Orphans. Families. Lost Boys.
Against all sound reasoning, we made the crazy decision to invite them ALL to our feast.
And we felt foolish from the start, seeing all the faces sitting around the table. We wondered if anything we raised would be too little for such great need.
Pure insanity.
But each time we wondered and shook our heads, considered how foolish we were to take on such a crazy project, God has encouraged us, strengthened our resolve and reminded us that this is HIS work. His feast.
He is the Father to the Fatherless.
The plight of these orphans had His heart long before they had ours.
Though we are cooking this stew, It is God who is stirring the pot.
He is the stirrer of hearts.
And that is where we find our strength.
There is NO STRATEGY that could feed THIS MANY in ONE Giveaway.
It is pure insanity.
We tried to think of strategies. We considered all kinds of tricks and ways to get people to donate large amounts. We had an elaborate tier system for the prizes. We spent hours working on it.
In the end. We scrapped it. We went with the simplest system we could find. The same one we used a year ago for Jonah's Giveaway. In that one we raised $5,000.00. Considering that the donated prizes for this one were worth close to $5,000.00, we knew we were being fools. But against all advice and the wisdom of the world, we decided to leave the entire Giveaway in the hands of the Holy Spirit.
To just let God be God.
To push our little boat out into the waters trusting that He would guide us to safety.
It has been a wild ride.
It has been absolutely exhilarating!
It has been absolutely exhilarating!
In the first days of the Giveaway, He provided a family for Bernadette.
The cheering this side of the ocean HAD to have been heard across the waters.
The cheering this side of the ocean HAD to have been heard across the waters.
We threw out numbers that we didn't want to say... BIG NUMBERS... Too scared to make a commitment but hoping... praying....
30,000.00 - 40,000.00 - 50,000.00
To big for me to even whisper out loud!
But we have watched God drawing hearts in such a way that we are within $5,000.00 of meeting the lowest BIG NUMBER!!
WE HAVE CURRENTLY RAISED $25,263.78
30,000.00 - 40,000.00 - 50,000.00
To big for me to even whisper out loud!
But we have watched God drawing hearts in such a way that we are within $5,000.00 of meeting the lowest BIG NUMBER!!
WE HAVE CURRENTLY RAISED $25,263.78
He set in our hearts the desire for each orphan at our table to receive at least $1,000.00 in their grant account.
AS OF LAST NIGHT, ALL EIGHT CHILDREN REACHED THAT GOAL!
Heath has $5670.94 in his grant account.
Jack has $5365.60 in his grant account.
Emmitt has $1502.50 in his grant account.
Igor has $1441.20 in his grant account.
Hanson has $1189.00 in his grant account.
Laurel has $11,133.81 in her grant account.
Harmony has $1214.64 in her grant account.
He set in our hearts the desire for each family at our table to receive at least $2,000.00 in their grant account.
As of right now - One family has reached that goal!!
The Carpenter family - $614.00 raised
The Burman family - $610.00 raised
The Menges family - $1525.00 raised
The Duncan family - $1020.00 raised
The Booth family - $716.00 raised
The Brown family - $737.00 raised
The Unroe family - $1084.52 raised
It isn't over. We have FOUR DAYS left in this Giveaway.
God is not done stirring in hearts. Your hearts. Our hearts.
He is not done.
Eight children still need families. Emmitt. Jack. Victoria. LAUREL. HARMONY. Heath. Hanson. Igor.
Sixteen children still need their Mamas and Papas to cross the ocean and carry them out of their living nightmare. The eleven families going to get them need EVERY SINGLE ONE of our PRAYERS. They need our emotional and physical SUPPORT. They need our words of ENCOURAGEMENT. They need our FINANCIAL support.
MARIA NEEDS HER MAMA.
She needs to lay down the burden of being parents to her little sisters and brother. She needs to rest. She needs to be a child. She needs Traci and Scott Heim to cross the ocean and bring her home.
God is not done yet.
Thus, we are not done.
REJOICING WE LOOK BACK, BELIEVING WE PRESS FORWARD!!
MARCH 31
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"A Common Stew for an Uncommonly Good Cause!"
We have raised $25,263.78 for our Mulligan Stew...
318 people have donated!
THESE ARE THE CHILDREN and FAMILIES THAT OUR MULLIGAN STEW GIVEAWAY BENEFITS.
GO TO THIS LINK TO SEE WHAT WAS DONATED TO THE MULLIGAN STEW GIVEAWAY 2012 AND TO SEE WHOM IT BENEFITED!! THIS GIVEAWAY ENDED MARCH 31, 2012
$35,000.00 needed
$6940.46 raised
THE EIGHT LOVES WHO DESPERATELY NEED FAMILIES
LAUREL IS TURNING 16 THIS YEAR!!! HARMONY IS TURNING 16 IN JULY!!
Please do not remove this picture from this blog
$1869.20 in her grant account $1441.20 in his grant account $1502.50 in his grant account
$1750.45 raised $1059.00 raised $1018.50 raised
$5670.94 in his grant account $1189.00 in his grant account $5365.60 in his grant account
$1287.64 raised $1002.00 raised $1062.50 raised
THE "SWEET SIXTEEN" KIDS FROM KATIE'S ORPHANAGE
Please PRAY for these families and these children. Many are in desperate condition!
$11,000 needed $17,000 needed
$1084.52 raised $716.00 raised
They are adopting Keith as well as 4 other
children from other institutions.
The Sousa family is also adopting one more little guy from another orphanage.
$3,000.00 needed
$737.00 raised
They are bringing home all three of these sweet boys!
$13,000 needed
$2030.00 raised
Find the instructions for donating to the Carpenter family on their sidebar.
$2,800.00 needed
$614.00 raised
Kelton and Teagan are listed as Steven and Tommy on their Reece's Rainbow accounts.
$2,000.00 needed
$610.00 raised
$10,000 needed $8,000.00 needed
They are also adopting another girl
$1525.00 raised $1020.00 raised
BABY N (3) Samantha (7) Annie (5)
Fully Funded PLEASE PRAY!! Fully Funded PLEASE PRAY!! Fully Funded PLEASE PRAY!!
ALL THREE OF THESE LOVES desperately need our prayers!! They are tiny and weak.
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Our Lost Boys
You can donate to the Lost Boys through Harvest International. Click on THIS LINK and designate your gift to Alyona and Slavik for the Lost Boys. All donations to Harvest International are Tax Deductible.
Or
CLICK HERE to go to the Lost Boys Boutique and support the Lost Boys while you shop.
100% of the proceeds support the Lost Boys.
$1,401.00 raised
MY FAMILY FOUND ME!!!
Raised $523.00
I donated $10 to the Heims.
ReplyDeleteDonated again, this time in honor of my Big Bro's Birthday today. He just happened to be adopted. : D
ReplyDelete$28 to The Unroe Family from the Ristow7
Thank you so very much! :) If you haven't sent me an email yet with your address, then email me at abcunroe@yahoo.com and I'll send you out a Thank You picture. :)
Deleteshared yet again on facebook!
ReplyDeleteRejoicing with you at God's awesomeness :) I love how you wrote "The plight of these orphans had His heart long before they had ours." God hears their cries, He is working on behalf of them. He is mighty to save.
ReplyDeleteIt's been incredible to see God bless every day. I think about all the seeds and prayers so many people have sown into the lives of these children and families. The reaping will be so far reaching. That is completely awesome.
Chris Messimer donated $10 to Maria
ReplyDeleteLee and Kelly Messimer donated $200 to bring Maria and her siblings home to Mommy, and $200 to the Lost Boys
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU Julia and Rob for allowing us to share in what God is doing!
Hello! Just wanted to let you know I just donated $20 to Maria, and $20 to Harmony. Thank you so much for doing such a wonderful thing, and giving us the opportunity to help bring these children home to loving families!! I am going to spread the word on my fb so hopefully more people will become aware of this. God bless!
ReplyDeleteMichelle
Mulligan Stew mentioned on my facebook page tonight.... Julie F. sanfordswife1@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteShared this on Facebook!
ReplyDeleteGod is being glorified all over this post. I am so glad I read this today, but even more glad that others will read it!
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you and all the work you do to honor our God
Sue Gile