As most of you know, our path to Elijah started back in June 2007 when we began sponsoring him through the Philip Hayden Foundation. It wasn’t until last August that I backtracked and blogged about how we had come to meet our son/brother. You can read about it here. Since that time PHF has grown to hold a bigger and bigger place in all of our hearts. We have prayed for the children and staff there daily since we first began our sponsorship relationship. Through pictures, calendars, and videos we felt that we knew so many of the children there and it was such a JOY to finally meet, hold, and play with the children when we visited this last January. Each one of these children is so very precious, a treasure to Him. They come from various backgrounds and circumstances, and with a variety of health issues or special needs. Here is a look back to some of the faces of these kiddos that have touched our hearts so deeply.
Before we left for China someone asked, “Are you going to sponsor another child after you bring Elijah home?” My answer was, “Of course!” I didn’t realize that what they were really asking was, “Are you going to fall in love with another child that you sponsor and end up adopting again?” All I knew was that PHF was a wonderful haven for some of China’s orphans and that we were so impressed with them that there was no way we could say “no” to sponsoring another child. After all, isn’t it our duty as Christians to look after orphans, even if we aren’t in pursuit of an adoption?
So yes, we are sponsoring another sweetheart that currently resides at PHF. His name is Teddy and he is 14 months old. Our sponsorship monies help cover costs of food, clothing, and care. PHF currently houses about 100 children and there are several that still need sponsorship. I am writing this post to ask you to pray about how you might be involved in answering the call to care for orphans, His children without an earthly home. For just $35 a month (or more!) you can open your heart to helping a child in need, and I guarantee you will be blessed beyond measure. No worries, not all sponsorships lead to adoption, but I can’t quite guarantee that one. 
My goal (as encouraged by Tim’s vision) is to “Raise 9 in ‘09″ and encourage nine other people to become sponsors. If you feel led to be in on this incredible adventure of caring for orphans at PHF, I’d love to know. We cannot say enough good things about this wonderful Christian organization, a little piece of heaven in China. Just click on one of the PHF links to find out more.