Orphan Sunday, Serving Together

Orphan Sunday from Christian Alliance for Oprhans

This Orphan Sunday, many from our church family are living out Psalm 82:3,"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed." It's exciting to see folks moved by the testimony shared last week and enthusiastic to give towards our mattress drive. We'd love to see God reveal HIS love for the orphan, as they give. 

For more about Orphan Sunday go here.

Another way to 'live out orphancare'!

Sometimes it's good to put the horse before the cart;p  After learning more and more about how an orphan 'becomes' an orphan, it's clear that in some situations, the church coming alongside those moms in need can help PREVENT A CHILD FROM BECOMING AN ORPHAN!  Here is one of those opportunities.  A chance to step in the middle of brokenness and watch and wait on the Lord's redeeming love.  Check out all the ways you can love and serve!  Proud that these co-leads with a heart for the Lord are our sisters and friends:)





YoungLives Camp 2013 – Rockbridge
Summer planning for the 1st Rockbridge YoungLives Camp is already in high gear!  Rockbridge has
never hosted Camp for teens and their children.  You can only imagine the amount of supplies
necessary to carry this off successfully!

ROCKBRIDGE – CAMP DETAILS:
DATE:   Monday afternoon July 29 – Sunday noon August 4, 2013 (Teens & children arrive July 30).
WHERE:  Rockbridge Alum Springs, Goshen, VA ( only 150 mi. from Richmond)
WHO:  Women, men, teens (age 14/15 with parent, age 16/17 with adult, over 18 alone), family teams, mission teams, Bible Study groups, mother-child teams…you get the idea!   Come one, come all!
OPENINGS:  Immediate needs are for 13 – 15 Nursery Leaders,  100+ Child Care workers, knitters to make and donate blankets, help writing ‘thank you’ notes, and those able to bless camp via our Amazon.com registry!
WHY:  We extend the love and hope of Christ to pregnant teens, teen moms and the children.  The
    teens get away, relax, have tons of fun and meet peers in a safe, beautiful and relaxed camp  setting.
They learn of Christ’s great love for them and His desire to have a relationship with them.  Child care
workers watch over and play with the little ones-  giving them loads of love and attention.
WEBSITE  for more info:  http://www.younglife.org/YoungLives/CampChildcareOpportunities/
VIDEO PROMO for Camp: Watch this and sense the excitement!   http://vimeo.com/55874234

 WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO HELP?
Go to www.Amazon.com.  Click on “WISH LIST” in upper right.  Click “Find a Wish List or Registry”. Click on “BABY”. Type “Rockbridge YoungLives” in the space.   The list will appear.   It is called Rockbridge YoungLives and Joyce Lawrence's Baby Registry.  You can ‘sort’ by priority, price and such.  Make your purchase(s) and the item(s) will be sent directly to Rockbridge camp.  Thank you!  These items will be reused year after year!
Donate gently used items (must meet present safety standards) and have all parts intact.
(You can get a precise idea of our many needs by reading through our Amazon.com “Baby Registry”).
Pack N’Plays with carrying case + sheet, in very good condition and toddler cots.
Strollers – reclining style preferred.   Double strollers are also needed!
High Chairs (from our Registry only), booster seats with safely belts
Childrens life preservers, sand toys, sprinklers, floats
 Bouncey seats;  floor mats for infants.
CD players plus music, songs,  cd’s
Plastic toys, appropriate books, wagons, small riding toys, blocks, chalk, crayons, coloring books.
Changing tables and changing pads, diapers, wipes,  batteries, file boxes.
Financial Contribution – we’re happy to do the shopping for you!  Contact Joyce or Sylvia.
Help monthly at the local level in Metro Richmond  (Northside),  E. Henrico/Varina area  - or soon in the Hermitage High School neighborhood.   Contact Dianne Claiborne (dianneclaiborne@gmail.com)
Needs are:   Mentors, Committee members, Fundraising, Prayer, Child Care, Food providers, Leaders,  Transportation, Administration, Drivers.

QUESTIONS?   Contact us!  We are Co-Chairs for Rockbridge YoungLives “Inventory”!
Joyce Lawrence (290-0785)  Email:  jcl7577@comcast.net
Sylvia Littlepage ( 282-0501) Email: sylvia.littlepage@gmail.com


  HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Forever

For weeks, I have been struggling to remember that I am not just preparing for 1 trip, 1 first meeting, 1 first hug and kiss (if she will let me) 1 set of gotcha day photos taken, etc.

I am finding it easy to compare to the preparations of a wedding. There is a lot of prep, a lot of waiting and then... THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. I still remember the moment (once we took off on a plane for our honeymoon), I realized I should have been more focused on my soon-to-be-marriage than my fleeting 6 hour wedding day. Not b/c something bad had happened, but because I had lost all sense of perspective.

This feels very similar.

Awhile ago, I complained to a friend that I felt I was always praying the same things for Sugar Plum... that she would be feed, kept safe, be healthy and loved, etc. And while all those are good and necessary for my mama instincts, she basically told me to be praying about the rest of our life together ;)

So when I look at her new pictures, I am struck by the reality that I DO NOT know this little girl. I had memorized her in the original pictures and apparently convinced myself that I knew her. Well, yesterday was a stark reminder that I do not. And while Owen reminded me that I didn't know him before he was born, I still can't shake the new found fear.

I don't know why this is suddenly hitting me. Perhaps it's because we are getting closer? Perhaps it's because our family's picture ironed onto a blanket is in the hands of a precious child in China?

Perhaps it's because we are welcoming a complete stranger into our lives forever!

I can look at her pictures and search intently for all the "good" I can see. It looks clean, she looks well, she is smiling. For all I know she was placed in the best spot in the orphanage for these pictures.

I have been haunted by some photos recently taken by families there now who are receiving their children. As much as I would like to think these places are ok. Growing up in an institution without a family is not ok.

I am terrified about what it will feel like to leave all the other children behind. How can I possibly only bring 1 home? Will this haunt me for the rest of my life? I suppose, I hope it does. Because 1 less, is NOT enough.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord. Psalm 117:2

My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26

I am forever His. May this change who I am, forever.

Written by Ali Fogarty, group member, in process of adopting from China
 

Orphan Sunday Recap

The turnout for our Orphan Sunday event was so encouraging.  One of the things that was talked about is the fact that adopting is NOT the only way to care for orphans.  Each and every person who has prayed for us and for MJ, or brought us a meal when we returned home from Congo, or emailed to see how we were doing, or stopped to give her a high five and a smile has been involved in caring for orphans.  It would be ten times as difficult for us if we didn't have such amazing support and love from friends and family.  There are so many opportunities to care.  Take time to consider where your gifts lie and see how they can bless an orphan or someone pursuing adoption, fostering, or hosting.

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