Archive for the ‘Christmas’ Category

12 Dollars of Christmas: Blankets for Babies

January 1st, 2009

This post is part of the 12 Dollars of Christmas series I’m doing, sharing with you about different charities and people who are making a difference for God’s kingdom and asking you to join me in praying for them and in giving $1 dollar (or more) to each of them.

Blankets for Babies is a charity organization started by some family friends of mine in Arizona. This organization has a simple mission to make quality blankets and give them away to as many hurting, cold, and impoverished children as possible around the world. Here’s what the organizations Founder, Lindsay Hughey, writes about it:

“It was their faces. It started with the faces of countless children in snapshots, on television, and those I saw with my own eyes when I would travel to other countries. It was the fear and pain I could see in their eyes. It was the environment around them. Despair and insecurity that no child on Earth should ever have to face, was a routine part of their lives.
It struck a chord deep within me. It touched me, but I wasn’t sure what I could do about it. I tried to comfort my own heart, tried to find a way to understand how fortunate I was to feel the love, safety, and security of friends and family around me. It was then that a distant childhood memory gave me the answer. It perfectly captured that physical expression of hope and love. I realized that I knew a way I could give them that same warmth and provide them a feeling of security. A blanket. We could give each of them a blanket.”

And that’s exactly what this beautiful organization has gone about doing. They make quality blankets make with Chenille fabric and a satin trim in a size that is perfect for newborns to 5 year olds. And then they distribute these blankets to children in need all over the world. Their blankets have gone to South Africa, Australia, India, Mexico, the Philippines, Guatemala, Poland, Tanzania, Romania, and a number of shelters, hospitals and agencies in the Phoenix area. Hopefully soon their blankets will be coming to the Czech Republic J

This is a wonderful organization and I highly encourage you to check out their web site and read through their facts page.

As part of my $12 dollars of Christmas campaign I also encourage you to join me in praying for Blankets for Babies and to join me in sending $1 (or more) to help support them and further the work God is doing through them. You can donate by visiting this page on their web site.

Lord, thank you for the love and comfort that you freely poor out on all of your children. I pray that you would bless Blankets for Babies and that through them you would both physically and spiritually pour out your love, comfort and peace on children all over the world. Lord, I pray that you would expand this organization and the reach that they have around the US and around the world.  I pray that through them you would bring comfort, warm and security in small and big ways to many who are today cold, sick and hurting.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

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12 Dollars of Christmas: Nuru International

December 31st, 2008

This post is part of the 12 Dollars of Christmas series I’m doing, sharing with you about different charities and people who are making a difference in the world and asking you to join me in praying for them and in giving $1 dollar (or more) to each of them.

I first heard about Nuru from my friend Sarah Springer, because she personally knows some of the people involved with this organization.

Nuru is a Kiswahili word that means light and that’s what this organization is doing – bringing light and hope. As an organization Nuru defines themselves as “A grassroots movement of thousands who have grown tired of waiting for someone else to end extreme poverty in Africa.” They are currently launching their Pilot Seed Project in Kuria, Kenya. This project in Kenya is doing a lot to improve the lives of many in Kuria and as I thought about writing about what they are doing it felt like it would be better for you to hear it directly from them, so if you are passionate about ending poverty or have any interest at all in the current state of life in Africa please visit their web site to find out more.

A few of the team members in Kuria have blogs, so you can read about the health classes they taught there and about the clean water project they are working on by going to Jake’s Blog, Nicole’s Blog, or Janine’s Blog. Or you can visit the official Nuru Blog page for even more information.

As part of my $12 dollars of Christmas campaign I also encourage you to join me in praying for NURU today and to join me in sending $1 (or more) to help further the work they are doing in Africa. To find out how to donate visit their donation page on their web site.

Lord, I pray that you would bless the work that Nuru is doing and that you would use it to improve the lives of many in Africa.

Rejoicing in the journey –
Bethany Stedman

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12 Dollars of Christmas: The Stewart Family

December 30th, 2008

This post is part of the 12 Dollars of Christmas series I’m doing, sharing with you about different charities and people who are making a difference for God’s kingdom and asking you to join me in praying for them and in giving $1 dollar (or more) to each of them.

Over the past few months Bryan and I have spent a good deal of time getting to know Mark and Joanna Stewart and their little boy Sasha. They are one of the most creative families I have ever known and I am continually amazed by them. So, I’d like to tell you just a quick little bit about each of them individually:

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Mark is that he is a man of prayer. I feel like Bryan and I are learning to pray through the times we spend praying with Mark. Mark is also a skilled photographer. He has a great way of putting people at ease and capturing them in a natural and authentic way. Mark’s heart is for the artists of Prague and his vision for this segment of the Czech population has been an encouragement and inspiration to me over the past few months.

Joanna is seriously one of the most holistically creative people I’ve ever known. She is constantly making something, or more accurately she is constantly making a lot of things. She is creative and industrious in the kitchen, making her own marshmallows, cheese, Bailey’s Irish Cream and many other things from scratch. She’s an avid knitter and always has a number of knitting projects on hand. She also sews and makes stunning purses from recycled material. She has been an incredible creative inspiration to me over the past few months. Joanna is also a truly beautiful mother. I love the way that she handles, teaches and disciples their son Sasha. They are also expecting their second child soon and I am excited to see how she mothers this unique new life.

I love their son, Sasha. He has the best vocabulary of any kid I know his age and as a word person myself I really appreciate this. He’s got a lot of energy, but he’s a really bright child and very fun to be with.

The Stewart’s spent 3 years as missionaries in Uganda, but felt God calling them to Europe. They followed that calling to Prague and came to help start Faith Community Church here in Prague through World Harvest. Mark and Joanna particularly have a heart for the artistic community of Prague and a heart for social justice. Here’s how they describe their work here on their web site:

“We want to enter into the arts community in this city. To encourage artists, performers, musicians, creatives and to build them up, to facilitate their growth. We want to invite them to seek,  and to grasp, hope. To offer them a strong draught, so that they might drink deeply of the true satisfaction that is in Christ. To challenge them, and to facilitate them, to make a difference in the world around us.
And not just to the artists, and not only to the beautiful people, must we pour out our lives. So we seek to incarnationally, sacrificially, love those who can offer us nothing in return. The poor and the hungry, the sick and the abandoned, the orphan and the widow. And not to do this alone, but to invite others along with us in that journey.”

If you want to learn more about this talented and passionate family that God is using in Prague please check out their web site.

And prayerfully consider joining Bryan and I in giving $1 dollar (or more) to the work that they are doing here in Prague as part of our 12 Dollars of Christmas experiment. To donate please visit this link.

Lord, thank you for the Stewarts and for bringing them to Prague. I pray that you would bless them and keep them and make your face to shine upon them. Lord, make them into a light that shines in darkness. Use their unique creative gifts to bring beauty and LIFE to the city of Prague. Lord, I pray that you would give them hearts of thankfulness and praise and that you would be glorified in all that they do. I pray that when people see Mark and Joanna and their children they would see you – they would see your love, your generosity, your grace, and your freedom. I pray that through them you would bring a new wave of creative freedom and life to your church and to the city of Prague as a whole.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

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12 Dollars of Christmas: IDEAS

December 29th, 2008

This post is part of the 12 Dollars of Christmas series I’m doing, sharing with you about different charities and people who are making a difference around the world and asking you to join me in giving $1 dollar (or more) to each of them.

I’ve known Vern and Shelley since I was about 7 years old. They have been dear family friends and I have learned so much from them throughout the years. They are now working with an organization called IDEAS and I’d like to tell you a little bit more about this wonderful non-profit and what they are doing to improve the lives of many around the world.

IDEAS stands for International Development and Educational Associates and their goal is to meet the needs of the helpless and hopeless around the world through holistic project development. They take time to meet with and discover needs in partnership with the local community and then develop projects with a focus on educational needs, medical needs, community development, agriculture and social entrepreneurship. Together with their partners they have managed “34 sustainable projects across 14 countries in North Africa and Asia.” They have educated over 12,000 students, trained over 300 teachers, established 6 medical clinics, developed 8 vocational training centers, opened 12 schools, built 21 new village homes, created 2 village water systems and planted 30,000 trees. These are no minor accomplishments. But, IDEAS doesn’t stand out to me just because of how much I believe in holistic projects or just because of these numbers, IDEAS stands out to me because I know, trust and love Vern and Shelley and they are behind this movement and if they are behind it then I trust that it is a work worth getting behind.

I recently got to read a little bit in Vern and Shelley’s Christmas letter about their most recent trip to India and the work they did there. They went with six other friends and spent time traveling to schools, villages and medical clinics bringing what help and hope they could to people who are sick, hurting and impoverished. It was incredible moving to hear about this work they and others are doing to help the “least of these”.

If you’d like to learn more about IDEAS please check out their web site, www.ideasworld.org.

As part of my $12 dollars of Christmas campaign I also encourage you to join me in sending $1 (or more) to help support them and further the work they are doing. You can do this by going to the donate page on their web site.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

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12 Dollars of Christmas: The Springer Family

December 28th, 2008

This post is part of the 12 Dollars of Christmas series I’m doing, sharing with you about different charities and people who are making a difference for God’s kingdom and asking you to join me in praying for them and in giving $1 dollar (or more) to each of them.

 

Craig and Sarah Springer are the team leaders for our church plant here in Prague. They are both originally from Chicago and became Christians at Willow Creek during High School. They came to Prague for the first time in 2003 and felt called to reach this newly emerging Eastern European capitol.

Craig and Sarah have a true heart for the Czech Republic and reaching Czech’s for the kingdom of God. “They are targeting the emerging generation within the Czech Republic to energize the church of the future… Their mission is to catalyze a church planting movement within Prague led by Czechs.” (taken from their web site).

Craig and Sarah are wonderfully passionate people, each with very unique gifts which they are using to expand God’s kingdom in Prague. They are both very different, but they make a great team, both desiring to see a movement of God’s spirit in the Czech Republic. I encourage you to visit their web site to learn more about each of them, our church, and their vision for the Czech Republic.

Sarah Springer has quickly become one of my closest friends here in Prague and I have written about her here as well. She is a truly amazing woman and today is her 30th birthday! So, as you join me in praying for this family send an extra little prayer up for Sarah’s birthday that it would be  day filled with joy for her! J

And as part of my $12 dollars of Christmas series I encourage you to join me in praying for the Springer’s over the Christmas season and I also encourage you to join me in sending $1 (or more) to the Springer’s this Christmas to help support them and further the work God is doing through them. You can do this by visiting the support page on their web site, where you will find complete instructions. All contributions are tax deductible.

Lord, I pray that your spirit would work in and through Craig and Sarah Springer and their son Isaiah. I pray that you would bring Czech’s into their lives who they could build up and disciple into organic leaders. Lord, I pray that you would give them a holistic vision for Prague and the patience to see it through. I pray that Craig and Sarah would be a catalyst for change in the Czech Republic and that through them you would bring light and hope to many who are discouraged and living in darkness. Lord, build up a team of support around them, people who could join them in their vision and who could also, as friends, support and hold them up as they pursue this vision. Fulfill your purposes for them and through them, Lord Jesus.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

Photograph by Beth Stedman

 

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