Rejoicing

Hello all!  I'm coming to you from Music City, visiting my dear friend and fellow orphan advocate, Sandra Ney (who Lifesong is partnering with in her efforts to bring hope to orphans in Cote d'Ivoire, Africa).  This weekend Sandra hosted an orphan awareness day, where we made flower pins to raise money for the children in Cote d'Ivoire.  Here are some shots of the day...

What a success.  Her house has been buzzing ever since, with phone calls and friends stopping by to see how they can help.  Praise the Lord!

The spirit of the weekend totally reminded me of last month's Orphan Sunday, where there were 568 registered events across the US (plus many unregistered events: over 21 in Florida alone)!  And the response didn't end there... at each registered event an average of 539 individuals were challenged to action (ranging from 3 to 5,000)!  And i know more went on that we don't even know about.  Wow.  Thank you to everyone who participated in Orphan Sunday this year.

You know, sometimes it can get so discouraging, feeling like nothing is getting done as fast as I think it should.  I look at the need and wonder how in the world we can even make a dent.

But God is moving mightily in His people to rise up on behalf of the orphaned, and when i look at how Orphan Sunday has become such a powerful tool for awareness... when i look at how a woman in Tennessee is spreading the vision through flower pins... and when i see the response...

then I get excited.  I begin to catch a glimpse of what He is doing behind what I naturally see.  And it is big.

If you have a story of rejoicing, we'd love to hear it.  Maybe an orphan ministry is getting started in your church.  Maybe you finally got your travel date to pick up your child, wherever he or she may be.  Maybe you had an inspiring conversation with a friend and that action you've been praying for is finally about to happen... let us know!  

In Him our hearts rejoice, for we are trusting in His holy name.  Psalm 33:21

Want to know more about the vision in Cote d'Ivoire?  Check out Sandra's blog here.