Tuesday was crazy.
Let's just get that out from the get-go.
We started the Angel Tree that morning with 172 children who still needed to reach the 1,000 wall. That equaled to over 80,000.00.
We had one 10,000 bump grant to try to get something started.
We had actually been given that grant the afternoon before and were all set to get it started but a glitch came up with whether we could use the grant. It was an accounting question that automatically went over my head but everything came to a standstill. I have to tell you - I was incredibly impressed by the willingness of the head of Reece's Rainbow to pull a grant off the table if there was the slightest bit of question over it.
Earlier that day she had been offered a 2,300.00 grant that she absolutely turned down because of the ethics involved. In a day when many in leadership are willing to play shady with the numbers, it was refreshing to see that she would not come close to crossing the line. Integrity mattered. Getting 172 children over a wall was not important enough to lose part of your soul in doing it.
Earlier that day she had been offered a 2,300.00 grant that she absolutely turned down because of the ethics involved. In a day when many in leadership are willing to play shady with the numbers, it was refreshing to see that she would not come close to crossing the line. Integrity mattered. Getting 172 children over a wall was not important enough to lose part of your soul in doing it.
So on Monday evening we tabled the $10,000.00 bump grant. Prayed. Hoped. Waited.
On Tuesday morning the accountant reviewed the situation and gave the thumbs up. We were good to go.
Did I say we had 172 children to get over the wall and 80,000 to raise?
Did I also mention that this year's Angel Tree had 30+ more children on it than last year?
Yeah.
The odds against us were HUGE.
HUGE!
HUGE!
At the end of the day.... 96 children crossed the wall.
Over 50,000 was raised.
In One Day.
Some would say we 'failed'. Not all the children jumped.
We didn't raise 80,000.00.
Are you kidding?
Who raises 50,000 in one day???
Who does that??
That is a crazy amount of money we raised in one day!!
Do you realize that 20 children on the Angel Tree were moved to the My Family Found Me Section during the Angel Tree?
Do you realize that every single child had over $500.00 in their grant account??
Do you realize that every single child had over $500.00 in their grant account??
Do you realize that in total over $266,000 was raised this year for the Angel Tree?
Do you also realize that for two solid months 241 children's faces were seen across the globe on a daily basis? Do you realize that the plight of those 241 children opened up eyes and hearts all over the globe?
Do you realize that right now there are those in the Reece's Rainbow group who are STILL TRYING to finish the job?? Does that not make you stop and pause??
They love the orphan so much that they can't let them go.
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We stand tall and proud. We moved mountains in the last two months. Mountains.
We are Mighty Warriors for the least of the least in this world. Castaway children who would have been aborted in this country and who are set aside in so many others.
Castaway babes who were seen!!
We poured our hearts out for those babes and it was good. Hundreds. Thousands of eyes were opened to their plight. We can't measure how much our labor for these babes matters. This side of heaven we have no real way of ever knowing the impact we are making. I know though that from God's perspective the list of what we accomplished will go into eternity.
We did great things because we serve a Great God who LOVES the orphan.
Thank you to so so many of you who poured yourselves out with us. Gave. Prayed. Supported. Encouraged. Shared. Yelled.
THANK YOU.
Mighty Warriors we are. Mighty and Proud!
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P.S. In case you haven't heard.... Sevenly is featuring Reece's Rainbow again and this time the proceeds from the shirts go towards FAMILIES. This ends on Monday morning so hurry up and go get a shirt.... The designs are awesome. They are completely unique and are NOT used again. Inside the shirt is often a Bible reference which I find really cool! I'm trying to figure out how I can get one this time around..... So far FIVE families are getting 1,000 each based on the sales.... There are 20 more families hoping that they too will be blessed!
I LOVE my Sevenly shirts.
Do you realize that right now there are those in the Reece's Rainbow group who are STILL TRYING to finish the job?? Does that not make you stop and pause??
They love the orphan so much that they can't let them go.
We stand tall and proud. We moved mountains in the last two months. Mountains.
We are Mighty Warriors for the least of the least in this world. Castaway children who would have been aborted in this country and who are set aside in so many others.
Castaway babes who were seen!!
We poured our hearts out for those babes and it was good. Hundreds. Thousands of eyes were opened to their plight. We can't measure how much our labor for these babes matters. This side of heaven we have no real way of ever knowing the impact we are making. I know though that from God's perspective the list of what we accomplished will go into eternity.
We did great things because we serve a Great God who LOVES the orphan.
Thank you to so so many of you who poured yourselves out with us. Gave. Prayed. Supported. Encouraged. Shared. Yelled.
THANK YOU.
Mighty Warriors we are. Mighty and Proud!
-----------------------------------------------------
P.S. In case you haven't heard.... Sevenly is featuring Reece's Rainbow again and this time the proceeds from the shirts go towards FAMILIES. This ends on Monday morning so hurry up and go get a shirt.... The designs are awesome. They are completely unique and are NOT used again. Inside the shirt is often a Bible reference which I find really cool! I'm trying to figure out how I can get one this time around..... So far FIVE families are getting 1,000 each based on the sales.... There are 20 more families hoping that they too will be blessed!
I LOVE my Sevenly shirts.
Thank you for all that you do for the children and for sharing these big results from the AT campaign with your readers...Once again, the work of you (and the other supporters/bloggers/donators/fundraisers) has greatly touched the lives of many orphans and many potential families.
ReplyDeleteYou are such a rockstar ! If you are ever discouraged please remember this post.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of Heath a few posts down brought tears to my eyes. I am not an adoptive mom, but he is one of 'my' kids. I cannot contribute much or often, but I do have a set of kids I pray for each day by name. Seeing these glimpses of Heath unexpectedly walking, wearing glasses and looking nothing like the photo that hung on my board makes me tear up each time I see things about him.
I respect Heath's family's decision to be private, but is it possible to have a post on your blog about him and how he is. I would so appreciate it, but understand if you cannot.