Blankies delivered to Joplin MO...Our prayers are with those in Joplin!

 The tornado that went through Joplin Missouri last week had all of us praying and grieving for those that lost their homes, belongings and loved ones.  The night of the tornado, many people across the US were scrambling to see how they could help.  Joplin residents would need everything. Food, shelter, medical supplies, camping gear, clothes, blankets, etc.

I couldn't help but think of  the small children in Joplin without their blankies that night.  Blankies provide security and comfort to small children. With their world turned upside down now, due to the devastation of the tornado, we definitely saw the need for Leigh's Blankies to be sent there.  As I prayed for the families that night and stewed about how we could help them, God gaves us an answer! On Facebook, I found news about a man, Sean Wright, from The Grove Church, who was packing a trailer with goods for Joplin and he was driving it out there the very next day!

As I showed up that next morning with the blankies, it was such a blessing for me to witness the generous response of others!  Below is a picture of Sean organizing just some of the goods donated that morning.

I enjoyed meeting Sean and telling him about Leigh's Blankies.  His wife had taught Sunday School with Leigh Ann and she had been personally touched by Leigh's friendship and her willingness to serve children.  Sean was excited to deliver these blankies to some of the little one's in Joplin! And he genuinely communicated his eagerness to get to there and help in any way he could. His humble heart and willingness to go showed an examle of how to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Fundraiser Yard Sale!

I enlisted a few sweet friends to help me kick off our Leigh's Blankies' Fundraiser Yard Sale!!! They helped me price, move and organize the many donations we received from several different families! I couldn't have done this sale without the help of others, so to all those that participated...THANK YOU!!!

During the sale, we had several shoppers interested in our ministry.  One gentleman had adopted his 2 daughters from an orphanage in Columbia and teared up thinking about the children in orphanages receiving Leigh's Blankies. Another woman had been looking for a way to serve in her community and wants to sew with us! One gal, Rebecca, stopped and cried as she read on this easel about Leigh Ann and the blankies.  For the last year, she had been following Greg's blog (Leigh's Ann's husband) and her heart had been heavy for his family's loss. But she had also felt encouraged by God's faithfulness through his grief and was inspired by Greg's choice to keep trusting in the Lord through pain and hardship. We couldn't deny that God wanted her at our yard sale that morning. This gal has been personally touched by this situation, but she also sews and wants to join us in making the blankies!  

We raised almost $750 at this yard sale! All of which is going towards the purchase of fabric for a delivery to Huruma Children's Home in Kenya!!! Check back soon for more details!!!

Delivery to Christian Family Care Agency!

This is a beautiful picture to me!

My family has a deep love for Christian Family Care Agency (CFCA), as we adopted both of our girls through their agency.  In 2005 we first met our case worker, Carole, and  began our adoption paperwork.  She counseled us, mentored us and has continued to love and pray for our family through our adoption finalizations and as our children have grown older.  Leigh Ann and her husband, Greg, also had a relationship with Carole, as they had completed their adoption paperwork through CFCA in 2009 and had been waiting for an adoption placement before Leigh Ann died.  You can imagine how touched we were when Carole called and said CFCA would like to receive Leigh's Blankies, but not only that, had a specific plan for the blankies.

Their staff had come up with the idea for us to make a matching set of blankies for them, one small and one of regular size. Baby could be wrapped in the regular sized blankie and be held by birth mom in the hospital. When it's time for baby to go home, that blankie could be sent home with the baby and new adopted family. And then the matching small blankie could be sent home with the birth mom  to keep by her side, in her purse or as a keepsake.

This concept touches my heart so deeply as I'm sure it does yours.  You can imagine the grief a birth mother experiences when placing her baby in the arms of another mother. I've only experienced the receiving side of adoption placement, but my heart is tender towards birthmothers. We maintain semi-open adoptions with both our birthmoms and love them deeply. We pray that God heals their pain and their grief and blesses their lives for their incredibly selfless decisions they made for their babies. 

We pray these blankies are a blessing to them!

 

Carole and our girls with the first batch of matching set of Leigh's Blankies! 

THANK YOU for your support for Leigh's Blankies!!!