Knowing you are in God's will

The post before this one, I talked about my upcoming trip to Africa.  Actually, I will probably be talking about it a lot as time goes by.
So, how do I know I am in God's will?
Let me tell you!
On Sunday, our family held their First Annual Semi Annual baby shower.  We have a huge family and babies are coming faster than we can throw baby showers together. So we just took last Sunday to honor 6 new babies.  Three are here and three are yet to be born.  We had a great time, enjoying babies, each other, the food and the sun.  I did not take any pictures though. Guess I was having to much fun. But, before I left home, I felt the need to load up my dresses and my knits and to take them with me.  I fought back and forth with myself over it and finally came to the conclusion that I was being directed to take them, that I needed to be obedient. After all of the mommies opened their gifts and we were relaxing and chatting, I brought out my dresses and knits.
I explained to my family about the Dress a Girl project and how I was looking for sponsors for all 1000 dresses I plan to take with me to Tanzania.  I had 12 dresses with me and every one of them was sponsored. I also sold one of my hats to a young woman that came as a guest of my sister. I left the party with $200.00 in my pocket and a song in my heart!!
Through out the week, I have gotten pledges of more money and received a check in the mail for $100.00. I also got an e-mail from a classmate from high school who currently lives in Florida.  She said she has been feeling a burden for the little boys and instead of buying and sending me clothes she planned to send me a check. I truly feel God has directed this project and am trusting that it will go all the way. To Him is all the Praise and Glory!

 These pictures were taken at the refugee camps I visited four years ago.

 The kids followed me around asking me to take pictures of them.

 Those who have survived are now four years older, but still in desperate need.

 I have to do all I can to help them. I pray you will want to join me in my efforts.

Not a Wordless post, but Very Important to Me............Africa trip and Dress a Girl around the World

Dress a Girl Album on Face Book

My Africa trip is just a year away and I still need LOTS of money

I am taking a page from the book of another Dress A Girl seamstress who just made a trip to Uganda. She offered her dresses for sponsorship. I will soon be setting up a page with pictures of dresses that you will have the opportunity to sponsor.
Here is what we will do, you can choose as many dresses as you would like to sponsor. Let me know which one(s). Sponsorship will be $15.00 for one dress and $25.00 for two, so you could sponsor four for $50.00. With your sponsorship, you can send me a picture of you or your family, whatever and a short note of encouragement to the child that will receive your dress. I will place them with your dress for the child. You could possibly enclose a very small trinket if you wish. I will stress though, very small.
Payment can be made by sending me a check made payable to Bryant Community Church with a notation in the memo portion. Africa project.
I also have a pay pal account that you can use if you prefer. However, by sending it to the Church, you will be able to write it off as a donation.
I hope to take 1000 dresses with me, so conceivably we could take $15,000.00 with us. Just think of the church we could build in Congo in honor of my friend Reverend Mwenebolongo and................all of the other help we can do with it! I am stoked and I pray you will be as well 

This is one of the dresses I make for the Dress A Girl project.  This one is made from fat quarters. I used four different prints for this particular dress.  It has been sponsored, but if you click on the link above, you can see pictures of some of the other dresses I have made.  Some have already been donated, and some are still available for sponsorship.  I will be making a new page where the dresses that are available for sponsorship will be featured. Please visit and donate as you are led to.
Thank you all!

I have had a few

People ask me about my friends.  I really do not have much to share.  News is so sketchy between here and there.  I was able to get a donation of enough money from a local church to be able to transport Pastor Mwene's body from Mwanzw to Kigoma and then back to Congo.  A church in Dar es Salaam donated money for his wife to travel and meet him in Kigoma, which is on the far Western border of Tanzania.  It is right on Lake Tanganika.  The Congo border is on the Western side of the lake.  The last news I received is that the people were able to receive permission to leave the refugee camp and escort Pastor Mwene's body by boat to his home city in Congo.  Apparently with permission to leave, they will be allowed to return.  Pastor Mwene has several children so my worries about his wife may have been unfounded.  She will be able to remain with them in the camp.  Living in Dar es Salaam was hard at the best, living in the camp will be very difficult for her.  She has not been well for as long as I have known her, often struck down by debilitating headaches. I do not know how much more I will hear.  I will need to make a new contact for my knitting project though.  I am sure the Church in Dar es Salaam will be kept going, God willing.
As I said in an earlier post, I will continue to knit and wait upon The Lord to direct me.  We may still be building in Dar es Salaam, or He may have other plans.  I will continue to covet and welcome your prayers as I continue to endeavor to remain faithful to His plan.

My Dear Friend

Mwenebolongo, who I am trying to help build his church in Tanzania, is very ill!!!
Please keep him in your prayers.  I do not have any real details about his illness, just that he needs immediate prayer.  I am very frightened for his dear wife if he does pass.  He has the assurance of his salvation, but Motoko will be a widow in a country that widows are not cared for.  She will most likely lose her home and property and be forced to return to Congo.  Once Mwene is gone, there will be no reason for the Government of Tanzania to allow her to remain.  Her refugee status will become once again active.
I have been spend much of the day asking God what he wants me to do if He takes Mwene home.  I am getting the answer that I am to continue with my project.  If God does not want me to use it to help build a church, in His time, he will show me what he wants me to do with it. God's money will never go to waste.
Mwene and Motoko's picture is on my sidebar, so you can see who you are praying for.
I thank all of you for your care, concern and support, for Mwene and the Church Project.

For several days I have had this thought

I keep fighting it because I am an independent person and hate hate hate to ask for help, but it keeps coming back to me. And because I am a very strong believer in God and his willingness to talk to us if we are willing to listen, I am giving in.

I keep "thinking" that I need to ask my knitting friends if they would be willing to donate yarn to my cause. I do not want your project yarn, just what is left over. If I could get donations from many of you, I am sure I could put it together into many hat projects. Maybe even mittens and scarfs. Buying the yarn is becoming a bit spendy for me and I am coming to the point that I need to supplement my stash. I can use anything from sock weight to worsted weight.

The one caveat though, is that I cannot use craft quality yarn. I do not want to sound ungrateful at all, but what I am making must be of good quality. If you have yarn that you are willing to donate to my cause, please contact me and I will send you my address.

Have also been thinking that if any of you have knit or craft (bags and baskets made from recycled plastic bags, etc) projects that you would like to donate, I would be most happy to accept them also.

I figured out that if I can have 150 hats made by the bazaar season this fall, I can make $3000.00 for my church project. It is not impossible, and I am still counting on God to bless this.

From the very bottom of my heart I thank all of you for your generosity.

A Special Order

Headed to St. Louis Missouri this week:)

Thank You, my dear friend.

IN THE MAIL TODAY JANUARY 27, 2010