Thursday, December 6, 2012
Sharing A Little Of My Heart Today...
I suppose because of the work I have been doing with Pearl River Outreach lately, orphans have been on my mind overtime. I don't hear God calling us back to China for #5. Honestly I am thankful for that. I know my plate is full with the four blessings I have here.. And, Mr. Handsome too. Dare I say, we are finding our groove! But, I also believe that if we really felt that call again, we would go.. For now, He is using us to touch the orphan, but in different way. He has called us to help keep Pearl River at 100% sponsorship capacity so that 20+ children can know the love of a family.. It's a positive step preparing them for their "forever!" The time spent on "Fill Their Stockings With Hope" is my way to give back to the children!
Two nights ago Ainsley was working on a devotional assignment where she had to pick a verse, and do a powerpoint about it. She had to say what the verse meant to her, why it was personal, and challenge her classmates to see if God was speaking to them. The verse she chose all on her own was,
John 14:18, "I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you." Obviously, Ainsley can relate to this verse. In her words, she has seen the difference a family can make. We found a quote from the adoption ministry at our church she shared.. "How many adults does it take to make the difference in the life of an orphan?" The answer, "Just 1!" She went on to share a few pictures from our trip to Emme's orphanage. Including the one of the children saying goodbye. I/we will never forget it. She challenged her class to pray for the least of these. And, to be thankful for their families and for the people that care about them. You see, Ainsley has seen, held and loved on a few orphans in her life. Three of them she is blessed to call sisters! I look forward to seeing where God calls Ainsley one day!
Ainsley in Yangzhou with one of Emme's friends
Jeff with the precious little boy that raised his arms up to him, and said "Baba?"
I will never forget leaving these sweet babies behind...
I guess the point of this post is that you too can do something. You don't have to go to China to support an orphan. There are needs across the street as well as around the world. The orphan crisis is heart breaking.. I represent just one small organization trying to make a difference in the lives of a child.
I understand that it is the season for giving. We are all being asked to give. We at PRO are only $1600 away from our goal. Three Mom's you all know have worked hard to make a difference. I ask that you take the time before the last bundle closes next week to make a difference too.. Whether your donation goes to Pearl River, An Orphan's Wish, or Half the Sky, it doesn't matter to me. (I am praying we all achieve our goals!) I am just asking you to share a little, so that we can make a big difference!! $25 pays for a birthday cake and a gift at Pearl River.. Every child deserves that and so much more!!
I can't thank you all personally for your generosity.... But, please know that I appreciate you! I wish each and everyone of you could experience the love of a once orphaned child on your lap. Your heart will be forever changed. God does not call all of us to go. But, he does call us to make a difference in the lives of the least of these! ~James 1:27
I leave you with this picture.. This is Joseph. He is in our Hengshan program. Joseph is 5 years old. He entered our program after the tragic death of his mother. One he witnessed at the hands of another. This was almost three years ago. When he came to us the pain in his eyes was heart breaking. Terrified he was placed in to one of our foster homes. Month after month I wondered if he would ever be able to forget.. Would we ever see him smile? Eventually the sad layers began to peel away and we started to see a sparkle in his eyes.. With the time and love of a foster family, and his best pal Jamison, he started to emerge as a precocious little boy. All because he has learned to trust and love. I am thankful to be a small part of that!
Tomorrow Bundle #5 closes at 11:59pm. I am hoping to raise another $745 before the clock strikes midnight! We can do it! That would leave us with $1000 for the last week. It is achievable! I was reading a quote from Lysa TerKeurst at "Proverbs 31 Ministries" this morning.. The title of her post, "When God Asks You to Give." She reminded me that we just have to trust when we ask. It is our job to give, sit back, and watch God Move!
I look forward to watching God Move at Pearl River Outreach because of you!
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13 comments:
I love these little ones so much too.
Jill
"I wish each and everyone of you could experience the love of a once orphaned child on your lap. Your heart will be forever changed."
Not sure truer words were ever said! Thank you for all of the hard work you do for these beautiful children. It makes such a difference!
You could not have said it more perfectly!!!
And I agree with Wendy, that line jumped out to me right away........ Our lives are forever changed and I wish so many more families could experience it.
You will reach your goal, I have no doubt my friend.
The love for these bamboo babies will come shining through~
This is truly the best part of Christmas for me...... doing this with you and Stef has become something special and I hope we can keep this tradition going for many years to come.
Love and Blessings to you, your family, and everyone at Pearl River.
xoxoxo,
Lisa
Oh my sweet friend so beautifully said!!!! I love your Ainsley!!!
As I read your post, what you said jumped out at me as well. I SO wish everyone could feel the JOY of holding an orphaned child, to watch them as they learn to TRUST and LOVE for the first time!! God has blessed us with 2 precious child from China!!
Thank you for everything you do at Pearl River Outreach to make sure these precious children are taken care of while they wait for their "Forever Families"
Love Lori
My heart breaks daily for these sweet children. Today I feel hopeful that God is doing something super cool.
Love what you are doing. Thank you
Amy
Beautifully said! Thank you for the lives you continue to touch! Love that quote too ... Our lives are forever changed and I wish so many more families could experience it! God has a way of wrecking hearts in a powerful way when one of the least of these is placed in your arms. God is good!
I love you. I love your heart. I love these precious children. You do an amazing job for Pearl River! I'm just happy to have a small part!
Oh..........that sweet boy. Thank you for all you do. We are forever changed and I am forever grateful for the calling God placed on our hearts and yours. Merry christmas Diana. :)
You have a heart of gold Diana, and the PRO kids are so blessed to have you advocating for them. You are truly an inspiration.
Such wisdom, Diana! And you have such a generous and loving heart... God is doing so much through you :)
Feel so blessed to be working on this labor of love with you and Lisa -- it's not easy ;) but the benefits are AWESOME!!
Praying that goal is met and SURPASSED!!
oxoxox!
were you as struck as i was by last night's chapel hill christmas musical? "no room"..."no room"...or is there? is there really room? seems pretty clear, doesn't it? sometimes i feel like that innkeeper...trying to keep control. attempting to regain a little order. doing my best to salvage some peace. but then i remember the babe of bethlehem and hear His Father's whisper...there's room. there's room. there's room. beautiful post. love you friend.
Diana,
Happy Holidays! You have done so much amazing work for orphans all around the world. I have supported you, your blog and your causes for many years. Congratulations.
I am hoping that you will help me get some attention to a cause that my son is involved in. He has qualified to represent the USA in Israel next summer in the Maccabi Games. We have created a website to raise money for his trip. Would you mind taking a look at the website and spreading the word as broadly as you are comfortable.
https://friendraising.towercare.com/Markslist/campaign/display/profile.do?campaignId=12366
Thank you so much!
Lauren