Adoption

When we were in China we became very accustomed to small fellowships.  Our first two years we met with some friends in our apartment.  We later attended the international fellowship, which was larger.  As our time ended we were attending a fellowship that met in a pub.  When we left Greenville to come to China we were attending a big fellowship here and that's what we were used to.  Going from this type of large meeting to the small ones we experienced in China was quite a change.  Oddly enough, whenever we returned to the states we found our hearts drawn to a smaller gathering.  One thing we tell many people is that we have gotten used to being involved in a fellowship where we can use our gifts right away.  When we returned home we wanted to find a place we could get plugged in.  We started attending Summit Church, which has done just that for us.  The first week they had tables out about all the different ministries you could get involved in.  They were looking for volunteers for the music and children's ministries.  My hearts was SO happy!  When you come from a background where you don't have many options for what fellowship fits you we just decided to jump in rather than searching around a lot. Another important thing we have learned in China is that America is bombarded by so many resources and options for churches that are often taken for granted.  We feel that one of the main responsibilities of the believer is to find a place and get plugged in so that's what we did.  We have loved Summit.  

Our hearts were further encouraged a few weeks later because they started talking about their "every child" initiative.  The past few weeks have been very practical lessons about the responsibility of stewardship of life and how we, as believers, have a responsibility to take James' words to heart and minister to the orphans and widows.  We later found out in our life group that many people are told that adoption in state is so expensive but it actually is not.  Many couples told us that in the state of SC they didn't pay anything to adopt their children.  Because we fostered in China, we know the benefit of adopting and fostering.  Our church has presented many ways to get involved with this initiative and they just happen to include fostering and adopting.  The thing that I love is how they point out that our motivation to do this is not out of guilt but because we were adopted into the Father's family.  We have also looked at Joseph, Jesus' father, as a very practical answer to this calling.  I never put two and two together before and see that James was the half-sibling of Jesus so his call to minister to the orphans and widows comes from a heart that saw it done first hand.  It then hit me that Jesus wasn't the popular kid who had a normal family.  Jesus was the half-sibling.  I come from a blended family so this brings more depth to my understanding.  Jesus had a step-father and probably dealt with that awkward social thing where people wonder why Joseph decided to take on that responsibility.  Mary was outcast because she was going to be a single mom but Joseph took her in anyway.  All these thoughts bring me back to Jachin, our foster son in China.  I just found out that he has a new family that is now taking care of him and I have heard he is doing well.  When Christ said "what you do to the least of these you do unto me", he really meant it because he was considered the least of these.  He adopts us into His family and that opens my eyes to what it means to care for the fatherless.  

 Jachin when we first got him.  He was just over 2 years old. 

Jachin one of the last times we saw him.  He was 3 1/2 years old.  

I am grateful for those who have loved and are currently loving this guy to provide life and love to a fatherless child.