We're going to China!

Yep! Erik and I are planning to head to China- but only for a little over a week at the end of the summer {July 19-28}. Keep reading to find out more about our trip and how you can support and pray for us ...

Towards the end of last year, I stumbled upon a video that Mary Beth Chapman had posted on Facebook. It was about the Show Hope 10,000 campaign. The video urged viewers to join others and be a member of Show Hope. The video really tugged on mine and Erik's heartstrings and we began to sponsor Show Hope. {You can watch the video here: Show Hope 10,000 Campaign}

Anyway, at the beginning of this year I heard about an opportunity for Show Hope sponsors to go on a trip to China and visit Maria's Big House of Hope. I was SO excited! I watched the video {that is below} and was very emotional thinking about the orphans in China and I was so excited about the possibility of going there. After watching the video and reading up on the trip, Erik and I felt strongly that we should go. But, there was a little problem ... We had to be back at school by the time the trip was scheduled for. But little did we know, we actually didn't. Because of the Ramadan holiday here, we actually don't have to be back to work until the end of July. When my principal told me the date we had to be back to work, I did a little joy dance because the China trip is scheduled right during the last week of our summer. SO ... we applied towards the end of November and just heard that we have been "accepted" and are officially part of the Show Hope mission team! :) Even now as I am writing this, I am so amazed at how God worked out all the details leading up this opportunity for Erik and I. God is good all the time. All the time God is good.

Below you can read some information about Show Hope and specifically about the trip we will be taking. You can also watch the video! Erik and I will be raising support to go on the trip. If you would be interested in supporting us, please write me a private message on Facebook with your address. We will be sending support letters soon. And we will of course need lots of prayer and I will do my best to update you on the process :)

About Show Hope:

"Recognizing that adoption is a perfect picture of what God has done for each of us in making us His children through Christ, ShowHOPE has been established to care for orphans by engaging the church and helping Christian families reduce the financial barriers to adoption. Psalm 68:5-6 tells us that as the Father to the fatherless, God delights in setting the lonely in families. It has been our experience that the scriptural mandate of caring for orphans, such as the one found in James 1:27, is really a wonderful invitation to experience God in a profound way by being a part of His sovereign plan for His precious children. Working from these foundational truths, ShowHOPE exists to enable children living without the love and hope of an earthly family to be adopted into "covenant homes." These families can provide not only the love and support needed for this life, but also provide a child with the knowledge of God's plan for his or her eternal life with a forever family called The Body of Christ." {taken from http://stevencurtischapman.com/about/adoption} 

About our specific trip: 

"We will spend the majority of our time at the Show Hope Special Care Center, Maria's Big House of Hope, a six-story medical care center for orphans with special needs located in Luoyang, China. Activities will include coming alongside the nannies to play and interact with the children, small work projects as needed at Maria's Big House of Hope. We will also spend time together as a team daily, growing in our understanding of our calling to care for the abandoned. In addition, we will visit various tourist sites in Beijing, go shopping, and enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine." {taken from www.showhope.org}

For more information, this is a great video to watch ... 

Oh and by the way, Erik and I will still be visiting the States from June 14ish until we go on the trip. We are SO excited about the way this opportunity has worked out and our WAY pumped about our summer! :)

Thanks for you interest in our lives and for your constant prayers.

Bye for now.