Take up the cause of the fatherless

On November 4, 2012, churches and families like yours spotlight God’s deep love for orphans and how ordinary people can make love tangible – through adoption, foster care and support of ministries like YWAM’s Adoption Ministry 1:27.  Orphan Sunday will be recognized and celebrated around the globe.

The first Orphan Sunday was celebrated in Zambia in 2002 and since that group of African Christians highlighted God’s heart for the orphan, Orphan Sunday has echoed out around the globe.  Jedd Medefind, President of the Christian Alliance for Orphans, expressed it well: “When Christians grasp God’s heart for the orphan, we see more fully His heart for each of us as well.  We don’t foster or adopt or mentor or give financially out of guilt or duty. Christian care for the orphan is just a small reflection of the way God first loved us—pursuing and rescuing us when we were destitute and alone.”

The statistics speak for themselves.  More than 400,000 children live in the foster system in the U.S. today, with nearly 110,000 waiting to be adopted.  Globally, an estimated 17.8 million children have lost both parents and many times that number live with a single surviving parent, most often their widowed mother.  The Orphan Sunday campaign works towards a day when local Christians in every nation will be known as the primary answer to the needs of orphans in their midst.

You might be thinking… How can I do anything? The Christian Alliance for Orphans, along with many partner groups, is providing lots of good event ideas, downloadable posters, bulletin inserts, videos and other free resources that you can use to bring Orphan Sunday to your church.  Families may choose to participate in ‘The Orphan’s Table’ by ordering a simple orphan meal package and discussion guide.  We are also happy to send you materials about YWAM's Adoption Ministry 1:27 program  – a partnership with the Ethiopian church to preserve families and prevent orphans.

The Orphan Sunday website includes:

• Materials (including posters, bulletin inserts and more)
• Easy-Access Resources (from sermon and Bible study notes to songs)
• Event/Activity Ideas
• Event Partnership Packages (that pair you with trustworthy Alliance organizations)
• Examples of successful past Events
• World Map (Please post your event plans and see others!)

It is through individuals like you that highlight the needs in their families, small groups and for their churches that this message will go out.  Please consider organizing an Orphan Sunday event at your church!

If you have recognized Orphan Sunday in the past, please leave a comment and share what you or your church have done to bring this issue to the forefront. 

Saying Good-bye

A women’s team from the University of Kentucky gets ready to leave Ethiopia after a week spent serving many women, children and families there.



by Brooke Keyes
A large piece of my heart will be left here in Ethiopia. I am so thankful to be a part of this trip and share this experience with seven other wonderful student-athletes, and three incredible adults that made us feel like adults as well as their friends. On this trip, my heart broke into a thousand pieces and then it was repaired to full...

Read all of Brooke’s post here.


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Giving and Receiving

A team of female athletes from the University of Kentucky is finishing up a time of service in Ethiopia.  Women representing Kentucky soccer, softball, tennis, basketball, rifle and gymnastics were nominated by their coaches to participate in this opportunity.  Below are some of their impressions…



by Aubrey Lamar
This week, I have been struggling with being overwhelmed with the number of people who are in need of food, shelter, or most importantly and something that doesn't cost a dime (or a birr)...love. I have been reminded this week that one person cannot save a country; it takes many people with a common goal. However, I can make a small impact on the few people I come in contact with during this trip...

Read all of Aubrey's post here.





Don’t miss posts by all of the women on this team:
A Long Trip and A Rewarding Day
Learning the Ropes
Trying to Find the Words
Trip Nearing End

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Getting Their Hands Dirty

A team of female athletes from the University of Kentucky is in Ethiopia right now, serving in several communities where YWAM ministers.  Women representing Kentucky soccer, softball, tennis, basketball, rifle and gymnastics were nominated by their coaches to participate in this opportunity. 



by Kayla King
My hands are dirty. My mouth's been dry all day. My heart's racing. I have this immovable lump in my throat. I think I could still be shaking. My jeans are wet and haven't been washed in two days. They've been covered in everything from paint to kerosene to charcoal dust to mud to gravel. They probably won't get washed for another few days. My nails are filthy and my hands will be stained from paint and charcoal for the duration of this trip. My hands are empty but my heart is full. My eyes are dry but my soul weeps. My mind and eyes have been opened farther than I could have ever imagined and it's only been two days. My heart has been stretched and pulled and used and changed. I have made so many human connections that I feel like my heart will burst with all the love that I've been given. I don't know where I belong or how I will go back to the life I left in Lexington. Forty-eight hours in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and I will never be the same again…

Continue reading here.




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Adoption Ministry 2012 Family Picnic

Bradley Lake Park in Puyallup, Washington was the site for our annual Adoption Ministry summer family picnic and although the weather threatened, not even a few wind gusts or rain drops could dampen the fun. 



Local families from both our domestic and Ethiopia adoption programs gathered for a western-themed picnic. The long potluck tables were complete with pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, every imaginable salad, chips and desserts.





There were games and prizes for the kids and lots of fellowship around picnic tables and in groups on the grassy field.









A huge thanks to Shelly Luthi who organized a fabulous day for everyone and to Bonnie King for taking pro photos which will be available soon!!









*Be sure to check our Facebook page where you can see more photos from the picnic!!

Thanks to Jeff Burns for being our resident photographer!

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The Feet of the Poor

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Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord is a rock for all ages.
He has thrown down those living on high,
and He will level the lofty town,
leveling it down to the earth;
He will bring it down to dust.
The feet trample it -
the feet of the poor,
the steps of the needy.
The way of the righteous is level;
You clear a path for the righteous.
In the path of Your justice, Lord, we wait for You;
with all our being, we long for Your name and Your acclaim.

Isaiah 26:4-8

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New Website for AM 1:27!

Would you like to know how you can prevent more orphans in the world?

Would you like to partner with churches on the front lines of the orphan crisis?

Would you jump in and swim up stream to save a struggling family in need?

We’re launching a brand new website dedicated exclusively to our Adoption Ministry 1:27.  We invite you to get up close and personal to many of the lives we have featured there.  Read their stories, learn of their challenges, sense their pain.  Discover how we can work together to embrace, equip and empower vulnerable families in partnership with the local Ethiopian Church.  

• read about the goal of the ministry: orphan prevention and family preservation
  
• find out about our partnership with the Ethiopian Church to identify guardian and at-risk families
  
• find out about providing support for our orphanages
  
• read our latest newsletter
  
• view the profiles of families who are ready to be adopted for $40 per month

You can find us at:

www.adoptionministry127.com

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