Fun video and some bowling!

So, I have to share this! At church, we are fortunate to have some great videos (the church sermon for one campus is broadcast live every Sunday on the website) and this video announcement shows the fun of some of the girls going with us to Honduras this year!  The kids and teens at the project love these girls, and I think you can see why!

This is advertising our bowling event this weekend!  The event is open to everyone of all ages, whether you attend our church or not, so please pop along to support us!  We'll also have some Sarris candy and cross necklaces for sale, as well as information on sponsoring the kids at the project. You can learn more about their lives before and after going to live at Manuelito Project!

There are a few more opportunities to help with the project.  In the past 6 months I became an independent consultant for Jafra, offering free facial and spa parties! It's a lot of fun, as you can imagine. If you would like to know more about the products, visit www.Jafra.com/Danielle -- I ship anywhere and you can order online too!! To book a party, or learn more, contact me! All of my commission is used to sponsor the team or be added to missions in some other way. Between now and Easter, all my commission will be donated to the vehicle fund for the Manuelito Project.

Thanks for your support!

Team building, fundraising and a guest!

We're only in March (we're already in March?!) and already we have had several great meetings and fundraisers!  A couple of car washes and a chicken dinner have got us off to a great start.

At one of our team meetings recently, we had a very special guest. David Medina spent much of his childhood living at the Manuelito Project. At the age of 6 (SIX!) he was on the streets: begging, sleeping rough, and drawn into the reality of drugs as a means to stave off hunger, cold and pain. However, thanks to the great work--bold and compassionate work--of Pastor Pinto, founder of the Project, David was eventually brought to live at the children's home after 3 years living on the streets. Pastor Pinto (called Papi by the kids) was once raised in a similar project and he was called to the ministry of helping street kids a couple of decades ago. Through a program of swapping their drugs for food, the children on the streets were able to get to know Pastor Pinto and to learn about places like Manuelito Project.

David's story is one of great success. His siblings also found refuge at the project. Some still live there, another graduated and became a school teacher.  Today, as an adult, David is well rounded, a father to an infant, and grateful for the opportunity given to him to have a normal healthy life.

The Project that saved David and his siblings relies on donations and volunteers.  Recently we were told of a pressing need. For several months, the Project has been working without the use of a working vehicle.  The vehicles are vital to get the kids to doctors appointments, special classes, emergency care and to continue their outreach into the poorest communities.  With David's help, our church kicked off a drive to raise $15,000 towards the new vehicle.

Upcoming events!

April 2, 5:30pm-8:30pm: "Build a School" Bowlathon at Family Bowlaway, Butler.
April 22 9am-2pm: Craft and Vendor Spring Show, Butler Library
May 19/20: Huge Rummage Sale, Crossfire

Past fundraising and volunteering helped the project immensely. Recent photos show the kids in their new school building, with Phase II underway: a vocational training school! 
If you would like to donate to the car fund, message me or mail a check to Butler FUMC with "Honduras Vehicle Fund" in the memo.We are also selling Disciple Crosses for $10 each, These make great Easter gifts and can be shipped anywhere in the world.

Mission progress

One of my favorite things about the lead up to our mission trip is the team meetings and fundraisers. Don't get me wrong--fundraising is really hard, and I find it very difficult to ask people for money or to come to yet another event, but the comraderie and support is well worth the effort.

What happens during these 6 months?

We study the bible together: what is God leading us to do on this trip, how can God help us to overcome our anxieties, how can we overcome our selfish desires so that we land on Honduran soil with a heart of servitude and love?

We bond.  I know it's only a week in Honduras and that doesn't seem like a lot. But this is no vacation by the pool. We share a dorm, we listen to each other snore, we sweat in the heat together, we dig holes and carry bricks and then we play with dozens of kids together, we sometimes get sick together and nurse one another, some of us get homesick or irritated by one another, we adapt to a very different culture, most of us nod in ignorance at a language we don't understand. All this is hard enough, but doing it with strangers would be even tougher so we take time to get to know one another, to become family to each other so we can be the best team we can possibly be.

Prepping take out at the Chicken Dinner

And of course, we raise funds. Why?  Some people ask why do we raise funds when we are choosing to go. We raise funds for several reasons: 
1) we are not picking people to go based on their wealth but on their heart.  In fact, I wouldn't say that we pick the team so much as God brings the team together.

2) a good chunk of the money we raise is used to fund the home we are visiting, to feed and educate the children.

Chicken dinner

3) On top of the minimum we need to raise, we raise extra so we can help the project with their urgent needs. In the past, our church has raised enough to help start building a new school, to buy toilets for the boys' dorm, a fridge, a stove, tables and chairs, dirt for a road. We also want to have fun with the kids so we take toys, games, sports equipment and treats!

And the #1 question: why not just send money?  Over time I have learned that building relationships with the children and staff goes much further than dollars alone. Rather like the saying, Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime. Much more about that in future posts!