Sunday, January 16, 2011

Sunday Snapshot - Orphan Day of Prayer

So, right before Christmas, my beautiful friend Sharon and I were texting like crazy about one of the precious little ones whom we had both been advocating for.   We had been advocating for and praying about this precious little girl for so long.  As we were texting, Sharon comes up with an idea, a wonderful idea, a wonderful yet somewhat scary idea.  My beautiful friend Sharon asked if I would like to host an orphan prayer day with her sometime after Christmas!

YES!

A wonderful idea, right?  So why scary??

Well, if you have been following here for a while, you know that our family has been through some struggles this year, some financial struggles, and while it has been REALLY hard, this struggle has had it's purpose. 

This struggle has brought our family closer to God and stronger in our faith.  I am learning how to pray and how to just talk to God.  I am learning first hand the power of prayer in our lives and in the lives of the people around us.  I am learning to recognize the Lord's amazing work that is all around us - every - single - day.  It has always been there but now I am beginning to know it for what it is - God's plan and God's provision and God's miracles.

I am embraceing the struggle almost everyday! 

So a day of prayer.  OK...

I have prayed SO much lately, more than I ever have before.  I have prayed for our financial situation as well as another "tug at my heart" situation.  I have prayed for the precious children who wait, the ones who are on my blog and all the others whom I will never know.  I have prayed for all those families who are working so hard to bring their children home and I pray for those families who are just starting the process and need those mountains moved!

I am learning how to pray and how to let it go, how to give those burdens to Him that are just too much for me.  So again, why scary?

Well, while I am comfortable giving Him my burdens and praying my prayers, the thought of being responsible for the prayers of others is, honestly a bit scary!  I guess I just don't want to mess it up!

I know, however, that this is something I really wanted to do and sharing this with my beautiful friend Sharon will be amazing!  I know the Lord will be with us and will help us to pray for all those who are in need of a little or a lot of prayer.

When we started talking about just how to work this, Sharon told me about the "Prayer Tree."  Apparently, in a small town in South Carolina, there is a tree, a very special tree.  It is a tree under which 2 elderly gentlemen sit - and pray.  Anyone who feels the need to stop by and ask for prayer can and these 2 wonderful gentlemen will pray.

Well, Sharon and I would like to have a place where you can stop by and ask for prayers, prayers for the children who wait, prayers for their needs and prayers for the families who are trying to bring them home,

So, you can leave your prayer requests on this blog post or on my beautiful friend Sharon's blog, A Family for Everyone .  I will also be posting about it in my Wonderful Waiting Kids blog this week with the regular advocacy post.  We hope that you will leave your prayer requests (even if they are not specific), your stories about the power of prayer in your life and stop by to pray for others.


and please join us this week to pray for these precious gifts from God!!!. 

To join in on more wonderful Sunday Snapshots go here


Ni Hao Y'all

29 comments:

  1. I will pray. I love that you have such big Faith in our God. This is beautiful in every way. It warms my heart.

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  2. Annie - I don't know what is up with blogger. I know I've been a follower for ages now, but I am not getting your updates. UGH!!! I just checked and the last one I have is from 5 weeks ago. More ugh!! I thought I was losing my mind as I'm scrolling through your posts here and haven't read them. I've been missing out on all of your life....triple UGH!!

    Sorry to rant, it's just frustrating for me plus I miss you my friend and really haven't been MIA.

    Anyway.....LOVE your heart my friend...LOVE this idea and something similar has been on my heart, too, as we countdown to Kaleb...kinda knowing he may be it for our family yet there are sooo many others I fall in love with, too.

    We would covet/beg for your prayers for our fundraising for Kaleb...the last few here and for our grant applications for God's favor.

    Thank you and HUGS!!

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  3. Cross prayer request with your friend's blog!
    We live in China and foster a little guy with Down Syndrome. Our hope and prayer is that the orphanage would be willing to list him on the official CCAA list so that we can begin to advocate for a family for him.
    Our other prayer is that a family would step forward with an interest in adopting him. This can sometimes smooth the way for adoption.

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  4. LOVE this, Annie!! How He is doing a work in your heart... it is so beautiful of you to offer to pray for so many... you are amazing, Annie :)
    May He continue to draw you close, and grant you those desires of your heart :)
    Hugs!

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  5. I love, love, love this post and your blog.

    Have a blessed Sunday!

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  6. I LOVE this idea ...I will for sure be joining you this week of prayer!!! I am praying for the SNs children who have waited so long for a family of their own. I ask God to clear the way financially so that $ will not be the reason for a child to not have a mommy or daddy. I pray for "walking to china"s foster son to be added to the shared list so that he might have a chance at adoption. I pray for all the precious waiting Down Syndrome children in China including our own toddler girl for whom we have PA. I ask the Lord that He leads CCAA to grant us approval to add a 2nd Down Syndrome child to her adoption. All in His perfect timing. Thank you Father for all you are doing in China and how You are calling families to adopt

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  7. Dear Annie -

    Thanks so much for offering to help carry the prayer needs of others! Thanks to you and Shirley! Would you please pray that a family comes forward for sweet Yaru - the 12 yr old with CP? Also, please pray that my dh would desire to adopt again if it is God's will. I have been waiting and praying for over 2 1/2 years to bring home child number 2. My desire just wont go away :) I just know we could be a forever family for at least one more kiddo. My dh's name is Jerry. Thanks so much!
    Karin (JunFen's mom www.journeytojunfen.com)

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  8. We're praying with you, Annie! Thank you so much for hosting this, and please pray for hearts to be opened to adoption - even those who have never considered it. Please pray for "Piao Piao" with complex CHD, "Bin", post CHD, and DGX to find a loving home. I'll be praying for all of the above requests as well.

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  9. Annie,
    I will be joining you and others in prayer as always for all of the children to find their forever home. Please say a little prayer for the little one that still waits for us.

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  10. Thank you for doing this! There are so many waiting precious children and many willing families who need a mountain or two thrown into the sea! I've been trying to work within His will to move two mountains in my life in order to adopt again (one was an agency willing to advocate for a waiver--now I have two willing agencies--the other is finances and I'm still waiting). I could use some lifting up! I will continue to pray for us all.

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  12. Thank you Annie! This is a fantastic idea! I will focus my prayers this week also:)
    I will tell you our prayer success story...We are adopting Min, featured on your Wonderful Waiting Kids blog right now.
    I prayed for seven years that God would change my husbands heart. And He did. We prayed and fasted about whether we should adopt Min who was a bit of a stretch from the 'checklist' we were turning in to our agency, but we had prayed that the Lord would lead us to the girl who would be right for our family, And God gave us the peace and the answers we needed to go forward.

    Money and time became an issue so we fasted and prayed for direction and we got given the idea of our fundraiser and have been supported. We are currently praying for Min's heart, expedited process and our fundraiser and we know that God hears and will answer with His best plan for Min and for us.

    Thank you for letting us share and letting us be a part of this.

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  13. thank you, Annie.
    Please pray for us as we move forward with adopting TWO special needs boys in China. They both have repaired meningocele, like our youngest daughter.
    We felt God calling us to adopt both of them, with NO money set aside for adoption.
    The LORD has begun providing in miraculous ways. Please pray for us, that we will continue to be encouraged and affirmed in our decision, and that God will provide for every need.

    And, in all of that, my dauhter and I feel called to return to South AFrica this summer, so we will need an additional $7,000.

    God is good, and I look forward to seeing what He has planned!
    Robbie

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  14. HI Annie,

    Thank you for doing this! Please pray that the Holy Spirit will move my RH's heart and soul and make him a DH again. I have Hope and Believe, but know it has to be His will. My RH;s name is Todd.

    God Bless all for you for praying for this,
    Lee Ann

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  15. Hello Annie! This post is such a joy and an encouragement! I have prayed through each of these requests listed just now. I will continue to pray for the orphans, caretakers, and waiting families this week. I am also praying for you and Sharon as you bless others through your obedient, sweet, hearts.

    I ask that you pray that we will have all of the money we need soon, as our time to complete our fees is drawing near, and I am working as many extra hours at work as possible and still coming up somewhat short. I also ask that you pray for direction for me as the Lord is pulling me toward new journeys with Him! Thank you!

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  16. Hi Annie -

    Thank you for the inspiration - I will be praying with you this week for all the families and children waiting.

    Please add our family to the prayer list. We just sent the paperwork needed to submit our LOI for a little boy who just turned 6. That the husband agreed is already a blessing I'll never live up to but if I can ask - I need help getting through the paperchase.

    Joanie

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  17. I am praying for all of the children you advocate for. Thanks for all you do for the children of China..

    I am asking for prayer for our family's fundraising efforts to bring Max home. Thanks for doing this.

    Blessings,
    Karen R

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  18. Hi Annie,
    What kind hearts you have. Please pray for our Anna waiting for us in China. Please pray that we are able to get her home before her 8th birthday. I will also be praying for the orphans and other waiting families as well as for reluctant spouses
    Blessings

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  19. Hi Annie,
    What a wonderful thing you guys are doing. Someone has to get the word out to believers about how many children are waiting. We are awaiting PA for a son in China, and alreay have a wonderful son from there and a beautiful biological daughter. Please pray our hearts will be calm. We don't know the future but God is already there.

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  20. Wow! I am thanking the Lord right now for the priviledge to be able to pray for you all!!! Please know that Sharon and I have been praying ALL week and will continue to pray for each one of you!! This has been an amazing experience and I invite more of you to leave your prayer requests or to join us in prayer for these precious children and the families who are trying to bring them home.

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  21. Please pray for our adoption. I can feel the enemy trying to discourage us. We are having some trouble with our doctor reports. Please pray everything goes well.
    Thank you,
    Christy

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  22. Would you please include us in your prayers that we will be able to add another beautiful child to our family through adoption. Thank you so much!

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  23. Will you pray that God will open our financial burden, to be a burden no more? Will you pray for special daughter from Jiangxi and special daughter from Tianjin to BOTH come to our home. I know it is selfish, I already have children from China, but Lord Fill My House!

    Will you help me pray too for all the children who have photos taken for referrals to be suddenly and supernaturally inhabited by the Holy Spirit! Help them to smile and be comforted during their photo that is submitted to the CC**? Also hoping and praying that in the NEAR future all the waiting children will have short videos to go with their paperwork. Also praying that the doctors who examine the children for their refferals make accurate diagnosis for each child. God is bigger than any request we could think up!

    Ephesians 3:20
    Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us...Hallelujah!

    Joining all in prayer ,

    In Christ,
    Tammy Brenn

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  24. I am so happy to pray for all the requests. It's a privilege to pray for the children and the families!

    Please include our family in prayer. We've had a request for evidence from USCIS. We were able to get our paperwork mailed out to them 9 days before the deadline, but they have not received them due to them arriving on a Saturday. So we're thinking tomorrow they will received them. Our case is a little tricky due to a foul up in our home study. Please pray it is all fixed now and we can get our I-800A approval and move on. There is a little girl waiting for us in China!

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  25. Hi, I know I'm a bit late, but I would love to ask for prayer. My mom and I will be leaving in a few months to get our daughter. She will be our third child, third adoption, but FIRST trip to China. Our first were escorted from Korea. God is really growing the desire for even MORE children from China.......BUT this momma is a bit terrified of flying!! As our travel time is drawing near, I'm finding myself more and more nervous. Sounds selfish, asking for prayer for just me for this adoption, but it's beginning to freak me out. Thank you so much for praying.

    -karen
    goingbuggie@aol.com

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  26. Wow, what a wonderful idea! It's so difficult to explain the desires, passion and sorrow that go along with being/wanting to be an adoptive parent to those who are not part of the adoption world.
    My prayers go out to the children who are waiting and waiting and waiting. I am so thankful to be able to ask you to pray for my RH. I really have no one else to ask.My friends and family simply do not understand my desire. I have 7 children, 3 from China. I am willing and able to adopt a few more. I love being a Mom! Please pray that God would soften my RH's heart for more children. His name is Barry. Thank you.

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  27. What a wonderful idea. The power of prayer is absolutely breathtaking. I was down on my knees in prayer before Christmas to open my DH's heart to one more child. My prayers were answered and we are now have PA for our fifth blessing. However, now a potential health scare has come up which may not allow us to proceed with this adoption. I would welcome prayers for good results to an upcoming medical procedure. I continue to add my prayers to all of the waiting children and families.

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  28. Annie,
    Will you all pray that our family will be able to move the financial burdens that are stopping us from adopting again. In my heart I just know there are two beautiful SN boys in China waiting for us. I know the LORD can move all mountains. We are in awe of what He has done in our lives so far, I ache in my heart at times to bring a little man or two home. I want GOD to be in charge, but sometimes it is so hard to let go and let GOD move. Kim

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  29. Thank you for your sweet concept of a prayer tree! Through a miraculous journey my RH became a DH and we are in the process of adopting another blessing (SN) from China. We have had some paperwork snags. Can you please pray for speedy paperwork and the power to bring our little one home soon. Blessings!

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