Or: How to Change the System.
This will be number 1 in a series of posts about how to make a difference in the world, whether it be by fixing the broken foster care system, or any other cause that is noble and good.
Step 1: Let God Lead the Way
After adopting 3 kids from foster care, my husband and I decided we were done.
As usual, God had other plans.
God has a plan that we could never understand. He plays the LONG long game.
We were still feeling a calling to help kids but with 6 kids at home and 2 with cerebral palsy, we thought we'd better find another way.
So, we talked to our pastor about starting a foster and adoption ministry and getting others involved to help out the cause. These "orphan care ministries" seemed popular on the internet, but we had never heard of one in Hawaii.
We really didn't have a specific plan in mind, just find out how to help and do it.
I guess the best laid plans are simple like this, because 6 years later we are still doing it. and we've helped 100s of kids!
Mathew 25:37-40 embodies everything hanai.
When someone is hungry, feed them. When someone is thirsty, give them a drink.
Don't be afraid to take in a stranger - (especially when that stranger is a child!)
In short, when someone has a need - fill it.
Treat everyone as family. We are all hanai.
Our pastor has one of the best spiritual gifts that a pastor can have:
encouragement.
He was all for starting a new ministry, we were later to find out that not all pastors are like this.
What could go wrong? We had no experience in ministry, in leadership, in fundraising, no plan, no money.... just a little voice inside that said 'do this' and so we moved forward.
At this point, it was almost Christmas and aside from talking up the idea, not much had gone on.
Then on Christmas Eve, I was driving home from our relatives house in Kona and all of my family was asleep in the car. When we were about half way home, I saw some people pulled over on the side of the road.
I thought there must have just been an accident so I slowed down and looked around.
What I saw took my breath away.
Have you ever seen a moon rainbow? Not just a colorful circle around the moon, that in itself if rare but I had seen a few times in my life.
This was full silver bow from East to West. A grayscale rainbow from one horizon to the other in the light of the full moon and drizzle of midnight fog. I didn't even know such a thing existed.
Photo Credit:Einar Runar Sigurosson
Sadly, I didn't take this picture and this is not the actual rainbow that I saw. I only had a cheesy flip phone at the time and none of my pictures came out. But it did look just like this only even more breathtaking in person.
And none of my family saw it. Not a single one would wake up, not even my husband.
It was a sign. I immediately knew it. A sign that this year would change our lives forever and Lord willing, would someday change the world....
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