What is the greatest need? Part 2

I have to start with an apology. I really didnt mean for there to be so much time between the last post and this one. I swear, this wasnt meant to be a cruel joke and I certainly hope no one was holding their breath waiting for part 2! :)

Ok, now that we have that covered...take a deep breath, because this is a long post :)

I have really gotten into blogging. Its like always have a new short story from your favorite author! Several weeks ago, I stumbled across a blog post titled "An Adoption Math Problem". It basically stated how imbalanced the demand is to the need.  UNICEF has reported that of the millions of orphans in the world, 95% are over the age of 5 or are considered special needs. She boldly called out those who say they want to "help", to balance this equation. Needless to say, I spent the next several hours scouring the internet for a contradictory statistic. There wasnt one.  It  is true.

Our dossier has been in Ghana since mid-October. Each month since then we have received a group email that includes a list of waiting families with the gender and age range they have selected. Reading it in January, it stood out to us more than before that the majority of families were waiting for something similar to us:  young children (under 5) and most likely healthy (although I am making some minor assumptions here). Something just didn't sit right. It didn't feel right. 

We realized that we had stopped asking the question. We had gotten comfortable and now we were on a slow-moving waiting list...one that we weren't sure necessarily needed us. So we scheduled a phone call with our caseworker and asked the question again. What is the greatest need? I think she was a little surprised but she patiently explained that 3 groups of children wait the longest, sometimes indefinitely. They are kids who are over the age of 5,  have sickle cell anemia, or who are HIV+. Hearing this information we began to explore, research, talk and pray through each one. What would it be like to go from just the two of us to being parents of an 8 year old...? How would a child with sickle cell fit into our fast paced, active lifestyle? Are we strong enough to raise a child who has HIV- the most stigmatized, discriminated, taboo disease in the world?

As we talked through these options, one began to stand out among the rest. It began to feel more uncomfortable and exactly right at the same time. Through casual conversation with other friends who are adopting from Ghana (and who in some ways, had planted the original seed about exploring adopting a child with HIV) we found out about projecthopeful.org. We poured over this website and many others absorbing as much information as we possibly could. The very next day, we were meeting these friends at Costco and they introduce us to another friend, who just 'happens' to work for Project Hopeful and has adopted 2 children from Africa, one of which is HIV+. The entire drive home Chad and I talked about how crazy the timing of this meeting was. No way was that a coincidence!!! 

A week later I was blown away again as I found myself at Friday's with a group of women, most of which I had never met, but who were all somewhere along the adoption journey. They talked opening and confidently about how God calls Christians to care for the "least of these" and how perfect a fit is an orphaned child who is dying of a incurable disease, in an impoverished country with little access to lifesaving resources. 

Fast forward a few weeks. We feel confident that God is calling us to broaden our "request" to include a little boy that may have HIV. While weeks and months have been passing since our dossier arrived in Ghana, God has been building up this support network all around us for purposes that we didnt even know yet!  We got the sense from our caseworker that things will move along quickly. And we are ready. 

The first two chapters of the book of James contain some of my favorite scriptures. Reading them again yesterday, the fear and uncertainty that creeps up every now and then was put back in its place as I was comforted in the promise that God is there when we call for help...and that the fullness of life is promised to those whose faith and works align. 

We are so excited to share as we learn more and move closer to bringing home the little guy that God choose for us, even before he was conceived! Please continue to pray with us and ask us questions. As a place to start, check out this totally rad video by Project Hopeful:

What is the greatest need? Part 1

When we began exploring adoption we knew right where we wanted to start. We had been asking around for years, taking inventory of which agencies had the most positive stories and the happiest "clients". Walking into the first information meeting we felt so confident in what we wanted (what we wanted...hmmm)  that we didnt even pick up the international program packet!

We stayed after the session was done and got in line to ask the director a few personal follow up questions. It seemed like we waited forever! A couple times I know I thought about just calling back later. I am so glad we stayed. When it was finally our turn, we stumbled through telling her a little bit about ourselves and then we asked THE question: What is the greatest need? 

We have asked this question multiple times over the last several months, truly believing that God was leading us to whatever was at the end of that question. We have been led to Africa, and then to Ghana, and then to a little boy.  All along the way the most amazing things have happened to confirm that this was God's plan all along.

But then when we stopped asking that question. Somehow we slowly slipped back into what we wanted and what we thought we could 'handle'.  Isn't it funny how being just a little bit more comfortable can change your focus?

It seems like at every point along this journey, just when things have gotten comfortable enough for us to take a deep breath and say "wow, ok, well...we never imagined that this is where we would be", God immediately pushes us just a little bit further outside of our comfort zone.

A series of recent events (most definitely not coincidences) caused us to trip over our very own comfort and fall face first back into that question: What is the greatest need? 

From one little boy to another...

Whoever first said "children should be seen and not heard"?

There are several of these kinds of old-school sayings out there that really bother me. Really...research the history and meaning of some of the things you say regularly and you might be quite surprised (i.e. "rule of thumb")!

Back to my point. My Pastor once said that youth are not our future generation but the current generation. Working with young people now for several years, we have come to realize their unique  insight, faith, perception of the world around them and understanding of what they need to be successful. The voices of youth are some of the most powerful and impactful that i have ever heard. The days of youth and children being minimized and unheard are beginning to come to a close. Adults can no longer say that children have nothing meaningful to contribute.

I know this to be a fact for about a hundred reasons, but one in particular. ;)

This young man:

Dylan (Chad's nephew) was asked in one of his classes to develop a unique community service project that he could do in his community. He decided on a project that had multiple benefits. He would clean up his neighborhood, promote recycling and raise money for our adoption- all at the same time.

He (and his parents) spent several afternoons cleaning up trash and cans from their local park and streets. From that, they sorted out what could be recycled and offered to pick up cans and scrap metal (that otherwise would end up in the landfill) from friends, family, neighbors and local businesses. He continued to promote this project long after his teacher had collected his work and given the grade. He proudly donated the $147 he raised to help bring our little guy home!

This young boy, 150 miles away, decided that he had something to contribute. That even he could make an impact on the life of a little boy he has never met...someone half way around the world.

Thank you Dylan! Thank you for allowing God to use you as an important piece of this adoption journey.

Enough

Silent auction fundraiser update.

This post may seem delinquent, considering the silent auction was 2 1/2 weeks ago already, but do not be fooled! It is actually perfect timing. While you may have heard that we raised over $3500 the night of the auction, you probably don't know the rest of the story.

So let me back up a bit. 

A few months ago, I was talking with some new "adoption" friends about how God provides financially when we follow His call. They had recently been challenged to dream big for their fundraising goals and they wanted to pass along that challenge to me. They told me not to doubt God's provision or put Him in a 'box'. We talked about what it means to put our full faith in Him.

So...I dreamt big.

Or, at least I thought I did.

I asked God for $3000. That is A LOT! For one Tuesday night, an assortment of donated items/services, in a small bar on the side of downtown...that's a lot. That number would get us close enough to the last payment to make me 'comfortable'. Chad did me one up and prayed for $4000 (to which I thought- "that boy is crazy"). 

So the donations rolled in- over 50! A hundred or so people showed up. Hundreds of raffle tickets were purchased and countless bids were placed. With the help and support of a lot of amazing people, some we know closely, some we have never met, the dollar amount we raised fell EXACTLY between our prayers. That's right, God proved Himself yet again. When will I learn my lesson, right?

But that's not the end of the story. 

Since that night, a handful of things have happened. Some other new "adoption" friends offered to share their fundraiser and give us a cut of any t-shirts or hoodies we could sell. We sold more than 20 in just a few days. Two other sizable (and very unexpected) donations were made and we now have enough for the last payment and a very solid start on the first of four plane tickets. Plane tickets!?!? That wasn't even on the radar yet!

More than enough.

Apparently God's dreams are just a little bit bigger than mine!

Merry Christmas

On expectations and a broken heart

I am not typically good at waiting (is anyone?) especially when it's the kind of waiting that comes with very few details!  I, like most other people,  tend to feel more comfortable when I have some level of control and a pretty solid idea of what to expect.

There is a lot of waiting in the adoption process. When we began this journey we were told to expect it to take 12-18 months and we were good with that. I was ready to practice my waiting!!! :) In addition, we signed up for a pilot program where there were more unknowns than knowns. What a great opportunity to practice being ok with not having all the details too!

We werent financially ready and we knew we had a lot to learn. We even told our caseworker early on that she could prioritize other cases (specifically those of our freinds who are also adopting) because we were sooo not in a hurry. I expected it to be complicated, for there to be many twists and for it to take a long time.

I thought I had healthy expectations.

What I did not expect is this:

I didnt know that I could fall so deeply in love with someone I have never met, never touched, never seen. I had no idea that I could worry so much and care so deeply about a country I have never been to.

I didnt plan on my entire life turning upside down- at least not before Little Guy was even here! It seems like every other day we are talking about how we are standing in awe again.  In any wild hope or dream, we couldn't have put together the collection of people who have come forward to support us. New friendships are abundant and old friendships have become richer than we could have imagined.

I guess that as I have prayed over the years that God would break my heart for the things that break His heart...i could have never expected this...

There are over 50 million orphans in Sub-Sahara Africa. Just sit with that for a minute.

I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Grand Rapids is a large city in a larger metropolitan area that is home to just under a million people. So there are over 50 Grand Rapids' in one part of Africa and they are made up completely of orphaned children! Children who dont have access to clean water, children who become modern day slaves, children who are dying of preventable diseases. 

I dont know about you, but that breaks my heart.

These are children created by God, who deserve the same exact love, care and opportunity as the kid who lives next door to me, down the street from me, and (dare I say it?) in your home, dear reader.

And yet again, I am discovering that I am really not that good at waiting...

On Luck and Blessing

As I was out running errands today I noticed the Christmas music playing in the background and thought about how this time next year we will parents. I will be singing these same Christmas songs to our little guy.

Wow. It's thoughts like that one that still catch me off guard. 

It is just so amazing to think that so much will be different. That God will bring a little orphan boy from halfway across the world into our lives. That we will be blessed enough to be called his parents.

Some will say that it is him who is lucky...that he is blessed- but I will say no. No child born into poverty is lucky. No child whose parents die from AIDS is blessed. No child who spends his nights AND days in a crib, who shares a few loving adults with 30 other children is lucky. 

We can only hope and pray that what we can provide for him is enough. We will shower him with love and teach him that God loves him even more! We will tell him that although he is adopted by us, we have all been adopted by a God who cares about us to the ends of the world...a God who will never abandon us. We will remind him that he has a purpose that only he can live in to. We will do everything to protect him...and even more to provide the best possible life for him. 

It is truly Chad and I who will be blessed to have the opportunity to know that kind of love.

Getting to know our Little Guy part 2: His 1st home

While we have no idea yet of the specific circumstances our little guy was born into we know that even while we type he could already be in an orphanage. 

(This post will appeal specifically to the 'numbers' people in our lives!)

His first home...

Ghana's Flag

- Red: symbolizes the blood shed for their independence

- Yellow: represents the country's mineral wealth

- Green: represents the forests and natural wealth

- Black Star: lodestar for African Freedom

Geographical Size: Approximately the size of Illinois and Indiana combined

Capitol: Accra- 11th largest city in the country 

Population: 24 million, 4 million in the greater Accra area

~Due to the high growth/immigration rate in the capitol, 9 slums have emerged, locally called "Sodom and Gomorrah". The government is currently working to demolish them because of their 'effect on the environment'.

Skyline of Accra

Ghana became independent from the British Administration in 1957 and celebrate their independence every March 6.

Africa Day, celebrated on May 25th (ironically also our wedding anniversary) commemorates the founding of the Organization of African Unity, when 30 of the 32 countries signed a unity charter.

Life Expectancy: 57 (only 4% of the population live past the age of 65)

Average Age: 21 (over half of the population is under 24)

Language: English (over 70 languages/dialects spoken country-wide)

Main Export: Cocoa, then gold, diamonds, tuna and timber 

The global demand for exotic timber and for cocoa (which can be planted in the place of fallen trees) has increased deforestation and had a devastating impact on the local culture)

Poverty Level: Nearly 29% are below the poverty line 

Low income housing is often made from mud and untreated lumber.

Currency/Exchange: Currently $1Cedi (pronounced SEE-DEE) exchanges for $1.89 American

Primary Sport: Football (Soccer), Team Name- The Black Stars

Weather: steady year around, ranging between 76 and 82, the 'winter' months being marked by increased humidity/rainy season (and there are palm trees!)

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According to the World Health Organization- 2/3rd of ALL people infected with HIV/AIDS live in sub-sahara Africa, although this region contains just 12% of the worlds population! 

12% of African children are orphans- that is an estimated 54 million kids.

The Supreme Court in Accra: where we will be granted the blessing of becoming Little Guy's parents!