There is so much to look forward to at the start of a New Year. Fresh starts, new opportunities, trips to plan, goals to reach and the potential of so many amazing things as you look at the days ahead. Have you also considered what you could do to change a vulnerable child’s life this year?
2015 has been an incredible year and we praise God for the incredible growth in the children we serve and the new initiatives developed that continue to change lives. Here are a few of the highlights:
Our child development staff has been hard at work creating new initiatives for our Home of Hope children. They have started regular day seminars that cover a range of age-appropriate topics and are working on an individual basis with our children to ensure they are receiving the educational and emotional support they need. In addition, they have created a rotating library to be shared between families and are brainstorming new projects for 2016!
This year has been a huge step forward for a small Ethiopian business (Moriya) that now employs 11 women. They were living in complete desperation – doing whatever it took just to survive and support their children. They are now empowered to work with dignity and have hope for their family’s future. In 2015, the business expanded its online presence, inventory is now sold through many new channels and the product offering has expanded in both quality and variety! Check out the online store here.
2015 has been full of some incredible events across the U.S. From orphan care conferences to moving presentations from Stephanie Fast, benefit auctions, gospel sings and much more – it’s been a busy year. We are grateful for the opportunities to represent the voice of the most vulnerable with churches, groups and individuals across the country.
In 2015, the Welsh campus was expanded to include a two-story church and school for Home of Hope families, their children and those in the surrounding community. Construction is finishing up, and the students are excited to be in the building very soon!
LSM continues to work with families interested in pursuing adoption. Although the international adoption scene is changing dramatically, we are still providing information, support and guidance for couples and individuals interested in learning more about their options. We are also providing resources for those considering adoption through the foster care system. You can learn more here.
None of these initiatives could have happened without you and your support. Together, our efforts are creating long-term change in the lives of vulnerable children around the world. We look forward to what God has in store for 2016!
This week, a small work team is spending time in Welsh, Haiti. They are putting the finishing touches on a new school for two of our Homes of Hope in the area as well as the surrounding community. They are working hard to wire the campus for solar power and are making great progress! Not only that, but the team’s expertise as electricians is being passed on to our Haitian staff and several of our Home of Hope boys in the process!
Have you ever read O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi? The young starring couple, Mr. and Mrs. James Dillingham Young (or Jim and Della) want to give each other a special gift for Christmas, but they can’t afford anything worthy of the other. They sell their most prized possessions to buy their spouse something that will go perfect with… the others’ most prized possession. In the end, the narrator relates it back to the precious gifts of the wise men found in the Gospels.
As Home of Hope kids are growing up, the LSM staff in Haiti is working to provide opportunities for the kids to learn new skills along the way. One of their newest projects at the homes is gardening.
Families are given a start-up set which includes gardening tools, supplies and seeds to help the family construct a raised block bed for a variety of vegetables and plants.
by Jen Schwartz, Adoption Resource & Child Development Program Coordinator
We see brief snapshots into an orphan’s life. Images of starving children, those who are too young defending themselves in the streets around the world float across our screens. We see hands that reach out to steal food in hopes of surviving another day and children whose pain is so strong because they are hopeless against hands that abuse. We see hearts that do not know laughter, safety or God’s love.
Helping the orphans of the world certainly requires much faith, patience, and stamina. It starts with only one. And for your impact in the life of that one child, it can be a beautiful, redemptive journey!
This week, Stephanie Fast shared her amazing story at Grace Church in Mahomet, IL. As an adult adoptee, global orphan advocate and inspiring storyteller, Stephanie speaks on behalf of millions of children who are still abandoned and vulnerable today. (Read more about her journey here.)
November is National Adoption Month. Through the next few weeks we will be sharing resources, stories and insights from our adoption team and other partner organizations. As we talk about the different facets of adoption, please join us in prayer for families who are considering adoption. Through well-researched information and the support of the local church, we pray that many more vulnerable children will be brought into a loving family through adoption!
Don’t you love sitting around the living room with your family at Christmas? There’s something perfectly cozy in the midst of the packages and twinkle lights as you pause to read the Christmas Story together. We love this image of the family sharing the ultimate message of hope together. We are so grateful that hundreds of children in Haiti and Ethiopia will share their own versions of this picturesque moment together as they celebrate Jesus’ birth.
This year, we hope you can make this family moment especially meaningful with the chance to give special Gifts of Hope! Whether you’re gathered around the table talking about the new bikes you’re providing for the children in Haiti or the school supplies you’re providing for a child in Ethiopia, we hope these gift opportunities help you share the ultimate message of hope with your own family.