Something better...

Imagine living in a house made entirely out of concrete, that heats up like an oven in the hot sun. Imagine a bare lightbulb hanging from the ceiling as your only light.  Imagine having no toilet facilities or running water, but instead getting all your water from a community hand pump.  Imagine having parents who worked in the field, barely able to provide from day to day.  Imagine no hope, growing up in a hope of idolatry and severe poverty.

To Sindhu Babu this kind of life was normal.  It wasn't until he (at age 10) came to Lifesong India that he knew there was something better.  Something far better.

Today, at age 18, Sindhu Babu not only has a hope for a future as he studies to become an electrical engineer... not only does he live in a clean home with clean running water... and not only has he heard the word of God, but in 2003, his parents, who for years worshipped idols, gave their lives to Christ!

Praise God that He continues to replace hope for despair in the nearly six hundred children we work with and their families!

Thank you for your continued prayer and support as we serve children in India!

Family Friday: meet James and Ellen

It's time for

Meet James and Ellen... and their MIGHTY clan!

4th row (yes, this family takes up 4 rows!): David, Ryan, James, Ellen

3rd row: Christy, Molly, Emily, Will, Kelly

2nd row: Amy, Kate

1st row: Meg, Ahna

Hello! (Ellen speaking)

James and I prayed for a year and a half wondering if the Lord wanted us to adopt again.  We had already adopted seven children and five had special needs including hearing impairments, cleft lips and palates, ADHD, and a learning disability.  By the world's standards, we had already done more than our share.

However, after learning about the plight of children in Russia, we decided to pursue a sibling group of two children.  Long story short, the Lord had other plans.   

Another agency told us about a group of five children.  Five children?  Did they think we were crazy?  But James asked me to request the pictures, so I did.  The children were beautiful, but there were so many of them!  In addition, the eldest boy had Dandy-Walker Syndrome resulting in water on the brain.

Our process to adopt these kids was difficult from the beginning.  One of the boys wanted us to adopt him, but was afraid of America.  He asked us to move to Russia.  Though we couldn't do that we fought to adopt him, but the courts denied our request.   We knew, however, that God was the advocate for all of us, so we continued with the adoption of the other four.

Our adoptions became finalized six days before adoptions ended in Russia.  I ended up traveling to Russia alone, not knowing the language, and in an extremely frightening environment.   It wasn't a good situation.  The little girls also struggled with a lot of anger and would hit and kick me every chance they could.  It was an extremely difficult time and I couldn't wait to get home.

A few months after bringing the children home, our new son required emergency brain surgery for a failed shunt.  He should have gone blind, been paralyzed, or died.  But he didn't.  The Lord spared his life.  

Our great God provided a future and hope through the donations that you provided.  We were totally out of money and had no idea how we could have ever found $100,000.00 to pay for the expenses. 

We still have loans to pay off, but without your generosity, there would have been four more children dumped onto the streets of Russia. 

Together, we snatched children out of the hand of the enemy.  To God be the glory!!!"

Wow!  James and Ellen, you guys are amazing!  The journey you have chosen has not been easy, and I'm sure there will continue to be some great challenges in the future, but praise the Lord for His faithfulness and thank you for your obedience to His calling!  The staff here at Lifesong is blessed to be a part of your story!

Look what we found...

 

Well, we're here in Louisville, at the Orphan Summit!  Woohoo!  And last night co-Lifesonger, Leah Gerber, and I came across the church book store.  Upon wondering in we found our very own Gobena coffee!

"Why?" you ask were we at the Summit a day early?  Simply to attend, and volunteer at, a Desperation Band and Meredith Andrews concert (in case you're wondering, we are now officially "in with the band")...

featuring Tom Davis (president of Children's Hope Chest)...

What a GREAT kick-off to a powerful weekend!  

We at Lifesong look forward to the next couple days to meet many of you and hear your stories!  Also if you're wearing a Lifesong t-shirt we would love to get a picture, so don't be alarmed if a crazy looking girl in a yellow LS tee runs up to snap your picture... it's just me.

 

Lifesong Ukraine update

Please enjoy this update from Lifesong Ukraine:

God has blessed us with many opportunities to serve our kids at Zaporozhye. Everyone on our team is healthy and continues to work hard expanding the Kingdom through our CCP efforts.

 

• A few of the Lifesong staff and volunteers recently traveled to Zap to celebrate Matvievka Orphanage's 60th anniversary, where we have been working for the last 6 years.  Director Larisa was excitedthat we came all the way from Kharkov to support them for this event. The orphanage staff, the kids and Lifesong's workers put together an outstanding performance.  Many kids at Matvievka have unique talents and our job is to teach them to use them for Christ. 

• The Zap transitional program for orphanage graduates is growing.  Many older kids at the orphanage are getting ready for graduation and their next transition into the safe, Christian environment of our program, wherethe local church will play a key role.  Please keep them in your prayers.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support as we strive to bring joy and purpose to orphans in Ukraine.

See you at the Summit!

Are you going to the Summit this week in Louisville? We hope so! If it's anything like the years past, it will be an amazing opportunity to be refreshed and connect with others!

Even if you can’t join us in Louisville for Summit VII, we invite you to join us in prayer.  Please pray especially:

• That God would prepare each person coming both to give and to receive much at Summit.
• That the countless details and the myriad of volunteers, speakers, exhibitors, and attendees would all come together smoothly.
• That seeds sown and cultivated at Summit would bear much good fruit—for the fatherless, the Church and God’s glory for decades to come.