Meet the Team: Erin

       For as long as I can recall, my heart has been drawn toward the fatherless. Out of all the illustrations of the gospel, the picture of adoption speaks most clearly to my soul. Although it was not my earthly story, as have two loving parents and abundantly more than I need, there is something within that truth that awakens me. Fatherless, abandoned, left -as it says in Ezekiel- despised, unwashed, unloved...that is our spiritual story. -- And then Christ breaks in and washes us, covers us with garments of praise, and says, "You are mine." He doesn't give us his scraps. He gives us His best. He seats us at His table and He gives us Himself. It's beautiful! It's more than beautiful. It's radically life-changing!  And so, as I have continually come back to my adoption as a daughter of the King, how could I help but see myself in those whose are living my spiritual story in their physical lives.
       Still, I have found myself asking a thousand questions about how and when and with what resources.  Mostly, how? How am I to love the fatherless? As a 28-year-old single woman, what does it look like for me to welcome the stranger, the unloved, into my life?

 My friend Kristen (left) and I (right) in India.

       Last December I went to India to work with an organization called As Our Own.  I had the privilege of hearing Ralph, the President of As Our Own, speak on a few occasions and every time, I found myself humbled and challenged by his faith and the stories of God’s rescuing in India. What  stuck with me most is the desire that Ralph and his team have to raise these little girls, rescued from human trafficking, as their own children. Ralph says, “It is easy to raise a child as an orphan. The challenge and the joy come in raising an orphan as your own.”  The first time I heard Ralph say this, my heart leapt. This was a thought I'd had many times, only in different words. But until I heard Ralph say it just as he did, caring for the fatherless was really just a distant idea. It was a "ONE DAY" dream instead of a "TODAY" reality. After all, I am a 28-year-old, single woman with no children. I have the freedom to spend my time and my money how I want to without having to worry about a family.
       But my time in India changed all that. Sitting face to face with those girls, hearing their stories, seeing their personalities...I fell in love. We worshiped together. And we laughed, and danced, and painted each others' toenails. They called us Didi and Dada...it means big sister or brother. My heart was no longer clinging to the idea of loving these girls as my own. It was enveloped by the truth that these girls ARE my own. I now know where some of them have come from. I heard the stories of abuse, rape, abandonment. I saw their talents. One little girl was a natural dancer. She needs to be in dance lessons. Another girl wants to go to seminary. Oh how I want to sit with her and talk about the deep things of God, to rejoice with her over God's works and words. There was one girl who I just wanted to hug and tell her how beautiful she is. That she is smart and talented and beautiful and God made her purposefully. That she is loved.
       The night we left was one of the hardest nights of my life. As the girls loaded the vans to go back to Grace Home, it was all I could do to not cry. And those tears just kept pushing their way to my eyes through the entire flight home. I never imagined that I would know what it was like to send your child off to school for the first day or to college or anywhere that would mean separation for any amount of time before I'd even been on a date. But there it was, this horrible truth that I had to come back to Houston and live on the complete opposite side of the world from my girls. I'm sure the mothers reading this are skeptical that I could know how they feel. And perhaps it's not the same. There is really no way to know. All I know is that my life has to be different now. I can't spend my money however I want. I do have a family to think about. I have little girls that should be in dance class and should get to go to college. I have babies that outgrow their clothes too quickly and sometimes have tummy aches. I have sweet girls who have hurts and heartaches that need counseling so they have help finding the healing they so desperately need. These are my girls.
       And the girls in India are not the only ones. There are fatherless in Africa, Asia, Europe, and yes, even down the street from you and me. They are mine too. They may be strangers to me, but I have been given the ministry of reconciliation. I have been given the charge to love as I have been loved. So these strangers are my brothers and sisters, my sons and daughters...they are my own.
       And you know what? They are you girls too. Your sons and daughters. Your brothers. Your sisters. As the church we have a responsibility and the privilege to love the orphan, to help the weak. We can't wait for the church staff or the people "called" to the mission field to do it all. You are the church. I am the church. We should be loving orphan children as our own, welcoming strangers (fatherless, abandoned, left despised, unwashed, unloved...) into our lives. But maybe you are asking the questions that I had: When? How?
       I know that finding those answers can be more difficult than we'd like. Many times there seems to be so much need that we become paralyzed by the countless opportunities to press in. My prayer is that 2theLeast would be a bridge. Our heart is to connect you with the needs of the strangers we are called to love. We are learning with you and will continue to share with you what we discover. We have been posting songs, scripture, and other resources that speak to the heart of this mission we are on.We invite you to join the conversation and to join us on this journey of giving our lives to the least.

Meet the Team: Michelle

       Six years ago I was at high school camp and I was asked to help watch the rec staff leader's new baby girl during recreation. I was sweating it out, wondering how in the world I was going to help change a diaper. Luckily, someone rescued me from that job! Fast-forward to present day and I am typing this blog post in a dark hall, waiting for my two three-year-olds and my five-year-old to fall asleep. My shorts are covered in toothpaste, my mascara is smudged to match the dark circles under my eyes, I have to "go potty", two of the kids are screaming for me, and piles of laundry wait downstairs. Still, motherhood is a beautiful thing. I wouldn't trade all the "I love you, Mommy" moments and the kisses for anything.

       Jonathan and I got married 8 years ago and it has been a very cool thing to be a team. We have an imperfect marriage, but love and respect each other greatly. We balance each other out in ways I never knew I needed. Keegan came first (not trying), just three years in. He is my smart and mild-mannered boy. Next came Jack, 18 months later as a surprise, energetic, funny and loving.

       My husband is adopted and through a sequence of events, we realized that one day we wanted to do just that. Watching my BFF, Christine, walk through her years of infertility and grief while I was popping out babies was miserable. I cried often for us as friends. Somehow, God grew us closer through all of it. When they brought Preslee home from the hospital and then 9 months later adopted her, my heart said, "Wouldn't that be amazing to experience?" But, I was not sure God wanted US to put it into action. (Sometimes our heads and own personal goals get in the way of God's whisperings!) It was something we always "said" or "thought" we were going to do...Until, this past February. Through various ways, God got a hold of me and said, "Adopt."

       Three weeks ago we got the placement call for a three-year-old little girl. I am sure many more blogs will come of this. It has been a very eye-opening experience and a roller coaster rise of the highest hills and lowest dips. Rocking her to bed each night while singing praise songs to her is beautiful. Her ears are being filled with truth every night...and so are mine. Brushing her hair, reading princess books, and getting her sweet hugs are some extra bonuses.  Fostering to adopt is not exactly the easiest ride. We could lose her at any point to a family member. However, I will say this, it is not about us. We are just part of His plan for her life. He does not need us to rescue her from the life she may be subjected to because He is powerful enough to save her however he chooses. The pictures that I see of some orphans across seas were the same as photos taken by CPS of my little three-year-old. And guess what... She lived less than 30 miles from me. Not everyone is called to foster or adopt, but the needs are tremendous. My heart in 2theLeast is to put feet to meeting these needs and to help others realize the needs right at their doorstep.

Meet the Team: Christine

       Hello. It's me, Christine. I wanted to tell you all a little about me, this journey and the dream of 2theLeast. I am an almost 33-year-old stay at home mom, living my dream life of raising possibly the cutest, smartest little girl there ever was! I have been married now for 8 years. We once described our marriage as a jolly rancher...hard but sweet. I have done a lot of learning about myself in these 8 years and the Lord has been so so gracious (along with my husband).
       Our journey to becoming a family was not really what the world would call "text book". It began several years into our marriage. The standard "we've been married several years, why don't we get pregnant?" conversation. Although (after many doctors and medications) it turns out that's it's not so easy to get pregnant when you don't ovulate. Who knew? But we found out. It was a dark time for me and in turn a dark time for my man. He wanted to "fix" it. I didn't want to have to be "fixed". There was a combination of heartache and shame that you could only understand if you have walked the road of infertility. Truly. It was hard. It was a couple years in that I began allowing the Lord to soften my heart for what His plan was and to be content in it. Be encouraged sisters of infertility. The biggest truth the Lord whispered to me over a over during this time was that my journey of not being able to conceive was NOT a consequence for anything. He was NOT punishing me. His plan is filled with grace and, as I look back, a kind of sweetness I wouldn't change for anything. We grew closer, the Lord and me. So take it one day at a time. Let the Lord be your healer. He will. He is faithful.
       As emotional healing was taking place and in a story that only He could write, He lead us to the doors of a place called New Life Pregnancy Center. After MUCH paperwork, training, and a couple of failed placements, we met one of the bravest people I know. For  this blog she will be called "S". S was 18 at the time, already had a 3 year old and overwhelmed with the idea of another child to care for. My heart broke for her. I couldn't (and still can't) imagine having to make that decision. We became instant friends and what seemed so odd to the world looking on, felt so natural to us. The Lord was bonding us and He is continuing to build a relationship that only He can. S had decided that Zach and I would be parents to her unborn daughter. It was a happy day! On April 8th, 2010, S gave birth to our sweet girl, whom together we named Preslee Mariah. Zach and I got to be at the hospital for the first bath. I was able to give her the first bottle. It was beautiful. The picture of adoption that was written on the glorious day Jesus died on the cross and invited us to His family, we were living out in a hospital room in Galveston,Texas. It has been a joy-filled 16 months. She makes my heart leap out of my chest.

      But you see, amidst all the paperwork and planning before her arrival, was this small detail of the adoption agency's fee. It was an amount of money that Zach and I didn't have laying around, so between a more than generous donation from a ministry here in town, the hard work of my family and friends, and t-shirt sales, we had all the money we needed to bring our sweet girl home. During our t-shirt sales, we shipped t-shirts to over 20 states. It was overwhelming -in a good way of course. To be a part of how the body of Christ came together for our little story was something I will NEVER forget. Shipping shirts and thank you notes out to people that I would probably never get to see face to face, hug their neck, or tell them of the great blessing they were to us, was such a mix of emotions.
       So what could I do about it? Well, I could get together with a couple of friends and my sister, come up with a clever name, and start a small organization called 2theLeast so that, prayerfully, we can be a blessing to others. A blessing to families who are pursuing caring for the fatherless. A blessing to those who are living in our country and around the world as the fatherless. It is our prayer that we are just that, a blessing. We can't do it without you. We can't do it without His grace. And here we are. Want to come along for the ride?


Blessings to you,
Christine