Hello!

How pathetic is it that I haven't posted since last year??!! Man time sure flies! Trying to keep up as a full-time mom, wife, employee, student, and mentor is HARD!! Sorry, blogger just had to get erased from the list! Maybe, just maybe, I can add blogger back when I GRADUATE next month! Yes, that is what I said - I have two more weeks of class and I'm done! YEAH! I wondered if it would ever happen, but I think I can make it! :)
We have experienced an amazing adoption story through our friends the Ucherek's and now our friends the Duncan's are adopting! We are so excited so I wanted to share their blog with you so that you can be encouraged by their journey. Check out www.itsalwaysbeenindia.blogspot.com

Hope to blog with you soon!!

Show the love of Christ to a child in need this Christmas!

What are you doing this year for Christmas?

Decorating the house? Making Christmas cookies? Celebrating with family and loved ones? Exchanging gifts?

What if this year you gave gifts that not only celebrated your loved ones but brought the love of Christ to a child in need? An orphan in Africa, India, Ukraine, or Honduras?

This year Lifesong for Orphans has gifts that will do just that. Give the new Lifesong cookbook...

or give a child in Africa food, a child in Honduras job skills training, a child in India a home... in honor of those you love... and really, what could be better at Christmas than to know your gift was given to a child who needed it more.

Check it out here.

May God bless your holiday season!


10-11 Gifts of Purpose from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

GIVEAWAY!

This week, you have TWO chances to be entered in a giveaway for a FREE Lifesong for Orphans t-shirt! Lifesong will be debuting 2 new colors (chocolate brown for men and red for women) and are offering to give away 2 shirts before they are available for sale!

Here’s how to enter:
#1: Go to the Lifesong blog posting from Monday and guess how many children are no longer orphans that Lifesong helped to bring home through financial assistance.

#2: Leave a comment on Friday’s posting about how we can creatively work together as the body of Christ to care for orphans around the world! Here's what you do... share with us your ideas. Leave a comment... maybe about a ministry your church is involved in... or a family you helped support financially to adopt.

Maybe you have this aMAZing idea that has been just waiting to get out and be put in action. Here's your chance! Let's inspire each other to rise up on behalf of orphans!

“With this in mind, take some time to walk through your house and ask God what he would have you do with your part of the 200 million orphans worldwide, most of whom may never hear the gospel, much less have it lived out in a loving family of their own.” – Greg Lucas

Hey my bloggy friends! I had to take a minute to share something that I learned last week - something that I hadn't thought about before - something that made me realize even more how powerful our God is and that His Word is exactly how He wants it to be.

First, let me ask you a question - if you were starting a church, would you begin by setting up a plan of policies for the church to function or would you share the doctrine of the Holy Word first and then figure out the policies?

As we look at the letter's that Paul wrote, the growth of the church is based on right teaching over policy.

Paul teaches about doctrine in all of his first letters and then talks about church leaders and policy in Timothy and Titus at the end of his life. Obviously, the most important information in causing the church to grow was the doctrine!

Hope this can be a great reminder to all of us to always put doctrine over policy!

Thank you Pastor Dick!! :)

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

     

Alvin was born in a Liberian refugee camp in The Republic of Ghana, Africa.  His mother fled there during the civil war in Liberia.  Sadly, while she was in Ghana her family was killed in Liberia.  Alvin’s father died in the refugee camp before he was born.

In 2007, When Alvin was 4 years-old, he and his mother returned to Liberia.  There she began attending church and quit drinking.  Two years later, a few days before Christmas, she began vomiting and was admitted to a hospital with malaria.  Soon after, she died.

Alvin now lives at Lifesong Liberia's Master's Home of Champions.

You can help a child like Alvin. You can feed a child like Alvin.

Our goal is 70 people. $28 a month. One year commitment.

We have 44. 26 to go!

Will you join us in bringing joy and purpose to orphans?

Contact us at info@lifesongfororphans.org to make your commitment! 

  

Quita is 5 years old.  During the disarmament time, rebels came to her village and took all the men, including her father.  She never saw her father again.  Later it was discovered that these men were taken to a bridge where they were shot and thrown into the river.

Her mother ran to the Salala district with the other villagers for refuge.   There she later got sick and became paralyzed.  Last year Quita’s mother died and Quita was taken to the Lifesong Liberia's Home of Champions.  When she grows up she wants to be a medical doctor and help children.

Isn't it amazing that at 5 years old she's thinking about how someday she can help other children?

How can we help children today?

We're asking for a monthly commitment of $28 for one year.

Twenty-eight dollars...

- eating out at that new restaurant

- the shirt you've had your eye on

- a date night to the movies

- those pillows that would just look sooo good on your sofa.

I won't lie, making this commitment will require some sacrifice.  But trust me.  The sacrifice is always worth the reward.

What can you sacrifice for a child like Quita?

Our goal is 70 people.  $28 a month.  One year commitment.

We have 36 commitments, 34 to go!

Join us in bringing joy and purpose to orphans!

Contact us at info@lifesongfororphans.org to commit! 

This summer our church had their annual VBS program. We had the kids raise money to support a Vacation Bible Camp at Lifesong Liberia. Well, the response of these 5-11 year olds brought tears to my eyes. We heard stories about kids doing extra chores around the house and emptying their piggy banks. One child even asked if this year's Christmas money could go to helping these children across the world! wow!

That week we raised more than double what we needed! That same week our Liberia director, Emmanuel Jones, discovered another orphanage that needed our help. Another orphanage where the children were starving. Another orphanage that we could help with extra money raised by children in Illinois.

Amazing! God's timing is so good, isn't it?

We announced to the kids that their money would not only give Liberian children a Bible camp to attend, but would also provide food and shelter for over 25 more children! Oh the cheers that filled the Sunday School room that evening. They whooped and hollered. I cried. God is good!

2010 Liberia VBS from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

Over 360 children attended!

67 children dedicated their lives to Christ!

75 adults came, and 11 of them received Christ!

Bishop Emmanuel Jones writes:

It was heart touching and very moving to watch for three days. I saw the children change in a dramatic way in their relationship with God and with each other.

The camp was profound and the children left very encouraged and blessed. We have started a church in the community in order to continue discipleship and follow up with these new believers."

But this was only the beginning. Now, with more children we have more cost. Funds are tight and we need help.

Here's the exciting part. If we surpass our goal of 70 sponsors we can take in more children! Children who would otherwise be turned away!

Our goal is 70 people. $28 a month. One year commitment.

We currently have 25 commitments... 45 to go in just 3 days!

Can we do it? With your help we can!

Join us in bringing joy and purpose to orphans.

Contact us at info@lifesongfororphans.org to commit!