Summer 2024 Newsletter

KINDNESS

SUMMER 2024 NEWSLETTER

— MISSION STATEMENT —

To care for orphans by engaging the Church and reducing barriers to adoption

FROM OUR FOUNDERS …

DEAR SHOW HOPE FAMILY,

It can never be said enough: We are profoundly grateful for each and every one of you, particularly as we reflect upon the incredible journey that is Show Hope. As we think back on this “great adventure,” we are reminded of Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed. In Luke’s Gospel, we read Jesus’ words, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches” (Luke 13:18-19). It is humbling and breathtaking to imagine how God is using Show Hope to further His kingdom, with children and families finding a haven of love, care, and support through this work. The stories we hear to this day and the healing we continue to witness are a testimony of God working in and among His people to love and bring families to life. Thank you for being a part of the Show Hope story.

As we are stepping into the next 20 years of Show Hope, we stand poised to build upon the firm foundation that God has laid. With Adoption Aid as our cornerstone, our commitment to breaking down the financial barrier between waiting children and families remains steadfast, and with our growing Medical Care grants and Pre+Post Adoption Support work, we will persevere in going deeper with children and families. We recognize that physical, emotional, and spiritual needs are deeply interconnected, and our collaborations with partners around the world will continue in providing ways to help serve children and families holistically.

The adoption journey is a lifelong commitment, and Show Hope is committed to walking alongside families, offering support, resources, and community at every step. No family should feel alone in their journey, and we are dedicated to being a source of strength and encouragement through our efforts to equip and empower these families. It is the call we lay claim to in James 1:27, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you” (New Living Translation).

And so, as we embrace and embark on the future, we invite you to continue journeying with us, with children and families, and with entire communities here in the U.S. and around the globe. God has used your prayers, support, and generosity to make this work possible and will continue in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead. “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:3-5).

MARY BETH & STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN FOUNDERS, SHOW HOPE

AID

CHILDREN Impacted by Adoption Aid Grants ~NEARLY 9K

60+ COUNTRIES

$42+ MILLION Awarded in Adoption Aid Grants

135+ MEDICAL CARE Grants Awarded

$1M+ AWARDED in Medical Care Grants

BY THE NUMBERS

PRE + POST ADOPTION SUPPORT

138K+

Hope for the Journey CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS

SCHOLARSHIPS Awarded to Professionals for TBRI® Practitioner Training

STUDENT INITIATIVES

2.2K+

23.5K+

STUDENTS Engaged

AN Outpouring OF SUPPORT

Growing up, Joseph Langr helped his dad serve adults with special needs. When Joseph and his wife, Chloe, were engaged, he shared a calling to parent children with Down syndrome someday. Chloe tabled the conversation until after they were married and together decided they wanted to pursue it if that was only specifically how the Lord wanted to build their family.

“I think the fact that Joseph didn’t bring up the topic of adopting a child with special needs actually gave me more freedom to explore the idea in prayer because there was no pressure from his end, just patience and gentleness,” Chloe said.

That was, until Chloe felt as if the Lord was asking something of their family.

“All winter it kept coming up in prayer,” Chloe said. “I felt like the Lord was asking something of us—like the Lord was asking us to surrender something big.”

It was then, through prayer during the quiet and stillness of a dentist appointment, that Chloe heard the call to adopt, specifically a child with Down syndrome.

“It made sense because while this was something big, it wasn’t something new,” Chloe said. “Joseph had been bringing this up for years, and this felt like confirmation.”

Chloe and Joseph began praying through what adoption would look like for their family, which now included their two daughters, Mauve and Ada. While they researched, they asked three specific questions. First, What resources do we need to love this child well? Next, Do we have those resources? And finally, Is this how God is asking us to use those resources?

The Langrs chose Lifeline Children’s Services (Lifeline) as their agency, and from there, they began

“ THERE ARE A LOT OF FEARS AND UNKNOWNS THAT COME WITH BRINGING HOME A CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. THERE ARE A LOT OF CHALLENGES IN OUR DAYTO-DAY LIFE, BUT IT IS ALSO SO RADICALLY JOYFUL.

— CHLOE LANGR

to connect with other families who had adopted children with special needs. However, it wasn’t until they attended a conference hosted by Lifeline, where they saw different family summaries, that Chloe and Joseph knew for certain they were being called to adopt a child with special needs.

In the early summer of 2023, the Langrs were matched with an expectant mother. They traveled to Mississippi in July for the birth; ultimately, though, she chose to parent.

“It was hard,” Chloe said. “But after we took the time to emotionally process and go back to prayer, it became clear that the Lord was calling us to adopt a child [specifically] with Down syndrome.”

The Langrs put their names on the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network, and just one week

later, they received the call they had been matched with their son, William, who was 2-and-a-half years old.

In October 2023, Chloe and Joseph traveled to Florida to meet William and his family, and they described a feeling of “total peace” about the whole situation.

“We met him, and it just felt like, Of course,” Chloe said.

Through their adoption journey, the thing that has been the most surprising to the Langrs has been the amount of support they have seen come alongside them. From family and friends, to new connections they have made, and even people they don’t know, Joseph said their family has felt an “outpouring of support.”

“

WHEN DONORS ... COME ALONGSIDE FAMILIES AND ACCOMPANY US IN A FINANCIAL WAY, THAT IS SUCH A GIFT AND A BLESSING.

— CHLOE LANGR

“There are a lot of fears and unknowns that come with bringing home a child with special needs,” Chloe said. “There are a lot of challenges in our dayto-day life, but it is also so radically joyful. William is such a gift and blessing to our family. I would have hated to miss out on that because of fear.”

Chloe and Joseph learned of Show Hope and Adoption Aid grants through their agency when traveling to Mississippi, and they now credit that grant as being part of the village that supported their family on this journey. “We weren’t the only ones bringing William home,” Chloe shared.

“The [Show Hope Adoption Aid] grant was just such a blessing to our family,” Joseph said. “While we were going through the details and stresses of medical care, a lot of our energies were going to that. To not have the finances of the adoption weighing on us, it just lifted that stress and let us focus on caring for William and his needs.”

“We know that not everyone is called to adopt,” Chloe added. “But when donors, who do not have that call, come alongside families and accompany us in a financial way, that is such a gift and a blessing. That is the hard work of supporting families too.”

ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER

When God brought twin girls, Brynn and Tess, home to Elizabeth and Zachary Nottingham, he filled their hearts with a passion for spreading the word about adoption—and particularly the message of not letting finances get in the way.

“I’ve seen so much fruit in it,” Zachary said. “As a believer, I don’t think I’ve grown as quickly and as much in such a short time in my whole life as I have through this adoption process. The way God has blessed us with the love for these girls and then for their birth family and the way that he’s allowed us an opportunity to jump into a struggle with somebody that we’ve never met before in such a deep way.”

Adoption had always been on the table for the Nottinghams, but it was during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns—a few years after having two biological

sons—when Elizabeth and Zachary felt the Lord’s nudging. In regard to funding, the Nottinghams, like many families, couldn’t afford the costs of adoption.

“It was kind of like, God’s either going to do it, or it’s not going to happen,” Elizabeth recalled. “So we are trusting if he’s calling us to this, then he is going to have to provide because it’s the only way it’s going to happen.”

After beginning the adoption process, the Nottinghams applied for and were awarded a Show Hope Adoption Aid grant. While Elizabeth and Zachary were planning

to bring home one baby, the Lord had two in mind for them—twin girls born eight weeks prematurely. Elizabeth spent seven weeks away from the rest of her family, so she could see the girls daily in the NICU. It was in the NICU that both girls began developing multiple hemangiomas, noncancerous growths. These growths can be common on premature babies, twins, girls, and low birth-rate babies and tend to go away over time. But Brynn had one growing above her eyelid threatening her vision, and Tess had some growing on her liver, which left untreated could damage liver and heart functions.

The Nottinghams saw specialist after specialist to ensure Brynn didn’t lose her eyesight, and Tess consistently underwent ultrasounds to monitor the size of the tumors on her liver. Both girls also had to take prescription drugs to help shrink the growths.

All those costs began rapidly mounting for the Nottinghams. At first, Elizabeth and Zachary didn’t think they would qualify for a Show Hope Medical Care grant but decided to apply anyway. Much to their surprise, Show Hope awarded them the grant covering medicine, ultrasounds, specialist appointments, eyepatching, and more.

“For Show Hope to step in and alleviate that financial burden for us so we don’t have to worry, How are we

“ SHOW HOPE ... HELPS FAMILIES WHO NEED THE RESOURCES TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE WAY THAT GOD IS LEADING THEM.

— ZACHARY NOTTINGHAM

going to pay for all of these doctors appointments and ultrasounds? ” Elizabeth said. “I know that some families may have to go, Well, should we cut out a doctor? We didn’t have to think about those kinds of decisions. We could just focus on the care they needed because the financial burden was cared for.”

Today, both girls, who are nearly 2 years old, have seen amazing progress. Brynn’s tumor above her eye is so small it’s almost unnoticeable, and no tumors have appeared on Tess’ recent ultrasounds. The twins aren’t skipping a beat in life either, jumping full force into the Nottinghams’ active lifestyle with both Elizabeth and Zachary saying they’ve never seen children smile so much.

“You wonder how much is nature versus nurture,” Zachary said. “But knowing their birth family, we know they come from such a sweet and fun family, so that’s who they are. That’s who God made them to be. And we love how they have just jumped into their place here in our family.”

The whole experience has ignited a passion in the Nottinghams—particularly Zachary—to encourage any family considering adoption to not let money hinder them.

“Here in America, the money really is out there,” Zachary said. “There really are people like Show

Hope that are ready to help families who need the resources to move forward in the way that God is leading them. That’s one of the things I always tell people. There are other reasons that you should not adopt, definitely. … But just because you can’t pay for the adoption costs, that’s not a good reason, not here in America. That’s something that’s been awesome to be able to share with other people who are very concerned about that to just kind of tear down that wall. And it opens up so many doors, and it helps them to actually really process, Is this right for me? ”

The Nottinghams said asking for help in adoption was humbling but were so grateful for the love and support they received from so many in and outside their community.

“It’s all of us working together to care for what we get to call our girls,” Elizabeth added. “God is using so many people as a part of our story to help us care for our girls in that way. We just couldn’t have done it on our own financially. We are just so, so grateful.”

Adoption Support the GOSPEL on DISPLAY

When Laurie and Michael Hart first felt the call to adopt in January 2017, they specifically felt called to adopt a teen out of foster care.

“Everyone thought we were crazy,” Laurie said.

Not long after connecting with an agency, they came across the information for a teenager and felt she was the one they were being called to adopt. Because there are so few people pursuing adoption of teens, their agency was expediting the process.

At the same time, an expectant mother reached out to the Harts with the desire to make an adoption plan for her unborn baby, and so Laurie and Michael moved forward with that plan as well.

While all of this was happening, a friend recommended attending a simulcast of Show Hope’s Empowered to Connect Conference (now the Hope for the Journey Conference).

“We didn’t have years and years of the experience of working with kids and struggling to figure it out,” Laurie said. “We were thankful to have it right at the start.”

Even before they had children in their home, Laurie and Michael could tell the impact that Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI) could have.

Shortly after attending the conference, the Harts discovered that due to a clerical error, both of the adoptions they were pursuing were not able to be completed. Laurie described how heartbroken they both felt. During what they described as a “really hard season,” the Harts’ agency kept calling about foster care placements. Laurie and Michael continued to say no; until one day, they were contacted about fostering a 17-year-old mother.

“All year, we had been preparing for a teen and a baby,” Laurie said. “And here was a teen and a baby,

but it was totally different. [However] because we had been preparing, we were ready. We were firsttime parents to a parent, [but] TBRI kept us open through that.

“Because of TBRI, I felt like our hearts were open to her in a different way,” Laurie continued. “We knew that her primary need was connection. The primary focus was a relationship. We asked ourselves, How can we connect to her heart and not just be focused on checking off all the boxes of things a teen mom should be doing? ”

Eventually, Laurie and Michael decided they were only going to pursue adoption. Yet soon thereafter, their foster agency reached out to the Harts about a sibling pair who were 3 and 4 years old. Although the Harts initially said no, the agency insisted the case plan was adoption. Despite this, almost as soon as the kids came to live with them, the case plan changed to reunification.

“ WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT TBRI, IT IS LOVING TO THE POINT OF HEALING. GOD’S HEALING CAN CROSS ANY KIND OF BARRIER WITH LOVE AND CONNECTION.

— LAURIE HART

“The Lord really got a hold of me at that time and did a work in me,” Laurie said. “I went through a deep depression having lost so much already on this journey. When I came out on the other side, all I wanted to do was be the biggest cheerleader for these children and their mom. When you talk about TBRI, it is loving to the point of healing. God’s healing can cross any kind of barrier with love and connection.” Ultimately, though, Laurie and Michael did adopt

the siblings, Lexus and Xavier, who are now 10 and 9 years old.

The first three times that the Harts attended the Hope for the Journey Conference they were in three different, unique stages.

“For three years in a row, we experienced Empowered to Connect and Hope for the Journey through

“ TBRI IS LIFEGIVING. TO BE ABLE TO TEACH OTHER PEOPLE AND GIVE THESE TOOLS TO OTHER PEOPLE, I GET SO EXCITED.

— LAURIE HART

very different filters, and every single year, it was revolutionary,” Laurie said. “We applied the different principles in different stages with different kids of different ages … [from] the Connecting Principles [to] the Empowering Principles and sensory aspects.”

Laurie even began to utilize TBRI outside of their home, while working with the homeless population. After a move brought the Harts back to New York, Laurie began volunteering with Every Child Inc., a foster care and adoption resource ministry that serves eight counties in Western New York. When she began volunteering, Every Child was offering the TBRI Caregiver Package from the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at TCU, but Laurie encouraged the organization to begin hosting the Hope for the Journey Conference. With the support of a Show Hope scholarship to TBRI Practitioner Training, Laurie completed the training in October 2023. Today, she works with Every Child in a volunteer position as the Family Support Coordinator, organizing their Hope for the Journey Conference events, teaching TBRI classes, and leading parent-support meetings.

“When I started volunteering, I told them, ‘We need to be hosting Hope for the Journey,’” Laurie said. “It is a lower commitment for parents to just ‘get their feet wet’ with TBRI.”

Every Child first offered the Hope for the Journey Conference in 2022, and now, in its third year of hosting, they are offering it in three locations. With Laurie’s encouragement, Every Child New York is hopeful to continue to utilize their connections with local churches as well as the department of social services.

“We know we can get it out, not only to believers but also to the secular world,” Laurie said. “Both

personally and professionally, TBRI is lifegiving. To be able to teach other people and give these tools to other people, I get so excited. I tell people a lot, if you want to adopt, you are not just signing up to be a parent, you are also signing up to be a healing agent in that child’s life.

“TBRI is all about connecting to the heart of a child, helping them heal and giving them all of the resources they need to do that,” Laurie continued. “TBRI is a healing strategy for kids who have experienced trauma, and that is the gospel. TBRI is the gospel on display.”

“

TBRI IS A HEALING STRATEGY FOR KIDS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA, AND THAT IS THE GOSPEL. TBRI IS THE GOSPEL ON DISPLAY.

— LAURIE HART

PASS IT ON

In the fall of 2023, Baylor University fraternity Phi Kappa Chi named Show Hope their official philanthropy, led by Senior Philanthropy Committee Chair Gabe Jensen. Although this unique connection has only existed for less than nine months, Phi Kappa Chi has already begun to incorporate Show Hope into the life of their fraternity, including completing Pause Campaign, promoting Show Hope through their homecoming float, and even hosting a fundraiser competition.

We recently sat down with Gabe, Junior External Vice President Joey Leeper, and Sophomore Philanthropy Committee Member Riley Davis to learn more about Phi Kappa Chi and their support of Show Hope.

Show Hope: Tell us about Phi Kappa Chi (Phi Chi).

Joey Leeper: Phi Chi is a locally founded Christian fraternity here at Baylor. We care deeply about serving people, so philanthropy is something we should be excelling in. Gabe took the position [of Philanthropy Committee Chair] with that in mind. We want to serve and give our time, effort, and money to something that makes an impact outside of the walls of our fraternity. I’m excited to see the philanthropy committee grow and to see people get excited about Show Hope, from our active members to alumni.

SH: How did you connect with Show Hope?

Gabe Jensen: I had the opportunity to meet Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman through my aunt and uncle, who [have supported] Show Hope in the past. During the summer of my junior year, I felt pressed by the Holy Spirit to go into a giving season and to learn what it means to live a giving life. I don’t think people our age really understand how the

Q&A WITH BAYLOR UNIVERSITY’S PHI KAPPA CHI FRATERNITY

“

PAUSE HELPED IN SETTING THE TONE FOR THE PHILANTHROPY COMMITTEE AND THE REST OF OUR FRATERNITY.

— JOEY LEEPER

Lord calls us to give whatever we can, whatever he’s blessed us with. I saw this connection with Show Hope, and I thought, This is amazing work. My goal, as philanthropy chair, was to make sure our fraternity was unified with one philanthropy that we can support going forward.

SH: What did Show Hope’s Pause Campaign (Pause) look like for your group?

Riley Davis: Gabe brought Pause to us as an awesome opportunity to start off the semester by being in tune with what the Lord has to say about adoption. It seemed like an awesome way to start the semester, just disconnecting and reconnecting with what the Lord has to say.

GJ: Show Hope sent the material, and we distributed those on a Sunday and created a group chat. We knew we were going to have to use digital communication. We encouraged everyone to use it as their daily devotional.

Quiet time is very important here at Baylor, and it is a practice that is culturally known. So we used Pause Campaign as an opportunity to reconnect with the

Lord and disconnect from social media. We would send in our daily lessons, what we learned, what we took from it, and what we can apply to our lives going forward.

JL: The thing I remember most from was the feeling of, Man, I miss being online. I miss seeing things that are going on in the world. It was an opportunity to check my privilege of how blessed we are to go to a school like Baylor and to be around other guys who love the Lord. God doesn’t give us blessings to hoard to ourselves, but he gives us talents to multiply. Pause helped in setting the tone for the philanthropy committee and the rest of our fraternity.

SH: What did you take away from Pause?

RD: It was pretty hard-hitting. We get pretty comfortable in the life that we live and the things that come so easily to us. When you read these things [in Pause Campaign] and read what the Lord has clearly stated, for us to go and care for the orphan and the widow, it was eye-opening.

GJ: One of the key verses of Pause Campaign is Psalm 68:5 (“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation”). At the time, I didn’t really understand what that last part of it meant. When you look at the scripture and the context, holy habitation is “where he dwells.” If God dwells within us, then in turn we become doers, protectors of the fatherless.

SH: Why is this important for college students to learn and care about?

JL: One of the reasons is the heart behind why we chose Show Hope for our philanthropy. There are a lot of great organizations out there, but we really focused on the question of, What would Jesus do if he were here on earth?, I think that is an awesome starting point for us to ask the question How can we take care of those who Jesus cares about?

With Show Hope, we have the opportunity to educate a group of guys on the realities of what is going on in our world and hopefully prepare them to support one day, either financially or through the sacrifice of going through the process of adoption or foster care.

SH: Did you learn anything surprising during Pause or since?

RD: My youth pastor back home was in the process of adopting, and I remember talking to him about how stressful it is. I was confused because I felt like you just go do it, and I didn’t understand the financial burdens and the long process that it takes. The lack of knowledge that I had was revealed to me as we went through this, so I’m just super thankful to understand it a bit better now.

GJ: I learned from the discussion on what it means to visit orphans in their need. The way that Pause broke down the term visit and the biblical context of being there with people in need at that moment. I appreciated that because it helped develop the empathy that comes with this process.

SH: Tell us about the Show Hope fundraiser competition that you did?

GJ: We had an internal competition within Phi Chi as our first [fundraising] initiative. We knew that there was a Steven Curtis Chapman concert coming up, so we had a link fundraising competition. We told everyone to send the link to their family and

friends, and the top two donors would get a ticket to the concert.

SH: Looking forward, what are your hopes for this partnership between Phi Kappa Chi and Show Hope?

JL: Now that we have solidified our relationship with Show Hope, I really want to make sure that we are working to plan another event or competition where we can raise money for Show Hope. We want to have something that is fun and that people are excited about, but overall, the goal is to raise money for our philanthropy. I get really excited thinking about the impact that we can have for Show Hope and for this message—that spreads not only the name of Jesus but also the ministry of what Show Hope is doing.

RD: Something that Gabe has done a great job of is education within the fraternity and getting all of us hyped about it and excited to keep it going. But something that I would love to see is a recurring event that not only raises money and spreads awareness but also reaches everybody on campus. I’m excited to continue to advocate for this cause, and watch it grow over the next couple of years, and then hopefully pass it on to people after me.

FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR …

DEAR SHOW HOPE FAMILY,

I recently celebrated five years of service at Show Hope, and what I love and why I am passionate about being here is that Show Hope is an organization that lives and breathes by faith. That call to faith is part of our DNA, if you will. It was our Founders, Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, who stepped out in faith to adopt their daughter Shaohannah Hope, and it was their adoption journey that led to the founding of Show Hope more than 20 years ago now.

Over this past year, faith continues to be our north star as we boldly stepped out with the goal to award 350 Adoption Aid grants by June 30—a 10 percent increase over our prior fiscal year. And today, I can share that we will, in fact, reach and surpass that goal, adding to the more than 8,900 children impacted by a Show Hope Adoption Aid grant. It’s astounding when you consider Mary Beth and Steven’s original dream of helping 100 children and families. Some of you have been with us from the beginning, and some of you are new to our story. Either way, you are a part of those children’s journeys, and by faith, you are making an eternal impact on their lives.

In the month of May, I always want to pause and honor the life of Maria Sue Chapman. So much of Show Hope and the faith we proclaim encapsulates Maria’s legacy, from our storied Care Centers work to now our Medical Care grants. While still in its infancy, faith continues to carry this work, where in this past year we awarded our 100th Medical Care grant and surpassed $1 million in grants awarded. And as we look to the future, I am eagerly anticipating the growth and expansion of this much-needed work in the lives of children and families on the adoption journey.

We often say, “The adoption journey does not end the day a child is welcomed home; in many ways, it is just beginning.” I am thankful that Show Hope, guided by the Chapmans, has embraced this truth over the past 20 years, and by faith, it is one that we will continue to pursue over the next 20 years. Our Medical Care grants work is integral in that pursuit, and in the coming days, I will ask, How can you, once again, step out in faith and support us not just for today but for the future?

In the month of June, we will be working to raise $100,000 for Maria’s Miracle Fund. Established in honor of Maria, this fund originally helped sustain and further the work of Care Centers in China, namely Maria’s Big House of Hope, and today, Maria’s Miracle Fund now supports Show Hope’s Medical Care grants. We believe in this alltoo-important work, where more than 100 families have received financial support for their children impacted by adoption. And by 2025, we want to see 250 families supported annually through Medical Care grants, but we cannot reach that goal without you. So over the next week, will you prayerfully consider how you might support Show Hope’s Medical Care grants with a financial gift to Maria’s Miracle Fund? Together, we will continue to reduce the barriers to adoption that children and families face each and every day.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” — Romans 15:13

By faith,

KRISTIN E. PARKS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SHOW HOPE

Honoring

MARIA SUE CHAPMAN

MAY 13, 2003 – MAY 21, 2008

As we pause to remember Maria, may God’s goodness be celebrated and the hope of heaven shown to a world in desperate need of him.

Out of these ashes, beauty will rise; And we will dance among the ruins; We will see Him with our own eyes;

Out of these ashes, beauty will rise; For we know, joy is coming in the morning;

In the morning, beauty will rise.

—

Steven Curtis Chapman, “Beauty Will Rise”