Fill the suitcase, bless the soul

As a part of New Horizons for Children’s very first Asian host program, we have the opportunity to bless the children of this orphanage in a very special way! We will be able to share the love of Christ by providing for the basic needs of children in this orphanage by sending home an extra suitcase stuffed with goodies.

And we can’t do it without your help!

Here is what we will need -

Suitcases & Shipping:

• 14 rolling suitcases (25-27”) – about $35 each
• 14 covered shipping expenses for suitcases – $70 each

Stuff to fill the Suitcases:

• 140 packages of American pencils: They also use mechanical “fine” lead pencils and very “fine” ink pens here. Usually black. They need the “fine” point because of writing characters
• Sewing needles, thread and buttons
• Yarn, all colors, styles: to make things which they can sell to raise money
• Books with DVDs for Conversational English would be helpful here. Elementary and beginner learning

Clothes:

• Kids’ Shoes (or $30/pair donation)
  • Boy’s styles sizes 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6
  • Girl’s styles sizes 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6
• Short-sleeved t-shirts (or $6/shirt donation)
  • Children’s Small: 34 boy styles & 22 girl styles
  • Children’s Medium: 36 boy styles & 22 girl styles
  • Children’s Large: 3 boy styles & 4 girl styles
• Long-sleeved t-shirts (or $8/shirt donation)
  • Children’s Small: 34 boy styles & 22 girl styles
  • Children’s Medium: 36 boy styles & 22 girl styles
  • Children’s Large: 3 boy styles & 4 girl styles
• Sweat shirt & sweat pant set (or $20/set donation)
  • Children’s Small: 34 boy styles & 22 girl styles
  • Children’s Medium: 36 boy styles & 22 girl styles
  • Children’s Large: 3 boy styles & 4 girl styles

If you would like to purchase an item to donate, please:

- Complete the form at this link to indicate which items you would like to purchase: http://goo.gl/hibgu
- After purchasing item, ship to New Horizons for Children || 3950 Cobb Parkway, Suite 708 || Acworth, GA 30101
- Optional, tax receipts will be issued if requested with the shipment. Send letter with your name, address and amount spent on items (reasonable and accurate please).

If you would like to sponsor an item to donate, please:

- Complete the form at this link to indicate which items you would like to sponsor: http://goo.gl/hibgu
– To make the financial donation, you may:

• Donate Online Click the PayPal link at http://www.newhorizonsforchildren.org/more-ways-to-help-orphans/make-a-tax-deductible-donation-to-help-orphans/ ”Add special instructions to the seller” box please write “Asia suitcase fundraiser for my sponsorship of [## how many] of [item type & size]“
• Mail a check to New Horizons for Children || 3950 Cobb Parkway, Suite 708 || Acworth, GA 30101

Please send all donations in before February 28, 2013.

Thank you for joining us in blessing these special children!

This could be REALLY powerful if everyone gets involved!

The end result will be a video that NHFC creates using your photos.  All these photos of messages of HOPE will be pulled together into a video and it could be very powerful.

What to write, well, certainly you can ask God to send you to a particular verse. Consider verses that apply to not only orphans, but ALL of us! Then, put it in first person, as if the host child is “speaking” it. For instance, the verse that says “I have loved you with an  everlasting love.” Could be written as, “God loves ME with an everlasting love”

Basically, get a piece of scrap cardboard and a black marker. Whatever you write needs to be written clear and legible. You might need to go over your letters to make them a bit bolder, so it’s easy to read on camera. Focus your host child’s sign on a message of HOPE. Photograph your host child holding it. ONE host child with ONE sign. If you have multiple host children, have them EACH do one if possible.

Feel free to comment with your ideas below, we don’t want everyone the write the same thing. Look at it as an opportunity to get your Bible out and share some of God’s promises with your host child. Explain that you are selecting a PROMISE from the Bible meant just for them!

Some other ideas are “PRAY for me”, “GOD welcomes me”, GOD cares for me”, “For God so loved the WORLD”, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”, “He will defend me”,  “God will never withold LOVE from me”, “He watches over me, “I am never forsaken,” “He knows the plans for me” “I am more than a conqueror”, “I am protected”, “He sings over me.”

See the photo & video below for guidance. Sign not too big, not too small to read. Not too much going on the background (like drawings or doodles) so the message is the clear focus of the photo. Would like these to come in over the coming week and will hope to complete and upload the video before the kids leave so they can see it too!

Guidelines for Submitting Photo:

• Select a verse or paraphrase from the Bible that suits your host child
• Find a large piece of cardboard to write your message (posterboard also works)
• Write phrase or sentence on board, keep it simple, dark, and easy to read
• Find a good place to photograph, once again simple background with good lighting.
• If photo doesn’t come out well, try again in a different location or a different time of day
• Email the photos to jcozza@newhorizonsforchildren.org by Thursday January 10th!

Enjoy this little project with your host kids!

116.

One hundred sixteen.

Just think about that number for a minute.  Think about ‘Hundreds Day’ when elementary school students need to collect 100 of one item to bring to school that day.  To celebrate the 100th day of school… and to teach them how big 100 really is.  To us, it kind of sounds like a little, but when you have to sit and count out that many items, it starts to seem like a lot, like you will never reach that point when you finally get to say “…98, 99, 100!!!”

When I say 116, I’m not thinking of counting buttons, Legos, or Teddy Grahams… I’m thinking about souls.  One hundred sixteen souls, children, orphans.  116 children without parents.  Each with their own stories, hardships, losses.  116 names, faces, and special spirits that need love.

116 is the number of host families NHFC still needs for this Christmas.  We have 116 awesome kids who are still waiting to be chosen by a family who will love them, bless them, build them up this Christmas. 

On the other side of that 116 is another number 88.  88 families who have joined our cause.  Together they have committed to love and cherish a total of 118 orphans.  They have said they are going to give what they have been given and share it with these children this Christmas. 

Would you consider joining our cause, the cause to fight for these orphans? Will you do it for just 1 out of the 116 who are still waiting? 

I wish I had enough time and space to tell you about all the awesome children who are still waiting to be chosen. 

Andrey is the same age as many boys who are leaving the orphanage, but he has decided to stay because he is committed to his education.
Beautiful Anastasija who deals with a poor self-image because of scars from her past.
Sasha who is not afraid to stand up for the younger orphans who are bullied.
Nikolajs who speaks with a strong stutter, but it disappears when he shares his incredible singing voice.
Deniss and Lena, brother & sister, who are talented ballroom dancers.
Markuss, who is a kind and gentle boy who gets bullied often.
Viktor who would love a new Bible after his old one was stolen.
Sweet Irina who dreams of a good family with a mom and a dad.

…and that is only 8 of them. There are 108 more out there who are just as loveable and in need of someone to love them!

What can you do to help?

• Pray for the waiting children.
• Share their photos from our Facebook album.
• Share the Christmas 2012 hosting video.
• Contribute a scholarship to a waiting child.
• Shop on Amazon.com to help Markuss’s scholarship fund.
• Sign up to see the full list of available children and see if they are the host child for you.

116 waiting children.  Each one with a name, a face, arms to be hugged, a heart to be loved, a soul to be fed. Each one matters.

God places the lonely in families
Psalm 68:6a (NLT)

We are so excited to announce our $200 Amazon.com scholarship winner!

For the past week, our ministry supporters have been able to enter their name into a drawing, just by sharing about our new program with Amazon.com.  Participants could enter daily by sharing about Amazon on Facebook, Twitter, or making a purchase from Amazon.com through our link. Out of the 260 entries, one winner was chosen to award a scholarship towards the host child of their choice! (Find out more information here.)

The winner chose to split the $200 scholarship between 2 groups of host children!

Thank you so much to everyone who participated.

Please keep shopping with our Amazon.com link, 7% of your purchase will go directly back to our ministry to orphans.

Stay tuned for more fun ways to play a part in our mission and change orphans’ lives around the world!