mariyanaorphanfund: May 2013

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

She Graduated!

Ellianna on her first day of Kindergarten

beaming with pride that she too would go to school

Just like big sister Sasha!

I still cry thinking about that first day and the joy on her face when we left the building!

She exclaimed to me in sign language and her words

I did it! Me too! I went to school like Sasha!

To Ellianna...she had arrived...she wore the uniform she saw Sasha wear day after day and year after year!

AND NOW...

She stood on Stage and Graduated!

HER favorite

Miss Sangrey

Her Diploma

Her Friends

Well some of them

I GRADUATED KINDERGARTEN!

We are so proud of our

Ellianna Ya-Ting

God's has heard our prayer and answered...

He blessed us with this beautiful child and He is giving her wings to

GROW

LEARN

THRIVE

LOVE LIFE

HAVE FRIENDS
SERVE HIM

SING FOR JOY
LAUGH

BE FULL OF LIFE

AND FULL OF PERSONALITY!

GLORY TO GOD ON HIGH

My God is so great so strong and so mighty there's nothing my God can not do for you!

repeat

The mountains are His The rivers are His The stars are His handiwork too

My God is so great so strong and so mighty there's nothing my God can not do for you!

Kindergarten's theme song

Be a voice for the voiceless

Proverbs 31: 8 - 9

DO WE BRING OUR BEST EVERYDAY?

Do you - do I - do we bring OUR best every day?

What is the attitude of your heart...my heart...our hearts?

If you Watch the video clip from one of my favorite scenes of the movie Facing the Giants you will see the following:

The scene begins with Coach talking to his football team. That’s where this awesome inspirational quote comes in.

“Attitude is the aroma of the heart. If your attitude stinks, your heart is not right.”

and a couple of the kids mouth off that coach sure is preachy. This leads to an unpleasant workout, and soon thereafter, a teaching moment.

The most influential player on the team says he feels like they have no chance against the Giants.
The Coach challenges him to give his very best. He blindfolds him and makes him crawl on hands and feet (no knees allowed) carrying a man on his back for 30 yards (the death crawl).

The team watches, amazed, as the coach pushes the player to go much farther than anyone thinks possible.

After this experience - the team and their attitude begin to change and so does the outcome of their football season! Their attitudes were affecting the outcome of their lives...their lives began to change and people around them began to change and the world around them began to change...(if you have never seen the movie "FACING THE GIANTS" you need to see this inspirational and moving movie!)
NOW watch this clip from Nick Vujicic
http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/

on Monday of this week on Facebook Nick says " There are stories all around us, lives waiting to be impacted. Go. Love."

Attitude - What is the aroma of our hearts?

The words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.” (ESV)

Monday, May 27, 2013

OSWALDS

Oswald the Octopus

OSWALD CHAMBERS

Funny how in the course of a day you can go from reading a page of one to a page of the other...

From "MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST"

February 29, 2012

What Do You Want The Lord to Do for You?

Is there something in your life that not only disturbs you, but makes you a disturbance to others? If so, it is always something you cannot handle yourself. “Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more . . .” (Luke 18:39). Be persistent with your disturbance until you get face to face with the Lord Himself. Don’t deify common sense. To sit calmly by, instead of creating a disturbance, serves only to deify our common sense. When Jesus asks what we want Him to do for us about the incredible problem that is confronting us, remember that He doesn’t work in commonsense ways, but only in supernatural ways.

Look at how we limit the Lord by only remembering what we have allowed Him to do for us in the past. We say, “I always failed there, and I always will.” Consequently, we don’t ask for what we want. Instead, we think, “It is ridiculous to ask God to do this.” If it is an impossibility, it is the very thing for which we have to ask. If it is not an impossible thing, it is not a real disturbance. And God will do what is absolutely impossible.

This man received his sight. But the most impossible thing for you is to be so closely identified with the Lord that there is literally nothing of your old life remaining. God will do it if you will ask Him. But you have to come to the point of believing Him to be almighty. We find faith by not only believing what Jesus says, but, even more, by trusting Jesus Himself. If we only look at what He says, we will never believe. Once we see Jesus, the impossible things He does in our lives become as natural as breathing. The agony we suffer is only the result of the deliberate shallowness of our own heart. We won’t believe; we won’t let go by severing the line that secures the boat to the shore— we prefer to worry. — Oswald Chambers

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Imagine....

Imagine

Imagine that you travel to and Eastern European Country to adopt a child - one that you believe is a "healthy" child. You have never traveled to this country before and have never heard a word of the language. You know NOTHING about adoption but KNOW that you have felt called to adopt a child from this country from the time you were a teenager yourself.

You scoop her up at the orphanage - an orphanage you later learn is for mentally handicapped children. Imagine that she attaches to you instantly and you later learn that she would scream for anyone that touched her. She did not scream for you. The moment you touched her and picked her up she melted into your arms.

You believe that she is just malnourished and underdeveloped for her age. She is just 17 months old and as tiny as a 5 month old. You discover that she can not sit, chew or crawl. You discover that she was born at 28 weeks and that she survived. You learn upon arriving home that she is not developing physically as she ought to be. Although she is not developing physically it is as if her BRAIN has awakened and after only 2 weeks of arriving on US soil this tiny little beauty begins to speak in English. Imagine how your jaw would drop and how amazed you would be. At that moment you know she did not have a mental disability but most probably was highly gifted intellectually.

You take her to a leading hospital for medical care and she has as more tests and evaluations than you have ever known possible. Imagine being told by US doctors that she probably will never walk! Imagine knowing somewhere in your heart of hearts that that LORD has a HUGE plan for this child's life and she will defy all ODDS! She is a miracle child.

Imagine being sung to by a tiny little two year old with the voice of an angel - the main chorus lines from numerous Broadway musicals. Imagine again knowing that this child will defy all ODDS and is a miracle child.

Imagine at the age of 4 this child understands the Gospel message and accepts Christ as her Lord and Savior.

Imagine being told over and over that she has a disability and not to expect too much - to put her in special classes where she will feel like she belongs! Imagine knowing in your heart of hearts that she will walk and she will defy the ODDS and she is a miracle child. The LORD has a HUGE plan for her life.

Imagine watching as she overcomes every obstacle and academically moves to the top of her class. Imagine this one time orphan with a diagnosis that most said she would never overcome and it would debilitate her and she should not attend regular classes - has become a highly gifted scholar.

Imagine as she gives her award winning speech about "THE BOY IN BABYHOUSE 10" at the talent show at Shippensburg University at the HOBY conference - A few short years ago she could not have walked up the stairs unassisted to give that speech.

Imagine watching as she now can not only walk the stairs to the stage unassisted but can now walk 5 flight of stairs to a dorm room at Shippensburg University and only calls home one time during her stay at the University for the conference because she fits and belongs with kids who are OUTSTANDING!

She is a miracle child....

ANY one considering adopting a child with special needs NEEDS to see this message

Sasha is a living miracle who has defied the odds and is an outstanding young lady with an amazing future ahead of her!

She is a leader

She wants to give back

She is preparing to head to college in 2 years and is taking as many AP courses as she can

She wants to double major

She wants to get her Masters

She wants to work with special kids

She wants to travel to Eastern European Countries to help the kids in the orphanages

Imagine

what her life might have been like had she not been adopted

LOOK at her NOW

I can only imagine what the future holds for our amazing talented beautiful daughter!

We are so very proud of our Sasha

Natalya Aleksandra you amaze ME!

Check out her rendition of the conference at her blog

http://www.hopeforisolde.blogspot.com/

Let's just say her rendition is much different but every bit as exciting!

2013 Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Seminar
Shippensburg University - May 16 - 19

/

Sunday when we picked up Sasha after the awards and closing ceremony

Sasha's individual group of kids at the conference

They called themselves Maddie to the 9th power

I HAVE no clue what that means but they obviously did and do and had a blast doing it!

We are so proud of our gift from the LORD!

God surely gave us a gift the day HE gave us our

precious daughter. Little did we know the JOYS in store for us!

We have loved every single year of her life and can not wait

to watch and cheer her own as she enters her junior year of high school!

Her dorm -5 flights of stairs and at one time she cried and cried standing on a stool

because she had no idea how to take the one step down off the stool

Her brain injury prevented her brain from processing how to step

She learned and overcame

She walked up to her dorm room - 5 flights - with every other girl from the conference to retrieve her

bags to head home. She never faltered or missed a step - it was if she never struggled to step or walk!

Sasha is at the corner of the building calling me to find out where I was standing.

I was standing right there in front of her...little did I know that as I was photographing the dorm I was also photographing my Sasha!

Good bye Shippensburg

HELLO to many more GRAND ADVENTURES

Like travel to Bulgaria and Ukraine this summer

So much more to come as we follow this young life of SASHA!

BE a VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF LOVE PRAYER HARD WORK

and the GOD WE SERVE!

HE IS A BIG GOD!

WE serve a BIG GOD!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A Little bit of PERSONALITY

CAUSE YOU'VE GOT PERSONALITY

Walk, Personality, Talk, Personality, Smile,
Personality, Charm, Personality

Love, Personality

And of Cause you've got A great big heart So over and over Oh, I'll be a fool for you

Now over and over What more can I do ?

Over and over I said that I loved you Over and over, honey Now it's the truth Over and over They still say I'm a fool But Over and over I'll be a fool for you

Cause you got Personality

Walk, Personality, Talk, Personality, Smile, Personality

Love, Personality

And of Cause you've got A great big heart So over and over Oh, I'll be a fool for you

CAUSE YOU'VE GOT PERSONALITY!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Written by Sasha!

URGENT! Pray for Saeed!

This is Saeed and his family. Saeed is an American citizen, in an Iranian prison. He is being persecuted for his faith in Jesus Christ.

saeed-with-family

Please PRAY for Saeed!

Right now he is being held in a notorious Iranian prison. Here is an excerpt of a letter from his wife, dated on April 30th.

Friends,Since this is already on media, I am able to share update on Saeed. Last night Saeed was taken with 10 other prisoners to Solitary Confinement. I heard from trusted sources inside of Iran that there was a silent protest by the prisoners of ward 350 protesting the harsh treatment and threats against their families outside of prison and their own treatment and lack of medical attention inside of the prison. Saeed and 10 other prisoners were then taken to solitary. I also heard that Saeed’s health is worsening. He has internal bleeding and now issues with his kidneys because of the beatings. We believe that he is being beaten in solitary. We have no way of finding out about his health. There will be no more visitations allowed and we will have no way of knowing how Saeed is doing.
Saeed had previously told his family that when he was in solitary confinement that was the hardest time in his life. That every hour was like one year and that he was losing his memory and his health was deteriorating quickly. Please pray for his health and healing. Pray for his release. That the Lord would use this for His Glory and salvation of many.
Love,
Naghmeh

Saeed was born in Iran but grew up in Idaho. His wife and children are still living in the United States. Last July, he was unexpectedly arrested after visting Iran to work on a orphanage project. Since the letter above, he has been removed from solitary confinement and is now back in the general prison ward.

PLEASE PRAY FOR SAEED! Pass on the Word! Christians all over the world are praying for him, please JOIN in the prayer. Check out the links below to learn more.

Asia Harvest Updates:
http://asiaharvest.org/pray-for-saeed-abedini-in-iran/

Online Petition to Save Saeed:
http://aclj.org/iran/save-american-pastor-from-iranian-prison-sentence

Send a Letter:
http://savesaeed.org/

The American Center for Law and Justice
(Organization that is Supporting Saeed and His Family):
http://aclj.org/our-mission

Christian Post Article:
http://global.christianpost.com/news/pastor-saeed-abedini-released-from-solitary-confinement-wife-praises-small-victory-95688/

Fox News Post:
http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/2013/04/29/pastor-saeed-abedini-in-solitary-confinement/

Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6poXsRrQdSs (ACJL update on CBN and FOX News)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg3k2Jz9lgU (ACJL update on FOX News)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD_2s_MiJxg (ACJL episode)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LPMbuUNw0c (Letter from Prison)

Saturday, May 11, 2013

A PICTURE...

IS WORTH ONE THOUSAND WORDS

In the inspired words of King David ... The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him (Psalm 28:7).