For the past month we have been packing some of the items that we plan on taking with us when we move to India...We plan on taking a 20ft shipping container. We have our basic furniture items such as beds, couches, and some boxes of household items that are all going. You may ask, why do you need to take them all the way from America to India..well, good question...the reason for this is because if we try to sell them here we will get almost nothing for them, and also because it is almost triple the cost to buy those same items in India...even the most basic kind...so it actually evens out.
On top of that there's a bonus...we get to fill over half the remaining amount of the container with donated items for the kids. I am working towards collecting boxes full of toys, clothes, all of those basic needs as well as the extra fun stuff that all kids love. Granted, we dont have all those items YET per say, but were working towards it.
Some people may think it's shallow, some might think its a waste of time and resources. But to me, gathering up toys for the orphanage in India is a high priority on my to-do list right now. I know that there are so many other major pressing needs that the children of India are facing, but I feel this is also a basic childhood need...to just be a child and play. Maybe in that they will even forget some of the pain and abuse that they have experienced...if even for a moment.
God Led me to the Garbage:
One thing about following God is that it can be quite humbling at times. For instance, in search of items for the orphange I have been stalking garage sales for the past month..yup, looking on craigslist, ads, driving through streets...all in effort to find garage sales that are closing up and asking them if they would be willing to donate their remaining children's items to us...let me tell you...VERY HUMBLING EXPERIENCE. It is especially humbling when you ask and people say NO. I have generally been a shy person all my life, except when it comes to the things of the Lord, so you can imagine just how much this has stretched me.
So one Sunday evening my husband and I and the kids were all relaxing on the floor watching a movie when I got this crazy idea to go driving down the streets looking for toys or clothes or just something that someone may be throwing away that could be useful to our kids in India. In the first place, it's crazy that I even thought about doing this, and secondly, it's crazier that my husband agreed to it!
So there we were driving down the suburbs of Ft. Worth looking at people's trash! There was alot of trash out because Monday morning is trash day here. In all honesty I didnt know where we were headed, I just felt like we should do this. With every turn I felt something building within me...I told my husband.."turn right" and with that turn we came upon a house that had a large amount of garbage bags sitting out on the curb. This one was different though, I saw a little pink toddler car off to one side, and what looked like the railings of a crib in the back. We stopped and began to look through the trash, and thankfully my sons had fallen asleep in their carseats during our little Sudnay drive, cuz we were there for a while. I opened the first trash bag and...JACKPOT! It was full of baby girls clothes...many brand new with the tags still on them. The owners of the home came outside to hang out in their garage...I have to admit that suddenly the embarrassment level went way up, but then I felt a sense of reassurance within me and I proceeded in the fact that I knew that I was digging through the trash for God's children! We returned home that night with a trunk FULL of brand new baby clothes, and tons of barely used toys that are going to be thoroughly enjoyed by some needy children in India. I'm not afraid to be a trash picker for God...lol!
I can bodly say now that I know that God led me to that garbage pile that Sunday evening. You might laugh about it but I have come to realize that His ways are higher than my own. I never expected that to be one of the ways that He would provide for these kids, yet He did. He's also breaking me down to where pride and composure don't mean as much anymore when it's all about Him.
So here's my petition, if you have any baby/toddler/children's items that you are no longer using and would like to give them to someone in need, please donate them to us....that will save me from having to dig through anymore trash piles...lol.
On top of that there's a bonus...we get to fill over half the remaining amount of the container with donated items for the kids. I am working towards collecting boxes full of toys, clothes, all of those basic needs as well as the extra fun stuff that all kids love. Granted, we dont have all those items YET per say, but were working towards it.
Some people may think it's shallow, some might think its a waste of time and resources. But to me, gathering up toys for the orphanage in India is a high priority on my to-do list right now. I know that there are so many other major pressing needs that the children of India are facing, but I feel this is also a basic childhood need...to just be a child and play. Maybe in that they will even forget some of the pain and abuse that they have experienced...if even for a moment.
God Led me to the Garbage:
One thing about following God is that it can be quite humbling at times. For instance, in search of items for the orphange I have been stalking garage sales for the past month..yup, looking on craigslist, ads, driving through streets...all in effort to find garage sales that are closing up and asking them if they would be willing to donate their remaining children's items to us...let me tell you...VERY HUMBLING EXPERIENCE. It is especially humbling when you ask and people say NO. I have generally been a shy person all my life, except when it comes to the things of the Lord, so you can imagine just how much this has stretched me.
So one Sunday evening my husband and I and the kids were all relaxing on the floor watching a movie when I got this crazy idea to go driving down the streets looking for toys or clothes or just something that someone may be throwing away that could be useful to our kids in India. In the first place, it's crazy that I even thought about doing this, and secondly, it's crazier that my husband agreed to it!
So there we were driving down the suburbs of Ft. Worth looking at people's trash! There was alot of trash out because Monday morning is trash day here. In all honesty I didnt know where we were headed, I just felt like we should do this. With every turn I felt something building within me...I told my husband.."turn right" and with that turn we came upon a house that had a large amount of garbage bags sitting out on the curb. This one was different though, I saw a little pink toddler car off to one side, and what looked like the railings of a crib in the back. We stopped and began to look through the trash, and thankfully my sons had fallen asleep in their carseats during our little Sudnay drive, cuz we were there for a while. I opened the first trash bag and...JACKPOT! It was full of baby girls clothes...many brand new with the tags still on them. The owners of the home came outside to hang out in their garage...I have to admit that suddenly the embarrassment level went way up, but then I felt a sense of reassurance within me and I proceeded in the fact that I knew that I was digging through the trash for God's children! We returned home that night with a trunk FULL of brand new baby clothes, and tons of barely used toys that are going to be thoroughly enjoyed by some needy children in India. I'm not afraid to be a trash picker for God...lol!
I can bodly say now that I know that God led me to that garbage pile that Sunday evening. You might laugh about it but I have come to realize that His ways are higher than my own. I never expected that to be one of the ways that He would provide for these kids, yet He did. He's also breaking me down to where pride and composure don't mean as much anymore when it's all about Him.
So here's my petition, if you have any baby/toddler/children's items that you are no longer using and would like to give them to someone in need, please donate them to us....that will save me from having to dig through anymore trash piles...lol.
4 comments:
We may can help out with this. We are expecting again and we will find out what we are having in June; If its a girl then we will probably have lots of boy clothes!
Have you moved to india yet? Are you still collecting items, I would love to bring you some things and possibly do a collection for 1 week.
I don't think you are silly at all, I packed only 1 large suitcase worth of stuff to take on my mission trip last month, and the look on their faces was a blessing that can never be measured. God knows what we here in america think as trash, those who are humble and aren't spoiled like us, think of it as something extra wonderful.
You are doing a great work through Christ Jesus.
I am so incredibly awed and inspired by your journey. I have been telling my teenage children for several months now that I have a desire to go to India for a year or two and help out in any way that I can. Finding your organization (and reading your personal story of moving to India) is such a blessing. It makes the desire to go even stronger. I have actually set a goal for myself to be on the Visiting Orphans trip in 2012 in which they are partnering with IIM.
I hope to read updates of how things are going for you in India soon. I look forward to following the journey until I can get there myself.
Hi Trudy,
Nice to meet you. Sorry I hadnt responded. I hadnt been on blogger for a few weeks. Thank you so much for wanting to help us with the donation items for the container...the only thing is that we are actualy full now. The container arrive in 2 weeks and I dont think we will be able to fit anything else in there...
Kim, nice to meet you too! I am so excited to hear about your desire to come to India. I pray that God brings that to fulfilment soon:) We can't wait to meet you in India with the VO team.
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