I think, for the most part, this is true. Statistics make us numb. We feel powerless, helpless against such massive numbers. In the context of orphan care, REALLY massive numbers are thrown around. Since I'm a numbers geek, I want to know them and understand them and share them. I know, you can't wait.
The really exciting thing about statistics, is that they are not outside the control of God. He laughs in the face of statistics. Just ask the person who was cured of cancer or the couple who was told they could never conceive (and now have five bio kids). Statistics are nothing to the God of the universe. Mark Twain also had something to say about statistics: "'There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."
There are some confusing numbers out there with regards to "orphans". According to UNICEF there are 163 million "orphans" worldwide. Most of us, when we think of the term "orphan", think of children without parents. But that is not the case. UNICEF and other agencies "adopted the broader definition of orphan in the mid-1990s as the AIDS pandemic began leading to the death of millions of parents worldwide, leaving an ever increasing number of children growing up without one or more parents. So the terminology of a ‘single orphan’ – the loss of one parent – and a ‘double orphan’ – the loss of both parents – was born to convey this growing crisis."
So the number of vulnerable children worldwide is estimated to be 163 million. Some of these children have two living parents but are highly vulnerable because the parents are not able to afford their care, abuse them, neglect them, are very ill... There are as many reasons why children are vulnerable as there are vulnerable children. It's complex. I can hardly begin to grasp it.
Of those 163 million vulnerable children, 55.3 million are without a mother and 126 million are without a father. Only 18.3 million are "double orphans". I say only because, if we just looked at the 163, it would be our assumption that homes are needed for all of those children, but that is not the case. 90% of those children have homes and living family members. Their entire family needs support and love and prayer. (and sponsorships - more on that next time)
While we're on the subject of statistics, I want to bring it home to Kentucky. According to Focus on the Family, in 2009, there were 2,048 children in foster care waiting for forever families. There were also, according to Focus on the Family in 2009, 6,859 churches in the state of Kentucky. WOW. 2,048 kids ready for homes and 6,859 churches. Really WOW.
To quote Dan Cruver from Together for Adoption "Can you think of a better visible testimony to a watching world of what God has done for us in Christ than caring for orphans in their need and helplessness?"
I can't. How about you?
Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. - Isaiah 1:17
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Refocus
I have thought about the blog quite a bit these past few months. Although thinking about it hasn't led to any telepathic posts... Aside from the fact that life moves at light speed, I've struggled with the question "What is our blog about?" More importantly, what are we about? (it ain't cancer folks!) We've been talking and praying and searching and reading. What are we, the Wallace's, about?
There are lots of things to blog about - meal planning, being frugal, being "green", film making, parenthood, marriage... We read blogs about all of these things. But what is the word from the Wallace's?
It's slowly become clear, that we are about orphans. We're about orphans not because it's trendy or heroic or because they're cute. We're about orphans because our God is about orphans.We're about orphans because he has given us a heart and a mandate to love and care for them.
He tells us so in James chapter 1 verse 27 - "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." Pure and undefiled. TRUE. True religion is to care for orphans. Not super religion or hero religion or varsity religion. True religion. It is a central, integral, essential part of being a Christ follower to care for orphans and widows.
So what does that mean? What does it look like when you don't feel called to sell everything you have,move to Africa and start an orphanage? We are slowly figuring it out.
For us, the first step was to start the adoption process, so one focus of this blog will continue to be adoption. We want to be and provide resources for families interested in adoptions and foster care. We want to encourage them and pray for them and support them in any way we can.
BUT, there is so much more to James 1:27 than adoption. We are just starting to unpack it. And as we do, I will be blogging about it. I promise. My hope and prayer in redirecting the focus of our blog is that the Holy Spirit would stir in your hearts the same conviction and desire to care for orphans that He has stirred in ours.
And when I say we, I mean WE. For me, I have never felt surer of anything in my life than I do that this is my purpose for His kingdom. And when William and I came up with the Top Five Focuses of our family, my sweet husband listed orphans as #3 after God (#1) and our family (#2).
Moses is the most vocal about his love for the orphans. (anyone surprised? Moses, vocal?) Since taking a trip to Target to buy needed items for his "friends" at Harvester's Reaching the Nations (HRTN), packing them up and taking them to the post office, the kid cannot stop talking about his friends in Sudan. We've also started sponsoring a boy from HRTN and Moses talks about him. Daily. He also asks at least once a day "When are we going to Sudan?"
Meadow has yet to show us in what way she will care for the orphans but some of the focuses here will be how to care for orphans as a family and raising kiddos with a heart for orphans.
I'll also be blogging about the theology of orphan care, suffering and God's sovereignty, organizations that are doing orphan care well (and how you can support them) and life and how we are living it.
We'll also be including resources for the different areas of "orphan care" - adoption and funding, foster care, human trafficking, orphan sponsorships and more.
I'm hopefull and encouraged by what the Holy Spirit will do through all of you who will be following along.
There are lots of things to blog about - meal planning, being frugal, being "green", film making, parenthood, marriage... We read blogs about all of these things. But what is the word from the Wallace's?
It's slowly become clear, that we are about orphans. We're about orphans not because it's trendy or heroic or because they're cute. We're about orphans because our God is about orphans.We're about orphans because he has given us a heart and a mandate to love and care for them.
He tells us so in James chapter 1 verse 27 - "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." Pure and undefiled. TRUE. True religion is to care for orphans. Not super religion or hero religion or varsity religion. True religion. It is a central, integral, essential part of being a Christ follower to care for orphans and widows.
So what does that mean? What does it look like when you don't feel called to sell everything you have,move to Africa and start an orphanage? We are slowly figuring it out.
For us, the first step was to start the adoption process, so one focus of this blog will continue to be adoption. We want to be and provide resources for families interested in adoptions and foster care. We want to encourage them and pray for them and support them in any way we can.
BUT, there is so much more to James 1:27 than adoption. We are just starting to unpack it. And as we do, I will be blogging about it. I promise. My hope and prayer in redirecting the focus of our blog is that the Holy Spirit would stir in your hearts the same conviction and desire to care for orphans that He has stirred in ours.
And when I say we, I mean WE. For me, I have never felt surer of anything in my life than I do that this is my purpose for His kingdom. And when William and I came up with the Top Five Focuses of our family, my sweet husband listed orphans as #3 after God (#1) and our family (#2).
Moses is the most vocal about his love for the orphans. (anyone surprised? Moses, vocal?) Since taking a trip to Target to buy needed items for his "friends" at Harvester's Reaching the Nations (HRTN), packing them up and taking them to the post office, the kid cannot stop talking about his friends in Sudan. We've also started sponsoring a boy from HRTN and Moses talks about him. Daily. He also asks at least once a day "When are we going to Sudan?"
Meadow has yet to show us in what way she will care for the orphans but some of the focuses here will be how to care for orphans as a family and raising kiddos with a heart for orphans.
I'll also be blogging about the theology of orphan care, suffering and God's sovereignty, organizations that are doing orphan care well (and how you can support them) and life and how we are living it.
We'll also be including resources for the different areas of "orphan care" - adoption and funding, foster care, human trafficking, orphan sponsorships and more.
I'm hopefull and encouraged by what the Holy Spirit will do through all of you who will be following along.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Yay!
As most of you know William's scans were clear and we are celebrating 6 months of being cancer free! Praise God!
Today was a glorious day of letting out the deep breath if felt as though we had been holding for the last month.
The details of the follow up appointment are: clear scans!! (next time William would like to be sedated for the PET/CT scan:-), the doctor examined William's arm and did not feel anything that would be causing it to be tender but suggested he have ultrasounds in between scans for "peace of mind", which we welcome. SO, that means in two months he'll have an ultrasound of the area where the cancerous lymph node was just to keep a closer eye on things. The next PET/CT scan will be in September.
We are doing two weeks of the Gerson Therapy per the "maintenance schedule" (I should say I am preparing and William is consuming the Gerson Therapy), and day one was a breeze.
Thank you everyone for your prayers and encouragement! We don't really know why William hasn't been feeling well these past few weeks but I am confident that God answered our prayers. We are so humbled by your love for us.
Today was a glorious day of letting out the deep breath if felt as though we had been holding for the last month.
The details of the follow up appointment are: clear scans!! (next time William would like to be sedated for the PET/CT scan:-), the doctor examined William's arm and did not feel anything that would be causing it to be tender but suggested he have ultrasounds in between scans for "peace of mind", which we welcome. SO, that means in two months he'll have an ultrasound of the area where the cancerous lymph node was just to keep a closer eye on things. The next PET/CT scan will be in September.
We are doing two weeks of the Gerson Therapy per the "maintenance schedule" (I should say I am preparing and William is consuming the Gerson Therapy), and day one was a breeze.
Thank you everyone for your prayers and encouragement! We don't really know why William hasn't been feeling well these past few weeks but I am confident that God answered our prayers. We are so humbled by your love for us.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Scans
Tomorrow is William's first follow up PET/CT scan. (we re-rescheduled from the 15th back to the tomorrow, the 22nd) I wish I could say that we are feeling optimistic, trusting in God's sovereignty, and making the most of this reminder of our mortality. But we are not. William is not feeling well and hasn't for a few weeks. He is scared. I am scared. I am bitter and irritable and tired of "bad" news. I am not trusting in the God of the universe who I know spoke everything into being and knew before the beginning of time every trial we would face in our momentary lives.
Somewhere in the midst of my step-mom's brain surgery, diagnoses, doctors appointments, second opinion, passing and planning for her "party", William's own health has deteriorated and he spent most of today in his recliner. He has random yet suspicious symptoms of what seem at this moment to all point to more bad news.
At times, I find comfort in the promises of God, that those who suffer "for a little while" (1 Peter 1:6) in this life will experience the "steadfast love" (Psalms 63:3) of the Lord forever. FOREVER.
Why is it that, at other times, the promise of God's love forever is not enough to comfort me? Not enough to keep me from tears or bitterness or being short with those I love? The truth is, it's because I am trying not to do or be those things in my own strength, and I cannot even choose to breath in my own strength. I'm not relying on the God who commands me to "rejoice insofar as you share in Christ's sufferings." (1 Peter 4:13)
My flesh wants me to try harder, be kinder, stronger, better. But I cannot. I can only surrender myself to Him who created me, sustains me and will one day call me home to partake in the fullness of His joy.
Somewhere in the midst of my step-mom's brain surgery, diagnoses, doctors appointments, second opinion, passing and planning for her "party", William's own health has deteriorated and he spent most of today in his recliner. He has random yet suspicious symptoms of what seem at this moment to all point to more bad news.
At times, I find comfort in the promises of God, that those who suffer "for a little while" (1 Peter 1:6) in this life will experience the "steadfast love" (Psalms 63:3) of the Lord forever. FOREVER.
Why is it that, at other times, the promise of God's love forever is not enough to comfort me? Not enough to keep me from tears or bitterness or being short with those I love? The truth is, it's because I am trying not to do or be those things in my own strength, and I cannot even choose to breath in my own strength. I'm not relying on the God who commands me to "rejoice insofar as you share in Christ's sufferings." (1 Peter 4:13)
My flesh wants me to try harder, be kinder, stronger, better. But I cannot. I can only surrender myself to Him who created me, sustains me and will one day call me home to partake in the fullness of His joy.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Bullet Point Style
It's been a while. That seems to be a theme around here. Since it has "been a while" I thought I would just do a quick bullet point update of the last few months. I hope that more blogging will be in our future. There's a lot going on in this head of mine right now...
December - William arrived home safely from Sudan! We were so happy to see him we arrived at the airport 4 hours early! Oh wait, that was because no one told us the flight was delayed... They have already cut a trailer for the new film - check it out! William is one talented man.
The kids had a blast at Christmas and I am ashamed to say that I must not have taken any pictures once they woke up. But I have this one of our rockin' tree.
January - I turned 30. It's the new 20.
February - Lindsy officially stays at home with the kiddos! An answered prayer we praise God for every day.
March - Our adoption will be further delayed. This may be a full post later but, basically, everything we have done since 2009 is or will be expiring, which we knew, sort of. It does not make sense for us to begin the process again until August, because if we started over this month like we planned, we'd have to redo it all again in August anyway. Frustrating. Confusing. Obedient to His calling. Come on August.
William's first follow up PET/CT scan is later this month. It was originally scheduled for the 22nd but we had it moved up to the 15th. He has a tender area under his arm where the lymph nodes were removed. Since this is an area we are supposed to be watching, we decided to go in earlier and one week earlier was the best they could do. Please pray that it is something silly, like an ingrown hair.
Back to February for just a moment, some of you may have heard that my step mom was diagnosed with brain cancer a couple weeks ago. This will be a full post in the coming weeks but please be in prayer for her and my family. More on that later.
December - William arrived home safely from Sudan! We were so happy to see him we arrived at the airport 4 hours early! Oh wait, that was because no one told us the flight was delayed... They have already cut a trailer for the new film - check it out! William is one talented man.
January - I turned 30. It's the new 20.
March - Our adoption will be further delayed. This may be a full post later but, basically, everything we have done since 2009 is or will be expiring, which we knew, sort of. It does not make sense for us to begin the process again until August, because if we started over this month like we planned, we'd have to redo it all again in August anyway. Frustrating. Confusing. Obedient to His calling. Come on August.
William's first follow up PET/CT scan is later this month. It was originally scheduled for the 22nd but we had it moved up to the 15th. He has a tender area under his arm where the lymph nodes were removed. Since this is an area we are supposed to be watching, we decided to go in earlier and one week earlier was the best they could do. Please pray that it is something silly, like an ingrown hair.
Back to February for just a moment, some of you may have heard that my step mom was diagnosed with brain cancer a couple weeks ago. This will be a full post in the coming weeks but please be in prayer for her and my family. More on that later.
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