My heart for orphans began in the process of adopting our son from Vietnam in April 1994.  My husband stayed home with our daughter as I traveled with good friends, Gary and Debbie Chesney.  After a week in Ho Chi Minh City, I finally traveled with our Vietnamese guide and a government official to south Vietnam to get our son.  In my journal I wrote of pain and sadness as I saw the plight of the people, especially the children.  On that trip, God not only gave me a precious son, but He gave me a heart for the children of Vietnam.

I’ve had the privilege to watch God move and begin the tapestry of Homes of Love from the beginning in 2001.  As a prayer partner, I got to know the first children by name, as well as their needs and hurts.  Over the years, as more homes have opened in Vietnam, Zimbabwe and Cambodia, I have prayed and seen God move from the underside of the tapestry, with each new child representing another thread tied into the family by God.  The underside is not smooth; it often looks more like a child’s attempt rather than a master’s craft.  But sometimes, God gives us a glimpse of what He is doing that only makes me cling to the promise of Romans 8:28, that one day we will see His masterpiece!

Another way God has connected my heart to Homes of Love, is through the Extended Family Program. In 2005, a little boy was brought to one of our homes by a lady who found him passed out in her yard. He and his sister had been roaming the streets trying to find food after seeing their mother killed at her job in a rock quarry.  This little boy, Minh, found a home with a mom, dad and big brothers who loved and cared for him.  We became Minh’s extended family supporting him through prayer and writing him letters.  I have a file of many letters, pictures and pieces of artwork from over the years.  One of his first letters to me said, “I thank you because you see me as your family’s son.”  In September 2011, I traveled on a HOL Friends and Family trip back to Vietnam and got to meet and spend time with Minh and his HOL parents.  It was wonderful to be able to see and hug this son of mine!  Minh is now married and has a young daughter.  We communicate often thanks to technology.

I am thankful God has called me to a partnership with Homes of Love where I volunteer as Prayer Coordinator and serve on the Board of Directors.  I serve because I believe the God of hope is moving and changing lives.  My prayer for the children of Homes of Love is from Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”.