When: May 15, 2012 7:30-9:00 PM CST
Who: You! Join fiction lovers from all across the country, as well as your host, Rel Mollet, and get to know our four debut authors, each launching their storytelling careers this month:
Beth Vogt – Wish You Were Here – Simon & Schuster
Dani Pettrey – Submerged – Bethany House
Katie Ganshert – Wildflowers from Winter – Waterbrook Press
Olivia Newport – The Pursuit of Lucy Banning – Revell
What: A live, worldwide, online party. Right here on Relz Reviewz.
One of the best things about my job is travelling to
Lisa Hovingh, one of the Heart of the Bride missionaries to Kenya, goes weekly to the home to do a Bible Study, not only with the older kids as HoH, but also with the “Mamas”, the amazing dedicated women that serve the needs of the 25 children there. One of my best memories of my recent trip is of the times we went together to the Bible Studies.
She first would do the study with the women, while the older kids were still at school. As they came in from school, the girls (with Geoffrey, the lone older boy) would gather quietly on the other side of the great room to begin practicing their memory verses.
They do scripture memory every week. I mean, sometimes four or five verses each. While enjoying the snack Lisa would bring – a very important part of the event! – the children take turns reciting verses for me and Lisa. Their eagerness, and sometimes competitive spirit, could keep this going for a while. I love hearing them recite the verses, and knowing that even when they may not understand everything they are memorizing, the Word is going in and will bear fruit in their lives!
Going through the book of John, I was amazed to hear some of their insights into Jesus’ words and actions. But studying John 14:18 in that room with those kids took on a whole new meaning for me. Jesus is speaking of sending the Holy Spirit after his resurrection and ascension, and He tells the disciples, I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. And I realized then that what Jesus told his disciples a couple thousand years ago was so true, and was coming true before my very eyes for these kids.
Jesus did not leave us as orphans here in the
See, without Christ, we all are orphans, separated from the Father. We all must be adopted into His family, by His grace through salvation. And once we are, He can use us to be His hands and feet, to literally come to the most vulnerable children on the planet, offering them shelter, safety and the love of a Father.
Nobody but me and Lisa teared up or showed any great emotion over this passage. Know why? The kids at House of Hope don’t see themselves as orphans. Just like me, they’ve been adopted into the family of God, and they have a home, a hope and a future. And, just like me, they are daily learning to rejoice and rest in the One who will never leave them or forsake them. And that, my friend, is what it’s all about.
For more information about House of Hope: http://www.heartofthebride.org/houseofhopekenya
We’re in the process of launching a new line of jewelry. It is so exciting to see new designs and plans coming together after months of….well, labor. We’ve labored over our new line to make it the best it can possibly be; more trendy, cutting edge, fun, and wearable. As mother of three kids, I can say from experience it’s somewhat similar to the birthing process.
You conceive an idea, and it has to germinate in your mind. It grows and begins to take shape, begins to have a specific form and substance. Then you feed yourself other ideas and exercise by trying to put it together, see if it will turn out the way you envision it. Then you try it on, wear it around, just like you do when your tummy starts showing…and wait for the comments. Just like an expectant mother, this is not always a favorite part of the process, but, it will happen regardless!
Then comes the inevitable moment when the birth takes
place. Now, there is nothing to compare
with having a child and holding that brand new son or daughter in your arms for
the first time. That is an indescribably
beautiful moment. But seeing the end
result of months of work arriving from
Today was the day, we could not put it off any longer. What do we name these new creations? How do we stamp them with the identity we see in them, of reflecting their origin as well as the encouragement we hope they will foster in the lives of their wearers? That’s what the challenge was, and in just a few weeks you will see the new Neema (Grace) necklace, as well as the Tamu (Sweet), along with several others. I have seen these traits reflected in the lives of our artists, and pray that sweet grace will adorn all those who wear and support this project.
Pictures of the newest additions will follow soon…..I promise!
Blessings,
Faith
One of the benefits of visiting
Start with:
2 medium o
nions, chopped
4 cloves minced garlic
2 C. sliced carrots
Add 2 T. oil to a stock pot on medium high heat. Add onions and cook about 5 minutes, then add carrots and garlic and cook another 3-5 minutes. To this add:
8 C. vegetable or chicken stock
2 – 14.5 cans chopped tomatoes
¼ tsp. pepper and 1/4 tsp. chili powder (I used chipotle chili powder)
2/3 C. extra crunchy peanut butter
Let this mixture simmer on low, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
While this is simmering, cook up some rice of your
choice. I know brown is healthier, but I
adore jasmine rice! When the soup and
rice are done, serve it up in a bowl with some chopped cilantro for
garnish. Deee-lish! 
Top it off with some fresh mango for dessert, and you’ve have a truly African meal experience.
Anyone else have an African recipe? Feel free to share!
For now, Nimeshiba
(I am full with food) and Ninafurahi
Wow, what a fun, exciting week! When Monday rolled around we were hovering at just over 500 fans and today, almost 1800! I can't thank ALL of you enough for the support. I know we have introduced many new people to the products, but more importantly, the project. I personally work with these artists and travel to Kenya for training and encouraging. All the people in our work project have an opportunity to be involved in ongoing Bible study/discipleship. Like us, they are at different point in their faith walks, but they all have a chance to hear the gospel and walk in the truth as a result of this project. It is truly changing lives! I love, love what I get to do each day!
Now, what you've all been waiting for: THE RESULTS! I won't keep you in suspense any longer.
After quite a heated race, we had two people with over a hundred referrals. If you followed the postings, you will not be surprised that it was BARBARA WILDER and LAUREN TOMASCHKO! At 5 pm CST (sorry for the confusion there!) Barbara had 126 and Lauren 112 at my count! WOW! They both will receive the additional necklace, as both of them acheived more than double the requirement for the category. Pamela Garmany was in third place with a hefty 55 referrals. All three of them will receive the 3 free necklaces and a $75 gift certificate. Many thanks to the three of you for your awesome efforts.
Second category was 20-49 referrals: These winners will receive the 3 free necklaces and a $50 gift certificate. And the winners are: Anne Goodrich, Ann Poulson, Courtney Staley, Healy Hawkins, Janice Lunsford, Jen-Seaton Cleveland, Jessica Clingerman, Joy Hays, Kelsi Antram, Kate Gaines, Paisha Chadwick, Rachel Janke, Sara Phillips, Sara Watkins, Shanda Marsh, Tessie DeVore, Varsha Mendonca, Virginia Cox, Amanda Stuard and Rachel Maddox. I was amazed with all of you! Some of you didn't even start the contest until halfway through and still acheived this level. Awesome! Thank you SO much.
The third category was 10-19 referrals, and these winners will receive the three free necklaces: Abigail Chrisitane, Christy Anderson, Chelsea Pickett, Christy Wyatt, Emily Cathleen Sutton, Jordan Boykin, Jennifer Hendrix, Missy Hickman, Melissa Richard, Susannah Johnston, Victoria Smith, Ashley Harris, Katherine Goodrich, Tiffany Dury, Michelle Witt, and Tina Rowland. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
The winners of the $5 gift certificates are many, and we are so thankful for all of you who participated: Anna Reid, Brenda Parr, Cassie Pate, Clancey Hopper, Caryn Rominger, Carol Boykin, Connie Williamson, Carolyn Walker, Catherine Campbell, Darlene Jones, Debbie Reid, Emily Murchison, Gina Cox, Hannah Gibson, Holly Lowmiller, Holly Moore, Kait Johnson, Teresa Gerace, Amy Bishop, Amy Guidroz, Amy Klugh, Amy Cantalina, Amanda Hall, Ali Brown, Abigail Morris, Audra Rogers, Amanda Scheiber, Ashley Smith, Brenda Davis, Amy Leoffler, Courtney Hatcher, Bobbie Jo Nelson, Catherine Campbell, Brandi Simmons, Ashley Wood, Brooke Saari, Becca Moore, Cindy Alexander, Christy Anderson, Courtney Gainer, Chelsea Harrell, Corina Cain, Carrrie Carter, Erika Wilke, Erica Clauson, Effie Jones, Grannie Jean, Heidi Coberly, Hannah Finley, Heather Greenbaum, Jeff Davis, Jamie McWhorter, Julia Norell, Jaree Cornell, Jamie Mathews, Kendra Blakely, Lindy Hays, Jessica Bearden, Katie Hulme, Kerri York, Karen Sage, Lindsey Stuteville, Laurie Womack, Lauren Hanson, Lauren Laurence, Lee Carter, Lisa Olson, Melinda Epperson, Michelle Sarkody, Marlaine Byrd, Marissa Wilson, Nannette Morgan, Mary Tullia, Leslie Wells, Paula Edwards, Rose Williams, Rachel Adams, Michelle Byers, Stacy Ochs, Shenai Alonge, Susan Ellison, Sue Gilmore, Sharon Brueckman, Shandra Davis, Myra Johnston, Jane Ann Johnson, Katie Younginer, Tanya Harper, Tink Bell, Tammy Christensen, Vicki Orr, and...WHEW, Vickie Thornell! Wow! You all were so awesome! Thank you so much!
As you can imagine, tracking all this was no small task! Fun, but challenging. So, if I have left someone off, or you feel you are not listed in the correct category, feel free to email me at: faith@heartofthebride.org, or message me on Facebook.
Lastly, and this is very important, EVERYONE WHO WON JEWELRY NEEDS TO SEND ME CONTACT INFO. I will send all gift certificates digitally on Monday and they will be effective immediately. You can use them online or in the store. BUT please email me your mailing address to receive your jewelry! Thanks again for playing.
Blessings,
Faith Gibson
THIS IS A FACEBOOK CONTEST - SEARCH FOR BACK TO AFRICA, "LIKE" US, THEN START WINNING FREE JEWELRY!!!
Contest Rules: Please Read!
Win FREE jewelry by getting your friends to “like” our page. As your friends like us, they must post your name on our wall. You can post for ONE person, ONE time when you like the page. Here are the prizes:
1-9 friends: $5 coupon towards Back to
If 10-19 of your friends like us: YOU get 3 free necklaces!
20-49: 3 free necklaces PLUS a $50 gift card!
50+: 3 free necklaces PLUS a $75 gift card!
We will also be offering DAILY SPECIALS online and in the store, so be sure and check daily for our special. Special prices will apply from midnight to midnight the day of the special.
Contest begins at 8:00 am March 21st, and ends at 5:00 pm March 26th. Winners will be announced Monday, March 28th by noon. All times are EST.
MUST be 18 or older to play. MUST be a
Arson destroys your business. Lifelong friends and neighbors have suddenly turned against you, threatening your life and the lives of your wife and children. Destitute, you flee for shelter from the violence around you. Your only option is an IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camp with many, many others with stories similar to yours. The IDP camp is full of suffering, hopelessness and fear. How will you ever put you life back together, find a home and a job that will provide for the needs of your family?
This was John's experience in the Kenyan tribal clashes of 2007, when thousands lost their lives. Thousands more lost their homes and livelihoods, as did John and his family. As a result of ministry by Bernie and Celia Mascher, friends of ours and fellow missionaries, John and his family received help and his wife, Evelyn, was able to find employment at Helping Hands, a school and training center run by Bernie and Celia.
John, however, did not have the benefit of education that allowed Evelyn to find a job, and until a few months ago, was still seeking employment, doing any odd jobs that came his way to provide for his wife and three children.
In July of this year, I was in Kenya looking for people in need to employ for the latest expansion of Back to Africa into the kiln fired ceramic pendants that we've added to our line. Through Helping Hands, we were able to offer John a job that gives him a steady wage that enables him to provide for the needs of his family. Evelyn said to me, "We have prayed and prayed for this, it is a miracle!"
When you support Back to Africa by your purchase, you are supporting John and others like him. These are real people with real needs, and through this project we are able to provide them a way to meet their basic needs. The best thing in life is to be used by God to be the answer to another's prayer. It doesn't get better than that!
