PeekabooNWA

The Titus Task

Posted on 31. Oct, 2009 by admin in Personal Stories

I am sitting at my desk, looking at pictures of smiling faces from The Titus Task First Annual 5K Race and 1 Mile Fun Run. As a Mother, whether expecting a biological child or expecting through adoption, it is natural to start dreaming about the future of your child early on. Each Mom thinks of whom they will become and how God will use their life. I think of birthday parties and sleepovers, Christmas mornings, graduations, and weddings. We will not have the opportunity to live out these milestones with our son Titus, but on Saturday, October 10th in downtown Siloam Springs, there was a grand celebration of his life. Other children will know the love of a family because of The Titus Task – a fund dedicated to pursuing a future for orphans.
Our Story
After years of infertility and loss, Noel and I realized that our journey into parenthood was going to be different than what we had planned – we were to be the “Mom” and “Dad” to children without parents. In 2002, we began the adoption process for our first child, Lily, who at 8 months of age, left her government-run Chinese orphanage for her new home with us, her forever family!

In 2006, despite not having the necessary financial resources, Noel and I felt a longing to expand our family. After contemplating how we could possibly start our second adoption, we were amazed to receive an offer of a generous, private donation which began our second adoption journey – this time for two sons in Haiti.

We went to meet our sons Silas and Titus in July 2007. This journey would prove to be a more challenging “faith walk” as our children were very malnourished. Silas, at 21 months of age, was the older and stronger of the two. Titus weighed just 9 pounds at 7 months old when we held him for the first time. After spending a week caring for them, heartache filled us as we had to leave our boys in an orphanage where their basic needs often went unmet. We prayed and believed that they would be strong enough to survive until their adoption paperwork was completed – until they could be brought home. Sadly, this plan was not to be. We received news that our beloved son, Titus, died in his sleep September 19, 2007 at nine months of age – only two short months after we had visited him.

Titus’ death, most likely the result of malnutrition, is tragic though not in vain. As one dear friend told us shortly after his death, “Titus most definitely served a purpose in his short life, and his life will count for more than the number of his days he lived.” Her encouraging words, along with the tremendous love and support of our family and community, allowed The Titus Task to begin taking shape in our hearts and minds. We quickly saw that Titus’ life could impact the life of other orphans and perhaps give many of them an opportunity to experience a life that Titus never saw.

The month after Titus died, I visited our son Silas in Haiti. While there, I came to know an amazing 11-year-old boy named Louis. After much thought and prayer, Noel and I came to believe Louis was to be welcomed into our family. Silas has been home with us since March 2009 and now we are eagerly await Louis’ arrival – hopefully by the end of this year. If you know him, you will not be surprised to hear that he smiles even when he sleeps! He is a delight, and it is pure joy to have him home with us.

We are so thankful for all the ways God builds families! In a sermon series by Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, he reminds us there are many ways to care for orphans. He explains that while the family is the ultimate solution for the orphan, a community can take this solution a step further and support the families that parent these children. The Titus Task is an organization that wishes to do exactly that – we are dedicated to helping families and communities support the cause of orphans around the world. Currently, over 143 million children in the world have no one to call “Mom” and “Dad” – no one to tuck them in at night, or call them to the dinner table. Many families say they would consider adoption if it were not such a great financial burden.

A financial donation to support The Titus Task is one practical way to help. Through the generosity of people in places such as NW Arkansas, many more orphans could be welcomed into loving families.

The Titus Task is a fund within the N.W.A. Community Foundation, a 501c3 organization. 100% of the donations to The Titus Task will be used to pursue a future for orphans. Our goal is to give at least one grant per year to an adoption agency to be used to offset the adoption expenses of a NWA family. For information about how to donate to this worthy cause, please visit us online www.thetitustask.com. I also welcome any questions about building a family through adoption if you are thinking you have room in your heart and home – lori@thetitustask.com.