Bring Love In

The following post comes from our dear friends over at "This Grace Filled Life"

Hello Friends!
We would love for you to take 5 minutes to click on the above link and watch the video before you read the rest of this email.  :)



Bring Love In - Uniting widows and orphans to create new families in Ethiopia from Levi Benkert on Vimeo.
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Ok...So, thank you for taking the time to watch the Benkerts share about the ministry Bring Love In, in Ethiopia. 

We are really excited to tell you that Levi and Jesse Benkert will be here in Lancaster on September 15th to tell you more about this really amazing ministry.  They are traveling around the country to bring awareness about the needs of widows and orphans in Ethiopia and the concept (now becoming reality) of placing orphans into the care of Christian widows to receive the love of family.  After being in Ethiopia, and seeing the great need for better solutions to Ethiopia's orphan crisis, we were overjoyed when we discovered this ministry. 

If you are reading this, and are located close enough to Lancaster County, PA, we would really LOVE for you to attend the Bring Love in event to hear more, see more and be inspired and challenged more as to how God could use You to care for orphans in Ethiopia. 

Here are the details:
When:  Saturday, September 15 at 3:00 pm
Where: Lancaster Bible College Private Dining Room
What:  Enjoy samples of Ethiopian food, Ethiopian coffee (and American dessert...:)
          See items and pictures from the Ethiopian Culture
          And...hear amazing stories of God's leading and redemption from the cofounders of Bring Love In, Levi and Jesse Benkert

You Must RSVP for this event.  You can email Rebekah at gregandrebekah at hotmail dot com

Here is the website for Bring Love In - See for yourself:  CLICK HERE 

New Mission

"Hello! Please click on my picture"

Yes, need to make time to update the blog...

Yes, an Update is Long Overdue...

... Stay tuned for a joyous update on the "next chapter" coming "soon"...

In the meantime..."greetings" from Mila and Yana...

"Make 5" and Watch

Please make 5 minutes of your time to click on this link and watch the video posted by our sister in Christ Alla from the Bible Orphan Ministry team.

As you look at the faces of these children and young adults, consider that many of them are not available for adoption.  Let us give praise to the Lord that they are able to receive His Truth that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the love and care brother Misha and the BOM team bring to these orphans. 

Galatians 5:13-14

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Yana's Surgery Update 6 - Home

Praise the Lord!

Stephanie and Yana arrived home Tuesday evening just before 7pm. 

Last ECHO check showed no issues with heart function.  She will go back to A.I. Dupont Hospital next week for a follow-up check with the surgeon.

It is a joy to have them home...

Check out my bed-head

Colossians 3:12-17

¹² Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Yana's Surgery Update 5 - Homeward Bound?

Praise the Lord!

In a previous post, I mentioned that the earliest Yana would be released would be Wednesday (tomorrow).  Well, it look like God may have other plans...

Due to Yana's continued "smooth" recovery (Praise the Lord!), it is looking like she could be released today!  She has been eating and drinking, and her heart function is looking great (Praise the Lord!)...

Here are a couple videos from yesterday showing our beautiful daughter who has been given a new "lease on life" by God's Grace!

Yana's Surgery Update 4 - Almost "Out of the Woods"

Thank you to those who continue to pray!

Yesterday, Yana got moved from ICU. to a “regular” room.  All of her tubes, including the IV, have been removed.  This is a praise considering the discomfort and confusion it gives to any 4 year old…

Here is a picture of her cage; uh, I mean crib…

Yana has, understandably, battled some irritability and was rejecting food an liquids a good part of yesterday.  She had periods, some lasting hours, where all she did was cry.  Steph eluded to this period being the toughest and most stressful.  I reassured her that her presence there with Yana was doing more than she could maybe see right at that moment.

Well, today I received this update:

“I dolled Yana up and took her for several strolls around the unit.  She loved it.  I love her!  Then, she ate an entire package of cream of wheat.  Also, had 4 oz. Juice.  Yippee!”

We were able to have a video Skype session where the boys and I got to see Yana sitting in a chair playing with her pin wheel.  Steph said she even let out a couple smiles…

Regarding Yana’s release, the medical team stated that the earliest would be Wednesday, but we are prepared for it to carry into next weekend.  Her recovery so far is progressing well; yet, I still solicit your prayers as she continues to recover.  Please consider these prayer items…

May it be the Lord’s Will that:

(1)  Yana’s pain management allows her to sleep well.

(2)  Yana continues to eat and drink, as this will keep her from having the IV put back in.
(3)  Yana draws closer to her mother for comfort and companionship
(4)  Stephanie is able to rest well.
(5)  Yana is able to be discharged from the hospital on Wednesday.
(6)  Yana does not withdraw at her homecoming; that she continues to progress within her family.

Blessings to you all!

P.S.  Meanwhile, Mila is enjoying the attention and interaction with her brothers; here is an example (taken on iPhone):