"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 
From Ashes to Beauty
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They are beautiful. Truly beautiful.
As I watch them in their angel like costumes
Glide across the stage, with giggles, and smiles
I hold my breath.
 
From ashes to beauty.


They stand straight and tall; w ith a strength that even surprises me.
Straight ahead, they look at the crowd in the eyes.


And I am amazed.
 
The music is Amazing Grace and my eyes fill with tears.
For I cannot believe how good God is to our precious children.  
Each little girl represents a story of tragedy.
A story of brokenness, of pain, of neglect and a life so unfair.
 
But each little girl is twirling, dancing, and swaying without a care
They sparkle. And shine. 
Stars.


 
How perfect it is that this December we celebrate the birth of the baby.
The baby born under that fine star...
 
Giving us hope.
Hope for every person, every situation, every heart.

 
And while it may not look as we think or come when we feel it ought,
The miracle is there. Waiting.
And when it comes, our lives change. 
Our vision is cleared and our heart renewed.


It is this HOPE that we declare over our children.
It is this HOPE that we are celebrate this Christmas season.
It is this HOPE that gives us the strength to keep on.
This love, this hope, this miracle...
 
I pray is yours this season.
Merry Christmas from all of us at Gentle Hands!

Charity Graff
Executive Director
Adoptions


Sibling adoption is a unique, beautiful, yet terrifying experience.

A sibling group of 4 left for the USA this month. 
Adoption can be complicated when the kids are little and have been in care for a long time.
There were tears of joy and of sadness. There were laughs and giggles as they played and wrestled. There were moments of defiance and challenge. Bonding happened and transfer of their attachment started as they dared to trust and allow themselves to be loved and love back. They learned some of the most important lessons in life they could ever learn 
at GHI through their holistic care.

And as the butterflies danced in their tummies, they sang and celebrated 
the beginning 
of their new adventure. 

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New Admission

The referral was a plea... her mother had given birth to her while in jail... for drugs... no relatives could take the baby and so she was taken back to stay in jail with the mother at just hours old. This women's jail has 90 beds and there are more than 1200 inmates... disease and illness rampant. We cannot change the jail but we can rescue this precious child. 

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Medical


Second surgery of three, check! Next one is set for January and no more colostomy bag! 

Operation complete on baby with the serious inquinal hernia, check! 

Heart surgery, check!

We are ever so grateful for those who have a heart for medical needs and continue to help us cover these surgeries and our continuous medical needs. 
The Final Chapter
Gentle Hands USA Tour


In the past three months our family have had the privilege of touring the USA and sharing the ministry of Gentle Hands. We have visited 15 states, driven over 10,000 miles, spoken at over 25 churches and events and met too many generous and hospitable people to count.

We finished off our tour traveling up the east coast from North Carolina and through Pennsylvania.

We are so thankful for the opportunities we had during our time in the USA and we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support. In particular we would like to thank Doctor Ron Martin and Bishop Mike White for organizing our time with Church of God in North Carolina.  Your support has been such a massive blessing to us personally and to the ministry of Gentle Hands. Finally, to all the generous people who opened their hearts and homes to our family and hosted us on our travels, we cannot thank you enough.


We are in the early stages of itinerating our travel for Gentle Hands in 2018. If you are interested in having Gentle Hands visit you, your church or if you would be interested in hosting a fundraising event please email us at  [email protected]. 
 
Thank you for blessing our children this Christmas!



On behalf of all the children at Gentle Hands we would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported the Christmas Appeal.  You have been such a blessing this Christmas and we genuinely appreciate your kindness and contribution. Your generosity will surely bless our beautiful children. With your contributions each child will now experience the joy of receiving a gift this Christmas.
 
Thank you again for your thoughtfulness and generosity. May your home be full of joy and love as you receive the gift God's love this Christmas.
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