If you are like me, no doubt you have seen one of those "warm and fuzzy" human interest stories on your local news sometime around the Christmas holidays or perhaps during the summer months. You know the ones. There is the reporter and cameraman crowded around a group of people anxiously awaiting someone at the airport in your area. There are posters, balloons, flowers, and perhaps a gift or two. Oh yeah, there will most assuredly be some tears and many open hearts-hearts moved to action. These are the families who have chosen to love with abandon, step out of their comfort zone, and welcome an orphan into their hearts and homes.
As I watch those heart-rending stories my heart is always moved. I find myself thinking a number of thoughts; "How neat!!!", "How exciting!!!", "I wonder what it costs...", "Who can do this?", "I could NEVER do that...", "What if ???" The story soon changes to something else and those thoughts quickly fade.
It was a seemingly normal day just a few weeks ago, while sitting at my table, that the words "orphan hosting" flew through my mind. Out. Of. Nowhere. Just sitting there - minding my own business. "Where did that come from?", I wondered. I continued on with what I was working on and it happened again. "Orphan Hosting"... This time, it was a little louder, so to speak. I looked at the calendar - April 12. "Oh well, I am sure it is too late to do something about it this year..." "ORPHAN HOSTING!!!" "Okay, I will look into it."
And the rest is history. I stopped what I was doing, and spent time doing some searching on-line on some orphan hosting ministries - just to prove that I was too late-again. I even contacted a couple of bloggers that had experience with hosting, just to verify that I had missed the deadlines for Summer, 2012. You guessed it. There was still time and there were MANY children who still needed to be hosted for the summer. God directed me to New Horizons for Children, based in Acworth, Georgia. I was impressed with their ministry statement and their purpose and goals they have for their orphan hosting program. I prayed about it, spoke to Gary about it, and completed the application process. We were accepted into the program and will now be one of those anxious families at the airport with posters, balloons, flowers, and a gift or two. And those of you who know me well KNOW that there will be tears as well as open hearts as we welcome our kiddos into our hearts and home.
We are in the throes of the fundraising process just now. Since we came into this a bit late in the game, we have less time than some to raise the needed funds. Please pray with us for our funding to be completed in an expedient manner. (There are only 35 days until G & E will arrive.)
We are looking into various options to raise the needed funds. Please check back here for updates for different fundraising events in the next several weeks. Donations may be made through the Chip In widget at the top right of my blog. For those interested in making a tax-deductible donation toward our fundraising, it may be done at:
http://www.active.com/donate/summer2012/Myers-Partyof4
All donations at http://www.active.com/ are tax-deductible.
Continued thanks for your prayers and help as we take each new step in this process. It is exciting as we plan and prepare to bless the lives of these two kiddos. Please keep Gundars and Elina in your prayers as well, that God will prepare their hearts and minds for their time in our home this summer.
Be Blessed,
Carol
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