Thursday, March 14, 2013

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

The girls posted really exciting news over on their 'Sole to Soul' Facebook page a few hours ago.  Their campaign is well explained via this video they put together in mid November 2012:



And here is the message they posted tonight!

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WE DID IT!!!!!!!!! "Nothing is impossible with God" Luke 1:37

We got back from our trip to Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala and learned from CMF that the total for all funds donated to CMF International for Sole to Soul is now officially over $30,000!!!! 

Thank you to everyone who supported this project and shared with your friends, family, and social networks. 

Thank you most of all to God for answering our prayers. When we learned we had to raise $30,000 to buy shoes for 1200+ kids from the slums of Kenya it seemed so big and so impossible. But it happened!

Every one of those kids is going to be smiling with a new pair of shoes because of your generosity. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!!!

We can't wait to get to Kenya this spring and deliver those shoes. We promise to take lots of pictures and post them here for everyone to see ;)

PS Since shoes are always needed for Missions of Hope and the kids in Kenya, the Sole to Soul fund will stay open and any further donations will 100% go to buying shoes for the kids in the slums of Kenya.

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This part of the journey has been a faith growing experience for all of us.  I remember the girls getting this idea after the new high school for the kids from the slums was burned down.  And they said "We should do something....those kids lost everything so let's raise money at least to buy them all new shoes!"   And they put together a flyer, started pounding on doors and raised $500 in two days.  

Then they contacted Missions of Hope to learn how much they would have to raise to get all the high school and middle school kids a new pair of shoes.  The answer was 1200 kids and $30,000.  I wish I had had a video camera when they heard that news.  They were dumbfounded trying to get their young minds around that number and how they were going to achieve it.

Finally, one of them said "Well, there is no way we can do that.  But the Bible says if you put your trust in God that anything can happen so we'll just do what we can and trust God to do the rest."  And He did.  

About a month into this campaign, the girls were getting tired.  The initial zeal had worn off and it was becoming tough to get motivated to go out, knock on doors, and raise money.  

I remember going out with S one evening and just having a tough night of fundraising.  We had raised about $40 in two hours (way below what the girls normally did) and she got back into the car dejected.  She looked at me and said 

"Daddy, we've only raised a couple of thousand dollars after all this work.  If we don't make it to the $30,000 goal will you pay the difference?"  

I smiled at her sweet little face and said "No."  

And then said "You have a great chance here to see how God works.  You are definitely acting in His Will with this project, so pray that He will help you achieve the goal and watch what happens."

We serve an AWESOME God!  

http://www.cmfi.org/sole

UPDATE:  Since posting this message, we have gone to Kenya and delivered the shoes.  You can read all about it and see all the happy kids getting their shoes by following this link:


http://tsfga.blogspot.com/2013/05/kenya-shoes.html


4 comments:

  1. Aw that's hard to see your little girl so discouraged! But what an amazing answer to prayer! God is so good!

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    1. It was pretty cute how she asked if I would pay the difference if she and her sisters failed to raise the money. Sweet because her initial thought was 'Daddy to the rescue' but it is much better the way it turned out as the Father of All has shown Himself to her. She and her sisters know they can rely on Him for all things big and small.

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  2. Our friend Brandy from the Ohio group couldn't get this to post in the comments section so she sent it to us via email to post here: ""WOW....what an amazing story!! You girls are truly a blessing! I know so many adults who wouldn't have taken the time to do something like this, have the faith, or put forth the effort!! God is a BIG God and he is using you girls to do BIG things! Through this journey you are taking you have impacted lots of people and will impact thousands more...including me! You girls are such an inspiration to me! I am so glad that God had our paths cross!! I miss you guys and look forward to hearing the reaction to this cause and more about your journey!!! Keep it up and stay in touch!!! GOD BLESS!!!"

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  3. V, H and S - I am SO proud of you girls and all you have accomplished! You truly are the living hands and feet of Jesus. Thank you for sharing His light with others, including me :) Love you all! xo

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