Little Ephrem

Ephrem from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

 “What first drew me to this little boy was his sweet round face.  Obviously, he has suffered a great deal from malnutrition.  When we visited the school he and the rest of the children were so focused on their meal.  It’s amazing to see how Lifesong was changing their lives.  After lunch, I found myself surrounded by children playing a name game.  He reached out and kissed my hand.  My heart melted... I think of him daily.” 

Jenny Anderson, Orphan Advocate

Sometimes it can be hard to imagine the hardships that go on around the world.  We sit in our comfortable homes, with pantries full of necessities, and it seems strange that most of the world doesn’t have a pantry, let alone food to fill it.  But for millions of children in Africa this is their reality.  Hunger is a part of their daily lives.  Then add the fact that many of these children are also orphaned, either by death or abandonment… it’s almost more than we can bear.  It’s hard to go there mentally and we protect our hearts by pretending it doesn’t exist.  But it does.  Children are suffering.

Little Ephrem is one of those children.  Born in Ethiopia, his father is now dead and his mother disappeared years ago.  He was taken into his grandmother’s care, but she has struggled to provide for him.  At 4 years old, Ephrem is extremely small for his age, and most likely suffers from a type of growth disorder, though the lack of specialized medical care keeps us from knowing for sure.  And since he has been malnourished most of his life, it is no wonder his health is affected.

Praise the Lord, Ephrem is now enrolled in Lifesong’s Adami Tulu Nursery School, where he is getting two meals a day and seems to be flourishing under the care of his teachers.  His sweet demeanor and precious smile easily capture your heart.

 

Happenings in a Land I'm Missing Today...

Here’s update from Lifesong Ukraine director, Denis Poshelok:

Recently we received many warm scarves and hats for our children at Loubetin Orphanage.  Each scarf and hat was handmade by a group of women from Alabama.  It's getting cold here in Kharkov and these items are a great necessity.  Praise the Lord we now have enough scarves for every child we work with!  Thank you to everyone involved in this work!

A couple months ago we had three additional kids come to our families in Izume.  Two came to Slavik and Natasha (making their total 10 children) and one more came to Voval and Sveyta (giving them 11 in their family).  Three weeks later new furniture (beds, wardrobes, shelves) for Slavik and Natasha's home arrived.  It is good furniture built by our old friend Vladim and is made out of sold wood and veneer.  Kids are so happy to use new beds and mattresses.

Good things are happening in Izume.  As always, we thank our Father for everyone who supports the work at Izume and all of Lifesong Ukraine!"

Last year I got to visit the families in Izume.  Let me tell, you, they are some amazing people.  Slavik and Natasha were in the middle of dealing with 3 children in the hospital with TB and yet Christ still radiated in their lives, even in the midst of great struggle.  My heart is warmed by when I think of them now bringing more children into their home.  So cool!

Thank you, Lifesong staff in Ukraine!  I love and miss you all!  

and maybe I'll see you in 2011... (wink wink, boss.)

Liberia

Here's an update from our Lifesong Liberia director, Bishop Emmanuel Jones:

Our newest school in Marshall is progressing smoothly with 84 students and 5 teachers.  This school is the first and only school in the Marshall community (of over 10,000 people) and presently runs from ABC to Grade 3.  There are over 50 children from the community who are attending school for the first time in their lives. 
We have also formed a parent-teacher committee to help us get more involved with the community and to do evangelism as well as creating an opportunity for community transformation.

Our second distribution of relief materials, which was shipped by Lifesong, took place over the Liberian Thanksgiving weekend.  Each of the children received a bag for their clothing, a blanket, 3 sets of clothing, a pair of slippers, and a camper cup. More distributions will take place this month at hospitals and old folks’ homes by the orphans as a way of learning how to share their blessings with others.

Lifesong Liberia celebrated its 1st anniversary this month.  Our schools held an All Schools Day which brought together all of our schools on November 22 as part of a celebration.  We were blessed with special guests from America, Andy Lehman and liaisons, Keith and Kay Knapp. 

Life at the orphanages is much better than a year ago but daily problems are always abounding.  We are able in a small way to make beauty out of ashes.

 

Have a great tuesday, everyone!

Exceeding Abundantly Above...

We had the joy of partnering with Jeremy and Kristi this spring in their domestic adoption of little Adilynn Grey. 

  

"As the Apostle Paul said, our God 'is able to do exceeding abundantly above' anything we can ask or even imagine!  The miracle of adoption and our precious baby girl have been examples of this in our lives."           -Jeremy & Kristi 

Thanks Jeremy & Kristi for sharing your story with us.  It's an honor to able to walk part of this journey with you.  Praying that God continues to work in your family 'exceeding abundantly above' all that you can expect, imagine or hope for.

Lives are Being Transformed

 Vanya from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

I remember the first time I saw Vanya because there was something different about him. Yes, he was the only black kid in the whole orphanage, but more than that, there was something about his eyes that intrigued me.  
 
"Vanya is a smart kid." Denis, our director, told us. "He was abandoned as a newborn. His parents were students at the university and he is very smart." 
 
I smiled at him and he smiled back. His outgoing personality was evident as he tried his hand at English.  I met a lot of kids at that summer camp in 2004, but Vanya is the one I remember.  

-Marla Ringger, Orphan Advocate

Click here to read more about Vanya. Lifesong Ukraine. Changed Lives.