I've already got one order for a Hidden Name painting!  Hooray!  Four more and we'll have covered the costs for one pregnant woman to receive care during the roughest time of her life.  We can do this!

Bloggy Drawing RESULTS!

Thank you everyone for your generous donations to Morning Light Ministries- we made it 50% to the purchase of one crib (roughly $200).  I can't wait to get the funds off to them.  Keep them in your prayers; it sounds like they are brainstorming solutions to meet Taiwan requirements for office space so that Morning Light Home can become a reality!

PS. Rebecca, make sure I have your current address for sending the prize!

50% there!

You guys are awesome!  At the time of posting, we're 50% there (!) in the fundraiser for Morning Light Ministries in Taiwan!  I'll give a chance for more people to ChipIn, so a name for the prize won't be drawn until tonight or early tomorrow morning.  This will be the first in a series, so if you aren't able to participate this time, continue praying for the group home and nursery that the Pans are establishing in Taiwan, and consider a donation the next time I host a bloggy drawing with a different prize!

Morning Light Ministries Bloggy Drawing

Our adoption journey has gone from being about one little orphan, and our family, to a desire to have a greater impact on orphans as a whole, and to impact the people of Taiwan.  My eyes have been opened to things and the only appropriate response is action.

This year, I became aware of Morninglight Ministries.  The Pan family started pastoring Taitung Baptist church in 2001 and now find themselves in a position where God is using them in amazing ways regarding unwed mothers and adoption- Morninglight Ministries.  The Asian culture in Taiwan is, by and large, very unforgiving to those who become pregnant outside of marriage.  Because of this, most of these children are aborted or given up for adoption.  From what I gather, the county that Morninglight is in has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy and very few (any?) group homes or foster care options.  The reality of the situation is that these women feel that there is no other choice but to seek out an abortion, or they risk being shunned by their family and having shame heaped upon them and their child.  The Pan family has begun reaching out to these women with the love of Christ and have helped to match adoptive families to these children when the birth family desires.  But, they lack the resources to meet the need.  Bit by bit, a way is being made for them to have a home for the unwed mothers and a nursery for the children awaiting placement for adoption.  

In the words of a Morninglight volunteer, Sarah:  "The Unwed mother's home will be used to not only give the women another choice (there are not enough homes in TAIWAN much rather their county), but they will also be given the opportunity to learn how to be a mom if they wish to continue forward and parent, they will be given the opportunity to support themself and their child by taking the classes offered for Bible, life resource, baby care.. etc and turn those hours into "chips" or vouchers to by their basic needs for them and baby and get proper medical care. With their being 400,000 abortions a year in Taiwan, due greatly to the astigmatism and lack of "placement help" in the way of orphanages and homes, they feel pressured to abort. Deana [Pan] is taking courses right now in "counseling", psych, and others in order to grow this dream into a reality."

Just this week, enough money was raised for them to purchase and install an air conditioning unit!  Praise God!  More essentials need to be purchased and more help is needed.

Soooo....

I now have a ChipIn button in my sidebar.  I'll take donations for Morninglight and draw a name from the contributors for a prize.  This raffle ends Aug. 1st and the winner will get a leather-bound copy of Anne Graham Lotz's "Daily Light Journal- Morning Readings".  I figured it was appropriate for *Morning* *Light*.  Get it?  :-)  The goal for this bloggy drawing is to raise enough money for one crib, roughly $200.  We can make a difference!