“The command to ‘defend the orphan’ (Isaiah 1:16-17) has always been vital to the Christian message. One thing that distinguished early Christians from their pagan neighbors was their treatment of unwanted children. In addition, adoption is the literal manifestation of a metaphor that Christians use to describe themselves all the time. The Church should therefore offer a clear and compelling basis for celebrating and encouraging adoption, and for refuting the lies of this age with the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is, after all, a Gospel of adoption.”
This is an exciting time for our family! My sister and brother-in-law, along with their two-year-old daughter Beatrice, have the orphans of Ethiopia heavy on their hearts. This summer, Caleb and Rebecca committed to adopting not one, but two baby boys from this country abounding with baby boys and girls who need homes.
It’s been six months since the first bits of paperwork were filed, and we are all so excited to move on to the next step of getting a referral and bringing two sweet babies home. The dossier is ready to be mailed the first of February, and we’re ready for the final push of raising money to give these boys a family.
I’d like to invite you all to be involved with us in this beautiful picture of the gospel.
On Sunday, February 8th, we will be hosting an Adoption Fundraiser and Silent Auction at the Methodist Church in downtown Franklin. The meal will be catered and served by Providence Farms and there will be live bluegrass music provided from a couple of local bands. (Dancing along has NOT been ruled out!) Tickets are only $12/person.
Here’s where you come in:
- First, we ask you to pray! Please pray that we will be able to raise the remaining money needed to complete the process. Pray for the Faires family as they prepare their home and their hearts to welcome TWO babies into their lives. Pray for the orphans in Ethiopia. We know that God has already handpicked two babies for this family, though we don’t know who they are yet. Please pray for their protection and provision. And pray for the babies that will not get a home as well. We wish we could help them all!
- Second, come to the lunch! If you’re local, come and enjoy phenomenal food, fun bluegrass music and a great time!
- Third, donate! Do you have any services that you can offer to the auction? Can you paint homes or walk dogs? Do you have a piece of furniture you don’t need anymore or a killer pie you could bake? Be creative!
- Finally, bid bid bid! We’ve kept the cost of attending the lunch low so that you can have the opportunity to bid on some really cool things! Already, folks have been incredibly generous and donated some awesome things. From piano tunings, teeth whitening, and trendy eye-wear to kennel stays, baby-sitting and custom paintings, the list continues to grow! Ryan’s donating a blog design – you can bid on that from anywhere!
“Every one of us who follows Christ was adopted into an already existing family. Thus, the Gospel should manifest itself among us as adoption by the adopted. Such is the Kingdom of God.” —Russell Moore