Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Do any of you know the story of the first Thanksgiving? The story starts with the pilgrims who came to America from England to flee religious persecution. They arrived in 1620. There were originally a little over 100 puritans to arrive at Plymouth Rock in December of 1620. These pilgrims arrived on foreign soil, and were unsure how they were going to get food, shelter, and the other things that they had taken for granted in England.

Luckily for them, they came across some natives who were already surviving off of the land. The natives taught them how to farm the land. Unfortunately for close to 50 of the pilgrims, the food did not come soon enough. 46 pilgrims perished before the fall of 1621 (less than 9 months after arriving in the US)!

When the crops came up that autumn, there was so much to eat. The pilgrims decided they wanted to share their food with the natives that taught them how to plant it. They invited about 90 natives to their 3 day harvest feast.

It's interesting to note that these two groups of people gathered together. First of all, the pilgrims were invading the land that was already being used by the natives. Secondly, they couldn't speak each other's language, so they had to come up with a different way of communicating. Thirdly, their customs were so different one from another that there was bound to be a miscommunication for which they would have had to excuse their differences and know that the other person meant no disrespect.

All over the world now, people of different cultures are coming together in more ways than ever. The computer has brought endless opportunities of reaching out to others across the oceans. Cameras take pictures that give a person a chance to see what you look like without ever meeting you face to face. Letters are sent and received, and it is almost like being face to face with that person talking to them.

Imagine what a change we can make with all of the technology we have available to us! The natives had to face the pilgrims (and maybe walk quite a while to reach their camp) to teach the how to plant seeds. We can send a wire of money to buy seeds for someone any where in the world! It is just like the income-generating projects we do. Instead of handing the person money to buy a bed or food for a month, we hand them money to start a business. In turn, this business provides them with month after month of food and other necessities!

This reminds me of an ancient Chinese proverb that came from Lao Tzu. You have probably heard it before. It goes like this: "Give a Man a Fish, Feed Him For a Day. Teach a Man to Fish, Feed Him For a Lifetime" This is exactly what we are doing with the Income-Generating Projects (IGP's) we are funding. The parents who have already received their gifts to start their own businesses are no doubt feeling the sense of accomplishment that comes from providing for themselves and their families!

What a feast we have given our children! In 7 months, our group has raised $6,236.70 for children and their families living in poverty! That is about $11,000 a year!

I am very grateful for the support of our donors, and that we can all share the joys of sponsorship together. (If you are still reading this post all the way to the end of my jabber, I have a surprise for you especially)

Starting December 1st, we are having a 12 Days of Christmas Goody Give-away! This is how it will go:

*On November 30th, I will make a post giving you an idea of some of the prizes that are scheduled to be given away.

*Then, on December 1st, you will see the first item that will be raffled off. All of the items will be nice, gift-giving or gift-receiving quality, so you can use them to fill in some of the holes in your Christmas gift-giving list.

*To participate in each raffle, you will donate to whichever fundraiser is being showcased at the time. For every $1 you give, you will get 1 raffle ticket. The drawing for each prize will happen the very next day (after all donations have been tallied).

*On December 2nd, you will see who the winner of the first prize was, and you will see what day 2's prize is that is being raffled. (The winner of day 1's prize will get their prize shipped to them immediately, and all gifts should make it in time for Christmas.)

So, save your coins or dollars because this should be fun!