WE DID IT!

I am just too excited for fancy words and cute pictures.  I just had to get on the horn right away and let everyone know:

WE DID IT!

We raised over $4000 to build a house for Jennifer Rose and her family!!

I can't believe this is really happening!  Just a few weeks ago our goal still seemed so far away and September 30th seemed to be right around the corner.  Our sale went great and people have been sending in donations.  We had a very generous donor (who wishes to remain anonymous but is so much appreciated) give a large donation yesterday that put us over the top.  

Our plan all along has been to trust God and take the next step He provided.  We worked hard and we never worried.  He gave us work when we needed it, donations when we needed it, encouragement and motivation when we needed it.  We trusted.  He provided.  

I've just sent word to Gretchen DeVoe, the missionary we are working with, to tell the family the good news. The Volmar family has been homeless for three years.  God has not forgotten them and neither have we.  Start building a house.

The process is still ongoing and there will be more updates to come, so please don't forget to check back.  One of the most exciting things is that, although we have met our goal, we are still in the process of raising money with Thred Up.  We still have bags of clothes to be sent, processed and paid, so we are going to continue to work with them.  This money will be ABOVE AND BEYOND our initial commitment but will be used in one of the following ways: 

   1.  to donate to the Homes for Haiti ministry to defray the cost of building           the house, which now costs more than $4000 to build, even though                 Lifeline has chosen to honor the $4000 quote that we set out with.  

   2.  to give to the family directly (part or whole) in a cash donation.

   3.  to buy things for the family or the house, such as bags of rice and beans        or a table or bed for the house.  

That being said, if you had planned to donate and did not get a chance, please feel free to send it in.  We are still accepting donations.  We can use your money for one of the above stated purposes or possibly another purpose of your choosing.  Want to send someone you love to Haiti to help build the house?  We can use donations in that way as well, if you so choose.  

If you still  have a bag to send to Thred Up or a cashout balance to send over, don't forget.  Here is the link to Thred Up:

Thred Up Group Link

And if this story inspires you and you want to stay involved with Lifeline Christian Mission and/or the Homes for Haiti ministry, visit their website for more information.  Prayer and financial support are always needed.  You can look into supporting the ministry, taking a mission trip with your family or group of friends, select a child to sponsor or build a house for family in need.  The love need not stop here, people!  

Lifeline Christian Mission

Thank you thank you thank you!  Can you tell I'm excited?!?!  OK, this might be the most rambling and disordered post ever, but I am just too excited to labor over this one.  I just had to share the good news.  

Thanks and love to all!

   

The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful

The Good:  The yard sale was a success!  We raised over $300 dollars to put toward our goal and had so much fun doing it.  We now have over $2500 toward our goal!  This really put some wind in our sails and inspired us to keep on keepin on.  

Dubious Man Job

Jamie, Melissa and I had a wonderful day at the sale and even got a little sun for our efforts.  Lance was in and out, helping with 'man jobs' at the sale and putting in some serious elbow grease next door, helping the next door neighbors with recovery from a house fire.  The five little boys we have between us played wonderfully all day and our awesome babysitter Caty made it all look easy.  The three amigos (Greyson 2, Joachim 2, and Lucas, almost 2) were thick as thieves all day and didn't cause nearly as much trouble as they could have.  :)

The Three Amigos

Our day went so well much due to the preparation efforts of many.  Thank you to all who donated items for the sale and sent in monetary donations.  And thank you to Stephani and Brianna who came on Friday to help sort, tag and organize before the sale.  

So, good sale.  Good day.  Good memories.

The Bad:  We received notice from Lifeline Christian Mission that their Homes for Haiti program is increasing their prices for homes:

Price change for "Homes for Haiti"

Lifeline's "Homes for Haiti" Ministry allows you the opportunity to purchase a home for your sponsored child and/or a needy Haitian family. Your gift provides a family with a durable, lasting home that will provide safety and security for many years to come.  Effective October 1, 2013, all homes will now cost $4475, when paying by check.  All homes paid in full by September 30 will still be $4000, when paid by check. For more information about the homes ministry and how you can impact a family, visit www.Lifeline.org/HomesForHaiti.

This is still a tiny fraction of what it would cost to build a home here in the United States, of course.  And these homes built by the Homes for Haiti ministry are the nicest in the village - all of them remained intact and liveable during the devastating 2010 earthquake that killed so many and left so many more, like Jennifer Rose and her family, homeless.  I certainly do not have any misgivings about the price or the increase, but boy would it be great to pull this off over the next few weeks and save $475 dollars!  This also has served to motivate us and get our minds churning as to how to make this happen.  Ideas anyone?  Large donations will not be turned away:)

The Beautiful:  Of the many neighbors we enjoyed talking with throughout the day, we were most moved by Richard.  He lives next door and his family just experienced a house fire.  Thankfully no one was injured, but they are just starting to put their home back together and make it liveable.  We gave him some furniture from our sale that the family needed and insisted it was a gift when he offered to pay.  He said he knew about our project and wanted to be a part of it.  He made a $50 donation to AHFJR for the furniture we tried to gift him.  I was moved to tears.  Here is a family of limited means facing an expensive crisis inside their own home and they give.  When people give out of their abundance it makes a difference.  When people give, in the middle of their need, it touches the heart.  Talk about blown away.  

If that doesn't pull the heartstrings then this will.  My friend's sweet son, Judah, has seen his mommy doing these yard sales and heard her talking about building a house for Jennifer Rose.  He asked his mother about it. She explained, in age appropriate language of course, that there was a little girl that didn't have a house and she didn't have the money to get one.  So we wanted to help her get a house.  He immediately offered all of the money from his piggy bank for the project.  He is four.  

So, that's the latest folks.  The good, the bad and the beautiful.  Upcoming projects may include but are not limited to: selling handmade bracelets from Haitian craftsmen and women as a fundraiser, having a "Buy a Brick' fundraising party, continuing to work with Thred Up to get a match on funds raised with them so far (see our page for details http://thred.me/XdUPHC  ) and of course a pressing and grateful reminder that donations are welcome and timely participation appreciated as our September 30th goal date approaches.  You will be hearing from me soon and I thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, for supporting and for encouraging.  This is a wild ride and an amazing experience that I am blessed to be a part of.  

the sale

fun

more fun

We're Baaaaack

You haven't heard from us in a while, dear reader (notice the singular), but I am here to say that yes, we are still raising money, yes we are still planning and preparing, yes, we are still chugging away on this goal of building a house for Jennifer Rose and her family.

Summer got quite busy around here for us, as I am sure it did for you as well.  We had a move, a disastrous family vacation and two new babies in the family to greet.  There was a lot of travel, a lot of disorganization as we clumsily settle into our new home and a lot of last minute shuffling of school plans for the kids.  



And that's just my family.  The team of girls all had their own summer busyness with a lot of similar themes:) While we were always accepting donations, some of our active fundraising was put on hold until we could make a plan and, quite frankly, come up with some ideas.  

You won't believe what we have come up with this time.  Wait for it.  

ANOTHER YARD SALE!!!!!!!!

Ok, we are committed, passionate, hardworking and determined.  We are full of faith that God will lead the way if we just agree to follow.  But creativity has never been my strong suit people.  I never claimed it was. 

our cutest customer

 And why would you  mess with success?  We have raised over a thousand dollars with our two yard sales!  Another $1100 in donations came in over the summer.  That puts us at over $2000, over halfway there.  We are hoping to raise another $1000 with Thred Up - jump on it if you haven't already.  So we have just a quarter of the way to go and some of us are just itching for an excuse for a good yard sale.  Is there anything more satisfying than getting rid of junk and making money at the same time?  You betcha there is.  At our yard sales we enjoy meeting some very colorful folk, as well as some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet, and the money goes to a great cause.  Beat that!



So details details, you beg.  Here you are my readership:

Saturday September 7th 8:00 am until 2:00 pm 
at 1038 Chicagmauga Ave (East) Nashville 37206

Be there or be square.

If you have any items to donate (or cold hard cash - time to up my hard press) call me or email me or facebook me or whatever your pleasure.  I will come to you.  I want your junk, I mean stuff.  I would LOVE to swing by your house and pick up clothing or really any household items that your would like removed from your life with a big side dish of feel good.  In Middle TN lets say.  I do have these two kids and can't pick up your stuff in Indiana.  

Previous yard sale. 

Looking forward to hearing from you (still singular. I'm a realist) and seeing you this Saturday.  Leave a comment -  I would love to have evidence that someone lurked.  Like I said, get a hold of me if you want to help or come by and shop if that is your speed.  I truly appreciate your interest.  

Jennifer Heinrich

773.844.8428

jenniferjheinrich@gmail.com

Lifeline Christian Mission

Here is just a little bio on the missionaries we are working with to build the house for Jennifer Rose and her family.  These people are amazing.  How do I know?  I've been there three times serving on the mission and being amazed by the servant hearts of the American missionaries and Haitian people.

Lifeline has been stationed in Grand Goave, Haiti, since it was founded in 1980.  They have grown exponentially in the last 33 years.  I personally believe that God has blessed the work that these people do because they are passionately and courageously committed to being the loving arms of Jesus to people who need Him desperately.

I cant summarize the stats any better than Lifeline's own website, so here is an excerpt:

Today Lifelines has 26 Christian churches and 33 House churches spread across the four countries, three healthcare facilities, and 14 Christian schools in Haiti and Honduras, that educate 11,000 students, with over 3,500 kids sponsored through Lovelink. Over 500 people participate in work trips per year, over 200 homes have been constructed in Haiti since 2003, and over 45,000 people are impacted daily through the Nutrition programs. Lifeline is also expanding with work near Winslow, Arizona with Navajo Trails and in Canada, as well as taking the ABC food program to other countries beyond Haiti. While Lifeline has done great work to help people throughout four countries and is working to continually expand, it is only by the grace of God that these missions succeed.

And these facts and numbers obscure the individuals who have dedicated their lives to loving others in these needy places.  Founders Bob and Gretchen Devoe hide between the lines of the organizations description.  They  
have celebrated 50 years of marriage and have an amazing testimony.  They are planning their first sabbatical (translation for the non churchy types; VACATION) in 33 years.  

During my three trips I was able to deliver supplies to families with new babies, praying over them and their families, visit the sick and spend time loving them and praying for them, work in the clinic on-site providing medical and dental care.  And yes, i did actually provide dental care.  I performed a dental extraction, under the direct supervision of a dentist of course.  I pulled a tooth.  Its not fancy.  I got to help with the nutrition clinic, screening little ones who qualified for supplementation, which nearly all who came to us.  Those that didn't qualify were also malnourished, just not to the degree of the others and resources are always limited.  

Most memorably I got to attend church with these people who sang their hearts out for hours.  This is not an exaggeration.  They sing at the top of their lungs, for long periods.  Us softies are passing out in the heat, but these people cannot stop singing because their hearts are so full of gratitude for what the Lord has done for them.  They come with empty bellies, bare feet and their tattered Sunday best and they are so filled with hope that they cannot contain themselves to sit down for the sermon.  Its like nothing else.  Contagious too.  I myself don't speak too much Haitian creole, but i just had to join in and belt it out.  

The joy of these people touched a need that we all have that is so much greater than a full belly or four walls.  And yet they hunger and stay in need.  How could I not be moved to do something, however small?

I'll tell you more about Jennifer Rose and her family another day.  My post threatens to be long winded.  But I love Lifeline and I love the Haitian people and their spirit and I just had to share.  

Speaking, of Haiti, anyone want to get together for a mission trip?  Come on, you know you guys are hooked on this story line by now.  Come with and see how it all works out.  Me, you, some other people, we'll go down and build her house together.  And sing at church.  Just in case you are a tiny bit curious (you know you are)  check out Lifeline's link about mission trips:

Lifeline



As always, thanks for reading.  Leave me a comment - I would love to hear from you.  

PayPal: A Word to the Wise

Just a little scoop that you savvy folks already know, but my unsavvy self can't figure out how to best deal with the circumstance so I'll just put the info and the choice in your hands.

In the interest of full disclosure (as well as the interest of raising as much money as possible for AHFJR) I just wanted to let you all know that PayPal does take a percentage of funds sent under the mode of donation.  More specifically, PayPal takes $2.7% of the donation when made through its site.  This fee is deducted from your donation before it hits the account for A House For Jennifer Rose.

While I don't disparage banks for being banks, selling products at a profit and making money, I just like consumers and our donors to be aware of this.

If you are tech savvy, have a PayPal account, and want to make your donation go as far as possible, there is a fully legal and above board way to avoid incurring this fee.  Simply 'send' money from your PayPal account to ours.  When prompted, select 'I'm sending money to family or friends'.  The money will be transferred to the account and no fee deducted.

This was the actual recommendation from the support person I spoke to at PayPal so please do not fret that I would lead you astray and promote dishonesty.  We are raising funds to help a family.  It's not our aim to do anything that would dishonor our purpose or the God we serve who is so faithfully providing for this project that He has set on our hearts.

This is just a little heads up for those who would like to donate and wouldn't mind making it a two step process rather than a simply click of the 'donate' button.  I will leave the button there, for now, as an option, should anyone choose it.

Checks may also be made.  This is the recommended method if you will require a receipt for tax purposes.  Only one person has inquired about that so far, so I won't bore you with the details, but leave me a comment or shoot me an email if you would like more info on that.

Again, this might be tedious info and it certainly is just a small part of the bigger picture of helping this family but I have a feeling that my readership is about 3 people right now and so the possibility of boring or discouraging a reader is a risk I'm willing to take at this point.  Call me if you have questions, Dad.

Thanks for reading and put us on your list to check back and follow up with this big adventure.  Things are happening, people.  Its exciting!

Over $1000 raised!

Here's the latest: we have raised over $1000 toward our $4000 goal to build a home for Jennifer Rose and her family!  Its so exciting when the wheels get turning.  People are getting on board, pooling resources, donating time and coming up with new ideas every day.

Jamie L hosted a second yard sale at her East Nashville home last weekend, raising the prayed for $300 to the dollar, putting us over the one quarter mark.  With more than a little help from Aunt Jessie feeding and entertaining kids, she had the place organized, displayed beautifully and ready to sell.  We worked steadily all day and took the last dollar as we were

the crew.
What are we doing?

closing the last box.  She's a yard sale champ, that's for sure.  I love a friend who can appreciate the joy of enjoying beautiful weather, chatting with neighbors and thinking nothing of spending an entire Saturday raising money for a family she had never met.  She's a keeper, folks.

So, what's next?  Well, the ideas are flowing and the excitement is building.  I don't want to give away all our best fundraising plans, but think hot moms in bikinis and a clean car.  OK, seriously.  They might be tankinis, but we are cute and its a good cause and it would be fun.

Don't forget about Thred Up, which will match us up to $1000 if we get our clothes/funds in before others do.  So time is of the essence and it could mean an additional thousand bucks toward our goal.  Clean out your closets, ladies, and then clean out your kids closet.  Or call me and tell me you have box of mystery clothes in your attic.  I'll take it off your hands, gratefully, no questions asked.  If you already sent a bag in or currently have nothing to clean out, share our link with a friend.  Spread the word and spread the love.

check us out at Thred Up

And then there's that little 'donate now' button just to your right as you are reading these words.  If you are just so pumped that you cannot wait until our next fundraising event, I will not stop you from clicking and supporting our project.  Any amount is very much appreciated.  Can you believe it only takes $4000 to build the nicest house in the entire village in Grand Goave, Haiti?  Don't you want to be part of that?

Thanks for reading and for patiently waiting on the edge of your seats (I'm just certain you are) as I learn reluctantly and awkwardly how to blog.  Love to you all and stay tuned.  

Yard Sale - the Sequel

You may conclude by the last handful of posts that this is a blog about yard sales.  Not so, friends.  

Don't be confused. 

Its a blog about raising money to build a house for a family in Haiti.  Yard sales just happen to be our only idea so far.  Stick with us.  We will get as creative as it takes to get this thing done.

But speaking of yard sales, come on out to East Nasty tomorrow, Saturday May 25th, 2013 from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm.  For those of you not hip to the lingo, the actual address is:

1038 Chicamauga Ave

Nashville TN 37206

Bring your cash and a big ole bag cause you are gonna want to shop.  Again, multi family, lots of kids stuff and brand new books.  

Come on out for some great shopping and again, all proceeds going to our project "A House for Jennifer Rose".