Fast forward about 6 months. My daughter had once again traveled to Ethiopia and this time when she came home she brought their newest little daughter, Mebrate, with her. Needless to say, I was right there in Atlanta with them to once again meet this precious little girl. Mebrate and her big sister Meron were instant friends and sisters at heart. Mebrate was amazed at all the toys Meron had for them to play with but her favorites were all the baby dolls. For the first several days with her forever family, Mebrate was seldom seen without a baby doll in her arms. She changed their clothes, fed them, strolled them, rocked them and loved on them. At her young age of two and a half, I could see the culture of Ethiopia included a great love for babies and children. My love for the people of that nation grew as I had another glimpse into their hearts.
Meron on the left sharing baby dolls with her
new little sister, Mebrate.
Once again fast forward about 6 or 8 months and the Orphan Care Ministry is working
long and hard to assist with the team from First Christian Church who will be going to
Rwanda and Ethiopia on a mission trip to serve orphans. We did many things to help
but in the back of my mind and deep in my heart was the picture of Mebrate loving on
the baby dolls. Also stored away in my mind was the picture of handmade dolls that
Michell Morris had shown me. Dolls made for children who have no dolls and so an
idea and a project was born.
During a meeting with Robin Beck, she volunteered to design a pattern for dolls that we
could make and send to Africa. She also designed and made doll clothes and provided
us with sample dolls to go by.
When Robin completed the sample baby dolls, I fell in love with the idea of making lots and lots and lots of dolls for little children who have few, if any, toys that are brand new and made just for them. I sent out a call to the Orphan Care Ministry and to the Single Sisters and Friends asking them for fabric and asking them to cut out, sew and stuff dozens of little dolls. Well baby dolls need clothes and they need blankets so if you know me at all, you know I do not mind asking if people want to help be the hands and feet of Jesus with their time and talents. Of course we could not just send the dolls, we needed to make a tote bag for each baby, something that matched the doll outfit! Robin Beck talked to her uncle Monroe Yow who donated enough fabric to make a tote bag for each doll but who would make the bags? Carole Batten to the rescue! She volunteered to take all that fabric home with her and make bags. Sue Giachero pitched in to help and we had a project ready to roll.
We were sending dolls to the orphans of Africa but more than that, we wanted the children to know that Jesus loves them, that He died for them and He will return for them. Michelle Morris came up with labels to be sewn on the dolls. She and her friend designed and made the labels.
Pamella and Jodie Loy
cut out all the pieces for the
dolls and Sue Giachero and
her mother, Dorothy
Mantyla, positioned and
attached all the labels.
Jeanette Harmon not only came to the church to sew the dolls but she made lots and lots of little outfits for them. She told me that as she sewed the little dresses, pants and tops, she thought back to the days of her own childhood when her grandmother taught her to sew doll clothes. She did not want the little boys to be left out so she designed little pants that looked like they had fly fronts!
Several ladies including Amanda Parker
brought their sewing machines from home
so we could work as a team.
Amanda's daughter, Hannah, came to help with the baby doll project. She did some stuffing but she also dressed each doll as it was finished.
So many ladies made doll clothes that I cannot begin to name them all but just look at their creations! They put their hearts and hands to work to bless little children far, far away.
Some of us sewed on machines while some of us stuffed the little brown bodies
and others attached curly black hair complete with colorful hair bows.
All those babies just did not look complete without faces.
Deanie Simmons, Faye Terray and Faye's granddaughter
took basket after basket of dolls and look what they did...
They gave every doll bright eyes, a cute nose
and a happy little mouth!
Finally the babies were complete but following our final doll-making workday and also following a Wednesday worship service, we circled around the babies, holding many on our laps, and we asked the Lord to bless the efforts of our hands. We asked Him to provide the perfect place for the mission team to deliver all these babies. We asked Him to fill each little doll with the love that can only come from Him so that as each baby is held by a precious child in Africa, that little child would experience the love of the Savior. Oh, we prayed and prayed and prayed some more.
And now the rest of the story...
Remember how I met the Shannons in Ethiopia? Well it was not long until we had a message from Jerry Shannon saying Embracing Hope Ethiopia would love to have every single doll we had made! And so the team from First Christian Church met the Shannons in Addis Ababa, giving them all the babies. Little ones so far away from Kernersville, NC but so loved by our Orphan Care Ministry and the Single Sisters and Friends would now have a baby all their own. May the Lord continue to bless the receivers of the dolls and Embracing Hope Ethiopia.
Thanks to each and every person who helped with this project in any way. Many helped who did not have their picture made but we could not have done it without each of you.
Thank you all!
