My Karamajong Necklace

I wrote a post on my other blog that really should have been posted here, too. Because I cannot copy and paste, and because I don't have time right now to rewrite it, I am asking that, if you are interested, you all visit my other blog, manygrandadventures.blogspot.com, and read the most recent blog post. It is about my necklace from 147 Million Orphans! IT CAME! Happy Day! :D REMEMBER: For the next 4 weeks, 50% all profit made by 147 Million Orphans will be sent to an orphanage in Haiti! Get get some cool gear while helping orphans in Haiti! :D (AGK! And now my computer won't let me add a picture! Blah. Technology and I never agree. You'll have to see pictures of the necklace at my other blog, too. Sorry!)

SO MANY MIRACLES!!

SO MANY MIRACLES!!!!! It has been a very difficult couple of weeks. A dear, dear family who was adopting from Lucky Hill suffered a great loss last week. They had completed the adoption of their dear son, Seth, from Lucky Hill and have been waiting for months for his passport to arrive. Last Monday night/Tuesday morning, sweet Seth passed away. It was a terrible loss that shook everyone with any connections to Lucky Hill. Many tears were shed, and prayers sent up to our Father in Heaven for this sweet family. Seth will be greatly missed. However, out of this tragedy, his family found hope and strength. To read more about them, please visit my other blog, manygrandadventures.blogspot.com. Even in their suffering, their hearts were open and soft. Not a bit of anger did they express, nor resentment. Did they feel sorrow? Of course. Depression? I can only imagine. But numb anger or resentment? Never. Out of the ashes of their pain, they have helped other families, who took the loss very hard, realize that Seth is part of their family for eternity, and that all things are done according to the will of a just and loving Father in Heaven. This family has begun work on a library, in honor of their dear Seth. It will be built at Lucky Hill and will accommodate everyone in the surrounding area of Lucky Hill! This is a HUGE blessing to the people of that region. So many lives will be touched because of the generosity and love of this family. Thank you, W. Family, for teaching us through your strength in your trials. Sixteen Small Stones has decided to donate as much as we can to Seth's Memorial Library. We wish to honor Seth, to help enrich the lives of those still in Ghana, and to show our support for Seth's family. Please join us by donating any amount to our paypal account with a note stating the donation is to go toward Seth's Library. THANK YOU! Today, I was able to open a bank account for Sixteen Small Stones! Praise the Lord! This has been something I have not been able to do, with school, work and being a Mom. My Mom took my son to Idaho with her today to visit family, and I was able to accomplish this task! We can now accept donations via cash, check, or deposit directly into our account. This is a HUGE blessing! Another wonderful and amazing thing happened today! My sister's fiance, Michael, has joined our Sixteen Small Stones team! He is an amazing young man (boy, do I feel old calling him a "young man"! HA HA!). Michael has a heart for service. He is caring and kind, gentile and loving. He has served so many in his life, and always does so without hesitation. He gives and gives to others and never expects anything in return. He loves everyone and accepts everyone, no matter who they are or what weaknesses they may have. He sees the good in every situation, and makes the best of everything. Micheal has worked for a web design firm for years and excels in his business. He has designed many beautiful websites, and we have the fortune now of having him on our team! Micheal has so graciously offered to build Sixteen Small Stones a website, as well as help us improve our blog (can't wait for that! LOL!). With his extensive knowledge of the Internet, he is also going to help our blog and website be more easily found online. We are so blessed to have Michael as part of our team! I can't wait to have him to work side by side with us as we reach out to those who need our help!! As you can see, the last two weeks have been full of miracles! It is exciting, but not all together surprising. When doing the Lord's work, NOTHING is impossible. It has been fun and humbling to watch as, in HIS time, all the pieces come together and things fall into place. I am thankful to be on this wonderful journey, and am glad to have so many wonderful members and blog followers with whom to experience this journey!! Thank you all!!!!!

NEW BLOG for Haiti and a NEW MEMBER to Sixteen Small Stones!

After years, I am back in touch with another good friend of mine (THANK YOU, FACEBOOK!). Right off, he wanted to help with Sixteen Small Stones. When I told him about the orphanage in Haiti who we are helping he was so excited! He has done websites before and had many suggestions for how to improve their existing website. However, he had the insight to realize that, under the circumstances, it was completely impossible for the orphanage director to make changes to the website any time soon, and it would be heartless and inconceivable for us to even mention it to him at this time. So, what did my friend do? He stayed up until almost THREE IN THE MORNING translating the original website from French into English, and setting up an AMAZING blog for the orphanage! It includes information about the orphanage as well as ways to donate! So, PLEASE check out this beautiful blog and learn more about this orphanage!! Visit handshelpinghatians.blogspot.com We are also working right now on starting a new (ENGLISH) website for the orphanage. We will keep you posted. Along the same vein, something else REALLY exciting happened this week! One of my BEST friends, Megan, has joined the Sixteen Small Stones team! I am SO excited to have her on board with us! I was nervous to ask her to be part of SSS, but she never hesitated in saying yes. Megan has a heart for orphans. She and her husband are in the process of adopting from China. In my life, I have had the rare and life-changing experience of finding my kindred spirit...that is Megan. She and I had not talked in almost 11 years, and as soon as we found each other again, it was as if not a second had passed since our last meeting. She is so dear to me, and I am so happy she is my friend. Megan has a vivacious spirit! She is outgoing, fun and always positive! She is loving and accepting of everyone, and always makes people feel their best when she is around them. She has a strong spirit and is so close to God and Jesus Christ. Megan has been an example to me since the day I met her. She has taught me so much about how to be brave, how to be happy, and how to love others wish reckless abandon. I am so, so thankful she had joined our team! I know she will bring so much to Sixteen Small Stones!!

THANK YOU! AND PICTURES!!!!

My SINCEREST thanks to everyone who has donated so far, either via our paypal, at Megan and Vinny's blog, or by depositing funds directly to the Bank of America account. Not a single cent has gone unnoticed or unappreciated. Thank you for reaching outside of yourself to help these most vulnerable children. THANK YOU!! Here are just a few pictures I "borrowed" off the orphanage's website! Check out those SWEET CHILDREN!

I just want to kiss those cheeks!

I admire the orphanage director and his family SO MUCH! It takes great faith and great strength to care for these children...and even MORE of both to do so in such a difficult time. What an amazing family!

Thank you all for reaching out to those most in need at this time. You are incredible!

THANK YOU!!

SSS: Considering Travel to Haiti

Okay, someone is putting together a team to go help at what we will call our "friend orphanage in Haiti" (because the orphanage's "real" name is French and there is no way I will remember how to spell it!). We are working on sending SOMEONE from Sixteen Small Stones to Haiti to help at the orphanage! We have some DEAR friends who are going, and we would like to get one of us on the plane with them. If you want to help pay for this trip, please specify in your paypal donation. This is a marvelous opportunity for Sixteen Small Stones to help in Haiti! God works miracles in our lives, if we are open to His promptings. I want to be the one to go from SSS, but it may be someone else who doesn't have a little child at home who needs them. :) Either way, I am praying that, if it be God's will, we can send one of our SSS team members to Haiti! When a crisis like this takes place, it brings out the best and worst and most apathetic in people. Which side will it bring out in you?

ORPHANAGE IN HAITI!

We have a connection with an orphanage in Haiti! FOR NOW, ALL non-specific donations sent to Sixteen Small Stones will be sent DIRECTLY to them! I was SO excited when a friend of mine contacted me and told me of her close ties to someone there running an orphanage who really needs our help. We now have a SPECIFIC orphanage on which to focus!! That is the way I like doing it ;). Serving the orphans! :D As soon as I have permission to post more information about his wonderful orphanage, I will do so! SO CHECK BACK SOON! I appreciate all of your support and prayers. If you have any extra pennies to spare, please don't feel like it "isn't enough" or that they "won't make a difference"...I promise, to those children, THEY DO! Thank you all so much for reaching out to others in their time of need. Sorry this post is not at all eloquent. I am too excited to write well! :D (NOTE: If you want your donations to go to Amazima, Luckyhill, or one of our other "friend" orphanages, please specify in the note sent with your donation via paypal. If you work with Amazima or Luckyhill: The money we have commited to sending will continue. NO WORRIES!:D Also, if there is an URGENT NEED from any of our "friend" orphan homes, please let us know and we will post here your need and make sure those funds reach you!)

HAITI: Do I stay or DO I GO?!?!?!?

My Mom has offered to tend Taiger so I can go get my hands in some service in Haiti. I believe EVERY LITTLE HAND HELPS. But where I am not going with an organization, would I be able to help, REALLY?! I am going to spend today praying about it and seeing what info I can find...But I really would LOVE any input you guys have about this. Do you know anyone down there? What do they say? I am sometimes so eager to HELP, I forget about the logistics! Any advice or suggestions?

Christ's Love and Haiti

SO MUCH has been happening...SO MUCH GOOD! Sixteen Small Stones is slowly but steadily moving to the next plane. I have wanted to post and write ALL about the amazing things happening with and for SSS! However, right now, there is something more urgent to be said.

Have you been keeping up with the news coming out of Haiti? Over seventy thousand found dead. If you have ever lost someone, if you have ever been hurt, or afraid, if you have ever been left homeless, then you can identify with one of those people. That is a blessing to be able to identify with someone hurting. You can offer then support and can plead to God on their behalf in a way the rest of us can't.

On the other side of that, do you remember the pain that went up from your heart when went through that hard trial? Now, multiply that pain by 70 thousand, and you can identify with each mother who lost her child. Multiply that by, maybe, 4 and you can identify that with the pain going out from each family of children who lost their parent. Do you see where I am heading? The pain and suffering being experienced in Haiti right now is unfathomable. Children left without parents, parents without children. Husbands who have lost their wives, and vice virsa. Friends who have lost friends. People have been left with no belongings (you have to admit how important they are, too...think if you lost your scrapbooks? Your journals? Think if your child lost her favorite stuffed animal or blanket. Think if you were left with no clothes, but those on your back...no warm coat, no clean underwear. What if your little boy were sleeping in a short sleeved shirt and shorts and now is cold? There is no where to go BUY him clothes, there are no blankets, no jackets.) People are trapped under rubble. Many people have undergone amputations from being trapped under debris. People have lost parts of their limbs, have lost family members, friends, homes, money, belongings.

But I fear at this time there are many people who have lost hope.

Today, I gave a quick lesson in church on the love of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Jesus' love for us is enormous! Sometimes, we describe it like that sun...but that is just because it is something we can see and something that is magnificent and huge to us. But, in reality, it pails...PAILS in comparison to the enormity and power of the Love CHRIST has for each and every one of us. it is hard for us to comprehend, but we MUST try! It is IMPERATIVE that we feel the LOVE Christ has for us! Because it is in that love that we find HOPE. I pray that we will ALL feel the love of Christ, so that in our darkest hours, we can find HOPE.

Right now, I pray that the people of Haiti will feel of Christ's love for them, so that they, too, may find hope in this nightmare in which they currently find themselves. Out of the chaos and death, the pain and fear, peace can be found...love can be found...HOPE can be found, all through the LOVE OF CHRIST!!

This is a call to help, too. By sending donations and items to Haiti, we are providing the people with the necessities of life...things they NEED NOW! But we are doing something more. We are showing them the Love of Christ! We are showing them that there is someone listening to their prayers, and responding by sending US to help them. Let us love them as Christ would! Let us cover that nation with our love and prayers. Also, let us SHOW THEM that CHRIST LOVES THEM by sending them love and prayers and donations, so they can see that Christ loves them and is listening to them, so that they may find HOPE in that love.

I am sorry this is so discombobulated!