Love is a Decision

The word "love" is thrown around today like yesterday's trash is thrown out. Boyfriends and girlfriends tell each other "I love you," only to break up the next month. We rave about how we "love" Owl City or "love" the Avengers or "love" vintage-style clothing. Singers and bands sing about love, love, love. (seriously, just listen to your radio for two minutes, and you'll probably hear something about "love") Google defines "love" as "an intense feeling of deep affection" or "Feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment to (someone)." Google uses words like "affection," "fondness," "darling," and "passion" to describe "love." But what is love really?

Love is a decision.

It's not a feeling. It's not affections, fondness, passion, or feeling romantic or sexual attraction to someone. John 15:13 says this: There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. Love isn't affections or fondness. Note that the verse says "there is no greater love..." It doesn't say "there is no greater affection, fondness, or sexual attraction that to lay down one's life for one's friends." That's pathetic. Loving is not deeply enjoying a grilled cheese sandwich. Loving is going out of your way to help others, even if it's not "convenient" for yourself. Love is treating others the way you desire to be treated, even when you don't think they necessarily deserve it. Love is Matthew 5:44, which says:  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

(via google images search)

Loving orphans isn't just feeling we experience for a short-lived moment. Loving orphans has to be something we decide to do. We've got to decide that we will pray for them, love them, treat them like our own family (and perhaps, for some of us, even adopt them into our family). And not just orphans, but everyone we meet. We decide whether or not to love someone.

Love is a decision. Will you choose it?   

-Talia 

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Depraved Indifference

There is a condition that is rapidly spreading in the world.

It's like a sickness, a disease...only worse.

So many people fall victim to it, it's sad. No, it's awful. It's heart-wrenching, heart-breaking...

It's depraved indifference.

We applaud celebrities, athletes, musicians...we put them on pedestals, admire them, and envy them. We wish we were like them.

We go to sleep in our cozy homes each night not worrying whether or not we'll wake up in the morning.

We feed (and often over-feed) our bellies with whatever pleases us. We complain if we don't like the taste of something.

We have many possessions, toys, gifts...and we just keep wanting more.

But there are people across the globe - children, even - that have nothing. No clothes, no food, no one to care for them. Could you imagine your life without someone to love you, without food and water in your belly, without somewhere besides the hard, dirty ground to sleep every night?

Sure, we know that there are people who have less than us. We care, even. But we have become indifferent to them and to that life. It's someone else's problem. Let someone else care for orphans, for the unloved, for the starving.

But what if we stopped being indifferent and started taking action? What if we DID SOMETHING about it? What if we stopped worrying about our hair and clothes while some children and adults worry if they will survive the night? What if we stopped complaining about our possessions when children in other countries have to sleep in trees because there are hyenas that will eat them if they don't?

Think of the person you love the most. Now, imagine that they were across the globe somewhere, starving, with no clothes and no one to love them. Would you leave them there, declaring that it was someone else's problem? No! You would try to get to them as fast as you could, and if you couldn't personally reach them and help them, you'd get someone to do it - you'd see to it personally that the one you loved the most was cared for, fed, loved.

But those starving, lost, hurting people across the globe are God's children. It breaks His heart to see them in such a state.

But we just sit around, doing nothing.

Do not become a victim to depraved indifference. DO SOMETHING.

 

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It Made a Difference to That One.

There are an estimated 147 million orphans worldwide. 147 million.

We've talked about this subject before, about helping just one.  Caitlin had a post on ways to start. Just one way. Talia posted about the difference that one shoebox made. 

Just one.

But why? Why help just one? After all, isn't it just ONE out of 147 MILLION?

There's a story that has really helped me to understand this, and it goes like this:

Once upon a time there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean. As he got closer he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?" The young man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish in the ocean." "I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?" "The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them in they'll die." "But, young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!" The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said- "It made a difference for that one." No matter what you do -- sponsor a child, adopt, give money towards an adoption -- it will make a difference to that one child. What if you were that child?  We may casually think we can't make a difference by just helping one, but what if you were that child?  You would never be adopted. You would live in an orphanage that could possibly never replace the comfort of a home. You might not have enough food to eat.  You might grow up without ever feeling love.  And if one person had reached out, your life could have completely changed.  So even if you can't adopt, if you decide to give to an organization or an adoptive family, etc.; just remember.   It made a difference to that one.

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Brokenhearted.

Nothing has broken my heart more.

I followed a link from a blog to a website about adopting.  How to get involved, etc.  And then I saw it.  A list of children waiting to be adopted.  Infants.  12-year-olds.  18-year-olds.  Eighteen year olds.  Cooks, sports-lovers, outgoing, shy.  Faces.  261 pages of faces.  They all share the same want: a family.  


It broke my heart.  Questions filled my mind.  Why do I have a family?  Why did God choose for that many people to be without a parent?  18-year-olds!!!!!  20-year-olds that just want somebody to care about them.  To encourage them.  To love them.  That's all they want.  And that breaks my heart.

They write little biographies.  I'm not sure if they're written by the kids or by someone else, but oh, that breaks my heart even more.  They are trying so hard.  They're talking about their strengths and how they are shy but open up once you get to know them.  They just want to be loved so badly that you can tell in their biographies. They're hoping you'll have some kind of connection with them.  Because they just want it that bad.  That breaks my heart.

I'm blessed, I know.  I say that in the most humble manner I can.  I say it wondering why God chose me to be in this family and not put in those hundreds of millions of children's positions.  But I'm not.  I have two parents.  A house.  A bed.  Five brothers.  A camera.  A phone.  An iPod touch.  A computer.  3+ meals everyday.  Anything and everything I could ever want.  It doesn't make any sense that there are millions of others waiting.  Waiting for someone to tell them that they're getting adopted.  That another family with other DNA and different looks, beliefs, anything, is going to accept them into their family and love them like their own.  But they continue to wait.  Because the number of orphans outnumbers the number of people adopting.  That breaks my heart.

It breaks my heart that I can't do much about this.  I can't snap my fingers and give all those children a home.  I can't persuade thousands of people to adopt twenty kids.  I can't give all of those children a home.  But I can inform the world.  I can speak up for those forgotten.  I can love the unloved.  And I will do just that.

xo,
emma

(P.S. if you've never seen this video, take the time to do so now.  I've seen it about five times, and each time makes me want to cry even more than the last)

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Remembering.

John 14:18: "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."

My brother had a Toys 'R Us gift card, and I decided to go with him to see what he would choose with his money.  The moment I walked in, I had this huge emotion take over my whole body.  Toys.  Everywhere.  Whichever way you turned your head there were huge quantities of every toy imaginable in that store.  Legos, Nerf guns, Barbies, you know.  Toys.  "What about the kids that don't have Christmas?", I thought.  The kids that ate dirt for breakfast this morning and walked to school with no shoes.  How do we have all this? Why did God bless us with all of this?  Why are they children waiting that may never have a forever family?  I couldn't get my brain to not go to those places.  The orphan.  The orphan doesn't get Christmas.  The orphan may live on the streets and the orphan may not get dinner tonight.  The orphaned is unloved.  But why?  Why do I get to walk into a massive store filled with just toys when there are kids all over the world that didn't even get a meal today?  

That humbled me, that day.  That so many children ate dirt today, but we get to partake in toys.  We get to walk into a store dedicated to toys with full bellies and happy faces while so many don't even have anyone to love them.  That hit me.  That hit me in the deepest part of my soul.  I'm not saying it's not fair.  I'm not saying everyone should drop everything and go out and live in Africa and never go near a Toys 'R Us ever again in their life.  I'm just saying that we should have make a change.  We should care.  I don't know about you, but I'm here to do just that.

-Emma

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Our Adoption Story

It started in January of 2010.  My little sister announced that "Mom says we're gonna adopt!"  My mom had come across an adoption blog one day of a family who had adopted from Ethiopia.  The beginning of the journey was trying to encourage (and maybe convince) my dad to agree.  When he did, the real excitement began.  Prayers were said constantly to make sure we were doing the right thing.

 If you don't know anything about adoption, there is a lot of paperwork to fill out and compile.  For us, time passed slowly in the area of paperwork.  Children came along that were waiting for a family, and we looked at their faces, wondering if they were ours.  There were a few times where we were stuck, with paperwork waiting to be signed or completed.  It was a slow process for about a year.

You might not know that I had six siblings before we adopted.  To some people, the fact that we were adopting when we already had a large family was crazy.

Last July, a sibling group was placed on the list of waiting children.  A sibling group of four beautiful children.  I came downstairs and their photos were printed out, lying on the kitchen counter.  I looked.  And I sighed, because the first thought that went through my head was, seven plus four makes a lot of kids.  And that scared me.

Time went on, and we began to warm up to the idea.  More prayers were said, family meetings were held.  Until July 21, 2011.  That was the day we accepted the referral for four beautiful Ethiopian children.

In November, my parents and two sisters went to Ethiopia for court.  During our process, Ethiopia changed their laws so that the day you went to court was a different time (sometimes months) from when you could take your kids home.  Due to a mix up with our agency, we found out that our actual court date wasn't until a few days after my parents would return home.  It was emotional for us in the states, because we didn't know what was happening or what went wrong.  Then, just three days after they returned, I came downstairs to little children screaming and laughing and my mom dancing.  "We passed court!"  No way.

When you pass court, the children you are adopting become legally yours.  It's so much more than that.  They are a part of your family forever.

A week before Christmas, my dad and I left for Ethiopia again.  This time to bring the kids home.  While we were away, my mom was hurrying to finalize the remodeling we had to do to allow more room in our house for bedrooms.  We weren't there for very long - about four days.  Those four days were some of the most emotional I have ever been through.  It was so hard, because this adoption was real.  It wasn't just some kids on a piece of paper anymore.

They've been here five months now, and the progress we've made is incredible.  It's difficult.  Every single day, it's hard.  But they are a part of our family now.  They are almost fluent in English, have hair :), and are learning all the time, new things about this new country.  It's amazing how love and care can change a person.

Adoption video:

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Different Gifts - One Purpose

Adoption is an amazing experience like no other.


We've been stressing that a lot here on the Project 147 blog. We believe that God calls us to care for orphans and show them the love of Christ (James 1:27). But not everyone is called to adopt.

As you most likely know, everyone has different God-given gifts, talents, qualities, and abilities that we can use to serve Christ. Some of us share His love through writing devotions. Others go to different countries to preach the Gospel. Still, others share His love through acts of kindness. Some of us may be gifted to encourage, while others are gifted listeners. The list is endless. But all Christians have one purpose for these gifts: to serve God and to show His light to others. Each Christian's gift is different, but the goal and purpose of all of the gifts is the same.

It's like that with adoption. God calls us all to love and care for orphans, but He doesn't call all of us to adopt.

Take prayer, for instance. Many people think it is good to pray and perhaps even do so regularly, but do not think that it is going to produce any kind of outcome. The truth is, God hears and answers every prayer - even if how He answers is not how we think He will or should. Praying for orphans is vitally important, and it can be just as affective as adoption.

What I'm trying to say is: what's your gift? How has God gifted you in the area of orphan care? Is He calling you to adopt a child, or perhaps help someone else adopt? Does He want you to start programs that raise money for orphans in your church or start a prayer group for orphans among your friends?

We are all called to love and care for orphans. In what way has God gifted you to do just that?

- Talia

(picture via google search)

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It Just Takes One

It's overwhelming, isn't it? The number. 147,000,000+ orphans. 147,000,000+ lives... precious lives. 147,000,000 lonely kiddos across the world. It breaks my heart, and if I'm totally honest, sometimes I feel overwhelmed. In all seriousness, where in the world (pardon the pun) do we begin?

The best answer I have seen to this difficult question is in a quote from Mother Teresa. She so wisely said that "if you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one."

Just one. Just start with one. Buy one shirt, or one necklace and support a child. Sponsor one child. Feed one child. Travel on one mission trip. Pick one thing to do, and start there.

Project 147 is here to break down into little steps, little chunks, the things that must be done to lower the number of children who go to sleep every night without a mommy or a daddy to tuck them in or tell them they are loved. We want to encourage you to just start out small, and see what God has planned. There are a few things in particular we want to encourage you to do.

1. Pray. It might sound cliche, but please, please pray. Pray for us, the Project 147 team.... we want this to be not at all about us but entirely about God. Pray for those you know who are in the process of adopting. Pray for the hearts of your friends and family to be broken for the millions of kiddos worldwide who need a family. Pray for those in the foster care system. Pray for the orphanage workers and others advocating for them. Prayer moves mountains and breaks hearts and calls to action. Please don't take it lightly.
2. Support. There are dozens of incredible ministries fully dedicated to the orphan. Support them! Buy their cute T-shirts, gorgoeus magazine bead jewlery, bags, and hoodies. I honestly think that half of the shirts hanging in my closet say "orphan" or "Africa" on them. ;) Support these ministries! Also, support the families you know who are adopting. Guys, adoption is not exactly cheap. Fortunately, our God has the cattle on a thousand hills anyway. Help them fund-raise and help them out when their newest addition arrives in their forever home. 
3. Share. Tell people how many orphans there are! You would be surprised how many people have no idea about the seriousness of the orphan crisis today. When someone asks about that number printed on your bag or your shirt, tell them. Plant the seed, and God will be faithful to water it.
4. Join. Join us. Tell your friends + family about us, too! Spread the word and look around our website and blog to find more ways to join with us in this. 

Start today... why not? We cannot wait to see all that God has planned for this project, for our lives, and for your lives. Tell us how it's going, too-- tweet to us at @project_147. We would love to hear from you.

Happy Monday, friends.

 - caitlin

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Orphan - The Unfair Name

Orphan.  A child, abandoned, with no one or place to call home.  Just one of 147 million.  Like a mass, they are looked upon as a charity.  "Give to the orphan!"  "Save the orphan!"  But never, "Adopt the orphan!"  We will give our money, but not our lives.  We will sacrifice money, but not our schedules, our plans.  It's unfair - this way most of the world treats orphans.

Someone once said, when told he looked old and worn out, that aged and tired was the way he was supposed to look if he was giving his all for and to God.  I ask you this: are you willing to look old and fatigued for God?  When you care for orphans, that is how you will look and feel.  Adoption or care-giving is certainly not rainbows and cherry pie.  It's dirt and bitterness and pain.  It's hard and it hurts.

But what it we thought like this instead: Is it that difficult to lose your sleep and beauty and plans for a child who has lost him mommy and daddy and home and joy and culture?  Many international adoptions deal with children who have lost those things.

When I wrote a post on my other blog a few months ago with the same title, some people said calling "orphan" an unfair name was wrong.  They said that God planned for them to be orphans, so that is what they are.  That's true.  However, with Easter just around the corner, we are able to celebrate that we have been adopted by a merciful, ever patient, loving God.  We are no longer orphans.  We are overjoyed and thankful that we have been adopted and that we have a Father.

Is it fair, then, that these children should be called orphans?  They need a father and mother as much as they need a Heavenly Father.  Maybe we can't all adopt, but we can pray and we can inform. That is one of our goals with this website and blog - to inform, to educate, to encourage.  The word orphan needs a new definition, in my opinion.  Orphan does not mean charity.  It means opportunity, it means hope, it means a child in desperate need of love, waiting, waiting, ever waiting, for someone to love them.  They're are not to be looked down upon, but they are in need of a name change.  From orphan to adopted...just as we once were orphans but have been adopted by our Father.

Olivia

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Project 147.

W e l c o m e ,    e v e r y o n e ,   t o   P r o j e c t   1 4 7 !

The website you are on is no ordinary website.  This blog is not just a blog.  No, it's much more than that.   This is something big, a project that was started because of small seeds of compassion that had been planted by God in the hearts of five young ladies.  Through blogging and emailing, we have collaborated and are ready for anything.

Our mission? 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."

We want to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world.  To look after the widows.  And we hope to use this website as a tool to look after orphans.  To love them.  That is how this website started.  Not because of us, but because of them.

There are an estimated 147 million orphans worldwide.  Yes, there are differing statistics, but you can not ignore the fact that there are millions of children who have never known the love of a parent. 

Together, we want to help them experience that love.  We want to raise awareness in hopes that these children (and adults) will know not just the love of those around the world as we take a stand, but that they will always know the love of our heavenly Father.

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When I read a number like 147 million, I honestly cannot comprehend its size.  Not many people can, I suppose.  We're not claiming that we can either.  But we do know this: one hundred forty seven million is a huge number, and it's because we know this that we've started Project 147.  We know we don't have all the answers, but if we could somehow, in someway lower that incomprehensible number, than this project is worth it.  All the work and prayers and money will have a purpose.  We know there's only so much five girls can do, but if we can do something, why not do this?  

~Olivia

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Many people think they cannot make a difference in the world. Many people know that there are many orphans, many homeless people, many hungry, starving, and dying people in the world...but they don't think there's anything they can do about it. Many teens think they are too young to be able to change anything, so they don't even try.

But not us.

1 Timothy 4:12 says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." I believe that kids, teens, and adults today can make a difference - a huge difference in the lives of orphans. Will you join us?

~Talia

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When I think “Project 147”, I think of several key words. Advocating. Love. Hope. That is our purpose. We are standing up for the forgotten through both the website and our blog. We want to raise awareness. We want to direct people to various ways in which they too can stand up for and advocate for over 147,000,000 precious kiddos across the globe who lack what most of us take for granted. And I cannot see what God does through us and the website. Welcome to Project 147.

~Caitlin 

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Project 147 is an incredible website.   All the authors of this blog have been adopted by our heavenly Father, and have been blessed with the gift of parents here on earth.  But the mind boggling truth is there are an estimated 147 million worldwide who have no one to work hard for them, to tuck them in at night, to love them.

We want to change that.  Yes, we may only be a handful of young girls, but we can reach others: children, adults, boys, girls, men, women, teens.  Together, we can bring down this number.  We are here to offer resources to help you get started, write eye-opening blog posts, interview those impacted by adoption, and to love the unloved. I do hope you'll join us.

~Natalia

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Project 147 is like a dream come true.  Literally.  I dreamt of one day having a website all about orphans, and one day, I got a lovely email from a lovely lady who helped make this thing happen.  This idea had been stuck in my head for the past four months, and I couldn't get it to go away.  I knew it was meant to be.  To me, Project 147 is like an adventure, and I can't wait to continue on this journey.  Orphans and adoption have been close to my heart for many years now, and it just feels so natural and so meant to be to be here in the midst of four other like-minded girls trying to speak up for the forgotten.  I hope you are encouraged from this website.  I hope you are moved.  I hope the Lord stirs something in your heart to give you a love for orphans, too.

~Emma

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Everyone of these girls has worked hard the past few weeks to get everything together for this moment.  When this would no longer be something to keep to ourselves, a small dream... but a reality that others could help us make happen.  There is so much to be said.

There are orphans, and it's wrong.  

Even if you think you can't make a difference, you can.  By clicking the follow button, spreading the word and praying for your eyes to be opened as you visit our website and read our blog.  You can donate to keep this website running and guest post to reach others.


Thank you so much for your support. Our prayer is that our readers will be encouraged and inspired to make a difference, and above all, that Christ would be glorified through everything. xoxo.

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