November Is Over!?

November was National Adoption Awareness Month. If you read  this post you know that I (along with so many other people) participated in the "Pray Down the Number @ 1:47 pm" Event. And it was even more amazing that I thought it would be!! Each day I chose an orphan or an adoptive family (or anything to do with orphans around the world) and lifted them up to the Father. It wasn't hard at all to think of someone or something each day. Each day it seemed that God would put a child a family or a subject in my head and I went with that. It was an honor to pray for them during the whole month of November. The fact that I wasn't alone in praying each day was also a great encouragement. There are 176 people in the facebook group and even if all of them weren't actually praying at the same time it was still amazing to know that each one of them was lifting up orphans all over the world at some point each day. This was an awesome event and I can't wait to participate next year! God really moved, prayers were answered, and God showed up in these lives. 


Just for fun, here is the list I kept:  
(You may or may not recognize some of these names) :)

1st: Liberty and William
2nd: JJ and family
3rd: Will Perry and Ankerich family
4th: Blossom (SFCV)
5th: Luke (SFCV)
6th: Older orphans who struggle with depression
7th: Sharon (SFCV)
8th: Grady (SFCV)
9th: Ruby and Saunders family
10th: Kennedy (SFCV)
11th: Josiah's family (SFCV)
12th: Smith Family (and Derrick)
13th: Stella (Uganda)
14th: Jordyn and Rist Family
15th: Henry (Uganda)
16th: Kira LaTorre
17th: Brookie Leahy
18th: Kayley's sisters
19th: Josh and family (SFCV)
20th: Stoiber family
21st: Joseph (SFCV)
22nd: Phiona's work with orphans
23rd: Orphans in Uganda
24th: Orphans in China
25th: Orphans in Russia
26h: Orphans in India
27th: Orphans in USA
28th: Kiraboo Seeds
29th: Esther and Stonebrook family
30th: Older orphans left behind

*(SFCV)= Children from Shephard's Field Children's Village

Stella Update

Back in June Tonya LaTorre traveled to Uganda to do mission work with an orphanage and a school in Kampala. She took care packages to the children from their sponsors and get updated pictures and information. She also was able to meet with each child at school and go to each of their homes to meet with their family.

I got these pictures in the mail a few weeks ago and I was so excited to see all of them! Stella looks to be doing really well and she is smiling big in all the pictures. I am so glad she liked all the little things I sent her. I love shopping for other people, so it was so much fun to get to see her reaction in these pictures. 

Here are the pictures that Tonya took:

Stella with her beautiful smile

This must be the teacher or head master of Stella's school

Opening the care package I sent for her

Her new shirt

Look at that smile! She sure is letting her love shine!

Her new dress

Opening her birthday present

Stella holding up the pictures I sent her

The sign for Stella's school

Stella's neighborhood

The house Stella lives in with her sister and nephew

Stella's sister

Stella's sister and nephew

Stella also wrote me a letter (with a cute little drawing). It is such a joy to hear from her and know that she is doing well and enjoying her time at school. I am so excited to get to know her better through future letters. 

Stella you are loved! 

I am praying and thinking of you often!

Your sponsor sister, 

Sharon

Sunday Snapshot: Presents!

It's always so much fun to send presents to my sponsor children. I LOVE going shopping and picking out cute little things that will make them happy! And for a minute I can pretend they are actually my kids. :) The most amazing part of sending things to them, is when I get to see the pictures. It's so great to see them smiling and possibly even wearing or playing with something I sent them. They are such a blessing in my life! Enjoy the pictures!

Luke in China:

Wow, that smile! Love it!

Aww! I <3 u Luke!!

Stella in Uganda:

So much joy in her face! 

What I sent her

My first letter from Stella! Looks like she is very good a drawing! 

God bless you too Stella!

Update on Stella

Jan. 2011

Remember Stella? I know it's been a while! 

She started attending school in February and today I got an unexpected update on her! Yay! 

I just went shopping for her today right before I got the update, how crazy! I am putting together a care package for her because some friends are going to Uganda in June and are willing to take along some packages for the sponsored children. 

I love shopping for other people and giving gifts! It may take me a while to find just the right thing(s), (OK a really long while, haha!), but I love it! So I had no problem filling up my cart with fun things for Stella. It was a little different buying for a pre-teen, compared to what I am used to buying for my little toddler sponsor children, but it worked out.

Here is what the update said:

"Stella is doing well in school. Thank you so much for making it possible for her to come to school!

 

Last Saturday we had our sports day. All children are given an opportunity to participate and parents are invited. There are items for parents as well. Sella is a very good athlete, she won all her races. I have attached a picture of her recieving a certificate from our chief guest who is a member of the Ugandan parliament. Her elder sister who is her caretaker also won the parents' 100 m race in which she participated.

April 2011

 

Yesterday, we moved to our own premise as a church. We had been renting since we begun and this was a very big day for us. There was great joy and celebration as well as feasting. During the service, we had testimonies of what God has done in individual lives. One of the people to testify was Stella. She gave a moving account of her life and how her life has turned around since coming to school. When she was finished, there was hardly a dry eye in the congregation. I have attached a picture of her giving her testimony."

April 17th, 2011

Praise God Stella is doing well and benefiting from being in school! More to come on Stella soon!