Incredible Pictures & Story from the Poland Blankie Delivery!!! Guest Author: Susie Marr

Susie Marr in Poland with Joni and Friends - Wheels for the World

Read about prior to her trip here!

Somebody loves their lobster blankie! I love this smile...

These children's lives will be forever impacted because of their new chairs!

Well, it has been a month since I returned from Poland. I wanted to let you all know that we were able to give all of the blankies away while in Poland. I am including a few pictures of the children I was able to personally give the blankets to after I was able to fit them with a new wheelchair. There were 3 wheelchair specialists on our trip and I have not gotten every one's pictures yet. When I do, I will forward on those also. We had about 10 extra blankets that we were able to give to a children's hospital in Poland. Thank you so much for this wonderful blessing. As we saw each person at our distribution sites, we were able to give them physical freedom in the way of a new wheelchair, spiritual freedom in the way of presenting the gospel after we fitted each of our new friends with a chair, and a BIG warm HUG in the form of Leigh's Blankies!! Our new Polish friends are so appreciative......thank you again for being a part of this ministry with your gifts to make the blankets, send the blankets.....and pray for us who take Leigh's Blankies all over the world!! God is so good. Isn't it wonderful being a part of the family of God!!!
--
Susie Marr

Thank you Susie for being the hands and feet of Christ and traveling to Poland!!!

What an awesome ministry!!! Such a privilege for us to partner with you!

Labels: God answers our prayers!!!

I am AMAZED by God's goodness! As you have read, we are completely out of labels for our blankies! We originally ordered 500 labels & have made/distributed almost all of the 500 blankies.We have been praying and asking for the funds to purchase more.  Jeremy & I sat down this morning to pray about how to purchase more labels with the funds that have been donated. We hesitated to order the "minimum" as the cost goes up per label. God answered our prayers! Today, the label company offered to print us A THOUSAND labels for a fraction of the regular price!!! With the donations that have come in, we can order 200 labels and the company will hold on to the rest until we can afford to order more!!! THANK YOU for your prayers & support!

I honetly can't wait to run out of labels again, because it just means 1000 blankies are covering little ones all over the world!

Here is the link for our label company, I would highly recommend them! Not only did they do a fantastic job on the labels, their service has been incredible!

http://www.clothinglabels4u.com/



Blankies in Kenya!!

Delivering the boy's blankies to Mama Zipporah and her daughter, Caroline, at Cornerstone Chandler. They are so grateful for the blankies!

Huruma Children's Home, in Kenya, has always had a special place in my heart. Mama Zipporah, the home's founder and director, is well known around my home church as the amazing mother to over hundred children in Africa. She began Huruma with just one child and now is bursting at the seams! When I first heard Mama speak at Cornerstone, she was here visiting and reporting on how things were going back in Kenya. Our church supports Huruma  and we were excited to here how God is working in the lives of the children. Something she said hit me like a ton of bricks. Because of the limited space at the home, the bed space was very limited. In a three tiered bunkbed slept 6 children. Three small children on the bottom, two children in the middle and an older child on the top. Can you picture it? This image was burned in my mind. As a church, God called us to pray and make a difference in their living and sleeping space. And praise the Lord, this Fal,l a brand new boy's dormitory will open with a bed for each boy at Huruma!!!

So knowing that brand new beds would be given to the boys, guess what came to my mind?? BLANKIES! I had the privilege of speaking with Mama Zipporah on her most recent visit to Chandler and it blessed me so much! Her compassion and interest in Leigh Ann's life warmed my heart. I explained the mission of Leigh's Blankies and she responded, "You want others to remember Leigh Ann! And now children will have blankies!" Yes, Mama, you got it. :)

As I spoke with her about the blankies she explained how each bed could use a blanket. I said , "How many do you need?" And she said, "A ton!!!" So this month, 75 blankies made it over to Kenya in the suitcases of the Cornerstone's missions team and every boy's bed with have a blanket!! They were double the size of our regular blankies, as they needed to cover the mattresses. And they were made with tons of color to brighten up their rooms!

This all happened because of God's goodness! Our May fundraiser yard sale raised almost $750, and guess how much the large sized Kenya blankies cost? The materials came to around $775!!! Truly amazing!

We had a ton of women participate in sewing these blankies and many people donated items and time to the yard sale. I want to thank everyone for their time, love and encouragement! I look forward to continually sewing and working with you all again!

Next year, Mama Zipporah prays to have a girl's dormitory with beds for each daughter. And the of course, she said they will need blankies for those beds!! I'm excited to begin that project! And I hope some day to go to Huruma and love on each of those precious children!!

For more information on Huruma and how you can help support them and their ministry click here.

Praying for labels!

We ordered 500 labels for Leigh's Blankies and they are officially....GONE! :) Amazed that we have made and distributed over 500 blankies!!! Please pray with us for the funds to order more labels! God has provided so much and we are thankful for what he has done and what He is doing with this ministry. Our link to to our PayPal donation account is to the left sidebar for those interested in donating. Thank you!!!

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Blankie Kits!!!

The idea for our home "Blankie Kits" was a gift from God!!! My dear friend, Kathe, has encouraged me from the start of Leigh's Blankies. Kathe leads my grief group at my church, Cornerstone Chandler, and has been a huge part of my grief process and helping me to adapt to this "new normal" of living life here without Leigh Ann. Please check out her blog here, God is using her in many ways as she walks along side women experience grief.  When I started this ministry, it was overwhelming keeping up with the sewing, as the blankies were being requested often! Kathe encouraged me to make home kits for people to take home and make the blankies themselves!!  The kits have been a hit! We have almost 70 blankies out in the community right now in home kits that will be returned and distributed to children all in the next month!

Here is a note from Betty, a friend who has been doing some BEAUTIFUL sewing for Leigh's Blankies! Betty got involved with Leigh's Blankies through my dear friend, Maria.

Just maybe a week after I said to my husband that I needed a hobby to do at home (and housework does not count) Maria sent an email to our Pastor's wife and ask if anyone would be interested in helping sew blankies for children as a ministry....I got the email and forwarded it on to the prayer chain that I send the emails on to and after maybe another week the Lord spoke to me that it was something I could do to help as I like to sew.

I would encourage "Senior Believers" that when you think you have nothing more to give that the Lord can change those thoughts for you and you can do many things to help being strengthened by our Almighty God.

Thank you Maria for inviting me to join you in helping in Leigh's Blankie ministry.

I like to pray over each one as I do the final pressing and folding for the child that will receive it and that God blesses their lives.

God Bless

Betty

If you would be interested in picking up a home Blankie Kit, feel free to contact me!! Or if you have a story to share from your involvement in Leigh's Blankies, send it to me. Others will be encouraged by the work God is doing!!

A Blankie Kit includes enough fabric for 5 blankies, 5 Leigh's Blankies labels, and instructions. 

Group Sew Nights!!!

One of the things I enjoy the most about this ministry is our Group Sew Nights!! It is so amazing to see how God brings different women to minister together! We meet in our home and form an "assembly line" with sewing machines, fabric cutters, ironers, hand stitchers, fabric folders, and "home kit" packers!!! It is truly exciting to see the blankies created and loved on by each individual.  And we love sharing stories of how God is impacting our lives through this ministry!

I'm new to sewing myself, so I'm thankful I have the opportunity to be encouraged by seasoned sewers that  attend.  And it is AWESOME to see women arrive who have never sewn and leave the sew night with new skills!!! We have a few ladies that have learned to sew on Leigh's Blankies and now attend our sew nights regularly or complete home kits for us! What a privilege to see individuals learn, grow and give back!!!  Little ones are touched by these blankies, but the women who sew them feel equally blessed! If you would like to get to involved, please feel free to contact me! Home kits are available with fabric, instructions and labels!

My girls love Leigh's Blankies and I love having them a part of it!

Completed blankies ready to be sent out!!!

Blankies on their way to Poland! Guest Author: Susie Marr

My name is Susie Marr. I am heading to Poland with Joni and Friends - Wheels for the World. Poland is a developing country and it is very difficult to get a wheelchair there. I as a Physical therapist assistant will be fitting people to the wheelchairs that we have sent over there. We will also be hosting a Day Camp for families with children with special needs. When Andra heard about this mission trip she asked if I would take Leigh's Blankies. I have had the privilege of knowing both Andra and Leigh Ann. Greg and Leigh Ann were at our church when they were first married. When Andra was in high school I was her youth leader at church. I am so honored to take these blankets and carry on the legacy and Godly influence that Leigh Ann continues to have. Many of you have lovingly made these blankets and partner with me as my team gives them to the children we meet on our travels. Thank you all so much for allowing me to be part of this too! Can't wait to see what God will do!! I will keep you posted and share pictures when I return!
--Susie Marr

 

Susie and Leigh's Blankies!!!

Please pray for Susie and the Joni and Friends Team as they travel to Poland tomorrow!