Jen