Hendershott Family anticipates adopting an Ethiopian Child

“O’hana means family. Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.”

Dear Friends & Family,

It is hard to adequately put into words what God is doing in our lives, but I think the words written in the sand in this beautiful painting done for us by Matt Durbin is a good place to start.

As many of you know, we feel so blessed to have finalized the adoption of Kaya Ashley Faith on November 4, 2009. What you may not have heard yet is that through much prayer and a chain of events that only God could orchestrate, we have found that He has a child waiting to join our family from an orphanage in Ethiopia. He is a three-year-old little boy, and we are beyond excited that out of this whole big world, we get to be his family. We are hoping to travel to bring him home in the spring.

God has broken our hearts for the fatherless, and He has convicted our hearts that we are able to open our arms to the blessing of more children. We have learned, though, that this blessing requires us to step out in faith and be stretched in ways that are very much out of our comfort zone. We are so thankful that we have the means to provide for another child’s daily needs, but the reality is there is a substantial amount of money needed to bring this child home from the orphanage. Through Joe’s side business and selling some of our “stuff”, we have been able to get some of the initial fees paid, but we are now entering into the next phases of the process which will require more funds in the next couple of weeks (because he is considered a “waiting child”, this process is moving very fast). Would you be willing to enter into this journey with us? Whether you feel led to help us financially or through prayers and encouragement, it all means the world to us! If you are part of a Sunday School class or a small group and would like to share this with your group, please feel free to do so. Also, we would be more than happy to visit and answer any questions or share our testimony with you. You can also visit Dardi’s blog, www.hope4thewounded.blogspot.com, where we share different thoughts and updates on our adoption journey as well as about our family.

Honestly, that last paragraph was like pulling a band-aid off (a REALLY sticky one), and it was painful. We are used to “fundraising” for other people or causes. But, we are stepping out in faith because it’s not about us…it’s about 143 million orphans. Minus one.

Peace, Hope & Love,

Joe & Dardi Hendershott & Family

419-606-7037 or 567-203-7472

“Adopting one child won’t change the world,

but for that child, the world will change.”

**If you would like to make a donation, it is tax deductible. Checks can be made out to 5 Stones Community Church with “Hendershott” on the memo line & sent to Sarah Black, 1177 Center Lane Drive, Ashland, OH 44805 or can be placed in an offering envelope at church with “Hendershott Adoption” marked by “Other”.

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