Well, it's over and unfortunately there weren't anywhere near as many people joining in as I hoped would do. That's not to say that people haven't helped Haiti in their own ways though, because as we've seen there has been a massive support worldwide.
Anyway, we raised $53 (£32 approximately) plus a further £20 ($32) so a total of $85 or £52. I've converted it into pounds and so will make a total £60 ($97) donation to Compassion UK. So not bad at all! Thank you very much for those of you who supported us!
Also, HappyGal of The Snyder Five raised $170 to Feed My Starving Children. You can read all about her volunteer day here.
Let's continue to hope and pray for the people of Haiti. That no more trials are sent to test them and that they are carried through this time. And once the news teams leave, and the images fade and the news reports decrease, let us not forget but continue to remember the lives lost or torn apart by the terrible events of January 12th.
God was truly looking over Compassion International's Dan Woolley when he was rescued from the rubble of the hotel he was staying in more than sixty hours after the earthquake hit.
Here he is, reunited with his wife...
Compassion Dan, God still has plans for you!
Pray that miracles may still happen for others.
Have you joined in the BlogHop for Haiti yet?
I'm just editing to add this interview with Dan and his wife. Considering his ordeal he looks well, don't you agree?!
I've been a little quieter than normal blogging-wise lately. One reason being that I'm getting ready for Christmas. Yes, you heard me. I haven't been Christmas shopping though, well sort of.
I bought fabric and made this...
This quilt will be my mum's Christmas present this year. I wasn't sure how long it would take me to make, hence starting it in plenty of time. You never know what'll happen to distract you from the task in hand, after all! Fortunately it didn't take very long at all. If you know my mother, please don't mention it.
Yes, Aunty M. I'm talking to you. Amongst others.
If you're interested the tutorial can be found at Moda Bake Shop where there are so many creative ideas that I wish I had time to do them all! The kit containing much of what you need to make it can be found at The Quilt Shoppe, one of my newest favourite haunts. Even though it's across the Atlantic I still find it very cost effective (read as "much cheaper") to have the fabrics shipped over than to buy it here in the UK. Also the service is fantastic. And no, I don't have a personal interest or know anyone to do with the shop - I just think a place we're happy with should be mentioned.
I'm now waiting on some more fabric to arrive for a couple more projects. I've no set pattern to work with for these but have a few ideas in mind.
So that's the first handmade gift this year. Hopefully I'll have some more things to show you in due course. Do you have any ideas for me to try?
It doesn't just mean that Christmas shopping for those nearest and dearest to us is around the corner, but also time to give a little extra thought to those further away.
Each year our family supports Operation Christmas Child by Samaritan's Purse. Operation Christmas Child is a long running appeal where children who have never known the joy of receiving a gift at Christmas are given a shoebox filled with gifts.
The gifts don't have to be expensive. They don't have to be anything flashy or over the top. But they'll be appreciated. Wholly, lovingly and joyfully appreciated.
Like this...
The boxes needn't cost much to put together. Here are a few ideas of what you could include:
Soap
Flannel
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Hairbrush
Colouring pencils
Colouring book
Christmas card from you and your family
A small toy such as a yoyo or ball.
See, it doesn't have to cost much to makes a child feel loved and special and happy. How many of those items on the list do we take for granted? And yes, something as simple as a bar of soap does make a difference. If you're creative you can even knit something for them.
It's not just for those of us in the UK either. Samaritan's Purse has offices all over the world. Here is a list to make things easy for you ;-)
There are lots of ways we can help no matter where we are the the world. I want us bloggers (and readers and lurkers... I know who you are and will mention no names) to do what we can and see how much of a difference we can make. I know that this is also something my children love to do and look forward to each year.
What can we do?
We can...
Make up a shoebox gift, or two, or three, or four... you get the picture.
If you can't or don't want to you can donate.
Knit something. If you aren't putting together a box but want to knit something on the site for someone else to put in the box let me know and we'll arrange it.
Put up a poster, leave leaflets where they'll be seen, talk about it, volunteer. Details on all these things can be found on the websites above, as can resources you can use.
Blog about it and add yourself to McLinky so we can come visit you. Put a banner on your site. Link to this post.
Remember, the more people we tell the more boxes we can send and that means more children will have a Christmas to remember. Just one Christmas, that's all they ask.
The last few weeks the game to play after lunch is re-enacting the morning's Mass. Or at least it is according to Harry and Eddie who take it in turns to be Priest, and make up the water and wine (with water and a drop of mum or dad's cola), and tearing pieces of bread, and carrying out the communion on the rest of the family. Isn't that what every kid plays?!
This week, not only did we have communion and the bible readings, but we also had two collection bowls passed around which Harry said over and over were for the poor. We thought it was part of the game and some of us put in pennies, while others found it harder to part with their money in case it ended up in Harry and Eddie's money boxes or rolling under a sofa or something.
Soon after the game was over and Harry got down to counting his money. All nine pence of it. And then he came into the living room thrilled with the money he'd collected and announced that during the week he'd be sending it to a charity. To Compassion. For the poor people who had less than us because we were lucky to have what we did. And he showed us a letter he'd been working on to send them with the money he'd collected.
This then sent waves through the family. Brothers and sisters decided that perhaps they did have a few pennies extra they could give and Harry was beckoned here and there to receive 1p's, 2p's, even a couple of 5p's. So far his total is 39 pence.
To look at his face, and to hear him talk about how much it will help the poor children you'd think he was handing over thousands. The amount may not seem much but his gesture and his heart is worth millions over. What an example he is and he doesn't even realise it.
This weekend has been as busy as always. I spend the week looking forward to Friday evenings, after the last school run has been done and after Mike has closed the door on another week of work. Theoretically, it's meant to be a time to recharge for the next week ahead. Practically, it erm... isn't.
There is always plenty to do at weekends. Whether visiting, shopping trips or running books to the library before the overdue fine begins, there is always something else to squeeze in.
This weekend was even more chaotic due to Mike (and Eddie) finally tackling the living room.
This is our main room for living in. This is where the kids play and read and we sit and watch the television. This is the room that the piano is played in. This is the room for having a cup of tea in the evenings when the children are in bed. This is the room the younger ones get ready in the mornings, where I can keep and eye on them easily from the kitchen. So how hard is it when the one main room is undergoing a much needed makeover?! To begin with, there isn't anywhere else you can move the two sofas, the piano and the television so it's a matter of (Mike) moving them from one side of the room to the other... and back again. The kitchen was a makeshift home for a pasting table and various other tools of the trade and thankfully it seems that wallpaper paste is non toxic in small quantities. Why does much of the house you need to live in seem to be taken over when just one room is being redecorated? The papering is now done so there is just the matter of ceiling, new ceiling light to be fitted, paintwork along the frames and skirting and walls needing painting, and new fireplace to be put in (once Mike has made the hearth and mantle).
So while it's a matter of looking forward to the end product and finally having a rest from the awful purple walls that we've grown quite tiresome with over the last two years I do wish I could skip the inbetweeny parts of decorating and fast forward to the finished result.
While the man of the house and his helper were busy decorating, Caitlin and I went shopping on Saturday morning. It wasn't a self indulgent shopping though, but to get all the bits and pieces for our Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes.
Despite thinking I'd been saving shoe boxes throughout the year it turned out that I only found four which hadn't been used for craft projects or storage boxes by my own children. Next year, I note to myself, I will a) make sure I save every single shoe box we get and b) hide them... very well.
Armed with our pre-written list of everything we were allowed to include in the shoe boxes, Caitlin and I left the chaos of home behind to enter the chaos of the shopping centre. An hour and a half later we were on our way back.
Excitedly Caitlin and I returned home to show everyone what we'd bought for the children. At first Eddie was quite excited at the sight of all these toys and asked if they were all for them. He was very accepting and not at all disappointed to be told that they were gifts for the poor children who had never had a present which was a great response to get from a three year old, I thought. While sorting through the gifts which included colouring and writing pens and paper, toiletries and toys we realised that although we bought and paid for four cuddly toys, one for each box, one of them was now missing. It wasn't in any of the five bags and it wasn't in the car. Caitlin and I were both pretty certain that we hadn't left it behind at the checkout so assume that it probably fell out on our way back to the car park. I know it's only a small thing but it quite upset me, that this box and the child it goes to will not have the cuddly toy we'd meant for him to receive.
Yesterday morning I set about covering the boxes with wrapping paper. As with wrapping the family Christmas presents I started off very enthusiastically. By the time I had almost got through covering the second box I was pleading to reach the end, and soon! This wasn't helped at all by running out of wrapping paper, and not wanting to use the second roll I had bought for the remaining two boxes I rummaged through the cupboards until I found some shiny, gold metallic paper which I'd saved. I used it to line the inside of the box and carried out with the last two. I'm sure I breathed the greatest sigh when they were done!
And now the fun part, packing the gifts into the boxes...
One by one the gifts went in. Pads and pencils, crayons and pencil case, toothpaste, toothbrush... one thing after another was placed into the box...
... one box at a time until all were done...
...and so full we could barely close them properly! It was fun for the kids and both Caitlin and Harry expressed that it felt good to be doing something for children who weren't as lucky as they are. That made me very proud. Today the boxes will be taken to the drop off point by Mike on his way home from work later. And hopefully next year we'll collect enough boxes to do at least one from each child.
And in case you aren't familiar with it, Operation Christmas Child is an annual project by Samaritan's Purse which takes shoe boxes filled with gifts to needy children around the world. The gifts don't have to be very much at all. Simple things like a pack of crayons, a book, some pencils, a toothbrush or soap or pack of sweets aren't at all expensive or extravagant in the slightest, but will make a world of difference to someone's Christmas. A list of items you can include are on the OCC website (or here if you are in the UK) along with a list of local drop off points, and just to make it easy I'll let you know here that the National Collection Week in the US is November 17-24, and the final date in the UK is November 18th - so plenty of time to get your boxes in! And if you do decide to join in and pack a shoe box, please let me know. Let's see how many we can send out altogether and perhaps set a record for next year!
Since deciding to sponsor Hilario he has become one of the first things I think of when I wake in the morning, and one of the last things I think of before going to sleep at night. We talk about him and about how we hope his life will be and we talk with the children about how his life differs from their own.
We were so happy that we finally took the decision to sponsor a less fortunate child than our own. We hope that our letters to him will give him hope and make him feel loved by this family so many miles away. With World Vision you are allowed to send small gifts, anything as flat or small and light as possible that will fit into an A5 sized envelope, so I've been gathering small items - packs of crayons, stickers and a small inflatable ball to send over with our letters. I'm just waiting on a couple of photographs to arrive and then our first letter will be sent. I'm already planning what I'm going to say, then replanning it and changing it. Who knew that writing a letter would be so hard to do?
But despite the decision and making the commitment I still felt an ache in my heart. I know it's not possible to change the whole world no matter how much you might want to and it's not possible to stop the suffering of every single child by yourself. But there are still so many that need help. So I have wrestled with the idea of perhaps sponsoring a second child, a girl, maybe?
But, there's the issue of money. While we're not exactly struggling neither are we wealthy. I'm pretty certain that it's only by God's grace that the bills and mortgage are paid from one month to the next, and that we have enough money for enough food (in fact, most likely more than enough food) and clothes. We may have to wait until we've saved enough money for certain things, like when Mike's car gave up the ghost, and it took us two months to save for another secondhand car, or like not having a dishwasher for four months until we had enough spare to replace it only last week, thanks to some money I received for my birthday. Our house still isn't decorated despite it being almost two years since we moved here. And we can only decorate it as and when we have saved the money to do one room at a time. We still have debts to clear (debts for what? We can't even remember how we got them. Big mistake we won't be making again), but since making the decision to get out of debt and only buy something when we have the money for it we are making steady progresss, albeit not as fast as we'd like. And then there's the whole economic climate. Is this really the time to commit to any more outgoings? Or would it simply be just stupid? But the thing is, we do manage. And we don't suffer. Some nights we may have to settle for pasta with grated cheese over the top, but we don't go to bed hungry. Some days we might have to pull on an extra jumper to curb the heating bill, but we're never at mercy to the weather. And I know my children are safe and clothed and fed.
Is it better to have a home which will take years to redecorate to taste, or no home at all? And so what if we had to replace a car? We managed it. And a dishwasher, oh come on. Did it really hurt to *gasp* wash the dishes in the sink?! But still I struggled.
Meanwhile I'd been following the bloggers who had been sent to the Dominican Republic by Compassion International. This was the second trip arranged by the charity where a selection of bloggers were allowed an "Access All Areas" trip to see the changes that sponsoring children made. Meetings on video between the sponsors and the children they had been sponsoring and writing to made my eyes sore with the tears that fell from them, and the descriptive posts from each days events made my heart ache even more.
For a while I'd been looking at the UK site for Compassion. Every now and then new children would come up and some would disappear, the ones lucky enough to be sponsored, I expect. But yesterday I saw a little girl I hadn't seen and I just knew that she was meant to be ours. You can mock me if you like, I really don't care, but I immediately knew that this little girl was there and we could make her life better. I clicked on her details. She was eight years old, but her photo made her look no older than five or six. She lived in Uganda with her father and grandmother. No mention of her mother at all. Very little information, a photograph of a girl younger than her years who still managed a very slight smile at the camera. And I just knew.
So we had another conversation.
Text from me to Mike: "Do you think we can stretch to sponsoring an eight year old girl from Uganda too?"
Text from Mike to me: "No"
Text from me to Mike: "Really?"
Text from Mike to me: "Why are you asking? You've probably done it already."
Text from me to Mike: "Actually I haven't which is why I'm asking."
Text from Mike to me: "It's up to you." (Oh, I love him!)
So I had a think. And thought that the way forward to help another child would be to deprive ours. Not really. But capping Ben and Stephanie's handouts each month would save a fair amount. Having never really done the pocket money thing we just handed over the money when they wanted to go somewhere or do something. Now we would offer them a set amount a month and once it had gone that was it. I put the idea to Ben, who agreed.
So I text Mike: "Was thinking of capping Ben and Steph's handouts to £x a month then not a penny more if they get through it. What do you think?"
Text from Mike to me: "OK, then they can work for any extra." (On top of their normal chores. Oh, we're so cruel to our children!)
Text from me to Mike: "That'll cover a second sponsorship and we'll still be better off."
Text from Mike to me: "Go on then."
Text from me to Mike: "x"
So with five minutes before I had to leave on the afternoon school run (Ben was home in the afternoon due to a half day), I quickly tapped in the online form and hit "Send".
On the way to school I had a thought that had escaped me all this time. My unused gym membership had come to an end. That would be £28 a month not leaving my account, which I had been used to not being there. This meant that both sponsorships would only make an £8 a month difference to us! So the worry over the decision making had now eased and we are confident that we can afford to help two children, only we hadn't realised it until we made the decision to do it!
The new allowance proposal still stands though! I met up with Stephanie while I was waiting to collect Harry from school, and put the proposition to her regarding a monthly allowance and the reason why. She was all for it and happy that we were sponsoring a second child. I told Caitlin and Harry about Doreen, and Harry proceeded to find Uganda on the globe and both said that they were going to tell their teachers about her tomorrow.
And me? I woke this morning without the aching (in my heart. My knees are a different matter completely). My children are learning about poverty and compassion (and geography) and how we must be grateful for what we have, rather than hankering over what we don't. And whether we actually need what we hanker over to make us really and truly happy.
And Mike and I have learnt what it feels like to have seven children in our home, but another two in our hearts.
... two pieces of junk mail, one school application form, another school letter announcing vacancies for parent governors... and our World Vision Sponsor Pack!
We have been waiting for this A5 sized envelope since last week, and as I read through the contents, and held this little boys photograph in my hand I cried. Holding this small photograph suddenly made everything so real and it made the world seem so much smaller. This is a real life, a real little person. I cried and prayed that he and his family might be safe and warm and happy, and somehow away from the rainfall and landslides and flooding currently tormenting the majority of his country. I wanted to think that he wasn't suffering at all. I didn't want to think that he might be hungry, or cold, or exhausted. I prayed that he and his family weren't part of the 270,000+ people being affected at this very moment in time, whose homes had been ruined and land and livelihoods destroyed. And I prayed that we might be able to help him have a better life.
A few hours after writing my post yesterday I came across this blogger's story of their visit to their sponsored child in Africa through the charity Compassion International. I wept as I read it, (I've cried a lot the last couple of days!) and of the profound effect it has had on her. Most of all I wept for the children who possess an awe of all things no matter how small, and a deep appreciation and gratitude of any opportunity or gift of learning, of health and of love that they receive.
I'm glad we made the decision to do this small thing, which will make a big difference, and am seriously considering a second sponsorship though Compassion International. We are so fortunate to have what we do. Our children have healthcare and food, homes and warmth, clothes and jobs... and family and love.
Last week I had a bad dream concerning one of my children. I don't want to go into details but it was enough to wake me and check on the child in question, to make sure they were still safe. Throughout the night I kept waking, the repurcussions of that dream coming back every time I closed my eyes or felt sleep coming closer.
When it was time to finally get up (not that I'm ever one to wish the night away), I couldn't stop thinking about my dream and how relieved I was that it was only a dream. But I didn't feel right. I was still upset and couldn't stop thinking about all the children who weren't safe. Who weren't warm, or fed, or clothed or happy. Who didn't have families to care for them, to dream about them and check on them in the middle of the night. I couldn't get the image of a mother, unable to help her child much as she wanted to, much as she might try. And I couldn't lift that pain from my heart.
The previous day I had got caught up in the "I wish I had... " trap. The "I wish the house was beautifully decorated", "I wish I could buy xxx", "I wish I had.... something, anything, insert want here". But that morning I had everything. I had food in the cupboards, a warm, dry home and clean water to drink. Most of all, my family were safe and happy. That dream put everything into perspective.
It wasn't enough to be thankful or grateful. I felt a strong urge to do something. So Michael and I had an in-depth discussion.
Text from me to Mike: "I think we should sponsor a child." Text from Mike to me: "OK, where?"
For the next couple of hours Caitlin and I sat at the computer trying to find out the how and where. Where to start? How to go about it? What would it achieve?
After a while we came across the Christian charity, World Vision. I was familiar with this charity as, as a young girl twenty odd years ago I would take part in the annual 24 hour sponsored fast. And after a while of reading about their work and the sponsorship programme, we had undertaken sponsorship of a 3 year old boy from Honduras.
The older children were happy and supportive of the decision. The middle ones were shocked that some children didn't have homes or clean water or *gasp* televisions! And the youngest two don't really understand yet.
One day I would like to participate in one of their Sponsor Visits, and so aim to start putting a little away as and when I can. This may not be for a few years yet but isn't unachievable. At least we'll have begun making the effort.
Sponsoring one child might not change the whole world, but hopefully it will change the world of one child less lucky than our own.
