Planting Seeds

Just as the farmers, in the fields, are planting their seeds right now... I have been surrounded by other "plantings" going on.

Last week, we had the amazing opportunity to host two boys, members of the Children of the World choir, brought by World Help and Kids Against Hunger www.achildshopeintl.org , to our church. Dan, 10-years-old, is from Uganda, and Ash, 9-years-old, is from Nepal. My prayer for the hosting was that we, as a family, could love, encourage, and provide a sense of "hope" for the boys. Not only that, I prayed that God would use the boys to "plant seeds" in my children to want to help orphans one day.

The Children of the World concert, alone, had my chilren in AWE! To see the sweet orphans on stage singing, dancing, and praising God was purely joyful. It touched both the kids and I very deeply. Those children have seen and experienced so much pain, in their short little lives, already. They have been on tour for nearly a year and will go back to their native countries in June. One of our little boys confided that he will return to a children's home (an orphanage). Although I praise God there is food and clean water at the home, I can't bare the thought of the young boy not having a family. It breaks my heart. Perhaps God was planting seeds in me, as well. (Smile.) We will never forget Dan and Ash. We will pray for them nightly. They are already mighty children of God, and we will continue to pray that they will grow up to be mighty men of God.

Last night before bed, my little warrior man, Evan, prayed and then told me that someday when he grows up, be wants to be a Marines missionary! He said that his two favorite things are spreading the word about Jesus and battling! Is he all boy or what?! As for Miss Karrigan, I knew she had listened closely at the concert, because she asked God for all of the children to be able, to have clean water. It really bothered her seeing photos of sick children and hearing that 30,000 children die every single day from contaminated water. I can't get over that statistic... I vow that I will never dismiss it or let it go in one ear and out the other - 30,000. We can do better as human beings to not let this happen. For all of the struggles we have in our country, we are so blessed. Through World Help, we can all assist by paying -pennies- TRULY... just pennies is all it takes to help struggling countries build a well for fresh, clean drinking water. That could drastically help the mortality rate of children in countries like Nepal and Uganda.

New topic...

Other seeds being planted:

Oh my goodness, I am just Over the Moon about this one! As most of you know, I am the video teacher at our school. God has allowed me to be surrounded by so many amazing people including Mrs. Shook, the Life Skills teacher. Mrs. Shook is such a kind lady whose heart for children is very apparent as she teaches her classes. She approached me about her classes participating in a project to help the orphanage where Yuliya is! Since the class is about to start a financial unit, one of the sections is about tithing. Helping the orphanage will be a perfect compliment to the course work. So... I had the amazing opportunity to speak to both Life Skills classes and share our testimony about adoption, including how God has adopted all of us as his sons and daughters in Christ. The kids became really excited about helping, and many hands went up in the air with ideas! I believe the details of the project are being worked out, but I did hear that each and every one of the 300 children at the orphanage will be receiving a personal card and a goody bag! I've said from the get-go, this adoption is not about us and our family... we are simply just a vessel -doing- and allowing others to do, His amazing work.

As I look out my window and see the pretty spring daffodils popped out of an empty flower garden, I'm reminded, it was their season to bloom. Other flowers are coming in their season. For my family, it's our season to both plant and receive a harvest, which I'm not sure we've ever done at the same time. -At least not knowingly.- That's the beauty of adoption, there's so much more going on within the workings of God, that we don't ever really get to see. In about one month, our garden will be full, blooming, and over-flowing with "flowers": Yuliya will be home with her forever family, orphans will be feeling love and hope (class project), and God will be perfoming even more beautiful, blooming miracles in his eternal garden, of the kingdom.