Forever Families

Forever Family

 Dear Ones,

   We talk a lot around here about “Forever Families.”  We pray for them, we look for news from them, we long to hear of them, we rejoice when we are notified that a child has one…we anxiously await them.  I was beyond blessed to be born into a loving family with parents who cared for, nurtured, and loved me.  I had precious siblings who to this day are my best friends; I was gifted with Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins an incredible wealth of family.  Yet in God’s eyes I was an orphan, an orphan that He was longing to adopt into His Forever Family.  Each time I snuggle a little one close and pray for their forever family I am reminded of Romans 8:22-25 where it says: “For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.  And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.  For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?  But if we hope for what we     do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” 

MBHOH Nurses- Lily, Mariah, and Jona

Guys Line Up

Girls Line Up

   We live in a world filled with orphans physical, spiritual, and emotional, a world of broken relationships that all point to the broken heart of a fallen nature longing for the restoration to our Heavenly Father through His gift of salvation and a welcome into the arms of our Forever Family.  Here in the Big House we have the precious opportunity to see this up close and personal in so many ways.  God has given us the gift of watching children enter His open arms of rest, His Forever Family in Heaven, and the ones He chooses to place in the arms of a forever family here on earth.  There are others that for various reasons never enter a forever family here on earth and God Himself has promised that He is their Father.  He gives us glimpses of our own adoption as He molds together a family bond of fellowship, faith, and service as we grow in what we lovingly refer to as our “China Family.”  This family grows and swells just as my physical family grows and welcomes new members.  This family is forever we are bound by the love of Christ, we are adopted.  We are no longer orphans. 

   As the summer draws to an end we are faced with saying many goodbyes, a part of this work that we never like or ever really get used to though it happens so often with both the children we care for and the ones who come along to serve both short and long term.  But we have this confidence that we will meet again, we are simply saying goodbye for this season, for this time, we know that we are all headed for Home and a family reunion like no other for we are part of a Forever Family.

With Love for Each of You,

Mariah

PS- As a fun memory our China Family decided we needed a “family portrait” – ENJOY!

A Little bit of Crazy...we can train you

Saying Goodbye