Speak Up, house project and a projected healing :)

I have been playing catch up since we returned from ET. I think I am finally back on the right time schedule. There is LOTS going on here at OH!! First of all, I want to thank those of you who have given towards our flood victims. We are about to wrap up our final house for the blind woman and her husband. It looks AMAZING! I really am just amazed. Yes, it ended up being a lot more work than we had in mind but it was very needed according to all of the professionals who have been over to do the repairs. Everyone that comes in says that it looks like a completely different house. I can't wait to show you the final reveal. It is coming soon!

Also, speaking of this couple, I need you to pray for Mary. She is the blind woman that lives in the home we are fixing. She is just precious and has such an amazing heart and has helped many people for many years before she went blind 3 years ago. Why do I want you to pray?? Well....I am thrilled to announce that she is being seen by Dr Ming Wang next Monday. He has accepted her as one of his foundation patients. He is only like the best eye doctor in the country and has given countless people their sight back through his miraculous work. So would that not be the biggest miracle of all if Mrs Mary could regain her sight in the end of all this? Wow!! Talk about a divine purpose for me bumping into her daughter on the side of the road during the flood aftermath and her being a flood victim that I went and checked on!!! I don't even question anymore. God's hand is always in all this :) SO PRAY that Dr Wang alongside God will give Mrs Mary her sight back which will give her her life back. I feel so bad that we are making her home better than it has ever been and then there she sits and can't see any of it. Well, hopefully not for long :) I'll keep you posted. PRAY!

Also, we are getting ready to start putting out our Speak Up emails and feature the waiting children that we met personally in Ethiopia. Let me tell you that these children stole our hearts. You meet with them, play with them, love on them, hug them, kiss them, they squeeze your neck, kiss your cheek, sing you a song, and hold your hand.......and then you leave, knowing that none of these waiting children have families yet. They all have been waiting, some of them years, for a family to choose them. We have come back determined to let their voices be heard, to make them come alive in your eyes. They get looked over and forgotten about so we are here to SPEAK UP for those who can't speak for themselves.

If you are not on our Speak up email list and would like to be added in order to be informed of waiting children through email notice, then shoot Charlene an email at info@ordinaryhero.org and let her know to add you. I will be telling some of our personal stories with these kids from our trip. I also have all the waiting children associated with Sue's agency, Celebrate Children, in one link. If you would like to look at all of the waiting children that we personally saw on this trip associated with her agency then email me at Kelly@ordinaryhero.org for the password and the link. I am waiting for more info on the kids from the dump area before I put them out there yet. Also, there are many more children that we did not personally meet on Sue's site at Celebrate Children if you want to email her and ask for the password. Sue@celebratechildren.org They are precious and many between the age of 3-4 including adorable 3 year old twin girls, ready and waiting!!

There were many children who stole our hearts but some that stood out to me who were just too precious were the 7 year old HIV+ little girl. Oh my gosh!! She was so amazing! I have never seen a smile so big on a little girl as hers was when I handed her a doll that someone had made. She literally sucked air and just stood in awe she was so happy. It was the sweetest thing I had ever seen and can't get that big smile out of my mind. Also, the VERY handsome older boys who took all of the super model pics have been waiting for a LONG time for a family. Check them out. You can't miss them they are so cute! They will steal your heart for sure. Also the large sibling groups of children were ROCK STARS!! There is a sibling group of 5 which she is considering splitting up but it would be sooooo amazing if someone out there has a heart for 5. there is also the sibling group of 4 that has the older sister and then the 3 brothers. They were all so sweet and stole everyone's hearts. The boys were very good at soccer too, I might add. Then there was the 4 sisters, which I only met and photographed 3 of them. Gosh, they are gorgeous!! There are also the two little girl siblings with the hearts of GOLD!! The older one is wearing a red jersey pictured with her sister beside her and you see the younger one getting her face painted. Then there are boy/girl twins around 6 or so. Then a couple of single boys that will steal your heart! So pretty much ALL of them are just precious!! Email me for password if you would like to view their pics.

On another note, we have Project Backpack quickly approaching. We will be handing out backpacks and supplies to the children at the homeless shelter. Email Bev if you would like to get involved with that. davebevstacey@comcast.net

Lastly, Congrats to The Dodd Squad! If I am reading this correctly then you are exactly our 200th follower!! Email me for a free shirt! Many thanks to all of you OH followers out there :) We couldn't do any of this without you all!

Ok, that's it for now.

Blessings!