Mission's Night

You couldn't take one step without seeing a child at Mission's Night, hosted by the Apostolic Christian Church in Bloomington, IL. It was a dynamic evening full of different ministries that this congregation has been supporting.  It was their desire to highlight these ministries and have them connect to their church body in a family friendly way presenting the importance of serving in the Kingdom and how they as families can get involved.

The Lifesong for Orphans "Experience"...

Handprint Wall - showing the 2300 children Lifesong has help bring into families through adoption financial assistance. 

Africa before Lifesong...

Africa after Lifesong...

The Forgotten Initiative

It was so great to connect with the youth and impact their minds and hearts of the importance of working with God for His Kingdom!

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.

 

Rejoicing

Hello all!  I'm coming to you from Music City, visiting my dear friend and fellow orphan advocate, Sandra Ney (who Lifesong is partnering with in her efforts to bring hope to orphans in Cote d'Ivoire, Africa).  This weekend Sandra hosted an orphan awareness day, where we made flower pins to raise money for the children in Cote d'Ivoire.  Here are some shots of the day...

What a success.  Her house has been buzzing ever since, with phone calls and friends stopping by to see how they can help.  Praise the Lord!

The spirit of the weekend totally reminded me of last month's Orphan Sunday, where there were 568 registered events across the US (plus many unregistered events: over 21 in Florida alone)!  And the response didn't end there... at each registered event an average of 539 individuals were challenged to action (ranging from 3 to 5,000)!  And i know more went on that we don't even know about.  Wow.  Thank you to everyone who participated in Orphan Sunday this year.

You know, sometimes it can get so discouraging, feeling like nothing is getting done as fast as I think it should.  I look at the need and wonder how in the world we can even make a dent.

But God is moving mightily in His people to rise up on behalf of the orphaned, and when i look at how Orphan Sunday has become such a powerful tool for awareness... when i look at how a woman in Tennessee is spreading the vision through flower pins... and when i see the response...

then I get excited.  I begin to catch a glimpse of what He is doing behind what I naturally see.  And it is big.

If you have a story of rejoicing, we'd love to hear it.  Maybe an orphan ministry is getting started in your church.  Maybe you finally got your travel date to pick up your child, wherever he or she may be.  Maybe you had an inspiring conversation with a friend and that action you've been praying for is finally about to happen... let us know!  

In Him our hearts rejoice, for we are trusting in His holy name.  Psalm 33:21

Want to know more about the vision in Cote d'Ivoire?  Check out Sandra's blog here.

Not Your Ordinary Sunday...

Adopt an Orphanage from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

Since it was first introduced to the US in 2003, Orphan Sunday has continued to grow. Today the Christian Alliance for Orphans provides a wealth of resources and stories atwww.orphansunday.org, hopeful to inspire the church towards caring for the fatherless. May we, in our wealth, reflect God's heart to those who need it most.

At Lifesong for Orphans, we want to help inspire you to take action this Orphan Sunday. How can you be a part of this movement? Host a prayer group. Teach a Sunday school lesson. Encourage your pastor to preach about orphans. Host a gathering or lecture at your college campus. Take part in a Both Hands project. Serve Gobena coffee at your church. Launch an adoption fund or Adopt an Orphanage program at your church.  Orphan Sunday Partnership Packages are provided online for more ideas and help on how to utilize resources provided by orphan care ministries throughout the country.

November 7, 2010 marks another Orphan Sunday. Another day to focus on the "least of these." Another day to give voice to the voiceless. Another day to bring awareness to the church and inspire action towards a solution. Don't let this day pass without you. 

We have all been adopted into Christ's royal family. Just as we cannot imagine the Gospel without salvation, we cannot tolerate a Christianity that does not welcome the orphan into the family of Christ. On Orphan Sunday, join us to demonstrate the validity of the Gospel through our love for the widow, the poor and the orphan.  

Keith Swartley, Team Leader, Caleb Resources

The Big Build--Update

Check out this video from the Big Build fundraising event benefiting not only the orphan, but also the widow...

 Check out our previous post featuring the Big Build or visit their website.