Getting closer and closer!

Hey Friends!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, and remembering all that our amazing soldiers do for us! This is such a happy time of year. Graduations, weddings, pools are opening, and everyone is getting ready for summer. This is probably one of my favorite times of the year. I was really reminded of this as I spent almost the whole weekend babysitting. 

I love watching kids on the playground. I don't know if you have ever just sat and watched two or three kids on a playground together, but it can be really interesting. Its amazing to listen to the conversations they have or watch the games that they play (that they probably made up on the spot) and I think it's really important to appreciate the creativity they have and the innocence about them, their minds still somewhat uninfluenced by society and the people around them. I also love that everyone is a friend to a child. Children can connect with almost anyone at the playground. It doesn't matter what you look like, what brands you're wearing, or where you come from; just as long as you share the same mutual love for the swings. What if we could all be like that? What if we didn't care what anyone looked like or what they were wearing? Or what society thought of them? Especially as Christ followers, what if we just focused on our mutual love for Jesus instead?

Being at the playground got me thinking about something else as well. As I watched the kids play I realized that India does not have playgrounds, that the Indian children have never gotten to play on a playground. I guess that I see a problem with that! To many, I realize, this may seem insignificant and unnecessary; but I ask you to recall your memories as a child on a playground. I know that when I was younger I could spend hours and hours at a playground. One in particular stands out to me that my grandfather used to take me too. This playground had a GIANT slide, I honestly think it must have been at least twelve feet tall, and totally not up to code. But it was the most amazing slide! I just remember climbing up that latter, not looking down, your knees shaking a little bit. It took a little courage to get up there, but once you made it the ride down was awesome. The slide was metal, so you would zoom down the slide super fast. As your started your breath would catch a little, but you'd still be able to squeal in excitement all the way down. Then you'd run around to the latter and go at it again. I think every child should be able to have that distinct of a memory as I have of a playground. As I thought about it, I asked myself: What if it could be more than just a playground for children?  What if it could be a  part of the community, a CLEAN place where people can go and forget their worries for an hour? Or maybe there would be a well there that the people can could get clean water. It could me more like an Oasis for them. Somewhere safe, a little piece of heaven in a place where that rarely exists.

I hope this post doesn't go to waste and these aren't empty thoughts. I hope I can make something like that happen, something that I can be proud of and call my own. I would love to one day create a place like that for India's children.

 All of these thoughts and ideas continue to make me think about my trip. I get so excited thinking about it and I am so ready to go, and I am happy to be updating all of you about the things we're doing in preparation. When I checked my donations funds yesterday, someone else had donated $100!! That feeling never gets old. I am always so blown away by people's generosity! It is so cool that people want to help me with this journey and help me fulfill this vision! What a cool feeling that I have people here in the states thinking about me and praying for me while I go on the most amazing journey of my entire life! God has just laid this on my heart and I am so excited to see His plan put into action. Getting this donation put me at 17% of my goal. That may seem like not very far, but I am so excited about being that far along. My new goal I have set for myself is to reach 50% by the end of June. I am totally confident that I can do it. We have so many fundraisers in June that we are really hoping will really bring in a lot of funds for our team. In addition, I am continuing to sell Threads of Hope Bracelets (Threads of Hope) which is so much fun! I can't believe how many connections I have made through these bracelets. Just by telling people the story, people are so willing to help me. So many people have offered to help me sell them, my salon is selling them for their customers as well as a small Free Trade Store in Cary that sold them this weekend at an art fair. It's so exciting to see people as crazy about this as I am! In addition to these fundraisers, if you are a Cary resident, look for an article in the Cary News this week featuring GHI and our project!

If I sell all my bracelets by the end of the month it will put me at 30% which is incredible, and I will be so excited to be able to personally donate that amount of money to my trip; but still does not allow me to reach my goal of 50% by the end of June! As always, I can not do any of this with out you amazing people. If you are interested in donating something its very easy. Go to this website: Global Hope India and where is asks to "designate your donation" select interns, and select my name. Your donation will go directly to me. If you are interested in donating towards other things such as bibles, child sponsorships, or mission development projects; they are under GHI projects. All donations are 100% tax deductible and SO appreciated! I will not be able to reach my goal with out you!

Jesus loves the little children
all the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious to his sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Thanks for being amazing!

Much Love,

Grace

"Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there." Matthew 19:13-15

Dear Jesus, thank you for the wonderful people You have put in my life that support me. Thank you for putting my trip and my needs on their heart. I praise Your name in all that I do for this trip because I know that with out You, nothing would be possible. Thank you for being a forgiving Father and for breaking my heart for these people that You love so much. Bless everyone that is helping out and help them to see through this blog the huge difference that they are making. We love You and we praise You.