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.