Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Pictures promised...

MARGRUERITE JANE...Isn't she a cutie!!!







Her sweet siblings!!!



Proud Parents, AGAIN!!!

Another couple has their sweet baby...

Another precious couple has their baby girl!! We have been blessed with the BEST clients, we really have. It's funny how close you can become to someone that was a perfect stranger only a month or two ago. Elizabeth was one of those clients, she and I hit if off!! They had been with an agency here in Georgia for almost a year, when she came to FAC. Her sweet family had been through 2 failed matches, and they were eager to meet the new baby God had for them!!

We got started together pretty fast, we worked on a profile, put one together very quickly, and then we waited for the situations that met their criteria. They only worked with me for a month, we she called to tell me that the original agency had matched them. YES, the original Georgia agency had matched them, and their baby was due in a week. A WEEK!!! WOW!!! They were thrilled.

I was a little disappointed, I love being able to play a small role in these adoptions, especially in the case of someone I have become so close too!!! But, God knew where their precious baby was, and it wasn't with one of our agencies. We are so excited for them, and we are hopefully going to meet them while they are here in Georgia!! I am so excited!!!

Their sweet baby girl was born last Friday...

Marguerite Jane

Weight: 7 lb, 0 oz
Date & Time of Birth: 5:54 pm, December 11th
Black, curly hair, dark, deep-set eyes.

Hopefully, this sweet family will let me post some of their pictures, I will post them as soon as I have permission!!! :)

Please continue to pray for them, pray for their BM and continues traveling mercies. They have to stay here in Georgia for another 10 days or so, and then they can head back home!! Thanks for all your prayers!!

Monday, December 14, 2009

This is a REPOST...it was so good, I wanted you to read it AGAIN!!!

Trans-Racial Adoption

I have been searching for information to better educate families about trans-racial adoption. I was talking to my parents today, and explaining that I had become somewhat discouraged, the more I searched the more negative information that I found. Well, I just found an article, an interview that absolutely blew me away. God answered my prayer, He absolutely gave me the best article to share with you.
Again, I found this article on the same blog as the last post. I will paste it below so that you can read it.

Interview on Transracial Adoption and the Gospel

Occasionally someone sends me an e-mail asking if I know of any resources that address transracial or transethnic adoption from a biblical perspective. Unfortunately, most of these e-mails come from people who are facing opposition to transethnic adoption from within the evangelical community. They most often want to know how the gospel addresses this important issue. So I thought I would post an interview I did with Thabiti Anyabwile last September. In it he addresses the issue of race and the gospel, particularly as it relates to the practice of transethnic adoption.

Thabiti is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman and most recently the author of the following books: What Is a Healthy Church Member?, The Decline of African American Theology: From Biblical Faith to Cultural Captivity, and The Faithful Preacher: Recapturing the Vision of Three Pioneering African-American Pastors. He served previously as an elder/assistant pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church (Washington, DC) and as an elder at Church on the Rock (Raleigh, NC). He also blogs at Pure Church.

1. Tell us a little about First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman.

This year FBC is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The church began in 1977 with 21 people from one of the ‘sister islands’ (Cayman Brac) meeting in a local living room. Today, there are people from about 25 nations who call FBC their spiritual home. It’s easily the most ethnically diverse church I’ve ever served. The people here love the Lord, His gospel, and His people. It’s a great joy to serve them.

2. As a pastor, what’s your primary burden for your people?

To see us all grow in holiness, to be shaped more and more in the image of Christ and therefore fit for heaven. We live on what most people consider an “island paradise.” Not surprisingly, then, the levels of worldly hedonism and materialism are quite high. But that’s really a tremendous gospel opportunity if the Lord grows us in Christ-likeness, disdain for this world, and commitment to living and sharing the gospel. If we can have more of heaven in us, even before we’re in heaven, the contrast between life in the kingdom and life in the world will be stark. I long to see us yearn for Christ and His kingdom.

3. You recently wrote an excellent and thought-provoking article entitled “Many Ethnicities, One Race.“ Why did you write it?

It was a privilege to be asked to contribute to the 9Marks eJournal issue on ethnicity and the church. Generally, I don’t like talking or writing a great deal about ethnicity and race; there are too many ways in which those conversations are unhelpful and unedifying. Nevertheless, the Lord has given us sufficient guidance for these issues in His word and I’m convinced we’ve not mined the Scripture enough. And that’s really problematic given how glaring a problem the racial history of the U.S. has been—the church not excepted. So, at the invitation of the brothers at 9Marks I tried to offer what I hope is a useful, biblical framework for thinking through these issues.

4. Some people, for any number of reasons, are uncomfortable with the idea of transracial adoption. Other people, because of their views on race, are outright opposed to the idea of transracial adoption; they believe that adoption across ethnic lines should not be practiced. How might the Bible speak to these concerns?

Well, I think it depends on the nature of the discomfort or opposition. If the discomfort or opposition is grounded in some assumption that “races” are unequal or that “races” should remain segregated in family and social relationships, I think the Bible rebukes and corrects that kind of thinking in several ways. First, it’s clear that there is only one “race” of man, all descended from our original parents Adam and Eve (Gen. 2; Acts 17:26). There is no biblical basis for discomfort or opposition based on racial attitudes. Second, the alienation that sometimes stirs opposition to transracial adoption is really a spiritual problem. It’s a product of the Fall of man into sin. The cure for that problem is saving faith in Jesus Christ, wherein man is first reconciled to God and then reconciled to other men. So, for Christians in particular, those who are adopted into the family of God through faith in Christ, opposition to transracial adoption is tantamount to denying the work of Christ on the cross.

But there may also be discomfort or opposition not based on racial attitudes but some prudential concerns. Some may wonder if they are sufficiently equipped to parent across culture and ethnicity. Others may worry about the tension or conflict they may experience. There we have to remember that we are not called to love only in the convenient places and situations. We’re called to a radical love, one that mirrors the love of God for broken sinners. And the end of such love is unspeakable joy. For the joy set before Him, Jesus Christ endured the inconvenient and uncomfortable agony of the cross to redeem a people who were hostile toward Him. Adoption across ethnic lines may be one of the best pictures of that radical Christ-like love we have available to us today. So, “prudential” concerns that awaken discomfort aren’t finally sufficient reason to refuse or oppose such adoptions.

5. More and more couples are considering adopting transracially. How would you counsel a couple that desires to adopt a child from another race (i.e. ethnicity)? How would you seek to educate them theologically? How should the gospel help shape their view of transracial adoption?

The first thing I would want to do is simply commend and encourage them. I’d want to commend this act of selflessness and love. And I’d want to encourage them to remember that God’s grace is sufficient for their every need. That’s true of parenting in general, and it’s true of the specific case of transracial adoption and parenting. So, first, be encouraged.

Second, I’d want to encourage them to jettison the idea of “race” as it has historically been defined. Drop it like the bad habit it is. Learn to read the Scripture for its accent on our common humanity. Hayes’ Biblical Theology of Race is very valuable in this regard. Think of the children, indeed all people, as essentially “same” rather than “other.”

But third, having acknowledged our common humanity, think and teach your children to think in terms of “the nations.” In other words, there’s a tremendous opportunity in multi-ethnic families to cultivate a deeper concern for missions and getting the gospel to all nations. Try to prevent conversations and cross-cultural education from terminating on man or your family; try to think of those conversations as opportunities for thinking great thoughts about God who wants to be known among all people. The Lord has purposed that His glory will be shown in the bowing of the nations to His name. Our reflection on ethnicity and culture is incomplete if it doesn’t have that goal in mind.

6. Many who will read this interview have already adopted transracially. They are often concerned that their transracially adopted children will struggle with a sense of identity since they do not have same-race parents or do not live in an ethnically diverse area. Would you address their concern?

Again, I’d want to remind them that the Lord’s grace is sufficient for their parenting and this concern. Lean into that grace; commit this issue to the Lord in prayer. He’ll direct your steps and give you wisdom in this area.

Second, it’s important to think of parenting as essentially an exercise in identity formation (spiritually first, and ethnically in light of those spiritual realities). So, give considerable time to helping your child think of her or himself as one made in the image of God. The dignity of their lives is derived primarily from this aspect of their identity. Whatever struggles they encounter in terms of social and ethnic identity, they should resolve them in light of this fundamental truth. Also, parents want to help their children ground their identity in Christ if the child is/becomes a Christian. They are being renewed in the knowledge of God, righteousness and holiness through their union with Christ. This is the most profound aspect of who they are and understanding this is critical for putting identity conflicts in their proper perspective. Having laid that theological basis then it’s time to think critically about ethnic culture, experiences, and ideas.

The mistake many will make—partly out of an overdeveloped sense of guilt, and partly out of a desire to help their children—is to rush to ethnic and cultural considerations. Based on my own experience running rites of passage programs aimed at fostering cultural identity and values, most children are really ill-equipped for this kind of exploration because they haven’t settled larger, more fundamental questions about existence, faith, and purpose. Parents want to lay that foundation first. Children will be healthier in the long run even if the struggle feels acute at some points. But for help with ethnic identity issues, don’t be afraid to enlist the help of others. Build cross-cultural friendships. Include cross-cultural experiences in the family’s entertainment options (books, movies, concerts, etc.). This may take some investment, but it’s not only good for the child but the parents as well.

(Retrieved from http://www.togetherforadoption.org/?p=247)

Saturday, December 12, 2009

YAY!! Another match...

So excited for another precious FAC family. They matched this afternoon with a baby girl. Their new addition is due at the end of January!!! So excited for them! The Lord is so good, I love to see him build families through adoption!!!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Blog Auction....

So, one of our precious clients, has decided to have an online auction to support her upcoming adoption. They are trying to raise money, so that they can add a precious child to their family. Adoption is expensive, and adoptive families have to come up with creative ways to fund their adoptions. I thought this idea was GREAT!! She has many wonderful, talented friends that have donated these items to her, and now she can auction them off to you...so you are helping a family, and getting a really GREAT item all at the same time. She has all sorts of items listed...baby items, things for you, gift certificates, etc, etc, etc....

Please check out this online adoption auction!

I thought this was a GREAT fundraising idea!!!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

This is GREAT...

This video is one our clients S and T put together! They have an open adoption with their sweet birth mom, and this video is their journey from the initial match until the birth of their son, Takoda. It is so sweet to watch. I know this sweet baby boy will appreciate this video so much one day!!!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Congratulations...

I am so happy to say that we had 2 clients match this weekend. Congrats to E and D, as well as, E and J. Both clients are expecting their precious babies this month, both are expecting baby girls, and both are very anxious to meet their new additions!!! I absolutely adore both of these couples, and I cannot wait to meet each of their new additions!! Please join me in praying for their birth moms, please pray that they are steadfast in their adoption plan, pray that they have safe, healthy deliveries, pray for these sweet babies, pray for traveling mercies, one of our clients has a long journey before them, while the other doesn't have to travel very far. Pray for them as they prepare for their new additions!! Also, pray that each of these adoptive couples will be able to witness to their birth moms, and their families. How AWESOME would it be if they could win these BM's to Christ if they do not already have a relationship with him. Our hope is that the Lord will use our clients to make an eternal difference in the lives of these precious birth families!! Thank you for all the prayers!! Thanks you so much!!!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Meeting Mr. Takoda

We got to meet one of our clients newest additions yesterday! It was so great!! We enjoy getting to hang out with them, but we LOVED getting to hold their precious baby!!! That is the best part of my job, being able to see the babies with their new families, see how happy they are, and just hear them talk about their experience!! This particular couple had a long, hard road to their sweet baby boy. I know they would tell you it was all worth it though, they have a fantastic relationship with their birth mother, they love her and now they have the most precious baby boy!! Here are some quick pics Emory and I snapped last night!!! This is the 2nd baby we have gotten to meet, and I hope we get to meet many, many more!!!!








Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Congratulations S and T!!!

Here is the newest FAC baby!! We are so excited for this sweet couple.








Another FAC baby...

COngratulations to the newest FAC family!!! Their precious baby boy was born a t 3:12 am. He was 7 lb 14 oz and 20 inches long!! I don't have pictures yet, but I am sure that I will have them soon!! Stay Tuned...