Surprised by Hope Blog: dollies

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Monday, December 25, 2017

100 Christmas Dollies 2017 Celebration

It was a merry Christmas at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Hadu, Kenya as we made the long, long journey into Hadu, worshiped with the church, distributed 100 Christmas Dollies, and shared a meal together. So proud of this church and their leaders for all they've done to grow the church. Imagine these children alone inside a 25 x 25 sanctuary and multiply it by three. They truly need this expansion and I think God for you in helping roof what they've already begun.

100 Christmas Dollies 2015

Mountain of Glory Church in Marikebuni, Kenya received the 100 Christmas Dollies gift in 2013 after Pr Njuguna applied what he learned in the Entrepreneurship Series by planting tomatoes on church land (last year he planted peppers and this year he planted okra). Your gift afforded windows for the church he built using profits from planting.

Grace Abundance Church in Watamu, Kenya received the 100 Christmas Dollies gift in 2014 after Pr Owino applied what he learned in the Entrepreneurship Series both in focusing his church strategy and in teaching his church members about farming to support the purchase of church land. Your gift afforded a portion in the purchase of that land.

Throughout this year, Surprised by Hope has been watching for pastors who meet our criteria for the next 100 Christmas Dolly gift. First, we desire someone who has applied what he or she learned from any of the Surprised by Hope teaching ministry lessons. Second, we have a heart for pastors and desire that our gift have a lasting impact on the church. Third, we see evidence that the pastor and his or her church members have made significant efforts to meet their own needs and therefore our contribution would be only a minority portion.

I’m happy to announce the 100 Christmas Dollies 2015 gift recipient, Victory Christian Center and Pr Patrick Opio. Mud huts with grass roofs sprinkle the landscape in Barrio, a small village waaay outside Lira town in Uganda. This is where Pr Patrick first invited Surprised by Hope to teach about proposal writing and where we began watching his life change. Because of his application of that teaching, he secured a government contract for seedlings for which he started a small tree nursery, and he continues to receive contract requests. Later we added entrepreneurship teachings and showed you the small school he started by making his own bricks for construction. This year Pr Patrick added a piggery and a dairy cow (her name is Coffee) to his income generating projects and is well on his way to adding a poultry keeping project.

Coffee took Pr Patrick for a 30 minute walk before he was able to return to our meeting.

Pr Patrick is using his additional income, along with engaging the community, to construct a permanent brick church structure to replace the one that was eaten by termites (shown below). This past Sunday, church and community members came together to contribute all that is needed to prepare the land area and construct the foundation for the church. Surprised by Hope will come alongside Victory Christian Center and Pr Patrick to take the church through the next phase of construction.

This church collapsed after being eaten by termites.

The location for the new church is just across the path from the old church.
This ground is rock whereas the former was sand. Yes, building his house upon the rock!
This week (Nov 1) the land is being cleared and the foundation constructed.

Church members, young and old, help lay the foundation by moving bricks,
hauling water, and carrying sand, as the bricklayer does his work.

The foundation is prepared with bricks left over.

Join with Victory Christian Center in building their church structure, one that is impervious to termites.

Sponsor dolly boys and girls as a Christmas gift for children living in remote Barrio, Lira, Uganda and we will use your sponsorship money as to purchase the materials needed to bring Victory Christian Center to the next phase of construction. Join with us in this Christmas gift giving tradition as a great way to have a long term impact on the global church.

1. Select your favorite dolly (more dollies are arriving soon).

2. Click here to make your tax-deductible donation using PayPal or your credit card. You do not need a PayPal account to give.

3. Or, mail your gift to:

Surprised by Hope

464 Adaway SE

Ada, MI 49301

4. Watch Facebook and the website for photos and to follow Pr Patrick's story.

A Dolly for Yusuf from Larry

When I entered the pediatric ward of Malindi Hospital, one mama dressed in beautiful bright colors was sitting on the waiting bench with her small boy who was sprawled across her arms. Yusuf was obviously very sick - lethargy from fever and a bit of a garbled breath. Through an interpreter, mama said she'd been waiting since noon to be seen. It was now after 5:00.

Given her attire and her lack of English speaking skills, this mama had obviously traveled some distance from the village to be here and was certainly not going home for the night. I greeted her and introduced myself in Swahili and sat quietly beside her. I could see that she was both wary and weary wondering what this mzungu was up to.

I explained that I wanted to give her this dolly for Yusuf so that he could be comforted by a small friend and reminded that Jesus loves him. Again, she was a bit confused. Let's start at the beginning. I told mama Yusuf about a man named Larry who went to my church in America for a very long time, who loved Jesus so much that even when he was sick he kept praying for other people, and that if he were here now he'd be praying for her boy. I told her that Larry went to be with Jesus not long ago and that I wanted to give Yusuf this dolly to remind her of the love between Christians (at this point, I'm rather belatedly wondering if this woman was a Christian). I wanted her to know that everyone who sees the picture of Yusuf and his Larry doll would pray for healing and provision for them both.

Still a little wary, I told mama Yusuf that she doesn't have to pay for this dolly. It's a free gift just like the free gift Jesus gave us by dying on the cross for our sins. Quietly and slowly I could see her coming to understand this rather strange encounter and accept this dolly for her boy. I reminded her that when she sees this dolly she should remember that Jesus loves her and that we're praying for her. We prayed quietly together and I slipped out of the ward relatively unnoticed.

A Dolly for Anana from Molli

Anana peeked at me through her mother's scarf in fear of the mzungu, though living in Malindi town should have soothed those fears some time ago. As we waited for Sunday service at Malindi Methodist Church to begin, she continued peeking with such curiosity. One of those peeks, though, was rewarded with this beautiful dolly wearing a sparkly purple butterfly dress. Anana noticed the sparkles looked something like the sparkles on her pink pants. She poked at the doll curiously and didn't really seem to understand the awake/asleep eyes but when the dolly fell to the ground she was quite horrified.

Anana's dolly comes to you, Molli, from your grandma Susan. I saw grandma Rogers when she and I both visited my mom's house in Florida back in July. She thought of you as she carefully chose this dolly to give you for your birthday. I know Susan has gone to be with Jesus now and so receiving this gift might make you a little sad. But she wanted you to know that she loves you in a very special way. I don't think any of us know then just exactly how special this gift would be.

A Dolly for Biso from Frank

Biso is Mary’s boy. I met Mary two years ago when she and her mother were trying their best to enjoy a muzungu Christmas meal at the Luckey’s house where all the misfits (including me) gathered for food and fellowship. As part of the Afayo project, the Luckey’s identified Mary as having a very high risk pregnancy in part because of having congenital heart failure. Because of the tender care offered up by this team of missionaries, Mary survived the pregnancy and delivery which resulted in healthy baby Kevin.

Mary was the second wife to her husband, who chose to live with his first wife and their eight children. His responsibilities, as is not uncommon, exceeded his abilities and so Mary and their first son, Biso, stayed with her mother even after baby Kevin came. But just a short time ago, Mary went to be with Jesus leaving Biso and baby Kevin behind. Biso, as you might expect of any 3-year-old, doesn’t quite understand where his mother is or when she’ll come home.

Frank is Judy’s husband. I met Frank and Judy many, many years ago as we all worshipped at New Life Christian Fellowship. Frank was a funny man, a man filled with an abundance of love and compassion. When my own husband died unexpectedly Frank and Judy…sitting just a few chairs down from me…could often be found wrapping their arms around me. Frank died just a few days ago, April 6, and my heart breaks to be so very far away and not be able to wrap my arms around Judy.

Biso’s ongoing state of confusion meant that he needed some arms wrapped around him…and so I gave him the Frank dolly. That boy’s face lit up, although only momentarily, but the children who immediately surrounded him seemed to quickly comprehend. Biso had a new friend to remind him of his maama and of all the people who love him like Jesus does even when his maama isn’t around.

Frank, your love continues on.

The Dollies are Here!

Little is more exciting than receiving a box from home…and this one was BIG! Amidst the fluffy soft toilet paper, 14 dollies peeked their heads up for air. They were a bit antsy, having ridden in this jam packed box across the ocean for the last three weeks, but I managed to get them to pose for a photo. They’re all anxious to have new mommies and are hoping you will help.

Click here to find out how you can give a gift to someone you love by giving a gift to someone who needs love. All the dollies are profiled individually so you can choose the one who calls your name.

50 Christmas Dollies in Marikebuni

Take a look at the adorable kids who received dollies for Christmas. Pr Ephantus and a few adult leaders were so helpful in organizing the children to receive dollies and have their pictures taken. The children were even well behaved, no grabbing or pushing. A little more like...what's going on here. Thank you for the opportunity to love these kids on your behalf.