Helping Families Like You Care for the Vulnerable!

November 9, 2017
, , , , Adoption, Caring for Orphans, Family, LSM

Over the last 15 years, through the time, talents, and treasures of people just like you, we’ve helped 8,000 families navigate the adoption process with personalized resources, all free of charge. We wholeheartedly believe that God has called all of us to care for orphans and vulnerable children. Your prayers and financial support allow us to provide this free, objective, personalized information to those thousands of adoptive families!

 

Here are just a few things people are saying about our free adoption resources: 

 

“I can’t tell you how much my husband and I appreciate how thorough you are with your responses and information on adoption. We have been already so blessed in this process by your organization and we haven’t even started the adoption process. You are doing a most excellent thing assisting families like ours in your willingness to serve us. We are grateful to you and so inspired in this process to have you as partners in these early stages.” – Anonymous
 
“We finalized our adoption last fall (2016) with a beautiful baby boy through Bethany Christian Services. The Adoption Resources Team at LSM was absolutely instrumental in directing us toward the pros and cons of domestic adoption so we could make an informed redirection from international. I’m so very grateful for their guidance in those early stages!” – Erin, adoptive mom
“We really appreciated the adoption assessment form and found it helpful for narrowing down what can otherwise be an overwhelming array of countries, programs, agencies, each with their respective requirements. I‘ve sent many people to you as a starting point.” – Indiana family
We are grateful that you have chosen to partner with LSM. Your prayers and financial support are ensuring that thousands of once vulnerable boys and girls are now exactly where they are supposed to be-within the love and safety of a family.

12 Little Boys Are Welcomed Home!

October 17, 2017
, , , , , , Caring for Orphans, Family, Haiti, LSM, News

This summer, because of your heartfelt prayers and financial support, 12 little boys were rescued from a life of rejection, pain and exploitation as we opened the doors to their new home-the La Source Home of Hope!

 

For the first time, each one of these boys can look toward a future free of fear and full of possibilities, surrounded by the love of a mom and dad within a safe, nurturing family!

 

First picture as a family of 14!

 

Imagine the ripple effects these little boys will have on their community as they reach their God-given potential! 

 

 

Thank you for the powerful ways you are making life transformations with once vulnerable children. It is both humbling and exciting to see the Body of Christ working together far beyond what we could ever imagine, bringing lasting hope to children who need it most.

 

The family shared their first meal together at the opening celebration. Many of the boys have never seen this much food at one time!

 

Our LSM team shared their passion and joy at the opening of La Source.

A JOB OPENING & A CALL TO PRAYER

September 26, 2017
, , , , , Business, Caring for Orphans, LSM, News

We are privileged to serve more than 240 vulnerable children and 40 single mothers in Haiti and Ethiopia. Our small U.S. staff supports LSM’s vision through fundraising and mobilization with the U.S. church. It’s our heart to always empower people in their own cultures and communities to care for the vulnerable children among them. As we continue to expand our ministry in Haiti and Ethiopia, we have growing needs here in the United States as well.

 

Do you sense God calling you to join the LSM Team? Or do you know of someone who would qualify for this role and has a heart to join this life-changing work?

 

JOB OPENING: MOBILIZATION COORDINATOR

 

LSM is seeking to fill an immediate need for a Christ-centered, highly motivated individual to help build and develop relationships with ministry partners via digital marketing, social media, and regional awareness campaigns. Candidates must be willing to work from LSM’s Bluffton, Indiana, offices. Ideal candidates will have professional social media experience, possess very strong writing and communication skills, be able to do public speaking and networking, and be effective at scheduling and making their own appointments. 

 

Please contact Joe Gerber at joe@loving-shepherd.org to receive a full job description and more information about the position.

 

Please join us in praying for the right people to continue to join the LSM team here in the States, in Haiti and in Ethiopia.

 

  1. Share this job opening with a friend who might be qualified.
  2. Join the LSM Prayer Team.
  3. Give to the incredible life-changing work.

 

Pastor Wilfrid, A New Family & A Chance to Impact 12 Vulnerable Children

September 5, 2017
, , , , , , , Caring for Orphans, Family, Haiti, LSM, News, Uncategorized

There is a brand new future waiting for 12 vulnerable boys.

 

Recently, Pastor Wilfrid Remonvil, our Haitian Home of Hope Director, joined us in the Midwest to talk about this new Home of Hope in LaSource, Haiti.

 

 

Just one month prior, Pastor Wilfrid stood among the ramshackle huts that pepper the Haitian countryside, deeply saddened at the terrible conditions many children in his country are forced to live in. Through much prayer, searching and interviewing, our Haitian team selected 12 vulnerable boys to be a part of this new LaSource family, where their lives will take a dramatic turn.

 

 

Pastor Wilfrid has also already worked with a young couple who have a heart for God. Jean and Emise have been selected to be the new Home of Hope parents at LaSource. They are now fervently praying that the arrival of their precious new children, 12 boys they will call their sons, will become reality.

 

You can come alongside this new family as an ongoing family sponsor to ensure these boys will never again have to go through another day without the love of a mom and dad, or suffer through the night with an empty belly.

 

 

 

Become an ongoing sponsor here

(minimum monthly gift of $35/month.)

 

Please prayerfully consider how you can partner with us to transform the lives of these precious children!

MORE SPACE. MORE OPPORTUNITIES. MORE LIVES CHANGED.

July 22, 2017
, , , , , , , Business, Caring for Orphans, Family, LSM, News

 

15 YEARS AGO, ON JULY 22, 2002, LSM OPENED ITS DOORS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A 300-SQUARE-FOOT OFFICE IN DOWNTOWN BLUFFTON, IN. IT’S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE RIDE.

 

Since then, hundreds of the world’s most vulnerable children have come into loving families where they are reaching their God-given potential. What a privilege it’s been to be on this ongoing journey together! As we praise God for His work, we’re also humbled to announce that He’s provided open doors for further ministry opportunities as we enter the next 15 years.

 

WE ARE MOVING OUR HOME OFFICES TO CREATE MORE SPACE FOR THE AMAZING THINGS GOD IS DOING THROUGH YOU AND LSM!

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MOVE:

 

Where will your new offices be?

Our new offices are located on the north side of Bluffton at 1935 North Main St. Bluffton, IN 46714.

 

When will you move? 

We don’t have an exact timeline for moving locations, but we hope to complete the move in the Winter 2017/2018. Check our blog and Facebook for more information!

 

How are you paying for the new building?

We feel blessed that five partners who are passionate about growing LSM so that more vulnerable children and families can be reached, have covered the cost of the building.

 

None of the costs for the purchase of this new building are coming out of our current budget for the work we’re doing with vulnerable children in Haiti and Ethiopia.

 

What do you need the additional space for?

Currently, our offices are filled to maximum capacity and we are extremely limited on what we can do with volunteers who want to get more involved with LSM (see below for information on THE GOSPEL PROJECT, which some of this new space will be used for). We also currently rent additional space at a separate location for our warehouse and shipping. At the new building, we will be able to house everything in one location and have plenty of opportunities for volunteers to grow our community outreach! This space will also allow local groups to learn about Haiti through walk-through exhibits and prayer rooms.

 

We pray this will become a space where your whole family can learn more about the plight of the vulnerable and serve right alongside us in tangible ways!

 

What is the Gospel Project and how can I get involved?

The Gospel Project connects volunteers in the U.S. with our Home of Hope families in Haiti! Gospel Kits with a variety of Haitian-Creole books, hygiene materials and other necessities will be packaged at our new offices and then shipped to Haiti, where our Home of Hope families will be able to share them in their communities. Through the Gospel Project, families in the U.S. can actively contribute to the physical care of vulnerable children in Haiti, as well as help share the Gospel in tangible ways. Stay tuned for updates on the Gospel Project, as well as ways your youth group, bible study and family can be part of this experience!

 

Does the extra office space mean you’re expanding your U.S. Staff?

No, this space allows us to grow our community outreach and volunteer opportunities as well as provide space for our staff and board to meet with more flexibility. While over time we may add minimal U.S. staff for specific projects regarding stateside logistics, that is not our goal with the new move.

 

It’s our privilege and desire whenever possible to hire local people in the countries we serve to reach the children in their own communities. In fact, we have over 150 Haitian men and women serving in various capacities in Haiti, with no full time American missionaries on the ground. Additionally, our committed team in Ethiopia operates without any U.S. missionaries on the ground as well. We believe in the power of local people, partnering with the local church, to bring long lasting change in their own communities!

 

How can I help with the transition?

As you know, moving several offices and getting the new (to us) building ready will take some work. If you’re interested in volunteering some time, please email rebecca@loving-shepherd.org for more information.

 

We’d love to hear from you! Leave a message in the comments or email us at info@loving-shepherd.org.

 

DONATE to help LSM continue to reach the lives of vulnerable children.

 

His Hand is NOT Short

June 29, 2017
, , , , , , , Adoption, Caring for Orphans, Family, Haiti, LSM

Linese* was very young when her father died. Her mother was left to provide for her family alone. Work was incredibly hard to find in their poor community and there were many days when Linese and her siblings went without food. Linese never went to school and even lacked basic medical care for a knee problem that kept getting worse. As her mother took increasingly desperate measures to survive and escape her life’s unfortunate turns, it became clear that something was going to have to change.

 

Linese was just one step away from being sent to live with another family as a child slave (restavek.)

 

 

It seemed hopeless. Linese was just another of the millions of vulnerable children in Haiti, not because she’d done anything wrong, but because death, tragedy and deep poverty had been a part of her country and her family for too long. It’s a story we know all too well. At a conference recently, professor, author and speaker Christena Cleveland said it well,

 

“Sometimes we have a theology of scarcity around justice. But God has abundance to give us and His hand is not short.”

 

His had was certainly not short for Linese, although it was hard to see that in those terribly long arduous days as a child on the brink of disaster. But, through the dedicated work of LSM and the Body of Christ coming together, Linese’s story is not ending as a tragic statistic.

 

You see, our Homes of Hope are a lifeline for desperate children like Linese. And before she was old enough to really understand the ramifications, she was brought into a new family who would love and nurture her. It was something she never could have dreamed of before.

 

Now 14, Linese is thriving. She’s still very aware of the millions of young children in her city that that are sick and need the same life-giving care she’s gotten, even when they can’t afford it. She dreams of becoming a pediatrician so she can help kids just like her who have no way to receive the care they desperately need. And with the full continuum of care we provide through adulthood for our Home of Hope children, she really has the chance of doing just that!

 

Changes like this doesn’t happen without the dedicated, long-term work of those who believe in the justice and compassion that Jesus taught us. So keep fighting in your corner, whether it’s justice, advocacy, adoption, or a host of other hard, day-to-day roles caring for the vulnerable. We all have a part. Linese will tell you a thousand times over that your sacrifices for ONE child are worth it.

 

We’d love to help connect you to ways to live and care for the vulnerable. Here’s a few places to start:

 

  1. Become a Prayer Partner.
  2. Start an Orphan Care Ministry in Your Church.
  3. Become an Ongoing Family Sponsor and bring your whole family along in our exclusive online family room.

 

*name changed for privacy

 

Tears of Joy for a Life of Hope

June 8, 2017
, , , , , , Caring for Orphans, Combating Exploitation, Ethiopia, Family, Uncategorized

Timmy* is six years old and just started school last year. The first day, he was so excited. He got his little uniform on, lovingly took his new notebook and pencils out of his backpack, just to gaze at them for a moment, before tucking them securely back inside and hoisting the bag onto his back.

Every day in class, Timmy eagerly soaked up the lessons he was taught. And every day after school, his mom, Tabitha, was there to pick him up and listen to the new fidel (Ethiopian Amharic script) he had learned. Timmy wondered why his mom would sometimes cry while he recited his fidel to her.

Why is mom sad I’m learning so many wonderful new things?

But his mother’s tears were not of sadness. They were tears of great joy and thankfulness.

Tabitha birthed Timmy in one of the slums of Addis Ababa. Desperately hungry, they both almost starved to death in his first few precious weeks. Life had been so incredibly difficult for Timmy’s mother … until she came to LSM, where things drastically changed for the better.

Through people like you, committed to Timmy and his mom and a belief that their lives were worth more, united with the Body of Christ, working together in prayer, financial support and advocacy—the story you just read became reality.

Tabitha began working for Moriya Ethiopian Accessories, a business we helped a group of moms just like her start. Using the skills she learned as part of the Moriya team, she has since branched out on her own and started a successful sewing business. Today, Tabitha is providing for her son with a dignified, stable job.

Timmy now has the opportunity to choose his own career, always has enough to eat, knows the hope of a life filled with the love of Jesus, and dreams about his future because people like you believed he and his mother were worth it!

You can join us in making more stories like Tabitha’s and Timmy’s possible by:

*names changed for privacy

*originally posted December 5, 2015

CAFO Summit 2017 – Justice and the Inner Life

May 11, 2017
, , , , , , , Caring for Orphans, LSM

This year’s Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit Conference (CAFO) in Nashville, TN, was a powerhouse of tools for caregivers and those working in ministry. The theme “JUSTICE AND THE INNER LIFE”was a stark reminder that we will have little left to give unless we are intentionally cultivating a spiritual depth from which we can continue to draw strength.

 

Jedd Medefind, President of CAFO, said, “There is something worse than quitting our ministry. It is when we keep doing it, but have lost our love.”

 

Do you find yourself in that place today? Have you exhausted your resources? Are you feeling discouraged and empty instead of enthused and fulfilled? At times, all of us will have days when our service, our hard work, our best efforts seem to do so little.

 

This is a simple, quiet reminder to refresh your passion for the most vulnerable. Cultivate your soul. Go back to the source, and find a strength there that is far greater than yourself.

 

Individuals, families and churches from over 30 countries, representing more than 150 organizations working around the world in orphan care, came together at CAFO, went back to the source, and were refreshed by a resounding and deeply encouraging weekend.

 

In the light of this powerful weekend, and the work still to be done, would you pray with us for several needs post-conference? Please pray for:  

  • Conversations LSM Staff will have with attendees from the conference over the next few weeks. Please specifically pray for a desire growing in the hearts of many to go deeper alongside LSM in ministry and in care of the world’s most vulnerable children.
  • Leaders in the orphan care movement to keep their eyes focused on Jesus and continue to serve out of a greater love!

 

Find more resources and thoughts from the CAFO Summit HERE.

To become a Prayer Partner, and to submit your own prayer to the Prayer Team so we can lift you up over the coming months, CLICK HERE.

 

Fresh Start

April 13, 2017
Caring for Orphans, Family, Uncategorized

It’s refreshing—and so fitting—that Easter helps usher in the newness and beauty of spring.

 

Sometimes we need that fresh start so desperately. As a foster parent who’s struggling with a child who’s never had a consistent home. As an aid worker who has seen one too many children die of preventable diseases. As a mother who’s spent too many months indoors and feels purposeless as she changes yet another diaper. As a church ministry leader who feels like people just don’t care enough to invest.

 

We give from the depths of our hearts because it’s close to the heart of Jesus.

 

We need to be reminded sometimes that we are not caring for the vulnerable because it’s easy. Just as we were adopted into God’s family, we are called to give that same love and acceptance to others.

 

It costs us—just as it cost our Savior as he laid down his life for us.

 

May this Easter be a time of reflection and refreshment for your soul, dear worker in the Kingdom. We know it’s hard. And we know that sometimes we need to remind each other of why we are in the trenches for God’s most vulnerable children.

 

Incredible events for your fresh start or encouragement on your journey:

 

CAFO Summit

May 5-6, NASHVILLE, TN

CAFO brings together over 100 ministries working in orphan care around the world. We are especially excited about this year’s theme: “JUSTICE AND THE INNER LIFE.” Come and be encouraged in your personal ministry. Find partners who can give you resources. And get more involved.

Email amber@loving-shepherd.org for a FREE $20 DISCOUNT. We’d love to share the weekend with you!

SEEDS OF HOPE, A LADIES’ BRUNCH FOR ETHIOPIA

July 8, BLUFFTON, IN

Seeds of Hope is a chance to join with the important women in your life and be inspired by stories of single mothers and their children who are finding hope. You’ll even have a chance to go deeper and do some fair trade shopping, as well as invest as an ongoing sponsor for vulnerable families in Ethiopia.

 

For more info, to sponsor a table, or to purchase your tickets, click here: https://loving-shepherd.org/seeds2017/.

1 … 4 5 6 7 8 … 12