ChildShare

Mission Viejo Christian Church (MVCC) hosted a Parents Night Out for Child S.H.A.R.E. families on February 20, 2009.  Parent’s Night Out provides our foster and adoptive families with a well deserved evening out to relax and enjoy a traditional “date night,” while their children enjoy a night of fun themselves.  MVCC welcomed 14 foster and adopted children along with 12 volunteers from the church’s college group, “The Movement.”  As parents dropped off their children for a night of entertainment, including carnival games, movies and dinner, Child S.H.A.R.E. Recruiter, Alena Strickland, heard a tiny, wide-eyed 3 year old boy crying to his Dad.  “Don’t leave me, don’t leave me!,” he sobbed.  The little boy clung to his Dad’s neck and was so afraid for his Daddy to leave. Alena stepped in and taking his hand directed him to a pile of Legos on the floor.  That did the trick, he immediately became engrossed in constructing a fort.  Alena couldn’t help but feel a great sense of joy as this little boy was at long last part of a loving family.  As she sat back and watched all the children involved in the activities that buzzed around her, she thought of how amazing this event was.  The 14 kids at the Parent’s Night Out would have been left without parents that love them so immensely if these men and women, from diverse faith communities had not stepped forward to provide them with permanent and loving homes.  And that is the very essence of Child S.H.A.R.E.