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Supporting Adoptive FAmilieS

At Focus on the Family, we celebrate the wonderul amilies who have opened

their homes to children in need. Growing up as I did, without parents to callmy own, I eel a special sense o gratitude or the moms and dads who make the

seless decision to give orphans the orever home they want so desperately.

Becoming an adoptive parent is a joyul experience—but it is not without its

challenges. Adoptive amilies need our support, our love and our prayers to helpthem as they begin their new amily. It’s a wonderul way or those o us who

have not been called to adopt to heed God’s call to care or orphans.

As you go about your day, I’d like you to think o adoptive amilies in your church, school or community. What can you do to give them help in their 

parenting journey? Small, simple activities can go a long way to liting up the

heart o someone who has made the beautiul choice to give love and hope to a

precious child—and I think you’ll discover that your heart w ill be lited a s well.

As always, thank you or all that you do to support our amily ministry.

Sincerely,

  Jim Daly, President 

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 © 2  0 1  3 F  o c u s  ont  h  eF  ami  l   y 

WAit no mor

FAmilY mAtt

Supporting Adoptive FA

october 201

At Focus on the Family, we believe that every child deserves a mom

and dad. We strive to create awareness about the real-lie plight o orphans at home and around the world, with the hope that each

precious child can nally nd a place to call home. We’d like to share

a story with you about a very special amily who opened their heartsand their home to three beautiul little girls. We hope it will inspire

 you to nd ways to help orphaned children and their amilies in your own community.

Beginning the Process

“My husband and I began considering adoption ater almost six years

o inertility. We had talked about adoption o and on or about two years prior to attending Wait No More, but we were not on the same

page during that time, so we waited. I received an email rom a localpastors’ group about an inormational lunch meeting that would

give pastors a sneak peek o what the Wait No More conerencewas and how they could promote it within their churches. … The

event helped us prepare or the process o adoption. Although the

conerence is called Wait No More, one o the main messages we

WAit no more

• Christians to commit to supporting a oster or adoptive amily in their community, recognizing

that these amilies need support as they raise thekids they’ve welcomed home.

• Struggling adoptive amilies to nd the resources

and encouragement they need.

• The waiting kids in oster care who don’t have apermanent amily and that God would provide

each o these children a orever amily.

• The saety o Christians in Egypt standingagainst terrorism, and or the world to see the

legitimate and air truth o what’s taking placein the birthing o our new democratic Egypt— 

Sami Yacoub, Regional Director o Focus on the

Family, Middle East.

pleASe prAY For . . .

Visit JimDalyBlog.com for more from Jim.

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“I greatly appreciate the initiative Focus on the Family and other ministries

have taken to highlight the topics o orphan adoption and oster care. Ipresently work in the oster care unit or the child protective services in

my state. My role is to assist new adoptive or oster parents as they enter 

the system and take in children. I was excited when I heard that Focuswas addressing this topic, because I think it is oten overlooked in the

Christian community. Yes, I hear horror stories daily—but I praise Godor all the wonderul things He has done in my own heart while on the

 job. Even as I write this comment, my eyes are watering up. Thank you or 

communicating to your audience how oster care greatly aects the lives o children and how people can make a dierence.” —Alicia, Illinois

“I want to thank you or the way that Focus on the Family supports and publicizes adoption. My husband

adopted one-year-old triplets. They were considered special-needs children because they are a sibling grou

has some kind o health concern. Our lives have been so blessed by our girls—we could never have imaginor blessing that they have become. We eel that God brought these precious babies into our lives so we cou

only them but also their birth mother. We do keep in contact with her; she has commented that she wishehave had a mom like me and is so thankul that she was able to give her daughters the mother she always

We’re doing what we can to reach out to her—and in the meantime we are in the process o adopting ag

again or your support o adoption. … You help afrm that we are doing the right thing.” —Phoebe, Flor

gleaned rom it was that we would need to prepare or 

a long wait. Adoption is always a process, and rarely aast one. It was helpul and realistic to hear time rames

like “nine months to a year.” The wait o adoptionused to discourage me, but ater waiting over six

 years or children, a year 

sounded pretty good. Wewere matched with our 

daughters in March 2012.The process elt like an

eternity, but then it seemed

to shit into warp drive,and beore we knew it, we

were rst-time parentso three little girls! Once

they moved in, it wasn’t

long beore some major behavioral challenges

started coming out. We were shocked and overwhelmedby the onslaught o our middle daughter’s out o control

behaviors at home. … But slowly, gradually, everyonesettled in, and things began to stabilize.

Discovering Blessings

Overall, they are happy, joyul, gooy girls. They make

us laugh. They LOVE our church amily. They LOVEour whole extended amily. They have ully accepted

our amily, and our amily has ully embraced them astheir own. They each have many strengths and positive

becAuSe oF You

FAmilY mAtterSHow your partnership is impacting lives

Your support is helping familieoctoBer BroaDcast scheDule*

Oct. 1-2  Thriving in the Early Years of Mar riage 

Guests: Mr. Bill & Mrs. Pam Farrel  

Oct. 3-4  Letting Go of Control

Guest: Mrs. Karen Ehman

Oct. 7-8 Setting Healthy Boundaries With Your Kids

Guests: Dr. Henry Cloud & 

Dr. John Townsend 

Oct. 9 Adoption: Families Stepping Out in Faith

Call In

Oct. 10-11 How Mentoring Saved Our Marriage

Guests: Mr. Tom & Mrs. Sandy Ralya

Oct. 14 Homemade Meals or Busy Families

(U.S. Only)

Guest: Mrs. Mary Beth Lagerborg 

Oct. 14 Thanksgiving Stories rom Our Listeners

(Canada Only)

Call In

Oct. 15-16 Impacting Your World Through Prayer 

Guest: Pastor Mark Batterson

Oct. 17 Overcoming My Wounded Heart

Guest: Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

Oct. 18 Communicating About Intimacy

in Early Marriage

Guests: Mr. Bill & Mrs. Pam Farrel 

Oct. 21-22 Casting a Vision for Your Adult Child

Guests: Dr. Bob & Mrs. Cheryl Reccord 

Oct. 23-24  Reclaiming Hope & Safety in a

Destructive Marriage

Guest: Mrs. Leslie Vernick

Oct. 25 Who is Jesus?

Guest: Dr. Del Tackett 

Oct. 28-29 Navigating Dating and the Single Lie

Guest: Miss Lisa Anderson

Oct. 30-31 Hope or Those Wounded by God’s People

Guest: Mrs. Anne Graham Lotz

strengthening Marriages

“Through the years, your teaching about relationships has

strengthened our marriage and pulled us together in our desire to please God. For all these things—or standing

in the gap or America—we thank you and pray or you.We are orever grateul.”

sharing the gosPel of Jesus christ

On average, more than 50 children make a decision or Christ every day as a result o the ministry we doat Focus on the Family.*

engaging the culture

More than 1.3 mil lion amilies, research shows, havebeen prompted by Focus on the Family to engage their 

communities or Christ in just the past year.*

 aDvocating for chilDren

To date, we’ve conducted 20 events in 13

than 2,500 amilies have initiated the procrom oster care as a result o the collabora

Wait No More®!

equiPPing Parents

“My husband and I asked the Lord or help

marriage and our parenting eorts and be

our approach. Our son is now much happigreater sense o calm within our amily. U

the changes in our lives, our riends and pshocked and asked what happened. We sim

‘Thank God and Focus on the Family.’ ”

*S: Fs h Fay msy ex Sy, a sy f 3,000 ay s ss 2012 (1,500 mah; 1,500 As). rsssy w wh a h a Fs’ a sy; J 2013 msy ex Sy.

Thriving Pastor ™ is a

ministry o Focus on the

Family that equips pastors

and their churches with

relevant research, practical resources and inspirational support.

Know someone involved in ministry? Make sure they know

about our weekly eNewsletter and all the FREE resources

available on our website, ThrivingPastor.org. You can also nd

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We’re here to help your pastor thrive!

   p   h  o   t  o  s  u  s  e   d

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    u  r    o  s  e  s

  o  n   l  y .

c f a 1

Listen to the Focus on the Family ® Broadcast on your local radio

station, your mobile device or online. Visit FocusOntheFamily.com/radio  

or more inormation.

* The Broadcast schedule is subject to change.

qualities, which we pray the Lord will cultivate and

cause to blossom as they mature.

I have learned that God is indeed in control. … I ammore and more amazed at the Gospel o how a holy

and perect God can have such grace on a sinner likeme. I am challenged to show my children grace whenI would really rather just control their behaviors so

that my lie is more comortable. God is so good andpowerul and amazing. Adoption is such a picture o 

the gospel.”

If you would like information on adoption, or

information about how you can help adoptive

families in your community, please go toiCareAboutOrphans.org or call 800-A-FAMILY

(232-6459).

thriving Pastor