Back from Appalachia and Washington DC and while it's hard to share all that I experienced, here are a few photos and brief recap.

A team of 17 Hope4Women members from all over the US met in Pound, Va. and met the charming and hard working mayor- Jackie Gilliam. She had several projects for us including teaching women to make pillowcase dresses, spread sealant on a home's roof, paint the home of a local woman and improve the home/business for an elderly couple.

We shared the books, clothing and Crocs that were so generously donated.

Our team visited the Pound Combines School and made bookmarks with kids, let them select a Dress A Girl dress or pair of shorts, a couple of books and some school supplies.

After 5 days in Pound, we drove to manchester, Ky. and met local leaders who are reaching out to the children who live in the hollows. I got a real education and they stressed that 80% of people are on some kind of public assistance. We were shown a camp which the church supports and had a chance to meet some of the children who come to their Sunday night outreach where they earn point and then select a toy, book or some school supplies. I was reminded that God created us with generous hearts but also with a desire to work and earn our "daily bread." When asked what was their biggest need, Doug answered, " not money, if money could fix Appalachia, it would be fixed by now. We need intact families to come and be role models for these children who have rarely seen healthy family dynamics."

The Hope4Kids and Hope4Women team met some bright spots and I know the H4WI staff is praying for God's direction for next steps.

Pray for the people of Appalachia that their hearts open to Jesus and they can find the dignity of self-sufficiency.

http://photos.patriciabrennanphotography.com/FullScreenSlideShow.aspx?gallery=782515&mt=Photo

Go to Patricia's slide show of the Walk4Water. Can you spot yourself???

Walk4Water Raises $16,000

This little girl has to walk hours to collect dirty water but......not for long!

Last Saturday's Loveland Walk4Water brought together 165 walkers, their children and dogs to walk the 6K path along the Big Thompson river raising more than $16,000 to drill a water well in Kajarau, Uganda. The well will serve more than 4,000 people and will be engineered over the next several months and dedicated in Nov. by Loveland resident and Walk4Water chair Carolyn Griebe. Currently their water source is pools of rain water where animals also drink and mosquitoes breed.

"Thanks to the success of the Walk, Water4Kids International will be able to drill a well in Kajaurau, one of the villages I visited last summer," said Griebe. " But because of the overflow of support, we will combine with other Water4Kids donors to drill a second well in Uganda."

Sponsors of the Walk included LifeSpring Covenant Church, Ann Baron and Hach Co. Teams from LifeSpring and Summitview churches in Loveland, Team Sherri led by Chilson fitness guru Sherri Goering and the Loveland Lightfoots, a team of Loveland residents led by Joan Eggum Skogen, Loveland resident and sister of Tom Eggum, founder of Hope4Kids International, the parent organization of Water4Kids.

For more information about Water4Kids International, visit H4KI.org.

               

Money raised by Walk 4 Water in May to aid African village — Loveland Reporter-Herald

Money raised by Walk 4 Water in May to aid African village — Loveland Reporter-Herald

Successful Sewing Party at LifeSpring

More than 40 women, girls and a few boys came and helped make dozens of dresses, shorts, dolls and yarn snakes.

The dresses etc. are on their way to El Salvador, India, Kenya or Haiti.

One of our Dress A Girl Partners- Group Publishing and news about their upcoming Peru Mission Trip

Written by one of the LifeTree staff:

Today I'm dreaming of escaping to Peru. Peru is filled with amazing natural beauty and acres and acres of the most beautiful rainforests in the world. A dream land filled with pink river dolphins, monkeys, iridescent butterflies, turquoise ocean waters and colorful flowers, Peru seems close to heaven. But the deeper you look at this beautiful land, the more need you'll see. We travel regularly on short term mission trips to Peru to help the local Shipibo people. They are a kind and peaceful tribe of Amazon Indians who have inhabited the banks of the Ucayali River for as long as anybody can remember.

My mind wanders to the people themselves. What are they thinking today? What do they know about what's happening in the world around them? What personal issues are they struggling with today? Like us, they face joys and pains. Losses of babies. Births of new babies. Losses of a precious relative. Challenges with interpersonal relationships. But they face something most of us don't. Because of a mere lack of education, they face simple things that can kill them or their children in a heartbeat. Too many just don't know about easy steps to water purification and their babies die. Too many aren't familiar with basic nutrition to prevent disease in their toddlers and elderly. Too many aren't aware of standard health and hygiene practices that can prevent infection and the spread of disease.
You might be wondering if I still want to escape to Peru? Yes I do. I know that Lifetree mission trips to Peru provide the fragile link that they have to life-saving information. I know that Lifetree mission trips to Peru get things done when it comes to repairing flooded housing there. I know that Lifetree mission trips to Peru help to provide them with clean safe drinking water. So yes, I still dream of escaping to Peru. And I'm hoping you do too.

Dress A Girl will be providing dresses for them again!

Sewfest for 800 in Phoenix

My friends Jill and JoAnne lent a hand getting supplies ready and helping make dresses.

What an amazing day!

800 employees of Hospira brought pillowcases and spent half a day joining Dress A Girl Around the World for the largest Sewfest to date.

Everyone had fun- guys included!

They made dresses at home and brought them and helped make

 more at the Sewfest

Hundreds of prayer dolls were made to accompany the dresses.

More than 900 dresses will bless girls thanks to Hospira. Way to go!

Latest Dresses on their way

Sandi, from Lifespring Covenant Church, taking 100 dresses and 100 pair of shorts to India in Feb. They will be reaching children picking rags in the dump. Thanks Sandi for being the hands and feet of Jesus!!

Patti, from St. Johns Catholic Church in Loveland brought over 40 dresses for my Pastor Jeff to take to Haiti. He leaves Feb. 6. 125 dresses, dolls and undies in 2 space bags.  

Troop 800 made 50 of the dresses, Sally made 4, Pam and Pepper each made 1 and  Lucille made 29.  They also made humanitarian dolls from the Dress A Girl website.

Girl Scouts' dresses in Ethiopia

The Berthoud, Co. Girl Scouts sent 100 dresses with  friends serving in Ethiopia. This little girl received bread and a dress- what a great day!

Sewing Day at Lifespring Church

The second Monday of every month, ladies gather to make dresses, shorts, pjs and blankets through Dress A Girl Around the World. These items will go to with Jean to  El Salvador and with a local Methodist Church as they travel to a women's prison in Kenya. Children have to come with their mothers and need warm, clean clothes.  Thanks ladies for your heart of service.

Another volunteer from Longmont, Co., Alice who's 90, made 30 pair of shorts and some of her friends helped with these cute yarn toys for the boys.

Good job ladies- keep on sewin'

I received this email from Kristi Cook at Group Publishing here in Loveland. She needs hundreds of dress and shorts for their upcoming mission trips. If you need kits, I've got plenty.

Call me at 970-776-9029.

Hi Carolyn,

Thank you so much for the dresses and shorts.  I took them to Mexico, where we spent four days building a house!  On the 5^th day, we went to an orphanage that takes in handicapped kids, and the four girls that live in this home (only 24 kids total) had already gone home to spend Christmas with their family, so I left 4 beautiful dresses for them, along with most of the shorts.  The house mom requested to take some of the gifts we brought to give them to the boys for Christmas, which is why I didn’t get any photos of the boys with shorts.  I am very sorry!  I know how nice it is to see photos, especially after all your hard work. The local missionary, Kelly, offered to take the rest of the dresses and other shorts to one or two other homes in January and offered to send pictures then.  I will send the photos on when I get them.  Both Kelly and the housemom were very encouraged that you and a group of women had made the dresses for their kids!!  Thank you so much for sending them with me, it was a privilege to deliver them, my only regret is that I have no photos to show you!

We may have a trip to Ecuador in March, but then we have trips to Peru and to Haiti scheduled for June, July, August and October, Dominican Republic in November.  We may even return to Kenya over Labor Day. 

Thanks for all your hard work!

I hope you had a very nice Christmas and a Happy New Year!

kristi

Books for Uganda

In March, we are loading a container with the assistance of Help International here in Loveland. The container will be shipped to benefit African Christian Childrens' Libraries and Smile Africa. We are sending library books, Christian teaching materials for children and adults, furniture for the library and school, medical supplies like wheelchairs, walkers, gloves, hospital beds etc.

 

We can fit 45 pallettes of goods in the container plus Smile Africa will keep the container to use as a classroom and new library.

 

Between now and March 1, if you have books to donate, please let me know and I can get them from you or you can drop them at my house. Spread the word at church, school, work, service clubs, friends.

 

Here's what we are looking for:

Children's Bibles

Children's Bible story books

Picture books

Easy readers

Chapter books

Books for teens

Study Bibles

Christian books for women and men

Reference books like dictionaries, atlas

Christian teaching cds and dvds

Educational materials for children or adults that are culturally appropriate

 

Please no Disney, Barbie, secular Christmas or Easter, anything with wizardry or magic, American cartoon figures.

 

Prefer: concept books like numbers, shapes, letters, animals, geography, science, world history, biographies of great Americans, especially African Americans, Christian leaders, inspirational stories, classics, etc.

 

If you want to help but don't have any books, you can go to Wal-Mart.com and get a children's Bible story book for $6 and ship it to me.

 

With God's help and yours, we can bring the gift of hope through literacy to the children and adults in Uganda!!