A thankful HEART!

A quick update on Emma's FUNDRAISING efforts....

She has raised over $300 in the past 10 days!!

In Emma's own words, 

seeing people support her trip makes her feel.... 

Excited

Happy

Glad

Tearful

It's ...Cool!

What an amazing picture of trusting God to provide.  

Thank you for being a visible part of that lesson in Emma's

 life these past few days!

We are blessed beyond measure

as we daily TRUST God to provide the needed funds for our trip.

If you are interested in knowing more about HOW you can help,

click on the KENYA 2012 tab at the top of this blog.  

More updates to come as to special projects

and items we will be collecting to take to the orphanages.

I think there may even be another

"Sewing Dresses for Orphans Night"

in the near future!

Stay tuned....

Last Minute Gifts... from AFRICA??

Do you need any last minute Christmas Gifts?

Emma is selling products to raise money for her Kenya 2012 trip.

T-Shirts $20

Hat $10

Bag $15

All Paper Bead Jewelry bought from the Karamojong Tribe in Uganda.

Necklaces $10

Bracelets $5 & $10

1 Simply Love bag & cap left

Man UP Shirts - Brown, Black & Grey - XL
(fits like a L)

Simply Love - womens size S only
brown with blue lettering

Paper Bead Bracelets - $5

Stretch bracelets - $10 each

Large Paper Bead necklace woven with fabric -
Black & White $10

Lots of LONG Paper Bead Necklaces Multi-Colored
$10 each

Tubular Rolled Paper Bead Necklace $10

Large Paper Bead Necklace & Earring Set $15

Ivory bracelet $5

Friendship Tied Necklace $10

Large Blue Paper Bead necklace $10

ALL proceeds go directly to Emma's Africa Jar!!


(if you are local we can deliver before Christmas... otherwise we can send products Priority Mail.)


E-mail me at: dianaperkey@gmail.com 
first come... first serve!!!
Merry Christmas to all!

On to Project #2!

I am always amazed (but really shouldn't be) at how God answers prayers almost before they are out of my mouth!!

In my last post announcing our

Build Hope - Kenya 2012 trip in July,

I mentioned that we would be taking

lots of donations for the kids in Kenya.  

The first thing we were asking for was back-packs

filled with winter things and sports stuff for the kids.

Within a DAY...

someone stepped up to supply

all 250 needed!

How awesome that a church in Ft. Wayne, IN is taking

on this project as a service opportunity for their

kids' sports program.  They are challenging their kids to

fill the backpacks with supplies and lots of love!

LOVE.

LOVE.LOVE.

how our God works out EVERY detail!

So...now on to Project #2

Our Build Hope - Kenya 2012 trip

is geared around

sports & games.

We are planning to build a playground

for the kids at Fiwagoh and take lots of 

'sporting equipment'.

But...

we would also like to take lots of GAMES

for them to learn and play

when they can't be outside on the playground.

With all the holiday sales going on...

I thought I would put it out there that we are

collecting new BOARD GAMES.

So if you see one of the following on sale

and want to pick it up to donate - 

the kids in Kenya would be ever so grateful!!

Here is the list:

Candy Land

Chutes & Ladders

Sorry

Scrabble

Parcheesi

Mastermind

Checkers

Chess

Twister

Dominoes

Connect 4

Othello

Memory

Trouble

Sequence

Jenga

Guess Who?

Thank you for your continued prayers and support as we

move forward planning for this trip.

Our team is starting to fill and we are watching as

God is moving in so many ways.

It will take many hands, many dollars,

many prayers, and many hearts loving on orphans

to make a difference in this world!!

Loving this journey....

He is calling us ... to GO and BUILD HOPE!

It's official....

Our entire family is going to Kenya this July!

We are so excited to continue the journey

that God is calling us to -  as we 

pack up our three kids and head back

to Fiwagoh Mission Home and School in Nakuru, Kenya.

  We will be leading a team with the theme "BUILD HOPE"

to live at Fiwagoh for 12 days

loving on, playing with, and pouring into

180+ amazing orphans who call this beautiful place - HOME. 

Our primary focus is a building project

to bring some additional fun and recreation to their orphanage. 

Plans are being formulated and will be shared in greater detail soon.

We will also be visiting and blessing

two other orphan ministries in the Nakuru area.

Haven of Hope

and Visoi Children's Home 

 My heart has been touched

by the amazing work that these ladies are doing

in very different yet unique orphanage environments.

We have limited space available on this team

and are already praying for each member

as God skillfully puts this team together.

We ask you to prayerfully consider if God is calling you

to leave the comfort and convenience of your life here in the states

to GIVE of yourself for two weeks

... being the HANDS and FEET of Jesus.

We promise you lots of...

love

hard work

hugs

new foods

smiles

cold water

amazing wildlife

stretching yourself

and blessings beyond measure!!

We KNOW that He is calling us to GO back

as He has placed a burning passion in our hearts for the 'least of these'.

We are confident this is the next step in the journey He has set out for our family. 

There are several ways YOU can be involved:

PRAY....

for the team God is putting together

for the funds that we will need to raise

(for travel costs and building supplies)

for the current health and provision of the children in these homes

SUPPLIES...

There are many things that we will be collecting

over the next few months to take with us

to bless these children and workers on the ground.

The first project is...

'Draw-string' Back Packs for each child (250)

packed with the following items:

gloves/mittens

sock hat

pencils & sharpener

spiral notepad

socks

chap-stick

toothpaste & toothbrush

deodorant

(if you are able to start collecting these items to donate,

please e-mail me at dianaperkey@gmail.com for info on sizes)

SUPPORT...

Our family needs to raise $10k to cover the trip costs.

We have watched God faithfully provide in the past and are confident He

will supply exactly what we need to make this trip possible.

If you would like to donate directly to the costs of our trip,

 you can do so on-line by clicking 

HERE

and selecting 'Kenya - July 2012' as the Fund Category.

Please list 'Diana Perkey' in the Team Member Name spot

and all the funds will go toward our family.

OR

you can send a check made payable to:

Visiting Orphans

PO Box 668

Nolensville, TN 37135

and list 'Diana Perkey' in the memo line.
(all donations are tax-deductible)

GO...

If you feel God calling you to join us - 

Please click HERE to get more information at the Visiting Orphans' site.

You can complete an application and make a deposit

to secure your spot on the team.

There will be many more details about the specifics preparations

that YOU can be involved in coming soon,

but for now we humbly ask for your PRAYERS for our family.

We love what we see God doing in the hearts

of our own kids as our family realigns our priorities and focus.

Stay tuned...many more updates and details to follow!

"And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you,

to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine,

even the least of them, you did it to Me.'  Matthew 25:40

Guess What I Am Thinking About.....

Can't get these kiddos off my mind or out of my heart...

News... coming soon... stay tuned!!

So very thankful for His LOVE and FAITHFULNESS to our family!

Smiles of JOY!

I sat tonight going through photos to send to Visiting Orphans for a big event they have coming up... it was like walking down memory lane!
Oh how I miss the faces, smiles, laughter, hugs and on and on.......

The Comfort of .... a LION?

Really?  ... you ask.

HOW can a LION in Kenya 

give

COMFORT?

Let me explain....

I chose the story of Daniel and the Lion's Den

to take to the kids in Kenya and Uganda this past trip.

I always like to take something for them to MAKE.

Something that they can call THEIR OWN.

You see, they have VERY LITTLE that is truly 

THEIRS.

I wanted to share with them the incredible

story of a man who was willing to 

OBEY GOD...

NO. MATTER. WHAT!

As I stood on the side of a mountain

looking out over a lake

with 180 orphans

helping me tell the tale

of Daniel

who was willing to follow

his Lord, and pray faithfully to him

3 times a day - 

even though he KNEW it could

mean his life.

I WAS TRULY HUMBLED....

That God could even think to

use me - in any way

to make a difference in these

kids lives.

I didn't really have to TELL them anything...

they KNEW every DETAIL of the story

and filled in every blank.

But I shared with them...

HOW MUCH HE LOVES THEM,

AND HOW HE HAS A PLAN FOR THEIR LIVES

IF THEY ARE WILLING TO

OBEY.... EVEN WHEN IT IS REALLY HARD!

HOW EVEN WHEN THEY ARE SCARED... 

HE IS ALWAYS THERE.

AND HE WILL NEVER LEAVE THEM... 

NEVER!

So after our story ...

we headed inside for them to

each MAKE something

to remind them

that HE will always

be there to comfort and protect them.

A LION PILLOW!!!

Let me just say...

that there are some AMAZING people

who spent

HOURS tirelessly laboring with LOVE...

cutting, sorting and assembling

300+

lion pillow kits!

Words CANNOT express....

the look on their faces,

the joy in their eyes,

the smiles from ear to ear

as they proudly

displayed their pillows!

Many of them wrote notes of thanks on the 

Ziplock bags... for those who would

see the pictures we took.  

They wanted them to know

how much the APPRECIATED

the gift of LOVE

from SO FAR AWAY!!

These children DO NOT HAVE

any form of a PILLOW.

(until now!)

What fun to see them

 on their beds... as 'treasures' displayed 

and loved!!

Yes...

the COMFORT of a LION....

Jesus said, "...whatever you did for one of the

least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

 Matthew 25:40

Are we REALLY willing to BE the HANDS and FEET of Jesus

to those who so desperately need it?  Such simple things...

make such a HUGE impact!!