Remember To Be Grateful.

Do we even realize how blessed we are in this country?

For stuff we don't even think about everyday?

For our Freedom.

For clothes.

For shoes.

For food.

For education.

When I was on my mission, I was out of The States for almost a year and a half.  I didn't see the American Flag flying for most of that time, but didn't think twice about it.  Never once did I think, "Hmm...I haven't seen a US flag flying in a while."  I didn't realize how much it effected me until I came home.  Walking out of the airport I saw an American flag high on a flag pole and just started sobbing.

One of the things we LOVE about Village of Hope is their mission to educate and rehabilitate the villages of Ethiopia.

We had to cancel our reservation this time to go with the group to Africa (at the last minute) due to some personal family stuff we had to deal with.  However, the blankets and quilts from the Blanket Project are still making their way to the village and the Children's Home.

I received a pattern in the mail to make the Infant Robe from Village of Hope and realized that DeAnna was nice enough to include some pictures (for the blog) from their last trip to the Kersa villages.

I hope that today (and everyday) we will take a minute to step back and be thankful for all the blessings we have in our lives; Things that most people around the world can't even comprehend.

Mother in the background is receiving instruction in bathing and care of scabies for her infected child.  Each mother also received a hygiene kit: Hand towel, wash cloth, soap, nailbrush, nail clipper, and hair pick or comb.

New clothes, hat, and blanket for this baby girl.

A big group of children with new clothes and hats--some even got shoes!  Some also received wooden cars (donated by "The Happy Factory")!  The boy in the back (white boy with blonde hair) took over 400 school kits to the elementary kids.  He and his brother enjoyed helping to dress the kids.

Clothes can make a kid feel special, and a modest dress can make a little girl feel like a princess!

This is Craig Hall helping the children make necklaces.  Hundreds of kits with string and beads were donated.

An appreciative mother holding her baby (enjoying a new hat and blanket).

This sweet baby girl just had a nice bath and got a new jacket, undershirt, and blanket!

This baby is 2 years old and so tiny and sick.  The doctor drained a huge cyst from the base of his skull.  As you can see, he is very mal-nourished.  Village of Hope bought a pregnant goat for the mother, so now he will have milk.

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"This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth.  Our opportunities are limitless.  While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help.

"We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE."

~President Thomas S. Monson (Ensign Magazine, May 1992)

Better Than Prozac

*This is a part of an on-going humanitarian project to help Village of Hope collect blankets for their Children's Home in Ethiopia.  To learn more about the project, click HERE.

"This Project makes me laugh at myself."

I used to be really bugged that the decorative sham (that matches Hayden's beautiful quilt on his bed) was discontinued by "The Company Store" before I could get one.  Unable to find it ANYWHERE online, I became irritated that his room "wouldn't be coordinated".  That's when I finally had to take a step back.

"What am I teaching my son?"

How embarrassing!  (Not that his room wouldn't match, but that I cared so much about something that matters SO little.)  He's FOUR.  Do you think HE cares about having a coordinating sham, or a room that looks like something out of a catalog?

Better yet, how about if I try to explain that to the kid that has to share a bed (or sleep on the floor) and doesn't HAVE a blanket.

We haven't been to Ethiopia yet, but the more we learn the more we realize just how very blessed we are in this country.  We take common things for granted that really are unbelievable to the majority of people in world.  We jump in our car and drive to a restaurant and we complain when the service is slow or the food isn't just right.  We go to the grocery store and have EVERY fruit and vegetable available to us year-round.  We walk up and down the isles and buy whatever we want, but complain about the lines being long.

Little things stress us out that REALLY don't matter.

And that's when I realized I needed to start (not only) thinking OUTSIDE our little bubble, but actually DOING something.

The Blanket Project is STILL making progress, so I thought I would pass along an update and let everyone know how it is going.

So far, we have the following blankets stacked to the ceiling in our "designated walk-in blanket closet"....

5 Twin-size blankets
26 Fleece blankets
31 Baby Quilts & Receiving blankets
23 Twin-size Quilts

The Twin-size Quilts will go on the beds at the Children's Home, and the goal is at LEAST 30, since that's how many beds are there right now.  I am planning on buying the supplies for the remaining 7 quilts this week!  Hooray!  We have scheduled "Quilting Days" at our local chapel every Wednesday and Saturday where we set-up the quilting frames and get to work.

There are mornings when I feel down or grouchy (thinking about all the things I have to get done in my own little world) and by the time I get to the church and make my FIRST stitch, I am happy and at peace.  Hayden comes WITH me and now asks with excitement, "Is THIS a blanket for the babies....the babies who don't have any blankets?"  We always come home dancing on clouds.

Funny how that works, huh?

Now I can feel a little better when I think about that question...

"What am I teaching my son NOW?"

Village of Hope is quickly expanding their Children's Center in order to accomodate more kids that are in desperate need of shelter.  This is an on-going project.  If you are interested in helping, but thought it was too late...it isn't!  And, If you would like to take a look at their page for "Group Projects" click HERE.

*Many thanks (again) to all who have donated and contributed in any way (including passing the word along).

"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."  ~Matthew 25:40

"He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." ~Matthew 10:39

"...When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God."  ~Mosiah 2:17

The Linus Effect

Amid the usual shopping and "hustle and bustle" of the holiday season, we have decided to work on a "family service project" and we would like to share it with you. Maybe you can help us affect the lives of children.

We have friends who started a humanitarian group, called Village Of Hope, after adopting children from Ethiopia 13 years ago. (That's the "long-story-short" version.)

How did they plan on adopting TWO and end up returning with SIX?

(To read a MUCH BETTER version, follow the links below:)

Part I: "Making Room For One More." Click HERE.

Part II: "With Joy..." Click HERE.

To visit their website, which explains more of what their group does, click HERE.

Picture: One young girl washes her hands as another young girl drinks from the same water.
The river was filled with raw sewage.

Their mission is to rehabilitate the Ethiopian village of Kersa Illala (and surrounding villages) through a structured humanitarian program, which teaches self-reliance and independance. They work in six areas: Protecting children, Water and sanitation, Women empowerment through education, Family Income, Agriculture, and Healthcare.

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We are looking forward to going on an "Expedition" to Ethiopia (with VOH) in April. In the meantime, we hope to get involved in other ways...which was when I had an idea.

While driving home from the store a little late one Saturday night, Hayden asked for his blanket. It's pretty common since I keep a specific fleece blanket in the car for just this situation. The blanket is comforting and soothing for a sometimes long and uncomfortable road trip (for a 4-year-old).

As Hayden snuggled up to his blanket, a thought came to me so clear and strong, it was as though someone whispered it into my ear.

Flashing red lights and ringing bells made us stop for a train. With the "clink-clank" sound and passing freight cars in front of our windshield, I turned to Ben and shared my idea in an enthusiastic tone. "I'm going to see if they need blankets for the Children's Home."

The Children's Center in the village is a safe place for kids. A lot of these kids are orphaned by disease and war. As I thought of Hayden and how much his blanket comforts him, I thought of those kids at the Center.

Kids are kids.

And those "little ones" thousands of miles away are just like my little Hayden here at home. I wanted them all to have a blanket to snuggle.

I sent an email to DeAnna and she wrote back right away. I quickly found out that they are in "desperate need" of blankets. "I never seem to have enough for everyone," she mentioned in her response. Winter is coming and it's getting cold, especially at night.

So here's the plan:
So far we have put together 18 "snuggle" blankets (made out of fleece) and collected 19 baby receiving blankets. We are also planning on putting together tied twin-size quilts, which will go on the beds at the Children's Center.

Quilt Materials:
The quilts are going to be made out of flannel twin-size flat sheets. We are going to buy them (on sale and clearance) at stores like the Dollar Store, Wal-Mart, and Target. Two sheets will be put together (with batting in the middle), and then tied with yarn. The edge will be finished with a home-made binding. This creates a fairly inexpensive quilt.

We have friends, family, and members from local churches who are willing to help us put the quilts together and tie them, but right now we are trying to gather the materials. Our goal is to start with 20 quilts.

Feel the Spirit of Christmas:
If you are interested in helping, let me know. I have added a "ChipIn" link (just under the blog title) for those who would like to make a monetary donation toward materials. Payments are made securely through PayPal, but you do not HAVE to have a PayPal account to donate.

Feel free to "Copy" the ChipIn widget and add it to your blog or website....Maybe YOUR friends and family would like to donate. You also have permission to add a link (from your blog) to my blog.

If you have other ideas of ways you would like to help, contact me or leave a comment.

I'm looking forward to sharing pictures and stories with you of our experiences with Ethiopia and Village of Hope.

Thanks Friends!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

*All pictures used on this post (except Linus) are from Village Of Hope.