Goodness, it's been awhile! Thoughts on recent orphan care conference....

Matthew and I had the privilege of attending the kNOw More Ophans conference, March 10th, at Hunter Street Bapt. Church in B'ham. Boy, it was fabulous! I represented America World, our adoption agency http://www.awaa.org/ and he was there with VO http://www.visitingorphans.org/

The worship was great and the speakers were great, too.
David Nasser started the morning off. Here are some highlights from his remarks regarding orphan care:

1. It's not about what we are doing, but why.
2. Why orphan care??  It's a Biblical COMMAND, not a cause. (Isaiah 1:17, James 1:27, Prov. 31:8, Micah 6:8, and about 40+ other verses)
3. Orphan care encompasses the component of justice....God has instructed us to promote justice for those who need it. It is an inseperable part of evangelism.
4. Orphan care= bridge to the Gospel.

[insert personal note: #4 could not be more true for our oldest daughter, adopted from China in 2010 as a 12.5 year old. We prayed in China before bed, as is our routine. Months later, when she understood more English, we asked her if she'd ever heard the name of Jesus, before we adopted her. NO, NADA, NOPE. I had heard that thrown around in missions presentations, "You know, there are ppl out there who've never heard the Name of Jesus." (yeah, right? really?).  In my American-view, Western-style mindset, it was hard for me to imagine that being true. Now I can tell you, YES, it is true.] For our daughter, her physical adoption provided the bridge to the Gospel she needed. Could she have possibly heard the Name of Jesus later in life, in Communist China? possibly. probably not, though. But why take that chance? I did not want that judgment pronounced on me, once I knew He called us to adopt an older child.

Has it been easy? No. Is it getting easier? Yes. Is our family like it was 3 years ago? No. Is yours, before you added another child to your family? No. Would I do it again? Yes....yes, because I have discovered that obedience to Christ, even when it is hard, is worth it in the end. Why? Because my faith has grown through this process; I have learned more about my spiritual adoption through Christ as a result of the physical adoption of 2 of my daughters; He has revealed Himself to me in ways I never dreamed possible; He has poured out His love over me and our family; He has protected us and my relationship with Him is sweeter today, in a large part of the work that has been done in my heart after our adoptions.]

5. The why of orphan care is NOT child rescue; the why of orphan care is not to make more children American citizens; (side note: according to David Nasser, and I would concur--America is a great country, but it makes a terrible god);
--the why  is to share the Gospel. Period. Bottom line. It's really not more complicated than that.

Enough to digest and re-digest for a few days.... I will post other remarks from Rick Morton, assoc. pastor in Bartlett, TN and from Dr. Russell Moore, author of Adopted for Life, pastor and seminary professor.