JOHN 3:16 MARKETING NETWORK: CHILDREN OF DREAMS - REVISITING NEPAL TWENTY YEARS LATER,” and taking books to a church and orphans in Nepal, by Lorilyn Roberts

This inspirational work of nonfiction follows a woman who turns her own shattered dreams into life-changing hope, relying on God's redemptive love to overcome impossible odds and adopt two destitute children from one of the world's most remote regions.

I (Lorilyn Roberts) will be traveling to Nepal soon to take books to orphans - children who have been rescued and adopted into Nepali homes sponsored by Child Hope International.



For the next three weeks, I will be publishing on my blog my adoption memoir, to encourage you to pray for Joy and me, for travel mercies, and for you to “taste” the country and experience what I felt when I was there before. God gave me my first of two Children of Dreams twenty years ago. I arrived home from Nepal on Mother's Day, May 8, 1994, with Manisha Hope.

The costs will be around $3,500 for Joy and me to travel and stay six days. Our time will be spent helping many of the kids with English and reading. About $1,500 has been donated so far. I am hoping more people will contribute toward the trip so I don't have to spend the next several months paying off my credit card when I return. 

Imagine what the possibilities are with the two hundred plus Christian books we are taking (as well as two Kindles a member of the John 3:16 Marketing Network donated). These children are among the few, particularly the girls, to receive an education in Nepal. They are the future leaders, the future teachers, doctors, and nurses. Over two hundred abandoned children have been adopted in-country by Nepali families sponsored by Child Hope International. Today many are in college. One orphan sponsored by Child Hope International is now in medical school. 

I would especially appreciate your prayers. 

If you would enjoy reading Children of Dreams as an ebook, in celebration of the trip, I'm offering a free coupon through Smashwords for the length of time Joy and I will be in Nepal. Joy is my younger daughter who I adopted from Vietnam. Manisha, who is 23, will be staying home and taking care of all of our animals. 

From James 1:27:  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  

GUEST POST BY AUTHOR MELISSA MAIN: They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love

“…and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another” (Zechariah 7:10).

Anyone who knows me (Lorilyn Roberts) knows my heart for children around the world. Most of us are unable to wrap our minds around the enormity of the plight of orphans and how that translates into the lives of children—until we put a face to it. Recently a friend of mine traveled to Mexico to visit an orphanage, and I asked her if she would be willing to share a few pictures and thoughts on my blog.

In Melissa Main’s Words

“We visited Door of Faith Orphanage in La Mision, in Baja California, a state in Mexico. It's odd but there is a state of California in both Mexico and the US.

I traveled to La Mision, Mexico… to build houses for poverty-stricken Mexican families and to provide support for orphanages and other charities. We distributed food to needy families and offered encouragement to workers at the orphanages and no cost day care center….there is an incredible amount of joy and satisfaction in giving to those in need and changing their lives forever. People are designed for a purpose. Helping others fulfills one of our hearts' greatest needs and helps us to discover our purpose in life.”

Children come to orphanages in Mexico because of abuse, neglect, and poverty. Some families are too poor to care for their children. They leave the children home alone while they work out of town and then they are picked up by the Mexican government and placed in orphanages. Sometimes they are left alone during the day if the parents work in town.

Tony, the 10-month-old baby in the photo, was left home alone during the day. His head was flat and dented in the back. He is very snuggly and responding well to the love and attention he receives at Door of Faith Orphanage. Sometimes babies are sent to orphanages when a mother is very young…

*~*~*~*

I have been touched personally by two small children from Nepal and Vietnam. Here are the referral photos of my daughters—they were orphans before I adopted them.

What would God’s news headlines be if He were to script today’s top stories? I have no doubt he would urge Christians to take care of the orphans and widows. Over one hundred fifty million children go to bed hungry each night. Many have lost their parents due to aids, starvation, and lack of clean water. Whenever the news covers these heart-wrenching pieces, my heart breaks because the needs are so great. Feeling overwhelmed can paralyze you from doing anything, but one person can make a difference—and you could be that person.

If you would like more information on how you can be God’s loving hands and face to a child—who longs to know Jesus’ love, here are a few links. It doesn’t take a saint to do a heroic act—it only takes a willing servant who says yes to God’s whisper in his heart.



Hope’s Promise http://www.hopespromise.com/

Today my children are normal American kids—the transformation with a little bit of love is amazing!

You can also visit Melissa Main’s blog at http://mainwriters.com/