Anticipation and Prayers for Grace to Ukraine!

The Kingdom is active and working all around us.  In Luke 10:9, Jesus says, "...tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.'"

We are surrounded by opportunities to serve our King.  In Matthew 25, He tells us that the righteous will ask him, "Lord, when did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"

The King is near.

He has special commands for us regarding the fatherless and the oppressed.   After all, Psalm 68:5-6 says, "Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation."  He tells us in Isaiah 1:17, "Learn to do good.  Seek justice.  Help the oppressed.  Defend the cause of orphans.  Fight for the rights of widows."  In James 1:27 we read, "Religion that is pure and faultless before God, the Father, is this:  to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

I have exciting news.  The opportunity to serve these special ones has presented itself to us through an orphan hosting ministry called, "Grace to Ukraine".  Please take a moment to read all about them on their website by clicking here

 For those of you who are interested in volunteering, some of us from F.B.C.P.G. are planning to attend a meeting at the host's home this coming Saturday from 1pm to 5pm.  Get in touch with me if you would like to come with us.

On Monday, June 11th, Bro. Dan is driving the church bus to Atlanta and picking the children up from the airport.  I am so thrilled that our church is able to meet this transportation need!

On Tuesday, June 12th, anyone who is planning to volunteer during the month of hosting is invited to a meet and greet at the host home.  There is a need for paper goods, so our Young Married S/S Class is taking donations this coming Sunday.  Whatever is donated will be given to Suzette, the host, on Tuesday.  Paper plates, cups, utensils, paper towels, trash bags and toilet paper are needed.  Shampoo and soap are also a need.  Any donations can be dropped off in our Sunday School room or in the Kidzone.  I will have a box labeled "Grace to Ukraine" set out.


On Thursday, June 28th, the boys from Ukraine will be having an adventure day at Archie Phillips place on the lake.  Volunteers will be appreciated in helping out with fishing, swimming, hot dog/marshmallow roast, etc...

On Sunday, July 1st, the hosts and children will be joining us for morning worship at F.B.C.P.G. and eating lunch with us at our annual Fourth of July picnic!  This will be a wonderful opportunity for our church family to shower all of them with love and support!

These precious children will be in Birmingham from June 11th through July 10th.  There will be many opportunities to volunteer.  Don't forget to check out their website and look at the calendar of events.  www.gracetoukraine.net

Most importantly, pray for each of these beautiful lives to come to know Christ and receive His amazing, transforming, saving grace!

Ways to Get Involved With GRACE TO UKRAINE

As I mentioned in my last blog, we have been given an opportunity to assist those who are hosting a precious group of Ukrainian orphans through a non-profit organization called Grace to Ukraine.  They will be visiting Birmingham, June 11 through July 10.

If you haven't already checked out how you can participate, please click here

Check out their schedule and choose a time your small group, church, or family would like to   "Take Them A Meal"

I pray their lives will be blessed forever by this visit, and that they come to understand their value and worth in the eyes of our Creator.

Please join us in praying for each of them as their arrival to Birmingham gets closer and closer!

Fading Flowers and Grace to Ukraine

"I am a flower quickly fading, Here today and gone tomorrow, 

A wave tossed in the ocean, Vapor in the wind, Still You hear me when I'm calling, 

Lord, You catch me when I'm falling, and You've told me who I am.  I am Yours."

- Casting Crowns

This week, I mourn over the death of my beautiful, niece Madison.  My respect and wonder at the miracle, frailty, and wonder of life has deepened with her unexpected passing.  Every child is so precious, unique, and filled with endless possibilities.  My heart aches at the thought of so many marvelous, divine creations withering away for lack of clean water, mosquito nets, care takers, food, education, and most importantly spiritual guidance.

They are so precious; so indispensable.  

An answer to prayer came in the midst of my pain.  My friend Erica, and fellow partner in raising orphan awareness, shared a ministry opportunity with me called "Grace to Ukraine".  After sending an RSVP to attend a meeting about an orphan hosting opportunity, God blessed me with a long line of confirmations that I was right where He wanted me to be.  I should say us instead of me.  A group of us went to the meeting, and each of us were given special confirmations that our being there was divinely orchestrated.  I would share each instance with you, but time will not allow this morning.  (The baby swing will only hold Simon's attention for so long.)

The following link is a letter written by Suzzette, the President of Grace to Ukraine:
Grace to Ukraine Mission Opportunity

Here is a link that shows the eleven children we have been given the privilege of serving:
The Ukrainian Orphans that we can be lifting up in prayer starting now.

Some of you may already know the Secretary/Treasurer of the board of Grace to Ukraine.  Her name is Terri (Martin) Garver.  She graduated from Pleasant Grove High School in 1979, and was a member of First Baptist Church at one time.  Terri now lives in Birmingham, AL with her husband and 3 of their 5 children.  They are members of the Church at Brook Hills.  She would be more than happy to come and tell us more about this orphan ministry and how we can become involved.  

You can also learn more about it by visiting their website:
Grace to Ukraine

This would be a wonderful opportunity for families, children, teens, Sunday School classes, missions groups, etc...  There are many needs for serving during the dates of June 10 through July 10.  They need MEALS and other important things. Click here to learn more.

 This is a snapshot of those of us that went to the meeting.  I wish we had taken a picture while we were there.  You should see the beautiful environment that these children will be living in for a month.  This will be such a thrilling adventure for each child and all who serve them!

I thank my Father in Heaven for placing me in this fellowship of believers.  The Body of Christ is a beautiful creation that lives and moves and sings through the vessels of its members.  Lets take each others hand and get to work!

Educate Yourself

I spent some time in prayer yesterday about the fatherless.  My heart, as well as several of my friend's hearts, are aching to be more involved in becoming part of the solution to the orphan crisis.  I felt the Holy Spirit was bringing "education" to my mind over and over again.

My experience in orphan ministry is zero.  All that fuels me is the Scriptures I have read that reveal God's heart for the orphan, the testimony of those who are active in serving them, recent books and articles written by missionaries and advocates, the hundreds of photos and videos of these precious, struggling souls, and my best friend Jenn calling and crying to me about the pain she constantly feels in her heart for those with no father and mother to call their own.  My plan is to keep reading and gleaning from others, as I begin to venture out and serve as well.

For every blog I post, I am going to share one of the resources God used to open my eyes to the millions of lonely children in the world.

"Radical," by David Platt.  This book changed the life of my husband and myself forever.  If I had the money, I would pay everyone I knew to sit down and read it.  Here is the promo and link to more info about it:

Go to this link to learn more about   "RADICAL"

Taking a Step

Last January, my husband Mat and I felt the call to adopt. I don't know how to keep this story short and simple, but I am going to try. It was one of those times that the call seemed undeniable. Every day, we were given a new confirmation; sometimes several. Through prayer, the Word, dreams, and other means, we felt certain the Spirit was urging us to make ourselves available to raise another child. Then, when glancing at my Aunt's facebook post, I saw a pair of eyes I felt an immediate connection to. She saw his story on www.ReecesRainbow.org and decided to advocate for him. Needless to say, when Mat came home and read about him, we both agreed it was time to step out in faith and ready ourselves for the adoption process.



After jumping several enormous hurdles, giving our families the news that we were planning to fly to the Ukraine to adopt (can you imagine the dynamics of that conversation?), and beginning the legal work, our exciting adventure came to a screeching halt. I found out I was expecting our fourth child in the biological way. I know, I know. You're asking, "You know how that happens, don't you?" Well, I won't give you the strange details of my medical history, but I can tell you that my hormones were not in working order. We were not under the impression that another natural pregnancy was going to happen.



The bad side of this experience is that Mat and I were left scratching our heads and wondering what was that all about? We had never been so sure of something, yet we knew we could not proceed in adoption with a new baby on the way. The good news is, the child we felt called to bring into our family has recently been adopted into a wonderful home along with his best friend from the orphanage! He now will spend his life growing up with a sister that shares and understands his past. Also good, we have been blessed with a beautiful son, Simon Peter, who was destined to be in our family. God works all things for the good.



There is more good.



Throughout the past year, our eyes have been opened to a crisis we never would have investigated had we not felt a tug in our souls toward adoption. It hurts to live in the awareness that there are over 147 million children in the world with no father or mother. The comforting part is, the Body of Christ has the means to solve this problem. He will not command us to do anything He won't equip us to do. We know that we "can do all things through Christ who strengthens" us. As we search the Scriptures, we find many verses that reveal God's heart toward the orphan and His expectation of His people in caring for "the least of these".



James 1:27, “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.”

Jeremiah 5:27, “Like a cage full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit; Therefore they have become great and rich. 'They are fat, they are sleek, They also excel in deeds of wickedness; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper; And they do not defend the rights of the poor. Shall I not punish these people?' declares the LORD, 'On a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?'”

Psalm 68:5, “A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God in His holy habitation.”



Isaiah 1:17, “Learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”

Deuteronomy 10:18, He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.”

Matthew 18:5, “Whoever receives a child in My name, receives Me.”

The next verse gets to me the most. Matthew 25:45, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of the least of these, you did it unto Me.”

I understand the problem I'm telling you about is thousands of years old and millions of lives wide. The purpose of this blog is to remind myself and other fellow members of the Body of Christ that the Father who paid the ultimate price to adopt us as His own children will provide us with the means to be obedient to Him. How awesome would it be for us to follow His example and open up our families to those who are without one? What better way could we mirror our Father's love?

I'm not suggesting that we all are in a situation to adopt. At the moment, I do not have adequate living space to adopt or foster a child. I would like to make adoption a goal to set out to achieve. In the meantime, there are so many ways we can join forces with fellow believers and help those who are orphaned. Here are some ideas:

• Stay in the Word, pray, develop relationship with the One who calls His people to plead the cause of the orphan
  
• Pray for and support those who adopt, foster, or desire to do so
  
• Fund raise and/or sponsor adoptive/foster families
  
• Go on mission trips and visit orphanages around the world. Come home and plead for them.
  
• Raise awareness through ministries like 147 Million Orphans
  
• Form local support groups and prayer teams
  
• Ignite orphan ministries within local churches and communities
  
• Develop relationship with local foster care organizations and see what needs you can help them meet
  
• Read books and testimonies by those who are active in defending the orphan and pass their amazing journey on to inspire others and be an encouragement to the Body of Christ
• Provide date nights for adoptive/foster parents in our area
  

With excitement I write all of this. I hear and see that believers around the world are responding to God's instruction in caring for the orphan. I'm ready to join forces with those around me who also feel this burden and are ready to take action. What a fantastic privilege that we can be about our Father's business!



A few weeks ago, my best friend Jennifer and I held an orphan awareness brunch. It took very little effort to put it together, but the rewards were tremendous! Not only were we able to hear the testimony of a friend who has been involved in foster care for many years, raise awareness, begin a local support group, and encourage each other in faith. Jennifer was able to sell $280 worth of 147 Million Orphan t-shirts and bags. This link http://www.147millionorphans.com/About-Us_ep_7.html will show you how that money will be spent! It amazed me to witness the ease of providing food and care to orphans around the world. It's as simple as having a few friends over for pigs-n-a-blanket and orange juice!

These were a few shots from our first get together.  We're hoping meet again this coming Saturday.  Let me know if you are interested in coming.

If you have read all the way down to this, thank you for taking your time to hear what is on my heart.

Your Sister in Christ and Adopted Daughter of the King of Kings,

    Marilyn