'Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this, to aid orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.' (James 1:27) A robust view of adoption begins in the Scriptures, particularly with this clear command from James' epistle. His basic affirmation: devotion to God ought to be expressed as devotion to the other. Or, put more simply, the apostle means for the Christian to seek and help orphans and widows even as he has been sought and helped in Christ. With this in mind, we have set out to adopt a child from Bulgaria. We have held this desire in our hearts for a long time, feeling it nurtured and grown by Christ's Spirit. Reading the savior's commands to love one another, to do unto others as we would have done unto ourselves, and considering his welcoming affection for the little children that came to him have bolstered this desire, and have seen it blossom into a hope for our family. The birth of our first daughter, Danni, only strengthened this hope. Seeing her healthy and happy, we cannot help but yearn to bring whatever help we can to an orphan in need. This is an immensely thrilling process, and we have taken the first steps into our Home Study. Our hope is to move forward as quickly as possible, to aid an child perhaps already in a Bulgarian orphanage; however, we cannot do so without your help. The financial hurdle is insurmountable for us alone. But our hope is an expression of the love of Christ who abides in us, and in his church. So, we are asking for a contribution and prayers. Whatever you can give will be of tremendous help to seeing this commandment, our hope, fulfilled.