The Lynn Family

Edit: The Both Hands fundraiser was completed on June 11, 2016. You can watch a video of it here. But the Lynns are still working to raise funds, so you can still contribute as described below.

One of the best things about living in the South Bend area over the last two years has been getting to know the families at Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church. They are some of the friendliest, kindest and most interesting people I’ve met. While I have a tendency to feel overwhelmed by the problems in the world, they remind me that there is hope and that in many cases the most important thing we can do is love the people around us, family neighbors and friends.

One family I’ve grown particularly attached to is the Lynn family. Hugh and Rachael Lynn are very kind, hospitable people and have four lovely children. Three of them are Hugh and Rachael’s biological children. The fourth, Ava, was adopted from China. The Lynns brought Ava home shortly after I arrived in South Bend, in November of 2014. They had her baptized the first Sunday she was in the U.S., and I sat by her and explained what was happening, since I spoke some Chinese. Since then, it has been a joy to watch Ava blossom, making friends and learning English. Ava has cerebral palsy, and I’ve enjoyed watching her slowly begin to use her left hand more and more.

Now the Lynns are looking to adopt again, another girl from China with cerebral palsy named Audrey. (All their children have names that start with A.) They hope to go to China to get her in December, but in the meantime, they have to raise a lot of money for the international adoption. To do this, they’re working with an organization called Both Hands.

Both Hands sets up workdays where people go to a widow’s home to do various home improvement jobs. Others sponsor them, and all the money goes to a family that is looking to adopt an orphan. The Lynns are setting up a day to do home repairs for a widow in our church named Kandy. The organization’s name comes from its mission of helping two groups, widows and orphans. Throughout the Bible people are urged to care for these groups, as their lack of certain key family members makes them vulnerable.

I’m at a stage in life when I’m very concerned with making a difference in the world. As a Christian, I believe that love for God and love for others are the most important parts of life. That means that people are more important than technology, money, pleasure or even knowledge. And no earthly thing has a greater effect on a person than the family they grow up in. The Lynns are bringing Audrey into a loving family and therefore doing one of the most significant things anyone can do. And I’d like to ask you, my readers, to help them. Please consider donating to Both Hands to help finance the Lynns’ adoption. Go to https://bothhands.org/project/lynn-282 to learn more about the Lynns, Audrey and Kandy and to donate to their cause. If you donate online, there will be a 3% credit card processing fee, but you can avoid that by instead mailing a check to:

Both Hands
Attn: Lynn #282
P.O. Box 2713
Brentwood, TN 37024

If you send a check, make sure you write “Lynn #282” in the memo line so the organization knows which family it’s for. Donations are tax deductible, and the full amount goes to the Lynns.

Please consider helping out this family bring their daughter home. And next time you’re with your family remember that loving them is one of your highest callings.