Spread the warmth this Christmas

Spread the warmth of Christmas this year by Christmas shopping to help the orphans of SFCV have heat. 

In China, the government turns on the heat on Nov. 15th and turns it off March 15th. The full amount is due BEFORE it even gets turned on.  Please help us raise money for the SFCV "The Hearts And Warmth" (THAW) fund. 

I have pashmina shawls, silk scarves, purses, artwork, mirrors, bracelets, necklaces, and a special selection of bracelets and calligraphy made by the children of SFCV just for this show!

And without further ado....

Photo #1

Large painting on canvas (36"x24")

$115

 Photo #2

Large Painting on canvas (36"x24")

$115

Photo #3

Large painting on canvas (39 1/2" x 30")

$295

Photo #10--pashmina shawl--$20

Sorry for the off picture, I was trying to show the variation of color.

Photo #11--Wooden box--$15

(6.5" x 3" 2.5")

Photo #14--Bracelets made by the Primary Children--$10

Photo #15--Bracelets made by the Primary Children--$10

Photo #16--Bracelets made by the Primary Children--$10

Photo #17--Bracelets made by the Primary Children--$10

Photo #18--Bracelets made by the Primary Children--$10

Photo #19--Bracelets made by the Primary Children--$10

Photo #20--Bracelets made by the Primary Children--$10

 Photo #21--Medium woven purses--$8
(SOLD the two on the left)

Photo #22--Medium woven purses--$8
(SOLD top left and right)

Photo #23--Silk purse set--5 to a set

Pink is the last set.

$10/set

Photo #25--coin purses--$5

(These are a little different than the last batch, they have rigid sides)

Photo #26--coin purses--$5

Photo #27--coin purses--$5

Photo #28--coin purses--$5

Photo #29--jade bead bracelets made by the Primary children--

Green jade--$15

Yellow "jade"---$5

Photo #30--Large fan--$5

Photo #31--awesome calligraphy done by the primary children.  Each piece is signed by the artist!  

This is the symbol for Love.  I also have Faith, Hope, and Blessing.  I will add those tomorrow.

$5 each  

(I do have 2 sets of Faith, Hope, and Love with the background matching.)

Photo #32--Bracelets--$10

Photo #33--Bracelets--$10 (flower ones SOLD)

Photo #34--Bracelets--$10

Photo #35--Bracelets--$10

Photo #36--$30

Photo #37--$30

Photo #38--$30

Photo #39--$45

(I also have it in light pink and a darker mauve pink.)

Photo #40--$45

Love character with plum blossoms

Photo #42--$60

Photo #41--$60

Photo #42--$30

To purchase any of these items, please email me at troyandcharlene93@yahoo.com with the picture number and which one you'd like.  Preferred payment is paypal to this email.  If you'd prefer to send a check, email me for our address.

Orphan Sunday

Dear Father, 

On this Orphan Sunday, we join with Your people across our country and beyond to pray for orphans. 

We know that love for these precious children begins not with us, but with You. You pursued us when we were wayward and alone. You adopted us as your children. You invite us to address you as Daddy and to live as Your sons and daughters. Truly, we love because You first loved us. 

You tell us also that You are near to the downtrodden and destitute. Your heart aches for children that face the world alone. You champion the cause of those who have no one else to take their side. And You call us to do the same. 

So we pray that You would rouse us to share your heart. We ask that You would stir Your people to passion and vision and action on behalf of children that have no family. 

We lift up to You the millions of children in the world who have lost their parents to disease, to war, to addiction, to poverty, to abandonment. As You promise to do, place the lonely in families. Be their defender, their provider, their hope and peace. Help us to do the same. 

We pray also for the five hundred thousand children in our foster system in America. So often, they are bounced from home to home, knowing little love, consistency or true nurture. Please be their love, their consistency, their nurture. Help us to do the same. 

We confess that we have often lived with little regard for these precious lives. Please forgive us. Lead us to take up their cause, not in guilt or obligation, but as a joyful response to Your great love for us. 

As we do, we pray that You would use our humble response to transform. To transform the lives of countless orphans both physically and spiritually. To transform us as we encounter You in them. To transform Your Church as we lift our eyes beyond our own comfort and self-focused religion to live out the painful beauty of the Gospel. And finally, to transform a watching world as it catches glimpses of Your love made visible through the actions of Your people. 

We commit all this to You, the One who is both our Father and a Father to the fatherless, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen 

5 Waiting children from Hohehot orphanage

The staff at SFCV has been approached about finding families for almost 40 children from Hohehot orphanage!  This is an amazing opportunity!  I don't have any pictures yet, but I will update as soon as I hear any more.  Their paperwork has all been done and is at CCAA ready to be matched with families.  We think they are on the shared list.  Could you be one of them?  

1.  Zheng Yanbo is a 2 1/2 year old little boy.  His has a cleft lip & palate.  (DOB:  April. 24th, 2008)

2.  Wang Fengying is a 2 year old little girl with light hydrocephalus.  (DOB: Sep. 13th, 2008)

   

3.  Zheng Yanfei is an almost 2 year old little boy with cleft lip & palate.  (DOB: Nov. 19, 2008)

   

4.  Wang Fengduo is a little girl who is only 20 months old.  She has a meningocele (post surgery) and light hydrocephalus.  (DOB:  Feb. 17th, 2009)

5.  Wang Longsheng is an 18 months old little boy with a right ear deformity.  (DOB:  May. 3rd, 2009)

   

We used BAAS for our last adoption and are using it for our current one.  Xiaoqing is phenomenal to work with and when it comes to finding children on the shared list.  I know she would be willing to help locate these files.  Her email is xqcai@comcast.net

When the cloud remained...

I've been in quite a funk lately.  My heart has been so heavy for orphans, broken to the point of tears on many occasions.  My heart aches.  I want to be doing and going and helping.  I've been CRYING out to God to move in our situation.  To sell our home and let us live debt free and free to go where He calls us.    (I never thought selling the house would NOT be His plan.  How can being debt free NOT be His plan?)  To release Ting Ting's paperwork so that we can bring her into our family as our daughter.  To show us a glimpse of His plans for us (a neon sign would be better....LOL).

Nothing.  Silence.  UGH!  Oh how hard it is has been to pour out my heart to God and hear silence.  (Hard to admit too....)  Ask and you shall receive?   I've been crying out and begging and pleading for an answer, any answer.  I've been asking and haven't been receiving.  Until this morning.

Again this morning I poured out my heart and opened my devotional Streams in the Desert.....

When the cloud remained...the Israelites...did not set out. (Numbers 9:19)

This was the supreme test of obedience. It was comparatively easy to strike tents, when the fleecy folds of the cloud were slowly gathering from off the Tabernacle, and it floated majestically before the host. Change is always delightful; and there was excitement and interest in the route, the scenery, and the locality of the next halting-place. But, ah, the tarrying.

Yet having to wait was another story altogether...

When God sends no answer and "the cloud remains" we must wait.  Yet we can do so with the full assurance of God's provision of manna, water from the rock, shelter, and protection from our enemies.  He never keeps us at our post without assuring us of His presence or sending us daily supplies.  

.....You must wait where you are until the cloud clearly begins to move.

I decided to read Numbers 9:19 for myself.  The study at the bottom convicted me:

You are somewhere right now. Instead of praying "God, what do you want me to do next?" ask, "God, what do you want me to do while I'm right here?"  Direction from God is not just for your next big move.  He has a purpose in placing you where you are right now.  Begin to understand God's purpose for your life by discovering what He wants you to do now.

Ouch!  I have been so focused on "what's next?" that I haven't asked "what now?"  What have I missed in the now?  

All this sounds so neat and tidy.  Please don't be mislead.  It's been hard and messy!  (Can anyone recommend a good waterproof mascara?)  And I know I'm not there yet.  This will be a difficult season.  I tend to be a "git r done" kind of gal.  I can make a lot happen in my strength.  I don't want to do things in my strength anymore, but change is hard.  Waiting as obedience?  He sure cuts to the chase, doesn't He?  

Does this change my hearts desires?  No.  I still want and dream of going and caring for the world's orphans.  I still dream of somehow living in China one day.  But for now, I will try to learn how to wait until the cloud moves.  I will try to use my talents right here where I am.  Hard stuff...prayers appreciated!