A New Year of Morning Sonshine!

Happy New Year Friends,

I am writing from a beautiful orphanage in Bangladesh called “Bangla Hope” where I have spent Christmas and will be spending time teaching Bible and Sanctuary classes until early February 2014. For those that may not know, Bangladesh is a little country encircles to the West, North and East by India. To the North is Nepal and then China and to the South East of Bangladesh, is Myanmar and Burma. 

To be honest, I never even knew this country existed until 6 years ago when I visited for the very first time with a medical team from Loma Linda University. Now this little spot on the globe has captured my heart…or maybe the people here have. 

Here at Bangla Hope I see God giving HOPE to many orphans, destitute women and young children who otherwise would be on the streets fighting for survival. Over 200 people are cared for at this beautiful mission compound, and many more are sponsored beyond its gates. In some of the coming days, I will share some of the things that God has been teaching me here: lessons of His goodness and the vastness of His love.

For now I wanted to introduce the plan for Morning Sonshine’s New Year. Rather than closing this blog down, we've decided to continue, but with the assistance of another inspirational regular writer, and with the occasional guest authors.

You are already acquainted with our dear friend and regular Morning Sonshine writer, Chelsie Mittleder. Chelsie has picked up the blog this past fall and kept it going when I couldn't due to travels and large writing projects. I'm so thankful for her! She will continue to write and share.

Steven Winn will be joining our regular writing team (pictured to the right). Steven is excited about who God really is and what He really wants. He has a passion for preaching and enjoys traveling wherever God leads him to share His Word with believers.

Currently, he is a caregiver for an elderly gentleman with Parkinson's Disease and is doing biblical research for a book he is praying about writing.

"Ever since I saw God's amazing, complete, and unconditional acceptance of me when I didn't deserve it (and never will), the passion that rules my life is to help others see who God really is...His overwhelming greatness and His overwhelmingly great love for us."--Steven Winn 

We are very thankful and happy to have Steven on board!
 
I, Melody, will be out of the country until early February 2014 but will try to share with you  inspirational lessons from the mission field when I am able.

As we begin another year, let’s seek to forget the hard times of the past and make this coming year the best yet!  For as my childhood heroine, Anne of Green Gables, used to say: "Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it!" Aren't you thankful? I sure am!

The Bible tells us, "His Mercies are new every morning! Great is Thy faithfulness." What a wonderful gift we've been given! No matter what happened last year, whether good or bad (or both)-- today and tomorrow, and the day after can be a fresh start with God--for His mercies are new every morning.

So let's praise God as we begin this New Year and as we look forward with great expectancy for what He has in store! 

~ Melodious Echo