PRIDE, FORGIVENESS & RESTORATION

November 15, 2019
, , , , , , Combating Exploitation, Family, LSM

On Friday night, November 8, nearly 170 people gathered at our newly renovated Event Center for an inspiring evening together. Guest speaker, Tim Goeglein, spoke profoundly from a place of humility about his personal experiences in life. He was once an affluent politician, but pride caused him to fall into repeated plagiarism. When he was caught, he thought his whole world was falling apart. In an act of true grace, President George W. Bush forgave him when he didn’t deserve it and had disgraced the White House. Tim  felt the love of Jesus through the forgiveness extended to him. His open and honest testimony is a reminder to all of us that we can show radical grace to others. Today, he is using his words in a different way. No longer seeking to promote self, he is seeking to lift high the name of Jesus! His genuine heart is pointing others to the saving grace of Jesus.

 

 

Doug Isch, LSM’s president shared another story of grace that night. From places of hopelessness, ultimate healing has come through the loving gifts of many just like you. For single mothers like Mahret* living in the slums of Ethiopia, the journey was particularly tough. Mahret had nothing – and ultimately, made some pretty desperate decisions to survive. Her little girl was born in the midst of those difficult years. Mahret was scared, and now she had a little one to provide for. At times, they would not eat for days. There was not adequate shelter and they were extremely vulnerable on the streets. Those were long dark years and they barely survived. It wasn’t until LSM was able to come alongside them that Mahret began to see what true hope could look like. That was in 2010.

 

 

Today, Mahret and her daughter are living a fully restored life. Her daughter is going to school, has plenty to eat and they have a bright future ahead. With the business skills Mahret learned in LSM’s programs, she’s been able to start her own small business selling coffee and injera, a local bread. They aren’t rich in material things. However, Mahret and her daughter have been introduced to the saving, forgiving grace of Jesus! They know that they are truly rich in things that can never be taken away!

 

 

On this special night, we were reminded that our Healer can bring restoration to every situation. We are grateful for that powerful knowledge – and grateful for every person who sat at those tables and gave generously to the work of LSM. Because of you, we were able to exceed our matching grant goal!  Now, we can reach more vulnerable families like Mahret and her daughter with the Gospel of Hope. Thank you for being part of this beautiful redemptive story!

 

 

GET INVOLVED

 

  1. Don’t miss future events like this! Sign up for our emails.
  2. Pray for vulnerable families who have never heard the Good News of forgiveness and hope. Help us bring that transformation by becoming an Ethiopia Family Sponsor.

 

*name changed for privacy

ABANDONED BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

October 30, 2019
, , , Combating Exploitation, Ethiopia, Family, LSM

Pregnant at 14 years old was not the life that Nira* envisioned. Her father made her drop out of 7th grade, and marry a man of his choosing. Nira was still a baby herself and now she was about to become a mom. She followed her father’s orders and married. Her first baby was born. Not long after came her second baby, third, fourth, fifth and sixth. Nira and her husband had a hard time keeping their six children fed and cared for. As she looked at her child nearing 14, she thought about the life that she could’ve had if she had not become pregnant and married off. Her heart sank into hopelessness. Does anyone care?

 

One life changing day, Nira was introduced to Jesus! She began growing in her love for Him. Her faith became evident to those around her…most of all, her husband. Sadly, he wanted nothing to do with her religion and decided that he had enough. He got up and kicked her and four of their children out of the home.

 

Nira did not have much time to grieve the loss of her broken family; she had to find way to provide for the children. The burden to be the sole provider weighed heavy on her shoulders. She worked tirelessly as a maid, cleaning, cooking and washing clothes. But no matter how hard she worked, or how many different ways she tried to ration food, there was never enough. How does a mom look into the eyes of her child crying out for hunger and say, “There’s nothing for you today.”  Nira determined to find more work. She began selling spices on top of the back-breaking labor she was already doing. The life that Nira was living was a constant cycle of hard work, pain, hunger and deep sadness. She questioned her faith. Does God care? Does He see me? Does He even love me?

 

 

Loving Shepherd Ministries heard about Nira and welcomed her in with loving arms. Nira felt cared for like never before. She said, “Before I joined this program, I struggled with my faith. But now, because of LSM’s consistent teaching and follow up, I am sustained. I have learned that the God who saved my life from eternal death is my only helper in my suffering. He is on the throne!”

 

Nira also received business training through LSM. She now bakes and sells “injera.” (an Ethiopian flatbread) Armed with love and wisdom, life is much different! There is a loving group of people who check in with her regularly to ensure she does not fall into despair. One of Nira’s biggest blessings is the true hope she has found in Jesus. She loves seeing her children grow in their faith as well. They are thriving in school and have enough to eat. This family is smiling once again because of you. Thank you!

 

 

Nira has lived through the heartbreak of her husband abandoning her, but she now clings to the knowledge that Jesus will never ever leave her or forsake her. This is not just Nira’s story. There are many more women and vulnerable children struggling to survive in this cycle of poverty. Can you help us rescue another family in Jesus’ name?

 

Get Involved:

  1. Sponsor a family. Help single mothers like Nira rise above poverty and make a lasting impact for generations to come.
  2. Become a prayer partner. Nira has asked us to pray for her business to be fruitful and that she could purchase her own home. She would also like us to pray that she and her children would make Jesus known in their community.
  3. Give a financial gift. Nira’s business relies on donor support and would not be possible without you. Thank you!

*name changed for privacy

 

POLLY

June 19, 2019
, , , , Caring for Orphans, Family, Haiti, LSM

Sometimes there are stories that hit you square between the eyes. Polly’s* is one of them.

 

Several years ago, Polly stood here with her uncle who was caring for her in front of his hut. Falling apart, dirty, barely providing relief from the elements, the hut was no place to be raising an orphaned little girl. He knew it, and he wanted more for her. However on his own, there was no way he could do anything.

 

 

Polly’s uncle brought her to a Home of Hope. He knew that she’d be much better off in a family with Godly upbringing from a loving mom and dad and a solid education. The love and opportunity she’d have was a gift that he would never be able to provide. And so she came.- a forlorn little girl in a tattered white dress with orange-bleached hair from malnutrition. A new world opened for Polly!

 

A couple of years later, I snapped this picture at LSM’s annual VBS. Polly couldn’t stand still. She giggled and joyfully danced around me. Her life is totally different!

 

Sometimes, I think it’s easy for us to forget the before when we see smiling pictures of kids. However, when you know their stories and the traumatic things that have brought them here, this work becomes much more meaningful. There is sense of urgency to help more children like Polly.

 

Today, Polly is able to live and laugh because her uncle made a choice to give her a better life. She has a new mom and dad, loving sisters and an exciting future ahead of her. She can dream and dance without a care in the world, because compassionate people like you have sacrificially given, prayed and showered love on her. Thank you!

 

This is the picture I don’t want to forget. It represents a far greater story than a week of games and fun. The contrast is evident: New life. New stories. New chapters. New beginnings.

 

GET INVOLVED: 

Help make more stories like Polly’s possible by becoming an ongoing sponsor here.

*name changed for privacy

TIMMY

June 12, 2019
, , Combating Exploitation, Ethiopia, Family, LSM

Timmy* is now 8 years old and is excelling in 2nd grade! He still remembers clearly his very first day of school. 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?”

 

 

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. They were both desperately hungry, and Timmy almost starved to death in his first few precious weeks. Life had been filled with poverty and hardships for Timmy’s mother…until she came to LSM.

 

 

Because of your love, prayers, financial support and advocacy, Timmy and his mother’s story has changed. Your actions showed that their lives were worth more!

 

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

 

 

Timmy is no longer hungry and hopeless. He has continued to excel in school and dreams about his future with excitement! He loves his new dad, and is anxiously awaiting his new sibling.

 

Timmy and his mother are a living example for those in their community. Their lives display hard work ethic, leadership and an overflowing love of Christ!

 

Most importantly, little Timmy knows the hope of a life filled with the love of Jesus, because people like you believed he and his mother were worth it! Thank you for making a difference!

GET INVOLVED: 

*names changed for privacy

THREADS OF HOPE

March 29, 2019
, , , , Combating Exploitation, Ethiopia, Family, LSM

A baby boy was born in a rural village in Ethiopia. Baby Meleke* curled his tiny fingers around his mother’s pinky. A difficult life was ahead of this little one. Just a few months earlier, his mom Shali* went to Arat Kilo, a slum area of Ethiopia’s capital in search of new opportunities. It was only temporary until she could find work. Everything changed when she got a boyfriend and soon found out she was pregnant. But he wanted nothing to do with baby Meleke. He walked out—never to be heard from again. Alone and scared, this young mom was left to fend for herself and the life growing inside her womb.

 

 

With no income, no support, and a child to care for, how would they survive?

 

For the next few years, life became more and more desperate. Shali did whatever she could to feed her son, but there was never enough. School was out of the question for Mekele. They were just trying to survive. There was very little chance that they would ever be able to break out of this cycle of poverty. Despair and hopelessness began to settle in.

 

 

But this is not a story of despair. God used LSM to bring hope to this precious family!

 

One day, Shali and Mekele were introduced to LSM. Our staff shared the love of Jesus with them. Today, they are thriving in the LSM trauma healing program. Through LSM, Shali learned how to weave. She is a talented artisan and runs her own business. Because they now have an income, Mekele can attend school. They are surrounded by women and children who love and care for them. A mother’s life was redeemed, and the fruits of this transformation have been passed on to her child. What once appeared to be bleak strands of pain and hopelessness have been woven together with threads of hope and love. A beautiful tapestry created for the glory of God!

 

 

Right now, there are countless moms and children suffering like Shali and Mekele once did. Will you help us reach them with the hope and love of Jesus?

 

GET INVOLVED:

  1. Purchase a Moriya Ethiopian Accessory purse where 100% of the profits go back into our Ethiopia programs.
  2. Give a one-time gift to help families like Shali and Mekele’s thrive.
  3. Pray that God would continue to open doors for our ministry expansion in Ethiopia.

 

*name changed for privacy

Fruit from the Shadows

October 25, 2018
, , , , , Caring for Orphans, Family, Haiti, Uncategorized

A poor, rural farming family had sunk deep into despair. The ground was tough and hard to plough. After hours of backbreaking work, there was little to show for it. Desperation had left them with nothing. Food was scarce. There was never enough to go around. A skinny, quiet little girl went unnoticed in the shadows.

 

Until one day, God led someone to the shadows… and they saw her.

 

 

This malnourished little girl who couldn’t even look you in the eye was brought into a loving Home of Hope family. Her name is Martine*. Her new parents gently showed her love and gave her the opportunity to flourish. A community of teachers, mentors and pastoral staff circled around her, and taught her what she could be.

 

In the last ten years, Martine’s story has taken her far beyond the shadows.

She’s a bubbly teenager who loves spending time with her sisters. She has dreams of building infrastructure and hospitals to help her community. Martine is learning about what it means to be a godly leader, and she’s intrigued. She knows the feeling of hopelessness and she knows what true hope is!

Martine and her sisters recently sang in front of church, “I Want to Bear Fruit.”  It is a song that reflects on John 15. We think it’s a pretty good representation of how she is living today.

 

Jesus said he is the true vine, Christians are the branches.

It cuts off branches that are not fruitful

God help me progress, so I do not throw myself away

I want to grow fruit

Many Christians refuse to bear fruit


God patiently let me grow…. Let me say you never gave up, Oh God!


Let me participate

 

 

 

Someone looked in the shadows and saw Martine’s worth. The little girl who once went unnoticed in the dark is now living in the light of Jesus! This is just one story. Right now, there is another little girl who is fading into hopelessness. Her worth is so much more. Together, we can give her a voice. A future. A life lived on purpose for Christ. Will you join us in bringing this kind of hope to more vulnerable children?

 


Get Involved:

  1. Join our prayer list
  2. Become a family sponsor
  3. Make a one-time gift to support our vision

 

*name changed for privacy

Changing a Child’s World – One Mother at a Time

March 10, 2016
, , , , , , , , , , , , , Caring for Orphans, Combating Exploitation, Ethiopia, Family, LSM, Uncategorized

SehnsuchtFive years ago, Yetti was not a woman you would hold up as a model for other women, especially other mothers, to emulate.

 

She was living on the streets, selling herself for food. Abandoned as a child herself, she had been living this life since she was twelve years old. At seventeen—still nearly a kid herself—she became pregnant. More desperate than ever, wondering how in the world she would care for her tiny baby, she nearly gave up hope.

 

Until … she cried out to God for help.

 

 

Through God’s dramatic intervention, Yetti met LSM staff who knew she was worth more, deserved more, and was made for more. Through their support, she was able to leave the streets behind and receive the counseling and healing she needed to change her life.

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