Did you know? 

November is National Adoption Awareness Month

 

 

In this news release...

 

* Shaohannah's Hope continues to receive generous donations for Maria's Miracle Fund

 

* Gettin' ready for November! The 3rd Annual "Cry of the Orphan" Campaign is set for the week of 11/17; is already endorsed by First Lady Laura Bush

 

* The debut of Shaohannah's Hope H I G H L I G H T, where we share a personal story of an individual impacted by the blessings of adoption and orphan care.

 

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Nashville, TN - (November 2, 2008) - Shaohannah's Hope, the adoption and orphan care ministry founded by Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman, announces that to date, an astounding $761,582 had been donated to the Maria's Miracle Fund. Created in loving memory of the Chapman's daughter, Maria Sue, the family and ministry are so grateful for the outpouring of love and generous donations, and most of all for the continuous prayers. Thank you!

 

Gettin' Ready for November! 

Shaohannah's Hope looks forward to the month of November, as they, along with adoption organizations all over the nation, celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month. With their upcoming annual banquet and fundraiser, Shaohannah's Hope is also on their third year collaborating with FamilyLife and Focus On The Family for the "Cry of the Orphan" national media and radio blitz. This year's campaign, to be held the week of November 17th and themed "You are God's Plan for the Orphan," has already been endorsed by First Lady Laura Bush.

 

Encompassing news stories, email blasts, radio broadcasts and PSA's within the national blitz, this year's campaign is projected to reach over 25 million people with combined efforts within the faith-based community and beyond. The campaign is projected to surpass last year's successful campaign, which reached over 15 million.

 

Cry of the Orphan is designed to raise interest and excitement about caring for orphans, to help others better understand God's heart on this issue, as well as serve as a resource to help people navigate through the adoption and foster care process. Please visit cryoftheorphan.org for more information.

 

 

 

"We have seen Steven Curtis Chapman in concert several times. We always donate money at the concert to Show Hope, but it ends there. This past March or April, when we left the concert something was different. Melody was different. God had gotten a hold of that little girl's heart. She was brokenhearted for the orphans. At the concert, she asked us to get her the Show Hope bucket and bag for her to get started helping the orphans, and we did, not thinking it would amount to much. For about a week, she would cry when she prayed for the orphans every night. When I would tuck her in at night, she would tell me, "Momma, did you know that some orphans don't have mom's or dad's to tuck them in at night?"  "Did you know some orphans don't even have a bed to sleep in at night?" "Did you know that when some kids have a nightmare at night, when they call out for help, no one comes to hug them and make them feel safe?"  All of a sudden, those things she had always taken for granted became huge blessings.  She would kiss me over and over, and say, "Thank you for reading me Jesus stories, Momma" or "Thank you for letting me sit in your lap, and for listening to me read."  Those things are not a big deal or never had been to her before. Now, all of a sudden, she began to look at things from the perspective of an orphan, and she began to think about how thankful they would be for those things. But along with that, came other feelings. One night, she cried and just felt so bad because God had blessed her so much and those kids had so little. She felt guilty and she questioned God. "Why would God bless me by giving me a house to live in, a warm bed to sleep in, parents to love me and read me Jesus stories, and plenty of food to eat, and not give the orphans much of anything? It's not fair. I feel bad about being happy when they are sad." I told her I don't think God would want her to feel guilty about Him blessing her, but that when God blessed us, it's because He trusts us to share those blessings with other people.

 

She was already saving her coins for the orphans, using her meager allowance for emptying trash and taking dirty clothes to the laundry room for the cause. But she wanted to do more. So we began to pray that God would show us what a (then) 6-year-old could do to raise a significant amount of money. She told me God had shown her that she was going to raise $500 on her own, and that we (meaning, God was going to use her to influence other Christians in our area, the body of Christ) are going to raise $5000. I didn't want to see her discouraged or disappointed. That was an awfully big goal for such a little girl. I started to suggest we try to raise $500 as a group, or maybe $1000. God quickly convicted me. He told me I had a choice- I could give into my fear and talk her into setting the goal lower... or I can exercise trust in God, to encourage and empower Melody to do what God has called her to do, and allow her to see that God can take her little and make it much.  And in doing so, allow her to learn a life lesson, that with God all things are possible.

 

Melody, although she could have, did not just ask for donations. Instead, she would ask people if she could clean something, pick up sticks, or do some kind of work to raise money for the orphans. We were praying that God would show us something she could do. The answer came when she called her grandma and said, "Grandma, I am raising money for orphans, is there anything I can do for you to get money to help them?" Grandma told her she could make a cobbler, asking Melody to go ask her mom and mom can help. So, we tried it and sure enough, she could do everything except put it in and out of the oven. Thus started a new ministry.  She made cobblers for $15 each! Melody didn't look at it from our perspective. She looked at it from the perspective of a child, of the orphan. She would always say, "I want to raise money to help an orphan buy parents." It was that simple. 

 

The thing that spoke to me the most though was one reading one of my adult bible studies and Melody wanted to lay with me and listen to me read, so we kind of made it her devotion too.  I ended it asking her a question if there was any area of her life she was selfish in, and encouraged her that when she got into her own bed tonight to ask God if she was holding back any area of her life that God wanted to use. We work with youth, so I was expecting her to forget it and never discuss that challenge again. But the next morning, when Melody got up, she came to me with her piggy bank. Melody had been saving her money for a long time to take our whole family out for a movie night. My girls love to go to the movies, but it is something we only do about 3 times a year because of the expense. But Melody said she asked God and God showed her that the orphans need parents a lot more than we needed a night at the movies. Tears filled my eyes when I realized that my daughter heard from God.  And didn't just hear, but obeyed. My husband is a youth minister and Melody and I spoke to the youth one night, and she quoted the verse she had memorized to explain why she was doing this. She said if they wanted to please God, they needed to find their ministry in helping widows or orphans. Some of the youth have since helped do some work for widows in the church. Some put in what change they had to help Melody's ministry for orphans. One young man who doesn't have a job came back the next week, having gotten permission from his mom to give $10 from his college fund. This is money he had saved from birthday gifts and mowing yards. His mom said, I offered to donate $10 instead of him giving his own money, but he said, "no, Melody is raising this money on her own and she just turned 7, I want to sacrifice too." Another young lady in our youth group would call us every couple of weeks to say she left something for Melody in the mailbox. It would be a sandwich baggy of change she had saved for Show Hope. My other daughters began to help make cobblers when our orders were too many for Melody to do alone. We didn't have to ask them, they wanted to play a role in this. They wanted to make a difference. 

 

After recently meeting one of the little girls who had been adopted with assistance from Shaohannah's Hope (photos below), I think Melody is more fired up than ever to be used by God to share her blessings, and allowing God to take her little and make it much! And don't forget to send another bag, and a bucket if you don't mind.