Friday, December 16, 2011

WOW! What a week! ♥ And it's not over yet!



"If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday."
Isaiah 58:10


Wow, what a week this has been!

Baking, baking and more baking… and after that,
bake some more. Why not?

I never thought that bustin out 15 loaves of bread in one day
would ever be “no bid deal.”
But really, it’s not. I can literally bake Pumpkin Bread in my sleep
with one hand tied behind my back and the other washing the dog.
No need for the recipe anymore, it’s tattooed on my brain!

Now, I just need 3 more ovens and a few more pans and I will have it made! ;)

I am SO blessed beyond words to see what the Lord is doing in the hearts
of His people over this ministry.
I feel like through this fundraiser people will start to see and understand
more clearly the orphan crisis and get really excited about helping these
innocent children. I have had endless people stand and listen to me share and end up thrilled and pumped about getting involved.
Even if it means just to purchase a loaf… or 5!

Praise GOD!

EVERY PENNY COUNTS!


I have come to understand that the hearts of many people
have been and are burdened
for the less fortunate, needy, desolate and poor.
That is so exciting for me because between all of us, we can really make a difference.

I know we can.

Most orphans survive on less than a dollar a day.
LESS THAN A DOLLAR A DAY!

My goodness, we have a dollar of coins under the seat in our car
and it doesn’t even faze us.
We have change at the bottom of our purse that we let our kids throw in ponds.
We have change in junk drawers, old jackets.
I even have a quarter that has been laying in my driveway for weeks now.
I just keep walking over it.
That money, collected, can really make a difference.
May not sound like a lot but they don’t need a lot.
They need water.
They need food.
They need clothes.
Those are not expensive things.
Really.

Let’s do something together!
I challenge everyone reading this, clean out your junk drawer!
Clean out your car! Old jacket pockets, behind dressers, under beds,
in old dusty piggy banks…
turn in that money!




Turn in it to dollar bills and donate it to the nearest organization that works with
abandoned and orphaned children. (or buy pumpkin bread! *wink* )

Do something with it.
You don’t need it… but they DO!
Remember, 147 Million Orphans!

That’s 147 million too many!

My goodness, I can go on… However, we have SO much we can offer them.
I am just really exited about what the Lord is going to do in the hearts of His people
for those who are willing. We know God is constantly seeing where we will be faithful.

If we are Christians, this is easy.
Just Love!
(Mark 12:31)



So, remember my friend I was telling you about on Sunday that worked at the
SAME orphanage that is close to my heart? (Still cant get over what the Lord did that day.
Yes, I still have that silly grin on my face and I don't think it's going away anytime soon.)
Well, we did have coffee on Tuesday night and it was awesome!

It was
absolute confirmation
to me that I am donating this money to the RIGHT orphanage
that God has placed on my heart. She showed me pictures of when she was living there.
I got to see all around this special orphanage.
I got to see the faces of these dear children.
I got to see the faces of theses beautiful “Mommas”
who love and give their lives to care for these precious children.

As beautiful as these babies are, it ripped my heart out.
The eyes of most of these children… tell the saddest stories.




They have big brown droopy watery eyes that look as if there is no hope.
Which we know is not true but they don’t know that.



Some days are filled with many hungry hours,
possibly not enough warm clothes or blankets
and absolutely lacking the nurturing love and care that only a mommy or daddy can provide.






So needless to say, I AM BEYOND THRILLED
about what we are doing!

THANK YOU

THANK YOU

THANK YOU

to all who have contributed and donated money and/or purchased a loaf of bread!
God is doing something BIG here and I am so humbled to be a witness to it.
To watch HIS craftiness and perfection at work,
I wouldn’t change it for anything!



I was fishin around on YouTube and found a sweet video of Sanyu Babies Home.
This was taken in 2008 but for the most part, I believe this is what it still looks like.

This video is exactly where my heart is.

If you watch this video, look at how hard these Mommas are working,
day in and day out.

Devoted.

Selfless. 

Committed.

Faithful.

They are so beautiful!

I love this place.
I have never been but my heart longs to see these babies.
Hold them. Love them… forever.




I love Africa.

My heart has been hijacked.

I love looking in their eyes, knowing, these are God’s children!

I need to love them!


This Sunday will be such a blessing to be able to share with the congregation
what the Lord has done this past week through this ministry.
Who would have thought that a little flour and a little pumpkin
would actually raise close to

$1000.00

Oh yea baby!

That’s what I’m talking about!


I’m telling you, God is on the move and I am following Him!

Are you with me?



"Then Jesus said to his disciples, '
If any of you wants to be my follower,
you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me."
Matthew 16:24


Monday, December 12, 2011

How Much and What Happened?


"Once our eyes are opened, we can’t pretend we don’t know about what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act."
Prov. 24:12


This is my Memorial Box Monday!
Thanks to A Place Called Simplicity



Yesterday was the day!

My awesome Pastor (God bless you Colton) gave me the opportunity to stand in front
of our church and announce my fundraiser “Bread FOR Life” and share my heart for the orphan! Oh my goodness! What a blessing it was!
In front of about 150-200 people, yeah, the nerves took over.
I cried I think before I even said my name. Oh well. God is so good!

I was able to share what I believe the Lord has put into motion in my heart.
The first step to who-knows-what the Lord has in store. *giggling*

This is what it is…

“Bread FOR Life” is an ongoing fundraiser to help raise money for
orphaned and abandoned children both locally and abroad.
(However, I’m not sure where to donate locally even though that is my heart. We still need to pray into
this to show us where the greatest need would be. Open for suggestions if anyone has any.)



I am baking and selling my All-Natural Homemade Pumpkin Bread!
100% of ALL proceeds go DIRECTLY to the ministry of orphans.
(I will be accumulating NO profit from this whatsoever.)
This is God’s ministry, not mine.
My heart is simply to raise money for the children in need of food, clothes, shelter,
education and of course JESUS!



I am SO S.T.I.N.K.I.N. excited over this I can not even stop smiling.

Yesterday was the big kick-off day at our church.
(BTW: There is something very special brewing in the hearts of this little church called ‘360’!)

I baked a total of 20 loaves.
(May not sound like a lot but it was the best I could do in twelve hours in my little kitchen.)
I asked for a “suggested donation of $8.00” and would you know…
half my bread was gone before church even started.
PRAISE GOD!



People read my sign, grabbed some bread and started filling up that little see-through vase with the money that is going to make a BIG difference!

Would you know, by the end of church all my bread was
GONE but people were STILL putting money in the vase.
Oh the hearts of God’s people.
It was so moving.
Want to know how much was raised?

OK I’ll tell you!

$648.00!!!


Yes, that’s right… $648.00 for 20 loaves of bread! *giggling*

As I baked all day Saturday, I kept telling the Lord, “Take my 5 loaves and 2 fish and multiply it for Your Kingdom and for YOUR children.” That was all my heart kept saying while I was baking. KNOWING He heard me and KNOWING He IS so faithful!


And He is!!!


I also want to mention that the outpouring of support for this ministry is fantastic!
~ I had one lady offer to purchase all my flour for me.
~ Another lady offered to help bake loaves to donate.
~ Another sweet woman is giving me homegrown sugar pumpkins to bake with.
(FRESH PUMPKINS, wow, that's pretty cool!)
~ One precious woman offered to give me the eggs from her chickens on her farm!
And endless people offered to help if I needed it.
The BODY of Christ is PRICELESS!
Thank you to all who offered! Really! God sees it all!

I am overwhelmed with the goodness of Jesus and truly that’s not even the best part!!

So here is the REAL reason why I have been tickled with joy and overflowing with endless smiles and laughter!

While I was giving my little 5 minute introduction into my heart behind this ministry, I briefly mentioned to the church about a very small special orphanage in Uganda that I would like to donate to. That was all I really said to them. Knowing, this little orphanage was really the driving fire behind me doing this fundraiser in the first place. In fact, it was their newsletter two months ago that prompted my heart into action. I read how they are run by donations only and desperately needed people to help support them. They needed diapers, clothes and food for these precious babies. I said in my heart, "Lord I NEED to do something."

So it was from that moment on that I started to pray
and out of those prayers “Bread FOR Life” was birthed.

OK, so this is the cool part!
So very special and completely undeniable that GOD IS ALL OVER THIS!

This was a special little token the Lord gave me to tell me,
“Yes I love you SO much I’m going to blow you away!”

I had a conversation with a young girl after church and it went something like this:


Friend: Wow Robin, thank you so much for doing this ministry. I have a heart for orphans too and this means a lot to me.

Me: Aww, your welcome. It’s totally the Lord, you know.

Friend: Yea, so where in Uganda is this orphanage? I used to live in Uganda.

Me: OH, NO WAY! Oh that’s awesome. I’m not totally sure where it is in Uganda though. What part did you live in?

Friend: A small village outside Kampala.

Me: Ok yeah. Well I’m not sure how to say it but it’s spelled S.A.N.Y.U…

FRIEND: Oh “SANYU Babies’ Home”… yes, I used to work there!

(I had to stop typing right now. I got goose bumps all over my body! Again!)

Did you just read what I wrote??

She used to WORK THERE!!!!

Here I am standing in a small church in Petaluma, CA.
talking to a young girl who worked at the
exact orphanage in the middle of no-where Uganda
that has set my heart a blaze for the orphaned children of Africa.

Do you see what God has done?

He blew me clear out of the spiritual hemisphere that I live in and said to me,
“Nothing is too big for Me.”  

That was His way of telling me, “You are doing exactly what I want you to do and I’m going to give you PROOF by giving you a friend who has loved the babies from THIS orphanage.”

Are you giggling at the goodness of God???

Please tell me you think that is as cool as I do!

I mean, really, WHAT are the *chances* of THAT happening.

There are none outside of Christ!

I am so blown away.

I am so blessed.

I am so overwhelmed with His kindness.

So if you see me in the next few days and I have a silly grin on my face, you know why!

So now, my new friend and I have a date for coffee tomorrow night and I am so excited to sit and listen to what she has to share.

I have been praying for something like this...

*GIGGLING*
**************************

So this is my “Bread FOR Life” first story! Pretty cool, huh?

I know the Lord has so much in store for me, my family and my church through all this.

Not too mention, I was able to bake the bread with Hannah and Christopher all day Saturday and explain to them the mission behind it all. It was priceless to hear the questions they had regarding the orphans. And also, Hannah came home last night and started to cry because her heart is heavy for these children, THEN she shares with Papa and I that she wants to FAST tomorrow for the orphans!!!!
Yes, my 7 year old daughter wants to FAST for the orphan.

Oh God is all over this!
Their hearts are being opened to the true meaning of the Gospel by witnessing all this…
They get it.
They really do!
There is nothing I rather do right now THAN THIS!

The fundraiser has just begun!

I have special orders coming in left and right. Sending off a few shipments this week.
(I’m already shipping. lol)
God you are SO good!
We are setting up another table this Sunday because so many people did not get a loaf
and want to contribute.
(I need a few more ovens!) lol.

My husband and I are overcome with Jesus!
We are excited what He has in store for us!

You can just call me Betty Crocker. Thanks! ;)


"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."
James 1:27


Thursday, December 8, 2011

Bread FOR Life


"In you the orphan finds mercy." Hosea 14:3


I don’t really know what I’m doing except I’m just going to do it.

I’m going to start fundraising by baking my pumpkin bread to raise money for orphans
and abandoned children.

This Sunday I’m going to have a table where I will be selling my bread at church.
I thought of maybe asking a ‘suggested minimum donation of $8.00 per loaf' and ALL proceeds will go directly to the needs of orphans.

I figure if I can raise ANY money whatsoever that will help someone somewhere, it’s all worth it!

I feel like I can’t just “sit and do nothing” anymore. Even though I pray daily and I’m starting to fast (yes, you read that right. Oh my goodness, the Lord is teaching me so much) … I NEED TO DO SOMETHING.

Since we are desperately waiting on the Lord for what He wants for our lives, I think this will bring some satisfaction to my heart and please the Lord at the same time. Not to mention, it will hopefully provide some money to help FEED, CLOTH and EDUCATE these precious little lives that are out there everywhere.

I figure I’m going to start locally and work abroad. I’m not sure what organization I will donate to here in Sonoma County but I know they are out there.

I have two orphanages in Uganda that I would love to bless with these funds too.

Well, that’s it, in a nut shell.

Hopefully this is the beginning of something that will make a difference in someone’s life; even if it is just a small difference.

Thankfully I bake good pumpkin bread. (That’s what everyone says)  Lord knows I can’t sew. I’m not creative. I glue my fingers together if I try to do crafts. So this is all I can offer at this point. Just like Jesus multiplied the loaves of bread, my hope is He will do the same for these loaves.


Please pray for my little fundraising ministry if you think of it. I believe the Lord has given me a name for it too which is pretty cool… “Bread FOR Life” Do you like it?

I do.

That’s exactly what it is… Yummy, All Natural, Homemade Pumpkin Bread to help the less fortunate. Sounds good to me!

We shall see…

Excited and Blessed!


Here are a few facts that I copied from 147 Million Orphans website. Simply heartbreaking! This is what makes me crazy to the point of having to do something…


  • Did you know there are hundreds of millions of  children worldwide who have lost one or both parents.
  • Every 14 seconds an AIDS death leaves another child orphaned.
  • Approximately 88 million orphans live in Asia.
  • Approximately 45 million orphans live in Africa.
  • Approximately 14 million orphans live in Latin America & the Caribbean.
  • Approximately 1 million children live in public care in Central & Eastern Europe
  • More than 800,000 children pass through America’s foster care system each year.
These statistics do not even include the UNKNOWN children living orphaned both here and abroad that go uncounted, unnoticed and unloved.


 Oh Lord, take this offering and multiply it for Your Glory, Your Kingdom and Your children.


"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."
John 15:7