Matching Grant!

We are so excited to be at coming to the end of our adoption journey because that means that our sweet boy is almost home!  We are incredibly thankful to be a part of a church who cares for the fatherless and has partnered with Lifesong for Orphans to help us with the last bit of our adoption expenses.


Lifesong for Orphans is a non-profit Christian ministry dedicated to help meet the needs of orphan children around the world, and obey God’s call to “visit the fatherless…in their affliction” (James 1:27).


The number of children worldwide without families to love and care for them is astounding…
there are over 43.4 million orphans in Africa alone!  God tells us in His word He has heard the cry of the orphaned and abandoned children (Psalm 10:17, 18) and He has made a way for them to be cared for – through adoption.  As believers, He adopted us into His family through Jesus Christ, and did not leave us as spiritual orphans!
We believe adoption at its core is evangelism--a vital part of the Great Commission is bringing
the mission field home.  God desires orphans from all nations to be adopted into Christ-honoring families so they may ultimately be adopted into His eternal family through Jesus Christ. God calls us to fulfill James 1:27, “visit the fatherless…” but not all are called to adopt.  Some are called to pray, some to give financially, some to go on mission trips, and some to adopt.
We have sensed God’s call and have joyfully stepped out in faith and obedience to adopt a little boy from Congo.  As you may already know, international adoption can cost around $25,000 to 35,000 and prevents many godly families from adopting.  Our church, Living Hope Baptist and Lifesong have joined together and affirmed God's call on our life.  They have committed an Adoption Matching Grant of $2500 to help raise the final funds needed to bring our sweet Micah home!  This means that LHBC and Lifesong will match dollar for dollar everything we raise from our church, family, and friends between now and December 2 (up to $2500)!!
As a 501(c)3 organization, your gift is tax deductible.  *100% of all funds raised will go directly to cover 
adoption costs--nothing will be taken out for Lifesong for Orphans administrative costs.

We are hopeful that Micah will be home in time to spend Christmas with our family.  So we are calling on our friends and family to join us in---

-Prayer-please pray that God would care for Micah in DRC until we are able to bring him home.  Pray that God would prepare us (as well as Bella Joy) for the upcoming changes to our family.  Pray that God will give us wisdom as we seek to raise Micah to know Jesus as his Savior.  And, if you will, pray that he will join us in 2012.

-Financial support-will you please consider making a tax-deducible donation to help us pay the remaining $8,000 in adoption expenses to bring Micah home?  You are asked to send your donation directly to Lifesong.  You may preference how the donation might be used by writing "preference Jochim #3139 Adoption" in the memo section of your check.
Mail checks to:

Lifesong for Orphans
Att: Jochim #3139
PO Box 40
Gridley, IL  61744

We are in awe of the ways God has provided over the past 18 months of our adoption process.  We are confident that He will continue to provide and are thankful to YOU for joining us in our journey!

"He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it!" 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Adoption update and a new way to help!

The silence over here doesn't necessarily mean nothing is going on.  Lots has happened since our boy's 1st birthday!  We passed court, passed the appeals period, filled out lots more paper work, moved houses and M actually moved to the capital of DRC too!  With each step and each new photo, we fall more and more in love with our son.  We are very hopeful that our boy will be home in time to celebrate our Savior's birth!  (Pray with us please!)

In the meantime, we will continue to prepare for his arrival!  Last week, we received word from Lifesong for Orphans that we have been awarded a matching grant!  We are so thankful and so excited to see how God provides for the last leg of our journey!

A matching grant is a wonderful thing!  Ours is a $2500 matching grant-which means that we have a chance to raise $5000 for our adoption!  Lifesong and our church, Living Hope Baptist, have partnered to make this happen.  We are so thankful and are ready to work hard to make this happen!

Our first fundraiser for our matching grant is "Cards for Cousins".  As many of you know, my sister is a consultant with Usborne Books and they have a fundraising program called "cards for a cause".  We are excited to work together (Lara and I) on this fundraiser to bring COUSINS home!! (Hence the name, Cards for Cousins!)  Basically, you will have the chance to purchase a set of adorable cards-30 cards for $30!  Your purchase will help fund our matching grant as well as Lara and Nathan's!


Please consider purchasing a set of cards to bring these sweet cousins home!  Great deal, great gift, great cause!



Tune in tomorrow for more on the matching grant :)