What's next for us?!

"Giving A Voice To Children Globally"

 Hope for the Silent Voices   •  Cambodia   •  12.29.2011-1.14.2012  

Dear Friends & Family, 

You are receiving this letter because you are very special to us and have helped us grow spiritually over the course of our lives and our marriage. As you all know, this year has been full of changes, obstacles, and stresses for us as we have transitioned back to Dallas and Josh is transitioning back to civilian life. The Lord has been changing our lives and our passions dramatically since being in Dallas. Dreams we had a year ago are being thrown aside as we eagerly try to follow what the Lord has put in front of us. If you had asked Josh a year ago if he ever wanted to go on a mission trip or work at an orphanage, you would get a strong no; he never felt that calling. However, in this transitioning time of our lives, we have met different people and had our eyes opened to the world in a new way. Josh had his dreams and passions changed dramatically when he met Eric Lyons. Eric is the cofounder of an organization called Hope for the Silent Voices. Eric spoke to Josh about human trafficking in Southeast Asia, about the orphans there, and about the lack of aid that is going on for these children. Josh & I were deeply touched about the human trafficking and the statistics are staggering. One boy was sold by his mother at the market as a sex slave for the equivalent of $500.00. The boy was 3 years old. Abandoned to a life of hell, worse than many of us could ever imagine.

When Josh came to me with the news that he had met Eric, I was excited and eager to hear more. For months, I had wanted to go on another mission trip. Another passion that the Lord has put on my heart was orphans. I have had a desire to help in some way, although I wasn’t sure how. I was thinking that our help would be to one day adopt a child, but that would be years away. When Josh approached me about Hope for the Silent Voices, I felt as thought the Lord had brought our passions together. It is so awesome to have our passions united like this. The Lord has changed our hearts and minds dramatically lately. Josh will tell you, he has always hoped to have financial success as well as some amount of prestige. These last few months have radically changed his views on life and his priorities. 

After meeting with Eric and several conversations between the two, we have felt that the Lord is calling us to join Hope for the Silent Voices on a mission trip to Cambodia from December 29, 2011-January 14, 2012. We are so excited about going!!! We both wish it was much sooner, but we do need the time to prepare. God will teach us and prepare us over the next few months so that we may do amazing works for Him. We will be joining cofounders Eric and Sherry to visit a few orphanages and see some of these kids that have been abused for so long. For some of these kids, this will be the first glimpse of Christ they will see. 

Josh and I are asking for your help in several ways. The first and most important way is prayer! Pray for our safety, the safety of the others on the trip, the kids we will see, and the hearts we might touch. Pray that God uses us in a powerful way. The second way is financial. We are sensitive to the fact that many of us have been affected by the economical downturn. However, every penny counts on this trip. The total cost we must raise is $6,044.00. $4,000 of that is due October 10, 2011. There are three easy ways to give. 

1. Go to Hope for the Silent Voices’ website http://hopeforthesilentvoices.org/ and click on donate. They are currently using Paypal to accept donations. In the comments area, please add either my name or Josh’s - the money will go to both of us. 
2. Click on the "Contact Us" tab and mail a check or money order to their address in Illinois. Again, please put either my name or Josh’s on the memo line.  
3. Mail us a check and we will turn it in to Eric. Again, please put one of our names on the memo line. All checks need to be made out to Hope for the Silent Voices. 

The third way to help out is to donate items that the orphans need. Items need to be sent to us and we will pack them in our bags and deliver them to the orphanages. If this interests you, please contact Josh and he will get you a detailed list. 

If you would like to get updates, email us back and we will put you on out list or check out our blog at (http://ohtheplacesyoullgo-jl.blogspot.com/). We will send updates of what God is doing in our lives prior to the trip and as we travel through Cambodia.

Any way you can help is a blessing to us. We are so stoked to get there and experience what God has for us. Please check out the link below to discover the awesome journey that Josh and I are about to go on. http://hopeforthesilentvoices.org/

 We love you all and thank you for your love and support!

Josh & Laura

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. - Joshua 1:9

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. - James 1:26-27