Archive for the Orphan Care
Sunday, May 12th, 2013
Dear birth mother on Mothers Day
A few years ago, I wrote several posts about our adoption story. (They start here.) So you’ve heard from me, and I hope you’ve realized our gratitude to God for bringing Talitha to us and us to Talitha.
What you might not have heard yet is Talitha’s own heart.
This morning, she got tired of waiting for me to finish sleeping late and slipped onto the bed beside me with a kiss and a perfectly chosen card, and even better, her own thoughtful note written inside.
Later this afternoon, she sat on the living room floor leaning against the sofa where her daddy was sitting. She was intent on something she was writing on her computer.
Only later, when I opened my own computer, did I realize what she’d done. I went straight up to her room to hug her and thank her.
I suspect that some of you are birth mothers whose children are in another family now. This has been a hard day for you. I pray you might receive Talitha’s words of love and thanks as if they had been written directly to you.
Dear Birth Mother,
I have no idea what you are doing right now or even where you are. But know, you are on my heart, especially today. Today I celebrate not just one mother, but two. Two mothers who have been there for me in different ways. One has nurtured and taken care of me since I was 2 months and the other is you. . . .
Monday, November 5th, 2012
One day, with one voice, for one purpose
Yesterday, people in churches in at least 24 countries of the world were praying for orphans and thinking about how to follow God’s example of caring for the fatherless.
I was amazed to discover just a couple of days ago how Orphan Sunday began. It’s truly a story of not despising the day of small beginnings.
This story touched me especially because it starts in Zambia. I’ve never been to Zambia, but once upon a time Kristin was a special friend to our daughter, and she was part of our prayer team, and occasionally she loved us with parcels of her yummy baked goods. Then she went to Zambia for a year and met Derek. Now they’re married and live in Lusaka, Zambia, working with Action International‘s Cross Project. One aspect of Cross Project HIV/AIDS-related ministry is attention to orphans, which brings us back to the beginnings of Orphan Sunday.
I hope you can sit down with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and watch all 33 minutes. But if not, here’s a rough breakdown of the minutes:
2:30-8:30 — The first Orphan Sunday and its spread through Zambia
15:00-17:00 — Spread to America
17:00-23:30–Words from Gary Schneider, Steven Curtis Chapman, Jedd Medefind, Francis Chan, and Orphan Sunday coordinators of Ukraine, Philippines, Kenya, and U.K.
During the rest of the minutes are two young people telling their touching personal stories of being lifted by God’s local people from the loneliness and despair of orphanhood.
Zambia’s Gift to the World:
Zambia’s Gift to the World from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.
Sunday, November 4th, 2012
Setting out to inform, I learned too
Orphan Sunday was this weekend. I helped compile a list of orphan care resources as information and encouragement for all who stop by the Orphan Sunday table at church. I shouldn’t have been surprised that I was learning too. I was struck by a number of things in the process.
1. There was one passage of scripture I found repeatedly. “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27). This call to care for orphans is for everyone who want to be pure and undefiled before God, in other words, for all Christians.
2. Caring for orphans doesn’t have to be overwhelming. God gives us different gifts. Some are called to adopt, which is life-changing. Others are led to ministry that is less whole-life involved. There are suggestions in 10 Ways Every Christian Can Care for the Orphan and Waiting Child.
3. I thank God for the significant number of Bethlehem people who are involved in orphan care, many through good organizations. You can see some of the ministries on the Resource List.
3. “I wish there were something at Bethlehem for families who have adopted and want support and advice to be better parents for the children we love.” A number of people have said that to me. Well, there is a class. It’s on the Resource List.
4. At Bethlehem, there a lot of former orphans who now are beloved children of our families.
5. In fact, every one of us who is trusting and treasuring Christ is a former orphan, now a beloved child adopted by God, the perfect Father. “He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:5).
Friday, September 14th, 2012
Together for Adoption: resource links I promised this afternoon
This afternoon, I stood in front of everyone at the Together for Adoption conference and revealed my ignorance: sort of “What I didn’t know and there’s lot’s more besides.” There was so much to reveal I didn’t have time for it all, so here are links for anyone who wants more.
1. I owe tons of thanks to all my blog readers who helped me remember all I don’t know when you responded to my requests here and here. If you haven’t read through all those comments, I encourage you to take advantage of the glimpses these friends have given us into their homes.
2. As I said, my friend Dorothy Bode should have been up there with me, or instead of me. Some listeners probably agreed that it would have been less repetitive if she had been, so they wouldn’t have heard over and over, “As Dorothy told me”. . . . “As Dorothy said”. . . . I have no idea how the mother of 11 children with a houseful of hidden disabilities has time to write blog posts, and with pictures, but she does and it’s been an education for me. Dorothy’s blog. The post I quoted.
3. Three years ago I wrote a series of posts telling our adoption story. It begins here.
4. The letter Johnny wrote to me saying yes to our adoption.
5. I quoted from Karen Richburg’s book, Disrupting Grace: A Story of Relinquishment and Healing.
6. Perhaps disability and orphan care are the most common topics
on my blog. Joni and Friends is the organization that I’ve done a lot of volunteering for. I highly any of Joni’s books, written from the perspective of decades as quadriplegic.
7. Seems like RAD came into the list several times. So let me recommend Karyn Purvis’s The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family. This has become the prime resource for parents wanting to help their children with attachment and sensory difficulties. Actually, when Johnny and I read it together, we found much of it practical and helpful for general parenting.
8. Here are a couple of posts with suggestions for the person, like
me, with ADD. In particular, I hope the books might be helpful.
9. Oh yes. And pressure cooker. I thought it was a cool –I mean sizzling — image. But maybe only us pre-microwave era oldies knew what I was talking about.
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Friday, September 14th, 2012
Together for Adoption: more than adoption
As I’ve walked through the exhibit areas at Together for Adoption, I’ve been struck once again with the variety of ways God leads people to care for orphans–adoption, yes, but so much more.
During one of the sessions, Johnny Carr of Bethany Christian Services interviewed Tendai Masariri, Bethany’s International Services Manager.
Tendai directs and manages programs in 5 African countries: Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia and South Africa. He has a passion for finding and preparing families to care for those children who have no parental care through local and inter-country adoption. Additionally, he is a husband and a father of three daughters.
He developed the first-of- its-kind foster family care and domestic adoption program in Ethiopia working with local churches, governments and UNICEF. Upon witnessing Bethany’s work in Ethiopia, the government of Ghana invited Bethany to assist in the development their social service system to care for families and children. (from the T4A Blog)
Then tonight I met Laura, coauthor with Johnny Carr of Orphan Justice: How to Care for Orphans Beyond Adopting.
The evening ended with the premier showing of Faultless: The American Orphan, produced by Unthinkable. The film is intended to open the minds and hearts of Christians to various ways to help orphans, not just adoption.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction (James 1:27). As Jonathan Goode, one of the film makers said, “It’s time for orphan care to be mainstream Christianity in America.”
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If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post here or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar at my travel blog, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did.
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Please visit my travel blog too–Tell Me When To Pack
Friday, September 14th, 2012
Together for Adoption: invitation to meet up
1. If you’re at the Together for Adoption Conference in Atlanta, but yet haven’t caught the invitation on Twitter or Facebook, I’m having a meet-up this evening. Bring your supper to the Student Room at the conference site. We’ll all get acquainted, chat, and hang out till the next thing on the schedule.
2. One of the benefits of a conference like this is finding out ways God is working through people on behalf of orphans. I want to pass some of that information on to you who can’t be here. The organizations who were sponsoring this morning’s session are:
- Every Orphan’s Hope – “Every Orphan’s Hope brings the light of Christ to orphans in Zambia, Africa. We don’t build orphanages. We build homes in AIDS-affected communities where orphans and widows build new lives together as a family. Guided by a “Mama,” orphans are raised to life in Christ in the community where they are known and are surrounded by their peers. Jesus Christ invites you to join Him, together with us, in raising up a generation of children for His glory! Jesus is their hope – but He needs our heart and hands – He needs yours, too.
- Lifesong for Orphans– Sponsoring the Both Hands Intitiative: One for the Widow; One for the orphan. ”Both Hands’ mission is to serve widows, orphans, and adoptive families. Both Hands’ purpose is to help people raise funds for orphans while serving widows through home improvement projects.”
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If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post here or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar at my travel blog, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did.
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Please visit my travel blog too–Tell Me When To Pack
Sunday, August 19th, 2012
Giveaway to two who help me
Thank you so much for your responses when I asked for help. Don’t stop now!
You’ve reminded me of things I want to talk about at Together for Adoption 2012, You’ve given me more things to think about and helped clarify some things for me. Your stories make me thank God for his strength and wisdom that we need so desperately as we raise our children, whether adopted or born into our families.
I promised that in a “couple of days” I’d tell you about a giveaway. Sorry, a couple of days has stretched into ten thanks to my procrastination. Also, Talitha and I are volunteering at a Joni and Friends Family Retreat this week. But I do want to bring to your attention a new book I received recently. As I wrote at the Amazon page for Chosen by Love, by Tom Jaski:
Tonight, my husband and I both read Chosen by Love. We really appreciated the careful way Tom Jaski showed parallels between human adoption and divine adoption. Before we adopted our daughter, I knew what the Bible says about God’s adopting us into his family. But the details and reality came alive as we lived adoption at the human level. Chosen by Love is a good reminder, and with Scripture references.
Tom Jaski is offering copies of Chosen by Love to 2 of you who answer my question: What do you wish you had known? Those who have commented are already in the running. But if you have more to say, or if you haven’t responded yet, please read the original post and help me!
The deadline will be midnight CDT, Thursday, 30 August. After that, 2 commenters will be randomly chosen to receive the book.
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If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post here or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar at my travel blog, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did.
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Please visit my travel blog too–Tell Me When To Pack
Thursday, August 9th, 2012
Had I but known . . . Help me!
Less than a month from now is the 40th anniversary of my becoming a mother. Had I but known that 40 years into mothering there would still be so many things I wish I knew. . . . There are so many things I thought I knew, but I didn’t really. There are so many things I hadn’t even thought about knowing, things waiting to bless me or to blindside me.
That’s my speaking topic, especially as it regards adoption, at Together for Adoption 2012 in Atlanta, September 14-15–what I didn’t know:
- If we just love our child enough . . .
- Some children are added by birth and some by adoption–it’s a simple as that . . .
- We will treat our adopted child just as we do the ones who were born to us . . .
- We will never blame adoption for difficulties our child may have . . .
- and . . . and . . . and . . .
I need your help. If you’re a parent by birth or by adoption or both, I need your help based on your experience. If you know someone who’s a parent by birth or adoption, I need your help based on your observations.
- What do you wish you’d known as you launched into parenting, whether by adoption or by birth?
- What have you learned or are you experiencing that’s very different than what you’d expected, whether happy or hard?
- What were you totally ignorant about at the beginning that you’re learning by experience?
- What unexpected things have blessed you?
- What unexpected things have blindsided you?
Your comments will prime the pump of my own thoughts as I prepare, but I will in no way compromise your privacy. In fact, if it makes it easier, feel free to respond anonymously via the comments to this post, or by using the comment button above to send me an email.
(In the spirit of “What I didn’t know,” I’ll announce in the next couple of days a gift that I’ll send to 2 commenters, randomly chosen.)
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If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post here or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar at my travel blog, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did.
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Please visit my travel blog too–Tell Me When To Pack
Sunday, August 5th, 2012
Glad you asked that question #1
I really meant it when I asked you to ask questions about Compassion. So thanks to Vicki for breaking the ice:
The only question I have is what is the criteria (denominational, doctrinal, etc). Compassion uses for selecting which local churches they will work with?
That’s an important question, and it just so happens that my daughter-in-law Molly Piper answered a similar question a couple of years ago, so I’m going to take the easy route here and just copy and paste her good answer.
Laura asked:
I sponsor a child in Kenya and wonder about the theology that she’s taught. How does Compassion choose which local churches to work with? Are they mostly theologically uniform, or is there some diversity of belief about what might be called “non-essentials” among the projects?
Answer:
- Compassion International sets up their child sponsorship “projects” through local churches. That’s the only way they do it in every country they work in.
- In the early days, Compassion had to go looking for church partners. Now, most of the time, churches come find them, because their reputation is so upstanding and the local congregations see the benefits of hosting a Compassion project and want that for the children in their neighborhoods!
- All churches must subscribe to the statement of faith of the National Association of Evangelicals. No exceptions.
So if this was the burning question you had that’s keeping you from sponsoring, and you feel satisfied with this answer, go ahead and sponsor.
Or if you’ve just been undecided or forgetful or apathetic or confused (really, you can just insert any of those adjectives here & you would’ve been describing me a few months ago)… go ahead and sponsor.
Thanks, Vicki, for asking. And thanks, Molly for the answer.
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Subscribe to NoelPiper.com by using the one of the Subscribe links to the right or by clicking here.
If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post here or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar at my travel blog, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did.
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Please visit my travel blog too–Tell Me When To Pack
Thursday, July 19th, 2012
A threefold cord
You don’t have to follow my blog long before you realize that one need that has caught my heart is orphan care in its multifaceted areas.
I’ve learned a lot by attending Orphan Summits sponsored by the Christian Alliance for Orphans. I’ve been helped by Together for Adoption conferences and will be speaking at the national gathering in September.
Compassion International is present, visible, and supportive at all these events. That makes sense. Not all the children sponsored through Compassion are orphans, but many are. And there is a significant overlap in the physical, educational, and spiritual needs of orphans and other children in extreme poverty.
So these three ministries that I feel close to are intertwined in these few days that Talitha and I are in Guatemala as part of a Compassion sponsor tour.
I’ll be posting stories, impressions, and links to photos at Tell Me When to Pack, my travel blog. I do hope you’ll follow our trip there. Please.
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Subscribe to NoelPiper.com by using the one of the Subscribe links to the right or by clicking here.
If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post here or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar at my travel blog, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did.
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Please visit my travel blog too–Tell Me When To Pack
Tuesday, June 19th, 2012
Winners: Together for Adoption
You are fantastic!
Your 40 comments amounted to 117 entries because of your Tweeting, emailing, Facebooking, blogging, Google plus-ing, Instagramming, etc. Thanks so much to all of you for spreading the word about Together for Adoption 2012.
Would you like it if I can set up an informal get-together at the conference?
Each of the following receives 1 free registration:
Rachel W
Kyle
Meghan B
Tracey
Ellen
I case there are others with the same name, you’ll know if this is you because you’ll receive an email shortly with instructions for registering.
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Subscribe to NoelPiper.com by using the one of the Subscribe links to the right or by clicking here.
If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post here or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar at my travel blog, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did.
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Please visit my travel blog too–Tell Me When To Pack
Sunday, June 10th, 2012
Together for Adoption 2012: win a registration
Adoption changed our lives. A couple of years ago, I wrote a series of posts telling some of our family’s adoption story. It begins here.
We knew lots of people who had adopted, and their experiences had taught us a lot. What I didn’t know, though, was how much we still would be learning now, 16 years into being an adoptive family.
That’s what I plan to talk about when I speak at Together for Adoption 2012 in Atlanta, September 14-15–What I Wish I’d Known.
The organizers have graciously given me registrations to share with 6 of you. Here’s what you need to do:
- Visit the Together for Adoption website and look over the conference information. If you subscribe to the Together for Adoption blog, that earns you an additional entry.
- Use your social media outlets to tell others about this chance to win a registration. Each additional social medium earns you an additional entry into the drawing. For example, if you were to link to this contest post from your blog and from Twitter and from Facebook, that would be 3 entries. (If you don’t use any social media, you may use email to send a bunch of friends the link to this blog post.)
- Comment once at this post to let me know you have completed #1 and #2 and to report any of the optional extras you’ve completed.
- Deadline is 11:59 pm cst, Monday, June 18.
I hope I’ll see you in Atlanta.
(If you want a headstart, I recommend Reclaiming Adoption, edited by Dan Cruver.)
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Subscribe to NoelPiper.com by using the one of the Subscribe links to the right or by clicking here.
If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post here or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar at my travel blog, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did.
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Please visit my travel blog too–Tell Me When To Pack.
