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.

It's time to post our winners!

But first...

This weekend was Orphan Sunday.  Many of you took part in events with your church or small groups.  While some of you hosted a major event with speakers and live music, some had an intimate gathering in your home.  Whatever your participation in Orphan Sunday, it is valuable!  Thank you, for taking a stand for orphans around the world!

As for me, I had the blessing of being a part of a small prayer group.  We gathered together Saturday night and talked about ways to serve, experiences we'd had, people and children on our hearts.  And then we prayed.

The cool thing is, this wasn't a huge event.  Just a small group of believers coming together with willing hearts for a cause.  A cause that we believe is at the heart of our Father in Heaven.  And believe me, it was powerful.

So I'm curious.  What did you do this weekend?  Was there something specific that touched you?  Did you have a special program at your church?  What was the response?  Leave us a comment and let us know!  

Alright, and now, since I know you're all just dying to know who our winners are... (i have a video of the LIVE drawing but unfortunately I was unable to load it, so a written announcement will just have to do.)

Give-away #1: Answer this question:

How MANY children has Lifesong helped bring home to date?

the answer is... 1531!

and we had a tie... both guessing 1500, Kim Young and Chris Butler went head to head in a tie-breaking drawing and...

Congratulations Chris!

Give-away #2:

First of all, thank you everyone who participated!  Your comments were great!  

And the winner is...

Congratulations Catalina Booth!

Happy Monday, all, and to our winners: email info@lifesongfororphans.org to get more info on how to receive your new t-shirt!

Who's Excited?

Check out this post at Lifeway's "Kids Ministry 101" blog by adoptive daddy, Jeff(with kiddos and wife, Abbey), complete with a video featuring one cool guy... our vp, Andy Lehman AND a chance to win another (that's right) give-away! 

This blog provides some great resources and has some great thoughts on Orphan Sunday this weekend.  Can you believe it's already upon us?  So who's excited to go out this weekend and pray, worship, and advocate on behalf of orphans?

I know I am.

Have a great weekend, everyone, and next time we meet, i'll be announcing our give-away winners!

Remember, you have till 11:59pm Sunday to comment for a chance to win!

 

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

40 days of prayer

over 140 million orphans.

It's overwhelming.

Sometimes it feels too big to help.

But in our weakness He is strong!

He can overcome!

He is big... enough!

40 days of prayer in preparation for Orphan Sunday.

38 days left.

Will you pray today?

Pray that of the 2 billion Christians in the world, 7% would show hope to a single orphan...

If we did this, there would basically be no more orphans!

For more ideas on how to participate in Orphan Sunday, go to www.orphansunday.org