Loving Shepherd Ministries

A Christ-centered ministry that is passionate about helping orphans and at-risk children.

Here I Am, Lord

March 10th, 2010

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Jesus says that faith as small as a grain of mustard seed can move mountains, but we should all strive for a faith that moves men, as Amber Steffen points out.

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First Era missionaries (1800-1910) to Africa packed their belongings in coffins, as statistics told them they wouldn’t last more than two years. Yet they continued to go “in virtually a suicidal stream.” –Ralph Winter

What was it that made these seemingly foolish men and women strike out for a completely unknown future, knowing that they had 24 months, at most, before tropical diseases killed them? What makes a family go back to the mission field where their 5-year-old son just died, knowing the cost? What is it that consistently gives us the power and the deep-seated desire to put ourselves in uncomfortable situations to tell others about Christ?

I have found the answer in the quiet whispers of God when He shows His inconceivable love. I’ve seen it in the lightning bolts of clarity when there’s no other explanation but that a great and mighty God is working. When the incredible indwelling of the Spirit fills and captures a heart – when God makes Himself known to us personally – I truly believe there’s no other response we can give but to sacrifice our all. We shouldn’t even question packing our belongings in a coffin and leaving everything for Him – not if that is what He’s asking of us.

But how much have we truly been captured by this?

Yes, be used where God has called you today, but also be constantly looking to God, listening for His quiet whispers of direction. If we do this, we’ll be ready when He does call us to something that seems “suicidal.” Because then it won’t look so profound. It will be just another step, hand in hand with Jesus.

The video below always powerfully reminds me of how I should respond to God’s power and holiness. May we all strive for this closeness with Him, and as God speaks, I pray that we (that I) will have a willing and open heart to go where He sends.

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Thank you, Amber, for that encouragement.

Christian Alliance Summit coming in April

March 5th, 2010

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Registration is now open for the Christian Alliance for Orphans’ Summit VI in Minneapolis, MN!

Summit has become the national focal point for Christians committed to adoption, foster care and global orphan care ministry. Join organizational leaders, grassroots advocates, pastors, and ministry entrepreneurs that share your passion. Encounter the unparalleled hub of orphan ministry partnership, networking and inspiration for service. Build your knowledge, resources and practical skills via more than fifty workshops and unforgettable plenary sessions. Featured speakers will include John Piper, Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, Al Mohler, Patricia Arzu, Tom Davis, Stephanie Fast, Doug Sauder, and others!

Any individual, church, or organization member of the Alliance will receive a discounted registration rate of $99. Non-member registration is $149. (To apply for membership and receive the discounted rate, visit the Alliance membership page first.)

Visit Christian Alliance for Orphans to register for Summit today!

Coming to a community near you

February 25th, 2010

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On Saturday, several members of the Loving Shepherd team attended the Connecting Hearts with the Forgotten conference at Christ Church in Normal, IL. It’s exciting to see a number of church-based orphans ministries taking the “next step” and hosting an adoption/orphan care conference for the community.

More and more of these community-based conferences are popping up all over the country, so be sure to keep your eyes open for something happening in your community.

If Loving Shepherd plans to be at any of these conferences, we’ll be sure to post it on our blog. We’d love to meet you if we come to your town or city!

It Pays to Pray

February 19th, 2010

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As missionaries in Ethiopia, Kevin and Erica are no strangers to the power of prayer, and they can offer a unique perspective on how we pray.

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I was convicted by something I read recently about prayer: “People often say, ‘I prayed for you,’ but don’t ask them about what they prayed. They would not know how to answer you. What they really mean to say is that they thought about you and hoped everything would be all right!” How often do I do that very thing? I want to support people in prayer and lift up others’ requests and needs to God, but the best intentions don’t always result in diligent action. I think about people and their needs a lot, but is that the same as praying for them? I’m not sure.

I’ve received e-mails and notes before from people who have let me know exactly how they were praying for me. They even wrote out their prayers. Those notes have meant so very much, as they encourage and strengthen me. It definitely takes extra time and effort to pray specifically. It’s much easier to think to yourself (as you’re running out the door to work), “Dear God, I pray for Haiti, Ethiopia, orphans, my family and my friends. Amen.” I can’t say those prayers are bad. However, I know my own desire to grow in my prayer life, and I understand how for me, praying specifically for people and needs around the world is one way to grow. Many of the Epistles in the Bible clearly exemplify the idea of praying specifically. Take a look at Philippians and see how Paul expresses his prayers to his friends in Philippi. Then consider writing a letter of your own in this manner. Undoubtedly, you will be an encouragement.

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Thanks Kevin and Erica. In church, we sing an old hymn called “Did you think to pray?” However, now I am challenged to ask myself, “Did you think when you prayed?”

Alliance starts new initiative to help orphans in Haiti

February 16th, 2010

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Loving Shepherd Ministries is working with the Christian Alliance for Orphans, a collaboration of more than 50 Christian organizations, to determine how to best help orphans in Haiti recover from the recent earthquake. Everyone realizes that because of the magnitude of the situation, collaboration is critical to enacting sustainable solutions for this devastated country. The Haiti Orphan Relief Team (HORT) has been formed to facilitate these collaborations. The following article details the first steps that the team will take to help meet the needs in Haiti.

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DISASTER RESPONSE EXPERTS TEAM WITH ORPHAN CARE ORGANIZATIONS TO CREATE LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS IN HAITI

A volunteer team of U.S. disaster response experts and orphan care providers is coming together to provide strategic help to Haitian churches. The team will equip and train Haitian church leaders to provide local, long-term care for orphaned Haitian children in the aftermath of the January earthquake.

The Haiti Orphan Relief Team (HORT) is a cooperative volunteer effort of disaster response experts and orphan-care professionals from many U.S.-based ministries that have joined forces to respond to the crisis in Haiti. An initial HORT on-the-ground team will deploy for a two week period beginning on February 14, 2010. The team will work to identify churches in Haiti that can be paired with U.S. churches for ongoing partnerships in caring for orphaned children, so that local resources can sustain this effort beyond the HORT team’s deployment.

“We know that this disaster is not going to be fixed overnight, but by putting in place key pieces of infrastructure, efforts can be sustained and strengthened long after the HORT team has returned to the United States,” said John E. Roberts, past Director of the Federal Government’s National Interagency Training Center, and Incident Command System (ICS) team commander for HORT. “We are looking to build a long-term solution to the immediate crisis.”

“We are looking for churches that want to become part of the long-term solution to the orphan need in Haiti. We encourage U.S. churches to come alongside the churches of Haiti to address this catastrophe,” said Paul Myhill, President, World Orphans, and a member of the deployment team.

“Outside help alone won’t reach Haiti’s deepest need. If we’re serious about helping Haiti’s orphans toward a bright future, it’ll be absolutely vital to equip and support committed local Haitian churches to care for the orphans in their communities,” said Jedd Medefind, President of the Christian Alliance for Orphans.

More about HORT can be found at: www.haitiorphanrelief.org

Precious Memories …

February 12th, 2010

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1 Peter 2:2: As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, but …

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As I was watching old home movies of my nieces and nephew, it dawned on me: I miss them – at least, I miss the children in the home movies.

Of course, I love my nieces and nephew no matter who they are or will be, but still…

I miss how these children’s voices squeaked. I miss how they managed to smear their entire faces with chocolate, even if they were only eating a chocolate chip (seriously, how do kids do that?).

I miss how they smashed syllables together as they rambled on and on, but never once regurgitating the latest catch phrase, commercial slogan or country song.

I miss how their fingers were chubbier, and how their hands were a lot more willing to hold mine.

Life was so much cuter back then.

But even when nostalgia is at its strongest, I know that if life stayed cute, I’d miss out on a whole lot more.

I wouldn’t see my nieces and nephew thrive. I wouldn’t see them accomplish. I wouldn’t see them learn to live and love on their own. I wouldn’t see how they can touch others’ lives.

Let’s be honest: While little children can be cute, no one would ask them to help change the world.

As a Christian, sometimes I desperately want to stay wrapped up in the fuzzy blankie of church, where everyone agrees with me (and they serve doughnuts too). Sometimes we don’t want to have to think about our lives between salvation and heaven. We want to stay away from the trials of the cross and instead stay at the cozy manger.

In short, we want our spiritual lives to remain cute, fuzzy and soft.

But we can’t allow this, and more importantly, we shouldn’t. Our faith needs trials to grow up in this fallen world, and the sweet silliness of childhood faith can’t compare to the life-changing joy of maturity. I’ll gladly journey to heaven in a weathered ship built on a proven faith, as battered, worn and “uncute” as it might be. I know this ship will forge ahead in the choppiest of emotional waters. It will sail out to lost souls, starving children, lonely orphans and more.

Don’t settle for a cute faith in this life. Let your faith grow up.

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Every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe (Hebrews 5:13).

God will never chastise you for desiring milk, but He wants you to have more. May we all prayerfully strive to grow.

Sincerely …

February 9th, 2010

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Love knows no boundaries, as Loving Shepherd’s Amy Gerst shows us.

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As it is again my turn to write for the blog, I asked a coworker for ideas. He said to write about something that deeply affects me, something about which I am passionate. We are in the process of adopting infant twin girls from Ethiopia. They will be three months old this week. Their mother died from bleeding after childbirth. She had six other children and a husband, “H,” the father of our girls. Jon and I wish we could look into his eyes and express the following:

Dear H,

Words fail us. Oh that you could know how we have prayed for your daughters as we have waited for them. We expected God to grow the love in our hearts for your daughters, but what has knocked us over is the love and grief we feel with your family. We hadn’t thought much about you, the birthfather, but now that our joy is your loss, we think of you often. We cry for you, and we pray for you.

We are so sorry that you lost your wife of 18-plus years. We are so sorry you lost the mommy to your eight children, and we are so sad that you couldn’t care for your twins after the death of your wife. The only greater example of love we can think of is Christ giving Himself on the cross for us, for you. We pray for your salvation, the salvation of the six kids with you and comfort in your grief. We pray that you would feel assurance in your heart that your precious babies are going to have a Daddy and Mommy who, through the grace of God, will love them very much and will teach them in the Truth about the one God. We pray you will have enough food today and tomorrow.

Thank you, H. We can’t comprehend the level of grief you are feeling, but please know, we love you and all eight of your kids. We are incredibly honored to be the parents of two of your little gems.

May the God of comfort be known to you.

In the Love of Christ,
Jon and Amy

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Thank you, Amy. We will be praying for your children and their biological father.

Hope Never Dies

February 6th, 2010

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Do you know what Horatio Spafford did after his two daughters died when the ocean liner they were on sank? I won’t tell you yet what he did, but in her blog, Regan Reimschisel tells us how he did it.

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As I have talked to numerous people over the past weeks about the Haiti quake disaster, I repeatedly heard them say, “My heart is breaking for these people,” “I can’t imagine the devastation in that country,” and “I can’t fathom the hurt and pain those people are going through.”

As I listen to these statements, different thoughts go through my mind. Yes, I picture buildings crumbling and people racing through the streets, but I also see something else.

My mind wanders back to a different Haiti. I remember a little girl, little more than skin and bones, sitting on my lap. She looked into my eyes with nothing but a blank stare. But my heart warms because I picture this same little girl standing in the middle of a pavilion. She is wearing a Home of Hope VBS t-shirt and a huge smile as we sing “Happy Birthday” to her.

I also picture a little boy who can barely look me in the eyes. His face is etched with fear as I try to take his picture. He clings to his grandma, the only family he has left.

However, I smile as I think of another moment with that boy. I remember pulling up to the Chantal Home of Hope, where this same boy raced out the door and leapt into my arms. He is full of smiles and without a fear or care in the world.

I am blessed to be able to walk into my office everyday where photos of smiling children greet me. They remind me that there is hope even in the midst of any tragedy, including the Haiti earthquake.

I often take a few minutes out of my day and open up my “Haiti Pictures” folder on my computer, and to help you remember that HOPE is still alive in Haiti, I’ve decided to share my “Haiti Pictures” with all of you.

God Bless and Enjoy!!

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After Mr. Spafford lost his children, he found hope in knowing that they were safe with God, and from that hope, he wrote one of the world’s most beloved hymns, “It Is Well With My Soul.” Thank you, Regan, for reminding us that God can bring good out of the most desperate of situations.

Remote controlled

February 3rd, 2010

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This Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday, but what do we do after that?

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After the Indianapolis Colts won a major championship on Sunday, Jan. 24, a local newspaper’s Web site practically exploded with coverage: quotes from the players, minute-by-minute coverage of the game, pictures of fans in blue and white face paint.

Underneath the display, a much smaller headline mentioned that 150,000 dead had been found in Haiti so far.

Someday, I fear, people will only care about something if it entertains them. Imagine living in a world where, instead of mourning the victims of a disaster, we treat it like a football game. It’s halftime, and the earthquake is ahead by about 200,000 people. Las Vegas is taking bets as we speak.

Now, I understand that the news cycle demands that the local newspaper exalt a major championship over a tragedy already about two weeks old, and I understand that many people can enjoy a good football game without forgetting about those in need.

But I also understand from personal experience how America’s constant barrage of entertainment subtly dulls the heart to the more important things of life: compassion for orphans, passion for God and disdain for sin.

And while I would never necessarily condemn anyone for watching one football game or one movie or one television show, I would caution them about how easily we can watch just one more … and then another … and then another … until we actually spend more time entertaining ourselves than being about our Father’s business.

Soon, and without realizing it, these people will find that helping the poor, reading the Bible and praying to God is … well … “boring.” They’ll find it much easier to put in the latest film than studying the Sermon on the Mount.

And the headlines about Haiti, about orphans, about the world in general, will get smaller and smaller and smaller.

Prayerfully discern how God wants us to use our time. Try to find a God-ordained balance between 1 Timothy 6:17 and 1 Corinthians 10:7.

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According to the Nielsen Company, Americans now watch more than 151 hours of TV a month. That’s about five hours a day — an all-time high. Perhaps we can all spend some that time praying for God to show us if we can find other ways to spend our day.

Update on Haitian Adoptions

January 29th, 2010

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Many compassionate people have contacted us about adopting in Haiti. Loving Shepherd’s Family Resource Specialist Jen Schwartz explains why that is not feasible right now.

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It seems hard to understand or grasp the devastation in Haiti as we see the pictures and hear the news. Our emotions and hearts are impacted by recent events that have created an even greater desperation for the thousands of orphaned children in this impoverished country.

Loving Shepherd Ministries shares in the concern for the children of Haiti, and we understand that some families want to respond by opening their homes and adopting these children in need. Many families are inquiring with LSM about the children of Haiti, how they can help and how the earthquake affects adoption.

The future of Haitian adoptions will be a long road ahead. As much as we want to help right now, families need to keep in mind that it will likely be a long time before the government in Haiti is able to begin processing adoptions, especially new cases for families. Currently, the primary goal is to help bring the children who have already been in the adoption process home.

What does this mean for new families? At this point many agencies plan to accept an informal family application in order to keep record of interested families. The agency will contact families once the future of adoptions is stable. Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict when a newly rebuilt Haiti government will be able to turn its attention to international adoption.

We are in a moment where God’s mandate to help the orphan is so critical. God calls all of us to “defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy” (Psalm 72:4). The most important thing we can all do right now is to lift this country and its children up in prayer.

biography-line-copy11Thank you Jen. Though nothing will happen fast, we’ll update you through this blog once adoptions start moving again.