Life {altered}

My world has been changed, shattered, and impacted. My eyes have been opened, and its so hard to ignore once you have truly SEEN.
I know so many of my friends and family are sick of hearing about it. But once you have opened your ears, eyes, and heart to knowing the TRUTH - its hard to back down, to let it go.
I mentioned in the previous post about the shoes that we had the opportunity to meet with the missionary from Ethiopia that we were able to provide shoes to the children she serves. In this meeting with her I learned so much! I thought I knew, I knew a little bit of the ugly truth that daily inhabits this world. But honestly, I didn't realize... Childrens parents sending them on buses at the age of 6 to go and work to care for themselves. Young boys working to provide for their mothers and siblings as they are viewed the "head of the household", the lack of food, the lack of clean water, the dangers of the world that surrounds them daily. I am sure its going to be even more of an eye opener when we are actually there. But my heart has been broken for these children. Its so hard to just turn away unchanged and not feel a sense of obligation to do SOMETHING. I have no clue how so many in our world can go on daily and ignore these things. How can you know children are starving another country away and not feel guilt by wasting food?? How can you know people in another country have no access to clean water and as you brush your teeth continue to run the faucet nonstop, or leave the shower running for long periods of time before getting in?
My life has been changed. I no longer brush my teeth and allow the water to run. I no longer waste my food. I take everything home and make myself eat the leftovers.

What stinks, is I am not bragging about any of this. Truth is - I hate hearing the sound of the toothbrush on my teeth - I like to run the water so I can't hear it. I sometimes hate leftovers- certain foods are just not meant to be reheated. Once your eyes have been opened, it makes you sick to think of the things these children are facing another world away from here. Its hard not to think how lucky I am that I was born in America. That simply because of the location in which these children were born - that they were faced with such despair. It could have easily been me or you....
I pray that everyone who reads this will consider those in need more, and yourself less. Do the little things in your life to make a change. Don't take the little things for granted, that could mean the world to someone else. Make a difference.

Fundraisers for Christmas Shopping!!!!

Please consider shopping one or both of these fundraisers to help us continue to raise our funds for our adoption costs!

We are doing a Scentsy fundraiser with Kyra Hawkins... all profits will go towards our adoption costs! We are hoping you will do some Christmas shopping with us in this fundraiser. To place your order you may contact me, or order online at: http://kyrahawkins.scentsy.us and you will select Huff Adoption Journey under her picture on the right side of the page to shop.  

The Scentsy November Specials are: BOGO Scentsy Buddies, BOGO antibacterial fragrance foam, 10% off peppermint dreams (scent of the month), and 10% off Holiday Lights warmer of the month.

Sherri Peters a Stampin' Up! consultant has a group of women that is called "Inking for Others" and they make Card Kits to sell to benefit others. They have chosen us to do Christmas Card Kits for. The kits are $25 for 15 cards (5 designs- 3 of each card) $20 of that goes to our adoption fundraising, the other $5 goes for supplies. We need all orders in by November 18th. Below is a photo of the card designs! These are some precious women, who just love making cards and are so talented at it! It was such a blessing that they offered to do this for us. Please contact me as soon as possible if you plan to order some cards, it helps us to keep her in the know of how many to plan to make. This is their website if you want to check it out: www.inkingforothers.blogspot.com

 

How He Loves Us...

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18 
Many of you remember when I had asked for others to join with us in putting shoes on the feet of street children in Ethiopia. Well these are feet that are no longer bare in the above photo (actual feet of one of our sponsored children). I was blessed with sitting down and chatting with Rebecca (the missionary that we sent the money to for the shoes) today and learning about each of the children we sponsored shoes for. I cannot begin to express to so many of you the need that is in Ethiopia. I thought I had an idea of how rough it was for these kids... but honestly we have no clue. So many of these children we learned about today are 8-12 years old, many of them living on their own. They go to school, beg, and sell gum in the streets for money to live. They pay their own rent, and for their own food - which sometimes doesnt come often. They often go without eating. I just cant imagine any 8 yr old I know fending for themselves on the streets in Ethiopia. Some of them still live with their mothers and siblings, and they are considered the head of their household - and have all the responsibility that title entails on their shoulders. Some were shipped to Addis from the countryside at the age of 6 on a bus, all alone, to find their own way of caring for themselves. It breaks my heart, and I wish I could take them all in. We are earnestly praying for God to show us what we can do to make a difference, other than adopting. Honestly adopting a child, does so much for that child in giving them a family, but it really doesn't do much for the country of Ethiopia as far as making improvements to better and make a difference there.
I wanted to share some photos that Rebecca shared with me of the children getting their shoes! We were actually able to get each child a pair of shoes, 2 pairs of socks, and 2 pair of underwear also! I am wanting to post and say a HUGE thank you to everyone who partnered with us to make a difference! I was so blessed today in getting to see these children's faces in the photos as they were looking at the shoes.
Rebecca said they couldn't believe that they just got to go and pick out ANY shoes they wanted. They never in their lives have had an opportunity like this. One child who had holes in his pants and that they were falling apart, she was actually able to get him 2 shirts and 2 pairs of pants, as well as all the same things the other children got as well. I plan to post about the children and their stories later, but tonight wanted to go ahead and share the photos of them getting their shoes. Once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO WAS A PART IN THIS!