16 million more!

WHEW!  I'm exhausted and this week is flying, but I had to take a few minutes to sit down and let you know about the amazing adoption conference we attended this past weekend.  Doug and I went to the "Together for Adoption Conference" in Austin.  We were asked by AWAA to be exhibitors and of course, were THRILLED to have the honor.  After reading the speaker line up and information on exhibitors and break out sessions ... we became even more excited!

I signed up for the pre-conference with Karen Purvis, author of "The Connected Child" on the Thursday before so together, with another precious friends, I headed out at the crack of dawn that day!  Really! But  Boy, was it worth it!
First things first.  If you haven't read the book .. READ IT!  If you are in an area where she is speaking, GO!  If you are adopting; her work, her research and her tools are a MUST in your pocket of preparedness!!  Her session was so great and I found myself scanning the files of my brain and asking myself many questions about Maliah.  I also came back armed with new tricks and tools and guess what ... they are WORKING!  Indeed, I'm sold!  I also know the Lord is equipping me for what is to come with Levi.  We don't walk this road with rose colored glasses.  We know that before us will be a great time of transition for all of us.

AWAA had a exhibitor booth.  Wowie, we were busy.  Lots of families interested in adoption and lots of AWAA families stopped by to introduce themselves.  Can I tell you how much fun it was to actually put a face with some of your names out there.  What an amazing group of families indeed.  That was super fun.

My highlight!
As I said in the previous post, I am a huge fan of the work at Children's Hope Chest and a personal fan of Tom's!  He is the real deal and what he speaks and writes ... he lives!  So, of course, CHP had an exhibit and we enjoyed stealing candy to sustain our day from Vince (thank you to that candy angel!), but the highlight came during a Q&A time after Tom spoke on child trafficking.  As Tom and Vince sat answering questions on the details of how a rescue takes place, a man on the side of the room asked how much a rescue would cost.  Vince had just mentioned that they were working to raise the fund of 3 rescues of girls who were between 9 and 13 in India.  He was specifically speaking of his time he had just spent in a brothel.  Horrifying and enlightening.  Can I just say, on a side note, the Lord arrested my heart for orphans and adoption when he opened my heart to Maliah and this past weekend, he wrecked me completely when I heard the depth of child trafficking that takes place with those precious orphans.  I am forever changed!
Anyways, so here we are in this room, about 80 of us.  Vince answers this guy who just probed on the cost by telling him that it depends on the situation but these were anywhere between $2,200 and $2,700.
I watched as this man, over the next few minutes appeared to be counting heads.  I even turned to a AWAA Daddy next to me and said "You watch, he's figuring up what we each need to donate to rescue a girl ... we're rescuing a girl today".  Sure enough, as they were ending the session, this man boldly stepped forward with a plea.  He said there was 80 people in the room and if we each donated $30 we could rescue a girl today.  He then added he owned a business in the Austin area and would match anything donated.  WOW!
Tom and Vince looked speechless and to be honest, they didn't say a thing.  They went on closing up the session and then as the seats began to empty, a line filed to the front and people began to drop off cash and checks.  Oh my gosh that was fun!
So, guess what, at the end of the conference, CHP had collected $7,000 ... enough to rescue 3 girls!
THREE lives changed and honestly, it cost the each of us one dinner in.  One night of not eating out for each family and it brought enough funds to rescue the lives of 3 beautiful and broken girls from the pit of hell ... from the darkness of the devils grip.

So, do you think that what you do isn't enough ... that you alone can't change the world.  Well, as I said in the previous post, if we all do something, anything ... a little from each of us does make a huge impact.

I am awed!  Lord, hear our cries.  Lord, be with each of those girls as they are rescued by your hands! Can I hear an amen!  AMEN!

Oh and by the way, you know that stat we all love to throw out, 147 million orphans.  We were informed that the number has increased to 163 million.  You overwhelmed?  I was, until I saw that God is bigger than that statistic!  Press on, one at a time!