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.

† Can You Help?

Please visit this sweet family's blog and if you feel led to give, please donate to help this mama get to her sweet baby boy. His name is Keshawn and he is such a cutie. I found their link through another bloggy friend and discovered they will be traveling to pick up Keshawn in just a few short weeks but still need a bit of funding for travel expenses. They need $2,500 to cover their travel to Ethiopia on the 28th. If you are unable to 'chip-in' financially through the fundraiser link on their blog at least take the time to stop and pray for their family. Pray for the funding to come, for travel mercies and for a safe journey home with their beautiful son. Thank you!!!

Please visit their blog:

Nations Around Our Table

Romans 12: 8

If it is encouraging, let him encourage;

if it is contributing to the needs of others,

let him give generously;

if it is leadership, let him govern diligently;

if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

† National Adoption Month • Day 2

Promo for "3 by 3 by 3" Documentary from David Watson on Vimeo.

The video from the Weimer family can also be found on their blog Blessings from Ethiopia. What an awesome family.

• Day 2 •
Today, pray for your pastor to have guidance and provision as he seeks to follow the Lord's commands to care for orphans.

† 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?

† 147 Million

Most people will tell you when they begin their journey to adopt that they don't have the money, but God will provide. Which in every situation I have heard about or read about there's not one single family that has complained that they couldn't do it. That God didn't help them.

There are 147 Million orphans in the world. You may not be able to save them all, but you can save one. If you don't feel led to save one (or perhaps two!) on your own.... you can save dozens, hundreds even! By supporting those that choose to adopt in other ways. Today is one of those opportunities.

147 Million Orphans is a site designed by two mothers with 13 children who are bringing orphans home and giving them a family and feeding those left behind waiting for families. They are running a special for the next 48 hours before they launch a new 'web store' selling t-shirts, bags and more to raise funds for adoption expenses. Check them out, buy a great tee and support the children. I bought two! :) LOVE the designs! Plus, it would make a great gift for someone and Christmas time is a'comin! Blessings today.

Advocating....
Renea

† New Blogs

I know we all have plenty to do no matter what our day involves, but sometimes you just gotta stop and smell the roses... I mean read the blogs! :) They are daily inspiration for me and sometimes devotional, and almost always just a chance to bring a little extra joy into my life. Hope you find this week's blogs as inspiring as I did!

• Do They Have Salsa in China? These twin girls crack me up!!! They will keep you smiling and laughing for days just remembering the funny things they do and say. From their post this morning "No Man" I literally LOL...yep, I started laughing out loud and Tanner ask what was so funny.
• Blessings From Ethiopia has many posts that make you think. The questions and doubts you may have about family size, or birth order, sibling groups, older kids adoption, these people have it down pat. :) They had three biological children and then adopted a sibling group of three. Then ANOTHER sibling group of three. Nine children. They are amazing and a blessing to read their blog.
• Blessed is a family of 9. Seven children total, only two birth children and the rest born in their hearts. Joy has some amazing posts, one of which you'll need to scroll down for when she was ask by a checkout clerk in the store if she treats her children differently because some are adopted. I myself have to remember that people only ask questions like this because they don't know. It's our job to enlighten others and advocate for adoption. It's a wonderful gift from God, just as our own biological children are.