Shoes, Orphans and Ethiopia

This is a guest post by a friend of mine Ingrid who works tirelessly with a very trusted group 

that serves the poorest of the poor in Ethiopia.  Ingrid's blog can be found here

www.reachinghiskids.blogspot.com

Famine, Poverty and Injustice...

Right now I'm raising $6,000 for 300 pairs of shoes for my little friends in Ethiopia.  

Fundraising scares me, I feel very inadequate to raise the funds but I know that 

God loves these children WAY more than I do and HE will provide for them.

I visited these children this past March and almost immediately knew that this shoe 

project needed to happen ASAP!  The reason is the picture below.

January 2011

I actually took this picture on my first trip to Ethiopia in January 2011. 

 These shoes belonged to a precious boy named Israel.  When I got him a new pair 

of shoes from our donations he cried.

I cried.  

My life was changed.

January 2011 

As I held him, both of us crying, I knew that I simply could NOT go home and ever be the same.

This past March I had the privilege of seeing Israel again and oh my, he had grown, 

he was taller than me!  A HUGE testament to how much these children are benefiting

 from the feeding program.

Within moments of walking into the school, I spotted Israel's face.  After I hugged him, 

I soon noticed something that

broke

my

heart,

Israel was barefoot.

This boy has a special place in my heart and I REALLY wanted to bring him shoes. 

 Children's HopeChest and FOVC have asked that we try to give donations/gifts that

 are similar for all the children.  Therefore, I wasn't able to bring Israel shoes because 

we didn't have enough room to bring 150 pairs, one for every child.  Throughout the week, 

Israel would smile at me and I often wondered if he was thinking about the shoes

 because I was. 

After he outgrew the pair from 2011, he receive another pair from FOVC in 2012.  

Unfortunately, because of lack of funding this past year, FOVC couldn't provide shoes in 2013. 

 Therefore, many of the children are barefoot or wearing very worn shoes.

Ugh!  My heart is broken and I SO desperately want to provide new shoes. 

 $6,000 will provide 300 pairs of shoes, 2 pairs per child for the next year.

PLEASE donate a pair (or 2) today.  Follow THIS LINK to make a donation.  

I, along with Israel and 149 other of my little friends in Ethiopia, greatly appreciate your support.

March 2013

Thank you Ingrid for working so tirelessly for these little ones and being bold

on their behalf!  I would love to help her raise the funds by spreading the word! 

 Please help if you can and please share this on pinterest and on facebook 

to put shoes on these little ones feet.  Shoes are just one of the many blessings

we take for granted every day.  Lets celebrate our gratitude for these things 

by sharing what we have and spreading the word!

FREE dramatized AUDIO New Testament Download!

FREE dramatized audio New Testament to download!  Just click Here to get it from Amazon.  I just downloaded mine and put it into itunes.  Super easy!  This is great for kids too as they go to sleep or as we travel in the car.  I love that they get to hear God's word and they enjoy listening.

Love Dare - Love Takes Delight. Choosing to love rather than being led strictly by emotions.

I have had some crazy days lately that have kept me from blogging as much as usual... Yesterday while trying to transform a little corner of basement hall into homeschool space I  encountered one of the most trying days of motherhood.  It involved a 1/2 gallon of paint poured all of my floors that was being danced in, and 5 paint gallons in my washing machine (fortunately only minimal spillage in the machine) by my 3 year old, a few piles of poo that my 2 year old gifted me in his room only minutes earlier, and general mayhem that would have stressed even Gandhi out!  I didn't cry but that was only because I was too mad.  In my shocked state of panic I forgot to take pictures for you like any good blogger would have.  I wish I had photos now to share the insanity with you, but your imagination will have to suffice.  This paint and poo party came on the heals of a 3 day naughty fest the involved, emptied sunscreen bottles, empty lip gloss, watermelon in bed, stolen peaches from the neighbors yard, bathroom flooding complete with a bevy of cleaning products and hand soap thrown in for good measure, and so much more!  All the doing of my 2 and 3 year olds with the 3 year old at the helm!  Now that I am on the other side it makes a good story, however it did not make for a good afternoon!

The culprits!  It is amazing what feats of naughtiness these 2 innocent looking creatures can accomplish given 5 minutes alone!

I am currently doing the Love Dare as presented by the movie Fire Proof  toward my husband and kids unbeknownst to them.  Sorry to say my kids don't know because I am really not doing that great of a job of it toward them!  My husband is reaping the benefits but never reads my blog or is on facebook so he has no real idea.  Reading today's "Love Dare" (found free on the K Love blog) reminds me why it is so important to do this!

 True love, whether familial or romantic, is all about choices not feelings.  My emotions can get so out of whack after just a few choice moments of mischief on my children's parts that sometimes I forget all about the whole "firm but gentle" thing and go straight for the jugular!  I am so grateful to serve a loving and GRACIOUS God who quickly forgives me, gives me never ending grace and can understand my weakness.  What I love even more than that is the fact that He can enable me to do more than is humanly possible if I will just allow Him to help me through days like yesterday.  I love that He is the power that I don't have.  I will ALWAYS come up short.  I will always have weakness' that overwhelm me, discourage me and embarrass me, but even more important I have a God who is on my side cheering me on, lifting me up, encouraging me and offering me the strength I need to be the parent I want to be.  I don't always call on Him when I should, choosing to let my emotions run me instead at times, but I am grateful that He is always willing, able and there.

I love this quote from today's "Love Dare" (found here)
"In other words, love that chooses to love is just as powerful as love that feels like loving.  In many ways, it’s a truer love because it has its eyes wide open."
I want that!  I want to be loved this way and to love this way.  It is a humble, gentle, others centered way to live that showcases how He first loved us.

Today's dare is simple.  Choose not to do something you normally do so that you can choose to do something with your spouse and/or kids that they want to do.  Leave something undone if necessary to focus on what would bless them and do it with them.  Enjoying them!

I am thinking a tea party with the kids complete with treats, and some time outside in the evening with Josh instead of opting for the TV.  He loves our little yard and his raised beds and really enjoys messing with them so I will make sure to get out there with him tomorrow

You can find the whole "Love Dare" in it's complete form in the KLOVE blog reprinted with full permission for all of us to benefit from.  Great way to practically love your family or friends!  Hope you join in even if it is just for today's dare! No act of kindness is a waste.