Christian Family Adoptions

"I love you Daddy and Mommy �"

These words of appreciation can bring a smile to a dad's face, tears of joy to a mother's eyes and cause both hearts to burst with confidence and pride. These words are the periodic, joyful rewards of parenting! How ironic it is when they come at the end of an especially hard day � it could be relational struggles at home or work; a recent injury or illness; the added weight of financial responsibilities (trying to make those proverbial ends meet); or just the overall weight and responsibility of guiding innocent children in a world full of temptations and evil. Today's parents truly face tough challenges. It's been said, "Parenting is the toughest job you'll ever love!" Somehow though, hearing "I love you" makes it all worthwhile.

Full-time Missionary Work�

All Christians in the family of God have been charged with carrying on Jesus' passion for evangelism. In John 4, Jesus tells us what his passion was while on the earth � what he ate and breathed every day � Missionary work!

"My food � is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work � I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest."

But can all of us become full-time, overseas missionaries to some unknown and lost people group? Obviously not. Our mission field most likely is where we live, work and play: our homes, neighborhoods and workplace.

The Harvest Fields are Ripe �

There is a little known but ripe harvest field very close to home � right here in Washington and Oregon, wherein many are called by God to labor. It is the harvest field of Special Needs Adoptions. You see, every Special Needs child adopted and placed into a Christian home is, by God's grace, a child saved from the world. Adoptive Fathers and Mothers are reconciling the world to Christ one child at a time, through God's model of adoption. We believe that adoption work is full time MISSIONARY work!

Special Needs or Special Blessing? �

Who are these children? Special Needs (or SNAC) children are kids in State foster care who are currently available for adoption. Although many infants make up this group, most are over five years of age and have at least one of the following attributes:
1) brothers or sisters waiting for adoption with them,
2) physical/emotional/mental challenges, or
3) ethnic/racial/cultural minority status.
These children can only be healed through the unconditional love that comes from belonging to a caring family. In Oregon and Washington alone, there are over 1200 SNAC children waiting to say "I love you" to a dad or mom like you! Though much effort is often required, SNAC children can truly be "Special Blessings!"

An Adoptive Father's Greatest Joy �

Recently, an adoptive father joyfully wrote us concerning his family's "Special Blessings." Of the seven children God has blessed his wife and him with, five of them came through the gift of adoption. Some are boys, some are girls; some are black, some are mixed; some are special needs � all are beautiful! All have wonderful and unique stories of God's sovereign hand directing them to their adoptive family. Their 16-year-old son wrote this about one of their most recent "gifts":

"In July, God brought Karlisha Rose into my family. Who would have thought that one little two-year-old girl could bring so much noise, clutter, joy and smiles to our home? Her bubbly little personality generates joy and laughter into my entire family. It brings me so much joy to hear her sing sweet little songs and it feels so good when she gives me a chubby cheek hug. It has been challenging, though, to have a little tike around the house. She has fits; she screams and she is great at making messes. Fortunately, God has blessed her with four older brothers and one older sister (ages 9-21) who love her just the way she is. I count it a blessing to have been adopted. I have parents that love me and truly care for me. To me, my adoptive parents are my real parents. They are the ones who have invested time and energy into training me and loving me. They are my heroes! This holiday season will be extra special for me as I watch my little sister enjoy the excitement of Christmas. Our family will be thanking God for the gift that he sent us earlier this year!"

We've All Been Adopted �

Paul, in the first chapter of his letter to the Ephesian church conveys the pleasure that our Heavenly Father experiences every time he adopts another son or daughter into His family:

"Praise be to the God � For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure ..."

It is through God's beautiful picture and example of our adoption of sons and daughters that we at Christian Family Adoptions joyfully serve God. We consider it our privilege to direct Christian fathers and mothers into a lifelong commitment of sacrificial & joyful service � the adoption of needy children into their homes! However, David reminds us in Psalms 68:6 that it is truly:

"God [who] sets the lonely in [earthly] families."

An Invitation to Sacrificial Action �

Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are: "created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Therefore, this call is intended to reach those whom God has already called to Special Needs Adoption but have yet to respond to the invitation. At Christian Family Adoptions (CFA), we know adoption is not for everyone and Special Needs Adoption is a call for even fewer still. If you are not called to this mission field, please pray for and support those who are! If however, you are hearing God's call to the Special Needs Adoption harvest, we REJOICE!

"Here I am, Send Me" �

There are three ways to respond to the harvest field of Special Needs Adoptions.

-	The first is for adoption advocates (we call them SNAC Ambassadors) to commit to tell others of the great need and to pray for God to send forth laborers into this needy Mission field.
-	Secondly, there is a continuous need for individuals, families and businesses to partner with us in underwriting SNAC missionaries. The fees that CFA receives for assisting SNAC adoptions do not fully cover the expenses incurred.
-	Thirdly, adoptive fathers and mothers are needed to open their hearts and homes to these precious children.

Whether you desire to be an SNAC Ambassador, a financial partner, or whether you are hearing the call to full-time Missionary work as an adoptive parent, we at Christian Family Adoptions eagerly await hearing from you!

JAS 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

JAS 2:14-17 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.