Hope Blankets

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means

caring for orphans and widows in their distress

and refusing to let the world corrupt you. 

 James 1:27

This journey started out being about a little girl that we longed to bring into our family.  We have dreamed of doing this for so long, long before our first baby ever arrived.  But as we have prayed and sought God's face these last months for direction, provision, and peace in the waiting, we have really begun to understand that caring for orphans is truly God's heart.  Caring for orphans is a picture of what He has done for us and will do for us when He returns for us.  He came to us when we had nothing to offer Him, when we were sick and dirty with sin, and He rescued us, giving His very life for us.  And the more we realized how much God loves orphans, the greater our desire to care for them has become. 

Yes, we are adopting a little girl, one who brings tears to my eyes when I think of her, one for whom I have prayed eleven years for, but we want to touch the lives of other orphans as well.  Our heart's desire is for others to experience this amazing journey with us, one that has drawn us to God like nothing else has. 

We have prayed for God to show us ways to care for orphans that would allow others to join us, and we are so excited about the opportunity He has given.  Our adoption agency, America World, partners with two orphanages in China.  These orphanages have given us permission to send blankets to the children that are in their care.  We have 96 Hope Blankets, and we are praying that God will raise up 96 families who will join with us.  Our hope is that each family will sponsor a blanket for $25 (or whatever amount each family wants to give), take the blanket home, and pray as a family for the child who will receive that blanket.   Then, we would like to collect them again on Sunday, Oct. 30 (or anytime the week before), pray over them together, and then send them to the orphanages. 

Sometimes when we hear numbers like 18.3 million orphans worldwide, it almost seems impossible to make a difference.  But this is an opportunity to pray for one specific precious child who will receive a Hope Blanket from someone who has prayed (and hopefully will continue to pray) for them.

The money will cover the cost of the blanket and shipping ($15), and the rest will go toward helping with costs of our adoption.  In return, we would like to give each family a Seeds of Change 30-day devotional on showing hope to orphans, produced by Show Hope.  This is a powerful book with devotions written by Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman, Emily (Chapman) Richards, and Scott and Kerry Hasenbalg who serve as executive directors of Show Hope.  Here is an excerpt from Day One, written by Steven Curtis Chapman: 

 "Do you really want to know God?  Do you really want all He has for you, the abundant life He has promised you?  It may take getting a little uncomfortable, and it may take risking a little of what the world tells us to hold on to.  But He is good, and what He has for us is worth far more than all the world has to offer.  Are you willing to step out boldly and follow Him wherever He may lead?"



We hope that God will use these blankets to bring hope to orphans and to stir the hearts of His children to care for them in a greater way.  And who knows, maybe our precious Meilí will be the recipient of one of these blankets!  This journey has already been so much more than we had imagined, but I truly believe God is saying, "You ain't seen nothing yet!!"