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.
Timmy* is five years old and started kindergarten this 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. He fairly jumped out of his skin he was so excited that morning!
All day, he and his new friends in class would learn and listen and soak in the lessons. And every day after school, his mom was there to pick him up and listen to the new fidel (Ethiopian Amharic script) he had learned. Timmy sometimes wondered why his mom almost seemed to be crying behind those big smiles of hers… why would she be sad that he was learning so many wonderful new things!
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!
Do you know what it feels like to be abandoned as a child? Do you know the bitter cold of a winter with no place to call home, or what it feels like when you reach the point of starvation? Most of us that are reading this have never experienced these horrors – and yet our heart aches, knowing that millions of vulnerable children around the world will face these very realities today.
Sometimes we need to hear the raw story to really begin to understand. We need to feel the pain and see the hope that can still survive through the midst of great tragedy.
You can hear a first-hand account of survival from author and inspirational speaker Stephanie Fast at two events at the beginning of November. Her story will dramatically change the way you look at the vulnerable. Why? Because Stephanie’s story shows us that there is incredible power when someone shows up. It gives us courage to know that we can make a difference in the life of a vulnerable child. It gives us the drive to do something – because we can see evidence in Stephanie’s life that these horrific events don’t have to be the end.
The LSM Auction is this Friday in Washington, IL! Items have been flooding in, and we are excited for this great night together. Will you join us Friday to help change the lives of vulnerable children?
This event is impacting the ongoing change in the lives of boys like Gary*. He lost his parents in the 2010 earthquake and was sent far away from everything familiar to live with a distant relative. When he arrived, his aunt promptly put him to work carrying water for hours on end, barely receiving enough food and never going to school. Gary never dreamed of life changing. He never believed anything could be different.
We have two Homes of Hope in Haiti nestled in a small, very poor community called Welsh. The needs across the country are great, but God has been opening doors for LSM to do more in this particular community. One of the projects has included the construction of a new school for our Home of Hope children. This new, bigger building will also provide the chance for kids from the community to attend school (many for the first time)!