“It’s a Girl Thing” update!!!!!!!

Soooo…back in August—Sarah Titus and I posted a project that we challenged ladies from all over the United States to join us in. You might remember the post here: It’s A Girl Thing. We sent the kits to BOTH Korah (in Ethiopia) AND Wiphan (in Zambia). While we haven’t gotten any feedback yet from Project61 in Korah (they DID get the kits but I think they still need someone to train them)–HOWEVER we JUST got feedback back from my sister in Zambia who is training the widows and young girls how to use these kits!!!

Here’s the DEALIO if this project is news to you. MOST girls and ladies in Africa do not have the money OR access to sanitary items. SO–during their monthly cycles they often just sit at home. These widows NEED to leave their homes to find work to provide for their children–but they can’t!!! And 60% of young girls drop out of school because they have no way to care for themselves during that time and are too embarrassed to go to school. WELL–thanks to women stepping up to the plate ALL OVER AMERICA–these girls and widows now have washable, organic pads. While I know some of you are saying, WHAT???? Is that sanitary. Well…lemme tell you this. THIS IS more sanitary than what they were using–some times making tampons out of old newspaper. They just didn’t know what else to do!!! Many of the girls and women get infections. Not knowing what the infections are, some women are even outcasted by their husbands if they still have them thinking they have been unfaithful. Some even left or worse–abused because of being falsely accused of something they couldn’t help. (I read an EYE opening article about this…it’s just awful!) AND did you know the drop out rate for girls INCREASES to just 8% (did you hear that?!) when they have these?!?!?!?

Does someone look happy to you???

I am so honored to be a part of this project!!! I want to thank YOU–women from all over the country who read my blog entry that day…AND CHOOSE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! And when I saw women ALL over America–I mean ALL OVER. I can’t tell you how many packages arrived at my door. I would look at where they each came from and REJOICE!!! From Canada to Florida from New York and California!!! Sarah Titus and I collected…sorted…resorted…and then off they went! I heard stories after stories of women who volunteered wanting to bless these girls and women–and in turn, they ended up being the ones blessed!!! I even heard a story of someone going in a JoAnn’s fabric store in Oregon and the lady behind the desk asking a lady, “By any chance is this for Baby of My Heart’s “It’s a Girl Thing?” AND guess what? They were giving DISCOUNTS!!! SO…you think God just MIGHT have His hand on projects like these??? Ya think God cares deeply for the details of these girls and women????

And do you think it makes HIM rejoice when HE sees His beloved Zambian children getting these!!! And when He sees this widow CLAPPING because she can’t believe God has provided this for her?!

I can get SO WRAPPED up in my little world and get worked up over the dumbest little things. And guess what. MOST of them in the big scheme of things–DO NOT matter!!! I want MY LIFE to be all about investing in others and making a difference in the world. WHO’S WITH ME?!?!?

And they line up to get their very own kits—I promise these are their MOST treasured possession now!!!!

If you were a part of this project…REJOICE!!! Rejoice in how HE has used you!!!!!! And if you would like jpeg files to print and share with the groups that sewed with you—PLEASE email me (via the contact page on my blog…if I write my email here I’m a spam target!) and I’ll send you lots of pictures to share with your sewing teams!!!! Now…some people (like our husbands;) might poke at us mommas for being bloggers…for reading blogs daily…BUT truly we can use things like blogs to CHANGE the world as we come together for projects like this one!!!!!!!

Thank you to everyone who took part in this project!!!!!!!! Hold tight…I have something else up my sleeve:). You know me…always up to something;-).

Off to do a happy dance!!! Go ahead and join me…isn’t it fun to be a part of things like this?!?!!??!?!

Last but not least—here is my sister’s Day 3 update from Ndola…ANOTHER MUST READ!Another amazing day. We started the day at Mapalo school’s campus with the sponsored kids and gave them their letters and they wrote their sponsors back. We then visited our friend’s (The Fains) sponsored child- Evans Chisenga. Evans father passed away and he lives with his mom. He is the oldest child in his family and the only one who attends school. I guess that makes Evans the “man of the house”. He’s a sweet, kind, and smart young man and we are so honored we got to meet him today!
We then headed back to Sinia campus where we were greeted by the ladies who attend Wiphan’s Skills Training program. They had been told about the “It’s a Girl Thing Project” and even though they were also told we would not arrive until 1 pm- most of them arrived at 8 am. I asked Elizabeth why they came so early…. she said, “They were just too excited!”. As we talked about them, gave them instructions for use and for cleaning them… they danced and sang and praised God for his provisions. Humbling to say the least… When’s the last time you praised God for your maxi-pad? BUT to these ladies, these gifts are life-changing. They can leave their homes during that time of their cycle- they can work, go to school, and be kept safe from infection. These are the things we take for granted that we truly rarely think about. Toilet paper, tampons:), soap & running water…
Your sister in Christ, April

P.S. April is going to be with us at the retreat sharing Wiphan at the orphan care breakout!!!!! If you want to get more involved—come meet April there and she’ll get you plugged in and tell you how YOU can make a difference RIGHT where you are! (Or…maybe some of you will be on our next trip?!) Hope you all have a GREAT day! I’m off to the airport to see a family united with their 2 new ones from Uganda!!! Can you say TWO less orphans in the world! SO excited!!!!!!!!!! Pictures of course to follow tomorrow! SOMEONE…PLEASE pinch me!!! I know this is Earth–but SOME times His SWEET REDEMPTION feels like heaven!!!!! How glorious it is to live for Him and be a part of things like THIS!