May Happenings

There has been so much going on here that it seems as though I'm going from event to event or preparing for the next event. I'll actually start at the last two weeks of May to catch up.

Joe's high school volleyball season had come to an end so we attended his volleyball banquet at an Italian restaurant. The coaches put together the photo collage and the team managers (high school girls) gave each of the boys a pink crown with their names painted on the front. Joe won a total of three awards that night which we were very blessed to see he did so well.

Joe had a soccer tournament in San Bernadino. I think we went two of the three days, but that was a month ago so who knows. I know we went on Saturday and didn't go on Sunday, not sure about Monday. We didn't go on Sunday because of the dinner at the Ethiopian church. San Bernadino is about two hours or so from us. That Saturday we only took Sarah and the baby. She needed a break from Little Man so he stayed home with his aunts and uncles for the day.

We have connected with an Ethiopian church here in the San Diego area. Marantha Ethiopian Evangelical Church is renting space from another church and would like to have a building of their own. They held a fundraising dinner where the church members as well as the adoptive families of Ethiopian children were invited to attend. They served delicious Ethiopian food as well as some pasta dishes, which was a blessing for some in my family who don't care for the Ethiopian food. Most of us LOVE Ethiopian food, but what can I say other than some of the men/boys are picky eaters.

The girls wore their Ethiopian dresses to our regular church, which all the older people loved, and then they fit in at the Ethiopian church because the ladies were dressed in their dresses also.

Since Monday the 27th was Memorial Day Steve and I went to the cemetery to honor my uncle who had died in the Vietnam War. My grandparents are buried on each side of him. We placed flowers in the vases and made mental notes that we need to come back and spruce things up like cleaning the granite headstone and gluing one of the vases down.

Even though the girls are in school I like to be involved as much as possible. I was asked if I could go on a field trip to the Space Theater/Science Center. My three youngest went and we had a great time learning and playing. http://www.rhfleet.org/

The next night Addis and some of the high school girls did a Spa Night fundraiser for camp and a mission trip. I signed up for the works. Got a manicure and a pedicure, a massage, and a facial. The girls each made about $50 which we're very grateful for since the camp runs about $500 and Addis wouldn't be able to go if we had to for the whole thing. There are monthly rummage sales, they can get work for people, and there are other fundraisers for the kids to help raise the funds. My boys have done yard work, move a mattress, helped someone run their kayak business. If it's something they can do then they work for their way to camp.

May ended with the piano students from school going to see The Wizard of Oz put on by Christian Youth Theater. The show was excellent. The kids who performed did an outstanding job. We rode the bus about an hour each way. On the way there we stopped at a park and had an early, early lunch. It was a fun, fun day, exhausting, but fun.

Youth Rummage Sale

This last week has found me busy getting ready for our church's youth group monthly rummage sale. The funds that come in go into an account for the kids that work that particular rummage sale. So far my kids each earned $30 and they can use the money towards a youth activity, camp, or a summer missions trip.

We set up on Thursday night because it was supposed to rain on Saturday and wanted to beat the rain and not get wet carrying the items from storage. Turns out it didn't rain, but it was chilly. We spent a good 2 1/2 hours setting up and the kids were very helpful carrying heavy, dirty boxes full of junk I mean stuff.

We spent a few days here and there also doing pick-ups so people didn't need to take it all the way to the church. My kids have really outdone themselves and have not complained a bit. I've taught them to work hard and don't quit until the work is done.

Saturday came bright and early at 6am. The kids started arriving to work and so did the customers. I really didn't want to price things so I let our youth pastor's wife do that since she loves doing it. I was able to talk to a lovely older woman who shops monthly. We talked about her family and how she snuck away from her son's house that morning. It had rained the night before and he didn't want her driving so she stayed there, but as soon as the sun came up she snuck out of the house and drove home, a good thirty miles. We talked about her missionary daughter and the rest of her family.

We went through each box and organized, threw stuff away and donated some to Good Will. We really pared down what we had but we still have a lot. The kids carried it all back to the storage and we'll take it out again next month. We were beat afterwards and came home to take a nap. We were SO TIRED! Our bodies were sore from all the bending. It's definitely different being in my fifties.

My next post will be about the Christmas stockings for sailors.

Fall Festival & Halloween Week

I volunteered to organize and run our church's annual Fall Festival which we put on October 31 as a safe alternative to Trick or Treating for the kids of our church and community. We have a carnival type atmosphere where we play games, sell hot dogs and nachos, have a fire going for the older folks, big and little jumps for the kids. We then have a Trunk or Treat where the kids can go from car-to-car in the parking lot collecting candy. We have the cars preregister so we know who is supposed to be in the area. We rent hay bales for a hay ride and decorations, we rent a cotton candy machine. We'll have a popcorn machine, as well as a balloon sculpturer

I've been busy shopping and organizing. Today I'm putting all the games together since I will be pressed for time tomorrow. Our church hosts BSF so we can't set up until 11:30ish and we start at 6pm.

Last night we went to our first ever school carnival. It was fun for the girls. Their teachers, principal and the reservation firefighters all ran the games. We only had tears at the end when Adah lost her candy bag. One of the firefighters quickly filled her another which was greatly appreciated.

Meskerem enjoyed herself and dressed up as Belle. I think this may have been the first time she dressed up, but not sure. She doesn't remember going out for Halloween or going to a Fall Festival or a pumpkin patch in the last two years. Both of our cameras are non-operational so the first grade teacher offered to take pics for us to capture this momentous moment!

I'm also in charge of our youth group's monthly rummage sales. That means when someone from the community has something to donate I hustle on over or down to the church to meet them so we have great things to sell. We use the money to help the kids go to the various camps offered throughout the year, or they can use the money on a mission trip usually planned for the summer. Whoever shows up and works gets a cut of the funds. Having six kids in the youth group it is advantageous for me to help.

I'll post pics when our cameras get working again.

Enjoy your day tomorrow and stay safe!

Brazil Mission Trip

Joe (15) is going on a mission trip to Brazil this summer with our youth leaders and some of the kids in our youth group. As is typical with fundraising he sent out donation/fundraising letters awhile back. Last week he got a call from a couple who was willing to give him a very generous donation IF he went witnessing with them ten times and worked in their yard ten times.

Last Saturday was the first time Joe had ever been out witnessing and I'm sure was very apprehensive. They went to Balboa Park for Earth Day (yeah rough crowd) passed out million dollar bills which I believe have the gospel message on them. One man about fifty got in Joe's face and tried to argue with him, yelled at him, verbally abused him and Joe kept calm pointing him back to the Bible. Joe told him that he didn't know all the answers to the questions he was coming up with and told him if he wanted to know more he could talk to his mentor who knew more. The man declined telling Joe he wanted to talk to him because he was more vulnerable. Joe finally told him after the man didn't like Joe's future career choice (law enforcement) that they would have to agree to disagree because it was obvious they weren't going to come to an agreement on anything.

Yesterday they went to SDSU and passed out million dollar bills and he videotaped his mentor doing some open air preaching. Saturday he is set to go again and pass out Easter eggs with the gospel messge tucked inside and some candy.

If you have work that you would like him to do and you're local he's for hire!

My Crazy Adoption-Visiting Orphans Mission Trip Fundraiser

Michael, son of Kari Gibson My Crazy Adoption is going on a mission trip to Uganda. To help him raise funds his mom is selling tote/messenger bags Tote Bag Fund Raiser. Here is what she writes on her blog:

You can purchase my brand new totes with a purpose.  Each bag will help my son, Michael go to Ethiopia and Uganda in August with Man Up Trip with Visiting Orphans. Together we are raising his support and everything above and beyond will bless orphans in Ethiopia and Uganda on his trip.  Michael has helped raise $10,000 for the well project in Chucko, Ethiopia and can’t wait to visit in person the working well and see with his own eyes the miracles God has done for a rural village in Ethiopia.

CLICK HERE FOR STORE- PURCHASE YOUR TOTE TODAY!!