During our 12 Days of Features, we want to bring people's stories to life, to show how one trip has impacted them. Some people go, are radically changed, and continue to change the lives of those around them…These are their stories.
AMY BYRNE:
We are so excited to be the winners of this year’s mission trip giveaway. I say we because even though I, Amy, am the winner it is really going to be a family affair. We will begin raising support for my husband to go on the mission trip as well and make arrangement for family to watch our young kids while we are away; this is something that we do not want to miss out on doing together.
My husband and I began our journey into orphan care as I worked with many foster children in my work interning and later becoming licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist, as well as working as a foster care social worker. We never imagined where it would lead. I often struggled with the families and homes that the kids I worked with lived in. As I would struggle with this, God began impressing upon me that there was something missing within these families, something that could only come through a relationship with Him and a commitment to living a life that brings Him glory.
As we began raising our kids and I began to stay at home to care for them God was working within the hearts of families of our church to begin an orphan ministry. I began working with these families and our pastor to learn more about God’s heart for the orphan, and to start a ministry to support families as they foster and adopt, as well as to educate about the need for permanent families for so many children.
Through this journey God was also working within our family. God brought a need to us regarding a little boy that I had been previously caring for as a foster care social worker. Because of a terminal illness his adoptive family was no longer able to care for him. But God opened doors that allowed us to bring him into our home and as of August 2012 his adoption into our family has been finalized. We are truly blessed by all God has allowed us to be a part of and what He continues to. We are looking forward to seeing all He has planned as we continue this journey in caring for orphans and this year in going beyond our borders with Visiting Orphans.
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