Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction … James 1:27

“Having an Orphan Sunday is a great way for the Church to be focused one Sunday a year on an issue close to God’s heart. As we gather together in worship we recognize that Christ has not left us as spiritual orphans (John 14:18) and we can corporately remember those among us who are orphaned and in need of a family.” Brian Luwis, CEO, America World Adoption

You can win a missions trip ANYWHERE in the world- purchase a Pure Religion tee and enter to win and simply love orphans!!!  Click here

What is Orphan Sunday?

Watch CRY OF THE ORPHAN HERE.

On Orphan Sunday, Christians stand for the orphan . We are a people called to defend the fatherless…to care for the child that has no family…to visit orphans in their distress.

From many sources, one voice. Hundreds of events across America and beyond, all sharing a single goal: that God’s great love for the orphan will find echo in our lives as well.

Each as they are led. Sermons and small groups, concerts and prayer gatherings—each rousing believers with God’s call to care for the orphan…and what we can do in response.

Orphan Sunday is your opportunity to rouse church, community and friends to God’s call to care for the orphan.

History

Many churches and organizations have hosted “Orphan Sundays” over the years. With a nationwide Orphan Sunday, the Christian Alliance for Orphans and the Cry of the Orphan partners seek to add a unified voice and coordinated effort to the many worthy efforts that preceded this year.

The seeds of this united Orphan Sunday come especially as a gift from the Church in Africa. While attending a church service in Zambia, an American visitor was struck by the pastor’s passionate call to care for orphans in the local community, which had been ravaged by AIDS and poverty. Members of the church faced deep need themselves. But as the service ended, one after another stepped forward with money, food and other goods-some even taking off their own shoes and placing them in the offering for orphans.

The visitor, Gary Schneider, was so impacted that he began to help Zambian leaders coordinate Orphan Sunday efforts across Zambia. These efforts spread to the U.S. in 2003 with help from Every Orphan’s Hope and other organizations. (Orphan Sunday is licensed to the Christian Alliance for Orphans as a registered trademark of Every Orphan’s Hope).

The Christian Alliance for Orphans honors the church in Zambia for the gift of Orphan Sunday. We pray the Church in America may be as faithful to reflect God’s heart for the orphan, both near and far.

Friday, November 5, 2010 –7:00 PM MTN

There are 3 ways to join this event:

1. LIVE ON THE WEB:  The concert will be webcast in high-speed, high quality format.  This medium is appropriate for small audiences viewing on a computer or TV monitor.  Click here to view the live feed!
   
2. LIVE VIA SATELLITE:  The concert will be broadcast via satellite.  This medium is appropriate for larger audiences in venues with satellite viewing capability and larger screens.  (See Satellite information below.)
3. LIVE BROADCAST:   The NRB Network will be broadcasting the concert live on DirecTV’s channel 378 and SkyAngel, channel 126.

My husband and I live in Pignon, Haiti, and run an orphanage, Haiti Home of Hope. We have a biological son who just graduated high school. We have two Haitian daughters who we are in the process of adopting. And we have 22 boys and 23 girls in the orphanage. We also direct a feeding center for children suffering from malnutrition.

10 years ago, my husband and I were just your average American couple. Bill was working, I was a stay at home mom homeschooling our son. We as a family that year had committed to ministering wherever God led us. We had no clue that God was going to call us to Haiti, and in a short time we would be there serving orphan children. We had not been to Bible school, and were not looking or desiring to be on the mission field.

We arrived in Haiti January 21, 2003. We proceeded to get the building and property ready to start accepting children. Our plan was to open an all boys orphanage, with no babies. In May we had a 4 pound, 4 day old baby girl, brought to us. Our very first orphan! She was sick with typhoid, the doctors here said not to even try and save her, that she probably wouldn’t make it. I worked with her anyway. We fed her around the clock with an eyedropper, she could only take a couple of drops at a time. And we prayed so much, that God would save her.  God was gracious and saved her life. She is now 7 years old and the picture of health. She tells me that she wants to grow up and help sick babies, just like her mommy!! She has such a sensitive heart, we thank God everyday for her We now have 47 children here, and life gets crazy sometimes.

I would like to share some of my everyday craziness with you. I like to get out into the countryside and visit children that are on our feeding program. I just never know what I am going to find when I go out. The physical and spiritual needs are so great. Last Saturday I had gone to visit a really poor family. There are 5 children, all suffering malnutrition. When I arrived at the hut, there were no adults around. The door was hanging open, and the 1 year old twins were laying on the floor. They are only 8 pounds each, and can’t sit up or crawl around. They were both covered in dried feces and crying pitifully. I found an old rag to wipe them off with, and a couple of blankets, and wrapped them up. We gave them what little water we had, and some cream cheese in my bag, that I let them suck off of my finger. When I asked the older kids, they said they had not eaten in 2 days. I passed out all of our crackers and cheese, and water. We were anxiously awaiting the mom’s return, but after an hour when no one came, we had no choice but to lay the babies down and walk away. I felt so defeated, I was in tears that there was nothing more I could do. There was no food for them to cook in the house. I prayed that I could come back soon and bring some food.

It was Monday before I had another another opportunity to go out that way. When we got within a mile, the road was impassable, because of deep mud. So we made the decision to walk in. Just as we arrived at the hut, we were hit with a huge thunderstorm. The mom was gone again, door left open, babies on the dirt floor, and the other 3 kids running around naked. We gave them all cheese and crackers, and water, again. The mom finally showed up, so we were able to leave rice packets, specially formulated for malnourished children.

Mission accomplished, we then started the walk back in the thunderstorm. The water in the road was rushing, about a foot deep. In some places, the mud was a foot deep. I fell twice, and was covered in mud, head to toe when I got home. But I was so happy, because I knew those kids would have a meal that day. But more important than that, I hope and pray that the mom saw the love of Christ thru us, as we ministered to her and her babies.  I pray that she will see the harm that voodoo does to her children. I pray that  one day she will come to accept Christ in her heart.

Please pray for these families that are so caught up in voodoo, that they don’t see the damage being done to their children. Pray for the poor children of Haiti. The only hope for them is Jesus. Pray that we will continue to have love and compassion, so that they will see Jesus shining thru us.

{wife, mom to 48- Jennifer Campbell}

A note from Kari:  I met Jennifer on my 2nd trip to Haiti.  She is my hero (even though she would hate me saying that!)  She and her hubby serve God with all their hearts and are making a huge difference with the families in the village of Pignon.  She explained to me that when a family is practicing voodoo, their children are born with red tipped hair.  It is NOT hair dye… she has witnessed a family that after accepting Jesus in their lives, shaved their children’s hair, despite the witch doctor’s evil warnings of death.  When their hair grew back, it was black.  God healed this family from the inside out.  Roger will travel to Pignon, Haiti to work with the Campbells in August.

My crazy readers…. you begged for more and I listened!  Starting today my T shirt blitz just for dads!!  You can get Simply Love Man Up T shirts for your hubby for Father’s Day.  All proceeds go towards our 2nd adoption to Ethiopia.  Help us bring home our daughter!

Blitz ends June 1 (so I can have plenty of time to order & mail out before Father’s Day June 20th)

WHY MAN UP?

This is an amazing opportunity for your husband to advocate for adoption and orphan care… a walking billboard.  God has called our men to Man Up and protect & love the fatherless!

How do the T shirts fit?

I’m using the brand Anvil Extra Soft that fit true unisex.  They are roomy (NOT fitted!) and fit normal.

When will I get my T shirt?

I will work fervently to have all your T shirts in the mail before June 14th.  I want to avoid all the Father’s Day craziness!

Crazy Testimony from Kryste- *her blog and

*adoption blog- A Good Kind of Crazy

“…my husband Frank got home from 12.5 months in Afghanistan 2 weeks ago and I had a Simply Love tshirt here waiting on him. He loved it, wore it the next day and I took this picture after we left our daughter Z’s school from having lunch with her (he’s with our sons R and L). Our Zoe is the one who caught your Zoie’s name in the shirt before we even saw it and she thought it was the coolest thing.  We wear our Simply Love shirts EVERYWHERE… I have people ask me about it at the gym, at grocery stores, etc etc etc. LOVE IT!”

BUY NOW-

HopeChest and Adoption Fathers are joining together for Mother’s Day to bring hope to orphans!!  My crazy readers, you rocked out our last HopeChest fundraiser and I want to ask you to take the time to learn more about this special project that Tom Davis and team are supporting.  I just bought my necklace!!  It’s created exclusively from my friend JunkPosse, so you know the quality is beautiful and one of a kind.  Here is a great close up of the special Mother’s Day necklace.  It’s just how we like it girls…

big & chunky!   Let’s go a little crazy and end the last week of the fundraiser with a bang… don’t miss out.

LOVES GOES AROUND {GIVEAWAY}

Crazy friends… this is a 2 day giveaway.   I will randomly pick a winner on Friday night.  All you have to do is leave me a comment and tell me why you want this stunning necklace. You can entry both days!  Let’s break records!

“This necklace represents the “Breaking the Chain” of Orphanhood campaign this Mother’s Day. All the Profits from this piece will support Hopechest’s “Young Mothers Program.”

When orphans are released from the orphanage in their early teen years, they enter a critically vulnerable time. In the case of the women supported by this campaign, they find themselves pregnant and alone. Still children themselves, they have nowhere to go. That is where HopeChest comes into the picture, providing direct assistance, training, community building, and intensive counseling and casework. 100% of the moms currently in the program are raising healthy young children and breaking the cycle of orphans producing more orphans.

Children’s Hopechest- Responding to God’s desire to create a world where every orphan knows Him, experiences the blessing of a family, and acquires the skills necessary for independent life.”

Join us this Mothers Day and together we can Break The Chain of sex trafficking and orphanhood. Buy a limited edition Mothers Day necklace and 100% of the proceeds will go towards supporting these amazing programs.  HopeChest Fundraiser ends on Friday!

Click on image to purchase.

Meet Masha an orphan who was rescued from a life of forced prostitution- Click Here!

This is my great friend, Pete Kidd’s new blog and ministry to bring together orphan awareness to fathers all over the world.  His passion for his family and adoption is contagious!  Please grab his bloggy button and help spread the word helping daddy’s advocating for orphans!