25 To Life

According to the latest UNICEF numbers for 2008, it is indicated that there are an estimated 132 million orphans worldwide.

“Many orphans and waiting children worldwide have lost their parents due to armed conflict or disease, such as AIDS. In some countries, however, children are increasingly abandoned at alarming rates due to poverty, restrictive population control policies, disabilities or perceived disabilities, and cultural traditions that value boys more than girls.”     www.cryoftheorphan.org

I was amazed to find these statistics. How sad to know that there are so many children out there that will not know their parents’ touch or voice, or know what it is to be a part of a family. I began to ask God what it is that I could do to help, and the answer was not what I would have ever dreamed up myself…I heard God speak to my heart and say, “Adopt one of my children.”

Now, I’m sure you could imagine the conversations I would have with God over the next few days and weeks. It went something like this:

“God, are you sure? Adopt?”

“Yes. Adopt one of my children.”

“God, is that really your voice I’m hearing? I’m not ready to have a child yet. There’s a lot of sacrifice involved in that. I’m too selfish.”

“Adopt. I have given you so much to give to a child.”

“God, are you really sure??”

Have you ever had similar conversations with God about something you would never have dreamed of doing in a million years? The kind of conversation where you try to convince yourself that God is not speaking to your heart and that you must be going insane? Well, that was the conversation I continued to have with myself, and with God. In the end, I began to realize that God was indeed speaking to my heart. He was beginning to unfold a plan greater than I could ever have imagined.

As I read my Bible one evening, I found the message that brought me to an understanding of the call that the Lord was putting on mine and my husband’s lives:

“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.”  James 1:27

A peace and an understanding came over me, and I knew that it was God speaking to my heart. I approached my husband with what I had heard. He had many questions and concerns as well, but as time went by, and we continued to talk about our options and prayed on God’s plan, he, too, became aware of the Lord’s calling on our lives:

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”   Jeremiah 29:11

We are so blessed that God has chosen us and called us to be parents to one of His precious children from the other side of the world. We can make a difference in the life of this child and we know that they will be a blessing unto us and our family. We can give this chosen child a family and a home, and teach them of their need for a Savior. We can bring Jesus into their life and show them that they are not forgotten and that they are loved. We can change the future of a generation to come by changing the future for this one special child. You can be a part of this.

The costs for adoption are great, as is the need for it. In the end, our costs will be reaching towards $30,000+. We know that as we trust in the Lord, He will guide our path. We know that God’s plan is perfect and that He will provide. We are continuing to pray and to trust that God will touch the hearts of those who will help us in our journey to a child that was born for us on the other side of the world.

“25 to Life – A Sentence We Can Serve Together”

We are calling for a life sentence of love and change for a child. Please take a moment and ask yourself the following questions:

* Can you give least $25.00 to change the life of an orphaned child?

* Do you know others who would be willing to give at least $25.00 to give a life sentence of love and change for a child?

* Do those people know of others who would be willing to do the same?

It is such a small price to pay to change the course of a child’s life. Just think about it: every 4 people that give $25 bring in $100; every 10 people bring $250; every 40 people bring $1,000. Do you see the pattern?

Through the hands of all who read this letter, the arms of Christ extend. Together, we can bring this child home.

Please consider taking this journey with us. All you need to do is give at least $25 and then find at least four others who will do the same. Copy this letter and send it to as many people as you feel you can share this opportunity with, and then ask them to do the same. Send it to four, forty, or four hundred! It is that easy!

Please feel free to contact us through our website, http://home.comcast.net/~25-To-Life, with any questions you may have, or if you are looking for an update on our adoption process. Together we can extend the arms and love of Christ. Thank you for traveling this road with us!

May God Bless You and Keep You and Your Family,

Aaron and Mandie

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