Visiting Orphans

WOW!!!  Yep, you read that right!  You can win a FREE mission trip to a country of your choice!  Visiting Orphans is giving away a free trip to one lucky winner, and it could be you!  I have to throw in..... I hope it's me! But hey, anyone that can receive an opportunity to practice "Pure Religion" (James 1:27) would be incredible and we live for nothing more than to serve our Lord.

We've had the chance to serve in missions work in Haiti in 2009 and oh what a blessing it was.  Just when you think you are going to help and serve someone else (which you DO!!) the Lord surprises you and blesses you beyond measure.  Some of you have read my posts before on our trip and you can certainly look through the archives and read them.  But what I can tell you is this:  "Once our eyes have been opened, we can't pretend not to know...." (Proverbs 24:12)  Your life will be forever changed and your heart for the orphan will burst with a desire to better serve our Lord.  You will learn exactly what it means by feeling able to “deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Mark 8:34)  

Please visit their site and enter to receive a chance to win. Click HERE to find out how.  You can also check out MY CRAZY ADOPTION and enter the giveaway that's going on there to receive more chances to win!  Good luck!!!  I'm anxious to see who will be serving with visiting Orphans in 2011!!!

So....where will you decide to go?  El Salvador, Costa Rica, Haiti, Ecuador, Honduras, China, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, India, Ukraine 

See what Amanda (the girl in charge at VO!) has to say about WHY they are giving away this trip!

Visiting Orphans Heart from Amanda Lawrence on Vimeo.

† Orphan Sunday

Mark your calendars!!!! November 8th is Orphan Sunday and JHAM will be hosting an open house to share information with our community and surrounding area to raise awareness of the orphan crisis!

We will have presentations from various organizations, informational packets from adoption agencies, speakers that range from agency reps to seasoned adoptive parents. We will even have profiles of waiting children that are available for adoption! You never know when a little face in a photo will steal your heart away! :o)

Date: November 8, 2009
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Grundy County Senior Center
Trenton, Missouri

Please come, share your foster/adoptive experience with others, or if you are interested in adoption pick up some information and contact numbers for those who can get your started on your journey to a new family with one of God's children. We look forward to meeting you!

† What Now?

† Advocating for Ecuador

While visiting with Amanda from Visiting Orphans (VO) about their programs and trying to set our church up with an orphanage in Africa she expressed an immediate need for an orphanage in Ecuador. She has been working closely with their administrators and they have had their funding cut off by their government and are in immediate need of assistance.

If you are a leader in your church with a missions committee or family ministry, or know an organization in your community who could partner with this orphanage for their needs please contact me or Amanda at Visiting Orphans to help. After reviewing their programs at VO and talking with Amanda you simply 'adopt' the orphanage. Your church groups or individuals can make vision or mission trips to the orphanage once a year (or more if you want!) and help with their needs financially as well as other items they may need. For example if something breaks down at the orphanage such as a washer or refrigerator and they don't have the means to repair it, your church group would fund this expense or raise money to help with the costs. You're caring for the children as well as the facility. Cards and letters, pictures can be sent back and forth between your group and the children.

If you are interested in helping and partnering with this orphanage please contact us and we can send you more information and even photos of the children. They are beautiful children!!! I don't know that I can share them here now, but will check with Amanda.

We are commanded by God to help the least of these, and sometimes an effort like this seems like the LEAST we can do.

† Advocating
Renea