I was in Kenya, Africa!!

No this is not mini related...it's part of the "more" on my blog!
YES!!!  I took my first oversea missions trip to Kenya, Africa for 10 days with a fantastic leader and group of folks. Our team S.T.A.R. Kenya started out from my church in Olean, NY and we had 3 more folks join us one from Georgia and two from Florida. it was to help out at an orphanage where they bring in children have been found begging on the streets because either one or more of  their parents have dies of AIDS and have no means  care. Much poverty and death from AIDS.
   The Orphanage is "Quest for Happiness" where a pastor and his wife laid down their lives to help orphaned children. There are 40 healthy kids being fed, schooled and clothed.
We built desks, cabinets for the class rooms, sorted the kids clothes so they each had their own in a bin or suit case and brought them toys, made a tether ball set, played with them, taught some fun crafts, sang with them and sponsored many of them!!!
We loved to hear them sing!!!
What a joy and what a heartbreak when we left. I hope I will see them again!

 

This little girl,  Salome... that stole my heart!!!

She's our daughter in Kenya

 

The children would gather by the flag pole and sing  worship songs

before class WOW!  can they sing!

Blogger won't let me up load the video too large wish I could share it with you!  

 

the front sign

 

 

kids loved to play with the tires.

We got them sunglasses and hey loved them!

The kids with longer hair are not orphans but come to school there.

                                         working on the new monument placement and garden

 

the monument before and the flag pole behind it

 

 

                                             How it looked and the new pole moved too

   Tether ball fun

 

 

building desk I helped with a few nails 

 

 

 

kids carried them to the class rooms!

 

The children pray!

I was so blessed to be apart of this outreach!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year 2015!!

God is good all the time!

Let the New Year begin!

God bless all my followers with many

blessings and good health!

 

I am soooo blessed!!

My friend who gave me the Christmas house also gifted me

 great gifts that she made!

She is incredibly talented!!

Gingerbread man prep board and

Hot coca in glass mugs!!

Assorted gifts for the house, a wreath, a tree card holder

 made from 2 buttons,

A lantern, a ceramic house a bell and 2 pots

 

and the CUTEST Santa lamp!!

 

See the lamp and card tree?

The couch Santa's sitting on she also gave me.

I may use the prep board somewhere else and find more

 places for the box of assorted gifts.

 

what my dear friend gave me!!!

My friend Cheryl knew I wanted a Christmas house

 I always loved hers

and what does she do?? She gave it to me!

I am sooo excited she does awesome work !

she built the whole house and decorated it !

click on the pic  to see more details

 

Front

 

inside I added a few things most everything on the

walls and shelves was already there

 

I am going to change a lot

of this furniture soon

 

oops I see the Santa figurine by the door fell over!!

Mrs. Santa Clause bringing the cookie late

        I added the toys upstairs

right side

 

left side

 

love all the snow, garland and wreaths!

 Icicles, candles in the windows flower boxes with poinsettias!

 

Merry Christmas

see Santa's hat on top??

 

 

A tree sent to my friend !!

Susan's son Jacob

serves in the army so I had to send this to her

She is unable to mini because they

selling her home so Susan has to pack it all away for now.

all the presents were sent too! :)

Merry red, white and blue

 mini Christmas !!

 

 

 

more Christmas trees and some gifts!!

From this mess to..

 

(I started to look at the things I had in my stash.

I started with garland, beads & trees)

 

to this!!!

 

I felt inspired to make the Blue one first

 because I had already started it!!

then the silver one and then my favorite

 the Red, White and Blue!

 

 I found blocks of wood and made some gifts!!!

I used garland that rolled nicely with the wire

in it for a cute bow!

The silver box one is a multi color

chenille stem wound up for a bow.

These have found a new home under a tiny tree in Florida!

A FB friend and I did a swap I get a garden shelf. she made

As soon as it arrives I will post it!

$ tree Christmas village in a jar

I  put a church, a tree, a bench and

 2 lamp posts in a jar.

I added Epson salts for snow.

There's a lot of ideas for a winter

scene in a jar on Pinterest!  

I think I will add a ribbon around the top cap.

 

Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to thoses who celebrate

There's so many things to be grateful for.

We are a very blessed nation!

May the Lord bless you! 

Christmas trees!!

 My trees that I have posted before

but here are all of them together.

 My newest one is the white and gold!

 

 

my newest one

"Golden"

I made today!

 

A Christmas cardbord box and tut

Getting ready for the big day!!

 

I made this box today

FRONT

Side view

back view

 

TUT:  Here's what I used to make it

I traced the box on thin cardboard added

tabs on the side and extended the top for flaps

I used this small box, traced the base, the sides and

added tabs and extended the top for flaps.

Added the words on the box

Then scored all fold lines, folded it, glued it

and then all filled it with the Christmas decorations

keep the bottom on the outside  all the time you trace

 it for an even box

 

click the pic to see the typed instructions

ENJOY!!!!

 

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it won't cost you but a small part

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