If you haven't heard, HS has been approved as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by the IRS! I was getting the mail on Thursday (it's ironic because I never get the mail, but my mom happened to be out of town), and sifting through it when I came to a thick envelope from the IRS. My heart stopped for a moment... We weren't expecting to hear back about our tax-exempt application until October, so part of me tried to convince myself this was just another step, that they must need more information. In fact, just two months ago they did send a letter asking for another $100 as the application fee had gone up. I waited til I got inside to open it. It was a big moment... my dad and sister Mariah were standing with me as I opened it and read the first line: "We are pleased to inform you that upon review of your application for tax exempt status we have determined that you are exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code." I was ecstatic! Such an unexpected surprise in the middle of just another week! I'm sure it was because I chose to wear my panda shirt in honor of Chengdu (the Panda capitol!) that day... don't you think? This opens a lot of doors for Hope Station. We can start fundraising directly through our own organization now, instead of through Mills as we had been doing and were so thankful for all along. We can receive grants and are more eligible for major gifts, and simply be more independent and... for lack of a better word, official! It's very exciting. Thank you to everyone who helped us in the process of applying, and for everyone's encouragements along the way as we waited. And now, let's keep moving forward!
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This is Alex. He is one of the older kids that lives at the orph we have partnered with in the Sichuan province, and his story is one of those that breaks my heart no matter how many times I hear it.
Alex was brought to the orphanage at a young age, because his mother had died and his father was sentenced to a few years in prison. He wasn't an orphan by definition, but he had nowhere to go, no one to take him in. Now at age 11, Alex's father is out of prison but never came back for him. Because he is technically not an orphan, he can't be adopted. He has no chance of getting out of the orph unless his father returns to either claim him or sign away his guardianship. This morning I had the privilege of sharing at The Mills about HS and all that I've been learning through this journey so far. I was reminded of how good it is to reflect on His faithfulness, as a reminder of how far I've come and how good He is! So, as I was reflecting on this morning, I thought for the hundredth time how blessed I am to have such a wonderful, supportive, loving community around me. I would not be the person I am today without the amazing people in Father's family that surround me. Then I thought: the kids in China that we visit have nothing like that. They have no one. You could say they have each other, but even then no one is there to teach them how to share, or be kind, or take care of one another. Alex came to mind immediately as an example of this. He still lives in the orph, and He has no one to show him he matters, to teach him how to ride a bike, to be a positive role model, or to help him navigate the coming years as he grows up into a young man. Keep Alex in your thoughts this week, and don't take for granted the community of people around you! |
A note from Rebekah...If you've ever wondered what it would be like to start a nonprofit from the ground up, to open a home for ORPHANS with special needs in Asia, you've come to the right place. Archives
August 2019
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