Mercy in Zambia

Hey, everybody!
I want to thank all of you who have contributed to buy beds for my little girl, Mercy, in Zambia. Her fundraiser has now moved from FirstGiving to Aura's House, and it is almost complete (only $80 left to go!). I won't ask for any more donations right now because it is not a Thursday, lol
I just got back photos from the Direct Package that I sent to Mercy around Christmas time. I want to share this sweet excerpt from the letter her mother wrote in response:
"Mercy is all smiles today because of the beautiful parcel she has received from you. She has promised to use them properly. She is so much in love with everything you have sent her. You have really changed my daughter's life for the better."
It makes me feel so good to hear things like this, and to know that I am making life a little happier for one child halfway across the world! I enjoy seeing Mercy's smile so much that I don't even care if she wants to use the things I sent her "improperly".
Mack
PS: The red shark that Mercy is hugging in one picture - I won it for her playing that game where you grab things with a mechanical claw. The same day, I also grabbed two stuffed hippos for Paola in Mexico to remind her of our trip to the zoo. I'm quite proud of my animal-snatching skills (but I won't mention how many game tokens I used up in the process!)

And the Winner for Day 11 is...

Thanks for your donations to Mercy everybody! We got a great start on her fundraiser for later when her turn comes up at #47!

I'm really, really busy today (and no family members are in the raffle), so I skipped shooting a video of my Random.org visit. You'll just have to trust me (and the laws of statistics) when I announce that JOHN is the lucky winner. Hooray! John gets to choose between two quilts and a set of Dr. Suess stuffed toys!

Thanks again, everybody!

Mack

On the 11th Day of Christmas...

Today's raffle is for your choice between two Christmas quilts (made/donated by Carolanne Miller), both with colorful, soft flannel backing or a set of stuffed toys.

The first quilt (smaller) is mostly red and green, with sparkly (glitter?) blue snowflake squares.

The second (larger) one is nicknamed the "9-11 Quilt", because it was made with fabric issued post-September of 2003 when our nation was feeling especially patriotic. This might not be a good choice for a blanket to send to a sponsored child (or for a Canadian), because if you look closely you'll see that the ornaments decorating the material are Red/White/Blue and the little snowmen are wearing "US flag" clothing. There are also flags around the quilt's border.

The 3rd option is two cute and soft Dr. Suess toys - the loveable "Grinch", and his even more loveable dog "Max". These stuffed animals will make an awesome Christmas gift when combined with a copy of the book "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (don't worry, he gives it back at the end).

The raffle will benefit Mercy in Zambia. You may remember that she is the little one that is in need of a bed. Mercy and her siblings currently sleep on mats on the floor. Beds will give them a better night's sleep and allow them to hang mosquito nets safely over the frames. To help Mercy and get a chance to win one of these gift quality quilts, simply donate here by December 12th at 10PM CST:

http://www.firstgiving.com/help4mercy

$1 gets you one 1 raffle ticket. The more you donate, the more chances you have to win!

And the Winner for Day 5 is...

Thanks so much to everyone who donated to Mercy's fundraiser! We raised $95 toward the cost of her bunkbeds/blankets! I used random.org to select a raffle winner, the results of which are shown on this incredibly boring silent video. For those of you who do not have the time/desire to watch an incredibly boring silent video, I'll go ahead and give away the ending. The winner of the MP3 player is ... Congratulations to the Ladenberger family! (The only Facebook friends who responded to my plea for contributions) Thanks again everybody, and see you all next time!
Mack
PS: A video isn't absolutely necessary when using random.org (we all trust each other, right?), but since my father was a contender, I thought it would be best to have "proof" if he happened to win.

On the 5th Day of Christmas...

"Hi" to all you blog-followers!

Today's raffle is for an Ematic 2GB MP3 Video Player with 1.5" Screen! This small, but useful, device makes a great gift for a loved one - especially if you pre-load it with special photos, videos, or songs.

An MP3 player is also a great gift for an older sponsored child. I have purchased one each for my two teenage boys in Honduras, and I will be loading the players with some of their favorite music + the videos that I took of them during our water park trip. Not only will these be fun and personalized gifts, but they are also little, light, and cheap to mail!

The Ematic MP3 Video Player up for raffle is bright green, because green is my favorite color. Please see the description below (stolen from Amazon.com):

Product Description
This player has 2GB Capacity and 2GB Flash Memory, which stores up to 1000 songs, hours of videos or hundreds of pictures. The built-in FM Tuner and recorder lets you listen to your favorite radio stations and record songs right off the radio! It has a 1.5-Inch Color Display with Video Playback, and for easier navigation and viewing of artist and song titles, or playing your favorite videos and movies. Use the voice recorder to record lectures, notes or anything else. This includes Conversion Software so you can play MP4, AVI or MPG format videos. This also supports MP3, WMA, MTV, BMP, JPEG and Protected DRM Files. The Built-In Equalizer lets you tweak your music just the way you like it (Over 19 Different EQ options). The player has ID3 Tagging and Lyrics synchronization. The E-Book Function allows you to browse Text Files including Electronic books, TXT docs and more. The High Speed USB 2.0 Connection ensures quick transfer of music, videos and pictures onto the player. It also has a Hold button so you can place the player in your pocket without worrying. Languages supported: English, Spanish, French, Portugese, Hebrew and many more. PC and MAC compatible. Comes with a 1 Year Limited Warranty.

The proceeds from this raffle will go to help buy a set of bunk beds, so my Zambian child, Mercy, and her 3 younger siblings no longer have to sleep on a concrete floor.

Remember $1 = 1 raffle ticket. The more you give the more chances you get to win this awesome prize! To enter the raffle, make your donation here by 10PM CST on December 6th:
http://www.firstgiving.com/help4mercy

Thanks for your support, and good luck!

Mack

Letters from the girls!

Dear Mack F,

Greetings to you and your family. Mercy is fine and growing well. Mercy was happy to hear about your grandmother who will be 80 years old and wishes her many more returns. Mercy liked the pictures you sent to her and said they look so lovely. And for the photos of her family you will be sent. More greetings from Mercy and the family.

From Cecilia, mother

Dear Sponsor Jim,

I am greeting you with lots of love and hoping you are in good health with your family. Nicti would like to give you a strong hug and she is very happy for the pictures, stickers, Christmas card. She is very happy and she thanks God and you for remembering her. She tells you that it is cold now, and she is very happy for the Christmas presents. She would like that you can visit her one day and that if it comes true, she will be waiting for you with open arms. She says so long with a hug and a kiss.

Clara, mother

*In a separate envelope, we received an updated progress report which indicates that Nicti's father has abandoned the family.

Project #12 Mercy's IGP Thank You

Dear Sponsor,

I am the mother to Mercy thanking you for the bags of Kapenta (small fish) and beans. The items will be used for income generating venture which will help our family. I really appreciate it and as a family we shall make sure that it goes a long way in assisting us. It will make our life easier. Thanks once more. God bless you always. Mercy is happy!

yours,
Mother

Please list the gifts provided to child and family:

Kapenta and beans

Clothes

Transport

Mealie meal

What were the child's/family's comments when the gifts were delivered?

The family has thanked the sponsor for this donation and they are happy they will be able to realize some income from this IGA for self sustenance.

How will the gifts benefit the child?

The child has new clothes to wear and this has made her happy.

Note: The green dress Mercy is wearing in the photographs is one that I sent to her earlier this year.

Letters from the Children

From Katherine's mom:
We feel so happy for the letter and pictures of your family and pets, also stickers. We will put it in a photo frame in the living room in order that it looks very nice. She (Katherine) loves animals, especially the dogs and cats. She had a rabbit and she called it Sebastian, but she is allergic to animals so she had to give it to another person. In other opportunity we will send you some pictures together with the family. She would like to know if you have seen Guayaquil. We invite you to come to know the place where we live, and also we will be able to show you nice places. I thank you deeply for being a wonderful sponsor!
I say goodbye with a big hug,

Katherine's mother

From Mercy's mom:

Mercy is fine and the family. She is happy with your sponsorship. She is enjoying school, though it is very cold here and windy. She likes playing with her friends, dish washing and clearing the table after meals. Thank you for the support to Mercy.
Yours, Mercy's mother

Letter from Nicti's sister:
Dear Sponsor Jim!
Nicti Janeth sends you loving greetings, wishing that you are fine beside your family. She tells you that she got the letter and card and the beautiful pictures from you. She says that she is happy because you remember her. She tells you that you have a beautiful family and nice dogs and cats. She has not seen a snake before until now that you sent the picture to her. She loves you very much.
She says so long to you sending you many hugs.
Heidy Abigail

Mercy's Summer Package

Dear Mckenzie,
I am the mother of Mercy who is thanking you for the assorted toys, toothbrushes, backpack that you sent for her. Mostly I thank you for the clothes and gloves and some clothes will be given to her young sisters. As a family we are very happy about what you are doing for us. God bless you and your family.

Package time-frame details:
Mailed on: 4/14/2009
Arrive Lusaka: 4/28/2009
Arrive CI: 7/10/2009
Delivered to family: 7/21/2009
Photos received: 8/09/2009

VERY close to a new start!

This is great news for Mercy and her family! Mercy's fundraiser is only $103 short of completion! Once the $103 is raised, the money will be sent to the Zambia office, and Mercy's mother will have a job!!! She won't have just any job... She will have her own business!!! Imagine the pride and sense of accomplishment her mother will feel to know that she is able to do so much for her family!! Thank you, everyone, who has stepped up to help Mercy and her family! If you haven't had a chance to help, check out the fundraiser here: http://www.firstgiving.com/help4mercy

Once this one funds, I will post the next fundraiser. It looks like it will be Nsenzeni who will get the next fundraiser because Nisha's and Wilmer's are still pending. I hope we will get the rest of the special needs break downs soon. If any of you get your SN break downs, let me know... You may get it before me. Thanks!

Current Fundraiser updates

These three active small fundraisers are all so close to completion! Here are the links again:

http://www.firstgiving.com/graduates (This one is only $70 short of funding)
http://www.firstgiving.com/graduates2 (We have $238 to go on this one)
http://www.firstgiving.com/help4mercy (only $123 left for Mercy)

Once Mercy's fundraiser completes, or Tamara's two fundraisers complete I will post the next small fundraiser. Tamara has a raffle going for her two fundraisers. Look back at my post regarding the raffle she is holding. I would like to get her small $150 project funded first since it is doable within the month. Only $70 left, and that one will be complete.

I know the fundraisers have seemed to slowed down, but remember that they are now much larger than the amount we did before. Don't get discouraged.

Fundraiser Update

Maybe I should do an update every month, so that we all know what is going on with the projects. It has been awhile since I talked about the order of the upcoming fundraisers, so here it is (with an explanation to follow):

Project #9 ~ Yoselyn (Holly): http://www.firstgiving.com/helpforyoselyn

Project #10 ~ Diego (Heather G)

Project #11~ Jhonalyn & Angelito (Tamara)

Project #12~ Nisha (Jennifer)

Project #13~ Mercy (Mack)

Project #14~ Wilmer (Robyn's 2nd project)

Project #15~ Nsenzeni (Barbara's 2nd project)

Project #16~ Jonathan (Heather's 2nd project)

Project #17~ Crystal & Gema (Su's 2nd project)

Project #18~ Maila (Steve)

Project #19~ Nohel (Candace)

Project #20~ (Stephanie's 2nd Project)

Project #21~ Yamileisy & Jose Manuel (Dee)

Project #22~ Jerry (Wilfredo's 2nd project)

Project #23~ Joyce (Heather G's 2nd project)

Project #24~ Maria (Holly's 2nd project)

Project #25~ Ariela (Camille)

Project #26~ (Tamara's second project)

Now, I put Steve's, Candace's, Dee's, and Dana's fundraisers at the bottom of this list because the special needs were only just recently requested (so they probably won't arrive for another 6 to 8 weeks). That being said, if either of theirs arrives before any of projects #14 through #17 start, I will bump them forward (since these two sponsors have not yet had a fundraiser).
Remember that, especially if your fundraiser is coming up soon, you contribute at least 25% of the amount of your fundraiser to others in the group BEFORE your project begins. For example, my project, which is #15, is for $500. Therefore, I have from Project #9 to Project #15 to donate an additional $4 (I already donated $121 total to date).
In all honesty though, I hope that everyone will look into their heart and donate from your feeling of compassion for kids in general. With these larger projects coming up we will need to be an "all for one and one for all" group. I plan to donate a lot more than $4 in the next 6 fundraisers. The reason I will donate is because I love my sponsor kids, so I know how everyone else must feel about theirs. Let's make these projects happen for all of the kids!!!
I really HATE that we have a percentage in place of how much you should donate. However, I know that it had to happen in order to compel some people to donate. Donations do come from sponsors that do not even have a fundraiser in place,and that helps us to make our goals. That is how ideally we should all be... Donating because we want to help a child and their family, regardless of whose sponsor child it is.
You guys (I live in Texas, so by nature, I want to say "Ya'll", but I don't want to torture the northerners) have done a GREAT job so far!!! We have already funded 8 projects!!
For those of you who do not see your name on the list, please e-mail me an update. Chrystal, which child did you want to do next? Tamara, I have your request for the next round, but I need to see what you are going to do for this first round first. The other projects are too far out to request for yet, but these people might want to go ahead and send me the child ID of who they want for their second round of fundraisers:
Jennifer
Mack
Steve

Now, last thing... All of you who have a fundraiser on the list above, and haven't sent me your info, I need the following:

Photos (7 if you can)
Write up for how you would like the fundraiser to read
Your "thank you" greeting that will be sent when people make donations

Now, let's change some lives!!

Meet Mack's 3rd Sponsored Child, Mercy!‏

Mack's own words:

I had to choose my third sponsored child carefully, because I'm (currently) limiting myself to three. I had a few important things I was looking for when I sought out my this sponsorship:

1. I had two sponsored boys already, so I knew I wanted a girl.
2. I had two older kids already, so I wanted a little one.
3. I wanted to sponsor in Zambia, because it's a country I'd like to visit someday.

It just so happened that my friend, Heather, was already sponsoring an adorable 7-year-old Zambian girl named Mercy. Heather had also taken on several new children with HIV, so she did not mind the idea of me "adopting" Mercy from her. Thanks, Heather!

I don't know a lot about Mercy yet, as she is too young to write for herself. Her mother reports that her daughter is happy and enjoys showing off the pictures I've sent when she has friends over to the house … just like I show off Mercy's photos to MY friends! I hope as this little girl grows older and continues her schooling (she IS in school, despite what her report says), she will have fun writing me letters and sharing more about herself. In the meantime, people can learn more about Mercy by watching the slide show presentation featuring her that CI shot a few years ago:

( www.children.org Look for the archived slideshows. She is in the Easter slide show from 2008, I believe)
Here is her bio:

Age: 7	Gender: F	Date of Birth: 7/7/2001
Height: 3 Feet 7 Inches		Weight: 33 Pounds		Hair Color: Black		Eye Color: Brown
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: No - Family lacks money
4. Favorite School Subjects:
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Drawing, Playing with friends, Playing outdoor games
Chores at Home: Carrying water
Talents or Hobbies: Drawing, Singing
Languages Spoken: Nyanja
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $40.00
6. Name of Father: Richard			Age:	Occupation:
(If not present, why?) Deceased
7. Name of Mother: Musano			Age: 26	Occupation: Unemployed
(If not present, why?)
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Catherine		Age 0	Gender F	Name Derrick		Age 5	Gender M
9. Child now living with: Mother
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One multi-use room, One Bedroom
Cooking Facilities: Coal stove
Sleeping Accommodations: The floor with a mat
Home Construction: Walls Concrete block			Roof Corrugated metal		Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Community faucets
Electricity: Not available
Sanitary Facility: Community latrine

Mercy~ Zambia (also, the third sponsored child)

I took on 2 sponsored children simultaneously. I saw Mercy's picture in the slide show for the Easter gifts in 2008, and I sent an e-mail inquiry. I asked CI if she had found a sponsor yet. While I was waiting to hear back from them, I went ahead and added Yessica to my account. Just a few hours later, Mercy was, also, in my account :0)

I do not sponsor Mercy any more, but I am able to stay in touch with her. As reported earlier, I added a total of 5 children to my account later on in order to find sponsors for them. I wanted to make sure that the sick children especially would be able to get the extra care that they need. I took all 5 kids left in the CI system that had HIV/AIDS. I was able to find a sponsor for one of the children with HIV (Thanks to Alice!), and Mack was looking for a child in Zambia. None of my sick children were in Zambia, and since I would still be able to keep contact with Mercy, Mack took Mercy (and I was able to keep one more of the sick children because of it). It worked out because Mack sent Mercy a very SWEET letter. She told Mercy that she had seen Mercy's picture and really wanted to sponsor her. She told Mercy that I was reluctant to let her go, but that Mack begged me and promised to keep me updated and to take care of her. Mack was able to send her a nice big box of clothes for her, her brother, and her new baby sister for Christmas as well. Maybe I can post those pics when she gets them from CI.