To all of you who donated, sponsored and supported, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
We did it!
*The Sunflower Effect supports the work of The Mercy House Kenya and Kristen Welch (wearethatfamily.com)
Hello friends and family,
I’ve just done something I’ve wanted to do for a long time – I’ve registered for the Blackmores Body & Soul 9km Bridge Run!
This year I’ve been working towards a goal of raising $1000 for Mercy House Kenya – home home in Kenya where mothers and their babies are cared for. These women and babies would otherwise be in indescribably horrible situations – homeless, desitute or worse. (http://mercyhousekenya.org)
If you’re reading this blog, you probably already knew all that 🙂
So far, $650 has been raised through my blog via donations from generous readers, ebay sales, bake sales etc. I’d love to raise the last $350 through sponsorship for this run! Continue reading
The Mercy House $25 shopping voucher competition ended today, my son happily picked a folded piece of paper from a bowl…
The winner is:
Pauline Fredrickson!
Congratulations Pauline! Please send me your email address and I will get the voucher to you. Happy shopping 🙂
Thank you everyone who entered and helped spread the word about the great work they’re doing over at Mercy House in Kenya.
xx
Good morning 🙂
I just added $80 to the Mercy House tally.. thanks to the generosity of my brother (!)Â and also our
… For one month we put all our coins in a cup for Mercy House, it adds up pretty quickly!
Cost me a few coins and took me 0 minutes..a really good way to raise money!
Here endeth the update.
Happy Friday!
xx
*The Sunflower Effect supports the work of The Mercy House Kenya and Kristen Welch (wearethatfamily.com)
So I’m finding that I don’t have much time to blog.. but that’s okay.. I can keep you easily updated via Twitter and Facebook.
Great news –Â today the tally reached $552!! I’m so happy about this. I have set out to raise $1000 for Mercy House, I’m getting there! Thanks so much to all of you who have generously donated – the women and babies at Mercy House will benefit more than we can imagine, from your generosity.
This month I’m focusing on selling some baby clothes on eBay (generously donated by my friend Lee-Ann over at Nine 50 – check out her peruvian jewellery, hand made by women, providing an income for their families!)
A few of my auctions have ended, making a tidy $35 (not bad for so little work and zero outlay!)
I still have a few auctions yet to finish and still more items to list. If you need some clothes for a baby boy, have a look at my eBay listings, all proceeds to Mercy House or email me.
Anyway, must go, I have children to get to school and a day to tend to!
Have a good one!
Joni xx
*The Sunflower Effect supports the work of The Mercy House Kenya and Kristen Welch (wearethatfamily.com)
You’ll have to excuse me.. I’m having a bit of a proud mum moment. Even though it’s been a month since the fact, I’m bubbling with happiness that somehow, my kids seem to be getting it.. They’re beginning to understand the impact they can have on the world.. That they have power, wealth, priviledge* to share with others.
How tiny is this seed..
..it is maybe half a centremeter long..
..but look what it created in my garden, when I planted it and watered it:
Just because seeds are small isn’t reason enough to keep them hidden away, unplanted.
It’s exactly the same with our lives; changing other’s lives. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the problems of this world. Our minds become crowded with thoughts like, “I can only give a little bit.. I may as well not even bother.. What difference will it make anyway?” These thoughts are definitely not from God. In fact, I truly believe that the little seeds of ideas you’ve been mulling over for a while, the ones which would help you raise a few dollars for a charity, or the little things you could do to help a friend – they’re probably from God. God doesn’t immediately give us a massive, fully grown tree – He gives us a seed. And if we plant and water it, we’ll see what it can grow into.
That’s how I feel about $10. It’s not a huge amount of money but it’s a seed. As a challenge to myself, I want to aim to raise and/or donate $10 every week to Mercy House. I’ll have to get creative because I don’t have truckloads of time during the day. I’m going to have to be smart, work hard and be dilligent with the little seeds I have.. the list of ideas and opportunities is growing and I’m working on a plan so that none are wasted. I figure, if God gives me a seed, I really don’t want to waste it. What’s more, if He has given it to me, that means He’ll help me plant and water it, He’ll work my day so I have plenty of time, energy and inspiration. He’s there every step of the way when we plant and water the seeds He has given us.
It is impossible to see what can become of a seed until it has been planted and watered. Why not plant your seed and see what God can do with it?
What seeds, ideas, thoughts, projects have you been mulling over? Do you think it’s time to plant?
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Joni x
*The Sunflower Effect supports the work of The Mercy House Kenya and Kristen Welch (wearethatfamily.com)
Another amazing, beautiful story… another woman saved… another child saved…
Read here about Edith and her precious baby Hawi… last week was a tough one for them, but they made it through and are now in the loving hands of Mercy.
* * *
I went to parts of Colour Conference last week and really enjoyed myself – as I always do there! So, there are many thoughts banging around in my mind, too many to be able to write about yet.. I need to sort it all out before I can put it down here. So please forgive me if my postings are sparse this week!
Joni xx
*The Sunflower Effect supports the work of The Mercy House Kenya and Kristen Welch (wearethatfamily.com)
Mariama
Name: Mariama Boubacar
Age: 25 years
Origin: A hamlet near Ouallam, in the west of Niger
I was married at 15 and pregnant at 17. Unfortunately, that first baby died through lack of assistance. It was only on the third day of labour that the baby came into the world lifeless. At the end of my second pregnancy I ended up with fistula because no-one helped me during birth. Continue reading
Do you have any non-fiction paperbacks you don’t need anymore? Mercy House wants them!
They’re having a Spring Drive (as they say in the US..)
Mercy House Spring Collection Drive: Paperback non-fiction books!
We are collecting books to build a “library” at the maternity home. Besides Jesus, education is the key to our girls’ future success. Most of our girls are below level (some primary), and we want to instill in them a deep love for reading.
We are collecting non-fiction books (only paperback due to weight) on all things science, art, picture books, etc. to fill our homeschool library (Fiction like Laura Ingalls Wilder book is also acceptable). Continue reading
Every (1) Matters 