Thank You!!!

My friends that are moving to the Haiti/Dominican Republic border had an opportunity last week to go and visit the area they will be moving to. They posted TONS of great pictures of Face Book.  Go check it out.

I made a set of headbands for her to take to the girls there. Here are some of the pics. So precious!

The little girl on the right makes me giggle. 

This is the orphanage they will be moving into.

A typical home in Jimani.

The village of Batey 41 in Haiti.

This is the border. To the left is the Dominican and to the right Haiti.

This is the school/church room in Batey 41.

Vanderly and some of the local kids.

Stephen and the boys.

Love this one.

Thank you all so much for your support in helping my friends take the good news of Jesus to Haiti and The Dominican Republic. So far the headbands have raised almost $300 for them!! 

You guys are amazing!!!! 

THANK YOU!!   

I still have a few headbands left, get them quick!

Quantity

1 headband $3.002 headbands $5.003 headbands $8.004 headbands $10.005 headbands $13.006 headbands $15.007 headbands $18.008 headbands $20.00

What color(s) would you like?

OR 

you can donate to the Arnolds on their website here.

I will probably make another big batch with all new fun fabrics in August to help raise some more support for my lovely friends.  Thank you again so much, what a blessing!!!!

Headbands for Haiti

I'm finally ready to show you all this cute fabric I have been sewing like a mad woman over the last few weeks at every open minute. But first I have to tell you why I have been sewing.

About a year or so before we moved from FL, the Lord gave me a new friend and kindred spirit in Vanderly Arnold. This sweet woman of God and I hit it off over a common bond of babies.  I was recovering from a second devastating miscarriage and she was working through the fall out of an overturned adoption case followed by a surprise pregnancy.  A connection quickly formed and I have been blessed ever since.

Vanderly is a fellow homeschooling mom of 3 sweet beautiful children, Zoe (10) Joshua (6) and Eliana (1) and is married to an amazing man of God, Stephen. Not long after I met Vanderly while she was about 6 months pregnant, her husband was let go from his position at their church due to the failing economy. But God had a plan and began providing isolated construction work that supported their family need by need. As they wrestled through all the decisions that come with this kind of impacting occurrence, they felt the Lord tell them to go to Dominican Republic/Haiti area and be the hands and feet of Jesus to the poor and needy. Specifically the children as they will be moving into an orphanage to minister. They are determined to demonstrate God's elaborate love for people through bringing food and clean water to the hungry and thirsty, healing the sick, comforting the dying, embracing the lonely, and giving hope to the desperate. This lovely family is going to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a community in desperate need in Him.

They are currently partnering with the Chadasha Foundation and the New Springs Foundation while they are raising support in order to move their family out of the United States and into this gospel deprived area. This is where the headbands come in. While I absolutely love to sew and craft, how cool to use this hobby as a blessing not only for this family, but for the lives that they will impact half a world away.

So HERE ARE THE HEADBANDS!!

They turned out so cute!!! And the elastic hair-tie at the bottom makes them comfy for both my girls heads and mine too.

Don't you want one? Or all eight? Here are close-ups of each of the fun fabrics.

Retro Dots

Spring Circles

Blue Butterflies

Summer Squigles

Neon Love

Purple Swirls

Peace and Love

(This one is Lucy's fav. Cheesy smiles are free.)

Fall Fun

While you are supporting my dear friends and their gospel planting journey, don't forget about your nieces, neighbors and friends! You can stock up for birthdays and stocking stuffers and random "just because" gifts. They are $3 for one headband or two headbands for $5. If you would like to read more about Vanderly and her precious family's ministry, you can check out their website here and donate here.

Lets help bring the good news to Haiti and look super cute in the process!

Quantity

1 headband $3.002 headbands $5.003 headbands $8.004 headbands $10.005 headbands $13.006 headbands $15.007 headbands $18.008 headbands $20.00

What color(s) would you like?

Thank you so much for being a blessing and for helping to take the gospel to the people of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

(In the trial run to make sure my pay pal button worked, the final purchasing page does not show the colors you have chosen, but they did show up in the order to me, so don't worry! :) Thank you again so much!!)

My Sweet Friend

Several years ago, while Mike was on staff at Inwood Baptist Church, the Lord brought me a treasure of a friend named Jackie. When I first met her I for some reason got it stuck in my head that her name was Debbie and proceeded to introduce her SEVERAL times as Debbie. She graciously, lovingly returned the favor by publicly calling me Roxy. (I look like a Roxy right?)

Our paths crossed when she and her hubby came to Inwood too. She didn't have much choice about befriending me as we were two of the three people there under the age of 170. But regardless of the fact that she didn't have a choice, and that I could not get her name right for weeks, an amazing friendship formed and I have been all the better ever since.

Jackie homeschools her 3 sweet, beautiful children currently in NC where her Man pastors a church. You can not find a more honorable family than the Mullis'. Jackie is one of those women who make the difficult job of being a mom inspiring and look easy! This is because she is doing what she was designed to do! She is an amazing woman, mom, wife and friend, and I am so blessed to know her. She loves her kids and is giving them a wonderful godly legacy. She loves the Lord and is a faithful student of the Word. You can check out her corner of the world "where they are always up to something" here.

Her husband Greg, is one of my favorite preachers.

He is able to really get in the word and make it apply to YOUR business!! But he does it with such compassion and love you can't help but come back asking for more. He is so sensitive to the Spirit's leading and walks in unbelievable humility and grace.

Almost from the very first time I met Jackie she has wanted to adopt a baby. This lovely family has gone through process after process after process to try to help a child in need. They have tried fostering, and at 2 different times thought there was a baby close at hand for them, went through many, many steps and paperwork here in FL for an out of country adoption at least 2 maybe 3 times. Then when they moved to NC, they had to start all over again from square one. Now they are on a path to bring home a child (or maybe twins or siblings) from Ethiopia. She has made up the cutest shirts as a fundraiser to help them along in the process.

Don't you want one?

If you would be willing to help my dear friend and this sweet family, you can check out her adoption blog here and purchase this cute patoot shirt for only $15 in blue, navy or burgundy. Your money will not only being going to help fulfill a friends dream, but to change the life of a child forever. Helen Keller once said "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do."

Is buying a t shirt something you can do? If you can, it will be a blessing and I know you will be blessed.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

Thank you for allowing me to share my sweet friend with you.

Bailey

When we moved to Winter Haven 4 years ago, Lucy made a friend at our church named Bailey. The two of them have been peas in a pod since they first met.

Bailey suffers from ONH - Optic Nerve Hypoplasia.  ONH is a congenital birth condition in which the optic nerve fails to develop normally and is one of the leading causes of blindness in children. Bailey's vision has been measured as 20/560 (right eye) and 20/2400 (left eye) leaving her legally blind. She has had vision therapy since she was 6 months old and the family was told there is no cure.  However they recently found alternative treatment available in Thailand and are now on a journey to raise $50,000 to get treatment.  Bailey, her mom and grandma will travel to Thailand for a month long treatment leaving behind a 5 year old sister and 2 year old brother with dad.  

Why am I telling you all this? 

They need some help.  First and foremost, prayer.  I can't fathom going to another country for a month without my husband and all my children.  Please pray for Bailey's parents and siblings. This will be tough.  Please pray for the money to come in.  The $50,000 covers the plane tickets and treatments but undoubtedly there will be more expenses.  Please also pray for the doctors that will work with Bailey.   Please pray for Bailey too.  Her biggest concern for the trip is that the beds in Thailand will be hard.  She has such a sweet spirit.   

Watch Bailey's story on Bay News 9 or read it in The Ledger.

You can also help financially.  You can donate on Bailey's website and the family is having a huge garage sale this weekend as a fundraiser.  It will be next to the Family Foods in Polk City (303 Broadway Blvd) on Saturday, Jan 31st at 8:00 am. There will be something for everybody!  Here is a map.   The family will have more fundraising opportunities in the future.

Bailey is one of the sweetest little girls you will ever meet.  She loves life and has an incredible sense of humor.  She is artistic, compassionate and so very smart!  I am so excited to see what God has in store for this little girl and her family.  She is such a joy and a blessing.  Thank you in advance for your prayers and support for this amazing little girl.

Remember:

• Garage sale for Bailey's trip to Thailand 
• This Saturday, January 31st
• 8:00 am till the stuff is gone
• 303 Broadway Blvd, Polk City  (Map)