Family Friday: "Many wanted to do more..."

Listen in with Dave & Sue as they share their expereince of adoption fundraising with Lifesong.  Dave & Sue adopted their two children, Erica (6) and Silas (2), from Ghana and we were so excited to be just one piece of the puzzle to help bring them home to a forever family! 

We have a great support system made up of family and friends in our community and church. They have all prayed for us and helped us prepare for the arrival of our two kids through an adoption shower. But, many wanted to do more and Lifesong provided them the opportunity to support us financially while also receiving a record of their donation and a tax deduction.  Everyone at Lifesong was more than willing to answer our questions and our emails were responded to almost immediately. We also appreciated the encouragement and prayers from the staff.

The fact that Lifesong is a 501c3 helped us immensely. More people gave because of the stability and professionalism of Lifesong. The letter of support for our adoption and fundraising was also a big help. Knowing that we had to go through an application process and be accepted to fundraise with Lifesong offered those who know us, but not well, the peace of mind that the funds would be used appropriately. And, we were pleasantly surprised how many people donated money that we didn’t know or hardly knew.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! May God richly bless you all for your commitment to helping orphans around the world. Your work has truly been a blessing to our family. 

-Dave & Sue, adoptive parents 

 To learn more about adoption funding, visit our website. 

Sarah's Birthday of Purpose

Meet Sarah.

Sarah just celebrated her 6th birthday last month. You would expect to see dolls, games, and maybe even a bike on her birthday list, right?

Wrong. 

For the second year in a row, Sarah has asked that instead of gifts for her birthday, money be given to Lifesong for Orphans as we care for children around the world.

Recently we recieved this note, along with a check to Lifesong from Sarah's mom,

Enclosed is $500 to help fund the adoption of an Ukrainian orphan into a Christian Ukrainian family through your Adoption without Borders program. Our daughter, Sarah, chose to collect donations for Lifesong in lieu of presents to celebrate her 6th birthday. God bless you and your efforts at Lifesong!

Isn't so refreshing to know that because of the selfless choice of ONE child, an orphan in Ukraine can become adopted into a forever family!

Sarah, thank you SO much for the example that you have shown us of what Christ's selfless love looks like. We pray that God our Father would bless your heart and life as you live for Him!

This I believe: Blessed to Bless

Jessica Metcalfe, a high school student in Illinois was instructed to write a paper for her English class entitled, "This I Believe".  We were so impressed at the truth that she spoke on why many of us have been blessed by our Father God, that we HAD to share it. Please read and enjoy, praying that this truth would sink into each of our hearts stirring us into action...

Blessed to Bless: This I Believe

This morning, I woke up in a comfy bed, took a hot shower, ate a good breakfast, chose what to wear from a closet full of clothes, said hi to my family, walked to school, and talked to my friends.  In Russia another teenage girl woke up this morning, but she has nothing… only herself and the rags on her back. Prostitution is her only option.  In Kenya, there is a beautiful baby boy lying abandoned on the side of a dirt road.  In Guatemala, a four year-old’s parents died today.  In India, a girl was abducted and nobody noticed.  Why?  Why was I born to parents who care for me?  Why do I have clothes to wear and food to eat?  Why do I have opportunities and freedoms to learn and speak and think?

In the world today, there are over 143 million orphans.  Slavery and trafficking exist in almost every country.  There are people who feel hunger, poverty, pain, isolation and rejection every single day.  So many people have absolutely nothing.  From Germany to Jamaica, China to Brazil, South Africa to Eureka, Illinois, people suffer.  It is there, and it is real.

My brother’s birth parents died when he was five years old.  His uncle dropped him off in an orphanage at the age of seven, where he lived for two years.  He was separated from his siblings, and even the clothes he wore were not his own.  As our family went through the adoption process, my eyes were opened to the things happening around me.  It turned out that the happy little world I lived in was the exception, not the rule.  The hugeness and desperation of the things in the world astounded me.  Why did I have so much, when others had so little? 

This is what I have come to realize.  I have not been blessed because of me… I do not deserve all that I have, and it is not based on anything I have done.  I have also not been blessed for just myself.  I have been blessed so that I can go and be a blessing to others.  Whether that comes in the form of making advent calendars to raise money for orphans, helping someone whenever I have the power to do so, praying, or just smiling at someone to brighten their day, I can be a blessing to those around me.  God has given me much, and I can and should give to others because of what I have been given.  I have been blessed to bless.  This I believe. 

written by Jessica Metcalfe

Family Friday: "We know God called us to adopt..."

Steven and Tiffany could list 78 reasons why they decided to grow their family through adoption.  For several years, they traveled as road directors for an international children’s choir.  They felt God working on their hearts as they were “Mom” and “Dad” to the children in the choir, many of which were orphans from India, Uganda, Brazil, Philippines, Nepal, and Myanmar. The Lord used these children to cultivate in them a heart for the orphan. 

As most adoption stories go, Steven and Tiffany's journey had some unexpected turns and surprises. But through it all, they felt God's presence and peace as they persued the adoption of their daughter Ayla from China. Thanks to The Church of Brook Hills Adoption Fund, Steven and Tiffany were given a matching grant through Lifesong to help with some of the fiancial costs. Listen in to hear more...

Lifesong provided a way for people to give tax-deductible gifts towards our adoption. That, combined with the unique opportunity to have their gifts matched really motivated people to contribute.

Lifesong also provided us with a unique opportunity to share God’s heart for the orphan. I’ll be honest, at first we weren’t too excited to have to write support letters and ask for money, but we are so grateful for it now. We had an opportunity to share how adopting a little girl from China was a small picture of how God has adopted us eternally. What a platform Lifesong provided for us to share with lost family members.

We know God called us to adopt, and we could trust Him to provide for our needs. We are so grateful that He used Lifesong in a huge way to do that!

-Steven & Tiffany

Orphan Sunday: One Day. One Voice. One Purpose.

On November 4th, as well as the surrounding Sundays, thousands of events will echo across America and around the globe, all sharing a single goal: that God's steadfast love for the orphan will also stir in our hearts.  From many sources, one voice.  Orphan Sunday is an opportunity to excite family, community, church and friends to God's call to care for the orphan. As Orphan Sunday approaches, we pray you will dedicate time on one Sunday in honor of the fatherless.  Here are a few helpful and practical recourses for how to spend an Orphan Sunday from Christian Alliance for Orphans' Orphan Sunday.org website: Partnership Packages - Ideas and action points from over 20 different orphan, adoption & foster care organizations so you can find an activity that fits your church. (Be sure to check out Lifesong's Partnership Packages as well!) The Orphan's Table - Experiences impact us more deeply than words. On Orphan Sunday, share a meal eaten by orphans around the world.  Gather with family, small group or church for the meal, discussion and prayer. More Resources - Check out OrphanSunday.org for other church resources such as sermon starters, worship songs, bible studies, bulletin inserts, prayer guides, and much more! We are hopeful you and your church family will honor orphans by participating in Orphan Sunday.