Knitting, anyone? (Or crochet?)

Calling all my knitting friends and friends of friends...
(*crochet pattern added below)

If you love to knit or know someone who does, I'd like to ask for your help with a project we are working on for our nannies here at Maria's Big House of Hope...

Each year our nannies (called "ayis") are given a small Christmas gift from the staff as a thank you for caring so well for our babies. These ladies truly do pour so much love into those that they are called to care for.

This past fall I was sent several pairs of knitted slippers from a friend and our ayis love them. I thought it would be really neat to give them each a pair this coming Christmas. I know it sounds way too early to start thinking of next Christmas, but we will need 250 pairs, so I wanted to be sure to get a head start.

*Here's where your help comes in...*
If you knit, would you consider helping us by commiting to knit some slippers? It can be 10, 20, 30...100...whatever you would be willing to do between now and November. I am attaching a few photos and can email you the pattern if interested. You can get as creative as you would like with the colors. If you don't knit but know someone who does, please feel free to forward this info along.
(Crochet pattern: http://www.bernat.com/pattern.php?PID=4739&cps=21191)

 

If you could email me by February 15th and let me know if you would be willing to help and how many you would be able to make, I would so appreciate it! Email: beckymc121781@gmail.com

Thank you!!!

(The other pictures were taking forever to upload...

email me if you want to see more sample pictures)

Close to Home

One of the things I found most overwhelming during my first few months here was the vast number of children that live in our home. My desire was to get to know each one, to know their names (their Chinese names, not just their English names which are easier for me but not what they know), to know why they are here and get to know their unique and individual personalities. I found myself so discouraged when I just couldn't do it. At least not in the time frame that I thought it should happen.

I think I finally realized that I couldn't get to know them all at once. It was going to take me spending intentional time in each nursery to do so and in time, the familiarity would come. Not all at once, but room by room and child by child.

There are several rooms I used to walk into where some of the kids would just cry. This hurt my heart because to me it meant that these children still saw me as a "stranger" in their home. But something began to change about a month ago. All of the sudden, those children stopped crying. They now wave and smile, some will walk (or crawl) over, and blow kisses when I leave the room. As simple as this seems, it's been such a gift. Almost like God speaking through them, reassuring me of my home and my place here; that I belong. I feel an extra close bond with these children because I feel like I almost had to "earn" their trust, whereas others have given it quite freely. It wasn't until they began to see me week after week, month after month that they finally realized I was here to stay and that they could trust this no-longer stranger.

I do use the word "home" loosely because I know that this will not be my home forever. No earthly dwelling will be my home forever. But I do believe God gives us glimpses of what Home will be like, and some places just "feel" more like home than others. I feel like this is one of those places for me. It is a place where I see and feel and know Jesus clearer than I have ever seen, felt, or known Him before. I can't help but look at the faces of these precious children and know that they have a Father who knows them and loves them deeply.

A few weeks ago, as we held some sweet babies, I shared with some friends that were visiting that if Jesus were in physical form here with me, this would be the place where we would be together. We wouldn't be at a coffee shop, we wouldn't be hiking, I don't think we'd even be in America. I think we would be right here and He would be on the floor holding, tickling, wiping noses and giving kisses. I know that "place" of being with Jesus would be different for everyone, but for me, it would be here. I believe He would love to be here. I believe He is here and He loves being here.