How many people know that November is Adoption Awareness Month?
How many people know that last Sunday was Orphan Sunday?
Last Saturday we did our Both Hands Project ~
One Hand for the Widow ~ One Hand for the Orphan
In Psalm 68:5-6 The Lord says he is the ... "Father to the fatherless,
a defender of widows ... God sets the lonely in families... "
We know that not everyone is called to adopt children into their home.
But we are all called to care for the orphan.
James 1:27 says, "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble ..."
I once asked a pastor, what this really meant. He said basically if you are a Christian, this is what you are supposed to do.
For our family we feel it is a calling from God to open our hearts and our home to orphans. Is it easy? NO. Is it worth it? Absolutely...
Isaiah 1:17 says, "Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the Orphan, Plead for the widow."
So today I am defending the cause of the Orphan.
Let me tell you a little story:
Once there was an old man walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a young man.
As he got closer, he noticed that the young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.
He called out "May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young man looked up, and replied, "Throwing starfish into the ocean."
"Why are you doing this?" asked the old man.
To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."
Upon hearing this, the old man commented, "But, young man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "I made a difference to that one!"
When our son Gezaw first came home, he told us:
At night he would lie down on his face and pray for a family.
For many days he did this.
We believe there are many others out there that are praying.
Today I want to invite you to be the answer to a child’s prayer:
Whether it is through Adoption, Missions or Financially.
They estimate that there are 152 million orphans in the world.
So does it really matter when you rescue 2?
It does to those to those 2.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
One Hand for the Widow
Well, the first half or our Both hands Project was a great success! All week it was 65+ degrees and sunshine. But for Saturday, they were forecasting a cold front and rain. We prayed hard all week and commanded the clouds to BACK OFF!! The day began sunny and beautiful!
We had about 30 adults and 12 kids volunteer to help. In one day we accomplished as much as an army!
The pipes under her house were exposed and froze each year. We added fiberglass insulation and then added a plywood covering over it all.
We added Storm Doors to the front and back of her home.
We added 14 sheets of T1-11 paneling around the base of her home, covering the patchwork of beat up plywood.
We painted the entire worn out Brown house, a beautiful Sky Blue.
Her weathered wooden window frames were wrapped with white aluminum.
Her old wooden window sashes were scraped and painted a fresh white, along with her patio railings.
Two dump truck loads junk and trash were picked up and hauled off.
All her ripped and frayed screens were replaced.
Aluminum flashing replaced the rotting wood base around her home.
The decks were swept clean.
The windows were washed inside and out.
The inside of her home was swept, washed, cleaned, dusted, vacuumed and polished.
We each stopped for a few moments here and there throughout the day to sit and visit with her, to talk, to pray and to encourage her.
At the end of the day I sat with her and SHE prayed for ME! She prayed that all our needs would be met by the Lord. She was totally blessed and overwhelmed by the goodness of God ... how He answers us before we even ask Him for help!
And as the last car left, it began to rain. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!
We had about 30 adults and 12 kids volunteer to help. In one day we accomplished as much as an army!
The pipes under her house were exposed and froze each year. We added fiberglass insulation and then added a plywood covering over it all.
We added Storm Doors to the front and back of her home.
We added 14 sheets of T1-11 paneling around the base of her home, covering the patchwork of beat up plywood.
We painted the entire worn out Brown house, a beautiful Sky Blue.
Her weathered wooden window frames were wrapped with white aluminum.
Her old wooden window sashes were scraped and painted a fresh white, along with her patio railings.
Two dump truck loads junk and trash were picked up and hauled off.
All her ripped and frayed screens were replaced.
Aluminum flashing replaced the rotting wood base around her home.
The decks were swept clean.
The windows were washed inside and out.
The inside of her home was swept, washed, cleaned, dusted, vacuumed and polished.
We each stopped for a few moments here and there throughout the day to sit and visit with her, to talk, to pray and to encourage her.
At the end of the day I sat with her and SHE prayed for ME! She prayed that all our needs would be met by the Lord. She was totally blessed and overwhelmed by the goodness of God ... how He answers us before we even ask Him for help!
And as the last car left, it began to rain. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Our Both Hands Project - This Saturday !
Nov 6th is Orphan Sunday weekend. Our family and a team of friends, will be performing a Home Makover for a local widow, while at the same time, raising funds to adopt 1-2 more orphans from Ethiopia. We need prayers and support. Can you help us spread the word?
So now we've got Good News and Bad News.
The Good News is we have been awarded a Matching Grant for $3000 from Lifesong for Orphans for our upcoming adoption. This means every dollar you give up to $3000, will be DOUBLED. :) $3000 = $6000!
The Bad News is that we don't get that grant money unless our friends support us. :( It's hard for us to ask you, but if you've been thinking about helping us by sponsoring us during our Both Hands Project ~ One Hand for the Widow ~ One Hand for the Orphan, please send in your donation soon! Our project is this Saturday, November 6th and although we can recieve your donations anytime, now is better than later! And by the way, all donations are tax deductible.
Our Both Hands Project is a fundraiser to adopt and give 2 more Institutionalized Orphans a Forever Family. We believe this is a calling on our lives from God, to raise the ransom and rescue these kids from a life of loneliness and despair. We appreciate your help.
To make a donation go to:
http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/bhProj.html
Scroll down to 11/06/10 and to the Schilling Family
Thank you so much!
Bonnie Schilling
So now we've got Good News and Bad News.
The Good News is we have been awarded a Matching Grant for $3000 from Lifesong for Orphans for our upcoming adoption. This means every dollar you give up to $3000, will be DOUBLED. :) $3000 = $6000!
The Bad News is that we don't get that grant money unless our friends support us. :( It's hard for us to ask you, but if you've been thinking about helping us by sponsoring us during our Both Hands Project ~ One Hand for the Widow ~ One Hand for the Orphan, please send in your donation soon! Our project is this Saturday, November 6th and although we can recieve your donations anytime, now is better than later! And by the way, all donations are tax deductible.
Our Both Hands Project is a fundraiser to adopt and give 2 more Institutionalized Orphans a Forever Family. We believe this is a calling on our lives from God, to raise the ransom and rescue these kids from a life of loneliness and despair. We appreciate your help.
To make a donation go to:
http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/bhProj.html
Scroll down to 11/06/10 and to the Schilling Family
Thank you so much!
Bonnie Schilling
Our Both Hands Project - One Hand for the Widow - One Hand for the Orphan
As you know, this last Easter, we adopted and brought home 3 children from Ethiopia. Now we are a family of eight. You would think our family was complete!
We thought so too, until just recently, when we felt the Lord inviting us once again to open our hearts and home, to at least one little boy, perhaps two.
Last year we witnessed the Lord’s provision in miraculous ways and we firmly believe that what He... calls us to do, He will provide for. So we are taking another huge step of faith and surrendering our lives to the Lord’s purposes for our family and His kingdom. Where He leads us, we want to follow.
We’ve organized a Both Hands Project for this Saturday, November 6th. Both Hands is a Christian organization partnering with Lifesong for Orphans that helps serve widows in local communities in practical ways, while raising funds to help orphans become adopted.
If you have ever sponsored somebody to participate in a walk-athon or a 5K run, this will be an easy concept to understand. Instead of running, a team of about 14 people, including us, will be spending one entire day working on a widow’s home, performing minor repairs and fixing up her house inside and out. Basically all the work that can be completed in just one Saturday. Sort of a home improvement and landscape makeover.
We will be asking people to sponsor us while we work and serve a widow and the money will be used to help bring these orphans home to their forever family.
To check out Both Hands and Lifesong for Orphans online, go to:
www.lifesongfororphans.org/bothHands.html
If you would like to sponsor us:
Online at www.lifesongfororphans.org/bhProj.html
Scroll down to find Charlie and Bonnie Schilling
choose the Donate button.
Check made payable to Lifesong for Orphans
Be sure to write Schilling Adoption #1604
in the memo section of your check.
Mail your check to:
Lifesong for Orphans,
PO Box 40,
202 N. Ford St,
Gridley, IL 61744
THANK YOU!!!!
We thought so too, until just recently, when we felt the Lord inviting us once again to open our hearts and home, to at least one little boy, perhaps two.
Last year we witnessed the Lord’s provision in miraculous ways and we firmly believe that what He... calls us to do, He will provide for. So we are taking another huge step of faith and surrendering our lives to the Lord’s purposes for our family and His kingdom. Where He leads us, we want to follow.
We’ve organized a Both Hands Project for this Saturday, November 6th. Both Hands is a Christian organization partnering with Lifesong for Orphans that helps serve widows in local communities in practical ways, while raising funds to help orphans become adopted.
If you have ever sponsored somebody to participate in a walk-athon or a 5K run, this will be an easy concept to understand. Instead of running, a team of about 14 people, including us, will be spending one entire day working on a widow’s home, performing minor repairs and fixing up her house inside and out. Basically all the work that can be completed in just one Saturday. Sort of a home improvement and landscape makeover.
We will be asking people to sponsor us while we work and serve a widow and the money will be used to help bring these orphans home to their forever family.
To check out Both Hands and Lifesong for Orphans online, go to:
www.lifesongfororphans.org/bothHands.html
If you would like to sponsor us:
Online at www.lifesongfororphans.org/bhProj.html
Scroll down to find Charlie and Bonnie Schilling
choose the Donate button.
Check made payable to Lifesong for Orphans
Be sure to write Schilling Adoption #1604
in the memo section of your check.
Mail your check to:
Lifesong for Orphans,
PO Box 40,
202 N. Ford St,
Gridley, IL 61744
THANK YOU!!!!
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