Adoption

"so that we might receive adoption as sons." Galations 4:5
"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

For many years, I have been convinced of the value of adoption, as Christians are commanded to care for orphans and widows, and it is patterned after our own adoption as sons by God the Father. I've always thought it was something that I myself would like to do one day, especially after working in different childrens homes in college and seeing the large number of abandoned and abused children, even here in the US. Lately, God has blessed me to witness Christian families heeding God's call to care for orphans and widows. One of my best friends, Bailey, has a nephew that is adopted. John and Heather Ferguson, who I served alongside with in Peru, adopted two children from the US foster care system, and it was a joy for me to have their daughter Miranda in a girls Bible study in Peru. I'm currently praying for families such as the Nasekos who are in the adoption process to adopt Karina, a Ukranian orphan. It has been a tremendous encouragement for me to watch the faith of these families as they seek to honor the Lord by bringing these precious children into their families. Check out their blogs to see how you can pray for them and to read the stories of God's goodness and faithfulness as they go through the adoption process.

I also recently ran across a video about Georgia football coach, Mark Richt, and his family's story of adopting two orphans from Ukraine.