AHW MINISTRIES NEWSLETTER 

About His Work with Janet   Oct / Nov 2012 

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   CARING FOR ORPHANS     
   
Dear God, Why Can't I Have a Baby?
Wins "Top 5 Idaho Books" and "First Place Cover Design"

 
      

"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." (James 1:27 NLT)

 

I have a precious adopted grandson, and in light of November being National Adoption Awareness Month, I thought it fitting to talk about this little guy. Seven years ago, he became legally ours on National Adoption Day. We can't imagine our family without Brandon, and I try not to focus on what his life would have been like had his teenage mother not put him up for adoption--or even worse--had she availed herself to a morning after pill or aborted her baby. That God gave this precious miracle of life to our family continues to amaze me and bless our family. You can see pictures of him in "Grammie's Corner" below.

             

In  Dear God, Why Can't I Have a Baby? A Companion Guide for Couples on the Infertility Journey, daughter Kim, Brandon's "forever mommy," shares her infertility story and the "ministry of adoption." Daughter Shannon shares her journey to parenthood through Invitro. This book doesn't advocate adoption as the only solution to the heartache of infertility. It explores the many ways God opens hearts and homes to becoming a family and offers support and encouragement from couples who understand the heartache of infertility.  

 

Dear God, Why Can't I Have a Baby? can also help a woman with an unwanted pregnancy understand how adoption is a gift to her child and to a couple longing to give her baby a home.

             

However, even though this book continues to win awards, it's been difficult to get the Christian community to embrace it as a resource for hurting couples to find solace and comfort. The publisher received this type of reception: "Several of the media we contacted for the book seemed hesitant to broach the subject of infertility since it is such a personal issue, although a very important one."

             

Many couples submitting their stories for the book said they felt alone and ignored, even in the church--especially in the church. In the opening Scripture God calls us to help orphans get a family. God certainly wasn't afraid to talk about the infertility of Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth, and others. When did we decide it was "too personal" to help hurting couples? Christians who have been adopted into the family of God and know the biblical infertility stories, should be the first to resonate with these brokenhearted couples.

             

As you give thanks around your tables this Thanksgiving for the blessings and the families God has given you, who do you need to reach out to who longs for a family of their own--both the orphans and the empty-arms parents?

             

Thank you for your continued support of About His Work Ministries. I thank God for each of you...  

Happy Thanksgiving 

About His Work,

Janet

 

PS: The third award in the picture above was for "Top 10 Idaho Author". I've been warmly welcomed and embraced by the Idaho writing community.

 

PSS: For pictures of Brandon at adoption and today, see Grammie's Corner below.

 

PSSS: Read "Meet an Author" with Russell Elkins and enter your name to receive a copy of his book Open Adoption, Open Heart.

   

FACE-TO-FACE SMALL GROUP RESOURCES   

 
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 about your event  call or email to discuss availability.

    

      

   

Baby"Dear God," Series 
 
A Companion Guide For Couples on the Infertility Journey
TOP 10 IDAHO AUTHOR 
TOP 5 IDAHO BOOK AND BEST COVER DESIGN 2012
 
Golden Scrolls Finalist 
 

  Read Reviews on Amazon

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Do you know someone who would be blessed by having another breast cancer sister walking beside her? That's why I wrote Dear God, They Say It's Cancer.  

 

Please let me, and 40 other breast cancer sisters mentor someone you know who has breast cancer by giving her the gift of my book.  

  
For tips on starting a support group go to
 Dear God, They Say It's Cancer or  
email me with questions or comments.

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  Coming March 2013 

   

 
TwoTwo About His Work
 
  Woman to Woman Mentoring
WTWM Kit 2009

WTWM DVD Leader Resources

       

Everything you need for starting your Women's Mentoring Ministry.  

  

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FEATURED WOMAN TO WOMAN MENTORING MINISTRY TESTIMONY

   

Thank you for your Woman to Woman Mentoring resources. I had my first coffee July 1st and with my busy schedule, it really couldn't have come together without them.
Have a great day!
Melissa Hamor
Southcliff Baptist Church, Fort Worth, TX   
  
TALK TO US
   

 Share what's happening in your ministry.   Each month we feature a Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry.

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The Team That Jesus Built Cover 

Now available as an E-Book on Amazon 

 

 

 

 

    

 

  Grammies "GRAMMIE'S CORNER"    
   

Brandon was two weeks old when my daughter Kim and hubby Toby saw him for the first time at an interim home where he stayed during the adoption finalization. The day after this picture was taken, they got "the call" to come pick him up and become Brandon's "forever parents," and my husband and I became his "forever Grammie and Grampa Dave"! Love this little guy so much.

 

Brandon is now 7 years old and this is his 2nd grade school picture. He plays soccer, likes building Legos and playing Wii, and is a loving big brother to little sisters, Katelyn and Sienna.   

 

 

 

PRAYING FOR YOUR PRODIGAL DAUGHTER 

 

   

 

Praying
Mentoring Moment 
"I wanted to be a parent more than I wanted to be pregnant." Kim Mancini, Brandon's mommy     
AuthorMeet An Author
                                                                                
            
    
 
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Russell Elkins, author of Open Adoption, Open Heart, and I were both award winners at the 2012 Top Idaho Authors Awards Ceremony.

My grandson Brandon was adopted through Bethany Christian Services, which is an open-adoption agency (www.bethany.org or 1-800-Bethany), so I was eager to hear about Russell's book and ask him a few questions:
 

What inspired you to write this book?

 

Adoption is one of those things that everybody thinks they understand, but really don't know a whole lot about. I'm not picking on the general population-I was one of those who thought I knew what it was until I actually got into it. Once my wife and I started our adoption journey, I thought, Holy cow, this is very different than I thought. I didn't know that today most adoptions are "open adoptions," and I didn't understand the dynamics of open adoption. Most people don't.

 

I learned the most important thing for hopeful adoptive couples to consider is this: What level of open adoption do they want? Problems arise when making promises about something they've never experienced . . . which can lead to broken promises . . . . Ouch! So that's the "reason" for my book. It's not a "how to" or a "this is what to expect" book on adoption: it's the "closest thing to living through an adoption yourself."

 

For those considering adoption, this book lets the reader come along side my wife and me through our story, in all the intimate details. So the reader can think about how he or she would handle and feel about the same situations we encountered. And for those who are not looking to adopt, it still takes the reader on an awesome ride--the stressful and the beautiful--and teaches about adoption today.

 

Tell us about your experience with infertility-

 

We didn't try very hard to get pregnant, at first. When my wife and I "decided" to have kids, it was more like "Let's get off birth control and if God sends us a baby, we'll be happy. If not, then later is fine too." Well, that didn't work. Then when I graduated from college we really wanted to start a family, and we started determinedly "trying" to have kids.

 

We even tried some of the things our friends were telling us--I say "some" because boy, we heard some crazy ideas and a lot of people seemed to think our reproductive lives were an open discussion. Still nothing worked. When we started seeing a specialist, close to 4 1/2 years after starting to try, it just intensified our disappointment and emotions. We were devastatingly sad every month when, yet again, we were failing to do what a lot of people do by "accident"--start a family.

 

We only did the fertility specialist thing . . . ultrasounds, shots, tests, and yadda yadda yadda . . . for three months. Those three months felt like three years. We so desperately wanted something to happen. Failing again and again, when we were trying so hard and even paying for someone to help us, was frustrating. We were done.

 

We didn't ride the infertility treatment train as long as a lot of people do. We have friends who stayed on those tracks for a long time and have had excellent results, but the time came when we felt God was calling us to adoption. I think God wanted us to try infertility treatments just so we would feel 100% on board with adoption. So when His call came, we were completely ready.

 

What do you suggest for anyone thinking about adoption?

 

Don't go into it blindly. Whether you read my book, or you get your info from somewhere else, you owe it to your future child and the future birth parents not to make blind decisions. Talk to people. Read books and listen to adoption stories. Know what you're getting into. Adoption is no longer like it was in the 1980's, or even the 1990's. It's different now. And never make promises you're not sure you can keep. Start your promises small. It's always easier to open up the relationship as you go along, rather than try to work backwards.

 

Adoption is the most amazing thing in my life, and I'm incredibly grateful to God for allowing us to be part of this world. Hooray for adoption!

 

 

Do you know someone who would be blessed by Russell's book? Email me to enter in the drawing for a free book.
 
About His Work,
Janet
 
  
Janet Thompson 
AHW Ministries
www.womantowomanmentoring.com 
In This Issue
Face-To-Face Small Group Resources
Do You Need a Speaker?
"Dear God" Series
Two About His Work
Woman to Woman Mentoring
Grammie's Corner
Praying For Your Prodigal Daughter
Mentoring Moment
Meet an Author
Quick Links
Speaking 2013

Feb 14
Eagle MOPS
Contact: Kelly Bueno
email: [email protected] 

Plan Ahead
to Attend LifeWay's 
 
Lead"YOU Lead - Training Women in Ministry"

   

August 1-2  
 Sioux Falls, SD 

October 24-25 
Springfield, IL 
 
I'll teach on "Mentoring" and "The Team That Jesus Built"  
"YOU Lead"
is a 2-day  

Women's Leadership Training event preceding

"Living Proof Live" 

with Beth Moore Make plans to  attend.  

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OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE YOUR STORY IN ONE OF MY NEXT BOOKS

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ShareDo you have a story on:


1. Forgetting how good God has been in your life? 

2. Ways you remember how good God has been. 

3. Life is hard 

4. Being a mentor or mentee 

5. The value of mentoring in your life 

Please email me with your story or questions.   

 

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If you have a blog, I'd love to do a blog interview with you and do a book give away. 

Or, if you would like to have a contest with a book give away, or need a guest article, let me know.
 
 
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Bring Janet to your church to: 
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Based on teaching from her book The Team That Jesus Built (New Hope Publishers, April 2011).

 

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