Dress for a Cause!

I read this tonight and for me - it's a no brainer!! Wow! What a great idea. In fact, so great I totally want to use it. If you guys LOVE this giftbasket idea, let me know. We have some crazy cool shirts around HopeChest, plus necklaces and coffee and such plus we are making some crazy cool shirts for the WarriorGirls (may have an entire line...just sayin') and we could do something like this to fund, i don't know, rescues?! :-)

But for now...read what my sweet friend Kim has written and about this amazing way to not only help Korah but enter to win an amazing prize pack of 13 shirts plus a hat and tote! wow!! *PS this is possibly the longest post ever - but worth it to see all these cute shirts)

For those of you that don't know, much like myself a few months ago, "Korah" in Amharic means "cursed". Around 75 years ago, the Ethiopian government moved everyone with leporsy to this area of Addis Ababa . There are now approximately 100,000 people that live in the slums of Korah and are considered the "outcasts" The other thing that is located in Korah is the city dump. I have had friends say they could see parts of the dump moving and then realized it was people moving. People searching for food to eat and scrap metal to sell.

There is something else, or rather, Someone else, moving in Korah.

God.

He is stirring in the hearts of His people and people like pastor Sammy Liben and Project 61. There is now an education sponsorship program for the children of Korah. If you have not read this post this last week, I really encourage you to take the time to read it...it is a long post and yet leaves me speechless. Also, visit the Hoffman's blog as Laura just returned from there as well with Visiting Orphans.

Jody at Talk is Sheep has just visited, loved, served and is changed by Korah.

So...while we have a bit of time to fundraise, the kids at Korah do not. They have a child sponsorship program that has a deadline of July 31. Yep...one week left. And it is $700 to sponsor a child in Korah for an entire year. They get to go to boarding school, have meals and and education. You can read what all that entails in Jody's post. Pretty amazing stuff. Made me realize my pitiful little TV was just fine-and-dandy-thank-you-very-much. (okay..I already realized that but just thought I would throw that in there...)

When we shared as a fundraising family a few months ago at a Show Hope event, we said we never want to be the endpoint of a gift...any gift. We believed it when we said it and we believe it even more today. We want to share the benefits of this fundrasier with Korah in whatever way God chooses.

SO.....

How does this "Dress for a Cause" the Sequel work?
Easy.

All you have to do to have your name on a piece of paper in our bowl of wonders is purchase a piece of this picture of Korah Kids. Your piece, or pieces, will build upon other's pieces and together we will all have a part in God's work in Korah. As pieces are purchased, I will uncover more and more of the picture. Pretty neat, huh!

A picture tile of Korah costs 10.00.

2 pictures tiles of Korah cost 15.00.

You can enter by reposting the Dress for a Cause, the seqel on your blog , tweeting about it and of course, posting it on your facebook.

That is 5 ways to end up in our bowl of wonders and have your closet filled with adoption themed shirts. Can I participate? No. Can my daughter? No...much to her dismay. (She was counting her pennies.)

So, let's take a look at who is generously participating in the Sequel...

Show Hope. SH had actually wanted to participate in the first Dress for a Cause but I received their communication as it was ending, so I told them I would take a rain check. SH goes above and beyond in partnering with families with resources and adoption grants. That is just a small part of what they do. Show Hope would like to partner with your in your fundraising efforts with their merchandise affiliate program. Contact Lindsey at SH. She is your go-to girl. Oh...and how generous is this. They are giving a shirt, hat AND tote bag (I am so jealous...)

Heart to Home. The Dixon's are a fundraising family that has generously donated an Adopt. Pray. Support. shirt. They are a family of 10 currently on the wait for siblings from Ethiopia. Tricia is always full of support and encouragement so you will want to visit their site and bookmark this family. Take a look around their site for other items they are selling to bring their little one's home.

Holding God's Hand in the Journey. Okay...I'm gonna be quiet and let you read the anonymous quote on Debbie and Jeff's shirts and water bottle.

"We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life, but those who make their journey home across time and miles, growing within the hearts of those who love them, are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us by God's very own hands."
Oh, guys....this one is SPECIAL!! They are taking shirt orders right now and if I were you I would not wait to see if I won this ginormous prize, I would go ahead and bless this family with a shirt order...or two...and a water bottle...like the one I just ordered (Merry Christmas, Isabelle...shhhhhh)

The Walser Adoption Adventures . Let me tell you about this family. They are on the other side of Florida from me. I get the sunrises and they get the sunsets. Rachel is a busy homeschool mom with a side business and a pastors wife. She is always full of encouragement and has had quite a year getting to the waitlist...but guess what just happened, they made it! She is out of town at a convention and she only had a few minutes to update her blog but I thought she put it perfectly. Here is what she said: "For a year it's been a paper chase. I have known a child waits at the end of it but most days I have been lost in a cloud of notaries and background checks and references and authentications. Paper. But today, I feel the tangible love and longing for my child. I hear a heartbeat, I feel a kick. I feel a life growing and I sense our meeting is just around the corner" That is just a glimpse into the heart of the Mama of this family. Their shirts say, Love with Abandon..Love an Orphan.

Oh...they already do.

Ordinary Hero. Change the World for One. That says it all. Here we have the lovely Kristi Johnson aka Mama to many but especially one very cute Lucy Lane. Her sister, Kelly, has Ordinary Hero and if you have not been following along with their recent trip (very recent, like I think their flight is due in while I type this...) to Africa, then head over and see what they have been up to. The work they did recently with the flooding in Nashville was inspiring and reminded me there are opportunities everywhere and everywhere to change the world for one.

147 Million Orphans. Gwen and Suzanne need no introduction but I will brag on them still the same. These ladies and 147 Million are a pivitol part of the adoption fundraising community and orphan care awareness. The impact and influence their hearts and efforts will have with Amazima Ministries will not be known this side of heaven but I can pretty much say with certainty they will hear the words "Well Done." I had the privilege of hanging out at the pool with them a few weeks ago in Orlando. When they asked if we would adopt after "Hope" I replied I am getting "old" . "Better an old mama than NO mama" Gwen chimed in. These ladies know the realities of the orphan crisis. Aging parents and lack of funds are no excuse.

They are donating a 147 Million shirt (may not be the one pictured below, depending on availablity because these ladies sell A LOT !) and one of the wonderful magazine bead necklaces made by the women in Uganda.








Because we are led. This sweet family had adopted from China and and doing it again. This time they are adopting an 11 year old boy with mild cerebral palsy. You can read his story on their blog but in a nutshell his birth mother took him to the hospital when he was 6 years old and abandoned him there. They are a fundraising family as well and I would invite you to check out their blog. They have some sweet dresses up for auction to go towards their adoption expenses and they are selling tote bags as well.





Feeding the Orphans. Meet Sydney. She is 10 years old. Don't let her age fool you. She has a heart and spiritual maturity well beyond those 10 years. She becamed burdened at the thought of how we could live like queens and kings when there are others, especially in Africa, who have nothing. So, little miss Sydney started a blog, designed a t-shirt, and advocates for the orphan. Two of which will be orphaned no more. Her family is growing by way of Ghana! She is raising money for a well in her siblings village that was affected by a fire. When I asked Sydney to participate in this I told her I did not want her to donate a shirt, I wanted to purchase one to put in the giveaway. She said she wanted to donate it. Can you say "servant's heart"? (Oh...and Syd...I'm older than you and I say I am buying one..)

The Road Less Travelled . The Shubin Clan is another one of my Florida families. They have been so encouraging to me and we have had the opportunity to meet half way in Orlando a couple times to visit. They are currently getting their Dossier submitted and will soon be on the wait for their little girl...who will join their little Silas and their home grown kiddos. Erica has a fabulous blog that she updates regularly and is in a "humble attack mode" when it comes to fundraising. She knows how to get it done and if you need pointers don't hesitate to ask her. She is full of ideas. She has recently posted about the life journey they were going through as a family when they were adopting Silas. Pretty real stuff. Head over to their blog and become a follower if you are not already. They have some amazing new shirts and I love their design. One of my favorites is the Where you Live shirt. Check it out. And...in the spirit of guy talk and "manning up" their Pie hole shirt gets to the point. (The color of the prize shirt may not be the color Erica is wearing below)




And then there is us. No link...you are already here. The first shirt is what we call the "Lilah" shirt. Well...because the first one I made and sold was for Lilah. And she is beautiful and she is the same age as our little "Hope" will most likely be and if I lived close I would totally need a sweet hug from Lilah...but instead, we have named a shirt after her and have sold many. If you would like an adult Lilah shirt of a different color we can accomodate that!



And then we have the one that started it all for us. We designed this shirt a year ago. I can't believe it has been that long and I am humbled that I still get orders for them a year later. We have loved them and have loved seeing others wearing them on their return trips from Africa with their babies. That is fun.





Finally, (whew...I'm tired..and old Gwen.;) is our Love is Not a Color shirt. The video
was great fun to make and I have once again been humbled by the number of orders that continue to come in for this shirt. You never know when you do a design but you know it was placed on your heart and you just go with it.










We will run this through the week and dig into our name-filled bowl on Friday. I will update our picture of Korah throughout the week as your pictures are purchased. Please comment on this blog or facebook me or skywrite above my house and let me know how reposted. You can purchase your Korah picture with the button on the sidebar. Please feel free ask questions

Go to KIM'S BLOG to donate!!! Yes, GO NOW!