B.O.B.I.'s Business of Bliss & Inspiration

GiveBack: 100 Days of Giving DAILY WINNER!

That's right! Love Shack Giving, the foundation that I created with GiveBack back in April is one of the lucky winners of the new giving campaign, "100 Days of Giving."  WHAT a surprise it was to receive the first email announcing that my foundation was a recipient of a gift of $1,000! 

At first...I didn't believe it and showed my DH the email to make sure that it wasn't spam?

Hi Roberta,

On April 9th you signed up at www.GiveBack.org for our 100 Days of Giving campaign.  I'm excited to say that you've been selected as the winner for Day 96. This means that if you accept we'll put $1000 in your GiveBack account to give away to whatever charity or charities you would like. 

Please confirm ASAP (no later than 3 days, but the sooner the better!) by responding to this email.  If you don't respond in time, you will forfeit the prize and we'll move to the next person on the list.  Confirming means accepting the rules of the 100 Days of Giving, which can be viewed here:

https://www.giveback.org/OneHundredDayRules.aspx

Once you've confirmed, I will provide you with a code that you can redeem  for $1000 in your foundation account.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  We'd also love to know the charities you'll be supporting and why -- it's something we'll share on our site and Facebook wall (but only using your first name and last initial).

Thank you and congratulations!

Regards,

Jared Jaffe

The Aftermath of a Natural Disaster...

Please note that if you are viewing this via email that may need to open this post to watch the following video:

Yep that's what many of us in the United States might think of these living conditions.

That is...that only after a natural disaster...such as Katrina, or the recent string of tornadoes...would we ever find such unbelievable living conditions.

As you may know, this week I am following all of the Compassion Bloggers as they witness and write about the ministry of Compassion International to children living in the Philippines.

Compassion Bloggers in the Philippines 2011

This week I am closely following all of the Compassion Bloggers who have traveled to Manila to see firsthand, how Compassion International works.  Five bloggers and three team leaders are going to the Philippines for one week and they are going to share their experiences with us and you can follow along and read all of their posts right here.  If you are like me...you prefer visual aides...aka pictures of the people whose words you are reading so here you go...the five bloggers and their trip leaders (from l to r):

 

 

Unsponsored Children are Wearing Smiles...

Update: Studio DaySpring Christmas Card Drive

Remember when I outed myself for being such a lame sponsor in this post?  Well I haven't improved much since that post and I could list a dozen excuses as to why I haven't done a better job...BUT I won't bother you all with that today!  NOPE...because this post is not about me...it's about the children in Ecuador!

It was such a thrill to read (in)courage's post about all the amazing cards that were made for the unsponsored children for Compassion International kids in Ecuador.  Brianne Mullins who is on the DaySpring/Compassion team gives her first hand account of delivering these cards in person in Ecuador:

Sponsored children receive letters from their sponsors. Unsponsored children do not.

Andrea, one of the Compassion workers and our translator, told me that the only time there is a true distinction between a child who is unsponsored and a child who is sponsored is when letters are handed out. It’s a little bit like the unsponsored children are wearing scarlet letters.

This Christmas things are different. We came to Ecuador to hand deliver the Christmas cards you created for the unsponsored children.

To date your Christmas Cards have been delivered to the Embajadores de Dios Student Center and the Nuevo Amanecer Student Center! Some of the facilitators at other centers have already gone to the Compassion Ecuador office to pick up cards for their centers as well!

So I was even more thrilled when I saw these two pictures posted of the children holding up their cards and MY CARD was in both of the photos...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WOW...talk about receiving confirmation and/or recognition!  This just made my day I'll tell you.  There are a lot of things that we all do to help others and we do not expect anything in return...however...I'm not going to lie about this...it feels darn good when you can see that something as small as a card, with a meaningful message, can matter so much. 

Brianne shares even more about her experience in delivering these cards and she also includes a video of one of the children reading their cards...so precious!  Studio DaySpring for all your Cards, Notes, Invitations and Stationery...it's a good thing! 

Special thanks also go to Compassion International for making this Christmas Card Drive happen.  There is still time to make a difference for others this holiday season by giving a Gift of Compassion that will help change the life of a child in poverty.

Help a Child

Give a gift that will help make a difference...

Gifts of Compassion:  Christmas is here again.

Homes and offices are being decorated. Parties are being planned. Family get-togethers are being decided. And the malls are getting crazier than ever. Looking at the hard-to-navigate parking lots, long lines, and highly stressed customer service staff is enough to make even the most seasoned shopper sweat.

But it doesn’t have to be this way - and we can help.

A Gift of Compassion is the perfect gift alternative for your friends, family, co-workers and clients. No crowds, no lines, no stress - just a gift that will help make a difference in the life of a child living in one of the poorest communities of the world. Your gift will help provide clean drinking water, medical treatment, disaster relief, food supplies and much, much more for Compassion - assisted children and their families. Meet real needs and bring real joy with a Gift of Compassion.

 Mosquito Net

Mosquitoes carry malaria, which kills nearly one million people every year. This gift can help give children and their families a mosquito-free sleep with an insecticide-treated bed net and prevention education.

Funds raised from this item will be used to provide: mosquito nets & malaria prevention activities in Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Togo. Should excess funds be raised, we will meet other urgent needs as they arise.

 

 

 Soccer Ball

Children around the world spend countless hours honing their soccer skills with homemade balls on bare dirt pitches, dreaming of making it big in the beautiful game. This gift can help give children the chance to have fun, develop skills and learn teamwork by providing resources like soccer balls and sports camps.

Funds raised from this item will be used to provide: soccer balls and soccer programs in El Salvador. Should excess funds be raised, we will meet other urgent needs as they arise.

 

Chicken

A chicken means more than food for a family—it means a source of income, manure for the vegetable garden and a supply of eggs. This gift can help put food in families’ pantries and money in their pockets as families receive support and education to help them raise and care for their new chickens.

Funds raised from this item will be used to provide: chickens & other livestock in El Salvador. Should excess funds be raised, we will meet other urgent needs as they arise.

 

THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO GIVE...so please check out the entire Gifts of Compassion Catalog and make a difference today! Share this catalog with your friends, family and co-workers and combine your efforts if need be.  Get your kids involved in the reason for the season!  Giving makes everyone feel better about any situation they may find themselves in...especially during the stressful holidays.  Compassion has made this process as stress free as possible for you to give what you can today!

All photos and catalog print provided by Compassion.

All's I Want for Christmas...

Is a Christmas Card! 

First thing this morning I read this post on (in)courage...and it struck me right where it counts!

After reading Lisa-Jo's confession...I felt like she outed me as well...

"For those of you who don’t know, I’m a recovering “Lame Sponsor” with Compassion International. I have a checkered past when it comes to keeping up regular correspondence with the two boys we sponsor."

especially after following her link and reading her full "Lame Sponsor" post on her blog, The Gypsy Mama...ouch!  I'm so busted!!! 

Currently we sponsor two children through Compassion International in Kenya, Africa.  Derrick Oduor who is a sweet 8 year old little boy and Linet Atieno who is a young woman now at the age of 19 and in the Leadership program.  Last year I was so good about writing on a monthly basis and sending pictures and small trinkets that would fit in the envelopes and then all of a sudden I just STOPPED!   Live happens I know and we had alot of stressful things going on and my heart was aching and I just couldn't write without transferring that heartache in my letters and who was I kidding...my issues WERE and ARE nothing compared to what these two face just trying to literally survive!

WABI SABI Saturday: Day in the Life of a Kenya Sponsored Child

Remember this--very little is needed to make a joyful life.

   It is all in your way of thinking.

 

 --Marcus Aurelius

Irene

receives health screenings, attends skill classes and is able to eat healthy meals. That was not always the case before her mother registered her with

Compassion.

Irene's family used to share a shelter with the livestock. Their situation was desperate and a dowry for their daughter seemed to be the only answer...continue reading about Irene and her family here...

Remember this--all the things that we take for granted in our daily lives...things like,

CLEAN...running water,

 lights,

 refrigerators,

fans, air conditioning (ha!),

 toilets...that FLUSH, 

homes with doors and windows,

shoes and clothing,

automobiles (even public transportation), 

grocery stores,

I could go on an on (but I won't :)

Remember this--we already have so much in our lives to be joyful about...

and...yet...it would take so little to bring so much joy to another child waiting for sponsorship!

 

Save Children

God Luvs Me Enough...

Compassion Blogger, Brad Ruggles, while traveling to Kenya earlier this month, wrote this wonderful blog post, A Father To The Fatherless, about a young man named Eliud...

 

 

Eliud Otieno is an 18-year old Compassion-sponsored young man who was a ray of hope in one of the darkest places that the bloggers had visited during their trip to Kenya...Mathare Slum...

...where over 800,000 people live within 3 square miles...garbage is piled everywhere and sewage flows freely between the houses...aka...10' x 10' slum shacks that are made of cardboard, mud and tin.

By 2007, both of Eliud's parents died, and he was left living alone in this hell hole. Thankfully, with the support of Compassion, and his sponsor, he has continued his education and survived, living in this slum. with great hope for his future.  Please watch and listen to this video of Eliud talking to his sponsor, Nick:

To Nick, from Eliud

Please hop on over to Brad's blog post and read his entire post that I have simply "para-phrased" here.  There is so much more to learn more about this amazing young man, Eliud and what a difference Compassion has made in his life...trust me...you will be inspired!

Build a Bridge Today...

Last week we received Derrick's sponsorship package in the mail from Compassion and it was so great to receive a large photo of him and to read more about his life with his Mother.

 It is a brief look and I cannot wait to hear more from Derrick directly.  Originally, when I first signed up to sponsor Derrick, I wrote him an email message that Compassion will translate and forward for me.  But I could hardly wait to get my sponsor package to learn more about Derrick so that I could write a more personal message, as well as, send him some photos of us.

Boy...let me tell you...it was very hard for me to CONTAIN (no pun intended...lol ;) myself when writing to Derrick...I'm such a talker anyways and when it comes to typing a letter...just like in my blog posts...WHOA GIRL...I had to keep reminding myself that he is only a seven year old little boy!  So I kept hitting the "delete" key and edited my letter to "keep it simple sweetie"...after all "tomorrow is another day"...and I can write again! 

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Compassion...

Okay, for all of you out there wondering about this wonderful organization, Compassion International, who are asking WHY and HOW they are sending people to KENYA?  So, Shaun Groves, a Compassion Trip Leader does a splendid job of answering many of these questions in his blog post here: Frequently Asked Questions About Compassion International.  Go THERE now and get all of your questions answered so that you can feel good about the dollars you are giving, and then, go HERE and make a difference TODAY!  If you cannot sponsor a child today but you still want to help, Compassion International has many programs that you can help by making a donation in whatever dollar amount you can afford or are comfortable with making today :D 

Sponsor a Child

No Whining Allowed!

It has been a tough week for us here at the Philbrick household...let's just say that tough "financial" road we have been on has come to a "dead end".  BUT every single time I felt like "whinning" about it...I'd slap myself silly...NOT...actually I'd remember all the images that I have been viewing all week long that the Compassion Bloggers have shared during their amazing trip to Kenya...

 Compassion Bloggers

There are no words that I can use to express the depth of the emotions that these blog posts and their photos convey...NONE!  So I'm not going to even try...you can see for yourself...

 

Proud Sponsors: Derrick Oduor

Sponsor a Child

Today we chose a child to sponsor...not an easy task because there are so many children and they all need our help.  So I went with my heart and when I say Derick's photo...there was a connection that I just cannot explain.  Then when I read his profile and saw that he had been on the list for some time...waiting for a sponsor...I just "felt" that he was the first boy that we would sponsor.  Meet...

Derrick Oduor

Born Sept. 4, 2002, Age 7

Male, Kenya, Africa

Program: Musembe Child Development Center

Personal and Family Information:
Derrick makes his home with his mother. Caring for animals and running errands are his household duties. His mother is sometimes employed as a farmer. There are 2 children in the family.

Playing ball games and running are Derrick's favorite activities. In primary school his performance is average and he also regularly attends church activities.

Your love and support will help Derrick to receive the assistance he needs to develop his potential. Please pray for him.

 

We signed up to be his sponsor and wrote him a quick note today and now we will wait for our "sponsor packet" to come (in about 2 days) but in the meantime I'm reading everything they have on site for "Connecting With Your Child" and then I downloaded Compassion's Stationery for writing a letter and sending our photos to Derrick.   This is so exciting and we will continue to share with you as our sponsorship and relationship with him progresses.

 

Someday, real soon, we hope to continue to sponsor more children!  So in the meantime I want to start selling more crafts in my etsy shop to raise more funds dedicated to sponsorships...now that is something to be motivated and inspired about to get creative :D

About "Compassion" and this BLOG

Compassion Bloggers

Today while reading my current blog posts in my Google Reader, I was reading this lovely, inspiring post by Ree, The Pioneer Woman about her fellow blogger friend whom she affectionately calls, P.R. aka "Pastor Ryan" (he is a Pastor...and a really great guy :}  

OMG...I just do not have words for how these posts moved me and before the morning was over I had a headache and puffy bags under my eyes from all the tears.  But my tears were not just from sadness...I was moved so much by the stories of all the bloggers who are in Kenya right now and by all the photos that they have taken during this trip.  I continued to read about this wonderful organization and was moved to do more than read and leave comments on these blogs...

 

Bloggers from Left to Right:

 

1. Brad Ruggles, 2. Kent Shaffer, 3. Kristen Welch, 4. LV Hanson and 5. Ryan Detzel

Almost two years ago when I first started blogging, I opened a premium account with Typepad because I always had the intention of writing more than one blog.  Also, when I had my blog banner designed for my original blog con-tain-it, Solutions for Storing in Style,(update: Now Love Shack Baby) I had the designer create a second blog banner for B.O.B.I.'s, Business of Bliss & Inspiration, (update, now Love Shack Giving) because I knew that I wanted a blog that would be "inspirational" in some way...deeper than my organizational and interior design ideas on my original blog.  I also didn't want to start a blog just for the sake of writing another blog...I needed to find my passion for this blog!

Enter: Compassion and Compassion Bloggers

Sponsor a Child

Sponsoring children in need is breaking the cycle of poverty  

Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.

Founded by the Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training.

Today, Compassion helps more than 1 million children in 25 countries.

A passion for children