Upcoming Conferences...

The Global Leadership Summit

Willow Creek Community Church

South Barrington, IL and 170+ locations across North America!

August 11-12

This conference which aims to transform Christian leaders around the world with an injection of vision, skill development, and inspiration for the sake of the local church.  It will be broadcast from Willow Creek Community Church to more than 170 locations and has over 100,000 people attending.  This is one you won't want to miss!  

Find out more HERE!

Empowered to Connect 

Brentwood Baptist Church

Nashville, TN

September 23-24

If you haven't heard us talk about the ETC conferences before click HERE.  These conferences provide a great resource for anyone involved in adoption, foster or orphan care!

Find out more HERE!

Compassion for Kids conference

Open Hearts Open Homes

Compassion for Kids Conference

at The Chapel in Lake Zurich, IL

May 21, 2011

8:30am - 3:00pm

This conference includes breakfast and lunch, a variety of breakout sessions, resources, networking opportunities, and DCFS training hours and if you register before May 7, you will get $10 off your registration fee!

If your interested in more information click HERE

ETC starts tomorrow!

Coming up this weekend in Denver Colorado is:

Empowered to Connect conference

April 8-9

hosted by Mission Hills Church in Littleton

This is a great opportunity to hear from Dr. Karyn Purvis and Michael & Amy Monroe on bringing hope and healing to adopted and foster children.

To register, click HERE!

or if you want to check out the ETC website click HERE!  

To read a review on October's conference click HERE!

Slava Bogu

Well, I'm back in the States and it feels good to be home.  Thank you so much to those who commented on the earlier posts.

For a little wrap up, after spending a week at Sakhnovsheena I headed back to Kharkov where I stayed at one of Lifesong's Transition Homes for graduates.  I have to say I loved being able to live with the kids for a while.  I got to sit in on 2 different group Bible Studies (one with the kids from Transition Home 1 and one with the kids from Transition Home 2)  It's so encouraging to watch them pursue depth in their relationships with the Lord.

On Monday I headed out to Izume to visit Slavik and Natasha who not only provide a retreat for small groups from different orphanages, and act as CCP in the local orphanage, but also have adopted 7 children of their own (in addition to 3 biological kids).  I loved watching their family interact with each other, singing with them around the piano and staying up late talking around their kitchen table.

I headed home the next day and now that I'm here, it feels good to know that back in Ukraine the work is still being done.  Lives are still being changed.  Children are still being loved.  And even in the darkness of the orphanage Jesus is shining through.  And I just feel blessed to play a very small part in it.

On another note, we have a couple conferences coming up this next month that you might be interested in:

Defending the Fatherless

Calvary Church

St. Peters, Missouri

Saturday, April 2, 2011

click here for more details

and

In His Hands

Hope Evangelical Free Church

Springfield, IL

March 13, 2011

click here for more details

 

there's still time...

If you're a central Illinoisan and are looking for something to do this weekend, there's still time to sign up for the 

Connecting Hearts

with the Forgotten 

 conference hosted by East White Oak Church in Carlock, IL.

The keynote speaker will be Ted Kluck (check out his website here), who i, honestly, know very little about but after looking a little over his blog and website have decided emphatically that he's a pretty cool guy.  PLUS he's an adoptive daddy of two little boys from Ukraine which *side note!* i am leaving for tomorrow morning!  (wahoo!)  This means that you might want to stay tuned over the next couple weeks for some "on location" blogging about what Lifesong is doing in Ukraine.  Can you wait?  I can't!

Other speakers include:

- our very own and well loved VP, Andy Lehman.  In all honesty, every time I have the privilege of hearing Andy speak I'm a little blown away, and suddenly start feeling very cool that I get to call him "boss."

PLUS

- my big sis (and adoptive/foster/biological parent of 6) Jami Kaeb (check out her blog here).  Can I just say how proud I am of her?  Cause I am.  In her life I have witnessed the struggles and the joys that come with both adoption and foster care.  I love listening to her speak, partly because I know the passion that comes across in her speaking is genuine and lived out in her daily life.  I could be biased... but I think she's pretty cool.

You can find out more about the other speakers at this event here.  And if you want to register click here!  Did I mention it's free?  Cause it is... just so you know.

Have a good one, all!  Next time you hear from me I just might be in Ukraine! ...or an airport.