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All your prayers were answered abundantly before, during and after our 2017 family retreat! God sent the needed funding and the volunteer staff. More Deaf volunteers would have made things even better, though. Next month, two of our folks will share their hearts with us surrounding their personal experiences at family retreat. It was a first for both. Joyce Forsberg is mom to two adopted Chinese daughters, one hearing and one Deaf and Yuri Johnston, one of our Deaf volunteers, was adopted from Russia. I cannot wait to see how God leads them to share their stories with us. While we wait with anticipation for those, enjoy a montage of photos from our 2017 ASL-Immersion Family Retreat.
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FAMILY RETREAT 2017 PHOTO MONTAGE
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Deaf Child Hope International
Monthly Sponsorship Opportunities
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
~ Matthew 19:14
$38 a month helps keep Nghi’s Deaf school, Central Deaf Services in Vietnam, running and growing. It also helps preserve her family. I talked with the founder of Deaf Child Hope, JD King, last week and they are praying they can provide support for 200 Deaf children, within their 11 partners, by the end of this year. JD’s vision is to secure monthly support for one million Deaf children in his lifetime. I LOVE IT! The vast majority of Deaf, young and old, around the globe do not know sign language and never attend school. Giving them language also gives them much greater opportunities to become self-sufficient and know the story of Jesus and begin to follow Him and tell other Deaf about Him. SFH plans to visit these Deaf children later this year. If God leads you to sponsor one of these precious ones, join us on one of our sponsor trips to Vietnam and have the unforgettable opportunity to meet them face-to-face.
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What’s Up? God’s Up! Do you remember that?
Yes, I am old! Ha!
And indeed, He is…up! And He is always…up to something!
Below are travel dates for SFH for summer 2017. Trust me when I say there is much more going on, in addition to these dates. Yes, Lord willing, we will have a late-fall adventure trip to Vietnam and the Philippines. The dates are still TBD. If you would like to join us, let me know what dates would work well for you.
- June 25 - 29, I am taking a mini-sabbatical. The last time I did this was Oct of 2015. It is time! I won't be far from home, but I hope to spend time with my Lord and His creation as I seek to know Him more intimately. I do have a phone call scheduled for the 26th with Matt Cooper at Back2Back Ministries ( CAFO member) to discuss "debriefing" ideas, care and strategies for healthy missionaries. Prayers for this call are greatly appreciated, as those connected to SFH, who are now serving, will benefit from this, as will I. (Note: It was all I expected and more! ONLY GOD!)
- July 6 - 12, Vandora and I will be attending (and SFH will be exhibiting) at the Southern Baptist Conference of the Deaf (SBCD) at Brentwood Baptist Deaf Church in Brentwood, TN. I missed last year in PA and I missed much! I have no doubt many connections and re-connections will be made during this week. I already have two connections for possible meetings, locally, outside SBCD. ONLY GOD!
- July 14 - 16, Signs for Hope will have our first ever face-to-face Signs for Hope Board Retreat just north of Knoxville. I have planned and prayed for this for over 5 years! All but one board member is planning to join us for the weekend. Pray we will all be spiritually ready for this great time of play, fellowship, worship, prayer and planning. Doing life together! I cannot wait to see what God has planned for us all!
- Aug 2 - 12, The Lloyd clan, will be taking our first ever family vacation and we are going to Canada (Calgary and Banff). I cannot describe how excited I am to get to do this!!
- Aug 24 - Sept 4, I will lead our inaugural SFH Adventure Trip to Honduras, to Santa Rosa De Copan, to be exact. Vandora and Eric and Grayce Fleet have joined this team. We will be checking in with and loving on the Robinson family and Ellie Cecil, their ASL-tutor and so much more. If you would like to join us, I need to know asap (beckyblloyd@gmail.com; 828-691-2581). It is not too late to join us and, no you do not have to know sign language to join us. Airfare is approximately $700 pp and in-country expenses (lodging, food, transportation) approximately $60 pp per day. We will be exploring the Deaf churches and schools in this area, as well, and will possibly be helping identify young deaf children for a soon-to-be-established Deaf pre-school. ONLY GOD!
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,
shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
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Signs for Hope’s 2017 Funding Update
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I am in awe of our God and how He leads folks to not only pray for us, but to also donate funds, too. We continue to ask Him to touch the hearts of those He desires to partner with us in this way and He continues to do so. One thing remains true, SFH accomplishes much with very little monies. ONLY GOD! Often the financial need(s) may or may not be clear, therefore I want to share some details with you. When you give to Signs for Hope some of your donations, as God leads, are sent on to support our partner organizations and short-term missionaries(STM) connected to us. SFH, currently, gives monthly to the following as listed:
- Central Deaf Services (Vietnam) $100
- Orphan Voice (Vietnam) $300
- Ellie Cecil (SFH STM, Honduras) $100
- The National Center for Biblical Parenting $ 50
- Lifeline Children’s Services (un)adopted Liberia $ 50
- Water of Life (WOL has built multiple wells for the $ 50
Deaf in Liberia at no charge)
If God has led SFH to partner with an organization or individual for accomplishing God’s will for the Deaf child, usually He desires for us to support them financially, too. Sometimes it might take some time to determine when we are to establish that “giving-partnership”, but so far He has led us to do so.
Our monthly SFH givers base is 8 families/individuals and 2 churches (one Deaf, one hearing). These monthly donations vary from $20 (multiple) to $500 (1) monthly. We have a few families/individuals who give at least annually, varying amounts, as God leads them. Then there are a few who give whenever God leads them to do so and that might be annually or it might not.
We have done a few fundraisers over the past few years, including my bi-annual Christmas Bazaar’s and the MudLOVE campaign for family retreat 2017. Each of these has raised between $700 to $2,000 ($1,370 -MudLOVE).
We continue to be an all-volunteer organization. No one at SFH receives a salary. We do contract with Rhonda Quade (Quade’s Virtual Office) for $225 per month to help me keep up administratively. This began one year ago. However, she had to invest many more hours during March, April and May to get us electronically set for our family retreat registration process for which, thankfully, God provided the funds. She spent 24 hours+ with us on-site the first two days of family retreat at no cost to us (except her room), as well.
Praise God, we now have a bookkeeper (Deb), maintaining the majority of our SFH bookkeeping needs. She works for our CPA, which keeps things under one roof. She is a great communicator. We are so thankful for this relief which costs SFH a mere $175 per month. SO worth this!!
As you can see, our monthly gifts coming in are easily used for our monthly gifts to others and for Rhonda and Deb’s services.
We are asking God to increase our monthly donor-base. Will you join us in this prayer? And should God lead you to donate to SFH on a regular basis (or even just once), you can do so securely online or you can mail a check to Signs for Hope, PO Box 460, Fairview, NC 28730. All donations are tax deductible.
Each time I think of “giving”, whether It is my own giving or someone giving to SFH, the LORD reminds me of the sacrificial giving of the churches in Macedonia. They gave, what they really DID NOT have to give, to provide relief for their Brothers and Sisters, whom they did not know personally, but knew they were in great need. I have no idea if I will ever be put in a place to experience this miraculous, selfless act of giving, but I am certainly in AWE of it!
Interesting, this kind of giving was specifically for Believers, in need. Well, Jesus did tell us in John, “By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another."
I Googled “Macedonia Churches” to remind me where this incredible story is found and up pop’s this link on Bible Gateway. WOW! It just so happens (WINK!) I am facilitating a Bible study this summer, Encased in Grace. Of course, my God delights in making sure I do not miss His full teaching me through multiple opportunities and revelations. To see this plethora use of the word, Grace (Charis), in Chapters 8 & 9 of 2 Corinthians, specifically relating to the actions of these Believers…ONLY GOD!
Honestly, they had nothing they could give. That’s what Paul explains. WAIT! They could give themselves! And that is exactly what they did; they gave themselves to the Lord, first. I have to wonder, am I giving myself to the Lord first and then giving whatever, as He directs?
“What do you and I already have?” Give that to the Lord and He will bless and multiply it. As this so clearly represents, we must give ourselves to Him, first. Then He will do amazing things, despite the circumstances around us, that might seem impossible. That’s…our…GOD!!
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From My Heart To Yours…
I do believe my God delights in making it impossible at times, or at least it seems so, to do anything apart from Him. Yeah, I know you and I can do nothing apart from Him, but He literally makes sure circumstances are such that I HAVE TO depend on Him. Obviously, He knows how dangerous it would be for me to not depend on Him, for all things.
When asked by folks if SFH would have family retreat next year, 2018, I began responding even before this year’s, “Yes, we will have family retreat…until Jesus comes!” Ha! Little did I know what was coming. In my communications with Bonclarken over the past week, they confessed to me they would NOT be able to accommodate us next year, the same week we have been there the past two years. A large corporate group is booked that week. I could tell they were genuinely upset we would not be able to join them. This group had booked their conference a few years ago. No, Bonclarken still does not have any dates available later in the summer months, to accommodate those who are still in school during our current week, but offered two earlier May dates for 2018. I declined those knowing even less families and volunteers would be available for those. We have now booked 2019, basically for the same week as the past two years and 2020 the first week of June with Bonclarken (June 2- 7). They wanted to get us on their calendar first for years to come. However, I have NO IDEA what God has planned for 2018, but I am certainly asking Him to show me. I DO want to hold our family retreat in 2018, but there are many factors and specifics that must be considered as we search for an alternate place. This is truly a time where I can say, once again…ONLY GOD!
I do love you, but His love for you is far beyond mine,
Becky
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