Monday, March 11, 2013

Adoption!!

You might not know this, but Joe and I were very seriously considering adopting this fall.  We looked through a lot of options and were even pre-approved with an organization to adopt from Bulgaria.  We were considering and praying about whether to move forward with the adoption or to try and have another biological child when we found out that I was pregnant!  I guess God made that one pretty clear to us!:)  And clearly with our sweet little boy on the way we just aren't in a position right now to add any more to our family.  And yet we believe strongly that God tells us in His Word that we are to care for the orphaned and the widowed and the poor.  I don't believe that it's an option for us.  So although the Lord is not calling our immediate family to adopt at this time we believe strongly that we are still to help care for the orphaned in some way.  And it just so happens that some very dear friends of ours are in the process of adopting.  Actually two sets of very dear friends of ours are adopting.  But today I want to tell you about one of them...our friends Laura and Wade Betters.  

So what can I say?  Laura is the friend that I prayed and prayed and prayed for for years when I felt so lonely here.  She is honestly the Lord's answer to all of those desperate prayers and boy did He answer is a pretty great way because Laura is one of those women who EVERYBODY loves...I don't know how you couldn't.  Laura is the sweetest, most thoughtful, caring person I know.  And her husband?  You might not see it as transparently, but he's got a big 'ol heart, is incredibly protective of all those around him, and is one of the funniest people I know.  
Together they have a 9 year old son who is literally Eli's best friend...yes, there is a 6 year difference, but Eli thinks the world of him and he couldn't be sweeter to my little boy.  He is somehow all boy and yet incredibly thoughtful of others and mature for his age.  They also have a 6 year old daughter who happens to be Lily's best friend.  This girl with the amazing smile is just fun to be around and is hands down brillant.  I can't get enough of our two girls together...they are so good for each other.
And now?  Now they are wanting to add to their family.  Also believing that God is asking THEM (and really all of us) to care for the orphaned is every bit their hearts desire to adopt a little girl from China with special needs.  Special needs you might ask?  Well, yes, because this is the kind of family that the Betters are...they want to truly care for the "least of these" and for the ones that nobody else wants.
And as they finish up their home study for the adoption all  that will stand in their way is finding the funds to move on to the next stage.  In case you didn't know...international adoption is expensive...crazy expensive.  But they are trusting that the Lord will provide for this too...as hard as that seems.  I believe that they need around $6,000 to move to the next stage of their adoption.  They have already provided for much of the money needed previously and we have done a couple of fundraisers...but there is still a need.  
This is a family willing to sacrifice....there little girl will see something she would like at the store and comment how she likes it, but doesn't want to buy it because instead she would rather have a little sister. 
I'm writing all of this to ask you to consider how you might be able to help...how you might literally be a part of this adoption and bringing a little girl home to this family.  God may not be leading you or I to adopt a child  personally at this moment, but He has still called us to care for the orphaned.  And one way you can do that is through sponsoring this family and helping them to raise the money they need to do what God has asked them to do!  A small gift of $10 or $15 or $20 can go a long way.  And if you can do a bigger gift that would be amazing too!
If God is leading you to help this family here is a fundraising site that they have set up to do just that (and you can read a little bit more about them too)...
Thanks so much for considering how you might be able to help this wonderful family bring their little girl home!

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