From: Kerry

My wife has long felt a calling to adopt from Ethiopia and I just didn’t feel the same. We have a 7 year old boy and 5 year old girl and life seemed pretty good. We attend Saddleback, and on Father’s Day my wife and I heard your message about orphan care. Your message didn’t rely on images that would pull my heart strings or cause me to emotionally change my mind. But you did present clear facts about the number of children who are parentless and in need of love. You reminded us of how God adopted us and how we are commanded to care for orphans and widows. You asked us to consider considering adopting. I left that sermon knowing that God desires for my family to adopt. We have begun our process to adopt not one, but two children from Ethiopia. We have prayed and know God will us to bless these children. It’s a scary process…filled with paperwork and the need for a lot of money that we do not have, but we have faith that God will provide. Thank you Kay for providing this opportunity and for presenting it to us. Sometimes in life we become much too comfortable in our lives and forget that God desires for us to be constantly craving to do more for others. We are excited to see how God uses us.

From: Michel

Awhile ago, God had put strongly on my heart to help orphans, especially children that have been orphaned by parents who died from AIDS.  It overwhelmed me when I did some research and found out how many orphans there were, especially in Africa.  I don’t have a lot of money to donate, but I have a lot of time.  I just finished reading your book and it has inspired me even more to help orphans.  God has melted my heart.  At our church, we don’t have an orphan care ministry and I’m seriously thinking about starting one.  I’m an ordinary person and I’ve never been an Advocate for anything before, and I’m going to need partners and advice.  I know God will be with me, and I’m counting on Him to give me strength.