hope extravaganza

weekend (& beyond) - our Neva's idea from months and months ago blossomed beautiful, into one of those start-small adventures that takes on a life of its own. maybe just a little tiny bit like loaves & fishes...here we continue counting a multitude of blessings, #180-195


opportunity to love, serve, give...to kids in Haiti with the global orphan project

grand & generous friends, family, & perfect strangers giving freely of auction items, time, gumption, cookies, music, love coming in from...AZ to TX to MN to IA to IL to MO to KS

perfect stranger: perfect gift to go BIG for the small (this is just one of many stories of love we've experienced along the way: we shared a flyer at a local coffeehouse one day, and the next morning i got a message from a 19-year-old who had seen the flyer with her friends later on that night. they decided they really wanted to be part of the journey too, and they pooled their money to offer a $50 gift card from the coffeehouse for our auction!!)

grandparents, aunts & uncles -- helping in every way imaginable (and beyond!) ...

terrific tech team taking stellar care of us sound, lights, & screen

kaw prairie family ~ God's huge overflowing blessing in our lives...again & again & again

enthusiastic emcee energy (epicenter of awesomeness)

girls for Jesus, young and younger

girls dancing, boys batting, sweet toddler singing "tomorrow," magic, jokes, goofy kids--goofy skits, baby boys in bows

combined christmas, birthday, kitchen-corner-jar, garage & homeschool stuff sales money totaling over $1700 on June 18

amazing auction, donations, CDs sold, refreshment money totaling more than $3600 by 5 pm on June 19

heart-pounding, jaw-dropping realization that we have rushed not a few tens but a few hundred dollars beyond our $5000 goal, by 6 pm on June 19 [Funds gathered beyond $5000 will become the beginning of our next Global Orphan Project!]

djembe delight & the solid rhythm of kids helping kids helping kids...

huge joy of knowing we WILL be building a home for 10 kids in Haiti, completing a village that Isabelle started, much sooner than later

joy of giving thanks & praise to God, who has been working through hundreds of people, surrounding us with encouragement, support, laughter & chances to trust, step out, & speak up!!!

• • • • •
speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves...defend the rights of the poor and needy. proverbs 31: 8,9

~am having a little trouble with uploading & adjusting my photos, for some reason...will keep trying. oh! and if you happen to be reading this and you too have photos from the event, please would you mind sharing them with us? many thanks~