ORPHANS...NO LONGER JUST A WORD

While Anna is with Adventures in Missions in Thailand, my daughter Betsie's best friend is serving with them in Nicaragua. Candace wrote a blog post this week about an experience at a children's home and how God used it to impact her heart. This blog post was very special for me because firstly, I adore Candace. She's just fabulous, pure and simple, straight and true, fabulous. And secondly, I have had a special spot in my heart for orphans since I was a child. God just planted a special love for them there, both true orphans and those children that are emotional orphans due to parental rejection or neglect.

God plants that special love in the hearts of His people because God has a special love for orphans. After all, He tells us that pure religion is to care for orphans and widows. I'm blessed to see how Candace is putting that pure religion into action, and at only 16 years of age.

This past Friday my team and I went to a Orphanage just for girls. Earlier in the week someone explained to us that most if not all the girls in the orphanage are not really orphans. There parents are most probably still alive, but their parents did not want them, so they brought them to the orphanage. After hearing this it made me want to go even more.

So Friday we set off to go. After about a 10 minute walk we were there. After a Teacher unlocked the front gate so we could come in. The teacher told us we had one hour to spend with the girls.

As we walked through a few girls meet us with big hugs. The girls grabbed our hands and brought us to where we would be for the remainder of the hour. As we were setting our water bottles and the rest of our things on a table, more girls came flowing in. As soon as we had set our things down we started singing and play with the girls. It did not take long to realize the girls are starving for people to love on them. And we are just the right people to do so.

As I walked back over to the table where I had set my water bottle I notice a little girl sitting by herself, a walked over to her to ask her if she wanted to join in all the playing and singing. When I asked her and just shock her head no, I then sat down and started talking to her in a little to no Spanish. After I had said everything I knew in Spanish, I just sat there for a few minutes. Thinking that the the 6 year old girl really did not want me there I started to stand up, once she realized what I was doing she grabbed my hand and told me no in a much louder voice than she had been using. I sat right back down knowing that this girl just wanted someone to love and spend to with her. I was completely out of things to say, but me just being there was enough for her.

I only spent about 20 to 30 minutes with her, but it was one of my favorite things so far that I have done in Nicaragua. This girl was probably brought to the orphanage by her parents because they did not want her, and she probably knows that. She might go to bed at night every night thinking about the family that left her. But God does not look at this little 6 year old girl as orphan or a unwanted child. God sees her as a child of his, a child that he will never leave.

I wanted to tell her all this and more, but my lack of Spanish would not let me tell her all this. The only thing I could do for this little child was to pray in silence as she colored. And all the time I heard God say was the world might see her as a orphan or a unwanted kid, but to me she will never to a orphan.

That night when we can back to the place we http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifare staying I put my earphones in and listen to Orphans of God. And for the first time when they sang There are No Orphans of God I saw the face of the little girl. Not just the word Orphans.

To read more about how God is working in and through TEAM NICARAGUA, check out their blog: http://nicaragua-hs.adventures.org/

WEIGHT TRAINING

I found this quote today and wanted to share it:

"It's good to do uncomfortable things. It's weight training for life."

— Anne Lamott (Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith)

Ain't that good? Definitely not one to give you the warm fuzzies, but definitely a quote that packs some hard truth.

So, what uncomfortable thing has God been speaking to you about lately?

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE 4TH THINGS

Watermelons, oohing and aahing at fireworks, kids not crying over the boom of the fireworks, big hairbows, homemade burgers, wearing patriotic colors, march music, homemade icecream, sparklers, kids eating rocket pops, lawn chairs, blueberries, photo ops, big smiles, brightly colored bunting, holiday sprinkles, flag cake, the aroma of meat cooking on the grill, hand-drawn flags, freedom, and country-style parading down rural roads. That's my newest favorite 4th thing.

So what are your favorite 4th things?

HE'LL FLY AWAY, OH GLORY!

Some glad morning, when this day is done, he'll fly away!

That's right. Tomorrow is the big day. Bright and early, while I'm probably still snoozing, my oldest son will board a plane and take off for Peru. His first flight ever will take him to Ft. Lauderdale where he'll have a good-sized layover before heading south to Peru. And then most likely, after a night spent in the airport, he'll make his way somehow deep into the Amazon Jungle where he'll be based at Nauta.

We're hoping and praying that he'll be able to call us from Florida before he heads way down, down, down south. In the meantime, we continue to pray for what God is doing in his life and will go to sleep praying for traveling mercies.

Will join us in praying for David as he completes his training and begins that which he has planned for and dreamed of and prayed about for so long now?

Thanks and I'll update as soon as we hear from him!
Elysa

P.S. The link for his team blog is http://peru-amazon-hs.adventures.org/.

A NEW KIND OF FAMILY PILGRIMAGE

This past Thursday, we drove David over for his missionary training camp at the Adventures in Missions base outside of Atlanta. This was our 2nd time in less than a month to be there and our 4th time total to have a teenager participating in the Ambassador program. It has become a family pilgrimage that we look forward to and 12 year Patrick is already planning for. Wonder where God will take him?

In the meantime, here are some photos from that day---




Here are Betsie and David heading down the road to the big white tent where we registered and met David's team.


This is the main AIM building where the admissions staff work as well as the kitchen, dining area, etc. Oh...and air conditioning!


David has 3 other guys on his team. Rich, in green, is the team leader. Trey and Dillon, wearing white, are the other real-men-do-missions participants headed to Peru.


Before, we've always headed to the girls' cabins. This year, it was down the hill behind the tent to the boys' cabin.


Inside the cabin, Patrick looks a little more excited than David...maybe a little bit too excited.



One of the perks of the day was seeing friends. Chandler and Anna became best friends on their Swaziland Ambassador trip 2 years ago. Now Chandler is a treasured friend for our whole family.


We also got to meet face-to-face for the first time Lindsay. She was also one of Anna's Swazi teammates. She's from California, though, so up til now we've only interacted with her online. It was great seeing her with Chandler as they team up yet again to go love on some precious ones in Swaziland.



David and his team seemed to really hit it off great right away with lots of smiles, laughing, and cutting up.



Glenalyn and Alana are the young women helping to lead David's team. They've got lots of 3rd world experience between them as former World Racers.



While the various Ambassador team participants were getting to know each other under the big, white tent, the parents attended an information meeting led by Kelly Chadwick. Then it was a spaghetti supper with the team leaders before heading back out for goodbyes.


The little ones are going to miss their big brother. And yeah, I'll miss him, too. He's a great kid growing into a great young man.


A young man that his daddy and I are very, very proud of and can't wait to see all that God is going to do in and through his life.

Please keep on praying for David as his team goes through a lot over the next day in preparation for flying to Peru on Monday. Pray that God moves mighty in all their lives as individuals and pulls them tightly together in unity as a team.

MY DAUGHTER GOT DRUNK...

...and I couldn't be more happy for her. Here's the first blog post Anna has written since getting to Phuket, Thailand:

THE BEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE

I’ve never been mistaken for drunk before.

Wednesday night I was. And it was amazing.

Ever since Tuesday night, when we had worship with the Real Lifers and prayed and sent them out to do their ministry, I’d been dying to get out on Bangala Road again. Waking up Wednesday morning, I was already praying for that night. I didn’t fast, but I spent the day in that attitude. Even in the shower, when the electricity (and subsequently the water) died for half an hour or so (right after I put shampoo in my hair of course) I was praying, communicating with God. I just knew that there was gonna be a battle that night. That I needed to be drenched in His spirit, His love and His truth. I prayed it over the girls on my team. I prayed and prayed and looked forward to what God would do.

He didn’t disappoint.

As soon as the nightly worship started, I felt this incredible zeal. This warrior-like energy filled me and the anticipation I’d felt before was nothing compared to the excitement now overpowering me. Out in the truck, before we even left, our team continued the exaltation. Never has simply singing felt so powerful to me. The chorus of my favorite song we sang says, “I will bring praise, I will bring praise. No weapon formed against me shall remain.” I can’t even guess how many times I sang (or screamed) out those words over the course of the night.



By the time we got to Bangala Road it was a little later than usual, and a lot busier than it had been the first night we were there. We separated into our small groups of threes and four and headed out. At first my mind was going crazy. I’d been looking forward to it so much, and thinking about it so much that now I wanted to talk to everyone I saw and pray for every single thing. I was a spastic, charged-up child. Fortunately for me, God had an astounding plan in mind.

It started raining.

Ooh big deal. It rained during raining season on a tropical island. But see, it was a big deal. It hadn’t really rained much while we’d been in Phuket, and as the rain started falling, the streets cleared. Everyone headed for the shelters of the overhanging bars and shops’ roofs. For a little while, we stood under that semi-covering, my teammate Sophia singing and me purposefully praying loudly, but after some of our other teammates passed us, brazenly singing at the tops of their lungs, striding down the street so confident in Jesus I believe everyone looking at them had to see it, the leader with us allowed us to follow them. So we marched down the street singing/screaming “Let it rain! Open the floodgates of Heaven!” and by the time we reached the end of Bangala Road I was soaring in my spirit.

We joined our other teammates in song and just called down Heavenly rain onto Bangala. People gawked at us and that was okay. No, that was great! They were hearing us say the name of Jesus right there in front of strip clubs!

As the rain ended and we moved off in our separate groups, a woman in one of the stores lining the street motioned to me. After a few minutes of conversation she asked how much I’d been drinking. My teammates assured her I hadn’t had a drop of alcohol, while I just laughed and thought to myself, actually, I am drunk. With God’s love and this life that he has given me.

I could fill ten more blog posts with all the other incredible and awful things we saw and did that night but I’ll wrap this up by saying Wednesday night was the best night of my life. I could literally do that every night of my life. And I cannot wait to get back down there.

To read more about what God is doing in Anna's life and through her team, visit their blog: http://thailand-hs.adventures.org/

TODAY'S THE DAY


Today is the day that David's missions adventure begins. He'll be starting his training at the AIM base and meeting his teammates before heading out to Peru in just a couple of days.



I am so excited for him. Absolutely can not wait to see what God is going to do in and through his team.

Pray, okay?

Thanks,
Elysa
(One really proud mama)

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE

Last week, the kids and I read this poem as part of our breakfast devotional time. I loved it and wanted to share it with you here at Graceland.

Praying

It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

- Mary Oliver

By the way, the photo was taken in Thailand. We were praying for one of the Thai staffer's grandfathers that just became a follower of Jesus Christ a few months ago. It was a precious time.

FOR THOSE DEVOTED

"Oh, that I had a thousand lives, and a thousand bodies! All of them should be devoted to no other employment but to preach Christ to these degraded, despised, yet beloved mortals." --- Robert Moffat


Some of my most favorite people in the world are missionaries. Some are short-term, like my daughter Anna and Betsie's best friend Candace who are serving this summer on Adventures in Missions Ambassador teams for high schoolers, while others are long-term like Dudley and Inge Donaldson who live in Swaziland and minister through the Zion Bible College to church leaders.

And even though I personally believe that serving overseas as a missionary is one of the biggest blessings a person can experience, I also know it is often a tough blessing. Just being far away from family and long-time friends is hard and then you add on other challenges such as language learning or safety issues.

Prayer is essential for missionaries. Yes, they need our financial support and emails and care packages, but they absolutely must have prayer support. It simply is not an option.

And in light of that, I wanted to ask you to pray for some missionaries that are in my thoughts and prayers especially this week.





*Dudley and Inge Donaldson were in a car accident today while driving back to Swaziland from South Africa. They hit a cow after dark. The car is demolished. Praise God, Dudley and Inge walked away from the wreck. Dudley does have some glass in an eye so pray for that to be dealt with easily and keep on praying for their safety and the safety of other missionaries. Dangerous road conditions are an every day reality for many, especially those living in 3rd world countries.



*The Gerber Family, Adventures in Missions staff in Swaziland, need prayers as they mourn the loss of Jumbo's dad. His mother passed away last year and his dad had moved over to Swaziland to live with them. Jim and I had the blessing of meeting him when we visited with them last year. His dad deeply loved the Lord so we know he is with God right now, but he will still be greatly missed.



*The Espy Family has just returned to Thailand after a short visit in the States. Just after Betsie and I left Thailand, where she had been living with them, they received word that Chrissy's brother had passed away. They had to scramble to make travel plans and fly back here to spend time with their family. One of the hardest things missionaries face is when they lose loved ones back home, especially parents or their children. Pray for them as Chrissy mourns his loss and Jon ministers to her. Also, pray for them to have the financial provision they need in their faith-based ministry and they continue to learn the language and adjust to their new life in Asia.

*My friend "B" and others who are fairly new to the mission field and still adjusting to living in a fishbowl. Because when you are one of the few Americans in a foreign place, privacy can be a premium. As though adjusting to a new culture with new food and manners isn't a big enough challenge, getting used to always being stared at and having very little opportunities for alone time can also be a major adjustment. Pray for new missionary families as they learn to have new family dynamics that are healthy even if they are different.

*My daughter Anna and her team have now been in Thailand for a week. They are going most nights to the main road where the bars and brothels are located. While the older short-term missionaries go into the bars to minister, Anna's team stays out on the street and prays and talks to the bar girls and tourists as God gives them opportunity. Pray for them as they fight against intensely dark forces that revel in the bondage, lust, and abuse that reigns there. Pray also for the safety of these teenaged and 20-something women as they are surrounded by drunkenness, licentiousness, and men who have no respect for women.




*Betsie's best friend Candace is in Nicaragua doing a variety of ministry outreaches. Last week, they did a Vacation Bible School and helped lead services at a church. This week they visited a city dump where they met entire families, including children, who spend their entire lives digging through the trash heaps in search of things they can sell or eat or use. Things they need to simply live. Candace's team served them a meal and sought ways that they could bring love and hope to those living in a place filled with hopelessness and rejection. Pray for Candace's team as they are seeing and experiencing poverty in ways that most of them have never ever seen. Pray that they won't give in to despair that would tell them that there isn't anything they can do to make a real difference. Pray that they will be able to just focus on loving the one that God puts in front of them. Pray that they will find God ordained ways to effectively communicate His good news with them despite the language and cultural barriers.

*My son David leaves this week for his missionary training camp. He's done inner-city ministry with us and he's been to Mexico with his dad and two siblings for a few days with a mission team from our church, but this will be his first time to go on a ministry trip without us. Pray for traveling mercies and protection from disease. Pray for his team as they get to know each other and learn to work together in unity. Pray for each of the teenagers that they will learn to listen to God as never before and grow in their willingness to follow Him no matter what. And pray for their team leaders to have all the wisdom and discernment and abilities that they will need as they guide these young people on this absolutely amazing God adventure.

Thank you for joining with me in praying for these faithful ones. As someone who lived in Africa for two years, I can attest to the fact that your prayers are one of the most powerful and loving things you can do for them.

A TRULY HEROIC THING

Men have said that the cross of Christ was not a heroic thing, but I want to tell you that the cross of Jesus Christ has put more heroism in the souls of men than any other event in human history. –John G. Lake

I admit, raising sons is often a baffling task. Girls, even when they are crazy with hormones or silly beyond belief, are a gender I understand. After all, I also have been crazy with hormones or silly beyond belief a good generous helping of times in my life.

But boys?

I often am truly dumbfounded at the things they do and say.

And I often have to turn to my husband for answers and solutions. Calling Daddy in the middle of the day and having him handle a situation is not an unknown around here.

But despite the perplexing nature of raising them, I really do love my boys and I'm proud of how they are growing up. Because to be honest, I really do see all three of them growing in Christ-likeness.

It is more obvious in David as he is 14 and starting to look more and more like a man, but I see it, also, in the two younger boys. Whether it is Patrick sweetly helping a younger child at Vacation Bible School or my little Mr. T telling me the most precious encouragements that my mama heart really needs to hear, they are boys that I just don't love because I'm their mama, they are boys that I'm proud to call my sons.

In just a small handful of days, David will be leaving on an incredible journey. He, at only 14 years of age, will be going with a small team of teenagers and young adult leaders for Peru. There he'll be ministering along the Amazon River in the jungle to people who need to hear about Jesus, his life and death on the cross and resurrection. People who need to hear that God loves them and that what Jesus did means something for them.

Let me repeat that. My son David is going to be ministering to people in the Amazon! At 14!

Now to my way of thinking, that's pretty heroic! At 14, I was concerned about scoping out cute guys, what I was going to wear, and what shows were coming on t.v. that night. Sure, I thought about missions, but it was what grown-ups did. Not teenagers. Not 14 year olds.

But my first born son who hasn't even started high school yet, is going far from home, sleeping under mosquito nets, hiking thru dense jungle growth, and facing who knows what because of the call of Christ on his life. As a mama, I hope he is not in serious danger while there. But as a follower and lover of Jesus, I'm willing to let him go even if it does turn dangerous. Because that's what Christianity is supposed to be about.

True Christianity is supposed to be about living in relationship with Jesus and walking where he leads. It is supposed to be about following Him. And sometimes, just as His path while on this earth was a path of extreme sacrifice and eventual death on the cross, our life is also a path of extreme sacrifice and even death for the sake of telling others the story of the cross.

I will pray for my son's safety in Peru. I will pray that God's angels will be strong and mighty to keep him safe from harm and sickness.

But more than that, I will be praying that no matter what my son faces, he will stand strong in Jesus and proclaim the good news no matter the cost.

And in my eyes, that's true heroism.

*************************************************

We are still raising money for David's mission trip to Peru. Our dear friend Betty Hodge has created us another cross painting to auction off. This brown and aqua green beauty, that is at the top of this blog post, measures 9 X 13. If you would like to bid on it, please leave your name, someway for me to contact you, and the amount you are bidding in a comment. We will ship this anywhere in the Continental USA. The bidding will start at $8. The auction will end Thursday at 5:00. If you are unable to leave a comment, please contact me via fb or email at jimelm "at" windstream "dot" net. Thanks!

LOOK OUT, WORLD!

Here is a blog post written today by Anna's team leader, Shannon Higgins, in Thailand:

WE CALL THEM THE NEXT GENERATION

12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1Tim 4:12



But I am among ten beautiful young women who are not the next generation, but are part of the generation now because they are choosing to not wait to change the world. These amazing young women are stepping out of the norm and are taking a stand.

They have given up a month of their lives to serve others. They have given up their cell phones, computers, facebook, and tv. They are willing to live without air conditioning in the middle of summer. They are willing to give up their personal rights and expectations to be part of community. They are willing to take off the mask the world says they have to wear to be truly vulnerable with their team. They have given up their freedom to do what they want and go where they want. They are giving it all to Jesus.

They have shared their brokenness with each other. They have admitted their failures and faults. They have loved each other in their imperfections. They have chosen to let Jesus over take their lives. They have taken disappointment on the chin and rolled with it.

These beautiful young women have done all of this to allow Jesus to take a hold of their lives and totally break and transform them. They are seeking so much more than what the world has to offer. They do not want to just survive through life, but live it abundantly.

So many people put limits on what teenagers can do or handle, but God does not put limits on them. We have ten incredible young women who have struggled through to be able to be used by Jesus now. They are not waiting until they are adults, have a college education, and have more life experience. They are doing something now to bring hope to a broken world.

They have not just come to Thailand to work with women in the bars; they have come to be transformed so that they can be an agent of Jesus’ love, hope, and peace everywhere they go.

I realized very quickly at training camp that these young women were my ministry. They have captured my heart. I care more about pouring into them then even going into the bar area and ministering there. They have impressed me in their desire to seek God and serve him. They are finding who they are in Christ and identifying their callings now instead of having to do it in their 20’s like I did. I desire so much to help them discover their identity in Christ and encourage them each day we are here.

Be looking out for these amazing young women to change the world!

To read more about Shannon Higgins adventures in missions, visit her blog:

http://shannonhiggins.theworldrace.org/

WHAT???

What I'm doing?

Well, besides blogging, obviously, I'm working on the final days of fundraising for David's upcoming mission trip, still editing photos from the Thailand trip, eating blueberries by the handful off of our own bushes, and enjoying having my hubby home after he's been gone working with the flood recovery efforts.

What am I reading?

SUPERFOODS RX and the book of Nehemiah in the Bible

What I'm thinking?

That we all need a lot of grace. That we need to love passionately those we've been blessed with in our lives. That I need to be more intentional in looking for ways to communicate to people how much God loves them because we're not promised tomorrow.

What I'm listening to?

SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR on Pandora Radio.

What am I cooking?

Made a main dish of Asian, veggie, fried, brown rice and a broccoli dish with a Thai peanut sauce.

What I'm dreaming about?



Thailand has been in a lot of my sleeping dreams but Swaziland still reigns in my day dreaming.


What I've been praying about?

My cousin Elliott's recovery from his accident, my friend Chrissy Espy as she mourns the loss of her brother, provision for David and his Peru teammates, Anna in Thailand, missionary Jumbo Gerber whose dad passed away this weekend, our friends and family members who don't know Jesus, Jackson, Thailand, and Swaziland.




So what are you up to? Feel free to snag this and then send me the link!

FRIDAY BITS

Just some random bits to round out the week:




*Betsie had the opportunity to be the guest missionary at a local Baptist Church each morning this week during their Vacation Bible School. Jim says she is following in my footsteps, after all, for years I've shared at Vacation Bible Schools about missions and just this week I had the blessing of getting to speak at two local library's summer reading programs about my experiences in Swaziland. Next week she'll be sharing at a library program about her Thailand experience.



*Talked to Anna in Phuket,Thailand, this morning. She called because of Elliott's accident. I'll be sharing more details later but she is doing fine, just tired from the traveling, and they've started learning more about their ministry and praying in preparation.


*David leaves in less than one week for his Peru mission trip. Thank you to all who have donated items and money as well those of you who have bid on auctions. The scarf auctions are now over. I'll be notifying the winners tomorrow.



*Jim has been working out of town the last few days helping with the Mississippi River flood recovery efforts. He wasn't due back home til Sunday but gave us the happy surprise of coming home today.



*My Cousin Elliott continues to show improvement. The fluid in his lungs is lessening but he is still in critical condition and hasn't started talking yet, though he can communicate with head shakes and hand squeezes. Please keep praying!



*Patrick, David, and Betsie helped me lead Vacation Bible School at our church this past Wednesday. Our church is trying something different for us. We are holding VBS sessions on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. I was so blessed by those three big kids. I had been experiencing a lot of dizziness since my Thailand trip and wasn't up to doing all I'd normally do. They did most of the interaction and teaching including a puppet skit, worship, Bible verse time, a two-man --- er teenage --- skit, and memory verse recitations. What a gift they are in my life!

*By the way, just finished reading Ann VosKamp's ONE THOUSAND GIFTS. If you have not read it, get a copy and change that situation!


Well, that's all the main news for now. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend filled with fresh awareness of just how much God loves you, even when it is dark and hard to see.

PLEASE PRAY FOR MY COUSIN'S SON

This weekend, Elliott was in a horrible truck accident. As a result, he has lost one leg and part of the other one. He is still in critical condition and not out of the woods yet. Right now, the big concern is the fluid in his lungs and fighting against infection.


He is only 22 years old. He is a great young man and the only son of my cousin Kim and her husband Joey. His grandparents just lost their house to one of the tornadoes that hit North Alabama recently. This has been an extremely hard time for the family but Joey was there for his grandparents and helped with the recovery process.


Now they are standing by wanting to help with his recovery process but know that at this point, all they can do is pray and leave him in the hands of the medical staff and God.



Would you please join with my family in praying for him and his family? Pray hard for healing.



You can read his story at this website:


http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/elliottmalone/mystory


Thank you so much and feel free to pass this on to any others you think would pray for him. The family is very blessed with a large support group as they have lived in the same area just north of Decatur for decades and my uncle Ray Tom pastored a church there for all those years. But as I know, you can never have too many people praying for you.

LAST TRIO of FUNDRAISING SCARVES

Here are the last three scarves I brought back from my Thailand trip. As stated in a previous blog, all of the proceeds from this online auction will go towards David's Peru ministry trip. He is leaving next week and still has over $2000 to raise. These scarves would make fabulous fashion accessories for yourself or great future Christmas and birthday gifts.

SCARF #1 --- BROWN AND SHEER

The first scarf is very, very unique. Everywhere you see "white", it is actually a see-thru sheer material. So if you drape the scarf, the color of outfit you are wearing will peep through. Truly a versatile scarf that will match almost anything. This scarf measures 20 X 50 and the bidding on it will start at $15.




SCARF #2 --- GREEN BUTTERFLIES

This scarf, with a woven in pattern of butterflies, flowers, geometric patterns, and stripes, is comprised of graduating sections of green --- light, medium, and dark. The bid on this lovely scarf will start at $13.


SCARF #3 --- PINK WITH EMBROIDERED FLOWERS

This silky, very light-weight scarf has a scattering of green and white floral embellished vines. This scarf measures 28 X 64 and the bidding on it starts at $12.




To bid on one of the scarves, leave a comment below with your name, contact information, the number and name of the scarf you want, and the amount of your bid.

If you are unable to leave a comment, you can contact me via facebook or through an email at jimelm "at" windstream "dot" net.

We will be glad to mail scarves to any place in the Continental USA.

Let the bidding commence!

BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY HELPS SEND DAVID TO PERU

I had thought I would be posting about more scarves today, but something else has come up instead. The scarves will wait til another day. A dear friend, Mike Brower, has started making gorgeous jewelry and key-chains. Mike contacted me last night with an idea about helping raise funds for David's upcoming mission trip which starts in less than two weeks.


If people will buy Mike's jewelry this week in honor of David, he will donate 100% of the proceeds from the first five items sold towards David's trip. Any items sold after that on David' behalf will have 10% of their proceeds go to his trip. This special previously was due to end Friday, June 23, but Mike has extended it through July 2.

So go to Mike's Etsy shop and check out the offerings.

http://creativepaths.etsy.com/


And visit his facebook page for latest updates:

http://facebook.com/creativepathsdesign

Mike is also happy to do special orders. There are various charms that can be added to the jewelry easily and these make great matching/coordinating gifts for bridesmaids, ladies groups, sister gifts, etc.

If you buy something, make sure you put "David Mac" in the buyer's notes when you check out.

And please consider passing this on via your fb, twitter, blog, or email even if you can't or don't want to buy anything. The more people who see this, the better chance we have of making a big dent in the $2000+ David still needs for his missions trip. If you re-post it, just please make sure you put the part about David's name being entered in the buyer's note field.



By the way, Mike Brower and his wife Danielle are the sponsorship ministry coordinators for the Bheveni Carepoint in Swaziland. Their passion for missions and orphan care is seen every day in how they live their life. This is just one example of many. Those two are true blessings!

Thanks in advance!
Elysa

MORE SCARVES for MISSIONS

Our son David leaves for his Peru mission trip in less than two weeks. Anna is en route to Asia as I type. It is hard to believe that after all these months of prayer and preparation that Betsie has gone and come back, Anna has gone, and David will soon be gone, too.



In the meantime, we've still got plenty to do such as buying him hiking pants, filling his malaria tablet prescription, and more fund raising.

Yep.

That's right.

More fund raising.

He actually still needs quite a bit. Over $2000 quite a bit.

But God is good and He provides. And one way He is providing is through our online auctions.

While I was in Asia earlier this month, I bought some more scarves. These were actually bought in Laos when we took our day trip across the MehKong River. Here are the scarves and the lovely young woman that sold them to us.



If you want to bid on one, list the number of the scarf along with the "name" given to it, the amount you are bidding, your name, and some kind of contact information.

All bidding will end this Friday evening at 5:00 in order to give time for your money to get to us before he leaves. I'll try to get the scarves in the mail before I leave to take him to the AIM base next week.

SCARF #1 --- GREEN

This scarf measures 68 X 28. It can be worn as a traditional scarf around the neck, or as seen on Betsie, worn as a shawl or wrap.

The starting bid on this scarf is $15.












SCARF #2 --- PINK AND BROWN CIRCLES

This scarf measures 62 X 10. It is a silky material, very light-weight. The great, bold pattern easily dresses up or goes casual.

The bidding on it will start at $12.




SCARF #3 --- BLUE AND BROWN CIRCLES

This scarf also measures 62 X 10 and is a light-weight, silky material. I loved this one so much that I bought one just like it for myself. It is dressy enough to wear with suits and dresses but the colors also make it great for jeans and khakis.

The bidding on this one also starts at $12.






SCARF #4 --- BLACK & WHITE FLORAL

I was tempted to keep this scarf, not only because I love black and white, but because I also love the vintage feel to this one. But, a girl can only wear so many scarves and since I'm trying to add more color to my wardrobe, I decided to let this one go to a good home. It measures 50 X 21 and would be lovely as a neck scarf or a light wrap with slinky going out dresses.

The bidding on this scarf will start at $13.






SCARF #5 --- RED and BLACK

This scarf is light-weight enough to wear during hot weather months but the rich, dark colors make it one that is completely appropriate to be worn into the fall and winter months, too. This beauty measures 28 X 68.



The bidding on this scarf will start at $15.


SCARF #6 --- BROWN and MAGENTA FLORAL

This upbeat, funky scarf is very light-weight and would make a nice evening wrap over bare shoulders or draped around your neck with t-shirts or business blouses. This scarf measures 31 X 19. The bidding on it will start at $13.


I still have a couple of more to post but to be honest, I'm just too tired. We'll start the bidding on these and I'll post the last couple of them tomorrow.

Thanks in advance for your support!