Memory Bears

I had two separate orders for Memory Bears to be given as Christmas gifts.  The first was an order of 8 bears to be made from the shirts and jeans of a beloved husband and father. 

There are two bears from each shirt.  All the bears have a western-style pocket.  I didn't get a picture of the back,  but I used the gentleman's jeans for the back of the body and the back of the legs.  I hope the family (a widow and her 7 children) enjoy them.  

The other order was for a single bear, made from the shirt of a grandfather, to be given to the widowed grandmother.  The bear was to be a surprise on Christmas Eve and I hope she liked it.  And I hope she didn't realize that the shirt was missing until then :)

The bears are not that hard to make and I do enjoy the extra income.  I have some to make for my own children now.  :)

Atlantic Archery & Friends

There was an archery meet in Atlantic on December 20.  Most of the archery meets are optional and this one was as well.  We (the kids and I) opted to go so we could see some friends in Atlantic at the same time.  Ephraim was the only archer from our school there.  

He shot a good score of 210.  It is always a pleasure to watch him.  He's the one in the black shirt, aiming at the last target.  

Here is how he ranked at the end of the day:

Elementary Boys Rank: 8 out of 23

5th Grade Boys Rank: 8 out of 11

Overall Boys Rank: 72 out of 126

During the meet we were able to visit with our friend and his children.  Then we enjoyed lunch at Pizza Ranch.  After that, we went to their place to play and see Erin's new house.

Here are the kiddos:  Emmet, Mason, Eliza, Molly, Eden & Ephraim.  They had a blast playing together.  It has been a while since we've seen each other so it took the children a bit to get reacquainted, but by the end, my children didn't want to leave.  

Being goofy!

We'll have to try to get to the Atlantic meet next year!  It was a good day.

Christmas Around the World

Every year, the children anticipate their church Christmas program.  And this year was no different.  The theme for this year's event would be Christmas Around the World.  A couple of us helped find/create the scripts that would be used.  In between performances by the Sunday School children, we were able to showcase videos and pictures from our missionaries.  They shared what Christmas is like in their countries.  We were able to highlight Niger, Peru and and a Bible distribution video in China. 

 Prior to the program, we have young musicians play the prelude.  

Here are the girls playing Jesus Loves Me with the bells.  

The boys and I played Joy to the World.  We've been practicing for a while and the hard work paid off--they all did very well.  

The K-2nd graders did a poem called Remember Christmas.  It was about the symbols of Christmas and how they relate to Jesus.

Eden had the part "These symbols remind us that we, more like the three wise men should be."  She had the speaking part and had three boys following her to represent the three wise men.  She was perfect for the part because when they were practicing and lining up, she was making sure the three boys were where they needed to be :)

Eliza had the speaking part right after Eden: "Earnestly seeking to find the new babe who humbly in a manger laid."

The whole group of K-2nd graders.  

They sang two songs:  Children Go Where I Send Thee and Joy to the World.  

"Let heaven and nature sing . . ."

The older group of children performed a skit called Christmas Around the World.  The 3rd through 6th graders gave us a glimpse of Christmas in Malawi, Japan, Germany, Venezuela, Canada, Indonesia and Russia.  The children came in, dressed in costume, and told the audience about Christmas in their country, maybe how long they've been celebrating Christmas, etc.  There were also several narrators who spoke about when missionaries came to each of these countries and talked about the persecution of Christians in some of these countries.  

Here are the lines that Ephraim had to say:  " The first missionaries came to Japan in the 1500s and they faced an uphill battle.  Some people believed in Jesus, but many others didn't.  And some of the unbelievers were powerful people who began persecuting the church.  Christians were tortured and killed because of what they believed.  But some stayed faithful to the message.  And because of them many Japanese people do celebrate Jesus' birth."  

The whole idea was to see how people are celebrating Christmas and the birth of Jesus in various countries around the world.  Then their country's flag was placed by the manger in the center of the stage.  You can see that below.  

At the end of the program, the Indonesian boy and the Russian boy came in with their flags.  

Emmet said, "I am from the Tomini tribe in Indonesia.  My people grow cloves and coconuts and also make living through forestry and fishing.  We combine our worship of animals and ancestors with Islam.  There are no Bibles written in our language.  We have yet to hear about the first Christmas in Bethlehem so we too can celebrate Christmas and be saved."  

Emmet's Indonesian flag and the Udheke/Russian flag were not placed around the manger.  

They haven't heard the Good News.  

They don't have a Bible in their language.  

They don't know about that first Christmas in Bethlehem.  

They followed up their skit with two powerful songs:  Where Are You Christmas? and Do Something.  If you haven't heard the song Do Something, I encourage you to listen to it.  It is all about being created by God to do something, be a positive change in the world, if you don't do it, then who will?  

A quick picture together after the program.  

The program was a success.  We've raised awareness for Global Missions by promoting our missionaries, encouraging Compassion International child sponsorship and sharing how Christmas is different, yet the same, around the world.  Jesus came for all of us.    

We were reminded that our work is not yet done.  One hundred eighty million people do not have a Bible translation in their language.  There are 7000 unreached people groups in the world today. 

If we don't reach them, then who will?  Together, we can do something.  

" . . .' for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people '. . ."  Luke 2:10.

Christmas Program Rehersal

Our church Christmas program was Sunday, December 14.  We had one practice on Saturday, the 13th.  Here are just a couple photos from that event.  

This is the group that the girls are in, the K-2nd graders.  

Emmet had a speaking part.  The theme of the program was "Christmas Around the World" and it focused on how different countries celebrate the birth of Jesus.  At the end of the program, there were two boys, one being Emmet, who represented two unreached people groups who won't be celebrating Christmas.  I'll have more about that in the next post.  

These are the 3rd-6th graders.  

Ephraim was a narrator for a part of the program.  He spoke about when missionaries came to Japan and how Christians were persecuted for their faith.  

Practice went well.  Pictures of the program to come!

Merry Christmas!

From our home to your home, we wish you a Merry Christmas.  

Our hope is that you are able to enjoy the day with family.  

Our prayer is that you embrace the reason for the season, that Jesus came to earth as a humble child to take away our sins and allow us to have eternal life.  What a gift!

We wish you a Merry Christmas and God's blessings to you in the next year!

"Today your Savior, Christ the Lord, was born in David's city."  Luke 2:11

Sewing Class

Our homeschool group offered a sewing class at the local quilt shop on Wednesday, December 10.   My children were anxious to attend!  They've been doing some sewing at home but wanted to make some new projects.  And we got the chance to see the quilting machine, learn about fabrics and make some fun Christmas ornaments.  

We brought some fabric from home.  Of course, the boys gravitated toward the tractor fabric :)  

Each child drew their own design on freezer paper and ironed it on to their fabric.  Next they sew around their design, leaving a hole to stuff it, if desired.  

Eden is cutting out a Christmas tree.  She chose the pink fabric, of course.  

Eliza picked the fabric with all different birds on it.  She also chose a Christmas tree design.  

Ephraim chose an oval design on red tractor fabric.  

The class participants with their projects. Emmet's is a stuffed letter E.  Ephraim's is the oval ornament with a red tractor.  Eden & Eliza made stuffed Christmas trees.  

This was a great time to get together with others and allow our children time to work on kid-friendly projects.  We got home and the sewing continued.  My children were all excited about being able to make/design their own projects at home and just doodle with the sewing machine.   

Our Trombone Player

Last year, at the end of his 4th grade year, Ephraim picked the trombone to play in the local school's band.  We sent Seth's trombone to the music shop for a tune-up so it'd be ready for another generation to play it.  Ephraim had a few summer lessons and then he goes to the elementary school for band twice a week.  

Tuesday, December 16, 2014 would be the 5th grade band's first time performing with their chosen instruments.  

Ready to perform.

Ephraim is in the back row.  He is the only trombone player.  

They played Hot Cross Buns and Jingle Bells.  

All the 5th graders did an excellent job at their first concert!  I'm sure this is the first of many more concerts to come :)

Sole Hope

It all started a while back.  That notion in your head, that nudge from God, that you want to do something that will make a global impact, yet cost you little money and little time away from your family.  Is there even such a possibility?  There are all sorts of ideas out there.  But would any of them work out for us?

I had been "following" Sole Hope for a couple of years, ever since I heard about them from a co-worker.  Maybe this could be it?  I chat with a friend about the possibility.  Then we add in more friends about the possibility.  Everyone is excited about this and how God can use us.  

Sole Hope is an organization that is outfitting children in Uganda with their one and only pair of shoes.  Before a child can get shoes, they must have their feet cleaned of jiggers, a sand flea that burrows in their feet and makes walking difficult to impossible.  This is where we can help.  The shoes come from us.  From you.  From neighbors, farmers and children.  From your discarded blue jeans we make shoes.  Or rather, shoe pieces.  We only cut out the shoe pieces.  From here, they are on their way to Uganda where women, mainly widows or those rescued from trafficking, are paid a fair wage to sew the shoes.  With our shoe pieces, we send a small amount of money to pay the women. They make the shoes with our discarded denim, some rubber tire pieces for the bottom and a strip of elastic on the top.  A simple slipper that means so much and changes many lives!  What a privilege to be a part of this.    

Our church's Christmas theme this year is "Christmas is New" and our mission project fit in with that perfectly.  We were making something new out of our discarded denim.  First step:  ask for donations of denim.  Oh dear.  We got a lot of it!  And it just kept coming!  And that's great.  We asked and everyone responded.  

Our first shoe cutting party was a success.  A lot of work and prayer went into planning and preparing for this event.  Enjoy these photos.  

We had stations set up.  One station to prep the denim, one station to trace on the denim, another station to cut the denim.  We needed two stations to cut and trace on plastic for a small heel piece of the shoe.  

The station in the foreground of this picture is where we are pinning the pieces together to make a pair of shoes.  We would ring a bell for every 10 pairs assembled.  It was slow going at first, but the pace picked up as the evening went on.  At the two hour mark we were finished and had 70 pairs of shoes.  But as we were cleaning up and organizing all the loose pieces, we pinned them together and came up with a grand total of 80 pairs!  

We were also collecting basic medical items to send with our shoe pieces.  We sent a variety of band-aids, cotton balls, surgical gloves, gauze and some fun stickers for the children.  

What we loved about this idea is that it could involve women, men and youth.  There was no sewing required!  Those who came were blessed as well as being a blessing.  

I think an enjoyable evening was had by all who came.  We hope to have more shoe cutting parties in 2015.  Our BIG box of jeans never ran out (reminds me of the Bible lesson about Elijah and the widow's flour and oil).  In fact, it hardly looks like we've made a dent in our donated jeans pile.  That's okay, though.  We will get to them.  They are getting a new life on the soles of children in Uganda.  

If you missed the local newspaper article about our shoe cutting party, you can read it here at Osky News.  

This is the great group of friends who helped make this event a success!  

Eighteen pounds of relief, change and hope bound for Uganda.  Will you pray that the package arrives safely, that it will be just what they need and that the shoes will be a blessing to those making them and those receiving them?  

Matthew 25: 36, 40 The words of Jesus: 

"I needed clothes and you clothed me . . . 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me' ".  

Wapello Historical Museum

On Thursday, December 4, we enjoyed a homeschool field trip to the Wapello County Historical Museum.  It was very interesting and WAY bigger than I had thought that it was.  Here are a few photos from our tour.  

There used to be a Coal Palace in Ottumwa, way back in 1890.  It was even visited by President Benjamin Harrison.  It later deteriorated and was torn down.  This is a replica of what it looked like.  

There was a separate room dedicated to John Deere Ottumwa Works.  

This is an old planter called a Janney that was made in Ottumwa.  

A map of Wapello County's coal mines.  

Some woodcarvings of Indian tribal leaders.  

An Ottumwa man made this bust of Abraham Lincoln.  There are only three of them:  one in Ottumwa, one at Lincoln's Presidential Library and one at the Smithsonian.  

The gentleman depicted in this famous "Daily Bread" portrait is believed to be from Ottumwa.  

A whole room was dedicated to Morrell's pork packing plant.  

Of course, the other three wanted their photos by the hanging carcasses.  

A look back in time.   

A fun exhibit for the boys to study:  43 different types of barbed wire.  

This was a great local museum with many special exhibits.  The children and I enjoyed it and learned a lot.  For a small admission price, it was worth it!