A village

Volunteers from the pumpkin patch today! Amazing group! 

Today at work, we unloaded 1000 plus pumpkins for a fundraiser all for the sake of raising money for the Senior High Missions Trip to South Dakota. We laughed and joked and worked hard and in the end the job got done.
Tonight I sit in my house with the fire going and reflect on one question... how many people does it take to raise a child?
I have thought the saying "it takes a village to raise a child" is true for a while now and today it was out in full force at Cape Cod Covenant Church and I thought about all the teenagers that have gone on missions trip through the church and all the volunteers through the years. I thought about the picnic table team, as I signed the paper for the driver, and I thought about the countless fundraisers and the silent supporters and the amazing love and then I thought does it make a difference? Does a trip like a missions trip for one week during the year make a difference?
I truly believe so! I believe when you see those kids in society as young adults there is a spark, was it the missions trip who knows but I do think it has something to do with the youth knowing that people cared about them enough to help with fundraisers and drive go on these trips. I also think it is important for youth to know they are needed. The houses we will fix in South Dakota can not be fixed without all the teenagers going on the trip, most of the money they pay is for the cost of materials. These kids matter and matter a lot to the residences whose houses we will go work on this summer.
These are great thoughts but what does this all have to do with our adoption journey? Well two things, one we could not do it alone. We couldn't raise enough support, we couldn't go about it without all your prayers, and we can't be parents without a birthmother. Everyone has an important role in our journey to become parents. And two it does take a village to raise a child. It takes a village of caring people to seek out the best for the child and to pray for them and to nurture them into mature Christians and that is my prayer for my child.

I don't care if my child becomes a doctor, a singer, a bus driver, a lawyer, a teacher, an actor, whatever, as long as they know they are valued and that God loves them and they love God! I pray that my child has a heart for God, a heart to serve and seek the best for others because they know that God loves all people!
I can't wait to meet my child but I am not waiting to pray for them! I pray every day that we will be matched soon and that my child will long for God and to serve our awesome creator and Lord!