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Andy and Jill Lehman family
Friday
Mar022012

Family Friday: Dan & Christi

I personally feel extremely blessed to share this Family Friday with you! Dan & Christi are so near to our hearts here at Lifesong for Orphans. Christi came on staff in the fall of 2009 and has been an incredible asset to our team while working with our adoptive families, church partners, and overseeing Lifesong's Communications & Social Media.

Dan & Christi have incredible hearts for the gospel, the orphan, and the glory of our Father God.  

Through a number of events, including a missions trip to Gautamala, they felt God's call to them to begin the process of adoption.  It was exciting for the Lifesong Staff to walk this journey with them and to watch them bring home their precious son last summer from Ethiopia.  Even though we work with adoptive families every day, we were able to experience up close and personal the incredible joy that is found in 'bringing the lonely into families' through their adoption.

But that's not it...God is continuing to work on this family's heart and is sending them back to where this whole spark started: Guatamala.  Dan & Christi will be serving with Eagle's Nest International full-time to follow their heart's desire to serve the orphan, to reach out to a lost community, to bring hope to the hurting, and most of all to bring GLORY to God our Father.

Dan & Christi,

It's been a complete joy to serve at Lifesong for Orphans with you and to see and experience God's spirit working in your familiy. We committ to lift you up in prayer during your time of tranistion and for the work that you will be doing in Gutamala. Praying that God's hand would continue to go before you and prepare your way as you serve Him in obedience. We love you!

Lifesong for Orphans team

To hear more of Dan & Christi's testimony or to follow them on their journey, check out their blog

Wednesday
Feb292012

Calling all Bloggers!

We are so blessed each day as we hear what each of you are doing to advocate for the children in your community and around the world! We know that your lives are busy and want to be able to provide a way for YOU to advocate in the midst of your daily lives.

Those of you that are bloggers, we invite you to become apart of the Lifesong Blogger Network to be able to use your blog to advocate for the fatherless.

How does it work?

It's pretty simple... 

  • Email info@lifesongfororphans.org telling us, "I want to be a Lifesong Blogger!"
  • We will send you an email periodically highlighting stories on our adoptive families, in-country orphan care initiatves, and other ministires we partner with such as Both Hands Foundation and The Forgotten Initiatve.
  • Copy & paste the HTML code that we provide in the email onto your blog to share to your readers the needs, the joys, and the praises of working in the fields of the fatherless.
  • And...Ta-da...you are a Lifesong Blogger!

To learn more about being a Lifesong Blogger, see past email updates, or to grab a badge for your blog, please visit our website.

Monday
Feb272012

Changes & Opportunities - Lifesong Ethiopia

Listen in as we share with you new updates from Lifesong Ethiopia...

On November 17th, Lifesong for Orphans received an offer from a generous donor to give a matching donation of up to $130,000 for the new construction projects in Ethiopia.  This match lasted until year end. Thankfully, in 45 days, thanks to many of you, we reached the goal! Praise God!

We are thankful to begin on construction on both Phase II in Ziway and the new block in Adami Tulu.  We ask you to please pray with and for us as we begin this large work.

Framing up the first foundation hole at ZiwayAdami Tulu Construction Progress

Tesfaye - Age 4We are excited to announce the new Adami Tulu website along with Child Sponsorship Program opportunities.  We are thankful 88 of the 189 children have been sponsored.  If you or someone you know is interested in sponsoring a child for $19/month, please visit the website to see the details, pictures, and how you can get involved in sponsoring one of the remaining remaining 101 students.

Friday
Feb242012

Information on Adoption Tax Credit

As many of you may be aware, the current maximum allowable tax credit of $13,360 for all adoptive families is scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2012. 

Unless Congress acts to extend or make the adoption tax credit permanent, it will revert at that time to a maximum of $6,000 for parents adopting children with special needs.  No tax credit will be available to other adoptive parents.

The National Council for Adoption has just released their Adoption Tax Credit Advocacy Kit that is available by logging onto their website at www.adoptioncouncil.org.  

Regardless of the level of involvement that you are prepared to engage in, we urge you to review this valuable resource and find ways to make your voice heard for the sake of all adoptive families and the children they endeavor to bring into their homes.  Whether it is a few strategically placed phone calls or a full-blown campaign, everyone can have a part in promoting permanency for children.

Wednesday
Feb222012

Taking Care of the Details - The Forgotten Initiative

 

Listen in as Jen Young, Forgotten Advocate, shares the impact one 'journey bag' had on a precious foster care child,

A caseworker called to say thank you for the journey bags we delivered. She described one story of a child that came into care with a sibling from a horrible situation that involved a death of a parent. Caseworkers tried to keep the two brothers together, but could not, which was very difficult for the boys.  The caseworker said that when she gave them a journey bag, their eyes lit up. She expressed how excited they were to have their own bag and the joy it brought the kids really touched the caseworker as well.

I couldn't help but tell this caseworker about the 500 bags we received from a church that put each of these bags together.  I told her that while we're glad the bags are appreciated, needed and useful, God cares about this child and took care of the details. His hand was upon this situation and He knew just what this child needed!

The "Journey Bag Project" is just one way The Forgotten Initiative, partnering with Lifesong for Orphans, seeks to bring joy and purpose to the foster care community. 
To see how you can be involved or to learn more, please visit their website.