147 Million Reasons to HOPE!

We are thrilled to announce that we are now fundraising through the amazing company:

That means that every time you purchase ANY product using our link from 147 Million Orphans, you will accomplish two awesome things:

1) Feed a child in a 3rd world nation (you can choose where your dollars go!)

2) Help bring Toby home!!

GO YOU!!!

There are loads of wonderful products available for sale...

From uber cool burn-out shirts like this one (I'm wearing mine today!):

To mugs...

To jewelry that comes from these 3rd world nations...

And much, much more! (In fact, I just got my pair of comfy red sweat pants and LOVE THEM!)

Click this link and hop on over to 147 Million Orphans and shop away! 
* SPECIAL NOTE: We will only receive credit for your purchase if you use this link. Thank you for helping us bring our little boy HOME!

Jensi's Thank You Letters from Samaritan's Purse

I was so proud of Jensi when she first thought of her service idea...then when she worked tirelessly to find an earring that would work...then when she raised 4x her goal amount...but when she received this letter from Samaritan's Purse... I think my proud Momma heart swelled the MOST. :)

If you missed Jensi's project, go here and then the follow up here.

She surpassed her goal!!!!

I am so very very pleased to report that Jensi's earring project far exceeded her  goal!! If you missed this project, check out the second to last day of the Love Strand Challenge or just click here.

Jensi's goal was to send TWO flocks of chickens to impoverished families living in Africa. She spent 2 years raising chickens herself for 4H projects. She was thumbing through Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog at Christmastime and got the idea to raise money to send chickens. She got so excited to think of all the ways that a flock could help a family: they could have fresh eggs, they could hatch new chicks and sell them, they could butcher the chickens for meat as well as use their manure for fertilizer for their fields.

After all the money was counted and earrings delivered, we were thrilled to realize she sold enough earrings to send EIGHT flocks of chickens to needy families!!!! WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!

Here's to good ideas, young kids and awesome organizations who facilitate such practical ways of helping!!!

Love Strand 27/28 (Jensi's Earring Project)

Jensi had the idea MONTHS ago.  Make earrings to sell and take the money and buy a flock of chickens to give to an impoverished family in Africa. She was inspired by the Samaritan's Purse gift catalog that came out at Christmas time. I encouraged her idea.

She met with her principal, planned, made several failed attempts to make an earring that would be an adequate representation of the Pettisville Blackbird. We went to visit a scrapbooking friend, tried many many different prototypes that just didn't cut the mustard. Finally, thanks to a dear friend Ms. Becky, we have a final product.

GO BLACKBIRDS!

So today's Love Strand picture celebrates Jensi's hard work. It was LOVE that motivated her to come up with a desirable product to raise money for what she could see would help these families. It was  LOVE that cares for her OWN chickens out back--feeding, watering, gathering eggs--that caused her to see the value that a flock of chickens could be to a down and out family trapped in the cycle of poverty.

It was LOVE that didn't give up when she was totally discouraged after yet ANOTHER idea didn't pan out. It was LOVE that focused on the end goal and kept on trying. It was LOVE that motivated her to get up and speak in front of 4 classes of 5th and 6th graders to share with them her project. And it will be with great LOVE that she will send that money to people she has never met, providing the means for them to earn a perpetual living.

I am so proud of her.