Announcing....

International Voice of the Orphan!!

A little over a year ago I started reading A Place Called Simplicity, an amazing blog written by a godly lady.  I never in a million years dreamed that I would one day be able to call her a personal friend.

But, God....

When we made the decision to move to Phoenix back in September, Linny and her daughter Emma were about to leave to head to Uganda for their newest little one - precious Ruby Grace.  In fact, they left the country the very weekend that Stan flew to Phoenix to start his new job.  The kids and I were still in FL for a couple of months, wrapping things up.  I knew that Linny and her family lived in Colorado and I was so excited to find bloggy friends on the west coast of the country.  Just a few weeks before we left to head west, Linny and Emma arrived back in the states with Ruby, who needed immediate brain surgery.  Imagine my surprise when she posted from Phoenix Children's Hospital.  Of course, I had to write immediately and tell her that I wanted to bring dinner to their family at the hospital when we arrived.

They were expecting a long hospital stay, and hey, I'm from the south....we bring food!!

As it turned out, Ruby did better than expected and they were not still in the hospital when we arrived (thankfully).  As it also turns out, Ruby needs to be close to a large children's hospital and God led their family to move to Phoenix!!  Linny immediately invited us to their home for dinner only the second week we lived here, and yes, just after they were released from a major hospital stay and multiple brain surgeries for their baby girl.  Can you imagine?  I could not have been more excited to meet anyone on earth than the night we headed to their house for dinner!!

Since then we have spent more time together and our girls have really hit it off, spending the night with each other even.  We LOVE their heart for the orphan, we LOVE their family, and we are beyond thrilled to announce their new orphan ministry to you!  I promise you that they are exactly who they claim to be - sinners saved by the grace of an amazing God, sent out to advocate for those left behind.  Their children are amazing, their family is genuine, and their love is REAL!!!

IVO is born from years of trusting, serving, and waiting on the Lord to direct them.  They are all in with this ministry and I would guess it is rare indeed to find one where 100% (yes, 100%) of all donations go directly to the orphan.  They are keeping nothing for themselves.  They are trusting God to bring special gifts for their family to live on, and I have no doubt that He will.  He is faithful like that.

Please check out their website, pass it on to your friends, and pray about how God wants you to be involved.  I am also challenging everyone who reads this to pay specific attention to the section titled Elijah's Hope.  I love this part of IVO because every one can do it, no matter your financial status.  It doesn't cost one dime, yet it is so, so powerful.  You can read the story of their sweet boy Elijah and then sign up to be matched with an orphan to pray for.  You will receive a picture of your child and then your job is to pray him/her into their forever family!!  God desires that every one of the 163,000,000 children in need find a family to love them.  You can be a part of that.  Please share this with your church, your family, your friends and let's pray down the number of children in desperate situations.

Thank you for reading and please pass it on!!