Episode 181. Steven Curtis Chapman & Mary Beth Chapman’s Adoption Story
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Unedited Transcript
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[rebecca_george]: Mar, Beth, I am so thrilled to have you. Thank you so much for joining me.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Well, thank you for having me decided to be here.
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[rebecca_george]: I know. So we've we've already established that you have some kiddos at
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[rebecca_george]: Alabama and I'm a
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Yeah,
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[rebecca_george]: Valls fan. So we've already talked football a little bit, which is so fun.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: a little bit.
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[rebecca_george]: A little bit. Yeah, and um, so I loved. I loved hearing about that and I'm
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[rebecca_george]: so excited to talk more about your old story today. So, for our friends, who
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[rebecca_george]: may have not already made the connection, you Stephen Curtis Chaman's wife,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Yes.
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[rebecca_george]: you guys are doing some incredible work, Um in the area of adoption that I'm
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[rebecca_george]: so excited to talk about today. This is something I don't know that we've
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[rebecca_george]: really ever covered on the show. And so you guys are just the the sweetest
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[rebecca_george]: family to come in and kind of have this conversation. so to start us off, I
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[rebecca_george]: would love for our listeners who might not know your back story with
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[rebecca_george]: adoption. I would love to hear a little bit of your heart of where you all
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[rebecca_george]: lives intersected with adoption.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Yeah, sure, so it's going to date me a little bit. Um. back in nineteen
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[mary_beth_chapman]: ninety seven, Um, my daughter, Emily and I took a trip to Haiti, Um. with
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[mary_beth_chapman]: our church, who went with Compassion International and we, Um. That trip
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[mary_beth_chapman]: was super impactful in a number of ways, in particularly our youngest,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Um, or our oldest daughter. At the time, Um, Emily
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[mary_beth_chapman]: came back with just this passion and this burning desire in her heart.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Um, to pray for her family to, um, to consider you know what it would
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[mary_beth_chapman]: look like to adopt, And so she began to just, um,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: uh, pray. She wrote her dad and I letters. I mean you name it. She did it
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[mary_beth_chapman]: and she said we have room at our table. I really want us to consider
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[mary_beth_chapman]: adoption and we had walked with some other families that had been going
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[mary_beth_chapman]: through the process of adopting long story short and two thousand. Uh, we
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[mary_beth_chapman]: began to pray and we began to say We don't want to. just we. We used to
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[mary_beth_chapman]: go. That's a really great idea for you, and when you grow up, you can
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[mary_beth_chapman]: consider that for your family, But Um, we actually really took it serious
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[mary_beth_chapman]: to pray and to just really begin to take set of faith in the year two
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[mary_beth_chapman]: thousand, That wound us up in the hallway of a hotel in China, receiving
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[mary_beth_chapman]: our first of three beautiful daughters from the country of China.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Showhnnah, Um, was placed into my arms and really, it was at that point,
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[rebecca_george]: Wow,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Um, that I just really understood deeply my own um. spiritual adoption
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[mary_beth_chapman]: story. You know, it's like Jesus was giving me this beautiful picture of
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[mary_beth_chapman]: what he had done for me, And so really, by the time we got home with
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Showey in the spring of two thousand, Um, Steph and I really began to
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[mary_beth_chapman]: talk about. You know, you have a platform. And what would it look like at
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[mary_beth_chapman]: the time in two thousand? Just what would it look like to help begin to
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[mary_beth_chapman]: break down the financial barrier to adoption,
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[rebecca_george]: yes,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: and so show hope really was birth there in our hearts, and officially
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[mary_beth_chapman]: became an organization in two thousand and three with the mission to care
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[mary_beth_chapman]: for orphans By engaging the church and the, and, the first way in which
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[mary_beth_chapman]: we did that was the financial barrier, which was, we began to give
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[mary_beth_chapman]: adoption eight grants, And so that was really the start of our adoption
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[mary_beth_chapman]: journey. It was a starter show, hopes you know, journey into
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: becoming a official organization, And then that also led us to the
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[mary_beth_chapman]: adoption of our second daughter, T. V. joy, Um. In two thousand and three
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[mary_beth_chapman]: she came home and then two thousand and four. Um. Our youngest Maria Sue
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[mary_beth_chapman]: came home, so that's really in a nutshell, Kind of how we stepped into
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[mary_beth_chapman]: the adoption, um
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[mary_beth_chapman]: journey for our family, and then beginning years of show hope.
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, wow. okay. so I want to go all the way back to the compassion trip. So
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[rebecca_george]: you, you went to
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Mhm,
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[rebecca_george]: Haiti.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: right,
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[rebecca_george]: I,
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[rebecca_george]: so my husband and I, we been married about two and a half years. We do not
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[rebecca_george]: have
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[mary_beth_chapman]: okay,
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[rebecca_george]: children yet,
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[rebecca_george]: and a probably about a year ago. You know, our church had partnered with
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[rebecca_george]: Compassion several times in the past, my my husband's pastor, and we had
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[rebecca_george]: done some compassion days and we're super passionate about their mission.
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[rebecca_george]: Um, And there was a moment last year and it was during Secret Church that
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[rebecca_george]: David Platt does at his church where he does. You know. a
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[mary_beth_chapman]: okay,
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[rebecca_george]: teaching like laid into the night, and it sort of simulates what goes on in
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[rebecca_george]: the underground church, And he was doing this teaching about the Great
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[rebecca_george]: Commission and he said something that I'll never forget. He said, You know
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[rebecca_george]: as disciples of Jesus, like we are either a goer or a synder.
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[rebecca_george]: So if if we're not called, you know the for mission field to the ends of the
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[rebecca_george]: earth, like that doesn't mean that God's not going to cause us to partner
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[rebecca_george]: with other organizations or partner with Um. You know
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[mary_beth_chapman]: sure,
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[rebecca_george]: in different areas to send people. Um. And
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[mary_beth_chapman]: right.
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[rebecca_george]: so just this idea of where either a go or or a cinder. and around that time
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[rebecca_george]: we did another compassion day at our church until my, my husband and I began
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[rebecca_george]: sponsoring our child who is in Nicaragua,
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[rebecca_george]: And that has been just such a special experience for us And we, we have
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[rebecca_george]: loved that. Um, so I'm curious, Were you, Did you get to meet a child that
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[rebecca_george]: you were sponsoring or like, How did that come about for you?
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Yeah, So you know my husband, you know, has partner with compassion
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[mary_beth_chapman]: interation Over the years, we as well love the work that compassion.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: We have had compassion children often on our entire married life, but,
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[rebecca_george]: Yeah, yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: but back in nineteen ninety seven, our compassion children were in India,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: so that was kind
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[rebecca_george]: okay,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: of outside the bounds of where we could really go at that point
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: and and meet And so, but we wanted to see the work. and so being in this
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[mary_beth_chapman]: hemisphere, it was ▁quote. unquote easy. as far as flightwise, An easy
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: trip for me to take an eleven year old. I was actually part of A of a
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[mary_beth_chapman]: group from our church. It was Um. It was the middle school youth group
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[mary_beth_chapman]: girl, so we took about eleven
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[rebecca_george]: fun.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: girls and we joined up with another group that were also there to see the
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[mary_beth_chapman]: work of compassion, And so we did get to meet a ton of compassion
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[mary_beth_chapman]: children. They weren't
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[rebecca_george]: that's awesome. yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: our particular, particularly sponsored children, but I would have loved
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[mary_beth_chapman]: to. I would have loved to have. Um, I still remember his name. You know,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: I would have
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: loved to have met our child at the time that was in India,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: and and uh, but um, but yeah, it was an incredible. Obviously an
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[mary_beth_chapman]: incredibly impacting story. Um, when you see the need, the need and Haiti
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[mary_beth_chapman]: today is is every bit as much present as it was back in Nineteen ninety
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[mary_beth_chapman]: seven, So really caused a deep, deep desire for our uh, very special
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[mary_beth_chapman]: eleven year old Emily to take that on. And I mean, we had our pastor come
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[mary_beth_chapman]: over and talked her, which she was like Mom, Dad,
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: You might be living in disobedience to God's will for your life if you
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[mary_beth_chapman]: don't consider adoption, I'm like Okay. this is eleven year old. You
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[mary_beth_chapman]: know, it's like this is like Okay. I didn't wantnna, you know I didn't
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[mary_beth_chapman]: want to do anything that would just you know, cause her faith to crumble,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: but at the same time she's eleven. Right how do you balance
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: that out? But yet you know, through children you know, some great stories
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[mary_beth_chapman]: have been spoken, and obviously she's the one that really introduced this
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[mary_beth_chapman]: idea to us and we began to pray. I always like to say you know not
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[mary_beth_chapman]: everyone's called to adopt it'. clearly not
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[rebecca_george]: yeah.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: everyone's called to adopt, but everybody's called to do something.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: That's the idea that David Platt is saying either a
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[rebecca_george]: Yep,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: goer or a synder. You know, we are part of a body and
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: all the parts look different. So what you know? Just really praying and
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[mary_beth_chapman]: asking God what part am I called to play? You know, and we asked you know
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[mary_beth_chapman]: people a lot. ask show. Hope. What can we do to help? And Um, you know we
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[mary_beth_chapman]: have on our. We have tons of resources on our website, but you know the
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[mary_beth_chapman]: first one is Pra. you know, Commit to
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: pray. If you can't do anything, commit to pray, and that
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[rebecca_george]: y.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: is so critically important for the work that we do, because there are a
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[mary_beth_chapman]: lot of people stepping into this gloriously hard journey of
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: adoption, And you know River is calm at times and it's rushing over their
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[mary_beth_chapman]: heads at time. And so, if we can ask the body of believers around the
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[mary_beth_chapman]: globe to be praying for the work for the families that do step into this
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[mary_beth_chapman]: work, you know, and are
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[rebecca_george]: y.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: more on the front line, you know we need. We cannot do this work without
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[mary_beth_chapman]: the prayers of the saints and many people
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[rebecca_george]: yeah. yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: to be involved. So Yeah, so much for everybody to do right.
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[rebecca_george]: I know well, and as I'm thinking and hearing you tell your story of not only
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[rebecca_george]: your own adoptions in your in your family, but also God leading you into
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[rebecca_george]: this work of helping make that happen for other people, I'm thinking of all
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[rebecca_george]: my people who listen who. Maybe God has them in a similar season of opening
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[rebecca_george]: their eyes to a need in the world, and they' in this sort of moment of
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[rebecca_george]: saying yes to God, right of of maybe a new
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[mary_beth_chapman]: right.
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[rebecca_george]: adventure with him and I'm curious. You know, as God was calling you deeper
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[rebecca_george]: into this work and making this a reality for other families. What challenges
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[rebecca_george]: did you guys face? How did God meet you in those like, Can you speak to that
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[rebecca_george]: That part of your journey
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Yeah,
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[rebecca_george]: a little bit?
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[mary_beth_chapman]: So so when we? when we? um, when we got back with showy, Uh, Stephen and
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[mary_beth_chapman]: I began to have conversations on the plane. I had been so radically moved
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[mary_beth_chapman]: by receiving her and the Um hotel hallway, There again, the overwashing
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[mary_beth_chapman]: of of Jesus, his story in my life. right,
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[rebecca_george]: Yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: I was watching it play out. You know, my spiritual adoption. We were
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[mary_beth_chapman]: receiving showy and it's like I was just hearing Jesus say hello. Have do
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[mary_beth_chapman]: you get this now? Do you understand your own? You know your own journey.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: I was so, um,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: just radically moved and and impacted that. I told Steve I said Hey, I
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[mary_beth_chapman]: believe that there are so many children who Um, who deserve to have a
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[mary_beth_chapman]: forever family Right. How
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: can we begin to eat? Use your platform to really step step into that. and
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[mary_beth_chapman]: I think there's going to be people that we know in our close circle as
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[mary_beth_chapman]: well as with you having a platform, a a greater circle that might want to
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[mary_beth_chapman]: step into that. You know. Back in two thousand, it was really for Stephen
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[mary_beth_chapman]: and I, Because we were at the beginning of the journey. We didn't know
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[mary_beth_chapman]: what we didn't know, but what we did see was this huge financial barrier.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Adoption is expensive. It's still expensive. It's anywhere from twenty
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[mary_beth_chapman]: five to fifty thousand dollars, depending on the country you adopt, from
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[mary_beth_chapman]: whether that's here domestically or worldwide. All that to say is when I
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[mary_beth_chapman]: got back. I was so
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[mary_beth_chapman]: moved by all the children that I saw that needed families that my
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: husband would say. I began to just write checks to people. Oh money is
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[mary_beth_chapman]: all that is standing in your way.
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Um, here, we'll help. we'll help, and um, and he says that I was wriding
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[mary_beth_chapman]: checks faster than he was writing songs. Um, don't know if that is
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[mary_beth_chapman]: necessarily true. However, we did know. Hey, you have a platform. How can
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[mary_beth_chapman]: we begin to formalize this? What if we could help a hundred people? Um,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: step into adoption and help them lay down the financial barrier. I don't
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[mary_beth_chapman]: think anybody that's considering adoption should be afraid because of
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[mary_beth_chapman]: finances, because I know a ton of places that you know are resources
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[mary_beth_chapman]: financially, And so that was our dream. That humble dream at the
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[mary_beth_chapman]: beginning, just thinking that there is this huge financial barrier, and
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[mary_beth_chapman]: so what we began to see as we were able to help people through the
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[mary_beth_chapman]: support of so many of our beautiful donors that have come alongside of
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Showop and partner our staff. working hard. Just everybody, kind of
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[mary_beth_chapman]: coming together. you know from two thousand and three when we formalized
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Showop all the way up through Um.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: today, Um, almost eight thousand adoption a grants have been awarded, and
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[rebecca_george]: Wow,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: you know that's a representation of over thirty four million dollars. So
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[mary_beth_chapman]: when I say that God can cover
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[rebecca_george]: that is amazing.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: expenses, he can right what we have seen is we. we don't. We don't award
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[mary_beth_chapman]: the whole entire adoption aid, um gra amount. Like you know, we don't
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[mary_beth_chapman]: cover the entire adoption, because what we love to see is a partnership
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[mary_beth_chapman]: in community and in your people that are closest, right. So we really we
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[mary_beth_chapman]: really see that. If we kind of put wind in their sails, you know, be the
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[mary_beth_chapman]: B wind beneath their wings, and kind of cover a big chunk of it. then we
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[mary_beth_chapman]: see schools organizations, churches, community groups, small groups, you
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[mary_beth_chapman]: know,
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[rebecca_george]: yeah. yeah. Yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: neighborhoods. you know. Whatever um, group of people you're Wa, you're
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[mary_beth_chapman]: walking with, come around these families and really support and it is
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[mary_beth_chapman]: amazing again. To this day I sit on the adoption a grant committee and I
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[mary_beth_chapman]: read the stories, and every time it's some type of miracle that happens
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[mary_beth_chapman]: that allows these families to complete the adoption process as far as
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[mary_beth_chapman]: financially speaking,
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[rebecca_george]: yep,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: And so that's just been an incredible place to see where God has relieved
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[mary_beth_chapman]: a big burden. You know, Stephen and
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: I like to like to partner with families going deeper and not wider, so to
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[mary_beth_chapman]: say, and so
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: obviously as we've journeyed into adoption, we've seen some of the other
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[mary_beth_chapman]: needs that um have arisen, and kind of branch out into other areas of of
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[mary_beth_chapman]: partnering the families, But that is certainly where it all began and
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[mary_beth_chapman]: where we really saw this movement of of God in the early two thousands,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Where you know people were really stepping into this gloriously hard
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[mary_beth_chapman]: journey of adoption
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, Wow, and I'm even thinking is you're talking about this idea of
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[rebecca_george]: partnership. It reminded me of something that I used to try to do as often
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[rebecca_george]: as I could when I lived in Knoxville, so I think sometimes we just don't see
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[rebecca_george]: the opportunities that are around us to to partner
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Right,
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[rebecca_george]: with people and and help be a part of their journey, whether it's adoption
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[rebecca_george]: or something else. There was a coffee shop in Knoxville when I lived in
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[rebecca_george]: Knoxville. That was not. It was a non profit and what they did was all of
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[rebecca_george]: the funding that did not go towards their rent paying their staff. All you
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[rebecca_george]: know, those types of things, things went towards local adoptions and they
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[mary_beth_chapman]: that's awesome.
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[rebecca_george]: had this. They had this wall in their coffee shop, and it was like an
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[rebecca_george]: exposed brick wall, and every time that they took on you know a new family,
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[rebecca_george]: the family got a brick of the shop, And so as you're standing in line
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[rebecca_george]: ordering your your five dollar latte, you're looking up and seeing like this
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[rebecca_george]: is me being a part of partnering with
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Yeah, yeah,
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[rebecca_george]: this organization to help
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[mary_beth_chapman]: yeah,
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[rebecca_george]: these families right, And I think there's opportunities like that all around
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[rebecca_george]: us Right.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: there's a coffee shop in Alabama and Tuslusa does the same thing. I don't
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[mary_beth_chapman]: know
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[rebecca_george]: really?
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[mary_beth_chapman]: that they do the brick thing, but they do.
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[rebecca_george]: Yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Yeah, but all their all their profit, um. theirp, part of their profit
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[mary_beth_chapman]: goes to help Um. local families adopt, So that's it's beautiful, right,
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[rebecca_george]: that's so cool. Yeah, I know, so I just i. I would just encourage our people
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[rebecca_george]: to just keep your eyes open. for those things be cause they're all around us
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[rebecca_george]: If we. if we want
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[mary_beth_chapman]: right?
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[rebecca_george]: to see them and we want to partner with God in that S wellell of that. So
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[rebecca_george]: one of the things that I'd love to hear more about that interested me was
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[rebecca_george]: Um, the medical care grants that show Hope
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[mary_beth_chapman]: yes,
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[rebecca_george]: provides you've
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[mary_beth_chapman]: yes,
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[rebecca_george]: mentioned this, which, as I was reading more about your work, I realized
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[rebecca_george]: this was sort of like the first of their kind in the adoption space, Right,
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[rebecca_george]: And so
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[mary_beth_chapman]: right.
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[rebecca_george]: for people who are coming into this conversation totally clueless like me
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[rebecca_george]: about about the world of adoption, will you talk a little bit more about
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[rebecca_george]: these grants and what that means for families?
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[mary_beth_chapman]: sure. Um. So so we spent so at show hope, we kind of address three key
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[mary_beth_chapman]: areas areas that we like to kind of break down barriers, and I spoke a
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[mary_beth_chapman]: lot about the financial barrier to
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[rebecca_george]: Yep,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: adoption, right, the adoption, a grants. and then one of the areas that
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[mary_beth_chapman]: we work in is breaking down the medical, um. barrier and again, adoption
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[mary_beth_chapman]: is expensive. A lot of children who come home through the miracle of
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[mary_beth_chapman]: adoption have medical needs that far outweigh their medical coverage. You
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[mary_beth_chapman]: know, the the insurance only cover so much. some children aren't covered,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Um. We spent Um, one of the beginning ways that we spent Um time at show
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[mary_beth_chapman]: hope, breaking down the medical barrier Was we worked. We had to work in
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[mary_beth_chapman]: China for ten years, Uh, caring for medically fragile orphans in
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[mary_beth_chapman]: supplying their medical needs. Um, in this past two year, Oh, I guess
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[mary_beth_chapman]: about two years we've we transitioned. We had to transition our work out
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[mary_beth_chapman]: of China, and kind of um move into other areas of medical care, And so,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: just in the last, we just finished our first year of awarding medical
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[mary_beth_chapman]: care grants. And what does that look like? is any family?
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Um, who has adopted a child
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[rebecca_george]: Mhm, Mhm, Mhm,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: and has ongoing medical expense? Um, you can apply for a medical care
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[mary_beth_chapman]: grant. Um. we ask you, obviously a series of questions. But if we can
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[mary_beth_chapman]: help you cover medical expenses. Um, a lot of things are covered in that.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Um. You can go on our website and find out kind of all the ins and outs
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[mary_beth_chapman]: of that, but we've begun awarding medical care grants for people who need
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[mary_beth_chapman]: just help covering the you know expenses for ongoing medical care.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Whether that the very first grant that we ever gave was for a child,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Um, who? Um, needed a device to help her. See, you know, she really
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[mary_beth_chapman]: needed this huge magnifying device so that she could begin to read. And
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[mary_beth_chapman]: you know just changed her. Your life. It was outside the coverage of. You
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[mary_beth_chapman]: know medical insurance, so they applied for a grant. We give medical
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[mary_beth_chapman]: grants. You can apply every three years up until the child is eighteen.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: So it's not
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[rebecca_george]: Wow,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: just kind of a one and done medical care grant. We really want. We really
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[mary_beth_chapman]: longed a partner well with families and deep with families. And so
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[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: we just acknowledged that in twenty years of doing the work at Showla,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Hope we see some of the ongoing deep medical expenses. that that just lay
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[mary_beth_chapman]: outside the bounds of traditional insurances And so we, um, I think we've
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[mary_beth_chapman]: awarded. You know what, I'm going to get myself in trouble because it
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[mary_beth_chapman]: keeps changing weekly, but I think we've awarded just over our first, or
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[mary_beth_chapman]: just over thirty medical care grants. And so we're really really
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[rebecca_george]: wow,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: excited. This is a really new program. Um. we're trying to get the word
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[mary_beth_chapman]: out, so I appreciate you asking me about it if you think that, Um, if
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[mary_beth_chapman]: you, if you even go. Oh, I don't know if this would be covered. I don't
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[mary_beth_chapman]: know. Please go apply because
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Um, we would love to be able to partner it with you if you've adopted a
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[mary_beth_chapman]: child in our are needing some medical care covered. so Yeah, it's really
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[rebecca_george]: That's awesome. That's amazing. I love that. So one of the other things I
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[mary_beth_chapman]: really exciting.
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[rebecca_george]: wanted to talk about is you guys are hosting an event this spring. It's
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[rebecca_george]: called the Hope for the Journey conference that will further support current
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[rebecca_george]: and potential adoptive families. I would love
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[mary_beth_chapman]: right.
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[rebecca_george]: for you to tell us a little bit about the event. How can people get involved
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[rebecca_george]: All those things?
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Yeah, So our hope for the Journey conference. It was formerly some people
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[mary_beth_chapman]: that are listening probably will know that it was formally called the
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Empowered to Connect Conference Last year. We rebranded it as Hope for
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[mary_beth_chapman]: the Journey conference. Um. We still work closely with themped, to
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[mary_beth_chapman]: connect, Um, but it is really seeks, encourage and better equip parents
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[mary_beth_chapman]: and caregivers, Um, to meet everyday needs of children impacted by
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[mary_beth_chapman]: adoption and foster care. You know, we always we know that Uh, these
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[mary_beth_chapman]: kiddos Um, and children, no matter how young, come to us with these
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[mary_beth_chapman]: little invisible suitcases. You know we all have. We all have baggage
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[mary_beth_chapman]: right, but um, you know Stephen and I, you know we didn't know what we
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[mary_beth_chapman]: didt now and back in the beginning of all of this adoption journey for
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[mary_beth_chapman]: us, we thought love was enough and we realize that pretty quickly love
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[mary_beth_chapman]: wasn't enough that some of these children have suffered. Um. you know,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: early childhood traumas and attachment. Obviously just being um. not with
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[mary_beth_chapman]: the birth parent That that, Um, you know
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: that they were taken from, So you know we really began again. Another way
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[mary_beth_chapman]: to journey with parents is all offering resources. You know, we. Um. we
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[mary_beth_chapman]: work closely with Um, T, C, U, Um, Texas Christian Universe, formerly
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Texas Christian University, Um, and the journey includes five Um. high
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[mary_beth_chapman]: level learning modules based on the foundational principles of T B r I,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: which is trust, face relational intervention, Um, which we at show hope
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[mary_beth_chapman]: believe layers very closely with the Gospel. And so it is. Um. It is just
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[mary_beth_chapman]: a beautiful picture of. I think really how God intended for parenting to
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[mary_beth_chapman]: be, especially with children from hard places. So I encourage. We've been
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[mary_beth_chapman]: able in our in our prepost adoption work. we've been able to. Um. we've
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[mary_beth_chapman]: been able to send uh, counselors and professionals to T v r I training.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: And then as we do this conference we invite families, people who are
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[mary_beth_chapman]: considering adoption, people who have just completed adoption, people who
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[mary_beth_chapman]: are on the journey
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[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Churches, you know, caregivers that are close in close contact or
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[mary_beth_chapman]: partnering with families that have children from hard places. And it's
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[mary_beth_chapman]: just a beautiful conference to really help put tools in your tol belt to
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[mary_beth_chapman]: help parent these and guide these children. Um in in a way in which helps
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[mary_beth_chapman]: them heal. You know if they were wounded in relationship there,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: definitely there is healing in relationship. So how can we look at those
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[mary_beth_chapman]: key principles and help these children heal? So it's really an amazing
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[mary_beth_chapman]: conference.
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[rebecca_george]: that's awesome. I love that. Well before we go, there's just something I
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[rebecca_george]: keep thinking about as as we' talking and I'm curious how you would
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[rebecca_george]: encourage our people.
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[rebecca_george]: You know, yous have said so many yeses to God in these areas where maybe
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[rebecca_george]: you've seen a need and you've seen an opportunity to step in whether it's
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[rebecca_george]: through platform or all things, and and really make a difference for the
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[rebecca_george]: kingdom and
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[rebecca_george]: for my people who are listening. And they' right in the midst of saying that
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[rebecca_george]: yes, or seeing that need.
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[rebecca_george]: What would you encourage them to do Or how would you just want to encourage
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[rebecca_george]: them
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[rebecca_george]: if they are kind of
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Yeah,
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[rebecca_george]: in that space right like There are so many points in your
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[mary_beth_chapman]: right, right,
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[rebecca_george]: old story
406
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[rebecca_george]: where where that very thing happened, So how would you want to encourage
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[rebecca_george]: them in that?
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Um, Well, we get that question a lot. So the first thing I'm going to say
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[mary_beth_chapman]: is I. I. I forgot to say this earlier. Is anybody that's considering
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[mary_beth_chapman]: maybe stepping into the journey of adoption or
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[rebecca_george]: Yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: uh, the d journey of just even getting involved? We created a resource
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[mary_beth_chapman]: because of that very question called, Um, How it's called how to adopt
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Dot Org. That is
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[rebecca_george]: Okay,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: a website that is hosted by Show Hope, and just about any question you
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[mary_beth_chapman]: might have is very beautifully answered on that website.
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[rebecca_george]: that's awesome.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: Um, it is. I send people there all the time as a resource to go. Hey, I'm
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00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:47,840
[mary_beth_chapman]: thinking about this. I'm thinking about that it. It has just all been
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[mary_beth_chapman]: redone in the last year and a half, Um, really easy to navigate. So that
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[mary_beth_chapman]: resources has been amazingly well received, and the staff that Chop is
423
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[mary_beth_chapman]: work really hard at really having that as a premier resource for people
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[mary_beth_chapman]: who are considering any part of the adoption journey. The next thing I
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[mary_beth_chapman]: would say is you know. Um, you know, you know God doesn't sit in the sky
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[mary_beth_chapman]: and go. You should do this and you should consider saying yes. You need
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[mary_beth_chapman]: to say yes, Because you know what. it's an invitation. It's an
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[rebecca_george]: Yeah. yeah.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: invitation to be invited. It's like You know. What if you feel I think
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[mary_beth_chapman]: God is is, Um, is gentle enough with us to go. You know, what if you feel
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[mary_beth_chapman]: like this is laid on your heart. I got the invitation for you. It might
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[mary_beth_chapman]: be kind of crazy. It might be kind of hard at times, But you know, if
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[mary_beth_chapman]: you'll trust me, I'm going to take you on an em amazing journey and you
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[mary_beth_chapman]: know we told our kids early on that we were going to go on a journey of
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[mary_beth_chapman]: adoption, and God might put a detour or sign up. You know, I just
436
00:23:43,810 --> 00:23:44,810
[rebecca_george]: yeah,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: think willingness to explore, willingness to ask God. what do you have
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[mary_beth_chapman]: for me? You know, just don't be. you know, fearful and again, it's not
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[mary_beth_chapman]: you. should you, should you should. it's just an invitation
440
00:23:54,770 --> 00:23:55,770
[rebecca_george]: Mhm,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: to step into that, you know. And sometimes that answer is no, and that's
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[mary_beth_chapman]: okay. You know, God got something and God has um something for everybody
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00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,120
[mary_beth_chapman]: to do. It might not be that and you certainly don't need to beat yourself
444
00:24:07,360 --> 00:24:11,520
[mary_beth_chapman]: up about if you hear the answer. No, That is okay. You know, Um, for
445
00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:15,920
[mary_beth_chapman]: Stephen and I, it seemed like we. we did it. It seem like we really did
446
00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:20,480
[mary_beth_chapman]: say yes, yes, yes, just yes. you know, and um. And and and it's like man,
447
00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:23,040
[mary_beth_chapman]: That was a lot of yeses, but we feel
448
00:24:22,690 --> 00:24:23,690
[rebecca_george]: yeah, yeah,
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00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:26,880
[mary_beth_chapman]: like now we're in a place of life where it's like Okay, God has taken
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00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:30,640
[mary_beth_chapman]: this work again. So many people have been sent to us to help us steward
451
00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:34,720
[mary_beth_chapman]: the work. Well, um, that little eleven year old Um, that went on that
452
00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:36,000
[mary_beth_chapman]: trip to Haiti with me is
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00:24:35,690 --> 00:24:36,690
[rebecca_george]: uhhuh,
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00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,760
[mary_beth_chapman]: now the thirty five year old executive director of Show hope, And so God
455
00:24:39,540 --> 00:24:40,540
[mary_beth_chapman]: kind of
456
00:24:40,050 --> 00:24:41,050
[rebecca_george]: so awesome.
457
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[mary_beth_chapman]: completed that loop. Um, and we would have never really even expected
458
00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:47,840
[mary_beth_chapman]: that, but the staff at show hope, the donors that have come to us, the
459
00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:51,120
[mary_beth_chapman]: people who have partnered with us, the organizations that we partner with
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00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:56,320
[mary_beth_chapman]: just stellar organization, stillll or people. And so there's a place for
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[mary_beth_chapman]: everybody right and just
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[rebecca_george]: Yup,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: I would just encourage people to ask what God has for them And and then
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[mary_beth_chapman]: just be prepared because it can be a gloriously hard, but gloriously
465
00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:12,160
[mary_beth_chapman]: beautiful St. Me, who knows where you end up, right, Um, but just trust
466
00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:16,000
[mary_beth_chapman]: the process and trust the the, that still small voice, right,
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00:25:16,670 --> 00:25:20,990
[rebecca_george]: yeah. yeah, exactly. that's so good. So the last question I always ask
468
00:25:21,230 --> 00:25:24,830
[rebecca_george]: everybody on the show is one of my favorites and it goes back to kind of my
469
00:25:24,910 --> 00:25:28,270
[rebecca_george]: heart for the show. Our shows called Radical Radiance with a heart, to just
470
00:25:28,510 --> 00:25:32,990
[rebecca_george]: really walk alongside women in having conversations around. What does it
471
00:25:33,150 --> 00:25:36,350
[rebecca_george]: look like to radiate the heart of Jesus in our life are work, our
472
00:25:36,430 --> 00:25:41,470
[rebecca_george]: relationships or families, And so the question I love asking Mary Beth is
473
00:25:41,950 --> 00:25:44,270
[rebecca_george]: what about Jesus makes you radiant?
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00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:51,280
[mary_beth_chapman]: W. okay, um, Well, obviously without Jesus, I would not be radiant.
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00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:59,120
[mary_beth_chapman]: Oh, I am a sinner saved by grace, right, um. I think that Um again, going
476
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[mary_beth_chapman]: back to the last answer, I think that he is Um. gentle. I think that he.
477
00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:09,120
[mary_beth_chapman]: one thing that I'm learning in this season of empty nesting, I just sent
478
00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:11,600
[mary_beth_chapman]: my baby girl off to Um.
479
00:26:11,490 --> 00:26:12,490
[rebecca_george]: Yeah, wow. yeah,
480
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:16,240
[mary_beth_chapman]: University of Alabama, Real tide, Um, but you know it's been an
481
00:26:15,630 --> 00:26:18,030
[rebecca_george]: that is the first time that's been said on this show
482
00:26:16,060 --> 00:26:17,060
[mary_beth_chapman]: adjustment.
483
00:26:19,120 --> 00:26:20,880
[mary_beth_chapman]: I had to get it in there right. She's
484
00:26:21,070 --> 00:26:25,470
[rebecca_george]: You did'.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: okay. Come oni's, co, which is a coier leader. I wouldn't have said it
486
00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:27,360
[mary_beth_chapman]: that to just been, kind of you know, just a normal student. but um show
487
00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:29,680
[mary_beth_chapman]: he's there too, so it's a double real tight, but
488
00:26:29,410 --> 00:26:30,410
[rebecca_george]: y.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: um, I cor, trust me, I would have never thought I would have been saying
490
00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:37,760
[mary_beth_chapman]: it, so it's just amaz. That's just kind of an amazing. put one foot for
491
00:26:37,780 --> 00:26:38,780
[mary_beth_chapman]: the other and look where
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00:26:38,650 --> 00:26:39,650
[rebecca_george]: that's right.
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[mary_beth_chapman]: we ended up, but um, I think what I'm uh, understanding of the heart of
494
00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:49,360
[mary_beth_chapman]: Jesus in the season of of um, emptiness, is that he really is gentle
495
00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:51,440
[mary_beth_chapman]: towards us and he really um
496
00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:58,080
[mary_beth_chapman]: is um. It's okay to kind of just sit in that that that presence to sit,
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[mary_beth_chapman]: and just really, um, ponder what it's like to be still and ▁quiet in a in
498
00:27:03,120 --> 00:27:08,640
[mary_beth_chapman]: a world where everybody is screaming their opinion and their ideas. And
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00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:14,560
[mary_beth_chapman]: Um, and it's been really good for me to be reminded that I have. I've
500
00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:16,720
[mary_beth_chapman]: been rush, rush, rush, right I? There's been
501
00:27:16,290 --> 00:27:17,290
[rebecca_george]: Yeah, yeah,
502
00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:20,320
[mary_beth_chapman]: a lot of and it's and it's good. It's good work. But does that
503
00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:24,240
[mary_beth_chapman]: necessarily mean I need to be that busy? Right? And so God, I think what
504
00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:28,480
[mary_beth_chapman]: radiates hopefully, what will even begin to radiate more through me is
505
00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:32,800
[mary_beth_chapman]: just the understanding that you know I am enough even if I just sit here
506
00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:37,600
[mary_beth_chapman]: and be ▁quiet and still. And so I think that that would be what I would
507
00:27:37,420 --> 00:27:38,420
[mary_beth_chapman]: say today.
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00:27:39,230 --> 00:27:43,150
[rebecca_george]: so good. so good. All right? Well, I want you to share. Where can people
509
00:27:43,950 --> 00:27:47,550
[rebecca_george]: access information about? Show hope. All the things that you want to share
510
00:27:47,790 --> 00:27:50,830
[rebecca_george]: about how how might they connect with you guys? After this?
511
00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:56,000
[mary_beth_chapman]: All right. Yep, Yep, So show hope Dot Org is the main resource for Show
512
00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:59,600
[mary_beth_chapman]: Hope. It has all. It's super easy to navigate, so it has all the things
513
00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:03,120
[mary_beth_chapman]: on the about the conference about medical care, grants about adoption
514
00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:07,760
[mary_beth_chapman]: Agnts. So if you're seeking resources to apply or to sign up for the
515
00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:12,160
[mary_beth_chapman]: conference, that's all they again. How to adopt. Dot Org is the
516
00:28:12,130 --> 00:28:13,130
[rebecca_george]: Yes,
517
00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:16,640
[mary_beth_chapman]: premier resource for any question that you might have, as you're thinking
518
00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:20,400
[mary_beth_chapman]: and pondering adoption, or you have a friend that's thinking of pondering
519
00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:26,240
[mary_beth_chapman]: adoption. Um, uh, then obviously beyond that, uh, my husband Stephen
520
00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,600
[mary_beth_chapman]: Kurchp, Dot com married bet Chapman Dot Com. We all kind of end up
521
00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:32,480
[mary_beth_chapman]: pointing each other to the same places
522
00:28:32,530 --> 00:28:33,530
[rebecca_george]: sure,
523
00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:36,640
[mary_beth_chapman]: you can find us. You can find a searcher name. We're out there somewhere,
524
00:28:36,540 --> 00:28:37,540
[mary_beth_chapman]: but Um,
525
00:28:37,250 --> 00:28:38,250
[rebecca_george]: awesome.
526
00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:41,280
[mary_beth_chapman]: I show hope Dot Oregon. How to adopt that Org? Would Um give you all the
527
00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:43,840
[mary_beth_chapman]: resources you need for what we talked about today, So
528
00:28:44,190 --> 00:28:47,870
[rebecca_george]: awesome. good deal. Well, I just want to honour you guys for the work that
529
00:28:47,870 --> 00:28:50,830
[rebecca_george]: you have done and all the Yes is that you have said to God that have just
530
00:28:50,990 --> 00:28:56,430
[rebecca_george]: led to God blessing so many families. And I am just so excited to to share
531
00:28:56,590 --> 00:28:59,390
[rebecca_george]: this conversation and I think it's going to encourage so many people. So
532
00:28:59,710 --> 00:29:02,670
[rebecca_george]: thank you again for the work that you're doing and thinks for being my guess
533
00:29:02,530 --> 00:29:03,530
[rebecca_george]: today.
534
00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:06,720
[mary_beth_chapman]: Oh, you're welcome and thank you for he, me, Rebecca. I appreciate it so
535
00:29:06,340 --> 00:29:07,340
[mary_beth_chapman]: much.
