Give Thanks to God for You - Lifesong India

We are blessed to share this update from Bob Stoll,  Lifesong India liaison,

"You deserve a sincere thank you for your faithful participation in this ministry. Your prayers, gifts and obedience to the Holy Spirit have encouraged us and made possible a notable miracle in the multitudes of lives which have been changed spiritually, materially and physically.

Receiving Christmas presents

It has been a blessed privilege for Siromani and me to be a voice communicating on behalf of the kids in India.  It is also our duty toassure you of their appreciationfor the blessing you have provided year after year for more than thirty-four years. We have gladly undertaken this responsibility because we believe this is our calling for God's glory.

You have built six homes where you are providing total care to 570 children. They receive a new set of clothes at Christmas (enjoy the Christmas pictures!), education through college, food, toilet articles, and Bibles.

Christmas Celebration

You have also been faithful to provide continual help to nearly 60 poor pastors and gospel workers, 130 indigent widows and elderly and have built nearly 40 new churches for remote village congregations.

We send their sincere thanks and our to you and assure you that our friends in India 'pray for you and give thanks to God for you every day.'" 

Family Friday: David & Erica

(Photo by: Nina Mullins Photography)

I don't know about you, but this picture speaks a thousand words to me. Words like love. Ransom. Family. Joy. Excitement. Hope. Belonging.

I still remember receiving this picture last May from Erica and how it spoke to me. In that moment, God spoke deeply into my heart and urged me to stop and in stillness reflect on this picture, causing me to realize His deep love and how He choose to adopt ME into His family...

Listen in as David & Erica, who were blessed with a matching grant from the James Fund in partnership with Lifesong for Orphans, share some of the thousand words that come out of this special picture:

God used the ministry of The James Fund to bless our family and help bring Zahra Reign home forever.  When God called us to adopt again we knew it wouldn't be an easy task financially, although this was our second adoption we were once again in a new kind of uncharted territory.  Fundraising. 

God used our fundraising journey to show us more of himself, His love for us and for His children.  It allowed us to see the body of Christ at work in a tangible way on behalf of us and our precious daughter.  Over and over again God moved in HUGE ways to confirm to us that we were to stay the course and trust Him to provide.  When we saw our daughter on a waiting child list and knew she was meant to be ours--it was a bit overwhelming knowing what would be ahead of us financially.  God again confirmed His provision for us and for Zahra.  We moved forward in faith requesting her file and saying YES to this precious four year old little one.  The money needed each step of the way was never late, rarely early, always right on time.  Through our James Fund Grant and the amazing support of our Lifesong Family we were given the opportunity to not only have a tax deductible option for donors but a match for the money donated.  This was a HUGE provision for us, making it possible to complete our adoption. 

Here we are months later: Zahra is thriving, we are so blessed to parent this precious little girl, celebrating her life, and watching the redemption process as she learns about the love of a family.  She is speaking more and more English, adapting to her new surroundings, loving her siblings, and soaking in every moment.  We cannot thank everyone enough for what God is doing in and through the James Fund & Lifesong for Orphans ministry.  We are truly humbled and blessed.

-David & Erica

Thank you so much David & Erica for letting us share in this exciting journey and be reminded of the great Father who adopted us!

James 1:27...literally

 

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27

It is our joy to partner with Both Hands Foundation to create an avenue for adoptive families, churches, and youth groups to live out James 1:27 in a very literal way.  By working on a widow's home, these individuals raise funds through Lifesong to bring an adopted child home or to partner in one our orphan care country initiatives.

Excited to share with you another example of what James 1:27 can look like through Josh & Kathryn's project they headed up to raise funds to bring their two children home from Ethiopia.  

(filmed & produced by Matt Wilson)

Want to know more? Visit the Both Hands Foundation website to see how YOU can live out James 1:27!

2011 Highlights & Year-End Giving

Lifesong projects impact 3,000+ orphaned & vulnerable children each year.  

The Lord has continued to lead Lifesong this year in ways that we could not have imagined!  

Here is a glimpse:

·       Created 45 jobs for orphan’s caregivers through micro-lending & sustainable Strawberry Farm in Zambia

·       Installed 59 computer systems in Honduras, giving skills to break cycle of unemployment thank you RetailROI!

·       84 children now have their FIRST school in 14 years (due to civil war) in Marshall, Liberia

·       Completed 100^th repair of a widow’s home & hit $1,000,000 mark in adoption funding through Both Hands partner

·       Helped 638 children become adopted into US Christian families, removing financial barriers through Adoption Grants & Loans (disbursed over $3,500,000 in adoption funding)

·       Our joy to partner with 167 churches through Adoption Funds & Orphan Care initiatives in 32 states

·       Launched Adoption without Borders (indigenous adoption) in Ukraine and have helped 120+ Ukrainian orphans become adopted by Ukrainian Christian parents

·       Helped Sergey, Andrei and several other Ukrainian orphans launch a landscaping business w/ over 1,000 plants (job skills & sustainability)

·       Sveta and 835 other children have been mentored through Constant Christian Presence

·       Now helping 550 orphans & vulnerable children through education & feeding programs in Ethiopia

·       Renovated 15 foster agency waiting rooms to help foster kids feel loved through“Project Sunshine”

Thank you for prayers, giving & your heart for orphaned and vulnerable children around the world.

You can DONATE NOW! (tax-deductible), a year-end gift before 11:59pm on December 31st! 

100% of your donation goes directly to orphan needs – absolutely ZERO administrative costs are deducted (paid for by TMG Foundation). 

2011 Gifts of Purpose from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

COMPLETELY in AWE!

Do you remember that Hope Ethiopia:100 challenge we gave you? The one where YOU all completely exceeded our goals? 

And that one phone call where an AMAZING donor committed to match ALL donations (up to $130,000) to Lifesong Ethiopia through the end of 2011?

Well, we found out about that donor on November 17th! That's 45 days to raise $130,000... which made this goal seem next to impossible... in OUR eyes! However, as you all know... GOD had different plans for THESE kids - 

and these kids - 

Plans that we could never had imagined... plans to give them hope and a future! 

Thanks to an AMAZING TEAM of individuals and their fundraising efforts, coupled with the provision of our Lord, THE MATCH HAS BEEN MET! Did you hear me? All ONE HUNDRED THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS has been donated for the children at the Adami Tulu and Ziway, Ethiopia schools! 

We stand in complete awe of our MIGHTY Jehovah Jireh! 

Thank you fundraising team for your efforts, for the way you never stop advocating for these children, and for our faith in our Lord God Almighty to provide for ALL of their needs! 

Thank you donors who stepped up to the challenge and did not let the dollar amount get in the way... but trusted that EVERY one of your dollars mattered! 

Thank you to all of you who advocated for these children, pray for them, and have invested in their lives... it will surely be an invest with an eternal reward! 

**For those of you who were wanting to give towards this project but haven't quite done so yet, it's not too late... you can still help! Any giving towards Ethiopia now can help us fund the daily costs of 500 children per year ($180 p/yr, p/child)!

Check the Adami Tulu site often to learn more about The Project, the fundraising priorities, and what's in store for 2012!