The Brevity of It

This week I had heard Billy Graham's oldest daughter, Gigi, speak briefly at The Cove here in Asheville. She asked for pray for their family because George Beverly Shea died this week at the age of 104. Many, many years of serving Christ alongside Billy Graham around the world with incalculable fruit! Truly, his was a life well lived. Gigi went on to say that someone had asked her dad what he thought was life's biggest surprise. His answer? The brevity of it. Oh, the truth in that! It all goes by so quickly. Flies by, actually. In many ways, I think that one truth is what led us to start Orbie for Orphans. There is so much suffering. So much work that needs to be done. So little time. Jesus told us to work while it is still day, because night is coming when no one can work. For us, even though we had been in full-time ministry for 25 years, it was alarming to think that our ministry years were going to end one day. There was almost a panic that we wouldn't have the biggest impact with the years we had left. God led us to start Orbie to meet a great need in the world: the creation of a tool that churches, mission organizations and orphanages can use to connect God's Word to the specific pain of these children. We are simply thankful that God has this for us, and could never imagine a better way to spend the days we have left. Time's running out...

The Power of Shoes

Our friends Wes and Stephanie Wright share a pretty miraculous story today of what they almost missed....the rescue of their newest little China doll who came home to America in February. Here are Stephanie's words: We had heard all the objections from every corner and had many ourselves. After all, we already had 8 children, two in college, three adopted with special needs, and the last one with severe surgical needs and lifelong challenges. So Wes decided we should not proceed with plans to adopt Ava. The next day I got an email from him titled, "Shoes". Here is Wes' email to his wife: "I start with shoes because as I sorted through shoes last night and began putting them away, I thought about the feet that could use them. I looked at all the boxes of clothes we have in the attic and thought about the feet that could use them. I looked at all the boxes of clothes we have in the attic and thought of the little girl that could use them. I did not sleep well as I thought of Ava. I had looked over her file yesterday and her pictures. It is wrong of me to commit to her and then walk away. It is wrong of me to begin planning for her and walk away...I am unable to walk away from Ava. My eyes are full of tears as I write this, I will not abandon her. Our kids will rally around us, our parents will get on board. This is not about anybody but Ava." We got to meet little Ava two days after coming home to America. She was breathtaking. Melted into our arms, so grateful to be with her new family and new friends. We were all in awe of this sweet creation of God. It's mind boggling to think that precious Ava could still be sitting in an orphanage, if it hadn't been for shoes....