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

Family Friday: "...Nothing is by chance..."

Phillip and Elaine were first called to adoption in 2000 as they sought to grow their family. They now have five daughers (three through adoption). After attending an "If You Were Mine" conference with the intent of starting a church adoption ministry, they were convicted that the Lord was calling them to adopt again.

Please listen is as they share God's almighty hand as He worked through their 4th adoption of Lily Rose from China with the help of Jeeah's Hope, one of Lifesong Church Adoption Fund Partners.

Our Lifesong grant was probably the biggest God-thing that occurred during the adoption process for Lily Rose. We met a couple, Skip & Ashley, via an online adoption community several years before beginning our adoption for Lily Rose. Ashley followed our blog during our adoption of our 5th daughter. Unbeknownst to me, she and a friend had began an adoption ministry called Jeeah's Hope, and were praying about who to award their first grant. Upon reading my blog about our financial plight, she contacted Lifesong.

I had no idea this was going on behind the scenes when we applied for our grant. Through Lifesong, they awarded their first grant to our family. That grant gave our Lily Rose, also a "critical heart child", a chance at life. By the worlds standards a coincidental meeting several years before began the process that would ultimately bring our daughter to her forever family. Of course, we knew that with the Lord, nothing is by chance and He had it all orchestrated before the foundation of the earth. We stand in awe of how He unites His families!

-Phillip & Elaine

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

 

Buy a Brick...Build a Future - Village of Hope

Most of us can remember a time in our lives when we felt rejected. A time when we felt like we didn't matter. Whether it be the time we were chosen last on recess for the kickball game, or the time we didn't get invited to the birthday party that everyone else was invited to--we have all felt the sting of rejection. So what breaks my heart is when I think about how an orphan child living with HIV/AIDS must feel living in a society who constantly treats them as the least, the last and the lowest. Our God given vision here at Village of Hope is to give these children faith, family, and a future. Yet much work needs to be done in order for the vision to become a reality. But what we know without a doubt is that we are not just building buildings- we are building homes and we are building HOPE. Right now this very minute there are children waiting. Children who are living with HIV in a culture that rejects them. Schools do not want to accept them; most orphanages do not want to accept them either. And so they wait in hopes that one day someone will welcome them in, wrap their loving arms around them and tell them they are valued, cherished and loved. And we wait for the body of Christ to come together and make the vision of Village of Hope a reality for these children. Village of Hope still needs $184,500 for such things as homes for the first orphans and their house parents, retaining walls, perimeter walls, and gates for safety and protection. These things will provide safety, home and HOPE for these orphans. How can we do this? Little by little, brick by brick--together we can build the foundation these children need to come to know the one who loves them so much He CHOSE them. Little by little, brick by brick, together we can build HOPE for their future. What that will take is for you and I to realize that the God in heaven that is crazy about these children is crazy about us as well. What He wants for us is so much more than a new sweater, a new electronic toy or the latest isomething or other this Christmas. He wants for us is to quit wasting our time, our resources and our talents on the things in this world that do not matter- and invest in the things that do~ His Kingdom. By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Proverbs 24 3-4 To help GIVE faith, family and a future to the children at Village of Hope please visit see our webpage here. Buying a brick in honor of a loved one is a GREAT way to give a gift of purpose this Christmas season!  *If you'd like to buy a brick as a gift or in honor of a loved one, a card will be sent indicating your gift.

Family Friday: "..sew him into our family, Lord..."

Meet Justin and Jaymi...

Because of their involvement in their local church's adoption ministry, God began to work on their hearts and lead them towards adoption. Through this ministry, Jaymi saw a picture of a little boy from Taiwan that captured her attention.  She says, “I had looked at a number of photos of waiting children before, but this time was different.  He stole my heart and I took this experience as a green light for our family to being the process of adopting.”

We at Lifesong felt blessed to partner with this special family as they brought home little Zac from Taiwan this spring. Please join us in listening in to their testimony of God's faithfulness...

We prayed specifically for God to "sew" our son into our family, even before we met. People who didn't even know us prayed those exact words over our adoption! That could only be from the heart of our loving Father who knows us all! We have been home with Zac for 6 months and it feels like he has been with us forever. He is sewn in!

--Justin & Jaymi