Updated pics and host family info

For more information about these boys from their host moms please visit this blog post.

Welcoming with Love

For more information about each boy, please read this blog post. 

Your invited to a Chinese buffet luncheon this Sunday 2/28

If you want a causal way to meet any of these boys or have any questions about the process of hosting, please join us this Sunday 2/28 at 12 pm at WEPC in room 22 (downstairs) and the gym will be open. Children are welcome. Please RSVP by 2/26 to Heather Jarvis heather@wepc.org so we know how much food to provide. 

All three host families will be present, please join us for awkward noodle slurping. No chopstick skills required ;) 

What is Orphan Hosting?

Orphan hosting is inviting an orphan child to live in your home and experience your family for 4-8 weeks over the summer or winter holidays. Host families have the opportunity to share their values, beliefs and culture as well as learn something new from their host child. The orphans available for hosting are chosen by an interview team, who travel overseas to meet each child in person. 

In 2012, our family hosted a 15 year old girl from Ukraine.

What a fun and exciting Christmas that was for our family!

This year, we are back in the saddle, but going a different route, hosting a 7 year old boy from China.  His name is Jia and he’s known nothing but life in an orphanage. Abandoned as an infant (most likely due to deformities in his fingers and toes), Jia has never known the love of a family. 

Hosting is expensive, inconvenient, and at times, uncomfortable (they don’t speak English, you know!) So why are we doing it? Well, we learned that without hosting, orphans over the age of 6, or with special needs, or who are part of a sibling set, have an almost 0% chance of being adopted. However, with hosting, these same orphans are SEEN, TOUCHED and KNOWN. They are advocated for and prayed for and LOVED by their host family. Hosting provides HOPE to orphans who would likely never have another opportunity at finding a forever family. But…you absolutely do not have to be interested in adoption to participate in hosting a child; in fact, adoption is not on our radar at this time. Most orphans have never experienced a functional, family environment and will likely repeat the same cycle unless they are exposed to a new model. It’s impossible to hope for a different outcome if you have nothing new to model. Living in a family for even 4 - 8 weeks can truly be life changing. 

You’ll be surprised at how much YOU change, too. Hosting was and will be a great opportunity for our own biological children to see and love a child whose life is so very different from their own. We honestly can’t think of a better Christmas gift to give them this year. It is so rewarding to take our eyes off of ourselves for a few weeks, to truly see someone who is struggling, hurting, lonely and hopeless. 

Would you consider hosting an orphan in your home, possibly this summer? Check out these websites for more information:

Project 143

New Horizons for Children, INC

Open Hearts and Homes

By Tracy Scoggins, group member

Summer Hosting Sign Ups for Eastern Europe and China!

Summer Hosting sign ups with New Horizons are open! Don't let the cost overwhelm you, many folks desire to support and others desire to host. Even if you're not able or led to, get the photo listing and pick a child(ren) to pray for! I was amazed how quickly 'my children' I selected to pray over were matched...and some with those I know:) 'Thy Kingdom come, ON EARTH as it is IN HEAVEN..'
Be Blessed!
link: http://www.newhorizonsforchildren.org/what-is-orphan-hosting/ 

"Hosting" an Orphan

In case you're wondering, IT'S TIME NOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO CONSIDER HOSTING an orphan for the SUMMER (August) hosting programs.

We asked Jill Smith to share about their recent "Hosting" as a part of orphan care and here's what she had to say...

Hosting an Orphan

This past fall, God nudged my husband and I to consider hosting an orphan over Christmas. My immediate reaction was to ignore the prompting in light of our already busy Christmas schedule and our noisy house of young boys. We decided instead to take a leap of faith and follow God's lead. It was one of the most exciting experiences we have had in a long time. We were quickly dazzled by God's blessings and provision. As we stepped out of our comfort zone to prepare for a 9 year old orphan girl from Ukraine, God showed us that He is with us and He is faithful. Clothes, crafts, gifts, gift cards, money, translators and more were donated. Friends, family and strangers were eager to participate in loving her and praying for her. We were very encouraged as we saw the body of Christ surround us. The almost 3 weeks with our visiting orphan were some of the most intense and joy-filled weeks we've shared together as a family. Our children were stretched and enriched. God enabled them to pour out love on this sweet girl and they experienced many glimpses of Christ's love for them in the process.

We prayed for forever families for all the orphans visiting. Though we don't know the final outcome for every child hosted, we know that they were given many new opportunities and loved in ways they likely have not experienced. Most importantly though, we prayed that the orphans would see Jesus. I believe that seeds were planted in their hearts and that they got to experience His love in a tangible way this Christmas. We pray with hope and faith that God will continue to water those seeds and they will flourish with new life.

This summer, will you consider sharing Christ's love with an orphan? For our family, the richness of trusting God to meet our needs while we cared for a needy orphan was life changing. It was an experience we will not forget. "A new command I give you. Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35

There are two hosting programs that will bring orphans to the Richmond area (and beyond) this summer. For more information, check out these websites:
Journeys of Joy (many WEPC folks hosted through them in 2012)
http://www.journeysofjoy.org/info/orphan-hosting-program-kids.php
and
New Horizons (a reputable Christian hosting organization)
http://www.newhorizonsforchildren.org/


or talk to a WEPC Love on a Mission MCG contact, or leave a message here!

Alyona

The Schwarz family will be hosting a precious 13 year old orphan from Ukraine for the month of August!  It was discovered that she would not be able to come for her hosting trip because the previous family was not able to keep their commitment.  A family had to be found for her or she would be told she wasn’t coming to the US.  

Here is sweet Alyona:

   

Do you see the look in her eyes? She still has a look of hope.  She has a spark of ‘look at me, I’m worthy’.  That’s what we see...how worthy and delighted Jesus is with HER! So, she’s coming aboard to our home 7/28 for 4 short weeks.  Not long in the span of her orphanage life.  We already ache (how is that??) for her return to her world.  Still, we ache with a hope that her story is about to change. 
 

 

Here’s what we know:
Alyona’s parents rights were taken in 2007.  She is behind in school a little, but catching up.  She is a hard worker and her teachers love her.  Here’s all we were initially told:
Alyona – born July, 1998.  Alyona is a very nice and kind girl, she is friendly and generous, quiet and shy. She likes dancing and playing outside games with her friends, she likes drawing and reading books. Her favorite color is pink and blue, she likes animals and wants to have her own puppy some day.
Her parents lost rights in 2007.  Has older siblings, no problem with separation, they don’t stay in touch with Alyona, don’t visit her at the orphanage.
Available for adoption.

That last line sits so heavy for us as part of her “identity”.
Motivated by God’s grace that we’ve experienced and know, we move...toward her and in Him.  That’s about all we DO know.  Christ in us...and for Alyona.

We are hoping to communicate the Gospel and Christ’s love to her in her short time, in spite of language barriers and even in light of her being orphaned. 

Many of you are already being the body of Christ to US and to her through your offers of support.  If you would like to partner with us in this mission opportunity, we’d love it! Consider any of the following ways: 

PRAYING! Please commit to praying for our family, our time and for Alyona’s heart. Also pray and consider others to share her need for a forever family!
Financially.  If you are led to give to support our cost for the hosting program($1,500), then please do.  We will be covering all her clothing, food, and expenses while here. Any additional funds will begin her ADOPTION FUND.
    ~You can contribute via paypal or check;

We also have a paypal account that will send donations directly to us. Sign in to YOUR paypal and make a ‘person to person’ payment to andyschwarz2@gmail.com
 

If you are partnering with us, please email us a picture of you/your family to include in a book for Alyona, send it to: andyschwarz2@gmail.com . We’d love to ‘show’ her the body of Christ coming around her this way.

Written by Cindy Schwarz, group member, adoptive mom