Christmas Shoes

Thank you to everyone who shared my GIVE AWAY on their blog!

Thank you to everyone who posted a link to my GIVE AWAY on Facebook!

Thank you to everyone who purchased a bottle cap necklace!

Thank you to everyone who made my Christmas wish come true!

I received orders for 314 necklaces and 1 very generous donation (thanks Aunt Tamara)!!!

Together we were able to raise $1870 and...

All 42 new children at Kind Hearts will have new shoes!!!

All 21 new children at Trees of Glory will have new shoes!!!

AND

40 of the children at Kechene will have new shoes!!!

That's 103 new pairs of shoes!!!!

34 really cool people left me extremely sweet comments and were entered into my GIVE AWAY.  Everyone's name went into a bag for the drawing and the lucky winner is...

LORI LAUGHNER!!!

Congratulations Mrs. Laughner !! 
You have won 10 necklaces of your choice!

I will keep making necklaces to buy shoes for the rest of the kids at Kechene.  Many of the kids there are hoping to have someone who will sponsor them and provide them with the things they need.  When Greta, the coordinator for Kechene, wrote to me about the kids there, this is what she said:

...They are desperate for food, shoes, new uniforms, and teacher's salaries. The children are well behaved and well mannered. They range from age 5-12 and are single orphaned children and most of them are destitute. They are malnourished, yet the most joyful children you have ever seen.  Some of their shoes had their toes pointing right through the front of them.  The sweaters of all the uniforms were frayed and the wrong sizes. When watching some of the children interact with the teachers, you could tell they loved them and the teachers back to the children. It was an amazing place to be.  I saw hope in the teachers' eyes and the director's words. They said, "You are an answer to our prayers."




To learn more about sponsoring a child at Kechene, you can contact my friend Greta Byers at greta-givemeyoureyes.blogspot.com.

Here are a few pictures that Karen Wistrom took during the November mission trip of kids wearing their new shoes:

Peace... Love... Do Good,

Sami

203 pairs of shoes

SOMETHING FUN:  The winner of my GIVE AWAY, Mrs. Laughner, wanted to share 5 of her necklaces.  She had the fun idea of doing another drawing.  The next name I drew was Jennifer Bridges!!!  When I told Mrs. Bridges the good news, she told me which 5 necklaces she wanted and then bought 5 more necklaces and asked me to draw another name for a 3rd winner!!!  I drew the name Tracy Wages!  Congratulations Mrs. Wages!!!  You have also won 5 necklaces of your choice!