Babies, Blankets and Blessings

Our Ethiopia Team was organized with fundraising well on the way. Then it was time to decide how the rest of us, you know, the folks back here at home who do not go on the mission trip, well, how can we help?  Pretty soon we started having requests from ministries in Ethiopia for more of our handmade baby dolls and so we set to work.

First came days filled with sewing, stuffing and attaching hair to close to 100 of those precious dolls.
Faye Terray painted a sweet face on every single one of them. Jeanette Harmon and Anne Miles worked like crazy to make a top and matching pair of pants for each and every doll.

Our final work session was so much fun!  We dressed every baby doll and more than a few had a kiss our two from the absolute delight we found in seeing their incredible outfits.
Next the girls dolls went to hairdressing where bows of every color were tied and more kisses and hugs were supplied.

Then came the most amazing time of all.  Each of us filled our arms and our laps to overflowing with every doll and then we closed our eyes, opened our hearts and went to the Father. 

There were tears and words of love seeking the Lord's blessing on each baby.  We could make the dolls but only He could fill them with His own love so that each child would know their own baby was made and sent with love and lots of it.

Finally, each baby was wrapped in a soft blanket provided by the Ladies' Impact Class of First Christian in High Point.

Next the swaddled baby dolls were snuggled into their own little tote bag before leaving us for Ethiopia.

Finally all the babies were packed in huge suitcases and headed for Ethiopia 

with our Orphan Care Team.   Continued next blog post.

Babies, Blankets and Blessings Part II

Our story continues.  The Team has made it to Ethiopia and now they are spending
time at Adora where our sweet baby dolls are to be given as gifts.  First the dolls
are given to the mothers, one for each of the 55 of them.

Then the Mothers gave the baby dolls to their children. 

Look at those happy faces!

 

Thanks to each and everyone who helped design, make, send and deliver

these baby dolls.  Thanks to our Heavenly Father for answering our

prayers and allowing us to be His hands and servants.

 

Giggles, Games and Goodies

On an evening in May, we invited some 350 people to have dinner, games and lots of fun with us.
First Carole Batten and her hard working team moved tables and chairs until there was space for one and all.  Of course Carole wanted everything to look pretty so out came colorful table cloths and paper flower centerpieces.

Then Ellen Mandell and her cafeteria wizards cooked barbecue chicken and pork and hamburgers and hot dogs with fixings and sides too numerous to count.  They fed us all and fed us well.

While the meal was going on, the Main Worship Center was being made over into
a place filled with four inflatables from Noah's Place and 21 carnival games.

Bouncy inflatables were not enough so we lined two walls with some of the wackiest
games we could think up.  The one below is called the "Toilet Toss".  Can I say
toilet paper was tossed all over the place!


Now games, prizes and bouncy things are grand and lots of fun but when you add

CLOWNS that is absolutely over the top!  See "Circus Daze" below.



The evening was more fun than any of us imagined and more work than some had
considered but without a doubt as the giant room filled up with incredibly well-mannered
children of every shape and size, all ready for fun and bubbling over with laughter
and excitement, we were blessed and honored to share the evening together.

Guess what I learned....among other things,  you know when you want to take
pictures of kids and they turn their faces and ruin the picture?  Well for privacy
sake, I tried to take pictures of kids without showing their faces!  You know what?
Most of my pictures cannot be shown because some little darlin' was looking
toward the camera but take a quick look of some pictures that I can share with you.

There was some spectacular face painting and some pretty cool balloon animals.

And there were some silly games with giant flamingos,

fishing poles with prizes to catch, duck ponds,

and every kind of ball or bean bag to toss that you can imagine. 





All in all it was one really fun event that the Lord allowed us to

share with each other and with some incredible kids and

their families.  I wish you could have heard the laughter, seen the smiles, and

enjoyed seeing hundreds of kids overflowing with fun.

May the Lord bless each of you who made this special evening possible.



Back to Africa!

As of today, First Christian Church has a team going to Ethiopia

this summer with Brighton Their World. 
Let me introduce you to the team:

 

 

This is Regina Gause.  She has blessed more teenagers at

First Christian than we can even count!

Now she will bless the young ones in Ethiopia.

Regina - welcome to the team!

 

 

This is Robert Miles, a man who most often has a camera

around his neck or in his hands.  His photography talents will

be enormous blessings to the children he meets.

Robert - welcome to the team!

 

 

This is Beth Lilley on the right with her friend Jeanne Baker.

Beth is loved by everyone she meets especially at both

High Point and Kernersville First Christian campuses.

Her gentle, loving spirit mixed with a bit of wackiness will

be a blessing to the Ethiopian children and the team.

Beth - welcome to the team!

 

THE NEXT QUESTION IS...

HOW CAN EACH OF US HELP THE TEAM?

 

Starting Sunday, February 24 the Orphan Care Ministry will

be selling handmade bracelets, many of which feature acacia

beads or wrapped paper beads made by the women of

Ethiopia, Uganda and Rwanda.  Bracelets are only $10 each

with every single penny going to help Beth, Regina and Robert

fund their trip.  

 

To purchase a bracelet see Laura Vera in High Point or visit

the Orphan Care Ministry bracelet table in Kernersville.

Bracelets also available from sandra.ward@earthlink.net

Both campuses will have bracelets available THIS Sunday.

 

 

Another suggestion....you can make a donation to their trip

by sending a check to Brighton Their World, PO Box 1975,

Powder Springs, GA 30127.  Please mark the check

"Ethiopia mission trip"

Donations are tax deductable.

 

Questions?  Respond to this blog

or email orphancarefccm@earthlink.net

 

 

Thank you Beth, Regina and Robert for answering the

call of James 1:27 and going in our place.

 

Thanks to each and every person who supports the team in

in prayer and financially.  Some go....some send.

If we are not going, let's join together to send them.

 

Bracelet anyone?



 

 



 



Diana Fields goes to Africa!

Another member of the First Christian Church family has answered the
call to care for orphans.  This time Diana Fields from the High Point campus
and her sister are two members of a Visiting Orphans team who are headed
to Uganda and Kenya later this month.

 

Diana and husband, Chad.

 

Visiting Orphans describes Diana's trip:
"This team will start off their journey by heading to Nakuru, Kenya to serve and
stay at Fiwagoh Mission Orphanage. Fiwagoh is located right near beautfiul Lake
Elmenteita and home to around 180 amazing children. Also, during the team's
time in Kenya they will be serving at the Visoi Children's Home located in the
rural countryside of Kenya, Grace Children's Center which is full of excited and
loving boys, and Haven of Hope, a home for toddlers, babies, and young children
 who have been abandoned.

 

After their time in Kenya the team will fly to Uganda for the second half of this life
changing trip. The team will first head to Kampala to spend a day with Pastor Samuel
and the children of Return Ministries where they provide lunch for the wonderful
children of Return, along with Bible lessons and fun and games. The team will then
travel to beautiful Jinja, Uganda. During the teams time in Jinja they will be staying
at Canaan Children's Home among the amazing children and staff of Canaan. Before
heading home the team will have one last day to serve with Home Again Ministries
by visiting the villages of the wonderful women and children of the Karamajong Tribe.
This trip is going to be full of amazing children and ministries that God's hand is clearly on."

Diana has joined forces with the FCCM Orphan Care Ministry and Brighton Their
World to be what is called a "mule".  A mule is one who carries formula and blankets
to orphanages in third world countries for Brighton Their World. 

Special thanks to the Women's Impact Class for their continuing support
for the work of Brighton Their World.  Their donations provided a 50 lb
bag filled to the top with powdered baby formula.  Many tightly packed
bags have been given to orphanages around the world thanks to caring
groups like the Women's Impact Class.  Thank you, ladies, for the work
you do.  Thanks also to Judy Chance for sending her handmade blankets.

The Orphan Care Ministry seeks your prayers for Diana as she travels.
Pray that her heart will be open to the leading of the Father as she loves
on orphans so far away.  Please pray for their entire team.  Pray for safety,
for good health, for wisdom and for guidance by the Holy Spirit.  Pray
for Diana's husband and children while she is so far away.

Ever thought about a mission trip?  The Orphan Care Ministry is working
on upcoming plans for a 2013 trip to Ethiopia.  Ask the Lord if He wants
YOU to go!



Feeding NJ babies!

First Christian Church had an opportunity to send a truck to New Jersey

filled with supplies for victims of Hurricane Sandy.  Many items were

requested from coats to cleaning supplies but the item that shouted loudest

to me was the need for baby formula.

The Orphan Care Ministry and the Single Sisters and Friends seem to

have a built in, deep love for children in need whether they are orphans

or hurricane victims.  An email was sent out asking for donations to

purchase formula and within 24 hours we were promised over $700!

                              Donations could not be taken to FCCM until Sunday, November 11
                                               and all that formula had to go somewhere.

                                             
                                           Richard and Carole Batten came to the rescue. 



                 Once purchased, boxes of formula were delivered to their home and stacked
                  on their kitchen table.  Not sure where they ate for 3 days but their table was
                 piled high with formula!  On Sunday morning, Rick loaded up the Batten vehicles
                     and transported all the formula to FCCM to be placed into the donation truck.

Thanks to each and everyone of you whether you donated $5 or $100.

Individually we might not make much of a difference but when the

children of the Father pool our efforts WE CAN FEED BABIES!

 

Special thanks to Rick and Carole Batten for being such a great

help to this project.

 

Thank you Orphan Care Ministry

and

Thank you Single Sisters and Friends!

 

 

In the words of an "orphan no more"

On October 20, 19 people attended the Orphan Care Ministry meeting to share
ideas, projects and plans for 2013. 

There were some new faces, some folks who had gone to Africa last summer,

and some folks from High Point and Kernersville.

 

 

       





Mostly we talked about ways to be the hands and feet of Jesus to orphans not only

far away but also in our own area.  We talked about providing opportunities for

new families to foster and adopt.  We talked our about Orphan Sunday which will

in 2013.

 

 

And one lady, Debbie Humbart (above) volunteered to head up the "Saving Change for

a Change" project in 2013.  She needs lots and lots of baby bottles - do you have

any you can donate?

 

We can talk about orphans all day long but if you will please watch the video

included in this blog post, you will hear the words of one little "orphan no more".

She says it best.  Please take time to watch it.  Thank you, Mebrate!