Both Hands

Well, this is another post about me rather than Drew.  And it will probably be long.  So.  There's your warning.  Long post, no cute kid stories.  If you want to opt out now, feel free!

As most of you know I have been working with a family through CASA for almost three years.  A few months ago, their adoption was finally complete.  It was a great feeling for sure, but I just felt like there was more I needed to help with.  Christina (my kids' aunt-who adopted them) worked so hard to finally buy a home of her own and she was able to get a really good one.  Keep in mind that she has 5 teenagers living in her home and they are all big kids!  So, the girls have been sleeping in an unfinished bonus room over the garage.  And when I say unfinished, I mean sub flooring, exposed insulation and bare bulbs.  There is also no air conditioning in this room.  Their clothes were in boxes along the walls and they were sleeping on donated mattresses.  Any of you who have done home renovation projects know how easily the cost can add up.  

I looked around the house and felt really discouraged.  I wished so badly there was a way for me to help.  So, when my small group started talking about wanting a project to do, I mentioned this room to them.  Now that the kids were no longer in state custody, my small group was free to meet them.  I went to visit the house with two men from our group.  One of the men is an architect (God moment #1).  He took one look at the room and knew instantly what needed to be done and what materials would be required.  Our small group leader got busy contacting other people from our church and literally hours before they went shopping for supplies and anonymous donor gave $3000 toward the project! (God moment #2).  For the past several weeks a few men from my small group have worked their guts out framing, hanging dry wall, building closets, etc.  One of the last remaining hurdles was some electrical work that needed to be done.  Another woman in our group is friends with an electrician who donated his time and materials to the project (God moment #3).  

At the same time all of this was taking shape, our group leader (Kathy) met a man with a ministry that helps couples who are adopting raise money for their adoption costs.  His ministry is called "Both Hands".  The basic idea is that the adopting couple raise money by having a work day at a widow's home.  His ministry verse is : "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." James 1:27.  Such an amazing idea!  I got in touch with the founder of this ministry and talked with him about Christina and her family.  He agreed that she was a great candidate for this sort of project.  (God moment #4)  The next task was to match up an adopting couple with this project.  The couple chosen for this project were in the process of adopting a little girl from Guatemala.  In fact, the wife was living in Guatemala fostering the little girl until they could bring her home!  AND, this woman just happened to be someone our small group leaders (Jerry & Kathy) have known since she was little!!  WHAT?!?!  (God moment #5)

So, Saturday was work day at the house.  When I walked into the finished bonus room, I started to cry.  It was amazing.  The whole day was totally overwhelming for me.  All of these wonderful men and women descended on this house and blessed it by doing all the things that Christina never has time to do.  And not only did they bless the home, they blessed the little boys (well, not so little anymore!!) by playing with them, and teasing them and teaching them new skills.  It was an amazing picture of the body of Christ.  There is no way I would ever have been able to do any of the things that were done for this family.  But the Lord heard my cry for them and He sent in the troops!!  It was one of my best memories ever.