My Best Friend, Peter

Noah and Peter

A boy named Peter lived in an orphanage in Russia but a family in the States decided to step out in faith and bring Peter and his sister into their family through adoption.

These two former orphans have lived with their new family for over four years now.

My children have loved getting to know this family  over the past year and one day I asked my eight year old son who his best friend was.

His answer was, "Peter is my best friend."

When we lived near this family Noah and Peter were almost inseparable, Noah prays for his friend, talks about him often and even named his favorite stuffed animal after Peter.

The best friend of my son is a boy that lived in an orphanage on the other side of the world but was adopted.

Think about that for a minute.

If this family had not adopted Peter, how much joy would be missed?

Peter would still be in an orphanage.

Noah would have never known his best friend.

How much is missed when we do not listen to God's calling to visit orphans in their distress?

How many best friends will our children never know?

To the family that adopted Peter... thank you for adopting my son's best friend.  The blessing of your adoption continues to spread.

Isaac, Noah and Peter fishing

A Conversation with an Orphan

The school year has ended in many orphanages around the world and for those children 16 years or older that are done with high school, their opportunity to be adopted is most likely over.

They have "graduated" from the system and now they move on.

A small number will survive.

Most will become criminals and prostitutes.

Many will be dead within a few years.

All it takes to break this cycle is for someone like you to step out in faith, go get a child and make that child your own.

A friend recently had this conversation with an orphan that may never have the opportunity to be adopted:

Where is your mother?

She died.

Do you remember your mother?

Yes, of course, I do.

Did you live with her?

Yes.

How long?

I don’t remember.

I’ll bet she was pretty.

(Smile) Of course she was.

What was her name?

(Long pause)  I don’t remember.

And what about your dad?

He’s in jail.

Has he been there for a long time?  Did you ever live with him?

Yes a long time, no I just lived with my mom.

(A little while later...)

What kind of family do you want one day?  A pretty wife?

No, I don’t want a wife,  but  I am going to adopt a child from an orphanage.

Why do you want to do that?

Because I know what it is like to live in an orphanage.  And my child will be thankful that I took him away from the orphanage, he will value what I will give him.

Like you would have valued if someone came for you?

Yes, but I live in the orphanage, I am not complaining.

Value.  This orphan understands at least a little bit about what is really important and what we should value.

What do you value?  Do you value these children enough to make life a little uncomfortable for a while to change the life of a child.  

You may come to find that a little discomfort now becomes the greatest blessing of your life.

And you will change the conversation with an orphan.

Welcome Home!

Last night, four former orphans welcomed home two more children that are no longer without a family.  What a joy it was to see all of these children and their families together.  Karina and her siblings love seeing children, no longer living in an orphanage on the other side of the world, coming to live with their family in a home and they pray that more and more children will be coming home soon.

Almost every week we receive messages from different orphans in different parts of the world asking the same question:  Is someone coming for me?

Thankful for Mom

Mother's Day is a special day for a former orphan.  Karina drew flowers, purchased a frame for the drawing, wrote a card and had it ready for Sheila on Mother's Day. 
"I am so thankful to have you as my mother."  Karina told Sheila.
A friend that ministers to orphans in Eastern Europe sent us this video recently and if you listen to the end you can hear orphans crying out for a mother...