Welcome to the first ever Addy's Show! Thank you for coming and supporting Addy's Hope and our efforts to find homes for the waiting children of Texas.
Four years ago John and I were asked to take a two year old little boy as a foster placement. We asked to visit him before giving an answer on the placement. Walking out of the "emergency shelter" that housed 25 children ages 5 years old and younger right here in Midland, Texas, I was forever changed. I had been in many orphanages in Africa, but had no idea there was one in my own backyard. It was that visit that brought John and I to the realization of the orphan crisis right here in Texas! I soon learned that over 6,000 children were waiting in our foster system for adoptive families. I then learned there were no adoption fees to adopt these children and most qualify for adoption subsidies that will continue until their 18th birthday. They receive free college tuition to any state school in Texas and have medicaid coverage for medical expenses even after the adoption is finalized. We knew we could not take this information and simply walk away from it. Once made aware of an injustice, you can no longer plead ignorance as reason to ignore the crisis. John and I answered the crisis by adopting a waiting child personally and also by making a commitment to work with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to recruit and train families to bring God's orphans home!
James 1 says that we are to be "doers" and not merely "hearers" of the Word. Please do not leave here as a man who looks in a mirror and walks away forgetting what he saw. These children need you! Not everyone is called to adopt, but everyone can do something! Help us spread the word about the crisis of these children in our social welfare system. Read the statistics in the halls between their pictures. We have to stop this cycle now. The future of our nation hinges on us getting these children into families and changing their destination. We need financial supporters to help us keep our program running since families do not pay adoption fees, and the fees paid by the state do not cover the hours it takes to train and support a family through an entire adoption process and beyond. You can also be a team member for a family who is adopting. Team members provide meals, babysit, clean a house or just listen when parents need an empathetic ear. There is some way that every one can be a part of finding families for these children! We truly believe there are no unwanted children, only unfound families. We need your help finding homes for these children!
The children you have met tonight in the pages you are holding and in the halls as you walked into the theater need you. Please consider how you can help. If you would like more information on how to adopt one of these children, call me at 432.897.1503 or send me an e-mail at hollyann@addyshope.com. Together, we can empty the foster system of these waiting children and answer God's call to bring His children home!
I would like to personally thank all of our sponsors! Without you, this would still be only a dream! The playbill you hold as well as all the amazing publications for tonight were the work of the amazingly talented Rachel Austin and Eric Huecker! Rachel & Eric, your support of our work and your heart for these children blesses me and spurs me on in the work that I do! Thank you! Holly Bartlett, thank you for stuffing and mailing countless support letters to help make tonight as successful as possible! Skip Ziegler, your knowledge and love of technology has made Addy's Show high tech tonight. Thank you for using your talents for God's children. Katie Bailey, we did it! Thank you for having this vision and putting in the work it took to make it a reality! I am forever grateful for all you have done for Addy's Hope. And to our amazing cast, there are no words to express my gratitude for the countless hours you have spent in preparation! I pray God's blessing on you and your families for the sacrifices made to make tonight possible! You have played a part in every child that finds a home from the fires that are sparked tonight! To my children, Paizley, Callie, Noah, Toben, Ava, Madison & Journey, thank you for letting me tell your stories! Thank you for loving being the "weird" family as much as I do! I love you to the moon and back! John, thank you for taking this journey with me! Thank you for supporting our family so I can chase my calling! Thank you for saying "yes" to God and getting the ball rolling for Addy's Hope nine years ago when I still thought it was impossible! Thank you for wiping the tears I cry for the children I serve and always reminding me why we do this thing we do. I love you! And to my Heavenly Father, thank you for entrusting me with the call of Your children. I pray tonight has been pleasing to You, and I ask that you leave the faces of these children imprinted on those You have brought here tonight until they all have homes!
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