Adoption Support Group Fellowship!

I forgot to post the pictures!! As you can see we always enjoy these times together. It is such a blessing to be with other families who walked the path of adoption, are wanting to walk the path of adoption, or being with people who just have a heart for orphans! The weather was great! It was a cool breeze that felt like Spring had rolled in!! Ok, that's a lie!! LOL It was stinkin hot but that didn't stop us from feeling the love and watching all those precious children in the backyard play and laugh with each other!! I love our fellowships!!

Orphans Deserve Better Campaign!

taken from Kerry Hasenbalg's blog: Orphans Deserve Better Campaign

Dear Friends,

The Christian Alliance for Orphans is launching the “Orphans Deserve Better” campaign today. Although directly confronting Warner Bros upcoming horror movie, Orphan, the intent is not to “bash” Hollywood, but to rouse greater awareness and engagement in meeting the needs of orphans. I’d greatly appreciate your help as part of this effort—signing the petition, perhaps posting a story, and sharing the website.

May we be known as a people who do indeed “defend the cause of the fatherless” in ways both large and small.

Jedd Medefind (President, Christian Alliance for Orphans)
Please visit the following website to see how you can join us in defending the fatherless: Orphans Deserve Better

Servolution: Serving Foster Care Workers and Our Next Adoption Support Group Fellowship!

Servolution

was so excited to see this truck pull into the parking lot!!

some of the awesome Cooking for Christ team and some of our volunteers!!
You guys are awesome!!

A beautiful and hard working foster care worker enjoying a free lunch from HPC!!


awesome volunteers serving workers some delicious food!!

He was ready!! An awesome man of God sharing some scriptures with us!

We were so excited to put on our red serve shirts today and feed 74 EBR Foster Care Workers some delicious food: chicken penne pasta, cole slaw, beans and potatoes, awesome brownie and of course some Southern Louisiana sweet tea!! These awesome people work hard to help meet the needs of the foster children of their area. We just want them to know how much we value who they are and what they do!!

And many thanks to Mr. Jerry and Cooking for Christ team for their hard work and delicious food. And thanks to you who helped us serve today!!

We have scheduled our next "His Heart for Orphans" Adoption Fellowship!!! Mark your calendars. Here are the details:

WHAT: "His Heart for Orphans" Splash Day
WHEN: Saturday, June 27, 2009 10:30 AM
WHERE: The Poche' House
WHAT TO BRING: Swimsuits and towels for the children, your favorite potluck dish, casserole, dessert, Family friendly Games (ex. volleyball) We will be eating lunch together "potluck" style so bring your favorite dish. Let us know if you have any questions. We hope you can make it!

Dina & Heath
Email us if you have any questions!! dinaslack1@cox.net

Next Adoption Support Group Fellowship!

We have scheduled our next "His Heart for Orphans" Adoption Fellowship!!! Mark your calendars. Here are the details:

WHAT: "His Heart for Orphans" Splash Day

WHEN: Saturday, June 27, 2009 10:30 AM

WHERE: The Poche' House

WHAT TO BRING: Swimsuits and towels for the children, our favorite potluck dish Family friendly Games (ex. volleyball) We will be eating lunch together "potluck" style so bring your favorite dish. Let us know if you have any questions. We hope you can make it!

Dina & Heath

Email us if you have any questions!! dinaslack1@cox.net

Next Adoption Workshop and Foster Care Prayer vigil!

2009 National Foster Care Prayer Vigil: May 17-24th

Ours will be Tuesday, May 19, 7p-9p at HPC Barnroom.

A prayer vigil can be:
· Part of a regular Bible study group in your home
· Part of a regular Community Group meeting
· Part of a Sunday School class
· A Prayer walk through your city
· A gathering of friends at a park, or the beach
· A lunchtime gathering with co-workers
· Whatever and wherever you want it to be
Ready to REGISTER your prayer vigil? Click here.

Next Free Adoption Workshop:

What does God's Word say on adoption? Through "His Heart for Orphans" adoption workshops you will receive a Biblical perspective on adoption along with valuable information on the domestic and international adoption process. You will also meet some amazing children who were adopted into their forever family.

Saturday, May 16

Healing Place Church

8:30a-11:30a

If you are interested in attending any of these workshops, please register at http://www.healingplacechurch.org/ Keyword: adoption and look for the registration link.
We look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions, please contact us at ephesians1five@cox.net

Christian Alliance for Orphans V live blogging!

Live blogging for Christian Alliance for Orphans V

Healing Place Church's Servolution OCS Fun Day!!!!!

This is what it was all about!

Fashion Fun with only newspaper and duct tape!!

Girl winner of the blindfolded drawing contest!


Volunteer looking so "trendy!"


All the awesome donated gifts to give to the children!


Boy winner of the blindfolded drawing contest!



The amazing volunteers!!


Whipped Cream Eating Contest!!!!!

Fasion Fun with newspaper and duct tape!!

Fashion Fun in action!!!!!

Looking good!!

Whipped Cream Eating Contest!!


They loved this!!!!!


Overly Dressed, Hula Hoop, Basketball, Blowing Bubble obstacle course!!!!!


Blindfolded Drawing Contest!!!!!

Beautiful corsages made by the Real Simple Lifegroup to give to the hardworking OCS workers!!!!! Thanks so much, Amy!

Servolution! Wow! What an awesome way to show Jesus to our communities! It was more than just an event for me and I am sure many others who were part of Servolution feel the same way that it is a lifestyle I and they want to make sure to continue. It is a way to outwardly express Jesus' love to others. The red shirts were all over. The day before our OCS Fun Day, I was shopping at Walmart for a few last minute items and ran into a red Serve shirt and you just feel like you already know that person. This lady and I were strangers but the commonality of that red shirt made us feel like family and we talked like we knew each other for a while!! The next morning, the day of our Servolution event I ran to another Walmart to get the balloons and whipped cream and there was another red shirt coming my way down one of the aisles. I said, hey where are you serving today. And without thinking she smiled and told me where they were heading. I didn't know her but I knew her heart as she walked toward me in the red Serve shirt! I loved it!!

OCS Fun Day was a huge success. Kiwanis cooked the delicious jambalaya, Wendy's Wonderful Kids donated the hamburgers and hotdogs and Tommy and Heath cooked them! The Space Walks were provided by All Around Town and HHFO hosted the place and served! On a serious note though, fun is not a word I would normally associate with being in the foster care system but this day was a special unique day. It was a day to bring together families who want to adopt with children who were available for adoption. It was truly an honor to serve the OCS workers, the children, and the families!! The best part about this event was you got to see how amazing these precious children are. I have to be honest and say this was a very emotional day for me as it was for others that were there. It is heart wrenching to know that I live in a world with so many families yet I was around 19 children who have no family to call their own. That broke me! I was still emotional about it last night. And still emotional about it entering church this morning and during worship I could not hold it back any longer. I sobbed for these children as the worship team sung Jesus all I need is you and then I continued crying as Amazing Grace was sung! HHFO's passion is orphaned children. Our passion is adoption. The only thing this OCS Fun Day did for us was to fuel a flame that already exists! I saw it in the Slack's eyes and I saw it in the Rohner's eyes. I also saw it in some of our volunteers eyes!! I believe that more can be done and my prayer is that God would show us what more to do and I just wholeheartedly thank OCS for allowing us to partner with them for this event!

And to the many wonderful amazing volunteers!!!!!..... You were truly Jesus to the children and to the families!! Thank all of you from the bottom of our heart for your heart to serve!! You made the Fun Day what it was!! Alliece, Donna, and Paul!!!!! Thanks for being available at a moment's notice and helping us make this event run so smooth! And Pastor Dino and Johnny, thanks for letting us do this!! And to Cooking for Christ for the awesome brownies!!!!! and thanks Emily-Joy for the pictures!!

Servolution!!!!!

Get live updates here! I just love being a part of this revolution to serve!! Our team will be hosting an OCS Foster Care Fun Day of 100 people in hopes and prayers that 21 foster children meet their forever family! Please join us in prayer for these precious children ages 6-15!

Servolution!!

Servolution is about churches partnering together and reaching out to their communities through simple acts of kindness for the soul purpose of expressing the love of God to people in our community.

the countdown begins!!!!! OCS Fun Day!! We are looking forward to serving the foster care children and the OCS workers this weekend!!!!!

Adoption Support Group Fellowship!

Just a gorgeous day to celebrate families who have adopted and come together for fun, food, and great fellowship!! The following post is on HPC Servolution blog:

His Heart’s for Orphans (HHFO), the Adoption Ministry life group of Healing Place Church, had their quarterly adoption support group fellowship last Sunday at our house! There was lots of great food, beautiful weather, great conversation and fun for the children. Many different countries, cultures and blends of families were represented. Children from here in the U.S. also China, Taiwan, Africa and Peru. It is so awesome to hear the stories of how they became a family. To have all of these families with children from all over the world end up in a backyard in South Louisiana together enjoying each other’s company is very humbling and can only be God!

Orphans and Adoption….. That is the passion of “His Heart for Orphans” We are a group of people who have either adopted, are in the process of adopting, want to adopt, or just have a heart for orphans. What ties us together is the fatherless and the desire to help these children who do not have a Mom and a Dad get connected to their forever family. It is our desire to support other families who want to mirror what God did for us: “His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.”

Two years ago, Servolution 2007, we did a two-room makeover for the meeting rooms at the state office where foster children and their birth parents visit. God used that to open many doors, and give us favor with the foster care system. This year for Servolution 2009, HHFO will be hosting a Fun Day party on April 4th at BRDC. The goal of the day is to introduce families to the precious foster children that are available for adoption here in Louisiana, in hopes that some or all of these children can be adopted. For some of these children, it is there last hope to get adopted before they age out of the foster care system.

Did you know: there are over 800,000 foster children in the US . Annually 20,000 kids age out of foster care nationwide, an increase of 41 percent since 1998. One third of them didn’t have a high school diploma and about 20 percent become homeless. Nearly half of the young women who have been in foster care become pregnant at least once by age 19. The need is great.

If you or your church is looking for ways to serve the foster-care youth of your community, please contact us ephesians1five@cox.net and we will give you simple steps of how you can serve these precious children!

Adoption Support Group Fellowship!

Everyone mark your calendars! We have scheduled our next

"His Heart for Orphans" Adoption Fellowship

WHEN: Sunday, March 8, 2009

TIME: 2:00 PM
WHERE: The Poche' Home

WHAT TO BRING: Your favorite finger food, casserole, and/or dessert & lawn chairs. We will also have a Jungle Jumper for the children! Fun! Fun!!

Let us know if you have any questions. We hope to see you there!

Blessings,
Heath and Dina

Next Adoption Fellowship and Adoption Workshops!

ADOPTION SUPPORT GROUP FELLOWSHIP: Our next fellowship is being planned for March. As soon as I get the details from Dina, I will post them here on the blog!

ADOPTION WORKSHOPS: Our next two workshops are scheduled: May 16 and October 17. The online registration will be available in March at http://www.healingplacechurch.org/

HEART GALLERY: We are excited about the Heart Gallery going in the community at our local libraries. As soon as I receive some photos I will post them!

Adoption Updates!

Well, we are excited and in prayer for two of our families: the Rohner's and the Turner's! The Rohner's are walking in faith as they believe God for their sweet daughter, Lyla, that they have been a part of for most of this pregnancy. Randy and Stephanie, we are holding this up to God! You can follow Stephanie and Randy on their blog.

And the Turner's are in Africa meeting their son, Abel, for the first time in person! You can follow Carole on Twitter. Just reading what she has written brings back so many memories when Tommy and I were in Peru receiving our children! These are precious moments but such a huge transition for both. Please keep both families in your prayers!

"His unchanging plan has ALWAYS been to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure."

Adoption Support Group Fellowship!

Happy Birthday, Olivia! Olivia turned three the day of the fellowship..... playing at the zoo on her third birthday and has a family to call her own!! Praise Him!!

This weekend we met for our quarterly Adoption Support Group Fellowship! All you have to do is look at the pictures of all these precious children and you'll know how we feel everyday..... we are blessed to be able to have these children as ours whether birthed or adopted..... the miracle is the same!

Thanks to all of you who came. It was very cold but the cold weather cleared the zoo making it a day of well..... just us!! It was awesome to see all of you and all of the children! We look forward to the next one with you!

Next Adoption Fellowship and Heart Gallery

Our next adoption fellowship is this Satuday, January 17th at the BR Zoo! If anybody did not receive the email from Dina, please let us know and we will add you to the fellowship/adoption support group email list.

BR Zoo Adoption Fellowship

Saturday, January 17

10AM

Meet at the front gate.
Plan on packing a picnic lunch or bringing some extra money to grab lunch at the Flamingo Cafe. We hope you can make it!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Heath and Dina

HPC Children's teaching on Orphans and Adoption, Heart Gallery and Adoption Workshop!

HPC Children's teaching on orphans and adoption.

Heart Gallery set up at the Governor's Mansion

Some awesome families who adopted through the foster care system.

Heart Gallery at our HHFO Adoption Workshop


Stephanie greeting and signing up the attendees

Our scrapbook and adoption testimony album

My Man doing what he does best..... teaching, equipping, and building up the attendees

Carole talking about the Need for Adoption. She did awesome!

These are my heroes!! Families who are taking heed to the call of adoption!

We have been busy and blessed! Last week we had a first at HPC!! I was able to do a teaching to our Wednesday night children ages 5-11 years old. There were about 100 of them and it was amazing!! Look for more information about a Children's teaching on orphans and adoption in the future! I believe that was only the beginning of what God wants to do to our children in church!! Thanks, Mrs. Sherry, for allowing us to do that!! You are so awesome!!

Also, last week we set up the Heart Gallery at the 10th Annual Adoption Celebration at the Governor's Mansion! That was fun to witness and listen to all the awesome families that adopted children from the Louisiana foster care system. The children were excited and the Moms and Dads had smiles from ear to ear! It was a blessing to be able to be there!

And then yesterday we had our last workshop of the year. I just love these workshops! It never fails that I forget to bring the tissues because we ALWAYS cry while watching the orphan stories and hearing some adoption testimonies!! Many many thanks to those families that came and the HHFO team is praying for you and know we are here for each of you! And many many thanks to our awesome volunteers!! Carole, you did an awesome job! Gered, preach it!! Stephanie and Randy, Nanette, Jennifer, and Brandi many many thanks for doing whatever is needed!! All of you are amazing and so appreciated!! Many thanks to HPC, Robin, Johnny, and Mollie and of course Pastor Dino, for supporting us! Thank you!!

Lastly, I want to share some emails with you that we received after the workshop! They were a blessing to receive and believe me, with an orphan adoption ministry, these emails help us remember that we are making a difference for the orphan so thanks to you who sent the emails!! They were very encouraging for us!

"I just wanted to say thanks for the workshop today. I appreciate you both sharing your time, knowledge and experiences. My wife was anxious to hear all about it. As I mentioned today at the workshop my wife and I are at the infancy stage of praying to God and identifying our roles with Orphans. We do plan on taking your advice Aimeé about going to an orphanage. Being that Mexico is so close to Texas our first thought is to find an orphanage in Mexico. Do you guys have connections or know of an orphanage in Mexico? Thanks again guys. Maybe I will see you on Sunday at HPC. God bless!, T"

"We wanted to thank you so much for the workshop you held on Saturday. We were very impressed with how paced and full of information the workshop was. We left feeling more secure in our desire to adopt. And while we do have two boys of our own, a 5 year old and a 3 year old, we have always felt that God has placed adoption on our hearts. We have been attending HPC for over 4 years now and everyday feel more strengthened by being a part of this church. Anyway – I just wanted to tell you guys how much we enjoyed and benefited from the workshop and to thank you! You guys were wonderful and it was an amazing experience to meet your children – they are beautiful! God Bless, J and K"

Again, thank you so much for the emails but most of all thank you for your heart for the orphan!! May God's peace and strength, and wisdom be with each one of you as you walk this amazing journey: Adoption!!

Orphans and Adoption!

Our next adoption workshop:

Saturday November 15 at the HPC Annex

Georgia head football coach and their adoption story!

I copied this off Andy's blog. It is an awesome awesome story! Some of you may have seen this last weekend during the game but just in case you did not..... here it is again. Andy was right when he stated this is a powerful video however, Andy, we are still cheering the LSU Tigers!! LOL

Mark Richt Family and Adoption
This is a powerful video, shown on ESPN's Gameday, about Georgia head football coach, Mark Richt. The Richt's adopted two children (Zach and Anya) from Ukraine - one of whom had a facial deformity. They are powerful witnesses of God's grace and calling in their lives. It certainly makes me want to become a Georgia Bulldog fan!...

Listen for Anya's heart and perspective - I have a lot to learn from this young lady. Andy

Adoption Support Group Fellowship!

Yesterday we had our quarterly Adoption Support Group fellowship. I love and cherish these times together. And you know they are not just for the kids!! It seems the "men" may have enjoyed the fellowship a little too much!! LOL Enjoy the pictures.

Sweet Ayden

These fellowships seem to bring out the kid in the "men"

Zoë, Asa, and Ethan enjoying all the soft drinks they can get their hands on!

Dina helping all our precious blessings paint pumpkins!

Matt swinging Steele and Jacob

Sweet little Olivia

Sweet Rose and Grace

Some of the wonderful people we do life with: the Rohners, the Slacks, the Turners, the Michels

Aimee' and Elijah

Carole and E enjoying some good ol'food
Competitive Heath making sure the Asa and Ethan sweat it out!

Matt in the background with sweet Annalyce.

Matt and Tommy taking over the ping pong game

Ring a round the rosey was too cute to watch!

Rose, Mia, Kylee, Jacob, Steele, Ayden, Annalyce

Adoption Workshop!

"His Heart for Orphans"
Embracing orphans around the world with His hands, His words, His love, His heart!

What does God's Word say on adoption? Through "His Heart for Orphans" adoption workshops you will receive a Biblical perspective on adoption along with valuable information on the domestic and international adoption process. You will also meet some amazing children who were adopted into their forever family.

Our next Adoption Workshop for 2008 is: NOVEMBER 15

If you are interested in attending this workshop, please register at http://www.healingplacechurch.org/ You will see a link under Events. We look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions, please contact us at ephesians1five@cox.net