Archive for the Orphan Care
Monday, April 16th, 2012
Have a heart!
It turns out that Talitha won’t be able to have a Compassion table at church this Sunday after all.
A lot of you aren’t nearby, so you couldn’t have stopped by anyway to check out Compassion International‘s ministry and to encourage Talitha. So here’s something even better because it’s accessible.
Talitha has created a page at the Compassion website. Please visit to get a taste of her enthusiasm for Compassion and her compassion for Juan. There’s also a short video with one Compassion story and the difference it’s made in 2 families.
Talitha and I are looking forward to July when we plan to visit Juan in Guatemala. We expect to let you know more about that as we go.
In the meantime, I hope you’ll link through from Talitha’s page to information about children who are awaiting and do please pray about becoming a sponsor.
I have a big favor to ask of you. Even if you don’t usually comment on blogs–and for sure, if you do–please post here at least a simple “I visited Compassion” after you’ve been to their website. This will be a tremendous encouragement to Talitha.
Wednesday, April 4th, 2012
Compassionate heart
There are many reasons I thank God for our Talitha. The one I’m thinking about right now is this: I love to watch her tender heart in action. I see that compassion especially when she’s reaching out to young children. Whether it’s nieces and nephews or strangers, none views her as a stranger for long.
Last year, we visited Redeemer Bible Church one vacation Sunday. They had visitors representing Compassion International. At the end of the service, Talitha made a beeline to Compassion’s table at the back of the sanctuary. By the time I made my way there, she was clasping to her heart a photo of Juan. “Please, please, please. May I sponsor this sweet little boy in Guatemala?”
Now she writes to Juan, and he writes to her. A few months ago, a translator sent Talitha this message on Juan’s behalf:
When he saw you [a photo], his face lit up in smiles and tears of happiness. He asked God to meet you one day in person, to be able to speak to you.
So you can imagine the “Please, please, please” that followed when Talitha found out there’s a Compassion Sponsor’s trip to Guatemala in July, when she will indeed get to meet Juan, Lord willing.
And she invited me to come too. A mother doesn’t take it lightly when her teenager wants to be with her. So both of us are preparing for Guatemala.
Talitha’s excitement about Compassion’s ministry doesn’t stop with sponsoring and traveling. On her own, she’s taken the initiative to set up and man a Compassion information table at Bethlehem Downtown campus on Compassion Sunday weekend–before and after the service Saturday evening, April 21, and the Sunday morning services April 22.
Please stop by to pick up information about Compassion International. If God is leading you to sponsor a child, you’ll find packets there to choose from, so you can sign up on the spot. It would be hard to measure what a blessing that would be to Talitha, to see you blessing a child who lives in a difficult situation.
Request to you:
1. If you already are sponsoring a child through Compassion, please comment here to let us know.
2. If you’re familiar with Compassion, and can help Talitha at the Compassion table Saturday evening or Sunday morning, April 21 and 22, she’d love to hear from you.
Monday, February 27th, 2012
Invitation to adoptive families & those who want to be
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Sunday, January 22nd, 2012
“I wasn’t born”
Life with Talitha — part 5
As long as I have a memory, I will know what date it was that Talitha learned what a birth mother is.
On a bitter, freezing January 22–in 2001–we stood with thousands of others outside the Minnesota Capitol, rallying for Life.
Talitha pointed to the line drawing on a poster raised high in the distance. “Look, there’s a picture of a baby being born–like baby Elizabeth!” I could see it was really a sketch of a partial birth abortion, but she didn’t need to know yet the horrors of that.
So I picked up the flow of her thought. “Yes, like your little friend. And like you.”
She quickly corrected me, “I wasn’t born. I was adopted.”
I had been thinking for a while it was time to expect questions from Talitha about her birth. Adoption was an everyday word and concept in our family, but we hadn’t yet talked about one very important person to whom we owe great gratitude.
Question or no, now was the time. And so on the stately steps of the capitol, I stooped to look into her eyes. “Talitha, first you were born and then you were adopted.” I explained that she had grown inside another woman–her birth mother–who could have chosen abortion, but instead protected her and gave birth to her.
Talitha carried home a “Choose Life” poster and put it in her bedroom window.
Today I thank God for the woman who gave birth to our beloved Talitha.
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For many of us, being pro-life has changed our families through adoption. A couple of years ago I wrote a series of blog posts telling our adoption story. It begins here.
A follow-up series, Life with Talitha, begins here.
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
When Joy to the World isn’t our world
You don’t have to live many Christmases before you realize that the emotions of Christmas are not all joy. In fact, some years we may wonder if joy will ever come again.
I’m thinking about that reality now, after hearing from some people who are suffering right now. The causes are quite different, but for all of them, Christmas as they’ve known it seems like another planet.
That makes me want to put it down in stark black and white: Christmas can be hard, really hard, unbearably hard–all the more when we look around at all the jolliness and feel like we’re alone in our grief or pain or loneliness or uncertainty or fear or hopelessness or confusion or alienation or . . . .
A few years ago, I wrote to a friend whose child had come through a crisis not long before Christmas.
I realize that it doesn’t resolve your situation to hear that you’re not alone. But I pray it might help lighten the burden at least a little to see what some others have to say, people who are in your shoes now or they have been there.
These articles are in no particular order and are from from various perspectives. I think it will be quite possible as you read to substitute your own challenges or the struggles of a person you love.
When Christmas Stinks, by Michael Monroe
Joy (and Grief) and Joy at Christmas, by Molly Piper
The angels’ words were a battle cry, by Joni Eareckson Tada
FAS and Christmas, by Julie Martindale
“Suffering is the reason for the season,” Charles Colson
White Elephant: Explain that to an FASD Kiddo, by Barb Clark
He Says There’s Something Worse than Death, by John Knight (poem by John Piper)
God Uses Silly Videos to Make Much of Himself, by John Knight
The Most Important Posting I Will Ever Write . . . & a Christmas Greeting, by Mike Evans
Home for Christmas, by Greg Lucas
Together on the Ledge, by Lisa Qualls
A request to you: Please share with us resources that have helped you in your difficult times.
Saturday, December 10th, 2011
For your Bible study group
Are you and your Bible study group scrambling to figure out what to do after the new year rolls in?
Thank you to Rick Morton for gifts that can be used by 5 small groups. How many people might that be in all? 20? 50? 100? Each gift to one of you may bless many more than just you.
Rick and Denise Morton were part of cofounding Psalm 139, an international orphan-hosting ministry.
He and Tony Merida are co-authors of Orphanology: Awakening to Gospel-Centered Adoption and Orphan Care.
Orphanology is a practical response to God’s command to care for the fatherless told through the stories of families and ministries who are responding. . . . [and with] real-world ideas and illustrations for engaging in orphan ministry. . . . . Orphanology demonstrates how adoption, foster care, and other forms of orphan ministry are accessible to every believer and every church and introduces innovative approaches to orphan ministry including orphan hosting.
Here’s the gift. Five sets, including:
- Orphanology (book)
- Site license for 6-session Orphanology Bible study. This license gives an entire small group on-line access to the Bible study.
- Visit the Promise 139 website and look around a bit.
- At this post, comment once with impression(s) from that visit.
- One additional entry for following @rick_morton on Twitter .
- Comment once again at this post, to report that you’re following Rick.
- Another additional entry, subscribe to Rick Morton’s blog.
- Comment once again at this post, to report that you’re subscribed.
Tuesday, November 15th, 2011
Winners of Focus on Family books
Congratulations to the winners of books from Focus on the Family.
Your commenter names are:
- Peyton Jones
- Cassandra
- Angela Humphrey
- Vanessa
- Geni
Saturday, November 12th, 2011
Hoping to adopt from China?
If parents adopt a child from China, I understand that they are required to travel to China to meet their child and to finalize adoption procedures.
No matter how well your agency cares for you there, just think how valuable and enjoyable it could be to know at least a little of the language. Imagine baby talk with your child, without a translator. Imagine connecting with child care workers, even if it’s just a chuckle together at your efforts to speak their language.
I’m giving away 2 copies of Survival Chinese Lessons, by Joann Pittman. This book is written for people like you–people who aren’t planning to move to China, but don’t want to be total bystanders while they’re visiting.
Please visit my other blog, Tell Me When to Pack, to find out how to enter the drawing.
Sunday, October 2nd, 2011
Winners of Fields of the Fatherless
Congratulations to the people who will receive a copy of Fields of the Fatherless, by Tom Davis. I am emailing them. The names they used to comment are:
- John Wojciechowski
- Beth
- Amanda Huron
- Sarah G
If you aren’t one of the winners, I encourage you to go ahead and get a copy for yourself.
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
Giveaway: Fields of the Fatherless
My friend, Dorothy, is planning to be at the T4A National Conference, October 21-22 and to be part of a panel during the Mothers’ pre-conference event on Thursday, October 20. She’s a woman worth spending time with. I have learned lots from her–proof that learning doesn’t always flow from the older to the younger.
I first heard of Tom Davis because of Dorothy’s raving about his books–positive raving, very positive. Then I heard him speak a couple of years ago. I was fascinated and horrified by what he told us about the likely future of young people who age out of orphanages in Eastern Europe and other places.
When I was at the Orphan Summit in Louisville in the spring, Children’s Hope Chest donated 4 copies of Tom’s book, Fields of the Fatherless: Discover the Joy of Compassionate Living to be given away. So this is a “better late than never” opportunity for you. It’s still appropriate because Tom will be one of the breakout session leaders at the T4A Conference and Children’s Hope Chest is one of the many exhibitors.
So here’s what to do to be eligible for winning one of the copies.
- Spend some time exploring the website of Children’s Hope Chest – say at least 5 minutes
- Watch at least one of the videos on the Media page
- Comment at this post to tell the rest of us something about your visit to the website. Something like maybe: What had the most impact on you? Or did something surprise you? Or do you feel challenged to do something new on behalf of orphans?
- Deadline is this Friday, 9/30, 11:59 pm CDT. After that 4 commenters will be randomly chosen.
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
T4A winners
Congratulations to the winners of free registrations to the Together for Adoption Conference.
- Tara Daukas — wins the couple registration–one for her and one for her husband.
- Melanie — wins one registration
- Aaron — wins one registration
These are the commenter names used when entering. In case there’s more than one with the same name, you’ll know if you’re the winner because you’ll receive an email this evening with instructions for applying your gift to your registration.
Thank you so much to all who entered. You have done more good than any of us can know by spreading the word about the conference. God knows your story and your need and your desires. I pray that many of you will be able to benefit from the conference.
Friday, September 16th, 2011
Free: 4 registrations to T4A Conference
I’m really looking forward to the Together for Adoption (T4A) Conference, Friday and Saturday, October 21-22, in Phoenix. They’ve asked me to be one of the official bloggers, and I think I’ll be leading a breakout session. I’ll also be on a panel during the pre-conference afternoon for adoptive and pre-adoptive mothers, Thursday, October 20 (page down on the main conference web page to read about it.
Besides the great programming and exhibits, I expect the conference to be a valuable time for me to connect with other adoptive parents in ways that will be encouraging and upbuilding and educational for me and my family.
Conference organizers are offering 4 registrations to you, my blog readers. Here’s what you need to do to be eligible. Fulfill the following requirements, and then comment at this post to report that you have done so. Deadline is 11:59 pm this coming Tuesday, September 20.
- Visit the T4A Conference website and see what’s happening.
- Tell at least one other person about the conference. You choose how to do it: face-to-face, Facebook, Twitter, email, phone, text . . . .
- Make this decision: If you win, will you come with your spouse?
- (Optional) “Like” T4A on Facebook; Subscribe to the T4A blog.
Two of the registrations will be given to a husband and wife to attend together. Two will be given to individuals.
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Join me at the Together for Adoption Conference, Oct 21-22, Phoenix, AZ (Pre-conference events, Oct 20)
