Next Project

I'm sure most of you have checked Jody's blog already, I admit I'm a bit slow going. If you haven't, you should because she explains what I'm about to, much better than I do. But here I go anyway because people like my mom are always so proud to see me write so good. :)

So you remember me telling you about the orphan ministry we were staring in our church right? And you remember our first ever project was raising money for Plumpy'nut and that we raised $4,100 right? So here's our second project, one that seems to be catching like wildfire and is already doing so well (because of generous people like you) even though the idea has been out in the public for less than a week.

What our plan is, basically, to do one month specifically for international orphans and the next month we'll bring it local. Last month was Ethiopia, this month...Muscatine, Iowa, baby.

A few people who make up the group are foster care parents and I cannot say enough about them changing so much of my perspective on the whole foster care issue. One in particular, I have so much respect and admiration for there are just simply no words. So when we were brainstorming she came up with a brilliant idea...you ready for it?

WE ARE COLLECTING BACKPACKS, PJ'S, TOOTHBRUSHES and STUFFED ANIMALS.

For those that don't know, when a child gets separated from family (I apologize in advance if I use any non-PC verbage, I'm not real familiar here) the police officer typically grabs a trash bag in the trunk and fills it with a few sparse items of the child's. We were soooo not okay with what that implicitly (and explicitly in some cases) tells the child about their self worth. We believe every child deserves something that is truly their own; but perhaps we wanted to tell them a little something.

We don't know you, but we love you. We care. We think you are worth so, so much more.

You were born for better and you a prized, beautiful person.

And in a culture like ours, what better way to do it (and how else would you do it for as many people as possible?) then to buy them new things. :) (That's somewhat sarcastic, obviously)

But go to Jody's blog (I linked the actual post above) and check out the video and straight goodness she writes about it.

Interested in helping? Either send money and I'll buy stuff for you OR pick up any of the above items (I'm responsible for buying 5t pajamas both male and female) and send/drop off.

I'm getting wordy now but seriously. I'm so passionate about these little people who have no idea that they were created by a God that loves them more than words can say and this world has no idea how to treat something so precious.

It's up to us. Now you know. Can you, in good conscience, not do anything?

Gloriously ruined, right? Thanks in advance.