He Provides: The Casper Family

Our final family in the He Provides series is the Caspers. 

I have recently gotten to know Lauren and 

am so grateful for her fresh and honest look at the life God has given her to live. 

You can follow their story at Traded Dreams.

If someone had told me four years ago that we would need to raise more than $60,000 in less than three years time ... from scratch... as a single income ministry family... while my husband was in grad school... I would have laughed.

If someone told me that I would fly to Africa four times in less than three years... I would cross the Atlantic Ocean eight times... I would have hyperventilated, crawled in bed, and pulled the covers over my head until it was all over.

That's such a big number and it seems so unattainable. Flying is so scary to me and I hadn't stepped foot on a plane in years. But I learned a valuable lesson in the last few years. When God is in it -- when he's writing the story -- he will provide.

We started our first adoption process in the fall of 2009. We had enough in our savings to make the first payment that came with signing on with an agency and after that we had to rely on fundraising. I had plans, though, and while I was a bit overwhelmed I wasn't worried.

I knew the money would come through if I just worked hard enough. I had mapped out each payment and the cost of travel. I had figured it all out and as long as I could keep our fundraisers on track it would all go as planned. Except that in adoption nothing goes as planned.

 In March 2010 we received a phone call from our adoption agency. Ethiopia changed their laws regarding travel and adopting families. We were now required to make two trips instead of one. This added another $5,000 at least to the adoption fees. I was so discouraged and there were many well meaning people in our lives who urged us to back out now. But we couldn't do that. We knew our son was waiting for us there and we told ourselves that in the grand scheme of things $5,000 was nothing. Another trip. Another flight. Another transatlantic flight. I constantly reminded myself of the reason I was doing this.

Then October 2010 came and the phone call that changed our world. A little face appeared on our computer screen and we "met" the little boy we'd already grown to love so deeply. Suddenly I knew it wouldn't matter if we had to make six trips to Ethiopia -- we'd find a way. A peace came over me that God loved this little boy far more than I did (as hard as that is to imagine) and he would get Mareto home to us. And he did. The body of Christ came together in such a beautiful way. God blessed our fundraisers and people felt led to give so generously to our adoption funds. Two weeks before we boarded our first flight to Ethiopia in January of 2011 we were fully funded. If I had things my way we would have had our funds all together months in advance -- but God provided so perfectly in his timing. I feel like I got to witness so many miracles as people gave of their time, services, talents, and finances to bring our little guy home.

And when it came time to board that plane God once again provided. I was scared to death and my palms were sweating like crazy - but I put one foot in front of the other and by God's grace I made that trip over the Atlantic. And then the next one over to Africa. And then the two flights back home. And then the two flights back to my boy. And the the two flights to bring him home forever.

God provided grace, strength, and peace every time. Just in time. So when it came time to start all over again in the winter of 2011/2012 we had a confidence and peace and a view that we hadn't had the first time. Once again we got to watch miracles unfold as all the funds came together to bring our daughter home in less than a year. Ten flights later I carried her through our front door and marveled at the goodness of God.

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

He Provides: The Elder Family

Today's story comes from Wynne Elder. You know when you "meet" (IRL or online:-) someone and everything they say and write you think to yourself "Yes!"? That's how I feel about Wynne. You can follow her at her beautiful blog Gloriously Ruined.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." Psalm 136:1

He provides.

Some might have thought we were crazy to be raising money two summers ago not only for our international adoption but also for me & my husband to go on a mission trip to our future children's country: Ethiopia. But, God provides. It has been a faith and trust journey on this road with Him, but He has always proved faithful. 

I could tell you story after story of God providing the money or prayer we needed at just the right moment over the past 2 years. I think one of the biggest lessons I learned was not in receiving, but in giving. We will call this : the garage sale story. 

The story goes that one of our first big fundraisers for our adoption was a community garage sale. Now, I'm talking our whole community group from church + numerous other friends pitched in garage sale items, baked goods, their time and effort in working the sale/setting up, and even set up a lemonade stand. This was not your ordinary garage sale- a two day event that took weeks to prepare for. The goal: somewhere around $3500 for our next big fee to our agency.

About a week or so before the garage sale, God put a good friend of mine and her family on my heart. I knew they were struggling financially and He told me that whatever we made on the garage sale, we needed to give them 20%.

Now, I did not tell anyone this (not even my hubby) because I think a part of me thought if I didn't tell anyone, I wouldn't be held accountable for it. The garage sale came + went and we made well OVER the amount we needed at that moment. With giving away the 20% we had exactly what we needed for that next payment. mind you, there were lots more payments coming.

After a week or two I really felt the Holy Spirit nudge me. Basically what I felt he was saying was- Wynne, by you hoarding this money you are saying you don't trust me. you don't trust that next time YOU need the money, I will provide.

So as scary as it was, we were obedient to the Lord and gave what He asked. Because of that obedience, my friend was able to buy diapers for her babies that night. The day she got the check, their bank account was negative again.

WOW Lord! He used us! He wanted to show us that HE WAS and WILL BE FAITHFUL to provide what we need exactly WHEN we need it.

I was telling this story to a friend recently and was reminded of Gods faithfulness yet again- over the next 2 years, He was faithful to provide EVERYTHING we needed. The week we switched agencies was our week on Give1Save1 (which seemed random if we weren't switching to accept a waiting child) and we got the $ we needed to switch.

The Lord also used another family to be obedient to his leading and bless US tremendously. There were many times I found money + checks in my mailbox, people I didn't know donating dollars to our paypal and the list goes on.

Raising funds and awareness for adoption was not easy. But God was faithful every. single. time to provide for us. Not just in money, but in prayers.

The weeks leading up to us clearing embassy in Ethiopia were certainly uncertain. There were days we thought we wouldn't be able to bring our daughter, Asher, home. But God provided once again and some friends of ours felt led to start a prayer chain. They did a 24 hour prayer for over two weeks. TWENTY FOUR hours! That means there were people getting up in the middle of the night to pray for our family. And God heard their prayers!

I was reading in Psalm 145 the other day [one of my faves] and came across something new: vs 7 says "they shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness!" That's what I want - to POUR FORTH the fame of gods goodness. to speak of it. to write it down. to remember it on the days that aren't so cheery. the days that I feel alone. I want to always remember that with God it will always be provided.

Will you trust Him? 

He Provides: The Henderson Family

Today's story comes from dear friends of ours who lapped us, not once, but twice in this adoption journey. They have an amazing family and I'm excited to share their story with you today! 

Enjoy!

I am really glad Lindsy asked me to write about this particular topic.  You see, provision (both financial and having a “normal” family) is the main hold up for men who are considering adoption.  I speak to men all the time who say, “I’d love to adopt but…”   

If I am being honest, men are programmed both in church (and this is a major sin in the US church) and out of church that we HAVE to possess all the financial answers for our family both now and the next 50 years.  Why do we neglect all the examples in Scripture of God simply providing for us?  Why do we forget all the times He has shown up in our lives or in the lives of others around us?  

I hope this post can challenge some misconceptions we (especially men) seem to carry around as burdens.  I simply want to tell our story about how God weaved Himself into it and provided especially when I did not deserve it.

“A means to an end.”  

That is how I viewed adoption in the fall of 2009 as Natalie and I were battling through 18 months of infertility.  We desperately wanted to be parents.   How foolish of me to have gone through 30 years of life and not see the obvious inseparable tie between the Gospel and adoption.  I mean it is NOT hidden deep in Scripture like some code from a Dan Brown book.  We see many references to it in black and white and simply gloss over them because they are contrary to the way the western church lives.  Because He is much smarter than I, God used our infertility to completely transform my life. 

When we decided to adopt, Natalie was still in medical school (racking up large amounts of debt without collecting a paycheck) and I had an entry-level sales job.  We were in no position to pay for an adoption.  Thankfully, I had wise people around me encouraging us to take the first step.  It was a life-changing decision. 

Soon after we sent our application into our agency, we were visiting with our close friends, Jason and Emily Fox (he married us and she was the maid-of-honor at our wedding).  During our conversation, I blurted out, “Hey guys.  How in the world are we going to pay for this?”  In a stroke of genius, Emily suggested we paint ornaments with an Ethiopian theme and sell them.  If you have met Natalie and I, you know that neither of us would be called artistic.  We did not have a better idea at the time and so we painted a prototype of the ornament and posted it on our blog and on Facebook.  By the end of the next day, we had orders for over 250 ornaments.  When all was said and done, we sold over 650 ornaments in those six weeks.  My wrist hurts thinking about painting all those ornaments.

Near Christmas, a friend I had not spoken to for several years contacted me.  They saw on Facebook about our adoption and the ornaments.  They asked if we could meet.  It was great to catch up with this good friend and I was leaving, they handed me an envelope and said, “This stays between us.”  I agreed and walked to the car.  I opened it when safely in the car and discovered a $5,000 check!  I remember sitting in my car, crying (which I never did before having children), begging God to forgive me of the doubt which permeated the lens in which I viewed the entire world and my relationship with Him.  I thanked Him for choosing to bless me and be patient in teaching me that He provides. 

I made a vow shortly after this that I would never doubt God and His provision for us.  People around me have no doubt heard me say, “God funds what He favors” and it is true.  Hear me out though.  I am not perfect in this.  I raise money professionally and I have seasons of doubt even though God continues to provide.  Doubt is a beast that is hard to fight back when it rears its ugly head.    

Of the $25,000 it took to bring Tedi home, Natalie and I contributed approximately $2,000 (which was about all we had at the time).  To sit back and reflect on the way our community and friends rallied around us to redeem our son is so humbling.  It still gives me goose bumps when I relive this and remember each person who gave freely.

When we decided to adopt again, I told Natalie two things: 1) We would NEVER question if God would provide and 2) We needed to carry more of the burden financially.  I made the decision to cash out an IRA (much to the chagrin of Dave Ramsey and our financial adviser) and we contributed over $5,000 to bring Chernet home.   

We were again blessed by many of the same people.  I contend that I have been blessed with the best friends anyone could have.  Not one person close to us ever questioned why we were adopting or why we needed help financially.  Our friends, family, church family simply filled the gap for us.     

In closing, I hope that you see a few themes in our story that are applicable to all of us going down this road:

1)    God is right there with us even in our doubting and times of soul searching.  He taught this to me during the darkness of infertility.  I am probably the only guy in the world who actually thanks God for infertility.  

2)      The adoption process, while taxing and extremely difficult, is a time of recalibration and God drawing you closer to Him.  Embrace the tension that resides there.

3)     God will use your closest friends, family members, not-so-close friends, and complete strangers to bless your adoption.  Be OK with that blessing.  Accept it.  Repay it. 

~JT Henderson

http://5millionminus1.blogspot.com

www.avechurch.com

Twitter: @jthenderson76

JT is a Friend, Servant, Connector, Pastor, married to a woman I don’t deserve.  Adoptive Dad.  Adopted by God.  Described by ABC News as the “Mouthpiece of Middle America.”

He Provides: The Shores Family

Today's featured family is the Shores. 

I hope you enjoy the story of how God is providing for their adoption!

The question nagged me too often:  "How on earth, Lord, are we going to pay for an international adoption?"  When the furnace broke, when we experienced costly car repairs, when our roof began to leak (and shingles slid off onto the yard!) after a hailstorm, the question persisted.  "How could we, a public school teacher and stay-at-home-mom already raising a five and a three-year-old, ever afford $30,000 in adoption fees?" 

We stepped forward, though, attempting to be faithful, clinging to Scripture (particularly Josh. 1:9 and Phil. 4:6), and sometimes only continuing on by the sheer grace of God.

Along our journey, we have been amazed as we have watched God provide for our financial needs in a variety of ways:  the sale of our second car, tax returns, yard sales, extra babysitting jobs, t-shirt sales, making and selling jewelry, receiving grants, and generous donations from friends and strangers alike. 

The money has always been there at the very moment we needed to make the next large payment.  Over the past year, we have even seen God provide miraculously for our adoption (like when we were notified about a mutual fund we didn’t even know existed, worth around $5000, and the amazing $7300 matching grant we received through Lifesong for Orphans, in conjunction with the Orphan Care Alliance and Antioch Church).  

We no longer have any doubt that God will provide.  It’s actually become sort of fun to see how he’ll come through.  

Since we initially set out to adopt one child, we have accepted the referral for three sisters, who are waiting in Ethiopia.  In order to accept the referrals, we had to raise $10,000 more than we had originally planned.  About $6,000 of that came in over the course of around five days, as we leveraged social networking to meet our goal. At this point, all that we have left to raise is the cost of travel.  Our God is so faithful to provide!  

May his monetary provision serve as a reminder to me that he will continue to generously give an abundance of wisdom and grace as we parent our children in the future!

My prayer is that you were encouraged by the Shores story! If you'd like to follow their adoption journey you can do so on their blog Life Safari.

Come back tomorrow to hear JT Henderson from 5 million minus 1 share his story!

When God's in the Story:Provision

At the beginning of this year our pastor taught a series entitled "When God's in the Story". I can't help but filter most messages I hear through my orphan advocate glasses, so when the sermon in the series on provision came around, that's where my mind went... Here are my thoughts. You can listen to the sermon here.

First, God's Word has a lot to say about provision.  

"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all." Matthew 6:31-32


^"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11


^"Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows." Luke 12:7

^"He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish." John 21:6

^"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

But here's the thing - we are so busy trying to figure out HOW He's going to work in OUR situation, we miss WHO He is. We are so concerned with the hand out that we miss His face.

This is WHO He is:


"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18


"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


"He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing." Deuteronomy 10:18


"When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow" Deuteronomy 24:19


"O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed" Psalms 10:17-18


"Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation" Psalms 68:5


Hearing this sermon led me to think of ALL the families who have walked the adoption journey He has provided for. I'm excited to be able to share a few of them with you this week!

Tomorrow we'll hear from Lindsay at Life Safari
Wednesday from our good friend JT at 5millionminus1
Thursday from my new friend Wynne at Gloriously Ruined
And Friday from one of my new favorite writers Lauren Casper at Traded Dreams

Stay tuned for some AMAZING stories!

I'll leave you with this humbling awe-inspiring quote from Charles Spurgeon...

What a serene and quiet life might you lead if you would leave providing to the God of providence! With a little oil in the cruse, and a handful of meal in the barrel, Elijah outlived the famine, and you will do the same. If God cares for you, why need you care too? Can you trust Him for your soul, and not for your body? He has never refused to bear your burdens, He has never fainted under their weight. Come, then, soul! have done with fretful care, and leave all thy concerns in the hand of a gracious God.

~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon