A Year Later

Last year, on May 12, I participated in the American Cancer Society's "Shave to Save."  With the generous support of friends and family, I was able to donate just over $6,000 to the Hope Lodge, a place in Kansas City where cancer patients and their families can stay for free while they receive treatment.   I decided to volunteer as a Shavee after we miscarried.  As so many people called, wrote, emailed, and visited us personally I realized how many people had experienced the same sorrow of losing a child.  I also began to see how countless other people were going through difficult circumstances of many varities.  Rather than feeling sorry for myself, I wanted to be a blessing to others, to share with them the love and goodness and peace of God that I myself had felt after our devastating loss.  And so, I had my head shaved.

The best part was getting to announce on stage that we were expecting a baby, due almost to the day one year after we had miscarried.  The news of another grandbaby took some of the sting away as Lawrence cut off my foot-long ponytails and held them up for everyone to see.  I think the grandmas were too giddy with the idea of a new baby to let the buzzing of the razor bother them too much. 

Well, a year has past since that eventful day. 

Kellah will be 5 months old on Thursday.  (Now, she'll be 6 months in just 2 weeks!)

My hair is now touching my shoulders.  I can even put it in a ponytail...kind of.

And so, I have a new mission. 
And once again, I will need your help.
But don't worry: no hair will be loss in this adventure!

This time around, I am asking you to do one of two things: click a button or make a financial contribution.  Or if you are super ambitious, you can do both!

So, what, pray tell, am I trying to get you involved in this go-round?!  I'm glad you asked! :)

A couple of months ago, a Mary Kay consultant contacted me and wanted to know if I would participate in a Make-Over Competition.  All I had to do was let her take my picture without any make-up on, use some Mary Kay products to wash my face and then try out a "mommy look," and have her take my picture again once I was all beautified.  I agreed, but only because in doing so I will have the opportunity to win $5,000 for the charity of my choice and $2,500 for me personally.

I immediately thought of Ponca Bible Camp.  I can't think of a better organization to receive $5,000.  Lawrence and I met there as counselors in 2004.  I went to Ponca as a camper from 5th grade until I graduated from high school.  Needless to say, it is a special place in our hearts.  AND, we really feel like it is a huge ministry opportunity that God has given us.  Each year, Lawrence invites his students to camp.  This is his 6th year of teaching, and the kids from his first class have already signed up to go to camp for the 6th year in a row.  In fact, this time some of them are going for TWO weeks!  One of the girls' moms told Lawrence just the other day that she went into her daughter's room and found her reading her Bible.  Upon further discussion, the daughter explained she was using the Read Through the Bible plan I had given her when she was a camper in my cabin FIVE YEARS AGO!  She told her mom that she has been doing her best to read her Bible every day since then.   WOW!  God always, always, always blows our faces off with the work that He does at camp -- from having kids trust Jesus as Savior to promising to live boldly for Him to starting Bible studies once they go back home to inviting their friends to camp next summer.  The first year we brought kiddos from Liberty, we packed 8 boys and 1 girl into a 12 passenger van.  The next year, we had to have a school bus because 18 kids signed up for camp.  The third year about 40 kids came from the Liberty area.  The fourth year, around 60 kids went to Ponca.  Last year, almost 80 kids from Liberty/Kansas City attended Ponca.  Who knows what the numbers will be this year!  All I know is God is at work, and once again, He will knock our socks off!

And as for the $2,500 that I could win personally.  ALL of that will go towards sponsoring an orphan from Ukraine or Lativa or another country in Europe.  A few weeks ago, I was listening to K-Love and heard about New Horizon's for Children.  Each year they bring orphaned boys and girls from Europe to the United States to live with Christian families for a short time.  During this visit, the children get to experience what it's like to have a family who loves them.  Even better, they get to see the love of Christ in action.  Lawrence and I have decided to host an orphan this December.  For four weeks this winter, we will have a child live in our home and celebrate Christmas with us.  As this boy's sponsor (we don't know the age or name of the child yet, but we do know that we would like to host a boy, or a set of brothers), we will pay for his travel expenses, a trip to the dentist and eye doctor, and send him home with a suitcase full of new clothes and toys.  All this will cost around $3,000!  $6,000 if we host two children!  We don't have an extra $3,000 laying around, BUT we know that God will provide all the funds for this mission so that we can show an orphan His love and what it means to be a part of HIS family.

THIS is where YOU come in! 
To help me win the Mary Kay Make-Over Contest, you simply have to vote for me.  All you have to do is click a button!  Simple enough, right?!

Of course, if you aren't the voting, clicking-a-button type, that's okay.  I understand.  BUT, if I don't win the Mary Kay Make-Over Contest, we will have to raise the $3,000 to sponsor the orphan from Europe another way.   So, if you would like to make a financial contribution to our fund, that would be fabulous!

Just think of all the people who will be impacted as a result! 
Together, we can change the world -- one click of a button or one dollar at a time!