About Project 1.27
What's It All About: Part I of 3
There has been a lot of talk about Project 1.27 in Colorado lately. In Denver, Channel 9 and FOX 31 News both recently ran stories on the ministry. K-LOVE Christian Radio did a news story last summer along with an 11 minute piece on Sunday February 20th. (http://www.klove.com/News/CloserLook.aspx). Lastly, Governor Owens highlighted Project 1.27 in his State of the State address in January, saying that Project 1.27 "brings together children who need a family with parents who can provide a loving home." Project 1.27, though a ministry less than one year old, is having a huge impact on adoptions and the hearts of all Coloradans!
There are currently about 875 children in Colorado's foster care system who are legally free for adoption. Many of these children have been waiting for years to have a forever family that they can call their own. This should not be! Our goal is to motivate and organize the body of Christ to bring these children home - for good - into Christian families. The church partners with the families who adopt by providing a vast support system that helps the adoptive families adjust to their new lives.
We at Project 1.27 would like to share with you this new way to adopt in Colorado. I am Chris Padbury, the Executive Director of Project 1.27 and I am very excited about how God is leading His church into an organized adoption effort of these kids in the Colorado foster care system. But first I'd like to tell you my family's story.
About eight years ago, my wife and I were deeply perplexed and depressed. For three years we were unable to have children of our own, we had also pursued adoption for 6 months, and neither was fruitful. So, we asked ourselves, what does God want us to do? Should we do the "American thing" and fill up our lives with stuff? Should we just go buy a new car, eat out more, and go skiing every weekend? That is, after all, what we are told will make us happy - right?
Somehow we knew that wasn't the right answer. Somewhere, someway, God wanted us to be unselfish. He wanted us to connect with people and give our lives to them. "But how?" we asked, "didn't God want us to do more with our faith?" But, for the time being, God was silent. A friend told us that we had to focus on just praising God. She said "Just let go, and praise Him, no matter what." She was right; He was all we had! So as we did so, we also were drawn to following verse:
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD ,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Habakkuk 3:17, 18.
We rested in this for a while. But God was still working behind the scenes. Our home study was done and several adoption organizations had our information. During the second week of January of 1997, after a drought of 2 years, we were paired with a birthmother. The very next week we received additional calls on 8 children! We were later led to one of those children and then we traveled to China the next year. In 14 months we went from childless to being the proud parents of 3 children! Instant parents! Our church was especially helpful and supported us with a gift of a giant stroller, a room filled with diapers, and free baby-sitting when we needed a break. Last year we added one more, and we now have a total of 4 beautiful children, two boys and two girls.
On many occasions people will tell us what "special people" we are; what a "wonderful thing" we were doing. But we don't feel that way. We know that we are just average people wanting a big family, and God called us to adopt to fulfill both His and our desires. So, we tell those people filled with awe that God is the Creator and a Father to the fatherless. He wants to give homes to the homeless and bless parents with children. No, we are not exceptional people by our efforts. Instead, we are made exceptional people by His choosing. We also quickly realized that the adoption world was wonderful and hoped others would answer God's call to adopt too. In addition, we prayed that someday, some pastor would really preach on that verse in James - and really mean it.
"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."
James 1.27 NIV
Well, we have no new cars, we haven't been skiing in 10 years, and our bellies are only a little fat - but we are happy. We know this is where God wants us. We first had to rely on God and then had to walk a life of faith. It is our belief that God has used our life challenges, sorrows and hopes all in preparation for Project 1.27. Adoption is only one of many ways to walk in faith, but for us at Project 1.27 it is our focus and passion. For those of you who felt the nudge from God to adopt: have we got a plan for you!
People of God who want to adopt and give your lives for the orphans,
People of God who want to help those families in this Great Adventure,
You are right where you need to be, reading this article!
But you'll have to wait for the next edition to find out more!
May God Richly Bless You!
Christopher R. Padbury
Executive Director, Project 1.27
Read more:
Part II
Part III
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