Project Sunshine - The Forgotten Initiative

Just had to share with you these AMAZING before & after pictures from a recent Project Sunshine in Peoria, IL. A Project Sunshine is an outreach of The Forgotten Initiative (partnered with Lifesong for Orphans) who seeks to bring joy & purpse to the foster care community.

Project Sunshine gives an 'extreme make-over' to foster care agencies rooms that are used for foster care children to bring a smile not only to children, families, and foster parents, but to the caseworkers as well!

Take a look at some of these!

BEFORE...

AFTER...

(pictures by Kristi Zobrist)

Wow! We are impressed! To learn more about The Forgotten Initiative and how you can be involved visit their website here.

Updates from Lifesong Zambia

We are blessed to give you an update from Lifesong Zambia from Leslie Ringger,

Our new school year began with 2 new grades and 4 new teachers.  We are also very excited to introduce a new curriculum that emphasizes Biblical teaching.

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The rainy season is in full swing bringing with it a wave of malaria to our students and staff at Lifesong School.  What a blessing to be able to provide free medical care to all at our school.

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We currently have 4 boys living with a foster family on campus.  Because of this program they have been taken out of homes of abuse/neglect and are given a chance to learn what a healthy family looks and feels like.

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In the next few weeks we will be introducing our Caregiver Empowerment Program where our students’ caretakers will have the opportunity to learn skills such as:

- Vaseline making

- Dying fabrics

- Clay working

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Last term ended with a special Christmas performance.  Over 120 parents and caretakers showedup for the event to give their children support. The event was a hit with a christmas play, songs, and a little dancing just for fun.

A Day in the Life -- Lifesong Liberia

Meet Andrew.  Andrew was 9 years old when he came into the loving care of Lifesong Liberia 'Home of Champions' School & Orphanage.  Andrew was rescued from the Belle Forest, a 'refuge' where many Liberians ran to during the 14-year civil war that ended 9 years ago.  A war that took the lives of over 500,000 Liberians.  Inhabitants of the Belle Forest still believe that the war is going on and because of their fear have never left it's barren bush.  This has left many hungry, uneducated, fatherless children...children like Andrew who come to the home in a terrible condition... starving, lost and alone.

But we know that beauty can come from ashes. Joy from the place of mourning. Praise instead of despair. Home instead of a wasteland. Family replacing loneliness. Isn't this how our God works? Andrew is just one more example of how our God delights in transforming a life through His great love for us and for the splendor of His own glory!

"...he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning,  festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory..." Isaiah 61:3

Learn more about how YOU can sponsor a child like Andrew today! Click here.  

Adopt an Orphanage - Sveta's Story

Inviting you to create more 'Sveta stories' through your church! We don't want you to miss out on this.... 

It is our honor & joy to partner with churches in adoption funding as their families provide homes, families, a sense of belonging, and the love of Christ Jesus to orphans all around the world.  For each precious child that is adopted into a loving family, there are so many children that are not adopted. Children around the world that are longing for family or just the love from someone that knows their name and their story.

We would like to give churches the opportunity to help care for orphans who may never be adopted.  You can help them through our Orphan Care programs.  In each orphanage, we are providing Christian mentors whose purpose is to build trusting, loving relationships with the children--the ultimate goal of guiding them toward fruitful Christian lives. While Lifesong is helping to "bring joy and purpose to orphans" - the job is too big for us to do alone....we need your help. We invite you to participate in what God is doing on behalf of the fatherless through the "Adopt-an-Orphanage" program.

Would you and your church family to prayerfully consider making a 2-3 year commitment to "adopt" one specific orphanage/facility? This "Adopt-an-Orphanage" commitment could include:

• Yearly Mission Trips
• Letter-writing sponsorship (we'll translate for you!)
• Finanically support ministry

Want to see how it works? Check out video that creatively depicts our 'Adopt-an-Orphanage' program...

Thank you again for your faithful partnership to bring joy & purpose to orphans! May God continue to bless and grow your ministry for His glory.

Join our Prayer - Lifesong Ukraine

We are blessed to share this update from Dennis Poshelok, Director of Lifesong Ukraine,

...we had a great small event at the camp for 20 kids from Zap orphanage and 10 Zap volunteers and staff, including the Director Larissa. The Director really liked our camp and thanked all of us for such a great work we do with the kids and ministry! Enjoy the photos and join our prayer for thefuture of these children. They need God's mercy! We also thank you for being involved in the ministry which change lives.

Olya, our Matvievka CCP, with the girls before the bed time

We encourage you to look into the eyes and faces of these children and young adults and pray for God's powerful Spirit to be in their hearts as they are mentored and ministered to by the Lifesong staff in Ukraine.

First day, having just arrived at camp

"...the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." James 5:16b