Trades of Hope in Haiti

In 2007, a woman named Shelley Clay went to Haiti to adopt a little girl. When she and her husband arrived, they discovered that the child’s parents were living and still wanted her, but they simply could not afford to care for her. She was a relinquished child. As Shelley investigated further, she found that every child in the orphanage was in the same situation – their parents were so desperate that t...hey felt their only choice was to give their babies to an orphanage so they could have a chance.

Shelley and her family moved to Haiti and started a group called the Apparent Project. In 2007, she started with 4 women, teaching them to make jewelry and sell it so they could afford to keep their families intact. Shelley now has more than 200 employees. Trades of Hope was their first wholesale partner, and we continue to be a huge part of the change for Haitians and the crisis of relinquished children. All of the Haiti Signature products are made by this group, which is nicknamed the “Unorphanage.”
The Haiti jewelry shown here is made of recycled cereal boxes! Half of the beads are clay, half are recycled cereal boxes made into beads.
Watch this video from Shelley at the Apparent Project (two of our founders make an appearance at the end!): www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCctTpYedpw  For more information or videos, see Sara's Trades of Hope

Step into My Shoes

Here's a fun summer idea ...

We are sponsors with Compassion.  So I love ways for my kids to feel more a part of what that means to be a sponsor and learn about children around the world.  Compassion has a family toolkit that they are offering right now.  It comes with a DVD about Pastor Tom and his family in Uganda, a map of Uganda, a journey guide, prayer shoelaces, and the Compassion Explorer magazine.

"Step Into My Shoes™ delivers a peek into the daily life of Ugandan Pastor Tom, his wife Nancy and their 12 children, as they gather water, prepare food, find safety when they sleep, go to school, and enjoy time together."

Would you like to go on the journey too?

Trades of Hope Countries

I am so excited to be working with Trades of Hope (as I shared before).  I believe empowering women and children around the world changes so many lives and brings so much hope!  I thought I would share on my blog once a week some of the artisan stories from Trades of Hope.  These stories can change our lives too.  Stay tuned for the first story soon!

Wear One Share One (Mercy House)

This is a great family service project.  I think we are going to make these as a family and sell them at our neighborhood garage sale along with a Mercy House Bake Sale to raise.  You get a kit to make a bracelet to wear and one to share to pray for the mothers and babies at Mercy House.

What is Mercy House?  Mercy House "exists to raise funds to provide alternative options for pregnant girls living in the streets of Kenya. The Mercy House will aid them in education, nutrition, housing, prenatal care, Bible study, counseling and job skills for sustainable living." 

Our family has been supporting Mercy House for years, and we just love to see all that God is doing there.  We always like to join Him where we see Him working!  You can learn more about Mercy House with the links above or at We Are That Family.

If you would like to order a kit to help support Mercy House, click Wear One, Share One.

Trades of Hope

I am so excited to be an Independent Compassionate Entrepreneur with Trades of Hope.  This is a missional company to empower women around the world out of poverty, out of sex trade or sweatshops, etc. with sustainable business through fair trade.  I have always been passionate about helping others and speaking up for those whose voice isn't heard.  That's one reason our family adopted.

One project that Trades of Hope works with is the Apparent Project in Haiti.  The vast majority of orphans in Haiti are given up simply because the mothers can't feed them.  By helping these mothers have a sustainable business they are able to keep and take care of their children at home with dignity.  That makes me SO happy!

I'd love for you to check out my website:  www.mytradesofhope.com/saragellerstedt or my Facebook page (and Like it :)).  You can make a difference too when you purchase these wonderful fair trade items.  Or you can become more involved and host an online party or become a Compassionate Entrepreneur.

Loom Knitting Crazy

 

My daughter wanted to learn how to loom knit.  We already had the looms that we picked up at a thrift store a couple of years ago.  So we watched a you tube and got started.  Lila made several hats lickity split.  She can be very focused.  But now her interested have turned to drawing.  And yes, she has a sketch book FULL of her drawings!  She is very good!

 

But I am totally loom knit crazy.  I've always liked to crochet especially blankets - full sized blankets and they can take awhile.  Needless to say, I haven't had time to do that in a while.  But these hats - I can make a hat a day.  There's something about it that is relaxing to me.  I can pick out lots of fun yarn so every hat is a little different.  I can hardly stop.  I not very creative so I just keep doing the same hat in different yarn or size over and over while I'm watching a show or talking to my kids or riding in the car.  Crazy.  But fun for me for now.

 

 

Celebrating Epiphany Ideas

Our family likes to celebrate Christmas as a season along with the twelve days Christmas.  The 12th day is Epiphany when we remember the wise men visiting baby Jesus - the culminating of the season.  I usually save our stories with the wise men to read on that day.  A couple of days ago my mom called me and asked me about ideas to celebrate Epiphany with my nieces so I thought it would be great to actually be a little more intentional this year. 

Here is what I hope to do this year to celebrate The Feast of Epiphany:

We may make a King's Cake.  I think we will make a bundt cake (we're into bundts right now) that looks like a crown.  Traditionally a toy baby or 3 beans are baked into the cake as a surprise.  (King's Cakes are also traditional on Mardi Gras.)  Other sweet treats could be star or crown sugar cut out cookies.

Another tradition that sounds fun to me is a house blessing like the Magi's blessing on the family.  This is also known as "chalking the door".  The markings include the year along with C, M, and B.  These letters could be an abbreviation of the Latin blessing Christus mansionem benedicat, which means, "May Christ bless this house."  Some also say it stand for the traditional names of the Magi (Caspar, Melchoir, and Balthasar).  So this year would be 20 + C + M + B + 14.

Some games or activities for the day could include a Follow the Star parade stopping to visit Herod and Baby Jesus and then going home a different way.  I think we might get a helium star balloon to follow.  Or you can do a star scavenger hunt following 12 clues for the 12 days of Christmas to find the start.

Epiphany can also be a time of hospitality.  It seems the advent season can be so busy it is hard to fit in a get together with friends. If you want to include a simple meal you can make a crown pizza with 3 upside down slices a plate.  Have your friends bring cans of food or other gifts to give to a food bank or homeless shelter as gifts for the King.

Other tidbits:

*The three wise men were from afar which shows how Jesus came for all! 
*Many countries around the world celebrate Epiphany exchanging gifts on that day!
*Many families limit Christmas gifts to 3 representing the gifts of the Magi.
*Epiphany can also be a day of "undecorating" of "burning of the greens."
*Have you heard of the 4th wise man?
*You can study the stars.  January is a great month to see the sky.

And, of course be sure to read about the visit of the wise men in the Bible, Matthew 2: 1-12.

As the saying goes, Wise Men Still Seek Him!

Another great site for Epiphany ideas: Annie's Homepage

Our Flip Flops for Craft Hope

We had a fun time making flip flops for Nicaragua (Craft Hope) with the girls' friends.  Here are some pictures from our day ...

Nutter Butter Flip Flop cookies

Balloons

Eyeballs

bows

Eclectic
 

Flip Flops for Nicaragua

 

My girls and I decided this would be a good service project to do this summer.  We thought we could have a little fun with it by having a little party and inviting others to join us.  We're collecting ribbons to decorate the flip flops.  We thought we might make some of those Nutter Butter flip flop cookies.  We could meet at the park and decorate flip flops, enjoy the cookies, box up the flip flops to mail, and play with friends.

 

Are you doing any service projects as a family this summer?

May Foster Care Awareness Month

Here are a couple ways that you can help foster care children:

• Become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) 
• Become a Foster Family
• Mentor a Child in Foster Care 
• Offer Free Photography and Videographer Services to Adoption Agencies 
• Become a Respite Care Provider 
• Fundraise or Donate Supplies to Foster Care Organizations 

You can also participate in a prayer vigil for foster care children as a family or with your church May 19th - 26th.  Cry of the Orphan has a prayer guide that you can down load and use.

 

Rice Bowls

This month we are collecting our change with others in our home school group for Rice Bowls to help send food to Christian orphanages.  If you would like to join us just visit their website to request a rice bowl bank.  Maybe you can see if others will join you too!  Rice bowls has lesson plans and other resources at their website so that you can learn about hunger and children and how Rice Bowls helps.

Let me know in the comments if you would like to join us or if you have participated with Rice Bowls in the past.

Scattered Gifts 2013/Compassion



I haven't written about Scattered Gifts this year.  I guess towards the end of last year after learning about lots of different ways to give, I started to feel - scattered.  Like maybe it would be good to focus on a particular mission or way to give for a whole year, for a longer duration than a month.  I thought it might be nice to get more involved and give in more ways to one organization or missionary.  I wanted to do a better job where we were already giving regularly  So, that's where we are as a family.  We can still respond to God's leading along the way if He directs us to give to opportunities that come before us.

So, this year we are looking to give more to Compassion.  We decided to sponsor another child.  We can save our money to be able to give our sponsored children more gifts - birthday, Christmas, family gifts.  We will also learn about all the other ways we can give through Compassion.  We will try to write more letters to our sponsored children and pray for them more.  We pray God blesses our scattered gifts this year.

We have heard again and again, story after story of how God is using Compassion to change lives!  We want to join God where He is working.  We have followed bloggers on their trips with Compassion.  We have visited Compassion in Colorado Springs to see what a learning center is like in the other countries.  Maybe some day we can visit our sponsored children.  But for now we will pray for them and write them more letters. 

You can join us too!  We are hoping to help more children be sponsored.  We set up a My Compassion Sunday page and would love for you to visit it.  Will you sponsor Nicholas?  He is 8 years old and lives in Ghana.  We sponsor a girl named Bernice in Ghana.  We love to receive her letters and know that Compassion is helping her and her family.  Maybe God is leading you to join Him by sponsoring a child with Compassion too.

Do you already sponsor a child?  Where is your child?

Ornaments 4 Orphans

This weekend I'm having a home party with Ornaments 4 Orphans!  I love the ornaments and gifts!  I'm buying several for myself and for friends and relatives.  And the money all goes back to help orphans in Uganda.  You can also shop online - great gifts that Give!

 

Linked with: Works for Me Wednesday, Raising Homemakers, Miscellany Monday, The Better Mom, Beauty in His Grip, On Your Heart Tuesdays, Mommy Link-up!, Women Living Well, Hip Homeschool Hop, Thankful Thursday, Winsome Wednesday, Courtship Connection, and Gratituesday.



Compassion bloggers to Peru

I am excited to start following the Compassion bloggers to Peru.  I am always amazed at the stories the bloggers tell and am inspired to write my sponsored children, pray about whether God is leading our family to sponsor any more children, and to share with others how God is working around the world through Compassion.  You can follow too!

OCC Build-a-Box

 

If you haven't been able to get out and collect items to fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child with Samaritan's Purse, then here's a chance to do it from your home and bless a child!  My daughter went shopping with her girls' study to fill shoeboxes.  Of course shopping with a bunch of girls is fun.  On the other hand, shopping with my 2 year old isn't always fun.  So, I am going to Build-a-Box from home and have my kids help me.  You can select items to drag into your box to fill it for a boy or girl.  You can pick the age, and include a picture and a note. 

 

If you are still hoping to pack your own box, here are a couple of lists of great items to include for girls and boys.



 

Linked with: Works for Me Wednesday, Raising Homemakers, Miscellany Monday, The Better Mom, Beauty in His Grip, On Your Heart Tuesdays, Mommy Link-up!, Women Living Well, Hip Homeschool Hop, Flock Together Tuesday, Thankful Thursday, Winsome Wednesday, Courtship Connection, and Gratituesday.

Orphan Sunday

November 4th (the first Sunday in November) is Orphan Sunday.  November is National Adoption month and November 17th is National Adoption Day.

I thought I would share 10 Ways Every Christian Can Care for the Orphan and Waiting Child by Hope for Orphans.

1.  Pray for them.  Tape an child's picture up to be praying for each time you see it.  Visit adoptuskids.org

2.  Speak up for them.  Become a court appointed special advocate for a child in foster care.

3.  Provide for their needs.  Organize a shoe drive or foster care children or orphans.

4.  Support those who support them.  Mow, babysit, bring a meal for foster parents.

5.  Protect them from harm.  Become a foster parent.  Raise money for an orphanage.

6.  Visit them where they are.  Go on a mission trip.

7.  Give sacrificially to them.  Give to an orphan organization or Show Hope Adoption Aid.

8.  Encourage them to press on.  Become a mentor or tutor. Sponsor a child through Compassion or Vision Trust.

9.  Adopt them into your family.  Give a child a home.

10.  Mobilize your church for them.  Start an orphan ministry in your church.


Our family is also sharing the Orphan's Table.  I am hoping to do this with our adoption support group, Hope 4 Kids.  We hope to share a meal eaten by orphans around the world and go through the discussion and prayer guide.

Linked with Top Ten Tuesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Women Living Well, Raising Homemakers, Winsome Wednesday, Miscellany Monday, Hip Homeschool Hop, Monday Madness, Friday Favorite Things, and Better Mom.

Games + Mercy House

My family loves to have fun together and play games.  We love to play old favorites (Tripoly) and find new ones to play (Bank it!).  We also love to share our blessings to help others.  Earlier this year I signed up as an Independent Consultant with SimplyFun with the idea of having a way to raise money for charities that are dear to our family.

One of these is Mercy House in Kenya.  The Mercy House exists to support and provide alternative options for pregnant girls living in the streets of Kenya through the work of rehema house.  My family decide to support Mercy House after reading Kristen Welch's blog We Are That Family and following her trip to Kenya with Compassion and then seeing how God led her start Mercy House.  We saw God working and wanted to join Him.

So, for the month of November 50% of all proceeds from my SimplyFun website will go to Mercy House.  You can find other ways and learn more of Kristen's story at the Mercy House website.

Now, a little bit about SimplyFun ...

SimplyFun games are award winning!  There are so many to choose from for all ages!  Playing together is so important.  It builds smarter kids and stronger families!  And memories!  My daughters like to play them with their friends.  Games can help break the ice with new friends.  Games can be an event, a family night, a tradition.

Games are great with friends and family at the holidays.  Games make great gifts!  And you can help support Mercy House and the girls living there in Kenya.

Linked with: Works for Me Wednesday, Raising Homemakers, Miscellany Monday, The Better Mom, Beauty in His Grip, On Your Heart Tuesdays, Mommy Link-up!, Women Living Well, Hip Homeschool Hop, Flock Together Tuesday, Thankful Thursday, Winsome Wednesday, Courtship Connection, and Gratituesday.

World Poverty Day Oct. 17th

Help a Child

Here are some links to homeschooling curriculum and resources to help teach your kids about poverty around the world and ways we all can help.

World Vision's Homeschooling Resources

Compassion International's Homeschooling Resources

A great way to get involved is to sponsor a child!  Our family has felt it a privilege to be able to do so!

Scattered Gifts Catch Up

I haven't been keeping up with posting on how we are trying to Scatter Gifts, our blessings from God, to others.

We were hoping to be able learn about different ways to give, and we have.  We regularly give to several different missionaries and Christian organizations.  But lately, I have been feeling like we don't need to be looking for more and different ways to give, but to be more fully involved and give more where we already are giving.  Unless God brings something else to us along the way.

I still like to learn about other great ways to give and be involved in God's work.  So,  I will still try to post on a somewhat regular basis ones that I come across and highlight some of these ministries/missions on my blog.

One of the organizations we are involved with is Vision Trust.  Our Scattered Gifts this summer was to give Back to School supplies for children in Liberia and other countries.  There are many organizations that collect school supplies for children near and far.

Here are a couple that I came across:

Mission Backpack with Orphan Outreach

Blessings in a Backpack

Global Aid Network Carepacks

Even though school has started, it is not too late to give school supplies.

The Big Day of Serving

I was glad that my daughter, son, and husband were able to help out with The Big Day of Serving in Partnership with Group Mission Trips this spring. They spent the day doing projects to help fix up a neighborhood near us.  We hope to be involved again in the near future. Check and see if there is a location near you! Group also does work camps and weeks of hope mission trips for youth in the summer.