Parades & Projects - Lifesong Honduras

We invite you to share a word of encouragement to our staff at Lifesong Honduras. To do so, please reply to this email or comment on our Facebook wall and it will be forwarded to our staff. Thank you in advance for your kind words of support!  Please enjoy this update from Tree of Life/Lifesong Honduras... "September marked the final stretch of the school year at Plan Escalon.  As the month started everyone busy with exams and then prepared for their last visit home before the final marking period.  Their final responsibility before leaving was to participate in the Independence Day Parade.         The students and marching band were diligent in practicing their marching skills and songs days before the Parade. The honor students marched together wearing ribbons, a group of young ladies wore the names of each of the countries 'districts', and yet another group dressed in the culture's dance attire and performed the recognized national dance.    Near the front of the line were the senior students dressed in their internship business suits.  These same seniors were also preparing to complete their career internship requirements for graduation, which began the following week.      This month has also been the ground breaking of our newest building project.  It is exciting to report that construction of the Multi-Purpose Building is underway!  The ground was leveled as truck after truck moved the dirt to other locations on campus. Ditches are now being excavated to create the foundation and constructing the re-rod columns that will be strategically placed.  And the race with time and the calendar is underway!"

One Silent Night -- FFH Concert

Lifesong for Orphans is excited to announce an upcoming Christmas concert featuring FFH with special guests from Lifesong Zambia. This concert will provide a excellent opportunity for churches to bring awareness to their orphan ministry while enjoying a unique performance celebrating the birth of our King! 

Buy tickets today online* or at the door for the following locations:

November 17th Olathe Bible Church / Kansas City area

November 23rd The Gathering (concert & dessert) / Chattanooga area

November 25th Covenant Presbyterian Church / Birmingham, AL

December 1st First Baptist McKinney / Dallas  area

December 8th Heritage Church / Quad Cities

December 9th Elmbrook Church / Milwaukee area

December 13th Southern Baptist Theological Seminary / Louisville, KY

December 16th Bethany Baptist Church / Peoria area

A love offering will be taken during the concert and 100% will go towards orphan care!  

Visit our website for more information on times & tickets!

*Tickets sold online have a processing fee included in the ticket price. 

Family Friday: "...confident in His ultimate provision..."

Meet Wes & Kellee.

Their adoption story began in Kellee’s prayer group. When a woman in her group came home from a mission trip to an orphanage in Beijing, China, she shared with their group about a special little boy with Spina Bifida who had captured her heart.  She asked for their group to pray that he could find a “forever family.”  Kellee and the rest of the women prayed diligently for this little boy for two years. 

During this time Kellee began to feel that God was telling her that they were to become his forever family.  She brought home a picture of him and as a family they prayed for him every night.  Over time, Wes & Kellee knew God was leading them in this direction. 

Three months ago, they were able to bring home 7-year-old, David, home into their forever family!

Listen in as they share their hearts...

God used a number of resources including Lifesong to enable our family to bring one of His dearly loved children into our home. We were aware of the financial burden of the adoption process when we started our journey, but we were confident in His ultimate provision for every expense every step of the way. Through His clear calling and faithful provision, we are also resting in the peace that He will continue to provide EVERYTHING we need. Not just monetarily, but perhaps more importantly, spiritually and emotionally.

We have faced many challenges since arriving home 3 months ago with our newest member: a (now) 7 year old boy with special needs. We are learning to love each other as we overcome a difficult start to this precious boy’s life. God is making Himself know to us in ways we never could have known Him had we not been obedient to His call on our family. We have been blessed to see Him work through friends, family, and even strangers. It has also been incredible to hear stories from other people who have reported being blessed and challenged as they heard the story of our adoption journey.

--Wes & Kellee

 

Adding Fun into School Days - Lifesong Liberia

We invite you to share a word of encouragement to our staff at Lifesong Liberia. To do so, please comment on the blog or on our Facebook wall and it will be forwarded to our staff. Thank you in advance for your kind words of support!   Keith & Kay Knapp, Lifesong Liberia liaisons, share updates from Liberia: "Thanks to a grant from RetailROI, the kids at the Master's Homes of Champions have something new to do.  You can hear laughter and squeals of joy as the jungle gyms, sliding boards, swings and teeter-totters are filled with children.  The residents of the homes, as well as school children from surrounding communities, are having a great time enjoying their new equipment.    School began again this month, and all 86 of our children received new uniforms.  Another exciting development is that we will begin some instruction in computers at the Rehab location.  Our schools are full, as many families from the communities are sending their children, and placing a high value on education.  We are thankful for this opportunity to bless others.  Please pray that the students would be attentive and diligent in their studies.   We extend our gratitude for your faithful support of the work in Liberia!"

Celebrate Advent, Love Orphans

Ad·vent 

noun \ˈad-ˌvent, chiefly British -vənt\

Definition: the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas and observed by some Christians as a season of prayer and fasting; the coming of Christ at the Incarnation; a coming into being or use

(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/advent)

I'm sure many of you have celebrated "the countdown" in various different ways from eating a candy a day to daily acts of kindness to reading a portions of scripture. 

This year, I invite you to read the letter below from Jenna and Jessica Metcalfe, daughters of our Program Director, Rich Metclafe.  Jenna and Jessica used their creative hearts to come up with this special advent calendar. Listen in...

Over three years ago, our family felt God calling us to adopt.  The process has been long and crazy, but God has opened our eyes to the huge orphan crisis around the world.  We learned of the need for Christians to step up and be God’s hands and feet to reach out to His children.  So often it’s easy for us to think, ‘Oh, I’m just a teenager… I can’t do anything about a big problem like this.  Maybe when I grow up God will call me or show me how to help orphans.’ 

But God has told us as believers to help the fatherless, and there is no good reason why we shouldn’t start now.  First Timothy 4:12 says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”  We have the opportunity and the responsibility to use our time, energy and enthusiasm for God’s kingdom and for His glory.  So let’s do it! 

We’ve put together an advent calendar that counts down to Christmas from December 1st-24th.   Each day there is a little instruction saying something like "Give 2 cents for every pair of shoes in your home".  Also, there are two Bible references each day – one about orphans and one telling the Christmas story. We hope to raise awareness about the plight of orphans and God’s heart for them. And that from an increased awareness, we all would not only realize how blessed we are in America, but also be motivated to share from those blessings to bring physical relief, joy and purpose to orphans. 

Thank you for prayerfully considering this opportunity to show the love of Jesus to so many vulnerable children.

In His love,

Jessica and Jenna

This is where you, your family, church, youth group, college group, office team, and whoever else can come in! How to get your calendar(s):

1. Contact us at info@lifesongfororphans.org & order the number of calendars you need
2. Lifesong will send you the Advent Calendar Kit which includes letter, instructions & calendars
3. Get your group together to introduce Calendar (feel free to use Lifesong videos) and assemble (1-step process) 
4. On Orphan Sunday, November 4th, present idea to church and pass out calendars
5. After Christmas, collect money and send in to Lifesong for Orphans

100% of the money raised will go straight to the orphans that Lifesong helps care for (that’s more than 3,500 orphans!).

Advent Calendar
 

 

ORDER YOUR CALENDAR TODAY -- info@lifesongfororphans.org