Brush to Berries-Zambia & GIVEAWAY!!

Brush to Berries from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

"Simply giving this person money is treating the symptoms rather than the underlying disease and will enable him to continue with his lack of self-discipline... a better solution would be to develop a relationship that says, we are here to walk with you and to help you use your gifts and abilities to avoid being in this situation in the future'" (An excerpt from the book, When Helping Hurts)

Lifesong is serving the people of Zambia... the orphaned, the at-risk, and the poor... by utilizing the land that is, like the people, so full of potential. Lifesong farms-Zambia reaped its first strawberry harvest in June, and local grocers have been purchasing the berries. With additional acres to farm, we are hoping to process some of the berries and begin marketing Lifesong Farms Strawberry Jam.

By harvesting fruit, we are able to serve more orphans by providing the gift of a job at Lifesong's gardens and self worth to an orphan's caregiver. We are also able to provide future employment for our kids as they transition into adult living, develop a system to raise funds to help cover operational costs, and develop expertise that can be replicated in multiple countries where Lifesong serves. Most of all, we are seeking to glorify Jesus as we teach others how He walked.  

**GIVEAWAY:

1st PRIZE: We are giving away a 1-night hotel stay for the LIVE ORPHAN SUNDAY event in Kansas City!!! Let me just tell you, this event will be FABULOUS!!!

2nd PRIZE: We are giving away FREE Gobena Coffee for 1 year - 2 lbs per month shipped straight to your home.

 

HOW do you enter? Well, I'm glad you asked! There are several ways to enter. PLEASE LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT ON THIS POSTING FOR EACH ENTRY, including your email address so we are able to contact you!!!

1. Share how the Lord is working in and through your adoption/orphan care ministry (1 entry)

2. Re-post this Zambia blog posting on YOUR blog to share what the Lord has been doing at Lifesong Zambia (1 entry)

3. Tell us about an Orphan Sunday event you had or attended in the past (1 entry)

4. Tell us your plans for THIS YEAR's Orphan Sunday on Nov. 6th (1 entry)

5. Re-post this on your facebook wall (1 entry)

6. Re-post this on your twitter page (1 entry)

7. Ask your friend(s) to post on THEIR blogs, facebook, or twitter and tell us YOU sent them (1 entry)

8. Tell us what you think about the 'Brush to Berries' video - what moved you, what stood out to you, what are you excited about? (1 entry)

9. Become a fan on facebook here (1 entry)

10. Send an email to info AT lifesongfororphans DOT org asking to receive our monthly updates (1 entry)

PLEASE leave a separate comment on this post for EACH entry, including your email address so we are able to contact you!

***Giveaway starts immediately and ends at midnight on Monday, October 3rd.

Upcoming Events

Hello bloggy world,

Here's a few upcoming events that may catch your eye. For more events, check out the Lifesong calendar frequently!  

Empowered To Connect, together with Show Hope, hosts the Empowered To Connect Conference — a two-day conference for adoptive and foster parents, ministry leaders and professionals designed to help them better understand how to connect with children from hard places in order to help them heal and become all that God desires for them to be. The next Empowered To Connect Conference will be on September 23-24, 2011, in Nashville, Tennessee at Brentwood Baptist Church.

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Connecting Community Crafters for Global Good! 

Crafts for a Cause is newly established initiative. The structure is simple! The booth fee, silent auction proceeds, and concessions are all donated to our sponsored cause!

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Join us October 21-22 in Phoenix for Together for Adoption Conference 2011. Over 1,200 people will gather together at Redemption Church (Gilbert Campus) to explore the theme Missional Living, the Gospel and Orphan Care. One of our primary objectives for this year’s conference is to create a forum to consider the good news of the Gospel, explore its implications for how we think about and implement orphan care strategies, and discuss how we can move toward greater collaboration as the people of God for the sake of orphans worldwide.

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The Tapestry Conference is completely free!  But even though it is free, we believe the breadth and quality of the conference is truly outstanding. 

We can't wait to see what the Lord has in store through these fabulous events!

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.

God will use YOU mightily!

GOD WILL USE YOU MIGHTILY!

a letter to the children left behind in Africa 

Someday God will use you.  He will not leave you as orphans.  Please God, You can do it.  Oh yes, God, He will go to them someday and He will love them.

I know that it is hard for kids to go without eating food the way I was in Africa.  My life was very bad.  I know there are other boys and girls still without families.  God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son will give you grace and mercy and peace.  he will be with us because we love the truth.

I will not forget about you kids.  I've been praying for you every day.  My dream is you.

When I was in Africa, I was the one who cooks and cleans and everything and God told my mommy to come and get me and she wanted to be my mommy.  If you see me now I am having a good time with my family.  I am having a good life with my nice and beautiful family forever.  I have the best family forever and ever.  Maybe God has a place for you.  I am always praying for you kids.  

Whenever I think about you, you make me cry.  He is going to give you a new family.  God bless you." - Mercy Mihnovich, Age 9, Adopted from Ethiopia in 2010

"I love my family so much!  I remember that God has chosen us to be with my family - from bad life to good life.  I am thankful for everything that God gave me."

*To sign up to receive the Both Hands quarterly newsletter, please send an email to info@lifesongfororphans.org