Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Starvation

Okay, people....Today is a day to change your life and the lives of many children. I read on the Lucky Hill group that the children in the area surrounding Lucky Hill Orphan Home are STARVING. Stop for a moment and think about you as a child. Think of having no food for days and days. No! REALLY think about it. Think hard. Try and feel how that would feel. Think about how you would feel. If you are a parent reading this, think of watching our children go DAYS without food. DAYS. Lucky Hill is not only an orphan home. Lucky Hill is also a school for children in the surrounding area. I will not post her entire message, but a woman who just returned from Lucky Hill posted that she saw one of the children who attends school there EAT HIS PENCIL for LUNCH! Yes. She said he ate it like a candy bar. I want you to pick up a pencil right now. I want you to put it into your mouth. How hungry would you have to be to eat it? How hungry would you have to be to chew the wood, taste the powdery lead, and swallow it. And then take another bite. How hungry? How do you think that child's mother feels? How would YOU feel if all your child had eaten in days was his school pencil? Think about that. ....By the way...the lunches at Lucky Hill, available to all the children who can pay for it, is 30 cents. Where have YOU spent 30 cents today?

Monday, November 9, 2009

Two Dollars

RIGHT NOW, I want you to go get the two dollars you were going to spend today on soda pop. Go get it RIGHT NOW! And while you are up, grab a stamp, envelope and a pen/pencil. GO NOW...I will wait ;). ..... ..... ..... .... .... Did you get them? If not, I'll keep waiting..... ...... ....... Okay, now, on the envelope write this: Sixteen Small Stones C/O Breclyn Everett 1811 South 1800 East Sugarhouse, Utah 84108 Put the two dollars in the envelope, lick the edge and seal it. Stick the stamp on. Now, walk it to your mail box....Now, don't start thinking of excuses! Your shoes aren't on? That's your best excuse? Grab them and put them on! No, don't stop to wash the dishes, or to brush your teeth...just run the envelope to the mail box and flip the little red flag up. ........ ........ ........ ........ YOU'RE BACK! That two dollars is on it's way to Africa (well, to me first, but then STRAIGHT to Africa). Yup, you did it! You helped someone in Africa! Was that so hard? And I promise you, you will NOT miss your two dollars. That money is going to buy church supplies for a primary in Ghana (read my previous post for more info on that). What a great cause! Helping children learn about God? Bringing them closer to Heaven? I can think of nothing greater in the world. Think of the peace YOU feel because you know of Heavenly Father. Think of the joy you feel because you know of life after death. Think of the comfort you have felt when reading the Scriptures. Now look! You just gave that to someone else! Aren't you so, so happy? So often, we say we want to do this service or that one. But we think we will do it "in a sec" or "later", and really we DO have EVERY intent to do it!!!!! Then, things come up...crying baby, dishes, dirty clothes, boiling water...and before you know it, it is two weeks later and you are thinking, "I really would have liked to have done that service. Darn it!" Well, congratulations, you did this one! I wish I could express how thankful I am. I wish I could tell you how appreciated your two dollars will be. I guess all I can do is say, "THANK YOU" and hope that will suffice. Here is the list of things the primary really needs. (You will probably be surprised with how little they are willing to get by. Our primaries here are so well equipped!) It may also help you see just what is needed and why. THANK YOU! This is a post from a sweet Mom who is adopting a little boy from Luckyhill Orphan Home. She is organizing the donations for the primary. Childrens Songbook ($18.25, hardcover) CDs of hymns and primary songs so teachers learn new ones (Children's hymns CDs: $650, Standard hymns: $11.50) Cd player (no idea how much that costs in Ghana....ballpark $50?) Starter library package. (They already have empty cabinets with locks. I'm waiting to find out if this means that they want, say, a Primary manual for each class for each year of curriculum, or what, so that I can post prices.) Teaching aids like picture kit (simplified Gospel Art Book is $3.25; can't find the Gospel Art Kit listed - anyone have one to donate?) 3 sets scriptures for primary classes to read together. Triple plus bible. (1 regular quad is $35; a triple + Bible is $20 + $25)*All of this is at the Accra temple bookstore if money can be wired or brought by one of the adopting families). I should have plenty of room in my suitcases when I go, so if anyone wants to donate those things, they can - or if anyone wants to donate $ for buying those things at the distribution center at the temple in Accra, that's good as well! :) (And if anyone has gently used items from that list, I'm sure they would be very happy to have them.)At this point my very tentative departure date is November 16th, so donations would need to get to me by then - or I could send them with the next person going over there. :)Isn't it kind of weird and amazing to think of a Primary without any of those things? (Well,maybe it won't be that way for long. :) :) )

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

SERVICE PROJECT FOR LUCKY HILL ORPHANAGE AND THE PRIMARY, GHANA AFRICA

So, we have another GREAT
SERVICE PROJECT OPPORTUNITY!!!!!
Remember Lucky Hill Orphanage, where William was living when we sent him his care package? Well, the man who started that orphanage is the Bishop of the LDS church ward there (Mormon). Their primary has almost NOTHING by way of materials...no Scriptures, no pictures, no song books, NOTHING! This is the primary the orphans of Lucky Hill attend! (Primary is the axillary in the church organized for children to learn the gospel through lessons, music and activity. The children attend primary on Sunday's, going to a one hour of class time and one hour of a group time, where they sing religious music and have a lesson). Sixteen Small Stones is joining Shannon Watson and Lucky Hill Orphanage in providing items for the primary. A list of items is provided below. Sixteen Small Stones is mailing a check to Shannon Watson. She is going to forward any funds collected to the directer of Lucky Hill who is going to purchase the items in Ghana. It will be MUCH easier than finding someone to carry the items to Ghana. We are going to start the donation at $50.00 and are looking for ANYONE and EVERYONE who wants to, to add to that amount! PLEASE help us provide these worthwhile items to children so wanting to learn the Gospel! If you want to donate money, please comment here, or send me an email at smallstonesafricaandchina@yahoo.com. You will be giving the option to either mail the money to me to add to our check, OR to mail your donation directly to Shannon Watson. Please state in your comment or email which you would prefer to do so I can give you the correct mailing address. Also, please make sure to give me YOUR email address so I can get the mailing address to you! Let's take advantage of this service opportunity! THANK YOU, ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sincerely, Breclyn