First Fridays - China Adoption Journey

Our dear friend and sister Carole Ford led us in music and a wonderful prayer of "O Come All Ye Faithful" Thanks Carole for your heart and you always "show-up" as only you know how to do!!

Amy Eldridge shares stories with us about her heart for orphans and how these children have changed her life. She also shared with us the work Love Without Boundaries is doing all over China for God's children.

Susan and Amy

First Fridays princesses!!

We cannot thank Amy Eldridge enough for traveling all the way from Edmond, Oklahoma just to speak to our group last night! She is so passionate about the work that Love Without Boundaries is doing. Listening to her tell the stories about what the children, some of these will be "our children", go through daily is staggering. I don't want these kids to experience a night of cold or to be left in the orphanage all night until morning when the aunties return. More on that as God continues to work in our hearts......

As a group, First Fridays-China Adoption Journey has chosen to support the Heartbridge Unit Project, look on www.lovewithoutboundaries.com under special projects for all the details. This project is designed to support a crib on a monthly basis and that donation will cover everything needed for that crib for the month. In one month, several babies may be in that one crib as they are prepared for heart surgery. We asked the group from FF to support this wonderful project and wow! what a huge response! We are well on our way to sustaining support for "our crib" for the entire year this year, please check out more details on our website, including how to give, what the details of the project are and quarterly updates on which children have been in that crib and their progress! I am overwhelmed at the support!! Thank you to each family for making a difference for these orphans!

Each of you means so much to us, and we can't thank you enough for allowing us to continue to be part of your journey and for "stretching to grow" when many times it doesn't make any sense....I have read so many stories today from families who posted last night after FF and I continue to be confirmed month after month that adoption is a "Big Deal". God wants this to be a "Big Deal" because I believe in adoption this will be one of the few times you come the closest to seeing Christ's face right in front of you, as you get your child.

Be on the edge of your seat, get stirred-up in your heart, cry, go on a mission trip while you wait, but don't "wait around" for "that day". Remember the story Amy told about the little one with the freezing cold hands, no windows in the orphanage with winter on the way....these children need us to rub their little hands between ours today! It is time to get passionate about these precious orphans who need everyone of us make the time while we wait count! If you stand in the "unknown zone", which is a term I would use for having no idea what is coming for your family in adoption, take comfort in the truth that we don't need to know what is coming. God will handle "ALL" of that, but while you are "waiting" make everyday count! I remember when we were waiting for MiMi, I would get up everyday at 5:30AM and drive to the YMCA so that I could workout while my sweet "little girl" was eating her dinner in China...I was driven to be with her in spirit as she reached the end of her day! I would run on that treadmill and pray for her to end her day peacefully and ask God to confirm in her heart that she was one day closer to her family coming to get her. I knew she would be alright, God confirmed that in me every morning as we talked at the YMCA!

Please let us know if you need anything, if you are in the "unknown zone", and can't even express what you think....we get all of that, and just want each family to be so prepared when you finally receive that precious child. Use your time wisely, don't make "this wait"a burden, walk this journey free from the "unknown zone" and just let God takeover. We would love to hear from you on our website check out the Prayer Request page and contact us links!!

Faithfully waiting for Hope Chapman!!