Our Both Hands Project!

You may remember me referencing a Lifesong for Orphans event when I shared about our adoption story? While that evening served as a night that God spoke clearly to our hearts about the time and place of our adoption, there was another part of the evening that hugely touched our hearts and served as a puzzle piece in the "how" of our adoption.

That evening we were introduced to the concept of a Both Hands Project - a ministry that had recently partnered with Lifesong for Orphans. The foundation for Both Hands is rooted in James 1:27.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

You often hear James 1:27 quoted within the orphan care community. But what we loved about the mission of Both Hands is how it lives out and bridges the entire verse.

A family wanting to adopt puts together a team of workers to spend a day serving a widow in need at her home. That team, in turn, sends out letters requesting family and friends to financially support them as they work. The money raised? Goes to support the family adopting.

The whole idea resonated with Ryan and I. We loved the idea of serving someone else in need as others bless us and support us in our need. The project allowed this adoption to become less about us . . .and more about the body of Christ being a tangible expression of a greater love.

It's been a lot of work in the making but we're thrilled that this Saturday, we'll be able to come alongside an area widow, named Kay, with family and friends and spend the day working on her home. We're so blessed by those who have agreed to be a part of this day with us and can't wait to see the end result.

JT Olson, the founder of Both Hands, shares briefly about the ministry, and what a Both Hands Project is all about, far better than I can in this video. You also can see a tiny glimpse of their first actual project. It's well worth the watch.

We can't say enough about this organization and we're so excited to be a small part of it. Would you join us in praying for the day and that Kay will be blessed by the work that is done and by those involved?

If you're interested in reading more about our project specifically or if you feel moved to support us in it, you can read our family's letter here.