40 Days of Prayer, day 34

Day 34: "Today, pray for yourself and the other prayer team members.  Ask the Lord for strength.  Ask Him to help you not grow weary in battling for the orphans on your knees."




Creation Groans from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

40 Days of Prayer, day 33

Day 33: "Today, ask the Lord to help your church be an example of the Lord's love for orphans as written in Psalm 10:17-18 "The helpless put their trust in You.  You are the defender of the orphans Lord, You know the hopes of the helpless.  Surely You will listen to their cries and comfort them.  You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so people can no longer terrify them." 

40 Days of Prayer, day 32

Day 32: "Today, pray that every member of your church would remember and acknowledge and praise the Lord that before the world was made, He loved us and chose us, and that His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ and that this gave Him great pleasure. (Ephesians 1:3-5)"

40 Days of Prayer, day 31

Day 31: "Today, pray for families in countries all over the world who have room in their homes and hearts for a fatherless child.  Ask that the Lord would speak to them even now, leading them to consider adoption or foster care."

40 Days of Prayer, day 30

Day 30: "Today, ask God to protect children affected by war and violent conflicts.  Pray that the Lord will protect their vulnerable hearts and keep them safe.  Pray that the church will reach out to them."

40 Days of Prayer, day 29

Day 29: "Today, pray for mothers and fathers who might be having trouble caring for their children and feel they need to give them up or abandon them.  Ask God to help them find support.  Ask the Lord to meet their needs and give them the resources to be able to take care of their children."

40 Days of Prayer, day 28

Day 28: "Today, pray for families who are taking care of their grandchildren or nieces or nephews in addition to their own children.  Ask the Lord to bless them for their sacrifice and to provide enough food, clothes, education, and shelter for all of their children."

40 Days of Prayer, day 27

Day 27: "Today, ask God to care for child-headed households.  Pray that the Lord will provide for their needs.  Pray that an adult would come alongside them and adopt them.  Ask the Lord to protect them from abuse."

5K Day!

We had such a fantastic time at An Orphan's Hope on Saturday!

Thank you to everyone who supported us by donating, sponsoring, attending and volunteering!

It was great to see old friends and make new ones.  We had a great time talking to everyone, especially those that registered without being familiar with Two Hearts.  

There was a soldier in the Army who registered the day of because he found the event online and, after just returning from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, knew he had to be here.  

Our first place winner was in town for his 10 year college reunion and was looking online for races in the area.  After finding many, he chose the race that he thought had the best cause.

There were runners that attend local colleges and are now aware of the plight of the orphan in Kazakhstan and Russia.  

Even a lady who was just taking a walk through the park came over to our pavilion to ask about us and donated to the project! 

The event raised $7795 for the Ust-Kamenogorsk Window Project and there are still more donations coming in! 

We have received such great feedback and are so excited the day was awesome!  Even the face painter commented on how sweet and polite the kids were. Our 2nd year was a wonderful success!  All the glory to God!

Congratulations to:

Men's Overall Winners:

1) Peter Winterburn 22:30
2) David Prud'homme  25:25   
3) Eric Endsley  29:06

Women's Overall Winners:

1) Stacy Segebarth  30:33
2) Samantha Johnson  30:52
3) Dani DePoy  31:08

Child 5 and under winner: Aidan Heasley

Child over 6 and over winner: Natalie Tiller

Superlative Awards:

Team that collected the most money: Teak Aktobe (The Dykes Family, The Feliciano Family, and The Egan Family)
Child that collected the most money: Nick Kitzman

The results are posted here - http://www.walkforkaz.com/raceresults.html

If you would like to see pictures, "like" us on facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/An-Orphans-Hope-5K/168851813168112?ref=ts

40 Days of Prayer, day 26

Day 26: "Today, pray for children who are not yet orphans but may only have one parent who may be sick or dying.  Pray for health and safety of their parent.  Pray for God's provision.  Pray for protection for the children in these households."

40 Days of Prayer, day 25

Day 25: "Today, pray for God's provision for your church's orphan care ministry.  Ask Him to provide people, prayers, money and food, and supplies to give the orphans all the care they need."


Want to start an orphan ministry in your church?  Check out this website and watch the video to learn how!

http://www.hopefororphans.com/Display.asp?Page=launchministry

40 Days of Prayer, day 24

Day 24: "Today, pray for any church staff members and leaders.  Ask for the Lord's hand of blessing in their lives.  Lift up the health and safety of them and their families.  Ask also that the Lord would break their hearts for the orphans in your community."

For God So Loved - OS from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

40 Days of Prayer, day 23

Day 23: "Today, ask the Lord to strengthen the faith and resolve of Christians woking in orphan ministries."

We covet your prayers.  Please lift up Stacy and Kim, our in-country teams in Kazakhstan and Russia, and our Board of Directors as we seek to live out Proverbs 31:8 and speak up for the ones who can't speak for themselves.

To meet our Board of Directors, click here

40 Days of Prayer, day 22

Day 22: "Today, pray for the families who have members living with HIV and AIDS.  Pray for the children orphaned by this disease.  Ask God to provide treatment, care and support through the church."

40 Days of Prayer, day 21

Day 21: "Today, pray for the government leaders in your country.  Ask the Lord to burden their hearts for the orphans.  Ask that they would feel compelled to protect and provide for orphans."


Did you know:

There are nearly 500,000 children in foster care in the United States. 
Over 250,000 will never return home.
Over 123,000 need adoptive homes right now.
More than 29,000 aged out of foster care in 2008, at age 18 without anyone, to live on their own, unprepared and unsupported.

Can you change the life of a waiting child?
Can you adopt? Can you foster? 


http://www.heartgalleryofamerica.org/

40 Days of Prayer, day 20

Day 20: "Today, pray that the Christians in your village, town, city, and country would believe and live out the truth of Proverbs 14:31 "He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God."


This is The Harbor.  We were blessed to be able to spend the night here when we visited Russia in May.  This organization is fantastic and a great way for you to honor God by honoring the needy.  The orphans in Russia truly have no one when they leave the orphanage system.

40 Days of Prayer, day 19

Day 19: "Today, pray for your Pastor.  Ask God to provide him with resources, encouragement, courage, and a strong prayer team to support him as he seeks to live out James 1:27 "Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us."

Is the Orphan My Neighbor? Russell D. Moore

— THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7TH, 2010 —

I will never forget seeing her pull the measuring tape out of her purse as she talked about the skull of her child.

The woman, standing in an airport in Russia with my wife and me, was, like us, an American. She, like us, was in the former Soviet Union to pursue adoption. But she was worried. She had heard “horror stories” about fetal alcohol syndrome and various other nightmares. She said that the measuring tape was for gauging the size of the craniums of her potential children, to “make sure there’s nothing wrong with them.”

The reason I think about this conversation so much these days is because I am finding—more and more often—that one of the primary obstacles for Christians in advocating for the fatherless can be summed up right there in that measuring tape: the issue of fear. As much as we might not want to admit it, many of us don’t think much about orphans because, frankly, we’re scared of them.

Orphans are unpredictable. Often we don’t know where they’ve come from, what kind of genetic maladies and urges lie dormant somewhere in those genes. Moreover, in virtually every situation of fatherlessness, there is some kind of tragedy: a divorce, a suicide, a rape, a drug overdose, a disease, a drought, a civil war, and on and on. We’d rather not think about such things, and we’re afraid often of what kind of lasting mark they leave on their victims.

Those of us who know Christ ought to recognize that fear is often a deterrent to justice, a deterrent that has been indicted, crucified, and buried in the triumph of Jesus. In Jesus’ story of the so-called “good Samaritan,” after all, Jesus presents us with a man who “fell among robbers” and was beaten, nearly to death (Lk. 10:30). With little commentary on why, Jesus tells us, simply, that two passers-by, both religious officials, moved on to the other side, to avoid the wounded man (Lk. 10:31-32).

While many have speculated that there might have been theological reasons behind their neglect (the fear of becoming ceremonially unclean from touching a corpse), the most compelling reason I’ve ever heard was from Martin Luther King, Jr., who wondered whether the passers-by were simply afraid.

After all, there were no streetlights on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho—the setting of this story. There was no police force. A man beaten by terrorists is a good signal that the evildoers are still about, perhaps hiding in the caves along the roadside, lying in wait for their next victim. Moving on along, quickly and quietly, probably just seemed like prudence.

But Jesus never was one for justification by prudence alone. He praised a Samaritan—a reviled outcast from the official religious structures—for the compassion he demonstrated toward this man. And the compassion Jesus commended—and commanded from us in imitation—wasn’t mere charity. The Samaritan didn’t simply help the beaten man; he gave him his own animal, set him up in an inn, and paid for all his expenses for his ongoing care (Lk. 10:34-35). Any Israelite hearing this account would have seen immediately what was going on. The Samaritan was treating the beaten man like family.

Right now, there is a crisis of fatherlessness all around the world. Chances are, in your community, the foster care system is bulging with children, moving from home to home to home, with no rootedness or permanence in sight. Right now, as you read this, children are “aging out” of orphanages around the world. Many of them will spiral downward into the hopelessness of drug addiction, prostitution, or suicide. Children in the Third World are languishing in group-homes, because both parents have died from disease or have been slaughtered in war. The curse is afoot, and it leaves orphans in its wake.

Not every Christian is called to adopt or to foster children. And not every family is equipped to serve every possible scenario of special needs that come along with particular children. Orphan care isn’t easy. Families who care for the least of these must count the cost, and be willing to offer up whatever sacrifice is needed to carry through with their commitments to the children who enter into their lives.

But, while not all of us are called to adopt, the Christian Scriptures tell us that all of us are called to care “widows and orphans in their distress” (Jas. 1:27). All of us are to be conformed to the mission of our Father God, a mission that includes justice for the fatherless (Exod. 22:22; Deut. 10:18; Ps. 10:18; Prov. 23:10-11; Isa. 1:17; Jer. 7:6; Zech. 7:10). As we are conformed to the image of Christ, we share with him his welcoming of the oppressed, the abandoned, the marginalized; we recognize his face in the “least of these,” his little brother and sisters (Matt. 25:40).

The followers of Jesus should fill in the gap left by a contemporary Western consumer culture that extends even to the conception and adoption of children. Who better than those who have been welcomed by Christ to care for the most feared and least sought after of the world’s orphans? After all, who are we, as those who are the invited to Jesus’ wedding feast? We are “the poor and the crippled and the blind and the lame” (Lk. 14:21). Since that is the case, Jesus tells us, we are to model the same kind of risk-taking, unconditional love (Lk. 14:12), the kind that casts out fear.

Yes, orphan care can be risky. Justice for the fatherless will sap far more from us than just the time it takes to advocate. These kids need to be reared, to be taught, to be hugged, to be heard. Children who have been traumatized often need more than we ever expect to give. It is easier to ignore those cries. But love of any kind is risky.

The Gospel means it’s worth it to love, even to the point of shedding your own blood. After all, that’s what made a family for ex-orphans like us.

40 Days of Prayer, day 18

Day 18: "Today, ask the Lord to raise up respite care providers to support and give relief to the caregivers caring for orphans who are waiting to have families adopt them."

40 Days of Prayer, day 17

Day 17: "Today, ask for forgiveness for Christians around the world who forget the orphans and forget to heed 1 John 3:17 "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"


A very powerful video!

True Religion from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

40 Days of Prayer, day 16

Day 16: "Today, pray that because of God's mercy, He will provide caregivers and counselors for children who have been abused."

40 Days of Prayer, day 15

Day 15: "Today, pray for yourself as a church member.  Ask the Lord to lead you on, that you might walk in obedience.  Ask God to show you how to encourage your church family or youth to care for the needs of orphans."

In you the orphan finds mercy.

Hosea 14:3

Never take advantage of any widow or orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, you can be sure that I will hear their cry.

Exodus 22:22-23

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

Romans 8:14-16

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Galatians 4:4-6

You are the helper of the fatherless. LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

Psalms 10:14,17-18

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

James 1:27

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families.

Psalms 68:5-6

When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.

Deuteronomy 24:19

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

Isaiah 1:17

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

Proverbs 31:8-9

And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.

Matthew 18:5

I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!

Matthew 25:40

At work in Russia

Bright Smiles - Novgorod

Last month the Russian division of Colgate donated 200 new toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste to the children's home in the Novgorod region of Russia!

We were told some of the toothbrushes were the electric type and the children thought they were the coolest thing!

A note from the director:


"Thank you very much for your help in arranging the gifts from the company Colgate: the toothpaste and toothbrushes. These items are always needed.  We have begun our school year. The children have begun their studies, they are playing sports and are involved in the Arts. They grew so much over the summer. Those who lived with families learned a great deal from their experiences.  We are sad to part with our graduates, but they have moved on to their own adult lives now.  They are fine adults, we are happy for their accomplishments. 
Thank you again. Good luck in all your nobel deeds."

Medical Supplies - Volgograd

We also started to work in the Volgograd region.  Last month we were able to support one of the baby orphanages by purchasing medical supplies for the disabled children.  

We purchased:

- 4 laser radiation therapy devices

- Inhalers

- Walkers

- Shoe covers

- Rubber gloves

- Sterile gowns

- Gauze

- Air Ionizer 

We were also able to help a sweet little girl at this orphanage in need of surgery.  We assisted with some of the fees needed for her upcoming surgery:

Thank you to all who continue to support TH's in Russia.  We love being able to help these sweet children and continue to thank the Lord for your overwhelming love and support!

40 Days of Prayer, day 14

Day 14: "Today, pray that your whole congregation will believe and be convicted by Proverbs 22:9 "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor."  Ask for the Lord's blessings on those who share their food with orphans."

40 Days of Prayer, day 13

Day 13: "Today, ask the Lord to lead the lawmakers in every nation to protect and provide for orphans."


The Congressional Coalition on Adoption is a great resource for lawmakers and families. 
"The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) is a non-profit organization that works to raise awareness about the needs of children without families and to remove policy barriers that hinder children from knowing the love and support a family provides.  CCAI is unique in that each of our programs brings together policymakers and individuals with direct foster care or adoption experience.  We have found that when policymakers hear direct experiences of those affected by orphan and child welfare policy, they become engaged in this issue and work to bring about legislative improvements in an effort to ensure each child has their right to a family realized."

Check out all the fantastic work they are doing on behalf of the fatherless!

Website - http://www.ccainstitute.org/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theccai?sk=info

Blog - http://ccainstitute.wordpress.com/

Vimeo - http://vimeo.com/ccainstitute

40 days of Prayer, day 12

Day 12: "Today, pray God, the Defender of the orphan, will rise up and secure justice for the oppressed."

Though I Was Born an Orphan

Though I was born an orphan,

Abandoned and alone,

Enslaved and bound in darkness,

Without a hope or home,

The God of grace and mercy

From his eternal throne

Ordained to be my Father

And claim me as His own.

That I might be adopted

The Father sent his Son

To live in full obedience

And die for what I’ve done.

Now through his resurrection,

Through faith, with him I’m one.

A member of his household,

I am an heir, a son.

To soothe my fear and worry

The Spirit from on high

Was sent to be a witness

That “Father!” I might cry.

O How I love this Father!

I’m never left alone.

He’s come to dwell within me

Until he calls me home.

Since I have this adoption,

I cannot close my home

To widows and to orphans,

Abandoned and alone.

Lord, fill me with compassion

To love the fatherless,

That I might show the nations

How great my Father is!

40 Days of Prayer, day 11

Day 11: "Today, pray specifically for any orphans you may know by name.  Pray for their healthy and safety.  Pray for their shelter.  Pray that they will be brought into loving families who will provide for their education."

Symbol and Symbat

Zhanai

Genja

Daniel

Lisa and Lena

Max

Masha 

Vanya

Lena

Tanya

Dima

Medina

Johnny

Camilla

Christina

40 Days of Prayer, day 10

Day 10: "Today, ask the Father to set the lonely in families.  Pray specifically for families in your community who may be in the process of adopting an orphan.  Ask for God's provision for all their needs: physical, emotional and spiritual."

Adoption is a miraculous gift! It has changed our lives and because of it we are here serving the beautiful children left behind in the countries of our children's birth.

Christians are lovingly commanded by God to love others, particularly the innocent, the young, and the poor.  If you have ever felt even the smallest pang of curiosity about adoption, the merest flicker of interest in an orphaned child, ask God if he wants to fan it into a flame.  Then trust him to take care of the details.  As you consider adoption, focus on the resources you do have and let God take care of what you don't.

This Lord has greatly blessed our family through the gift of adoption:

N, adopted from Russia in 2005

J and H, adopted from Kazakhstan in 2007

E, adopted from Russia in 2009 

S, adopted from Kazakhstan in 2010

40 Days of Prayer, day 9

Day 9: "Today, pray that God would break the heart of your city's pastors with the plight of orphans.  Ask that He would convict them to lead their churches to pray, go, and love in Jesus' name."

What Are The Benefits Of Short-Term Mission Trips?

·      A greater commitment to Christ and His plan.

Doing work for God, and seeing results, is like starting a fire. It is natural for it to continue and grow larger. Once you get a taste of it, you want more.  You will see first hand what breaks God's heart and you will have a greater desire to follow his command to care for orphans.

·      Advancement of the Kingdom of God.

Souls are usually won to Christ, churches are strengthened, missionaries are encouraged, by those taking short-term mission trips. No matter how big or small a project is you still are making a difference in the kingdom of God.

·      A better understanding of what it is like in other countries.

You realize that other countries and cultures are different. That other people have different ways of looking at life and doing things. Your thinking will expand to consider other ways of doing things which you never have before.

·      A better understanding of orphans and their universal needs.

You find out that children, though they may look different, are the same all over the world. They have the same feelings, hopes, and desires - they are human just like you are.  They need the same love and attention as your own children.  They have the right to care and love.  You will understand they deserve a better existence.  

·      A greater vision for missions.

When you see the need first-hand, orphans are not just statistics, but real children you will come to know and care about. Your heart will overflow with love while you are with the children and grieve for them once you return.  You will see that missions are an important part of any ministry, especially those that involve loving orphans.  You are more likely to come home and follow God's command to care for orphans.  

40 Days of Prayer, day 8

Day 8: "Today, pray for the Lord to raise up workers for the harvest from your church and community.  Ask Him to call Christians to go to the "fields of the fatherless" to experience the joy of caring for orphans as we are commanded in Isaiah 1:16-17...."Give up your wicked ways.  Learn to do good.  Seek justice.  Help the oppressed.  Defend the orphan.  Fight for the right of widows."


If you would like to get involved with Two Hearts for Hope, visit our website and fill out our volunteer form!  There are many ways to get involved with our organization.


You can:
1) Pray: All of the orphans in Kazakhstan and Russia have a name and a story. They are real children waiting for a family but unfortunately only 15% will ever find one. We can still make a difference in their lives with prayer. The power of prayer is very real and evident. Please keep the orphans of Kazakhstan and Russia in your daily prayers.


2) Organize a donation drive: We are always in need of physical donations for the children we visit. A great way to support us is to organize a donation drive in your church, school or community.


3) Participate in "An Orphan's Hope 5K":  Our 5K will be held at Edwin Warner Park in Nashville on the 22nd!  Join us for a family fun day as we walk or run for the orphans in Kazakhstan and Russia!  If you can't join us this year please consider becoming a sponsor.  100% of the money raised will go towards the Ust-Kamenogorsk window restoration project.


4) Join us on a mission trip


5) Donate:  98% of donations provide basic necessities to orphans living in Kazakhstan and Russia. We do not receive any compensation for our work.  Each person associated with our organization is a volunteer.   All cash gifts are tax-deductible. 


6) Shop in our store! 


"Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world when He can do something about it, but I am afraid He will ask me the same thing!"

40 Days of Prayer, day 7

Day 7: "Today, thank the Lord in advance for all that He is going to do to bring glory to His name in your church and community.  Thank Him for the care He is going to provide for orphans through your church."

Creating an Adoption Culture in Your Church - OS from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

40 Days of Prayer, day 6

Day 6: "Today. ask the Lord to help your church family to live out Proverbs 31:8...Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute."

Day 8, Karakastek/last day

We headed out this morning for our last day of painting.  We stopped at the bazaar in Uzynagash to get some lightbulbs to replace the burned out ones in the bedrooms we painted.  While we were there everyone was able to do a little shopping.  We got track suits, Kazakh traditional dresses and hats, etc.  The merchants had never seen Americans at the bazaar before so it was fun to see them get so excited to serve us.  We got some great deals.

We arrived at the orphanage and delegated the work that needed to be done.  Two people to each room to do a second coat of paint and two people to the room that had not been painted yet.  It went by so fast, it was amazing.  On day one we knew there was no way we would finish but Praise the Lord on day 3 we were done and cleaned up by 4 pm, and we even got to play with the babies for an hour.

By the second day the babies were excited to see us and today, day 3, they were crying when we left.  It is such a sad place. No love, no stimulation but I do have to say that the children looked healthier and "meatier" than last year.  Even the babies looked better and some even had little chub rolls.  I believe the water filtration systems we installed has made a huge difference along with the vitamins.  The nutrients they are able to get are being absorbed.

A few of the children cried before we said goodbye, and of course the entire team was crying.  Before we left the orphanage we prayed over it and the children.  It was my favorite moment of the whole week.  We all sobbed as we lifted up these precious babies in this orphanage and all the other children we visited.  It was a very emotional time for all involved.  As we headed out I thought I know we can't change the way they live as a whole but this week we changed the world they live in.  It is now bright and beautiful, full of life and color.

On the two hour ride home we all talked about our favorite moments of the trip.  Everyone had a different moment and it was so awesome to hear but the common was that we started off as a team and ended up as a family.

We hit the Tsum store for some souvenirs and then out to our last dinner.  After that we headed back to the hotel to pack.  We left around 1:00 am for our 3:30 am flight out of Almaty.  Our flights were awesome (long but smooth) and we are now in Chicago.  This is where we all said goodbye.  Sad but all of us are ready to see our family and sleep in our own beds!

This week was physically and emotionally hard for every member of our team and our friends in Kazakhstan that traveled with us.  We have the most amazing in-country team.  This week we ate horse, played with over 300 orphans, replaced bed covers and curtains, took a Soviet train, painted 7 huge rooms in 3 days, built murals out of wall decals and paint, bonded as a family, laughed, cried and drank lots of tea, ate wonderful food and lots of it, got slammed in doors of elevators, hardly got to talk to our family in the US because of bad WiFi, slept less than 5 hours most nights, were treated with the utmost hospitality, listened to the Dombra being played, saw orphanages that were wonderful and some that were not so great, came within inches of car wrecks, shopped at village bazaars, danced and saw men cry and most importantly, brought glory to God.  I am sure that I did not mention everything but in a nut shell, that was our week.

This week would not have been possible without all of you!  We want to thank everyone who supported this trip, whether it was by sending donations, financially, spiritually or emotionally.  We felt your prayers.  We are so grateful for the 7 other people that sacrificed their time and money to join us as we were the hands and feet of Jesus by making a difference in the lives of these orphans.

We are forever grateful.