Family Friday: Bruce & Karen

Bruce and Karen have a story of patience, faithfulness and perseverance. Through pregnancy difficulties and adoption hurdles and heartbreak, God had slowly been preparing their heart and home for what He had planned for them. 

Through the hard times, Bruce and Karen thought maybe God didn't want them to have children of their own.  But things changed on Mother's Day 2011.  A friend from their church told them of a little boy who was deaf in Hungary who needed a forever family. AMAZINGLY, Bruce and Karen had both been learning sign language because they believed God was calling them to start a deaf ministry at their church!  After much praying, fasting and wisdom-seeking, they believed God was opening this door for them.  Even though it was scary to think of the challenges ahead, they chose to walk through it!

Through a matching grant from the James Fund (Partnered with Lifesong for Orphans), Bruce & Karen were able to raise the funds they needed to complete their adoption.

First meeting with their new son, Marcell.

First official family picture!

We were blessed to find Lifesong and to be accepted for a matching grant.  Our friends and family donated over $3,000 and James Fund/Lifesong matched every penny of it!  Receiving the checks from Lifesong was an added encouragement to us as we continued on our adoption journey. The costs of adopting internationally are so large that at times we felt overwhelmed. But knowing Lifesong was behind us, and people there were praying for us, helped us continue on our journey.

-Bruce & Karen

Family Friday: Robert & Tammy

Robert and Tammy had been discussing the idea adoption since they were first married.  In fact, early on they started saving, preparing for the cost of adoption. 

After having two daughters biologically, Robert and Tammy started researching and looking into the specifics of adoption.  God was obviously at work in their hearts as he moved their eyes and ears to the cry of the orphan in our own country of America. 

As they stepped deeper into their adoption journey, they were surprised by the high costs involved in adoption. Realizing they hadn't saved near enough, they began to sell some of their belongings, hosted yard sales, and picked up odd jobs to offset their deficit.  They also partnered with us at Lifesong for Orphans and set up a fundraising account for their friends and family to give in a way that was safe and tax-deductible. 

Through several twists and unexpected turns, they were finally matched with a little girl, Gabriella Faith. 

It is such an honor to be chosen to be her family. Adoption, for us, was a glimpse into the ultimate love…God’s love. It wasn’t easy, but we would do it ten times over to get our Gabby.

I hold our little girl, and I am so thankful that Gabriella is a part of our family. She so easily could be an orphan cared for in foster care. She so easily could have been an abortion statistic. Instead, she is our precious baby girl that adored. Her two big sisters love her so much. None of us can imagine our family without her. It amazes us all how God put our family together so perfectly. 

-Robert & Tammy

Family Friday: Joshua & Shayla

I love Family Fridays. It's hard to top seeing God fulfill His promise of placing the lonely into families.

This week, allow me to introduce to you Joshua and Shayla. Knowing that their Father God had spiritually adopted them, they felt God's prompting through James 1:27 to adopt a child into their forever family.  This spring God perfect orchestrated their journey to their little girl, Zola, this spring. 

 Everyone at Lifesong was super friendly and responsive. They would get back to me very quickly. It was very stress-free; it was one of the only 'easy' [parts about adoption.  When we got the "call" that our baby was born and ready for us in Florida, we had already had tickets bought for the next morning to Florida for a vacation! Such a God thing!

-Joshua & Shayla 

Please join us in rejoicing with this family by leaving them a comment!

Family Friday: Cory & Jamie

Here we are for Family Friday again!

Three months ago, Cory and Jamie brought home Zion and Isaiah into their forever family from the Democratic Republic of Congo.  We Care for Orphans Adoption Fund (in partnership with Lifesong) were able to come alongside this family and offer an interest-free loan as well as fundraising support to help overcome some of their fananical costs.    

Listen in as Cory and Jamie share what God taught them through this journey and the unepected ways He provided for them!

God used this adoption journey to open our eyes to His heart for the least of these – orphans – in this world.  He placed in us a love and purpose – to care for, adopt, and give Life to orphans.  We see Him building this Life within us daily, to then give His Life to our children – both our biological children and our precious sons through adoption.

God worked each detail out exactly. Right before our boys came home, we needed to buy car seats and much more.  Our total cost was $500.  We were going to take it out of our family’s grocery budget, which was not going to work so well, especially in December when we tend to spend more on food.  

My husband and I hung up from a discussion about it, followed by a prayer.  Seconds later, we received an unsolicited email from a friend who said God had put it on their hearts to set aside $500 for us at this point in the adoption (most other adoption bills had been paid at this point).  It showed us how God provides EVERYTHING, down to the last detail of car seats and high chairs, cribs and clothes and diapers.  He is completely faithful and a good Father.

-Cory & Jamie

Bringing Churches Around Adoptive Families

"The blessings go way beyond any financial support because the family is just knowing that the church cares."

--

Dave Blaske, His Kids-Our Homes Adoption Fund Director

 

Listen in as His Kids-Our Homes Adoption Fund share about their partnership with Lifesong for Orphans...

 

 

It has been exciting for us as a ministry to have a front-row view in what God is doing through our 210 active and intentional Church Fund Partners.  In the past six months alone, we have seen the generosity of these churches provide over $627,650 to 193 adoptive families in the form of grants and loans.

 

The refreshing joy of serving families, blessing orphans, and ultimately glorifying God is at the core of each church fund that we partner with.  We celebrate the work that God is doing through each of them as He places the lonely into families (Psalm 68:6). 

For more stories about how a church fund can bless adoptive families, we invite you to watch the Quine &Stewart family adoption videos.

 

To learn more about Lifesong Church Funds, please visit our website or contact Rich Metcalfe (309.747.4528, rich@lifesongfororphans.org)

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works." Hebrews 10:24