“My song, Dad,” he says.
I scroll through the iPod, press play. The voice of Freddie Mercury fills the van and the four-year old’s smile fills his face. The other three sing along…Can anybody find meeeee Sambhaji to love?
There are more than 44 million orphans in India alone. Separated from family by death or poverty. 44 million. And one calls me dad.
What a gift he is!
And what about the others? Can they all be adopted? Should they be? What other solution is there?
I’ll be singing (and would love to meet you) at the Together for Adoption (T4A) Conference in Phoenix October 21-22. The name of the conference might scare some folks away. It’s not a conference for people who have adopted children or would like to some day. It’s a conference where we’ll learn together what it means to be adopted by God and how this has “profound implications for how Christians address the global orphan crisis”.
And those implications are so much bigger than adoption. Adoption is not the only answer to the orphan crisis. It’s not the primary answer. It’s one of many ways Christians can respond to God’s mercy by showing mercy to the most vulnerable.
Conference organizers are offering 4 conference registrations to my blog readers. Here’s what you need to do to be eligible to win one. Fulfill the following requirements, and then come back and comment on this post saying you’ve done so. Deadline is 11:59 pm Wednesday, October 12. Winners will be randomly selected and announced Thursday morning.
- 1. Visit the T4A Conference website and see what’s happening.
- 2. Tell your social media friends/followers about the conference. You choose how to do it: Facebook, Twitter, blog post, etc.
- 3. “Like” T4A on Facebook; Subscribe to the T4A blog.
- 4. (Optional) Check out T4A’s new book: Reclaiming Adoption: Missional Living Through the Rediscovery of Abba Father.
I hope you’re able to make it to the conference or read that book. But more than that, I pray you’ll discover – or rediscover – God as your loving Father and allow Him to love the most vulnerable through you. Everybody has somebody to love.
Can’t make it to Phoenix, but just wanted to say–that is one CUTE kid! Makes me want to schedule a play date-I’ll bet he’s a ton of fun. Alas, I’m sure the drive is too far.
Yay!!! All must be well if you’re allowed to show us his name and photo now, eh? I must say, I LOVE the people of that part of the world, so very beautiful! Congrats to your family. And I would love to go to the conference but I’m not sure how that will happen… this year at least. Someday!! In the meantime, our family has plans to see “58: The Film” and start some discussions on what exactly God might be calling us to be doing at this time in our lives
SO happy for your family!!!!!!!!
And now that Queen song has been stuck in my head all afternoon
I’m going to enter your contest, just in case! I have visited the website (well, I’d already done that before, actually!) and have “liked” the Facebook page. I have to go chauffeur some kids around to Awana and such, but when I get some time later I will blog about this opportunity as well! Thanks!
Yay!
He is adorable.
That is one super cute kid!!!! I’m so happy for you and Becky.
Thanks, Christine!
It’s so good to finally meet Sambhaji!
I’ll never again be able to hear that song without thinking of him
And there are so many more!
“Don”t you want Sambhaji to love” by Jefferson Airplane
“Gotta Be Sambhaji” by Nickelback
I think there’s a Justin Bieber song too, but I deny any knowledge of that one.
What an adorable little boy! Congratulations Shaun and Becky!
Shaun, he is so cute. I love his smile!
I am too far for the conference! Would love to go though. Hope to meet you one day. When do you come to South Georgia or North Florida? I keep looking at your tour.
Thanks for sharing.
Grace,
Teena
Sambahji has Shaun Groves smile!
An absolute mess of happiness here for all the Groves…. and Sambahji who is beloved and belongs.
I was thinking the exact same thing?? What an incredible God to give a son his forever father’s smile!
I thought the same thing.
Love to you and your family, Shaun! He’s adorable. Praise God!
I am sharing on FB right now and will do so on Twitter too. Soo happy to see your son’s beautiful smile,finally. Been praying for you since you came to crazy E-town. Just got our Compassion packet for our sweet girl. Would love to attend T4A for the LOT and for our family as we prepare for our new additions. God Bless!
Shaun,
He is beautiful! If his personality is anything like his smile, he’s one incredibly beautiful kid on the inside too!
Beth
http://burgessbasecamp.blogspot.com/2011/10/latest.html
Oh my, your boy is beautiful! I, too, am so happy for you.
Adoption is heavy on my heart…all the time. My cousin and her husband are currently in Ethiopia picking up their two boys and preparing to bring them home. I am always in awe of the process of adoption and how it reflects God’s heart for us…the way we were grafted into His Kingdom. It kind of leaves me breathless.
I would love to go to this conference. I visited the website and looked around…then I ordered the Reclaiming Adoption book.
Thanks Shaun!
THRILLED to meet Sambhaji…. And hoping this means the adoption is final?!?! Congrats to Mama and Daddy Groves…. And big siblings too!!
That is one perfect child!!!
What a beautiful beautiful boy! He’s got one of those smiles you can tell must be contagious. Congratulations!
I checked them out, tweeted, liked them on Facebook, and am now here commenting. I think this is going to be a great conference for whoever gets to go. I read “Adopted for Life” by Russell Moore and this seems to fall in line with that. Powerful. Thank you!
He is adorable. thank you for sharing him with all of your readers.
What a beautiful boy.
44 million?! The mind staggers. No easy answers to that, are there?
The several thousand miles make that conference a difficult one to get to (!) but I pray all goes well.
So pleased for Sambhaji
So many prayers have gone up for Sambhaji and you guys–I love it when God says YES.
Thanks for sharing, Shaun. I wanted to ask you about him when you were in town, but I managed to hold off – I’m thrilled you are free to share about him now.
Also, I would love to attend the conference. I’ve done all that was requested of me. I hope to join you there!
LOVE him.
He’s beautiful and you are blessed! Excited for him and for the Groves family.
Thank God that He found somebody to love Sambhaji. He is beautiful, Shaun.
Congratulations to you and your family.
Done. Thanks.
Completed the requirements and would love to connect with others at the conference. Your son is precious! How blessed you are.
[...] at his blog, Shaun is offering four free registrations to the conference. The deadline for entering is tonight. Leave a Comment (0) [...]
Very excited to see the introduction!! And hear about the mission of the conference – sounds great
I have completed the requirements for the contest.
I did all of the requirements! Would love for me and my new husband of 2 months to be able to go! We are in the process of starting a non-profit orphan care ministry and would love to learn more before our first conference on March 3rd (which I am so excited you will be a part of!)
So thrilled for your whole family. Sambhaji is beautiful and his smile is electric . . . just like yours.
Looks like Sambhaji wants hamburger helper.
Happiness for you.
I do believe I fulfilled the requirements. Would love to attend the T4A conference!
Yay!
I’m attending and cannot wait to see where God leads me afterwards!
And I’d love to meet you! PLEASE come introduce yourself.
I am bleary beyond all recognition today, but I wanted to say, “That boy looks like he loves him some Mickey Mouse and Spidey.” And also, congrats! I think I’ve been calling him Sam in my mind all along. Funny how that works. Umpteenthly (because I have no intention of counting how many points I’ve made so far…reference bleariness): I assume you’ve heard about Marc Martel’s eeirly awesome version of “Somebody to Love”. You may have even posted about it, but I can’t remember; again, reference bleariness.
I DID post that video of Marc. And it has been viewed at least 100 times here in the Groves house.
See what I mean about “bleary beyond all recognition”?? I couldn’t remember whether you had posted it, and didn’t have the gumption to go check. Glad the Groves clan has been enjoying it. The version of Bohemian Rhapsody he did with a church in NJ is even better.
I got to go last year and it was just a wonderful experience! Highly recommend it to anyone with a heart for orphans…
Mary, mom to 10, including 4 from Ethiopia and 2 from Korea
Your son’s smile absolutely warms my heart. So precious.
Sweet mercy, he is beautiful. Congratulations!
Thanks, Jenn. And, btw, I can’t look at your avatar without smiling myself.
In the process of reading the book! I am coming to the conference, but would like to give these four tickets away to people I know could benefit from being there.
I completed all of the requirements! I haven’t read the book yet, but I’ve read a lot about it and hope it won’t be long before I can
I would love to get to go to T4A!!
Already follow T4A via blog and facebook. Love what the Lord is doing in and through them. Have been talking to friends and my husband for months now about how great it would be to attend the conference:) Here’s hoping!
Congratulations Shaun on the new addition to your family! Would love to go to the conference. Completed the requirements for the chance to win!
Oh MY STARS- what a beautiful boy!! Our precious friends -who are more like family just celebrated their fifth ‘gottcha day’ with their little girl from India.
She is 8 now and a beautiful reminder everyday of how God loved us right into his family.
Congrats!
We are desperate to go! Please pick me!
I liked t4a on fb!
I subscribe to t4a on the blog!
Posted on my FACEBOOK! https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1599690634
I just discovered your blog! My husband and I are dying to go to T4. Any chance that we’re not too late
?
I don’t know how I missed this the day you posted it – he is precious! So happy for you all.
Oh my, your little guy is OUTRAGEOUSLY adorable. What a shining little face!! So happy for you!
Congratulations to you and to Sambhaji! And thank you, to God, for each of you having somebody new to love!
Terrific. Absolutely terrific. Glad to put a name and adorable face with the initial!
So very happy for Sambjaji, and all your family, Shaun.
Something about that smile…. He could light up a room. And I bet he does.
God’s redemption staggers me. So happy for your family.
I am so very happy for you and your family! I remember well the day I was allowed to share my precious boy with the world. Is it safe to assume this means things are final?? Would love more details.
What an absolutely beautiful child and amazing gift! Congrats again on the newest addition to your family. :0)
PS~ Dan Cruver was one of the professors at the little Bible College I attended in Northeast Pennsylvania. In fact he was the last professor standing between me and my degree as I had to take my one on one oral theology exam from him, which covered all of the theologies I had studied in my four years there. I was a nervous wreck, but he was beyond gracious, and by some miracle I got an “A”. Small world! His book is on my “to read” list. :0)
I agree… he has your smile!
God is faithful!