Merry Christmas

Falling In Love

As as coordinator for NHFC I've fallen in love many times with kids we're advocating for. Sometimes it's their story that reaches into the depths of my heart and stirs my love for them, sometimes it's their interests, or that they've been overlooked for hosting in the past. Sometimes it's their special needs that I know make them "less attractive" to so many families, and sometimes it's merely their photograph that pulls me in! But once I've "fallen" for one I can't help but advocate for those kiddos and I rejoice when they are chosen by hosting families, knowing that I'll most likely NEVER meet those kids in person! Regardless of that fact, the ones I've fallen for will forever hold a special place in my heart.

When I traveled to Russia 15 years ago I also fell in love with many of the sweet faces I met. Truthfully, I wanted to stuff them all into my suitcase and bring them home forever! The lives they were leading weren't fair and my heart just broke for them! I carry this photo in my Bible to this very day...unable to let go of those I met there!

Aren't they precious??? All are well into adulthood by now...I often wonder of their fate.  Did they succumb to the sad statistics for orphans who age out, never to know the love of a family? Were they lured into prostitution by a greedy pimp, are they living on the streets or in jail...were their circumstances so dire they chose to commit suicide to escape the pain? What has become of these little ones?

These are the questions that keep me up at night and the reason I'm so passionate about the work of New Horizons. ONE person can revolutionize the life of an orphan!!! Knowing that they have a "family" in America who loves them and cares for them can make ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD to these kids! Even if there are circumstances (like their age) that prevent them from be adopted. Being CHOSEN matters. Experiencing a HEALTHY FAMILY matters. Being LOVED matters!

As I prepare to once again travel to Eastern Europe and step foot in orphanage after orphanage my heart will yet expand again. It will be impossible NOT to fall in love because...

"Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes." - (David Platt)

I know I will come home more in love and more passionate about advocating for them than ever before. Because once I know their names it will be impossible to ignore their need for love!

Will you partner with me and New Horizons and help cover the costs associated with this trip? Will you help me reach out to hundreds of orphans in Eastern Europe who need to know they are valued and loved?  We're 20% of the way there!

Donate here

15%

Thanks to two generous donations on day one I'm now 15% funded for my trip to L@tvia with New Horizons for Children this January!!

I'm so grateful for all who have partnered with me since our family started working with NHFC. For those who have donated clothes and other items while Dz was here, for those who have donated towards scholarships for kiddos to come to America and now for those who will help me make the trip to interview new kiddos! Without partners like you, New Horizons wouldn't exist!

If you'd like to read more about my trip you can do so here!

I've still got another $850 to raise! Can you help me? Below is a direct donation link, all donations are tax deductible!

https://connect.egiving.com/maljian-mission-trip-fundraiser/new-horizons-for-children-inc

An Amazing Opportunity

Fifteen years ago I stepped into my very first Eastern European orphanage and God began stirring my heart for orphan care. Fifteen years ago I fell in love, over and over again, with the adorable little ones who greeted me. Fifteen years ago I made a promise to the Lord that I would somehow serve these children in some capacity and for the last year and half I've been blessed to be able to do just that as a coordinator for New Horizons for Children.

For fifteen years I've been longing to get back to Eastern Europe and now I'll FINALLY get that chance as a member of New Horizons L@tvian interview trip for our Summer 2014 hosting season! When you hear "summer 2014" you think warm sunny weather, but in order for our kids to be able to travel during the summer months, we must travel during the winter months to meet and interview them and give families time to select them and prepare for hosting!  Which means I leave mid January, which is right around the corner!

I am so very excited for this amazing opportunity and for the "hands on" experiences I'll have while there! I'll get to actually visit the orphanages our families host from, to interact with the kids we'll be offering this summer and I'll come home with first hand knowledge of these kids to pass along to their host families. It's been something I've been looking forward to since I first started working with NHFC!! During the interview process we'll be asking them questions, playing games and spending time getting to know them. I imagine I'll even get a little refresher course in playing Uno by "orphanage rules" (here's a tip...that means there aren't any rules and hiding cards behind your back is a totally legit way to win...a certain blue eyed boy taught us that over the summer of 2012). I'll even get to visit the orphanage our favorite L@tvian used to live in, used to, as in he doesn't anymore and never ever will again thanks to this very program.

As you can imagine, a trip of this nature comes at a cost...as a non-profit organization New Horizons for Children asks all team members to raise a minimum of $1,000 each to help cover airfare and other travel expenses! This is where I need your help, would you consider making a donation to help cover my expenses? All donations are tax deductible and can be made safely and securely here. No contribution is too small!!! Without trips of this nature, NHFC would not be able to continue it's program, these interview trips are a vital part of our ministry! Would you partner with me as I begin this amazing adventure back to Eastern Europe where it all began? I'd be ever so grateful for your support as I set out to continue serving these kids the Lord has placed on my heart!

Thank you for your continued support! Without partners like you, New Horizons for Children wouldn't be able to continue it's hosting program!