It's been awhile!

Since I have been on here. I have just been so busy with homeschooling that I haven't had the time to do much blogging. So I am sure you are wondering what's going on here. Well Alex is busy with his 1st grade year. His reading is really improving, and he LOVES Science! His other favorite subject is math. Rory is getting big. She is now a four year old little girl with a mind of her own. Who has been very busy learning to write her ABC's. About the adoption...We ended up missing our Saturday classes when Alex got pneumonia. And since we were planning on switching to a private agency instead of staying with DHHR, we are waiting for the next round of PRIDE training at the agency. These begin in April. So were getting closer! They said that we can just have our fingerprinting /security check moved from DHHR to the private agency, soo we shouldn't have to redo them. Which is nice :) Not much new in that department. Just the beginning of learning to wait!

Little Miss Teenager 

  Alex reading his Bible to Leo :)

 We have been having a very warm winter. So we have been doing a lot of bike riding after the school work is done. And we even went to the park in 70 degree weather, in January!!

Hope Ethiopia

Do you remember that Hope Ethiopia:100 challenge we gave you? The one where YOU all completely exceeded our goals? 

And that one phone call where an AMAZING donor committed to match ALL donations (up to $130,000) to Lifesong Ethiopia through the end of 2011?

Well, we found out about that donor on November 17th! That's 45 days to raise $130,000... which made this goal seem next to impossible... in OUR eyes! However, as you all know... GOD had different plans for THESE kids -

and these kids - 

Plans that we could never had imagined... plans to give them hope and a future! 

Thanks to an AMAZING TEAM of individuals and their fundraising efforts, coupled with the provision of our Lord, THE MATCH HAS BEEN MET! Did you hear me? All ONE HUNDRED THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS has been donated for the children at the Adami Tulu and Ziway, Ethiopia schools! 

We stand in complete awe of our MIGHTY Jehovah Jireh! 

Thank you fundraising team for your efforts, for the way you never stop advocating for these children, and for our faith in our Lord God Almighty to provide for ALL of their needs! 

Thank you donors who stepped up to the challenge and did not let the dollar amount get in the way... but trusted that EVERY one of your dollars mattered! 

Thank you to all of you who advocated for these children, pray for them, and have invested in their lives... it will surely be an invest with an eternal reward! 

Check the Adami Tulu site often to learn more about The Project, the fundraising priorities, and what's in store for 2012! 

Christmas time is here..

I am a bad blogger, I know. Seems like I haven't had time to post in a long time. We have had so much going on. The holidays are so busy for us and on top of that we have had a lot of sickness going on. The whole family also participated in our churches Christmas Dram and have had practice or work nights almost every night the past few weeks. Between that and the homeschooling I haven't had any time for blogger.. But I will give you some updates soon :) For now here are a few pictures :)

My little angel with her friends

And my adorable little Shepherd 

Hope Eithiopia

Hope Ethiopia from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

Children at the Lifesong Ethiopia school  are fed 2 nutritious meals per day, provided with a quality education, and taught the message of Jesus Christ. This gives kids like Beza the hope they need in order to break free from gripping poverty.

We currently have a need to build a 12-room expansion to our existing school, in order to reach more children like Beza. We have been blessed, by the generosity of a donor, to be able to MATCH all donations to the Ziway and Adami Tulu Schools between now and December 31st... up to $130,000!!!

This week, the 5^th through the 9^th, we invite you to join Hope Ethiopia:100. We are looking for 100 people to give a one-time $100 donation! 

Joining this team will not only give hope to kids like Beza, but your dollars will be matched AND you'll be entered into a drawing for a FABULOUS gift basket (details below).

Help us achieve the next $10,000 by being a part of our Hope Ethiopia: 100 Team!

Together we can make a difference in the lives of these kids!  Together we can do more to bring joy and purpose to orphans!

And don't forget to keep checking the Lifesong blog for updates all week!

*Gift basket includes: $100 itunes or amazon gift card, Lifesong t-shirt, Lifesong cookbook,Journey On CD, handmade necklaces & note cards by orphans in Zambia, handmade ornament from a child in Ukraine, 5 bags of Gobena coffee, Gobena coffee mug, Gobena t-shirt, andGobena tote bag. This basket is worth over $250! *To commit via check, please send an email to info@lifesongfororphans.org. Make check payable to Lifesong for Orphans, indicate 'preference Hope Ethiopia: 100' in the memo.

Blogging for Orphans

Make a Difference in ONE Life!

What is your holy discontent? What is your God-given passion on this earth? You know, that one thing that MOVES you to action, that brings you to tears, and causes you to lose sleep? We have a passion, a yearning to see justice for the fatherless! "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." - Isaiah 1:17 2011 Gifts of Purpose from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

It's that time of year again. Holiday music rings through your speaker systems. Decorations light up your street corners. Families gather together.It's the season of love, joy and family.  

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ during this season of giving, we often forget to give to those who NEED it most! This year give differently. Give FAMILY to the 147 million orphans worldwide who dream of belonging. Give HOPE to children living on the streets whose only Christmas wish is survival.

What if, this year, your family gave a gift to those who need it most? A gift that won't fit under the tree? 

Would you consider making a difference in ONE LIFE...

•  Help a child break free from gripping poverty.

•  Give the love of Jesus through Christian mentors.

•  Give a future to an orphan's caregiver.

This year join Lifesong for Orphans in giving a gift with purpose. A gift that will speak Jesus to a child. Introducing Lifesong's 2011 Gifts of Purpose Catalog. 

NOW, for even more exciting news....

In Ethiopia, children need an education to break free from gripping poverty. Public schools are lacking, so kids are left behind without the  HOPE of an education or future. Our current Lifesong school is not only giving by teaching these children about Jesus, but also feeding 350 hungry children 2 meals each day. We currently have a need to build a 12-room expansion to our existing school... please join us to make a difference in a child's life.

As of last night, we have a generous donor that has stepped up to MATCH all donations to the Ziway and Adami Tulu Schools in Ethiopia between now and December 31st... up to $130,000!!!!!! Can you tell I'm excited? What a GENEROUS way to make the most of your giving and bless the children and families in these communities! Let me tell you first hand, these schools NEED to be expanded... these children NEED an education... they NEED to be fed each day... they NEED to hear about Jesus! Lets give HOPE to these precious children in Ethiopia!

Would you join us in prayer as we seek to make the need known?

MAKE A MATCHED DONATION NOW! ***You can use the link above to make a matched donation OR select any of the Hope Ethiopia options below. 

Gift of $30 cares for 2 children for 1 month.

Gift in Honor of

Gift of $525 cares for 35 children for 1 month.

Gift in Honor of

Gift of $1,500 furnishes one classroom.

Gift in Honor of

Also, don't forget that you can give a gift in honor of a loved one this holiday season!

Emrace the camera

Me and my girl..she is growing up into a little lady :) 

Now it's your turn to embrace the camera with me!

Operation Christmas Child

This is an awesome way to get your kids involved in learning to give...and you get to reach out to someone :) Think about it.

Where have we been?

That's probably what your wondering. Things have been hectic around here. Two weekends ago our kids came down with a cold, they were sneezing , coughing, fussy.. and just feeling horrible. We had to miss our P.R.I.D.E. class. Which really bummed me out, but I knew we can make it up. 


The kid's seemed to be feeling a little better by Monday. Then Tuesday night I heard Alex crying and went to see what was wrong. He was laying there shivering like crazy. He said he tried to come get me but was to dizzy to walk. I carried him to my bed and checked his temperature. It was 105.7 . So we left for the ER. 
He was out of it and saying all kinds of crazy things. And talking to his sister who wasn't even with us.


We prayed the whole way there and his fever was already dropping when we got there. They told us that it was just a virus and that it should be better in a few days. But Thursday afternoon his fever shot back up again. Something just didn't seem like a virus. So we took him back. Turns out somehow they missed that he has pneumonia. So we have been nursing our little boy back to health. And once again missed another P.R.I.D.E class.

So that's where we have gotten in our adoption the past few weeks..no where! 

But I am so thankful that our little boy is getting better.And that our God is a healer. We can always make up the class or start in another round once everything is back to normal.:)


And we need a few pictures..

we got snow in October!

feeling beat after eating some halloween cake