Change

It seems like there is always something changing here. I guess that is just life. Change is good, change is hard, change is growing. And we have a lot of  changes coming to Jubilee home.
The family that I have been working with for the past 4 months is going to be transitioning back to the States in November. As they head back home, we are going to be having our own transition. My girls and I are going to be moving into the apartment currently occupied by the Rippee family, and the rest of the girls at Jubilee are going to be spread out between the buildings 4 floors. It is going to be hard to not to have other foreigners in the house that can understand you and give you help and advice. It is going to be difficult not to have a quiet space to be able to relax in. But it will be good to be able to be nearer to the girls and build better connections with them. I had been praying that God would show us how to live in a more family-style home, and it seems like this is the way he has chosen to provide. I am looking forward to being able to be more consistent and stable for the girls.
I am also excited to be able to implement strategies to help the girls learn responsibility and independence. One of the ways I am wanting to do that is to get each of them their own clothes. It seems like such a simple thing, but my girls share almost everything. I'd like to be able to get them all nice clothes that fit them properly, and most importantly, belong to THEM. If you'd like to help outfit my little Chicks, you can gift them items from my amazon wishlist here. 
My address:

Michaela Stam
H 20 Rd. 1
Prashasan Nagar Jubilee Hills
Hyderabad, TELANGANA - 500033
Mobile #:7036420239

Thank you all so much for your prayer and support! I am looking forward to what Father has for the  up coming months! 

All we need

It has been a shamefully long time since I have given any sort of update. The more time passes, the harder it is to write one. There is so much going on and so much that happens that it is hard to pick a topic. I could talk about my adventures; Sari shopping, having an auto run out of gas in the middle of a busy intersection, praying with a beggar on the street,  learning how to ride the bus, having the Hyderabad police run off two gay men that were trying to get money from the group of volunteers I was with, etc, etc. I could talk about my girls; each of  the ways I have seen each of them struggle and thrive, how I've seen them grow, the things I want to teach them, and everything I want to give them. I could talk about me; what I am learning, how Jesus has been growing me, and what that looks like in my life. Shoot, I could talk about the culture, relationships with other volunteers, the ways I've seen God's provision, the Church here, and on and on.

So what am I going to talk about?

Well, all of the above and none of the above. :)

I am going to talk about love. 

I know, it sounds really cliche. And maybe it will be. But this is what I've been thinking about. 


"The children here, all they need is love. You can give them that."
We were sitting in a bus, waiting to get started. The nurse and I started talking about the kids at SCH and the different volunteers that come through when she made that comment. It made me stop and think.

I think I have gained a view of what love is. Before, I had a good definition, but I think I am now beginning to understand it more what it looks like... And how un-loving I can be sometimes.

Love is taking initiative- Being aware of the needs of the people around you. Being responsible enough to do something about it.Having the courage to upset the apple cart and do something out of the norm in order to help and bring about a change.

Love is persistent- Love takes initiative consistently. It is proactive. It is desiring the best for someone and doing everything you can to obtain that, even when it isn't well received or appreciated. It is continually pouring into people who may never be able to do the same to you.

Love is being willing to do hard thing-Sometimes love doesn't feel good. Sometimes love means not letting a kid get away with being naughty, and helping them learn the difference between right and wrong. Sometimes just giving a hug and moving on isn't helpful or loving. You have to deal with the problem, even if it means spending 45 minutes getting a kid to spend 3 minutes in time out.




'God is love' (1John 4:8)
He took initiative-He knew our need, and did something about it. Even though it was totally crazy and wouldn't make sense to anyone.

He was persistent- He is persistent in drawing our hearts towards himself, in convicting us and molding us into the image of His Son, even when we don't enjoy or appreciate it .


He was willing to do hard things- The cross didn't feel good, but it is what we needed. How we can rejoice in the fact that he didn't give us a hug and leave us in our sin, headed for Hell. He poured himself out so that we could have life.

Her words ring in my head. 

"All they need is love. You can give them that."


Can I though? Can I give them that kind of love? 

I realize that this something that God must do. Something that I need him to grow in me. Because truly, all we need is Jesus. 

 'Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to the cross I cling.'

Life

Well, I am in the middle of my third week here. I don't know where the time went.

It was so good to have my sister, Hannah, here for the first two weeks. She was able to help me out a lot and give me some good shoves in the right direction..:)

As many of you know, when I arrived here I was uncertain as to what group of girls I was going to be working with. I am happy to say that I have officially picked a group to Momma!! I have seven girls-Glory, Hope, Meghan, Amulya, Dhivenah, Carmen, and Dawn .

I have started a pretty simple schedule with them, and it seems to be going well.We start out the day around 9am with a time of worship and prayer, and then we have a short class. I have been working on teaching them colors (and their signs) and body parts. We look at books, and I read to them. We usually have some sort of game with puzzles or balls. We end the morning by watching 'Signing Time' and just hanging out before lunch. We eat lunch together, and the girls go down for a afternoon nap. This gives me a nice chunk of time to do laundry, run errands, etc. Around 3 I go down and have chai with the Ammas, before we do the girls hair. Once all the girls have been lice combed and their hair re-braided, I take one of them out on a walk. It is a good opportunity to get them out of the house and have some one-on-one time.

A couple of things you can be praying for:

-Good relationships to be built with the girls-I don't think I realized how hard relationship-building can be. I think I  naively assumed that I could step in and have a perfect relationship with each of my girls. And I can, to some extent. They are very accepting. But I want to have a special relationship with each of them, and that is going to take time.  

-Good relationships with the Ayahs. Ayahs have tough jobs, and right now we are rather understaffed,  which is making it even harder for them. Pray that I would be understanding of them, and that we could be friends, despite the language barrier.

-Wisdom for me! There is lots to do, and lots that could be done. I need to be discerning about what is a priority and what can wait till later.  

A couple of random notes:

I have set up a wish list on Amazon India for anyone who is interested in helping be get some supplies for my home. The girls have very few toys, and many of these things would also be very helpful to have in class. The link and my address are below:

http://www.amazon.in/gp/registry/wishlist/ANENY8VQK5I/ref=cm_wl_sortbar_o_page_2?ie=UTF8&page=2

My address:

Michaela Stam

H 20 Rd. 1

Prashasan Nagar Jubilee Hills

Hyderabad, TELANGANA - 500033
Mobile #:7036420239

Also, because of government regulations I can't post any pictures of the kids on social media. If you would like to be added to my email group (I am able to email pictures), please let me know!

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. I love hearing from all of you!

I'm here!! It is currently the third day since I've been in India. So far it has been full of trying to get over jet lag (which I am obviously not over yet. It is 4 am right now..), meeting the girls and the other volunteers, touring the other homes, and doing a little shopping.

A few pictures from the rooftop! 

This last one is actually the view from our bathroom window. The little bird in the corner decided to come sing to me during my shower. :)

  

 Thus says the Lord:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man

And makes flesh his strength,

Whose heart departs from the Lord.

For he shall be like a shrub in the desert,

And shall not see when good comes,

But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,

In a salt land which is not inhabited.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

And whose hope is the Lord.

For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,

Which spreads out its roots by the river,

And will not fear when heat comes;

But its leaf will be green,

And will not be anxious in the year of drought,

Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

-Jeremiah 17:5-8

There are so many opportunities to trust the Lord. Especially here right now, while I am adjusting to everything. Praying that my focus would be on him, and that I would not trust in man.

Countdown

Well, the countdown has now officially dropped into the single digits. 9 days until I board my plane here in America and set off for this wild, wild country.
  I can honestly say that I am terrified. I am afraid that I am going to mess everything up. I am afraid I am not going to know what to do. I am afraid of leaving home. I  am afraid of being a Momma. I am afraid things aren't going to work out.  I don't think I've ever felt so deeply the fact that I CAN'T DO THIS.  There is nothing in my own self that is able to do this at all, much less do it well.  So I turn to the Lord. He is able, and doesn't make mistakes. He is able, and has all knowledge. He is able, and He is always there. He is able, and He will Father these girls. He is able, and what He has started, He will bring to completion. What rest there is in Christ!

Prayer requests:

-That these last few days at home would be spent wisely. My schedule has already been filled pretty full, and there are still things that I know need to be done, but I am not sure how to fit it all in.

-That God would bring wisdom in determining which group of girls I should be working with. Right now there are two options, and as it is right now, I am going to be spending a day or two with each of the rooms and then deciding. I am praying that God would make it abundantly clear, and that there would be unity among all the different people involved in making that decision

-Wisdom for  my packing/flying. I am kind of nervous about flying over by myself, so extra prayer for that would be appreciated!

AAGH!!

I Just bought a ticket for India!!!  Lord willing I will be leaving the States on the May 27th and arriving in Hyderabad on the 29th. How crazy is that?!?!?!

Praise!

I received an email this morning that my living expenses are officially fully funded!!! SO excited! This means that my rent and food is all covered, and I have my flight money as well. Not exactly sure yet the time frame for me to be leaving, but it will definitely be the end of May or after... Details coming ((hopefully)) soon!
So thankful that God has provided, and for all the people He has used!! May He richly bless you all!!!

Quick Request

Hey everyone! 

Because of some things that I have just figured out about this whole financial process, if anyone is wanting/is already supporting me monthly via check, could you please let me know? That would greatly help me in getting an idea of where I am and how much I need to raise yet. Thanks much! 

Update

I thought I'd give a quick update on where I am and  how everything is going. I was not able to buy my ticket at the end of February like I had hoped. I am not able to buy my ticket at the end of March like I had hoped. Needless to say things are going slowly. I am still needing to raise about $140 (monthly) to cover my living expenses.
  This whole experience has brought a lot of good lessons. I know that He is growing me and preparing me for everything He has planned.
Some thing's He's taught me:

-That it is His work.
   God promises that he is a father to the fatherless. He is going to take care of His children, whether I am there or not. I can trust that He will bring me into the picture at the right time.

-The importance of keeping God and the Gospel central.
  This is an easy trap to fall into. Many times it is easy to concentrate on bettering children's lives, rather than furthering the Kingdom of God. We want to see kids well clothed and fed, who are loved and cherished (which isn't wrong). But sometimes we can get so concentrated on that, and we forget the more important things (which is wrong). 'For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?'(Matthew 16:26)

-Living what He has called me to today.
   We all want to look at the big picture. We want to know what and where God has called us to. And often times that can be terribly distracting. I realized that instead of being caught up in what I am going to be doing in the future, I need to focus on what God has called me to today. Today, God has called me to be in the States. Today, God has called me to help my family and build relationships with my brothers. Today, God has called me to seek Him and to love Him more today than I did yesterday.

'Thou hast died for me, may I live to thee, 

in every moment of my time,

in every movement of my mind, 

in every pulse of my heart.'

~Valley of Vision

God all-sufficient

"Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.... 9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them." -John 21:5-11

This scene that takes place after Jesus has been raised from the dead is one that I've thought of a lot recently. It is a neat picture of how Jesus does his work. He gives his disciples a command and promises that there will be fish. He gives us a command and tells us that his word "shall not return void" (Is. 55:11)  An astonishing thing comes in verse 9 when the disciples get to land and see that Jesus already has fish, all cooked and ready for them.  We realize that Jesus didn't need the disciples, or their fish. We realize that Jesus doesn't need us, or what we can do. But we also see that Jesus does use us to accomplish his work. He uses the disciples fish (v.10). It is a humbling thing to see the completeness of His provision. We truly have nothing except that which has been given us. This up-coming trip to India has been a good lesson in trusting fully in His provision.  There are still a lot of things about this trip that I don't know, that I can't control, and that seem daunting. What an opportunity to trust Him more!

My thoughts were echoed by the passage I read in Morning by Morning earlier today:

'The bottle of the creature cracks and dries up, but the well of the Creator never fails; happy is he who dwells at the well, and so has abundant and constant supplies near at hand. The Lord has been a sure helper to others: his name is Shaddai, God all-sufficient; our hearts have often had most delightful intercourse with him; through him our soul has found her glorious Husband, the Lord Jesus and in him this day we live, and move, and have our being; let us, then, dwell in closest fellowship with him. Glorious Lord, constrain us that we may never leave thee, but dwell by the well of the living God.' -Charles Spurgeon

*completely unrelated note*

I am selling these pearl necklaces to raise funds for my flights. The pearls, bought on my previous trip to India, are unfinished so each one is unique. The jute cord is adjustable, so one size fits most.

I am selling them for $12 each or 3 for $30. You can see my facebook page or message me for more info or if you would like to order.

The beginning of an Adventure...

Wow. Where to start. It is all so crazy, I hardly know.

As many of you know, in the summer of 2013 I had the opportunity to go to on a six-week trip to India with several of my family members. Orphans, and especially those with special needs, had been my passion through most of highschool and getting a chance to serve with Sarah’s Covenant Homes (SCH) was a dream come true.
For those of you who don’t know, Sarah’s Covenant Homes is a ministry devoted to caring for orphaned and abandoned kids with special needs. They currently have over 100 kids in their care and are continuing to take in more. While I was there God taught me so much about His wonderful heart for these children. He is truly ‘A Father to the fatherless and a defender of widows…(who) sets the solitary in families.’ (Psalm 68:5-6)
Prior to this trip, I had been interested in going overseas, but had never really considered Asia. While I was excited about the opportunity and the experience, I never thought of it as a long term possibility. It has been so neat to see how God uses the desires that He has given us and directs us in ways that we could never have thought up ourselves. When I came back to the States, I realized that I wanted to go back. However, at this point that road looked like an impossibility. There were several issues and things that seemed to me couldn’t be changed. But I have learned that what God calls us to, He equips us for. It is His work, after all. We just get to be vessels in His capable hands.
And so during this time, there was a lot of waiting (which sounds incredibly dull, but was actually a rich time of learning, as well as being very busy), and in His own timing God worked everything out. From getting a mentor family to applying for my visa and everything in between, He has truly shown Himself Faithful.

As of now, I am looking at working as a foster mom with SCH for a year, and will have a group of 6-7 girls. Please be in prayer both for them and me in this upcoming time of transition, as well as details to be worked out concerning the group with which I will be working.

The give button at the top is an opportunity to give online towards my trip. I am needing to raise $750 monthly for my rent and other expenses (flight, etc) If you would like to make it a monthly donation,simply check the box that says 'Make This Recurring'


Or you can send checks to “Sarah’s Covenant Homes” and attach a note saying “For Michaela Stam”. And then mail your check to:
Sarah's Covenant Homes
PO BOX 368
Chinook, MT 59523
(Note: Do not write my name on the Memo line, attach a separate note)
I am hoping to raise my monthly amount and purchase my ticket by the end of February.

As always, your prayers are coveted!