What is an Orphan?

I was just cleaning the house (and it NEEDS it)annd I thought I would share some of the things that the Lord has shown me in the last 6 months about Orphans..the Fatherless and the Poor.....I want to start with saying, I think I am a good Christian and to be honest, a nice person.....But last year at this time, if I saw a TV commercial about the Poor in other countries, I may have watched, felt bad, and changed the channel....meaning, I would care, but didn't know how to express my care in action (other than give periodically and support ministries like World Vision, Missions, etc etc)...This year something happened in my life and in my heart.....God took hold of me and made me MEDITATE on others, specifically Orphans internationally....Now, I thought I got it....I thought I was doing my part by being stirred and supporting good ministries, but I have to be honest, I never felt the burden where I felt I NEEDED to do more.....Well I want to share with my friends and family what happened to me...I didn't ask for it....and I didn't do anything major to change my way of thinking...I feel that God took hold of me and shook me out of my American mindset.....I know that I have been so conditioned by my surroundings that I have become immune to certain kinds of suffering....I do not know if it is possible not to become used to eating when you are hungry, turning up the heat when you are cold....most importantly, giving an antibiotic to my children when they have green runny noses or hacking coughs.....I am used to my culture(and if you don't mind me saying so, I LIKE IT)......Also, I am content with my two kids.....they are great....they are sweet and they are GROWN (somewhat)....I am used to my own ways (naps are fun and NEEDED at this age) I am conditioned to the world of ME....Now, I am not trying to preach, I am hoping to share something that supernaturally happened to me.....The Bible says to testify about what God has done! so, I want to fastfrward, yesterday, I realized that some friends I have knew I was adopting but didn't know the everyday occurances about WHY......I am adopting because God loves the poor.....and He has called me, personally to start feeling his pain about the weak and voiceless......When he did this to me he gave me a deep yearning to "shout it out"....How awkward......I know we all know about our world and how we can't help everyone.....(I used that as an excuse and a truth myself)...But God's word says that he cares about helping ONE.....One at a time.....Just opening my eyes to make a difference.....Here's the deal, when I learned that stats on Orphans Internationally ....I said yes<God, I am here, I am listening........I will do it....now, this is a way different issue than domestic adoption or adopting because of infertility (all wonderful and certainly a blessing to the children and the parents).......But when God calls you to go to another country and go through the process of beurocracy and government paperwork......it can be overwhelming and scary.....like a missions trip and more children all in one......I have had some people "not get" why we have to fundraise for international adoption.....and it's kinda hard to explain it quickly......When God says GO....He sometimes has you trust him for the funding..Some people have the full amount of the resurces needed and they don't need to ask for support.(for us, 28,000 plus 7000 for the sibling....we have to take 2 trips to Ethiopia in 5 weeks which is a huge chunk of the finances needed) ..Now, that doesn't mean that we are not responsible for the choices we make when we adopt,(our family is in process of selling cars and hopefully selling property.applying for grants, no-interest loans and having fundraisers...please pray for us!!!!! it just means that sometimes, we have to be creatvie in how we allow him to raise the funds for us......I hope noone gets insulted when we ask them to support our endeavor , that is not our motive and that would break our hearts.....we just know that we are trusting God....and we are willing to do whatever we can to add these two children to our family.......We know that we can do more for these 2 children than they could ever hope or wish for in their country of Ethiopia....(the stats are overwheming and I will share some of them later)...We can share Christ with them (the most important thing that the Bible tells us to do), we can share our things...food.....home....clothes...(James 2-3 encourages us to to share with those in need) and we can love them....need I say more!!!!!  ....Again, I don't know how we will afford it, but I do trust God to go before us...he always has.....I hope that you can continue to think of us and come along side of us in prayer....PRAYER IS EVERTHING...please pray for our babies as they are in Addas Abba Ethiopia right now!!!!!!  They are alive......and we are coming!!!!!!!!