#25 Make a Dress (or 8)

When I added #25 Make a Dress to my 101 in 1001 list I did not think it would have the impact on my heart and life that it has.

I have always been one who loves to do for others. That is why when an opportunity came up to provide a service to the children in an orphanage in Haiti I knew that I was up for it.

My mom participates in a group at her church that call themselves the KnitWits. They basically use their different needlework and sewing talents to provide various acts of love and charity for others in need. One of their members had a daughter that had recently gone on a mission trip. The idea came from that to make dresses for the little girls the next time someone we knew was going on a similar trip.

Enter Blessback Worldwide and the children in the Cambry orphanage. The CEO of my company is affiliated with this Non-Profit organization and has often shared his experiences and love for the children in this orphanage. I knew that they were going on a trip in August. I reached out to him and he put me in touch with his daughter who was able to provide me the names and some great information about the girls there. There are 45 girls living in Cambry ranging in age up to 18.

Karson, my mom, 6 other KnitWits and myself divided up the list and set out to make all of the girls their own personalized dress. Because the children get so little that is theirs alone, we made effort to try to make them feel loved from someone they have never met in South Carolina. Each girl was sent a dress with a personalized tag sewn in the back of the neck that said "Made with love for (their name)", a matching hair accessory, a handwritten letter to them, and a picture of the person that made their dress. The dresses were blessed in church before they were given to Blessback for their journey to Haiti.

Making these dresses, writing the letters, and then seeing pictures of the girls with big smiles on their faces has really touched my heart. I want to do what I can to be closer affiliated with this organization and the children of Cambry. There is a trip coming up in January. I am trying to decide if it is the right time in my life to join the group on their journey. It is not a matter of want, because I want to go really bad. It is more a matter of timing and is this the right time. More to come on that....

I will leave you with some pictures of the dresses and the beautiful faces in Cambry. Please keep these children and this organization in your prayers. And as the header on their website says, You are blessed. Bless back!

One Down, 100 to Go...

Have to play a little catch up here. I started this post back in June and just now getting back to finishing it and posting it. 

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One down 100 to go... Who would have thought that when I made the 101 in 1001 list that the first one to be completed was buying a new car. This came to the top of my list because of the crazy past couple of weeks that I have had. My air went out in my Explorer. I was trying to suffer through it even though it was miserably hot. Then one not so glorious Wednesday the serpentine belt snapped due to the compressor being locked up. Fearing this was the beginning of what may be on repair after another I opted for a new (to me) car. When I went car shopping I was planning on getting a used car that would be a minimal payment but still make me feel like it was a better vehicle than my Explorer. Let me tell you, there is a bunch of junk out there that they are trying to sell for a ridiculous amount of money. So after a long frustrating day I changed direction completely and ended up with this.... A 2011 Kia Sorento.

I picked it out and bought it all by myself. I really am growing up :)

While it wasn't what I planned on when I started my search, I am happy with my decision.