Ugandan Mamas and Me

Truth be told, my spirit has been a little stir-crazy since traveling to Uganda and getting all pumped about loving the poor through action, then coming home and having twins and realizing the "loving the poor" thing might need to take a back seat for a little bit as I care for my babies. Well, not a back seat exactly. I still sponsor two sweet girls in Uganda through Compassion International and we still give to a number of organizations that are doing some amazing things to help make a lasting change for the poor. So I guess I'm not taking a backseat, I'm just not as hands-on as I would like to be because I've got both hands full with the two little ones God has blessed me with. Maybe it should be easy for me to let that be enough right now. But it just isn't. There is too much suffering going on around the world and too much comfort in my own life and it just doesn't sit well with me. I have to do something more.

As I study my Bible, I'm finding again and again that for someone who claims to love Jesus, loving others - especially the poor - is a huge, non-negotiable response. A natural, overwhelming desire from a heart changed by Christ (don't believe me? check out this verse). 

I don't get (or want) a "veto" card on the caring for the poor thing just because I'm a mom with young babes. Motherhood is a huge calling, a lot of work and a precious responsibly, don't get me wrong, but even the "Proverbs 31 Woman" cared for the poor while caring for her own family ("She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy" - verse 20). But there is no denying that it's hard right now with the twins being so young. 

I find myself dreaming of the day when I can involve my kiddos in loving-the-poor-projects and use those opportunities to teach them about the love God has for the world and how we can show His love to others through the way we live. Those will be incredible moments that I will cherish and that I eagerly look forward to, but those times are still a few years out. 

So I started thinking - what talents/abilities/opportunities do I have right now that I could leverage to love the poor? Where can I start right now? And after a little planning, I am super excited to share with you what I've come up with.

You may (or may not) know that I make and sell beaded crosses. One of them (the one pictured on the upper left of my blog) is made with recycled magazine beads from Uganda and each time that cross sells, I give 50% of the proceeds to Amazima Ministries which provides approximately sixty meals for a child living in the slums of Uganda. But I also have many other styles of crosses, so I thought, why not use those crosses to help the poor as well? So I've opened an online boutique through Etsy (which is something I've been dragging my feet on until I got inspired by this idea) and 25% of all of my profits will be donated to Kiva - an organization that provides small, low-interest loans to help those living in extreme poverty start a business. (By the way, the repayment rate of these loans is incredibly high: 99% of those receiving a loan pay in back in full.)

One unfortunate misconception about the poor is that they are poor because they are lazy. However, more often than not, the poor are extremely hard-working. They simply lack the hope and opportunity to lift their family out of poverty. A micro-loan of just $100 would give someone living in extreme poverty the capital needed to start a business and begin using their talents and abilities to provide for their family. Giving them not only sustainable income, but confidence, empowerment, a sense of achievement and HOPE. All things that can break the cycle of poverty and be a catalyst for lasting change for the poor. Not a temporary hand-out, but a life-altering hand-up.

Here's my favorite part of this venture: I'll be providing loans specifically to working mothers in Uganda. As a working-from-home mother myself, who also happens to love the people and country of Uganda, it is a perfect match. (My heart just fluttered a little bit even thinking about it.) 

Another reason I chose mothers specifically is this: I love adoption (I have two adopted sisters whom I adore), but I would love even more for a mama to be able to keep and provide for her babies instead of having to give them up for adoption because she can't make enough money to feed them. I would love for kids not to be orphaned by AIDS because the only available way for their mother to make a living was to sell her body. A Kiva loan can change these things and keep babies the arms of their mamas. Be still my mother's heart. And my poor-loving heart for that matter. ::flutter flutter::

If you are interested in what I'm doing, here's the link to my Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/jhcraftynotions

And here's a little peek of a few of the crosses I have available:

Thanks for listening to my excited ramblings. Creativity, helping the poor, mamas and their kids, Uganda:  this kind of stuff just gets my heart pumping!!  

Beaded Crosses: Easter Sale

EDIT 4/2/12: This sale has ended. If you would still like to purchase a cross at regular price, please visit etsy.com/shop/jhcraftynotions 

• • •

If you know me at all, you know I'm creative. Art, photography, graphic design, writing, crafting, decorating - all of it. I love it. And while there are very few days that I miss being in the work force, I do miss having a daily, creative outlet. Now that I'm home full-time with my sweet boys, one way I keeping my creativity alive amidst the diapers, laundry and baby-talking is by making and selling beaded crosses. 

Since Easter is coming up in just a couple of weeks, I thought I'd offer a special deal on some crosses that I currently have in stock. The handmade, beaded crosses are 3.5" tall, come in a gift box and include a ribbon for hanging. They are normally $30.00 each (shipping included for U.S. addresses), BUT if you order one of the crosses below before March 31st, I'll drop the price to $25.00 and have it shipped to you in time for Easter (U.S. addresses only). You can email me your order and payments can be made via PaypPal. Please mention this Easter Sale in your email and include your mailing address. First come, first served.

Crosses available in time for Easter:

 Desert Sunset*

(shades of purple with red and gold accents)

One Available for Easter

The Dark Before the Dawn*

(shades of gray, black and navy)

Two One Available for Easter

New Life*

(shades of green with gold accents)

One Available for Easter

We're All in This Together*
(multi-colored and made with magazine beads from Uganda, Africa.) 

50% of the proceeds from this cross will be donated to feed the poor of Uganda click here for details.

One Available for Easter

Pretty in Pearls*

(shades of pink with pearl accents)

One Available for Easter

If you are interested in ordering additional crosses (that you don't need before Easter) head on over to my Crafty Notions site and peruse more of my handy work. 

*Please note: Because they are handmade, the pattern of beading will vary slightly on each cross. Crosses pictured are samples only. 

Goal #73 COMPLETE (plus an Uganda update)

Another goal checked off my Project 101 in 1001 list. Read about my journey here.  

It's two-for-one day and today you'll get not only an inside scoop on the 28th of 101 goals to be checked off my list - but also receive a quick update on our Uganda trip!

Goal #73 COMPLETE:  Make beaded crosses to sell at Easter and Christmas

This past Easter, my super-cool cousin Marla (the author and speaker - I'm a little proud to be related to her) allowed me to leverage her cyber popularity and host a beaded cross giveaway on her blog. A sweet lady named Gail won and I received a quite a few Easter orders from those who needed to sooth their giveaway losses by purchasing a cross anyways. 

The coolest thing about this giveaway was that God totally used it (along with our respective blogs) to heal a long-standing... shall-we-say "bruised" relationship between Marla and myself. And my, oh my has He helped our friendship to blossom since then! God is awesome and I love that He used modern technology to bridge such a gap. 

Then, just before Christmas, I started offering the crosses again, but this time used one of them to raise money for our trip to Uganda and to raise money to feed kids in Africa through Amazima Ministries. The We're All in This Together cross (pictured left) uses beads made by women in Uganda, Africa and when one sells, I send 50% of the profits back to Amazima to help feed the children of those same women. (You can read more about how that works here). To date, the crosses have provided - 765 meals for a child in Africa!


The process of completing this goal was far more satisfying then I ever dreamed it could be - healed relationships, food in the tummies of some precious children, and support of our Uganda trip. Wow - all glory to God and His amazing ways! 

Quick Uganda update: Thanks to many generous donations from our friends and family (and even some complete strangers), along with a number of odd-jobs (some of them truly odd), we have raised about 56% of our support! God is so good to provide and I have been blown away by how generous so many people have been.

(Edit: 1-21-11 - I made a mistake on the above calculation (I'm an artist - math was never my strong point). We actually just now have 48% of our total funds raised. God is still just as good though and we are still just as blown away at everyone's support!)

We'll soon be having a team phone conference with Visiting Orphans to discuss more details of our trip, so we'll continue to post updates here. Thanks to everyone for your support - both playfully and financially. We appreciate you so much! 

We're All in This Together

I am so excited to tell you all about this awesome opportunity to feeding some beautiful African children in Uganda and get some lovely decor for your home at the same time!   

One of the ways well be raising the $7300 we need to go to Uganda in March is by selling some of the beaded crosses that I make. The cross picture here, "We're All in This Together" is hand crafted with beads made from recycled magazines -  beads which are created by women in Uganda. By selling this particular cross, we'll also be raising money to feed the children that Amazima Ministries works with.

(Pictured Left: 3.5" We're All in This Together Beaded Cross)

This is how it works:

Step 1: Amazima Ministries trains and facilitates the women of the Karamojong tribe to make magazine bead necklaces. These women are some of the poorest in Uganda and are often considered outcasts. The necklaces provide them with sustainable income to feed their families.

Step 2: The Karamojong women sell some of these necklaces to the 147 Million Orphans organization. When 147 the re-sells the necklaces, they send 50% of the profits back to the Amazima feeding program which feeds some of the children of the same women making the beads.

Step 3: I buy the beads from 147 and work them into my crosses. When a cross sells, I donate another 50% of profits to Amazima's feeding program. (The other 50% will go towards our trip.)

This means that the same set of beads will provide income and food for the poorest of the poor in Uganda in THREE separate ways!! Wow - what a beautiful full-circle story!

The 3.5" crosses (pictured above) are $20 (includes shipping to U.S. addresses) and will provide forty-six (46) meals for a child in Africa. This cross comes with a ribbon for hanging and makes a beautiful home accent or Christmas ornament.

The 7" crosses (pictured left) are $50 (includes shipping to U.S. addresses) and will provide one hundred and eleven (111) meals for a child in Africa. This cross comes ready to mount on a wall or can be placed on a bookshelf or windowsill for display.

Is this not just the coolest thing you've ever heard? (Okay, maybe not ever, but I'm pretty crazy excited about it!)

  
If you are interesting in ordering a cross, please visit www.jhcraftynotions.blogspot.com (click the "We're All in This Together" tab). Supplies are limited, so please order sooner-than-later. 


*Please note: Because they are handmade, the pattern of beading will vary slightly on each cross. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

Breast Cancer Awarenesss Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in memory of my beautiful friend Lisa, I will be offering my Pretty in Pearls beaded cross for $20 (includes shipping to U.S. addresses) and donating 10% of the proceeds to the American Cancer Society.

Click over to my Crafty Notions blog for all the details!

A little about the honoree, Lisa:

Lisa was mom to two of my good friends when I was in high school. She was one of those moms who loved inviting people into her home and always took the time to snag you for a meaningful conversation while you where there. Lisa was such a huge influence on me in regards to what I picture when I think of an adoring wife, a loving mom, an open-hearted hostess and a woman of incredible faith. She loved God with her whole heart and that loved spilled all over everyone she came into contact with. She was someone who truly impacted me and one whom I strive to emulate with my own life. I truly, dearly loved, and felt loved, by this woman and thinking of her still brings tears to my eyes, even years after her death. She was one of the most incredible people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Congratulations to our winner!

Congratulations to Gail for winning the beaded cross give-away. She chose "Dark Before the Dawn" as her prize.

Thanks again to my cousin Marla for hosting the give-away. It was such an encouragement to get so much positive feedback on my work.

Beaded Cross Give-Away

That right, you're not dreaming! I'm giving away (as in for free) the beaded cross of your choice through my cousin Marla's blog. All you have to do is tell Marla which one of my crosses you'd like to win. The lucky recipient will be drawn Tuesday night at 11pm.

Marla is an incredible author and, let's face it, has a much larger blog following than I do. So, she is allowing me to leverage her cyber popularity for this give-away. Oh, and did I fail to mention that I love her books? Oh, I already hinted at that? Well, here's a little point-proving tid-bit for you: Since I was in college, I have given a copy of this book to nearly every gal friend of mine as a bridal shower gift. I read it once before I even knew Devin, then again after we got engaged. Now that we're married, it has become a sort-of reference tool for me. I won't go into detail, but I had to make myself read the chapter "Fighting Fairly" just a few nights ago because I needed a little (a lot) of Marla's humbling wisdom. Thanks cousin!

So hop on over to Marla's blog and win yourself a cross. And hey, even if you don't win, you can alway console yourself by purchasing one for just $17!

Crafty Notions: Beaded Crosses

Handmade Beaded Crosses: Crosses measure 3 1/2" tall and come in a variety of styles and colors (see below).

Price: Price: $30.00 each (includes gift box and shipping to U.S. addresses). Order five crosses and receive a discounted price of $25.00 each (includes gift box and shipping to U.S. addresses).  E-mail me with your order (payments can be made through PayPal).


Crafty Notions Beaded Crosses:

 Desert Sunset

(shades of purple with gold and orange accents)

 Pretty in Pearls

(shades of pink with pearl accents)

Sands on the Shore

(shades of blue and teal with brown stone accents)

 The Dark Before the Dawn

(shades of gray, black and navy)

 

 Pearls of the Sea

(shade of aqua blue with pearl accents)

 We're All in This Together

(multi-colored)

*Please note: Because they are handmade, the pattern of beading will vary slightly on each cross.
** All crosses are custom-created after orders are placed, please allow 4-5 weeks for processing (6-7 weeks for orders over five crosses).

photography by Devin Hanson Photography