For those of you wondering how you can be supporting us financially with this adoption, please read this and learn of our plan to raise the funds we need as well as impact future adoptions by other families!
“At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality.” -2 Corinthians 8:14
Dear Family & Friends,
May we begin this letter by claiming we have a BIG God who calls us to BIG things in life! This past year has been an amazing journey with the Lord.
Although it is the Lord's calling on our hearts to adopt Nora, He certainly calls all of us to care for the orphan (James 1:27) whether or not you actually adopt one. We believe He also does not call a person to do His work alone, but instead uses many people to accomplish His will to further His Kingdom. It is with these beliefs we are asking for your support. Obviously, we covet your prayers as we make steps along this road. Prayers for a miraculously smooth and quick journey, patience for us as we wait, and for Nora while she is still in Haiti. We know the Lord has BIG things in store for all of us and covering that in the protection of Jesus is refreshing. Additionally, we are asking for financial support to make this adoption possible.
The total estimated cost involved in this Haitian adoption is $25,000. Yes, this is a BIG number, but remember our God is a BIG God! One would think we would be content simply raising the $25,000, but we feel called to something even higher than that because this is NOT about us—this is about being obedient to caring for who God cares about—the orphan. It would be amazing to watch people pour out their resources, help meet our $25,000, and then surpass it to help other parents seeking to adopt! We get chills just thinking of what all God wants to do here, friends, so stay with us! Here is the vision we believe God has given us...
If every person we touch base with gives $10, we would eventually meet our goal, but what if each one also reaches out and asks others to give $10? The money multiplies quickly! For example, if we ask 500 people to give $10 of their own money and they additionally find only 6 other people to contribute an additional $10 each towards our dream, we would then be receiving $70/person we have contacted. If all 500 people send in $70 of that collective donation, we would quickly have $35,000 ($25,000 to cover our adoption process and an additional $10,000 to put towards someone else's). All of that can happen by no one giving more than $10/person!!! However (and this is where it gets so cool), we believe God is going to do something HUGE with this! For example, what if everyone gave $20 instead of the $10 in the above example...our BIG amount of $35,000 has now become a HUGE $70,000—how amazing! What if people took it even higher than that and gave greater amounts than $20—Woah! No amount is too big or too small to help the orphan in need. What God can do with that amount of money is truly life-changing for the families waiting to adopt these priceless children.
God is actively at work in 3 other couples within our church family also going through the adoption process. Because of this, our church, Maple City Chapel, has created a new adoption ministry called “Grafted In”. They have partnered with Lifesong for Orphans to assist in the handling and distributing of funds donated towards families desiring to adopt (see attached letter to find out more about Lifesong). We have been BLESSED by Lifesong & Grafted In! To help start us off in a huge way—they are giving us a $3000 matching grant! For every dollar we receive between now and November 9th, they will match it (up to $3000). This is an amazing affirmation that God wants to do something BIG with these donations! Our prayer is that you will help us surpass this goal by a long shot! Every dollar that comes in exceeding our own adoption expenses will be placed into our church's account at Lifesong for future adoption needs. We are excited and blessed to be a part of this process and hope to see funds raised beyond our wildest expectations!
So, what are we asking of you? Would you be willing to be one of our 500 people who is committed to a monetary donation, as well as ask 6 of your own friends, family members, or even neighbors to make a donation too? If that answer is yes, we ask for you to follow the instructions below and be BLESSED for coming alongside us in our call to care for the orphans. If you do not feel led to ask others to come alongside you in this process, but still would like to make a personal contribution of any amount, please also follow the instructions and be BLESSED! Again, no amount is too big and no amount is too small! Each donation draws us closer to bringing Nora home!
Thank you in advance for your amazing willingness to help bring Nora home to us and to further the cause of caring for the orphan. You are all dear to our hearts and we look forward to updating you on our adoption as we continue on this journey.
Blessings to each of you,
Micah & Angie Thieszen (as well as Lily, Tobias, and Quinn)
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Please send in your tax-deductible donation A.S.A.P.—remember the goal date to raise our support is November 9th!
Option #1: Send your check in an envelope through regular postal mail.
Please make checks payable to: Lifesong. To direct your donations to our adoption expenses, write
“preference Thieszen #2263 adoption” in the memo section of your check.
Send your check to: Lifesong for Orphans, Attn. “preference Thieszen #2263 adoption”, PO Box 40 / 202 N. Ford Street, Gridley, IL 61744
*Note: In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to the named non-profit organization. This organization retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use.
Option #2: Donate online through Lifesong's PayPal account.
To donate online, go to http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/donation.html. Scroll down until you see “By Credit Card (PayPal.com)” and click on the "Donate" button. Type in “preference Thieszen #2263 adoption” in the Purpose line.
Where 100% of your donation from a check goes to us, if you use PayPal, you will be charged a 1.9-2.9% service fee. The amount actually received by Lifesong for Orphans for our adoption will be decreased by that amount.
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(Here is the letter sent by Lifesong)
July 26th, 2011
Dear church, family, and friends of Micah and Angie Thieszen,
Lifesong for Orphans (www.lifesongfororphans.org) 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 143 million orphans worldwide!
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.
Micah and Angie have sensed God’s call . . . and have joyfully stepped out in faith and obedience to adopt a girl from Haiti. As you may already know, international adoption can cost around $25,000 and prevents many godly families from adopting. Maple City Chapel and Lifesong believe God has raised up the Thieszen family “for such a time as this…” and we have committed an Adoption Matching Grant of $3,000 to help raise the funds necessary to complete the adoption of this young girl. This means Maple City Chapel partnered with Lifesong for Orphans will match “dollar-for-dollar” everything the Thieszen’s raise from their church, family, and friends between now and November 9, 2011, up to $3,000. We invite you to support them financially to make this adoption possible. 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.
Will you invest financially in the life of this little girl? . . . It will be an investment with eternal return.
God bless you for laying your treasures up in Heaven,
Andy Lehman
Vice President
p.s. I trust God will do great and mighty things through this, and all for His Glory!
PO Box 40/202 N Ford St, Gridley, IL 61744
phone: 309 747 3556 fax: 309 747 4647 www.lifesongfororphans.org
bringing joy and purpose to orphans
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