Back to School! - Lifesong Ethiopia

**New Opportunity** We invite you to share a word of encouragement to our staff at Lifesong Ethiopia. To do so, please comment on this blog or on our Facebook wall and it will be forwarded to our staff. Thank you in advance for your kind words of support!   Please enjoy this update on the upcoming school year in Lifesong Ethiopia from Gary Ifft, "For the upcoming school year, we will be registering approximately 150 Nursery School students, as well as other students to round out a couple of classes.   When registering students, we take the orphans and most vulnerable children first.  Then we make sure there are half boys and half girls.  On top of that we seek a mix of Protestant, Orthodox, and Muslim children.  We are a school with Christian values with the students memorizing Bible verse, having daily prayers, Bible readings and scriptural lessons each morning.  With this Christian influence, many of our Muslim and Orthodox students become Christians and even take the message of the Gospel home to their families. With this large increase of approximately 180 students, we need to hire more staff-teachers, feeding program workers, aides, etc. And, thanks to some generous benefactors, we should have a computer lab outfitted with 19 laptops in the near future.  Our students will be the first in our part of the country to have computer education.  The construction work continues to proceed on schedule both schools in Ziway and Adami Tulu (see pictures below)."   Adami Tulu School Ziway School   Please continue to pray for Lifesong Ethiopia and the students as they start a new school year!

Orphan Sunday Inspiration!

Orphan Sunday is just around the corner and it's never too early to start planning. November 4th will be a day celebrated nationwide in honor of adoption, orphan care and foster care.

But like all events there is a lot of planning, research, time & energy involved. Wouldn't it be great to have all the information you needed to host an Orphan Sunday event all in one place? 

We would like to introduce to you OrphanSunday.org.  This website is packed with resources from some incredible orphan/adoption/foster care organizations so you can pull off an event that will engage your church community.

We will be highlighting resources such as Partnership Packages, The Orphan's Table and many more! Stay tuned!

Where Are They Now? - Plan Escalon Graduates

Please enjoy this video produced by Plan Escalon students featuring graduates in 'Life after Plan Escalon'...

Isn't it beautiful to see former students like Elmer, Marvin, Santos and Doris 'change their nation' by the education and spiritual discipleship they received from Plan Escalon/Lifesong Honduras?  

Honduras has a 30% national employment rate, yet Plan Escalon students have achieved more than twice that reaching 70% employment rate after graduation.

Praise God for finishing what He has started in the lives of these four young men and women and may He continue to work in the hearts of the current students.

  

To see another 'Life after Plan Escalon' story, click here or to learn more about how you can become involved in helping Plan Escalon's new building project, click here. 

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."  Philippians 1:6

How Death Brought Life -- One Changed Life

Losing a parent may be one of the most devastating moments a child could possibly experience. Yet, so often in the midst of sorrow and ashes, our Father God delights in shining even brighter amidst the darkness.

Tania was only nine years old when she lost her father.  He had suffered from a long-term kidney disease that finally took his life.

Leaving Tania's mother a widow with six children, it was nearly impossible to make ends meet while trying to feed and educate her children. 

With no where else to turn, Tania's mother made the decision to send Tania and her siblings to Plan Escalon (partner of Lifesong Honduras), who helped those who do not have the means to pay for education.  At Plan Escalon, Tania and her siblings are receiving a quality education while hearing the gospel message of Christ!

Because of those who have invested in her at Plan Escalon, Tania desires to go to college after graduation and continue her studies to be a teacher. Her desire is to provide education classes for children (once like herself) who need to escalate out of poverty and have a future.

Tania...One Changed Life.

"...a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair." Isaiah 61:3

"Poor" Kids Come Out on Top -- Lifesong Zambia

**New Opportunity** We invite you to share a word of encouragement to our staff at Lifesong Zambia. To do so, please comment below and it will be forwarded to our staff. Thank you in advance for your kind words of support! 

We are blessed to share this update from Lifesong Zambia from missionary Shane McBride,

Do you remember back in your elementary and high school years when you dreaded THE TEST? The final exam. The one that meant you passed or failed. The test that is gut wrenching and has possibility to change you life. 

Our Grade 7 students are going through that very emotion right now. In Zambia, there are three major exams that every student must pass to move forward in their academic career. This past week, our first ever Grade 7 Students, along with Teacher Erick, went down to the local government school to participate in the MOCK Exams.  Our students were not only nervous about the test, but also about being mixed in with other schools. Our kids were made fun of, as they are know in the community as the "poor" kids.  It's heart breaking, but God is REDEMPTIVE. 

After the final day of exams, Teacher Erick was grading the MOCK Exams for about 40 kids.  As he was tallying the numbers, a smile overtook his face.  His class, the "poor" kids, achieved 7 out of the top 10 positions in the class!! God is so good!!  Blessed are the poor, blessed are the weak, for they will inherit the Kingdom. This was a strong message sent into the community, that God cares for His kids.  

Please join us in praying for our Grade 7 students that they will continue to study and work hard for THE TEST coming up Oct 30th - Nov 2nd.