Monday, March 30, 2009

Please Pray...

Please be in prayer for a survivor named *Shania whose trial begins today after years of waiting.  Please pray that God would give her His strength to face her abuser.  Please pray that justice would be served.  Pray that God would bring healing and restoration to Shania.  Pray also that her abuser would come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  Thank you for your intercessions on behalf of the abused.

(*Name is changed for the purpose of anonymity) 

Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory”.
Deuteronomy 20:3-4

Thursday, March 26, 2009

IJM GPG

Global Prayer Gathering
Washington, DC
March 27-29
"Seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause..." 
Isaiah 1:17

This weekend I look forward to joining staff and friends of IJM from across the world for a time of seeking God and seeking justice for victims of oppression.  Join us from wherever you are in praying for the global staff of IJM and for the grace to walk as God calls us in His Word to seek justice.  

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." 
Ephesians 3:20-21

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Checking in on Sengenoi in Kenya...

Sengenoi is a 9 year old orphan. As if that weren't enough, she has been dealing with a severe foot wound for the past 2 years. She walked over an hour one day in the summer of 2007 to come to the Segera medical clinic to get this wound checked out. She was scraped by a thorn that went untreated, so the wound got infected and started to eat away at her flesh...

We decided that we needed to do something, and quickly. The last thing we want to happen is for Sengenoi to lose her foot (or worse) as a result of this wound not healing. We decided that we needed to get her to Nairobi to a good physician who could effectively deal with this...

(Jeremy, Sengenoi and Lori before surgery...)
(Sengenoi following her surgery... :)

It is so true that orphans have a special place in the heart of God and that He promises to look after them...I can testify to that from the past couple of weeks of walking this journey with Sengenoi.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Another Must-Read...

"...I found out everybody's different - the same kind of different as me.  We're all just regular folks walkin down the road God done set in front of us... The truth about it is, whether we is rich or poor or something in between, this earth ain't no final restin place.  So in a way, we is all homeless - just workin our way toward home."  (p. 235)

"For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.  Through him (Jesus) then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.  Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."  Hebrews 13:14-16

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Many Ethiopian Orphans Called her "Moma", including our niece Mercy

Haregewoin Teferra [1946 (est) - 2009]

By now you may have learned the shocking news that

Mrs. Haregewoin Teferra has died suddenly after a short illness.

We don't know what caused her death; she felt sick for a couple of days,

went to the doctor, came home without a diagnosis, felt sick again,

laid down, and that was the end.

 

We are grieving, yet we have no time to spare: 59 children survive her,

many of them toddlers and babies, the majority HIV-positive.

 

Worldwide Orphans--the New York-based organization that has provided

pediatric care to Haregewoin's children for many years--has stepped into the breach.

They have assumed full custody of the 42 HIV-positive kids and are prepared

to take responsibility for the 17 HIV-negative children, as needed, most of them

babies and toddlers. Those small children are still at Haregewoin's foster home;

their caregivers have stayed on; and the Atetegeb board has taken charge of

their well-being for the present.

 

These heroic measures come at high cost:  it is estimated to require

about $4,600 per child to cover food, healthcare and medicine, education,

clothing, and caregivers. Once the children's basic needs are secure, their

paperwork will be sorted out: some may be eligible for adoption, others may have extended families in a position to take them in; others may find new placements.

No one knows, at this moment, whether Haregewoin had made financial plans

for the children in the event of her death.  All that can be sorted out in the future.

The crisis is NOW: keeping the children fed and clothed, paying the salaries of

loving caregivers to act as stand-ins for their late parents and long-devoted foster

mother, and making sure there is no lag-time in their life-saving medical treatment.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Monday, March 16, 2009

Successful Submission...

We just received word that our dossier was successfully submitted today!  We should receive a referral date in 20-30 days.  It is likely that we will travel to adopt sometime during this summer.  Thanks for your continued prayers!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Ukraine News...

Monday, March 16th is the day! 
Please pray for a successful submission of our dossier.  If all goes well, we should hear back within 20 days with a referral date (adoption travel likely May/June).
Meanwhile, Tony enjoyed worshipping with brothers and sisters at Open Door Fellowship in Kyiv.  His translator for classes at the seminary is the pastor of this church...

Friday, March 13, 2009

More Images from Ukraine...

Pizza party at Joel & MaryEllen's...
Thanks MaryEllen for sending these pictures!
Kyiv Theological Seminary...
Tony teaching church planters...
Philip taking a teaching break and playing student...

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Images from Tony's Ukraine trip...


Tony, Dr. Yount, Joel, and Philip at the Ragains' home in Kiev...


Please pray for the Kiev Theological Seminary, as well as for Tony and Philip (our missions' pastor) as they teach Ukrainian church planters.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Promise 139 Launches New Website...


Get involved with this orphan hosting program in one of the following ways:
• Pray for the children and adults who will participate in the camps
• Prepare for the orphans’ arrival
• Work “behind the scenes” while the children are here
• Spend time with the children during daily activities
• Sponsor activities
• Donate money to finance this ministry.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Our Own "Together for Adoption"...

God continues to humble me as I watch the selfless faith of my sister in law, Lisa (along with her husband, Ryan), pursue the greater things of this life.  

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Together for Adoption Conference


This afternoon I came across this conference information.  What a wonderful opportunity!  Want to learn more about "caring for orphans" (James 1:27)?

"We are pleased to announce that the next Together for Adoption (T4A) conference will be held at Christ Community Church (Franklin, TN) on October 2-3, 2009. The uniqueness of T4A’s conferences is that they focus primarily on vertical adoption (i.e. God adopting us in Christ), with a secondary and necessary focus on its profound implications for orphan care andhorizontal adoption (i.e., couples adopting children). With over 132 million orphaned and vulnerable children in the world, what our world needs is Christians who have been freshly gripped by the stunning vertical reality of their adoption by God. If anything can mobilize the church to address our world’s orphan crises, it will be the good news of vertical adoption. Join us as we seek to connect the dots between our adoption by God and the adoption of children. Registration will open within the next few weeks."