The Sparrow Fund Archives - Page 18 of 36

Conference call mute buttons and overthinking why I’m doing this anyway

7.14.15

I have a routine every morning. I get out of bed, come downstairs, and make coffee. I do it the same way every morning with what I find the perfect blend of decaf and flavored regular grinds, going through the motions like a coffee-making robot. I pour my cup, sweeten it up, and sit in my green chair and read. Every. single. morning.

I’ve realized another predictable pattern in my life. With the work we do in China and the trips we lead there, it seems like we’re always in preparation for another trip across the world. As soon as we’re home from one, we’re planning for the next one. Right now, preparations to lead a team of 15 to serve at an orphanage there in October are in full swing. We’re reading a book together, signing our names on all kinds of paperwork, making lists and gathering supplies, raising funds, dreaming up gifts to take. Last night, we had one of our team conference calls. And, afterwards, I thought…

Why am I doing this?

I’m totally predictable. Every. single. call. Before. every. single. trip.

The mute button on conference calls is deadly, yes. But, it’s not just that. It’s me. It’s me overthinking…

You know…I could just do life as usual and not do this trip at all. This is kinda crazy, you know? I mean…the plane trip alone? It’s 24 hours of traveling door to door. That’s crazy. And, all the preparations? I have four kids! We have so much going on. Mark should lead these teams. Why am I doing this?

[insert crickets here.]

[and some more for good measure.]

Then, I look to my left from my desk. And, I see her.

I step away from the mess on my desk and go closer. And, I hear her.

She’s whispering. The little Chinese girl is whispering to the Chinese grandma. And, the little American girl is whispering to the Chinese boy. And, they are riding bikes together, and they are eating noodles together, and they are thanking the man who made them.

And, I take some pictures because that’s what mamas often do.

Just watching her for a few minutes playing with wooden toys, in her whispers, I hear His whispers and I’m reminded.

Relationship. That’s why I go. It’s why I work everyday for a long time leading up to 11 days in October. It’s why I leave the children I’m called to mother to go play with children who are not mine. It’s why my husband left the career he had for more than 18 years to do something new. It’s for eating noodles together and blowing bubbles together and uniting our efforts together to do something that means something. Relationship. Relationships, my friends, are not easy.

Given my predictability, I know I’ll think it all again—next conference call, next to-do list, next time I ask someone to give or help and hear a no in reply, when I start packing my bags, when I’m watching the third movie in a row on the plane, when I’m in the van headed to the orphanage for our first day. Yeah, I’ll think it again because I’m predictably weak and fickle and so easily swayed by hard things to a place of doubt and second guessing. But, when I find myself there again as I know I will, I’m going to picture her here, my daughter, with little wooden people in her hands whispering and then I’ll hear His voice whispering, “Press on, good and faithful servant. It’s not easy, but it’s right.”

Save the date! #TC2016

5.15.15

A little less than 2 months ago, 220 men and women made meals in advance, set out clothes in little piles, arranged rides to practices, and said goodbye to children (pulled them off their legs in some cases). We set aside life for a weekend to come together, as a couple and as a community, for refreshment and reminders of why they’re doing all this to begin with. In worship, engaging words, and fellowship, over that weekend, we were encouraged as parents to children who have experienced hard things, as couples who need each other to work as a unified team, and as individuals who are called to a big task. That’s Together Called. It’s awesome.

We know it’s only the middle of May, and that we’ve got a whole lot of other things going on around here with leaving for China next week. But, in all the busyness of that, we’ve been signing contracts and looking at menus and taking tours as we get things set up for TC2016. So, since we’ve been readying things for you, we thought you might want to ready yourself too.

Mark your calendars with two dates–registration in early October and the weekend of April 8th-10th. We want you to be there with us this year.

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Don’t forget that there are 40+ businesses supporting adoption and the work of The Sparrow Fund this month.

Head over HERE to see who they all are and to shop with purpose this month so that The Sparrow Fund can continue with things like Together Called.

Building the Nest 2015

5.11.15

When we started The Sparrow Fund in 2011, we set out to give grants to families for the specific purpose of preadoption support, counsel, and medical reviews. We could do that; it was needed and filled a gap that we saw in the support out there for families, and it was manageable for us. We knew we would need to raise some money to keep it going. But, it wasn’t that much we’d need. But, a lot has changed since then. Mark quit his job a couple years ago to do nonprofit work full-time with another organization working in China. While we transitioned into that role knowing we needed to raise our salary {gulp}, we did not feel God calling us to end the work of The Sparrow Fund. In fact, we actually heard Him tell us to keep growing it in partnership with the full-time work. So, we have, responding to needs and walking in faith. Now, The Sparrow Fund not only gives grants but also provides training events and an annual marriage retreat and leads teams to serve at an orphanage in China.

But, none of that can happen without funding. We have monthly supporters and donors who support us so that we can do all this, but we also need funds to go straight to the programs themselves–the grants, the trainings, the retreats. We’ve gotta build the nest. As you can imagine, building the nest isn’t an independent task; it takes a lot of people to build that nest so that we can help others as they build theirs through this thing called adoption. And, we’re so thankful that so many have come around us and said yes to that.

All the businesses linked up below have joined us by making a really big commitment to donate 10% of their total sales during the month of May to The Sparrow Fund so that we can continue to serve adoptive families in a significant way.

Visit their sites, shop with purpose, and make that 10% something crazy. I know it can be.

Jewelry Design

Art and Design

Home

Clothing & Accessories

Special Gifts & Services

Sponsors for Building the Nest

To get the nest started…

Sparrow Sponsor

Norman L. Graham, Inc.

Norman L. Graham, Inc. is a premier builder of custom homes and additions in South Central Pennsylvania. From design to construction, every Norman L. Graham project is built with care and careful attention to detail. What better partner to build the nest than a company who is all about nest building.

Pearl Sponsor

Mervin Zimmerman Heating, Plumbing, & Air Conditioning

Merle Zimmerman Inc. has been serving customers as a family-owned business since 1968. The retail store and showroom near Lititz, PA, The Bath Barn, is a place to come to get questions answered, receive personal service, and be inspired by modern bathroom designs to make your dream nest a reality.

Rice Law Firm

Neal Rice became an attorney because he loves to help people. Being an attorney gives him the chance to do that every day. He counts it a privilege to walk alongside his clients as they journey through life including as they grow their family via adoption and care for their nest going forward.

Other Sponsors

Hey, I know it’s almost mid-May already, but it’s not too late to join the effort here and support adoption, the work of The Sparrow Fund, and allow us to tell the world that you do. Simply contact Wanda at The Sparrow Fund to learn about how you can be added to this post and future posts as part of Build the Nest 2015. She’s heading up this whole deal and is doing an awesome job getting the word out and growing that 10%. I love her. :)

Their Vision is Valuable {After}

5.5.15

Starting in May, every first Friday of the month until October, the quaint town of Phoenixville explodes with activity. Streets are closed, people are everywhere, and parking is atrocious. Restaurants are all abuzz with long waits for good eats. Happy hour becomes happy hours as bartenders can’t keep up with the demand. And, there, in the middle of it all, is The Bridge, our church office, where on this first First Friday of 2015, something very very special happened.

Portraits of 12 children were set up in the front window, and their art filled every square inch of the rest of that space. Hundreds of people came through Friday night–the vast majority of whom just wandered in on their way to catch dinner with friends. I saw their eyes widen as I explained the story behind the exhibit and showed them the pictures of the children who created it. I smiled with them as I told them about the little boy who loves to dance and the little girl who now lives in Omaha with her new family. I saw parents pick children up and point out details in the pictures. I heard them talk about what they would name each one. I saw groups of teenage girls gushing at how cool one of the pictures was and snapping pictures on their iPhones to remember it. I heard a young woman ask her friend if the text underneath each photo’s name was “from the Bible or something.”

There we were, right in the middle of all the activity, showing people the faces of children with special needs who don’t have families, who call an orphanage home. There, in the middle of the bar scene, were 30 incredible pictures of hope and beauty and life. There, in the middle of crowds of people, were Bible verses next to each one of those pictures that drew those crowds in.

I was all alone in that space at the end of the night. While the sound of several different bands playing throughout the streets could still be heard, it was quiet in there. As I swept up cracker crumbs and packed up brochures, I thought about how at that very moment, the children who created all that beauty were probably sitting in their classroom together–all but the one sweet girl who was likely sleeping in her new bedroom in Omaha. Whatever they were doing right then–reading, learning math, staring out the orphanage window, holding hands with their friend–they had no idea how they had just changed the world on the other side of it. I can’t wait to tell them all about it. I can’t wait to tell them again how valuable they are.

We set out to change the picture some may have in their head of a “special needs orphan” and what he or she is capable of. We set out to make louder the voice and impact on the world that those children who we have grown to love have. We set out to honor them and honor the One who created them. At the end of the night, I believe that happened; I really believe that happened.

We believe this show isn’t a once and done thing. We believe it should happen again, maybe again and again. Who knows. It will cost something, and it won’t be easy. There’s work that would need to be done to make it happen. But, I think it should because the world change is simply not limited to one night in one town in Eastern PA.

If you want to hear more about that, if you want to be part of that world change where you are, if you want your church or ministry to host this in the middle of whatever activity you are in the middle of, email me at kraudenbush@sparrow-fund.org. We’re working on putting information together for whoever else may want a part of this.