"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)



Wednesday, July 27, 2011

One Year Ago: July 28, 2010

One year ago tomorrow my family and I embarked on one of the most incredible journeys ever...traveling 8,000 miles to China to finally bring home our little girl. I can get emotional really easy when I think about how amazing God is, how he has blessed us, molded us in ways that only He could do, how He continues to teach us through the eyes of our children, and how He has used and is using our 38-week-old son Kyler, who never lived outside my womb, for His glory! If you would have asked me in high school what I thought my life would be like almost 20 years later, I would have never guessed this. Mine was always the fairytale story living happily ever after. Certainly I have learned life is hard at times and not always happy. But I am thankful that the joy of the Lord is my strength even through the storms of this life.

What a year this has been!! August 2nd will be our Gotcha Day, the day we held our princess in our arms for the first time. Kylie has taught us so much about how to live. She gives it her all no matter what she is doing! She has survivor skills from being a former orphan that makes me sad that any child should have those. She is learning a lot about the love of Jesus at home and church. We can see God working in her heart by hearing her pray. She looks up to her big brother Karsten and he absolutely adores her. It has blessed our hearts this last year seeing Karsten playing out his role as a big brother. He waited six years to do that.


I have been a Christ follower for 13 years now. I am still learning everyday about what it means to follow Jesus. Following Jesus is the best journey you will ever take. I didn't say it's easy by no means, but God will take you places that you would never expect. This is what this life is all about, being the hands and feet of Jesus. We were created for His glory, to do His will, abandoning our desires to yield to His. I was born a child of wrath, now I am His daughter. I was an orphan, but He rescued me out of darkness and into His marvelous light. God gives each of us special gifts to use for Him. We all have a calling. The last three years God slowly began planting a seed deep in my heart for orphan awareness. That is what I was learning while we were waiting 4 1/2 years for Kylie. God does not waste time. It was a long time for us to wait, but He used that long wait to prick our hearts for something more. My family and I have a passion for orphans. I know that there will always be orphans in the world, but that doesn't justify to not do something. If we just help ONE. It may not be adoption and that's okay because God doesn't call everyone to adopt. However, He does call every believer to care for orphans. Jesus demonstrated His love for us, therefore we need to do the same for others. I am humbled and grateful to be a child of the King of kings. Everything I am, have, and do is all because of Jesus Christ my Savior. May He be exalted in each of our lives!



Recent picture of Kylie


Karsten and Kylie the day after we returned from China








Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Our New Adoption Journey

We are blessed and excited that God has us on another adoption journey...this time to Ethiopia!!! Please join us in prayer for our child or children over there and also for our adoption expenses. Adoption is very expensive but we know that God is always faithful and will provide. We are having to get creative for this adoption.

Our family is selling personally designed short sleeve t-shirts to help fund our adoption. There are two designs: one for girls/women and one for boys/men. All shirts are $20 each. All the proceeds go to help cover the fees of our adoption. Please consider helping us out. We are all called by God to care for orphans. So by you purchasing a shirt, you are doing that by helping us bring our child(ren) home from Ethiopia.



















The back of each shirt says the same: Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves...Prov. 31:8 Speak up for orphans

We have very limited Youth sizes. However, we can order more. Please help us offset our adoption expenses while at the same time wearing a shirt that shows orphan/adoption awareness! You can use the paypal button on the right corner of the blog or send me an email.

Please email us at evansfamily97@bellsouth.net and include your name, address, quantity and sizes of shirts. If you are in our area, we can bring you your shirt(s).

Blessings,
Jennifer
Romans 8:15-17
"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption. And by him we cry 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."