Here we go!

 

Ever since we were young adults, we have had a desire to do what God wants with our lives.  That led us to our first jobs out of college at a Children's Home.  While we were there, our landlord was trying to convince us to go on a mission trip to Haiti.  We considered it, but for some reason it never worked out.

Fast forward to 2005, we signed up to sponsor a child thru Compassion International. She is from Haiti.

The Haiti Earthquake rocked our thoughts and prayers.  Although we could not actually go to Haiti to help with the aftermath, we wished we could have.  

In October of 2011, as we were studying thru the book of James with our church, we surrendered to what God had been calling us to for a long time-adoption.  We had been reading a blog about an orphanage in Haiti and it just seemed like the direction we should go.

What have we been doing the last 7 months?  Paperwork and training!!  There are workshops to attend, applications to fill out, books to read, summaries to write, background checks to order, online training to complete, and the list goes on.



In a couple of weeks we start our homestudy interviews where a social worker with the adoption agency comes to make sure we are the same in person that we are on paper. ;)

We have really been awakened to the responsibility that God has put on all of us to care for orphans.  Not just to take them into our homes, but to advocate for those who don't have the resources or a voice.

James 1:27

New International Version (NIV)

²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. 

However orphan care looks to you,  do it.  You can't afford to miss out on the blessing.


Another verse I (Jo Ann) ran across in The Message:

Galatians 6:2

Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.

We plan to use this blog to give detailed updates on our adoption process.  We will post our other family happenings at www.littleschoolintheozarks.blogspot.com.  Feel free to comment and ask questions!

Thanks for your prayers!
Joe and Jo Ann