A couple of weeks ago I promised our friends Kelly and Tim Black that I’d write a post about their new child-to-be, Vivi Black, and also include a link to the ongoing “Bring Vivi Home” fundraiser (click on “Bring Vivi Home“).

• Vivi – Vivienne – Black currently resides in China, where she is waiting for several large mountains of paperwork to be completed before Tim and Kelly can fly over and bring her home.
• Tim and Kelly (Tim works on the pastoral team with Rebekah at our current church, First Presbyterian of Brandon), are currently working on the mountain of details, preparing their home, loving Vivi passionately from a distance, and doing some creative fundraising to help cover the staggering expenses.

HELP! The bottom line is this: Vivi is one amazingly blessed little girl to have landed a family like the Blacks. I honestly can’t imagine a more loving and faithful household where Vivi could learn what it means to be loved and to love, and to serve one-another in the spirit of generosity and faith.

I’m keeping this short and sweet. So here’s a scripture to chew on. Read it carefully, then ask yourself if it’s too much trouble to go to the “Bring Vivi Home” fundraiser and purchase a piece of the “Bring Vivi Home” puzzle. If everyone who follows this blog buys just one $5 share, we would immediately add almost $3,500 today alone.

We love because God first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:19-21).

So I’m challenging each one of you to participate. Also, and this will help a lot, please send this post to at least two other people. Let’s bring Vivi home today!

In love, and because of love – DEREK