Orphan Summit 9

When E and I started this adoption journey, we didn't know a lot about the road we were about to walk. Three years later, all that has changed. We've researched, read, discussed with lots of people, and attended conferences.

I always walk away from conferences wide-eyed with ideas and Summit 9 was no exception.

Summit 9 is a conference put on by Christian Alliance for Orphans.  It's goal is to support those in the church interested in orphan care and to shine a light on the need for the local and global church to love and care for orphans.  Yes, this means adoption. But it also means so much more.

So we gathered with several thousand other like-minded people who run church or national orphan ministries, global outreach projects, or fellow adoptive parents and hashed out ideas for two days in Nashville.

**disclaimer... Please forgive my horrible iphone photos...I was only about 5 rows back but you can't tell...

We had all kinds of speakers in group sessions from Michelle Bachman...

Michelle spoke about the dozens of teenagers her family fostered...not her political stances on anything

...To Extraordinary, ordinary families who made a culture of love, acceptance, and Jesus in their home as they adopted... 

this particular family adopted six or eight kids and had some bio thrown in there too

...To adoptees who shared their talents and stories...

(Yes, he is playing guitar with his feet. Wowzers)

There were artists sharing their heart for adoption

Yes, that's Stephen Curtis Chapman.  A rockstar for adoption. And well, for music.

Nicole C Mullens, an adoptive mama who also has a nonprofit that supports vulnerable kids.

But probably the best sessions were the breakouts where we shared ideas about how to help vulnerable families, find financial resources for adoptive couples and singles, and support about anyone and everyone who might have anything to do with orphans.

A session on orphan ministry but mostly showing because of the awesome chapel..beautiful!

National Orphan Care Leaders on a panel about what's happening in their community

There were LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of ideas.

Well hey there, Katie. Nice photo bomb!

And in between all of that, we got to meet up with friends who we knew and those we just met (and those who were a little of both, thanks to social media).

Katie and I are on the Red Bus. Google it. 

Moms from our agency doing lunch

How is it you can have old friends that you've never met? Power of like minds, I tell ya.

Good looking group of AWAA moms!

After two days, we were full of ideas and begging God to give us direction. We are still prayerfully considering what God is doing in us and through us.  We don't know exactly but we know he keeps opening our eyes and changing our hearts and for that we are grateful.

If that weren't enough, we ran straight from the conference to a wedding. So I will conclude with this photo of us rushing to the wedding...

Ahh! This is what it looks like when we arrive home 15 minutes before we're supposed to be at a wedding!!




If you are considering helping orphans, I would mark your calendar for next May. No determination on location yet. I would also read "Orphan Justice" by Johnny Carr and ask God to reveal how you can be helping families in your area and globally.  We can't wait to go back!