empowered to connect

pat and i were at a conference this past friday and saturday. it's amazing how much being gone for 2 days effects my life! it's been nearly a week since i've been able to sit down and document things around here! and i haven't touched my camera once. lots of phone pics.

the conference was a couple YEARS in the making.
our adoption and orphan care ministry at our church contacted Empowered to Connect a LOONG time ago and asked if they might consider doing a conference in our area. they are THE experts on adoption and how to navigate children "from hard places" and most of their conferences are nowhere near us.

well. they responded and asked to see OUR church for their location. it was a crazy long process. they flew here to check it out. lots of paperwork and meetings (that i didn't do...another member of our team took that on and did an AWESOME job.) long story short. they chose us and we (our elders had to approve it) chose them.

so 800+ people came to this conference at our church this past friday and saturday. there were people from ALL over. we live in virginia...people came from south carolina, louisiana, pennsylvania...it was amazing!

i was worried going into the weekend about sitting so long. i have a hard time sitting for a whole movie, and the conference was from 9 am-5 pm both days. ha! i think we sat for 45 minutes MAX. we were all over the place...parking people, making coffee (i'm not a coffee drinker. but, WOW, people are CRAZY about their coffee!), prepping snacks/water for the morning and afternoon, prepping lunch for those that purchased lunch, emptying trash, and my FAVORITE part was greeting people at the doors every morning and after every break!

it was a blast. working alongside this team of people that have a heart for the orphan AND for the parents that are walking that road.

i got to see dear friends (ali!) that came and met friends in person that i've known online for YEARS (allison! our kids are from the same orphanage in rwanda!)

we also learned some really great stuff. the content of the conference is invaluable. lots to process. we bought the cd's to listen to all that we missed...which we hope to do soon.

this conference should not just be for adoptive families. it should be for ALL parents...and even anyone working with children. i found myself thinking about one of our biological kids more than lincoln and levi!

and where were our kids?? my parents watched them. stayed at our house and took them to football games and picked apples and just LOVED on them. they all had a BLAST. they even let us stay out longer on saturday night so pat and i could go on a date! what a GIFT it is to have such amazing parents that are willing and GLAD to do that for us! (and 2 sets! pat's parents are equally as willing and able!)