We Got the Van!

For all of those who are subscribed to our Email List and follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You already know this and have seen the pictures. But for everyone else, I thought you might want to know. We got the van!

We are so thankful for all who partnered with us and gave toward our new van. We were able to raise the entire amount. It is truly amazing to have such a great vehicle. Our kids love it and we love it. We recognize that this was a gift from God and that we could not have done this without such giving and compassionate hearts as yours. Thank you from the entire Parker family!

Adam, Stephanie, David, Daniel, Gabriel, Noah, Elizabeth and Ellie

Only $5,000 Away! With Matching Donation!

We have 5 days left to raise the remaining $5,000 to purchase a 12-passenger van for our family. This will be extremely helpful to our adoption so that we have enough seats for each person in our family.

In addition, one of our partners has agreed to MATCH UP TO $2,500 for any donations we receive toward the van.

Please repost this on your Facebook/Twitter/Blog to help.

Please click below today to give.

How to Give:

• (Check By Mail) Tax Deductible Giving through IHOP-KC: You can make a check out to IHOP-KC and send it to the address below: Please email me at adamparker@ihop.org and let us know that you are sending something in the mail so that we can count it towards the MATCHING DONATION within the next few days.

  ATTN: Parker Van Fund
  8330 E 133rd Street
  Grandview, MO 64030

Inviting Your Participation!

Someone once said, “life as a missionary is a balance of trust and testimony. It can be back and forth of miracle story, midnight hour, miracle story, midnight hour, repeat until faith is established or shaken.” This is very true in our journey. There have definitely been nail-biting seasons, but through our 5 years as missionaries God has been very faithful.

We serve at IHOP-KC by helping to maintain a watch in a 24/7 prayer room, promote the rescuing, adoption and restortation of orphans and children in crisis through our work with Orphan Justice Center and IHOP-KC’s Children’s Justice Initiatives, and most recently am running Safe Families For Children Kansas City to engage the Church in caring for children and families in crisis (without taking a salary)… – because we feel it is the calling of the Lord on our lives.

I’m asking you to partner with us in helping to change the way the Church thinks about adoption and orphan care and to equip and empower the Church to walk out James 1:27. Help us give hope to children and families in crisis and courage to families who would open their homes to those in need.

I’m asking you now because the need is real, but also because I believe we are on the brink of a season of great effectiveness.

If you have been impacted by what God has called us to and would like to know more about our family’s specific, immediate needs, email me.

However, in general, here is the run down:

• We need a van! Pronto! Our adoption of our 3 little ones is months away from being finalized. It is looking like a March/April court date. And with the addition of our little Eliyah, we are a family of 8 with 7 seats in our current van… The past few months have been a little crazy when we want to go places together. We’ve found a van that will meet our needs in both seats and not break our budget with gas mileage, but we still need about $10,000. Click here to help >
• We also need Monthly Partners at $20/month, $50/month, $100/month and $500/month. Our partners are those who have really been impacted by our vision and want to hearts changed and hope brought to children and families. Click here to help >

What is keeping you from fulfilling James 1:27?

A friend from work named Randy Bohlender has put together a video addressing the questions people have for adoption. Some have never asked these questions, but need to and some are using them as an excuse.

I really recommend reading James 1:27 and asking yourself how you can walk this out. If you call yourself a believer, a follower of Christ, a Christian, then you must deal with this verse and figure out how to put it into action in YOUR life.

What role does God want you to play in caring for and looking after orphans? Is the American Dream keeping you from fulfilling James 1:27?

Must Read: Is the Church Ready for the Abortion Law to Change?

This article was written by Kinsey Thurlow over on the Orphan Justice Center Blog. It is a great article and if you consider yourself a Christian it requires a response.

Life is valuable in the womb, and we must see that this life still remains just as valuable when the child is out of the womb, whether that child is 2 months old, 4 years old, or 17 years old.

The ending of abortion cannot be separated from the raising up of an adoption movement. Both concern wanting and loving children, born and unborn—and loving them enough to make them our own sons and daughters if they are left fatherless. In the Father’s house, there are no unwanted children.

Consider a 15 year-old girl who finds herself pregnant. She is certainly very scared, and the seemingly easiest way out is to abort her baby. However, through some counseling, she decides to keep her baby. Do we now breathe a sigh of relief because the baby wasn’t aborted? Is the life of her child still valuable 5 or 6 years later when we learn that the child has been abused and neglected and is now living in foster care? Do we still care about the child’s life?

Continue reading the rest of this article at Orphan Justice Center…

5 Lessons I’ve Learned from Foster Care

Lesson #1: Kids in crisis need love, prayer, boundaries, support and consistency
I can’t imagine having a mom or dad who abused me physically or sexually. It’s hard to imagine being a kid and never knowing when my next meal would be and always wondering if mom or dad was going to come home with groceries or just more alcohol and pass out on the kitchen floor. Then one day you are taken away by the police and placed in a home with strangers. All you knew has been taken away, your life uprooted. As a kid you were used to just trying to survive, making sure to stay awake as much as possible because you never knew if some guy would come in the room and take advantage of a little girl, or if mom would come home strung out and not feed you. You fended for yourself.

Stephanie and I went through the trainings, read the books and tried to equip ourselves with enough information to be able to help them. We will never be able to fully understand what they went through, because we never experienced it ourselves. However, we CAN give them love. We can cover them with so much prayer. We can sing them songs every night and tuck them in bed, giving them hugs and kisses. We can lay out boundaries for them to function in. It is through the consistency of doing these things that we have seen an amazing change through the lives of our kids. They have thrived in our family over the past 13 months. Support from others outside of our family has been crucial as well, for both them and for us as parents. Seeing people who will love and care for them in a safe way week after week has been huge to the healing of their hearts.

Lesson #2: It’s not all butterflies and kisses [although they do like butterflies and kisses]
The first month was sort of a honeymoon period for us. Emotions for us were high because we had just brought children in need into our home. They were just taking it all in and were trying to figure out what had happened and what this new home was going to be like. Then, after the first 3-4 weeks, their survival modes started to kick in and we started to see lots of different kinds of behavioral issues. They began acting out many of their behavioral habits, their emotions started coming out and for the next few months it was tough. They would scream, kick, bite, hit, anything to try to get us their way. They were so used to getting their way before that once boundaries were set into place around them, they began bumping up against them and then trying to kick the walls down. However, with consistency, prayer and the things mentioned above they began to love the boundaries and thrive within them.

Lesson #3: Kids like songs made up on the spot about their teddy or puppy better than bedtime songs.
We have learned this from our other kids, but even more so with our new children. If they had their choice, they would want us to make up songs about every single stuffed animal or toy they had. However, they love the bedtime songs as well. A bedtime routine that includes songs is especially comforting to them. Also, if you include their names in the songs or the stories you sing/tell, they will love them all the more. There is nothing like the smiles and laughter of children, especially when you know what they’ve been through.

Lesson #4: Little girls are different than little boys.
Dana was our first girl and boy is she girly. If it’s pink “that’s Dana’s.” If it’s flowery, “that’s Dana’s.” If it has Dora the Explorer on it… watch out! She loves frills, she loves dolls, she loves shoes and she loves being a girl. I think a lot of the drama that goes on in our house has to do with this too. She is sooo dramatic when she wants something or when she gets excited. It’s something I’m getting used to, but also still trying to figure out. I’ve definitely learned a lot about raising a toddler girl and my wife is guiding me along the way as well.

Lesson #5: There are more kids in need than there are families ready to take them in.
Here in Missouri there are about 10,000 kids in the foster care system. About 2,600 of them already have their TPR (Termination of Parental Rights) and are just waiting to be adopted. We live in Jackson County and found out that every year 500 kids are available for adoption, but last year only about 180 adoptions occurred.

What happens to these kids if they don’t get adopted? Here is an article that gives details about kids who have aged out of foster care http://orphanjusticecenter.com/2010/07/30/aging-out-of-foster-care/.

I am praying for more Christian families willing to step up and help kids in crisis. The 3 year old Dana’s, the 4 year old Gerardo’s and the 7 year old Manuel’s need loving families who will take the time to give them love, cover them with prayer, set boundaries for them to thrive in and do this consistently.

Waiting for the Adoption

We have had Manuel, Gerardo and Dana in our home for over a year now. The process has been long, but great and we cannot wait until we get to the end of it and can say officially that these are our children.We have had to go through visits with their Mom, then visits being terminated, the goal being changed from reunification to concurrent planning to TPR/Adoption. All through this caring for these kids like they are our own when it hasn’t been certain. It’s been tough, but we know their lives are forever changed by the 13 months they have been in our home regardless of the outcome. But we are ready for the adoption to happen.

So many children are waiting to be adopted and it makes me happy to hear stories like this one, that children are getting adopted. However, the Church needs to step up. We want kids to have mothers and fathers, but in order to make eternal impact on their lives instead of just temporary impact Christians need to adopt. More CHRISTIAN fathers and mothers need to get into the process, get into the foster care system, begin to raise money for private adoptions. It is a very good story sentimentally when we hear of a child finding a home, but when a child finds a home that leads them to the Father… that is lasting impact, lasting change.

I’m calling all Christian Fathers. Step up. Get on your knees and dialog with your heavenly Father about this and then get involved. God’s heart is for the orphan. There is no question. He cares for them through us… that is unless we say no. We as Christians are waiting for the adoption that will finalize at the 2nd coming. We have the opportunity to bring in children into our family who are waiting for adoption and then introduce them to our heavenly Father. Why not you? Why not now?

Conversations from the Kiddos

It’s amazing seeing your children grow and develop their personalities. You never know what’s about to happen or what they are going to say next. Like when our Noah said “Dad… Dana’s whining.” and Manuel says “Noah is stabbing her (with a plastic knife)” to which I replied “Well Noah, people are going whine when you stab them.”

Or when we were taking Noah to the E.R. after he had split his chin open and Gerardo said “Dad, is Noah dead?” to which Noah spoke up abruptly… “I’m NOT dead Gerardo!”

Well, we were in our room yesterday and David was helping me put together our monthly newsletters and he comes over to us and hands us $20. He then says “Mom and Dad, I wanna support you so we can bring more orphans into our home.”

You know those times as a parent when your kid says something to you and you just don’t really know what to say? I mean, most of the time they will come up to you and ask you questions about history, games, their friends or other things going on in their lives. Conversations usually just happen and because you are 22 years older than your kid, you most likely know the answer.

I love the surprises being a father brings; the out of the blue statements when your kid just melts your heart.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition – Vote for the Loux Family!

Our family has been dramatically impacted by Derek and Renee Loux (http://louxfamilyblog.com). We met Derek and Renee a few years ago and their heart to care for the orphan, the ones no one else wanted, helped to shape what the Lord was doing in our own hearts. Derek and Renee’s vision to care for orphans played a huge part in our adoption of Manuel, Gerardo and Dana.

Just over a year ago Derek died in a car accident.  Renee’ is now a single mother with 13 children, four of which have special needs.  Renee continues to trumpet the cause of the orphan and is the president and spokesperson for Orphan Justice Center.  This non-profit organization is committed to speaking up for the most vulnerable of children – the 163 million orphans worldwide.  Since Derek’s death, Renee’ and her family have brought home two more children who were in desperate need of medical attention. In the past year, with Renee’s relentless pursuit for the orphan and her leadership of OJC, she has impacted over 150 adoptions. She is one who is truly making a difference.

Renee and kids live in a 4 bedroom home and have simply run out of space. In addition, their home has three floors and requires Renee to lift Sasha and his wheelchair from level to level so that he can be with the family. I have been to their home and been with the kids.  You can’t help but come away changed after visiting the Loux family.  They are full of life and love, it is remarkable.

Extreme Home Makeover is looking for a deserving family in the state of Missouri, I can’t think of a more deserving family. They have exhausted every available space in their current home and have simply run out of room. Renee doesn’t know the word “No” when it comes to children in need.

Renee has been given 45 acres in Grandview, MO to help her walk out the vision she and Derek had to build a home with space enough to personally take in 30+ orphans. Their dream together was to take in children with special needs and provide them with a loving home where they could be restored and healed. The property will include a creative prayer place for children and lots of room for horticultural therapy, equine therapy and other traditional therapies.

If you would please help them by nominating Renee Loux for this amazing opportunity to be considered for an Extreme Home Makeover.

Its real easy:

DIRECTIONS to nominate them:

Each nomination must include the names, ages of everyone in the house, a description of the major challenges within the home and a short description of the family story.  I have given a sample description  and definition of what is needed in the home, and the list of names.  You can copy and paste then please taylor it with your emphasis.

Email nominations to: CastingMissouri@gmail.com

Nomination for: The Renee Loux Family

Short Description of the family story: Just over a year ago Derek died in a car accident leaving Renee with now 12 kids (10 adpoted, four of which are handicapped).  Renee continued to trumpet the cause of the orphan by taking on two more children after Derek’s death.  Renee and kids live in a 4 bedroom home and have simply run out of space. In addition, their home has three floors and requires Renee to lift Sasha and his wheelchair from level to level so that he can be with the family.

Major challenges within the home: Size and layout are the major challenges.  There are 14 people living in a 4 bedroom home.  Four of the children are handicapped in some way.  There is one wheelchair bound and one blind.  It is a three level house requiring the wheel chair to be lifted between levels. Renee’s dream is to adopt many more and bring restoration to each one.  The only thing holding them back is the size and function of the home.

Names and Ages:

Renee-mother (49)
Flo- Renee’s mother (72)
Telma-Renee’s daughter, adopted from the Marshall Islands (19)
Teyolla- Renee’s daughter, adopted from the Marshall Islands (19)
Keyolla- Renee’s daughter, adopted from the Marshall Islands (19)
LeeAnn- Renee’s daughter, adopted from the Marshall Islands (16)
Sophia- Renee’s daughter (13)
Michaela- Renee’s daughter (10)
Sana- Renee’s daughter adopted from the Marshall Islands (9)
Sasha- Renee’s son with Spina Bifida adopted from Ukraine (8)
Ethan- Renee’s son with Down Syndrome adopted from Ukraine (7)
Silas- Renee’s son with Down Syndrome adopted from Ukraine (4)
Judah – Renee’ son adopted from the Marshall Islands (1)
Joanna- a blind girl under the legal guardianship of Renee (from the Marshall Islands) age 13

Deadline is March 31st.

Additional Details HERE! http://www.kmbc.com/entertainment/26650690/detail.html

Freedom Through Adoption

“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:3-5

When I think of my life before Christ I think back to my high school years. You may think back to your years in college, your 20’s or 30’s or growing up in the church but never having experienced the love of the Father. Whatever the case, we were in bondage. Whether we were bound by ignorance, idolatry, or intellectualism we were slaves to sin, enthralled by the wisdom of the world yet searching for answers. Little did we know that the Father had His heart set on us and was actively pursuing our adoption as sons and daughters of the living God being brought into His family.

When my wife and I decided to pursue adoption we had no idea where to start. We had been praying for the ending of abortion and the ending of human trafficking for many years and hadn’t made the connection. We knew we wanted to see abortion end in the U.S., but had no grid for it actually happening. If abortion ended then there would be 3,700 additional unwanted babies in the world every day. On the other end of the spectrum, we were asking God for justice for the 100,000 minors involved in sex trafficking in the U.S. each year, most of which have been  involved in the foster care system.

John Piper says it like this “Adoption is greater than the universe. It was there before the universe, it is above the universe and it is the purpose of the universe.”

We then began to see the connection. Even as we were children and in bondage under the elements of the world, the Father sent His son to bring us into His family as adopted sons and daughters. The answer was there the whole time. Adoption at the horizontal level is rooted in adoption at the vertical level. What are we to do to answer the cry of the 3,700 children that are slaughtered in the womb each day? Prayer and Adoption. When the average age of girls entering sex trafficking in the U.S. is 12 years old and there are 122,000 kids in the foster care system WAITING for adoption, what must our response be? Prayer and Adoption.

We can change the destiny of a child. We can reach into the life of an 8 year old girl who next year might get sold into slavery and say “You are mine! Come be apart of our family.” We can physically and practically do this. Lives can be changed forever. Let’s be like our Father and give our lives, open our hearts and our homes and bring justice to those who have no hope.

This article was originally written for the Orphan Justice Center. You can see the original article as I wrote it on their website here: http://orphanjusticecenter.com/2010/08/09/freedom-through-adoption/.