Kids making a difference

Poor abandoned blog, once again I am going to try to resurrect you!

Here's some old news, but things I have wanted to share here for some time.

The last post was about The Adventure Project.  I was able to bring the project into our elementary school and share it with Genevieve's 3rd grade class.  I made a slide show and spoke with the students about the devastation in Haiti.  We talked about the living conditions there and how smoke from open fires were hurting, even killing people.  We also talked about how $20 (for a stove) could change someone's life.  We talked about how the cost of DS game could save someones life.  Then we talked about sacrifices.  Would they be willing to give up a Christmas gift if it could save someone's life?

They got it.  It was amazing to see them get it.

They were on board with raising money to buy stoves for The Adventure Project.  We sold coal ornaments for $10/each raising $1,000!   Here's how they did it.

 So so so proud of the students (and Zeke too!)

Ready for some AdVenture in my life

Go HERE for some AdVenture for yourself.

Check out PROJECT 320

On December 14th,

We are going to build a well.

You are going to build a well.

(photo courtesy of Jody Landers)

Because we can.

Because you can.

How?

Right now sweet, generous, creative and caring women from all over the country are sewing, knitting, painting, shopping, blogging, praying.

Donating.

Over 100 items.

Handmade and heartfelt happiness.

Starting

December 14th

and ending

December 18th

Project 320

will be holding a virtual raffle.

10 prize bundles.

Each $10 donation to the well

earns one virtual ticket.

You get to choose how many "tickets" to buy

and which prize package you want to win.

On December 21st we will "draw" ten winners.

But most of all,

we will celebrate the victory.

The promise of clean water for a village.

Life.

Are you excited?

You should be!!!!

Because it is going to be awesome.

Grab a button.

Spread the word.

URGENT NEED

This is from my friend Brandi's blog....

FEED THE FORGOTTEN

Too often we hear heartbreaking stories like this (that I posted on Saturday) and do nothing. We feel helpless. . . and so we move on. Not this time. There are people DYING in Uganda right now. There are children who's bellies are hungry and aching. There are mamas who are too weak to stand and babies begging to be held. There are people trapping termites hoping for food and eating dung in helplessness. DO NOT CAVE TO DESPAIR. YOU CAN DO SOMETHING.

Join us and Children's HopeChest to FEED THE FORGOTTEN!!! (CLICK HERE TO GIVE NOW)

PLEASE PUT "FEED THE FORGOTTEN" IN THE NOTES SECTION ON THE DONATION FORM.

For $0.14, we can (and WILL) feed someone a meal of posho and beans. (posho is cornmeal, which is filling and beans are protein). Take that in for a moment. . .

$0.14 a meal

$2.86 for 20 days

$1 per FAMILY

$20 feed a family for 20 days.

How much was my Chick Fil A yesterday? How much is your Starbucks? The bigger question is how much am I willing to give up SO THAT OTHERS MIGHT EAT?

Remember Jesus story of the Good Samaritan? Remember how his very neighbors walked right by him? They probably looked at him with pity. . .probably thought "oh poor guy, that breaks my heart" but the fact is THEY DID NOTHING.

What will you do? These children are starving. . .

these actual children. . .

will you help? The money raised will feed those precious children. There are 3 - 4 villages that we are targeting (I'm hoping for more after we see how much we can raise!) to bring food relief to asap. These people are literally starving. . and waiting for you to act. Will you help? Even with paypal fees (2-3%) even $1 will feed 6 people! You CAN make a difference.

Spread the word, blog about it, facebook it, twitter it, ask your church or school or business to give, post the blog badge anything. Truly, we are begging you. . .on behalf of these children not to forget this post and move on to the next in your google reader list. Stop, pray, act.
GIVE TO FEED THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN!!!!!

Add "feed the forgotten" in the notes section when you give!

iphone's could help feed people.

I've had this idea brewing for awhile now.  Have you ever been in a store, put something in your cart that you really didn't need, and thought "I would rather send the $3.99 to buy a mosquito net for someone in a malaria-inflicted region, or medications for an HIV infected person", and put it back ont  the shelf?  But then you get home and you don't actually send off the $3.99 to the charity?  

How cool would it be if there was an iphone application, let's call it "icharity", where you could send any amount of money at the touch of a button (or 2) to your charity of choice?  Where you are driving through the drive through at Starbucks, and at the last minute decide "instead of this $3.85 mint mocha frapucchino, I can buy 22 meals for the hungry in Uganda through Children's Hope Chest".   And you can do it RIGHT THEN.  

I've been dreaming about it this.  So I finally decided to google what it would take to get an application designed.  

And that would be in the neighborhood of $30,000.  =(

Do I think it's worth it?  YES.  Do I think it would encourage people to give up some of our luxurious spending in turn for thoughtful giving?  YES.  Do I have $30,000 to make this happen?  No =(.

But maybe someone out there in the cybersphere will see this blogspot and also happen to be an iphone application designer =).  And they can HAVE this idea free of charge =).

Oh and by the way, do I have an iphone?  No.  I did for about 4 months until it was stolen.  Would I get one again just for this application?  You betcha.

it's heavy

My heart is heavy....

the lonely

"Father to the fatherless, defender of widows, this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy." Psalm 68:5&6

The American Dream....is not God's dream

Feeling restless tonight.  Once again I am all-consumed with the purpose of my life. 

In a nutshell, I am not okay with being a Christian living the "American Dream".  The words of the Bible are becoming more real and more literal to me every day.  My compassion for God's people, especially "the least of these" is growing at a rapid rate.  

As Christians I think we often sit back and admire others that have been called to do great things in the name of Christ.  I have often thought "if He called me to do that (insert any number of radical sacrifices), would I obey?" And it has only recently occurred to me that we have already been called.  We don't have to have an "ah-ha moment", or a "divine intervention" to follow what He has already asked us to do in His Word.  

Lately, I have literally been kept up at night thinking of the millions of orphans in the world.  I have been resting in the peace that we have not yet been "called" to adopt.  I assumed that God would hit me over the head with something tangible, showing me (us) that this was something we were to pursue.  

But if I truly want to be Christ-like, then my heart needs to bleed like His.  And my actions should reflect that.  

What more does He need to do than to write...

'Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.' (James 1:27)

"But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." (I John 3:17-18)

I am acutely aware of how blessed I am to be an American.   I realize that my life is a life of luxury to much of the world.  That my "humble" 1400 square foot house and the amenities within would be considered a vacation for millions.  And that is why I cannot shake this verse:

"To whom much is given, of him much will be required.” (Luke 12:38)

Because I have been given so much, I am expected to give much.  Sacrificially.  

My heart hurts.  I have not given much.  Not when thousands are dying daily for lack of clean water and food.  Not when millions of children are without a family to call their own.  

So where do I begin?  

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." (Mother Teresa)

So I will start with just one.  

And as my passion grows I will try to remember.....

“It is not our job to convict the world, but to live as a convicted person.” (John Piper)

Losing Momentum....

and complacency setting in.   My heart isn't complacent, but my will to 'keep doing' is struggling.  The daily rigors of life with 3 kids makes thinking globally a real challenge.  

How do I keep my heart soft for the oppressed, and my will on fire to make change?  Not sure yet. Trying to figure it out. Right now my plan of action is to keep praying and keep educating myself.  And sometimes I go back and look at my pictures from our trips to Kenya.  I look at pictures of the kids living on the streets, and of those that are now in the Rohi Children's Home we support.  That is a reminder to me of how we can be used to change lives if we are willing.  I love those kids.

These are our Kenyan sons that we support.  We feel so blessed that we have gotten to meet them and spend time with them TWICE!  Dane was 19 months and Genevieve was 3.5 years.  She still remembers the trip, and the boys, but I want to take them back before they forget (Dane has no memories of the trip). Oh how I wish I could bring these boys home to live with us.  But they are taken well care of at the home.  And I pray that they will grow up to be great leaders in their own country.