In their book Saving Levi, Children’s Hope adoptive parent Lisa Bentley shares an absolutely inspirational story of a badly burned boy “left to die...destined to live”—their son Levi.“When John was practicing law, we had the brand new house, the sports car, the minivan, the bonuses, the raises and I was pregnant with my forth child and I remember being upstairs in the bedroom thinking, ‘Lord if this is all there is to my faith, to my Christianity, it’s boring and it stinks.’”
When God answered Lisa Bentley’s prayer, he sent her to China. She did not know the language nor did she understand the culture. Was this truly the answer to her discontentment? Then she laid eyes on a little burned boy.
This boy, later named Levi (“to bind and unite”), would change her life and give her a heart for the Chinese people. This heart thrives today with the non-profit charity she runs with husband John. This charity, Harmony Outreach, serves all levels of the Chinese community but most importantly the “least of these”— orphaned children with special needs.
In saving Levi’s life there laid a question: How far does one go to save an orphaned child’s life? With third- to forth-degree burns afflicting over 70% of his entire body and blood infections requiring more and more amputations of his upper limbs—Levi was an extreme in a healing philosophy to bring orphans to health and into forever homes. Even if his initial surgeries were successful, he would require more skin grafts each year. Until he was fully developed, his growing bones would outstretch his scar tissue.
The Bentley’s mission is also Children’s Hope mission. On faith alone the Bentley’s took every measure to save Levi, with no monetary support or physical means necessary. Day by day they strode forward. Each day their feet landed on solid, supported ground.
Early on, their feet landed on Children’s Hope and Melody Zhang. Children’s Hope funded Levi’s first surgery in Beijing and later gave the Bentley’s their media opportunity in China to get the word out about Levi’s story.
Wherever his story was heard, people’s hearts were touched. From complimentary airfare, expedited Visa paperwork, to a simple twenty dollar bill—people were moved to action. Levi touched Lisa’s heart to act from day one. She knew he was meant to be hers. Her home would be the best hope for a full life for this little boy.When she was able to adopt him as her own, she did so through Children’s Hope. As obstacles rose up and stood aside, one took anchor and brought the process to a standstill: the China Center for Adoption Affairs declared him too burned to be cared for through adoption. Melody took a stance in the name of this amazingly loving family. Levi was to become a Bentley.
This story is a linked chain of God-chosen people brought together to save one life. It is a story of encouragement in the hardest of times, of the strength in love within every person, and of the daring in courage of one.
In January, Focus on the Family interviewed John and Lisa Bentley, discussing Harmony Outreach and Saving Levi on their radio broadcast. To listen to this two-part moving broadcast and to hear the voice of parental inspiration, click below and be changed:
The Bentleys: A Radical Journey of Faith (Part 1/Part 2)
(Available for a limited time.)
To best benefit their cause, purchase the book Saving Levi via Lisa’s web site at www.Harmonyoutreach.org or at www.savinglevi.com. In 2007, Lisa will travel the
Written by Jennifer Newcomb, Children's Hope Communications Coordinator
