Ordinary Hero Blog

January OH Grant Winners!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2012-01-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

ORDINARY HERO GRANTS

are being awarded again this month to our TOP 3 Sellers!!!

500$ TO BE APPLIED TOWARD YOUR

ADOPTION OR MISSION TRIP!! Yay!!

Each month we give our top 3 Selling Affiliates $500 toward their adoption or mission trip in which they are fundraising for. We love supporting adoptions and missions!! It is where our heart is. We, at OH, love helping you all reach your fundraising goals through our Affiliate Program!!

Once again, this month our Affiliates knocked our socks off!! We expected a SLOW January, but that wasn't the case at all! We had some true go-getters who got the word out and had some amazing purchases on their behalf!! You guys have some AWESOME friends and family who love and support you in your passion to CHANGE THE WORLD FOR ONE!!

So.....our top three selling January Grant Affiliates, and winners of the $500 Grant, are......

#1 Kara Vassar from Appleton, WI!! She is fundraising for a misson trip to Ethiopia to work with the ministry, Yezelalem Minch, that OH happend to visit last year on one of our Summer Mission Trips! Gina Payne, Our fundraising coach, emailed Kara to ask if she would be interested in becoming an OH Product Partner and without hesitation she said YES! (Her items will be featured in next months Grant contest!) Gina mentioned to Kara she should sign up to become an affilaite and let us help her with her fundraising. Kara thought, why not, and she hit the ground running!! Half way through the Grant contest Kara found out that YM had agreed to cover most of her trip costs, so she then began fundrasing to bring EXTRA supplies for YM! She is taking an extra 5 totes to Ethiopia filled with donations! In just 10 days earned $912.31 just from her 40% affiliate commission. THEN she earned another $500 for being a top seller which brings her total earnings to $1412.31 in just 10 Days!!! Woo Hoo!! Girl, you are so showing out! Congrats!

#2 Julie Boyd from McCalla, Alabama!! Her sales soared!! The Boyd's are fundraising for an adoption from China! And in just 10 days she earned $910.36 just from her 40% affiliate commission. THEN she earned the $500 grant which means in just 10 days she now has an extra $1410.36 toward her adoption! To sweeten the pot, the Boyd's recently found out they received a MATCHING Grant from Lifesong! So with the matching Lifesong grant they will double their OH fundraising money to $2820.72 !! Incredible!! I'snt that AMAZING? Julie was also one of our OH Decemeber Product Partners! She donated $300 worth of product to help other fundraising families, and little did she know that her seed was being sown, and look how fruitful it became! We are so happy for you Julie!!! God is Good! You have some amazing Ordinary Heroes!

#3 Kristen Gilliss from Bismarck, ND!! The Gilliss family is fundraising for their daughter's adoption, who is 6, and lives in Ethiopia. They are currently waiting for their court trip to Ethiopia! They are hoping to be traveling to Ethiopia in March! They have been long time followers of OH since October of 2009!. In just 10 days she raised $677.38 just from her 40% affiliate earnings and THEN she earned another $500 as being a top seller!! That brings her total earnings in just 10 days to $1177.38!! :-) Congratulations Gilliss family!

Wow!! Congratulations to our top 3 OH Affiliates!!

We also want to mention an HONORABLE MENTION for this Grant period who had over $1000 in sales credited to their name during this grant giveaway. Remember that means that they still earned over $400 with their 40% commission which is a huge blessing! We would like to give this honorable mention, strong selling affilate, who sold over $1000 in product, a $50 gift certificate to the OH store. "Great Job"!! Girl, you had 2 purchases made and one of them bought 4 donkeys and a half of a sheep! Wowza!

Our "honorable mention" who had OVER $1000 in sales credited to their name, and gets a $50 gift certificate, is....

Jessica Heesch

GREAT JOB, EVERYBODY!!

I must send out a major THANK YOU to all of our Affiliates, and all of you who supported our Affiliates through your purchases!! They could not have done this without the support of family and friends who purchased on their behalf to support their cause.

Remember, Affiliates, YOU ARE ALL WINNERS!!

You all receive 40% of every purchase credited to your name.

We are thrilled to be able to offer this to you!!

We want to give a shout out to Kelley Williams, who donated several of her Why Adopt? Africa Adoption T-shirts (there are a few left in the STORE) to help these fundraising families and OH. These were awesome shirts that speaks the Gospel right across the front for those of you who are adopting from Africa! They also make these tees for China and domestic adoptions. I will be sending info out later today on how you can see these shirts and how you can support this family's adoption with your purchase!

We also want to Thank our past product partners whos items we sold in this Grant Contest! Thank YOU Sow to China (Julie Boyd), MakHappi (Makenzi Coder) and Team Keehn (Heather Keehn) for allowing us to continue to sell your AWESOME items that you shared with us to help these AMAZING families!

We want to thank ALL of our families who have donated items toward helping these fundraising families. I will be doing a post VERY SOON announcing who they are and where you can go to buy more of their stuff!! We are excited about our product partners!!

Who will it be in Febuary?

If you are interested in partnering YOUR product with OH to benefit our fundraising families, please email Gina@OrdinaryHero.org for more information.

Again, CONGRATS to our Grant Winners!!

Now, GO THANK ALL OF YOUR ORDINARY HEROES WHO SUPPORTED YOU!!

NEXT GRANT GIVEAWAY STARTS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17 AT 12:00 AM CENTRAL AND ENDS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 AT 11:59 PM CENTRAL

See how 10 days can make a drastic difference in YOUR fundraising!!

Check out our Affiliate Program and get signed up today :-)

AWESOME JOB, EVERYONE!!

New Product in the OH Store!

2012-01-20T10:31:00.000-08:00

Be sure to visit the Ordinary Hero Store today and check out our NEW ITEMS.

Less than 3 days left in this month's grant contest. It's never too late to sign up as an OH affiliate.

We love helping you fundraise! :-)

SPECIAL THANKS TO KAREN HALBERT PHOTOGRAPHY FOR ALL OUR AWESOME PRODUCT PICS! SHE DOES GREAT FAMILY PORTRAITS AS WELL SO CHECK HER OUT.
You can also find her on facebook.

Do YOU Wanna Be Featured in Woman's Day Magazine?

2012-01-14T04:42:00.000-08:00

As some of you may remember, I was featured in the August issue of Woman's Day Magazine for the work I do with Ordinary Hero and helping children in need. It was such an honor and amazing experience!

Well.....EXCITING NEWS!! They are looking for another "Ordinary Hero", so to speak, who is doing amazing things by helping children in need, for their upcoming May, Mother's Day issue!!

They have asked Ordinary Hero to help them find YOU!

Here is what they are looking for from the email I received from Brian, their Senior Editor.....

I’m working on a story for our May issue (our Mother’s Day issue). We’re looking to profile extraordinary moms in the NY, NJ, CT area who are doing fabulous things with adoption, fostering, etc. Basically, someone just like you, who we haven’t featured yet. Ideally, a mother who’s fostered a lot of children (and would be willing to be photographed with them), a mother who has started an adoption/fostering/children’s charity (like you) - that kind of thing.

So notice he said they want to feature someone from the NY, NJ, CT area. They are keeping this one close to their home base of New York.

So here is what I want you to do....

SEND ME YOUR STORY OR THAT OF SOMEONE YOU KNOW WHO FITS THIS.

(Be sure to include their contact info if it is not you)

SEND THEM TO Kelly@OrdinaryHero.org

I will allow submissions from other states just because you never know when they might be looking for someone to feature for a later issue but there are no guarantees. We, at Ordinary Hero, will start featuring some of your stories that don't get picked by Woman's Day on our blog as our "Ordinary Hero Spotlight". We love that there are so many of you Ordinary Heroes out there who do so many amazing things! People need to know about you!

BUT.....

ONE OF YOU FROM NY, NJ, CT WILL GET PICKED FOR THE MAY ISSUE OF WOMAN'S DAY! WOO HOO!!!!

So send me your stories and FIRST INCLUDE WHERE YOU ARE FROM. If you are from one of the above states mentioned for the issue, make sure we see it loud and clear!!!

As I get the submissions I will forward them on to Brian.

Here is the thing......

YOU ONLY HAVE THROUGH WEDNESDAY, Jan 18! THAT IS 5 DAYS TO GET THEM TO US!

They need these submissions ASAP so the sooner the better!!

So.....1, 2, 3 Go!!!

Start getting us those stories and you could have the awesome experience with the wonderful folks at Woman's Day, like I did.

You will get your own photo shoot, and go from this.....

To this........

To THIS!!!

BEST OF LUCK!!

SEND YOUR SUBMISSIONS TO KELLY@ORDINARYHERO.ORG.

OH GRANT contest starts today and runs through next Sunday, January 22nd at midnight! Need $500, $1000, $1500? Become an affilate today!

2012-01-13T07:32:00.000-08:00

Our FIRST Grant contest of 2012 is underway! Ordinary Hero will be giving away THREE $500 grants to our top sellers that sell product in the OH STORE over the next 10 days! Our past winners have earned $1000 up to $2500 in a 10 day time period. The contest starts today and runs through next Sunday, January 22nd and will close at midnight (Central time!) Good luck to all!!!
As an OH affilaite you earn money through items purchased in our STORE on your behalf. If you are one of our TOP 3 sellers, you win an additonal $500! It's easy and its FAST! It's a super quick fundraiser that can earn you some cool cash and your friends and family get some really cool gear! If you would like to become an OH affilate or know someone who is fundraising for mission trips or adoptions please share our fundraising program with them! We would love to GRANT them an extra $500! Thanks for sharing this post with your friends and family!
Click here to find out how to become an affiliate-- Its FREE and takes 2 minutes to JOIN!
http://www.ordinaryhero.org/Ordinary_Hero/OH_Fundraising.html

We will be adding some new items (Think Valentine's Day and Baby its cold outside....) later this morning. We received our new product late yesterday so we are frantically trying to organzize it and get it up on the STORE site. Check the STORE later today to view all of our new products! We also added some new long sleeve kid tees and our new Charcoal colored "Change the World for One" Burn out hoodie at the end of December.... You will want to check those new items out and they are loaded on the site right now!
http://www.ordinaryherostore.org/

We have so many ideas that we are eager to share with all of you in the future months! So many great opportunites lie ahead. Thanks for being a part of our journey!

We will only have one Product Partner (PP) this month...I took a much needed break over the Holidays from recruiting and we had one PP's merchandise delivered to the wrong State this week, so we will just have one Product partner for this grant. I have already signed up 4 Product Partners for Febuary and am now working on filling up March slots. I would like to have 3 PP's a month. If you would like to learn more about our Product Partner program contact Gina Payne at paynegina1@hotmail.com

Good luck to everyone that is trying to win that Grant money! All affilaites should be getting emails from Gina, our fundraising coach with TIPS on how to fundraise using social media... IF you are not getting emails then we do not have your correct email address. Reach out to her (email is listed above) and she will add you to our list. Also, check out "OH Fundraising" on FB, and you can follow along ways to market to your FB friends and family.

Happy Friday to all of our Ordinary Hero's!!!

Awaken 2 Mission Conference THIS WEEKEND IN FRANKLIN TN!!

2012-01-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

I want to invite you out to the Awaken 2 Mission Conference this Friday and Sat, January 13-14 at Journey Church.

Ordinary Hero will be there so come check out all the awesome stuff they have going on and stop by and say hi to us at our booth. Ordinary Hero product and info will be available at our booth.

Come see us!!

Awaken2Mission

A Conversation to Inspire Mission

Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14, 2012

Journey Church, Building 8, The Factory

Franklin, TN

Featuring:

Jerry Rankin, President Emeritus, SBC International Mission Board

Jordan Sekulow, ACLJ

Darren Tyler, Conduit Mission

David Whetstone, Mentor Leaders

Chris McClarney, Worship Leader

... and more!

Schedule of Events

Friday, January 13:
5pm: Doors Open/Registration
7pm Worship / Welcome / Jerry Rankin: Keynote Address
9-9:45pm Talk Shop
10pm Dismissal

Saturday, January 14:
8:30am Welcome / Worship / Jordan Sekulow: Keynote Address
10am-12pm Poverty Simulation, Main Auditorium (pre-registration necessary)
10-10:45am Workshop (End Slavery/Safe World Nexus)11-11:45am Workshop (End Slavery/Safe World Nexus)
12-1pm Lunch (Chick Fil A onsite: $4 bag lunch includes beverage)
1-2:45pm Mentor Leaders Breakout (Main Auditorium)
1-1:45pm Workshop (Conduit Collective/Hope Force)
2-2:45pm Workshop (Conduit Collective/Hope Force)
3pm Keynote Address: Darren Tyler
4pm Talk Shop
5pm Dismissal / Dinner
Saturday Night, January 14
7pm Night of Worship and Consecration with David Whetstone and Chris McClarney

Recent World Changers!!

2012-01-04T10:09:00.000-08:00

How cute is this Christmas family picture?? Deena Maley, from Cincinnati, Ohio, is raising funds through OH for their adoption and sent me this adorable pic of her kids. You guys make awesome OH models!!

Ashley Hogeland, from Greenwood, AR, traveled with OH to Ethiopia in July 2011. She is now spreading the word and bringing awareness of the orphan crisis by sharing her personal experience. She visited this 1st grade class who are all collecting items to help in Africa. Here is Ashley in her own words, "It was so much fun talking to these kids about the trip! The kids found out they could collect capri suns and other wrappers to recycle and earn points for things for their classroom. However, the 1st graders decided that they would rather help other people. So, they are collecting points to build water wells in Africa. Cool huh?? They are definitely ordinary heroes!! :)
They even landed in the local paper. Thanks, Ashley, for continuing to be an Ordinary Hero!

Next we have this awesome little girl who collected all these Blessing Bags in her best friend's memory!!

I received this email from her mother....

My daughters best friend passed away 4 years ago and we have decided to do the "blessings bags" in her memory, putting a "Gabrielles Gift" sticker on each bag. We will set aside $37 each month for "bag creation" and when we get a good amount of bags, well send them off (as you can see from the picture, our first shipment is ready to go). We will also get the word out for those who care to join us. Thanks for the opportunity to partner with you to touch others with the love of God ;)
blessings,
darlene grieco

How AMAZING is that?? This little girl's best friend will be shining down from heaven on each child we give a bag to. Thank you for being Ordinary Heroes, honoring your friend's memory, and showering love on so many, all at the same time!! What an example you are!

Adoption, spreading orphan awareness, collecting donations.....the list goes on. We can all find ways to be an Ordinary Hero to someone in need. May you be inspired and encouraged by these Ordinary Heroes, and may your days in 2012 be filled with joy and inspiration to help others in need.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN 2011! A New Video to Reflect.

2011-12-30T13:10:00.000-08:00

As the 2011 year comes to a close, I wanted to take this time to thank all of the many families and individuals who have supported all the lives Ordinary Hero has been fortunate enough to bless this year. YOU truly are Ordinary Heroes. You have provided FOREVER FAMILIES to orphans in need of homes through the miracle of adoption. Ordinary Hero has given away over $40,000 this year to adoptive families and those traveling on missions, thanks to your support. We have seen countless lives blessed in America, and in Africa. You have come alongside us this year to serve the homeless and those in need in America, and the orphans and the needy in Africa through our many outreach opportunities and mission trips.

WE ARE SO BLESSED!

As we close the Christmas season, and reflect on the birth of Jesus, my heart skips a beat to Africa and all the many beautiful lives that have touched us and made us better for knowing them this year. As we wrap our minds and hearts around the love of Jesus after just celebrating Christmas, take a moment with me to reflect on this past year of 2011 in Africa. Watch and see the LOVE, THE HANDS, AND THE FEET of JESUS being poured out to children in need through Ordinary Heroes like me and like you. We can all help someone in need. We are all better for doing so. We won't forget these little lives. You can watch this video and see why so many leave their hearts in Africa.

CLICK HERE to go to the direct link, or silence my music on the right sidebar and watch the video below.

Ordinary Hero ~ Ethiopia 2011~ We Won't Forget from Kelly Putty on Vimeo.

We can't thank you enough for your support of Ordinary Hero this year. We couldn't do any of it without you partnering with us. I don't ask for donations specifically for Ordinary Hero often, but it is the end of the year, and we do rely on support to keep doing what we do. If you would like to make a tax deductible, end of the year donation, CLICK HERE. Email Charlene@OrdinaryHero.org to inquire about partnering with us in 2012. We have ideas and plans that are way bigger than what we could think or imagine for this next year. We couldn't do it without you. We humbly say THANK YOU and GOD BLESS YOU!!

WE LOOK FORWARD TO AN EXCITING 2012 WITH 5 NEW TEAMS TRAVELING TO ETHIOPIA, SEVERAL OUTREACHES IN AMERICA, AND MUCH MORE!

LET US ALL BE LIFTED HIGHER!!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T06:26:00.000-08:00

From all of us at Ordinary Hero,

we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Thank you for having the heart of giving and making it feel like Christmas every day for so many children in need across the world in 2011.

Your love moves mountains and changes the world for many little lives! Life has twists and turns and sometimes looks hopeless for many. Circumstances can be turned around in an instant thanks to ONE PERSON. It all started in the beginning when Mary started out as a confused, pregnant, young girl, trying to figure out what was happening in her life. The words to this song say it so beautifully....

A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING!

So if a little baby named Jesus came to this world and changed everything for us all through one Ordinary girl...

think how much you can do.

Have a Blessed Holiday Season!
Merry Christmas

The Ordinary Hero Team

Our Product Partners!!

2011-12-22T12:18:00.000-08:00

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR DECEMBER PRODUCT PARTNERS!!

Many of you who shopped during our last grant contest may have noticed some cool new items in our OH Store. We had some amazing families partner up with OH to offer some of their product in order to benefit our fundraising families. How awesome is that?? We have sold out of most of it and now you are left saying...."Where can I get more?" Well here is where you can get more cool items that you saw in our store in December. Be sure to check out the links below and shop with these families. Many of them are fundraising and make things in order to raise funds for their own adoptions, or some of them have adopted and are now pouring back into the cause that stirred their heart to give back.

If you have items that you are currently selling, and you would like more info about how our Product Partners works, please email Gina@OrdinaryHero.org for more info. We are currently stocking up on cool new items for our January grant contest. Don't miss out.....and don't forget to support the families that are listed below, and purchase some really cool stuff!!

Our cool headbands this month ~ MakHappi

Awesome hand-made items~ Sow To China

Art plaques, key fobs and more~ Teem Keehn

Awesome Ornaments!~ Ethiopia Dad

Don't forget to REACH OUT to someone in need this Christmas

2011-12-19T11:04:00.000-08:00

As the Christmas season approaches we must all remember those that are less fortunate. We can easily get caught up in the hustle and bustle, and financial stress that the holiday season brings as we strive to provide for our own loved ones.

We must not forget the REASON FOR THE SEASON.

We can be a HUGE blessing to someone this Christmas season in some of the simplest ways.

Let's teach our children what the spirit of CHRISTmas is all about by giving to those that really do need a blessing this Christmas.

IDEAS.......

I heard on the radio this morning that the Salvation Army needs help passing out gifts.

The Meals On Wheels needs help passing out meals.

Let the kids make a card, you can bake something sweet and go visit the elderly. Call a nursing home in your area and find out who does not get regular visitors and take them a card and something sweet to eat and wish them a Merry Christmas.

Call your local homeless shelter and sign up to serve a meal or take a family some Christmas presents.

Visit our OH CHRISTMAS OUTREACH page for ideas locally and with our Blessing Bags.

Let's bless someone this Christmas season. Send pics and emails of ways that you have blessed someone this Christmas season. We love to highlight our Ordinary Heroes!!

Kelly@Ordinaryhero.org

December Grant Winners!!

2011-12-12T09:25:00.000-08:00

WON

TO BE APPLIED TOWARD YOUR ADOPTION

OR MISSION TRIP!! Yay!!

This month our Affiliates knocked our socks off!! We had some true go-getters who got the word out and had some amazing purchases on their behalf!! You guys have some AWESOME friends and family who love and support you in your passion to CHANGE THE WORLD FOR ONE!!

So.....our top three selling December Grant Affiliates, and winners of the $500 Grant, are......

#1 Shanna Bahn from Minnesota!! Her sales soared!! She is fundraising for a Visiting Orphans Mission Trip and in just 10 days she earned $1227.74 just from her 40% affiliate commission. THEN she earned the $500 grant which means in just 10 days she now has an extra $1727.74 toward her mission trip!! Incredible!!

#2 Kim Adams from North Dakota!! She is fundraising for an adoption and in just 10 days earned $810.26 just from her 40% affiliate commission. THEN she earned another $500 for being a top seller which brings her total earnings to $1310.26 in just 10 Days!!! Woo Hoo!!

#3 Anita Rives from Kentucky!! Anita is fundraising for her daughter, McKaila, to attend an OH Mission Trip in July. In just 10 days she raised $723.01 just from her 40% affiliate earnings and THEN she earned another $500 as being a top seller!! That brings her total earnings in just 10 days to $1223.01!! Your daughter better be loving you!! :-)

Wow!! Congratulations to our top 3 OH Affiliates!!

We have SEVERAL HONORABLE MENTIONS who had over $1000 in sales credited to their name during this grant giveaway. Remember that means that they still earned over $400 with their 40% commission which is a huge blessing!We would like to give all of these honorable mention, strong selling affilates, who sold over $1000 in product, a $50 gift certificate to the OH store. We say "Great Job"!!

Those who had over $1000 in sales credited to their name, and get a $50 gift certificate, are....

Debbi Coder

Brooke Hennigfeld

Jordan Henderson

Brian and Heather Keehn

Jessica Heesch

Chelsey Bibb

GREAT JOB, GUYS!!

Remember, Affiliates, YOU ARE ALL WINNERS!!

You all receive 40% of every purchase credited to your name.

We are thrilled to be able to offer this to you!!

All of our Affiliates are making a difference, even by the purchases that others are making on their behalf!! In just 10 days we had the following items sold through the store which will help countless children and women in need....

8 Donkeys

37 1/2 sheep

44 Amharic Bibles

38 Donation Combos for kids in Africa

17 pair of shoes.

YOU ALL ARE TRULY MAKING A DIFFERENCE!!

We want to give a shout out to Ethiopia Dad, who donated several of his ornaments (that sold out quickly) to help these fundraising families and OH. These were awesome ornaments that you can go get more of at his etsy shop. We want to thank ALL of our families who have donated items toward helping these fundraising families. I will be doing a post VERY SOON announcing who they are and where you can go to buy more of their stuff!! We are excited about our product partners!!

Who will it be in January??

If you are interested in partnering YOUR product with OH to benefit our fundraising families, please email Gina@OrdinaryHero.org for more information.

Again, CONGRATS to our Grant Winners!!

Next Grant Giveaway will start Friday, January 13 at 12:01am, and run through Sunday, the 22nd at 11:59pm.

See how 10 days can make a drastic difference in YOUR fundraising!!

Check out our Affiliate Program and get signed up today :-)

AWESOME JOB, EVERYONE!!

And AWESOME JOB, GINA, OUR FUNDRAISING COACH!! She is the best!!!

New Shirts in the Store!!

2011-12-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

Could these kiddos be any cuter?? (Even if they are my niece and nephew :-)

Our new Kid's long sleeve shirts and Charcoal Women's hoodie are now in the OH STORE!

We have ONE DAY left in December's Grant Giveaway.

Be sure to grab these shirts and support our Adoption and Fundraising Affiliates during this grant giveaway. Grant Giveaway contest ends tomorrow, Sunday at 11:59 PM Central.

Look at these cute new shirts!

Your little one is GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD!

Then, check out these new Charcoal Hoodies! Our White Burnout Hoodie is one of our favorites because it is so soft and comfy. Now we have it in Charcoal. Get yours today! So cute!

Lucy is saying...."Mmmm, Hmmm. I'm liking that hoodie. I just might have to get me a burnout hoodie too!" :-)
Happy shopping in the OH Store!

Blessing Bag Party!!

2011-12-07T06:50:00.000-08:00

Wow!! Over 100 bags were sent our way by this group. I received this email from Erica, from Seabrook, TX, who hosted a Blessing Bag party....

Hey there, Ms. Kelly-

I hosted our "Blessing Bag" party on Saturday. We had moms and our kiddos participating! I must tell you, I had no idea the 2nd grade boys would be so eager to get involved! I kicked the party off with a video from your blog, "Day at the Trash Dump". The kids were into it, asking questions and paying close attention. Not a dry eye in the house might I add. We had 3 stations: clothes, books and toys, and encouragement notes. We all had the opportunity to rotate through each station. We had an amazing time of fellowship. I am so glad we did this!

I have attached some photos of the party!!

We already have a mom offering to host the next one. We all agreed this would be a great get together about every 6 months. So, get ready for some bags, Kelly! They are coming your way soon!

In Christ's love,

Erica Becka

Thank you, Erica, for hosting this BB party at your home! What a huge blessing this will be for the children in Ethiopia when they receive your bags. I love that you got the kids involved!!

Let this be an example of how great it can be to bless others this season. It doesn't matter if you make 100 or if you make 1, this is the reason we do what we do, and to them it means the world. For more info on our blessing bags read this post.

YOU can CHANGE THE WORLD FOR ONE.

Thank you!

DECEMBER GRANT CONTEST STARTS TOMORROW!

2011-11-30T07:12:00.000-08:00

Ordinary Hero will be holding our LAST grant contest for the 2011 year starting tomorrow, December 1st at 12:01 am and it will run through Sunday,December 11th at 11:59pm (Central time). We will be giving away $1500!!!

We will be offering THREE $500 Grants to the top 3 affilaites that sell the most product! Sign up today to become an affiliate, so you can win the Grant!!! Sign up HERE.

If you know someone fundraising their adoption or their mission trip, PLEASE tell them about the Ordinary Hero Affilaite Program. They receive 40% of the proceeds of all products bought under their name, plus the chance to win GRANT money in addition!!! Its really a great program! Thanks for sharing this opportunity with your friends and family!

We will have LOTS of new items in the store when you wake up Thursday morning! :) There will be items made by some of our very own fundraising families for this Grant offering! There are LOTS of fabulous Christmas gift ideas- so make sure you shop early!!! The items from our fundraising families are in VERY LIMITED quantities- so make sure you take a look at the STORE on Thursday morning and SHOP EARLY! Here are some items that you will see in the OH STORE!

NIFTY CHALKBOARD PLACEMAT...

and these COOL KEY FOBS (Great gifts!)...

and how about Santa letters for your kids?

Oh my goodness... Look at this Christmas Ornament...

and we will have more ornaments for Russia, China and Guatemala :). So check out our STORE to see what we have on Thursday!

and cute headbands for the girls.. (This model is just precious by the way and I love her so)

That is just a sneak peak :) There will be Many more items listed as well! :) I am still waiting on some packages to show up at my door! :) We will have precious crayon rolls, camera straps and wall art! We will also have new RED OH coffee travel tumblers and cool OH Acylic water tumblers (with straws).

So start thinking HOW YOU are going to WIN on of our $500 Grants! Get your email lists ready and warn all of your facebook friends that its time for them to do some Christmas shopping and support your adoption and/or mission trip! :) Good luck to all!! The above mentioned items are going to go VERY FAST, so have your friends shop starting Thursday to get the best selection!

If you are not an affiliate, but would like to purchase from the OH Store, you can bless one of our MANY affilaites at checkout by selecting their name as you make your order. They will receive 40% of your purchase!

Good luck to all! :)

If you would like more information on how to see YOUR items listed in the OH STORE next month, contact Gina@ Ordinaryhero.org. Send her pictures of your products that you would like to see listed and she will explain to you how our program works! We hope to partner with 5 families each month. She is now accepting products for the Januray and February months. :)

Little Ordinary Heroes with GREAT BIG HEARTS!!

2011-11-27T08:25:00.000-08:00

Let me introduce you to Piper and Sarah from Ky. They are our Hero Spotlights for this week. You see, they recently had birthdays and decided to celebrate them together. Piper and Sarah chose NOT to get presents for their birthdays, but instead asked all of their friends to JOIN THEM in being ORDINARY HEROES and they collected money for the orphans in Ethiopia!! They collected $315 to be exact!! Wow!! What an awesome idea, girls!!

It just goes to show you how we should all have the heart of a child. These kids should be in their normal Birthday mode and excited and expecting to receive their gifts from their party like any child would. BUT instead they are excited to get all their friends together and see what a big difference they can make in the lives of orphans in Ethiopia. Wow!! To think that kids "get it" at such a young age is incredible!

They created their giving box, above, and below, they even had their Birthday cake share the spirit as they incorporated their love for cheerleading and Ordinary Hero all in one. So cute!!

They gave each child an OH bracelet as a party favor. Girls, I can't wait to show you who your Birthday Party is going to bless on our next trip!

So how did these girls hear about Ordinary Hero and who inspired them? Let me introduce you to Ali. She was on our OH team mission trip in July. She got to experience the power of serving the "least of these."

She came back impacted and ready to make a difference.

She has since been speaking in Sunday School classes to help spread the word of the the needs of the orphans.

So you see, she not only has impacted the lives of those in need all the way across the world, but she is impacting those around her since her return.

Giving, Loving, Sharing what you have seen, it goes a long way....

It CHANGES MANY WORLDS :-)

Thank you girls, for having such incredibly giving hearts!! You truly are ORDINARY HEROES! Ali will be returning to Ethiopia on a July 2012 trip and will personally get to show the girls how their Birthday will bless those in need.

Adoption. It's A Beautiful Thing!

2011-11-21T10:31:00.000-08:00

We are celebrating in my family this week over the homecoming of my nephew, Lincoln Teddy. This has been long awaited and is very much celebrated. You see, i found Teddy in the orphanage in July 2010 when I took my very first OH team over and we visited this orphanage for the very first time. I saw this beautiful boy walking down the steps with his unmatched clothes with some kind of onesie hanging out that he was wearing for warmth. He had on pink shoes and he was just beautiful. It was so weird. As soon as I looked at him I immediately saw my sister, Kasey's face, in his. He just looked like he was meant to be hers. He reminded me of her other two children and even looked like them to me.

I immediately scooped him up and just had this feeling that I was holding my nephew. I emailed Kasey and told her about him and sent her a picture. She immediately said yes! And so the process began. She waited a long time for his paperwork to be complete and things looked doubtful all throughout the process but we kept praying and never gave up hope that God would see it through.

In the meantime, he met his cousin Collin on this trip and his Uncle Shane.

That trip came and went and then my sister, Kristi and I traveled back over in December of 2010. We went to see him at the orphanage so he could meet his Aunt Kristi.

In the meantime my sister, Kasey is just praying and waiting for her turn to meet her son, herself.

Time came and went while my sister and her family waited.....

Exactly one year from the time I first saw him, I was back again with another OH team. I showed him pictures of his family he had never met.

My sister's friend, LeAnne was on our trip and gave Teddy lots of love too. But still, my sister had not been to meet him yet.

Finally the day came. She had a court date and could travel to go meet her son in March. What a long awaited visit. But the hardest part was saying goodbye. It seems as soon as they got there they had to say goodbye and go home and wait for their Embassy appointment. She said it was the hardest thing of their lives....to have to wait all that time to meet your son, and then have to say goodbye.

But FINALLY the day came. She got the email. She could go pick up her son! So off to Ethiopia Kasey went last week and just arrived home with Lincoln Teddy this past Sat.

Along with her hubby and two kiddos, there was a mob at the airport in Nashville. Not only was Teddy arriving home, but baby Jude, another little one adopted from our area to the Whitfields was arriving home on the same flight.

Everyone stood around anxiously awaiting them to walk around the corner. It was a very exciting time.

And then, Wow! Here both families came around the corner, with their prized possessions in tow.

What a beautiful site it was to see my sister finally bringing her son home.

The crowd went nuts as you can imagine.

Daddy, sister and brother were the first to greet him. It was so precious.

He remembered his Daddy and went right to him. He finally has a Daddy!

Big sis couldn't take it any longer and had to scoop him up.

Another one who couldn't stand it any longer was Ashli. Ashli is home for a holiday break and has helped take care of Teddy in his orphanage for the past year.

She met him for the first time as I did on that team trip in July of 2010. She since moved to Ethiopia and has been watching him wait for a family ever since. To see him finally come home was so special for her. She just cried as she held him.

She spoke to him in Amharic and he answered her. He was glad to see such a familiar face :-)

Kasey's adoption makes 4 Ethiopian cousins adopted to me and two of my sisters. How special is that?

Special thanks to Kasey's friend support group for coming out to see Teddy home. Friends are an important support during the wait time of an adoption.

One more beautiful family complete through adoption! What a beautiful thing!!

I want to take a moment and show you some sweet faces who have also come home this year from Ethiopia whom I had the pleasure of meeting and advocating for and then the absolute joy of seeing them get adopted! God is good. What a great year it has been!

First my sister found her son in Ethiopia in December of last year. He was sick and in need of surgery.

She had this immediate connection.

Now he is home, healthy and a beautiful boy enjoying his Mommy, Daddy, and 5 siblings.

I'm so thankful to have been able to be a small part of bringing joy to these little ones who finally made it home this year also.

I had the pleasure of meeting the Culberson family at the airport. I had advocated for their daughter for a long time as I watched her sit on the wait list. I was so thrilled to see little Miheret again (I think they named her Lucy). She is simply beautiful. They are blessed.

I have blogged about the Flores fam before. They are doing great with their two new little ones.

There are more but these are the pics that I had handy at the moment.

I want to leave you with one of my favorite little guys. I also met Getu in July of 2010. He had been on the wait list for a couple of years. I immediately started advocating for him in our waiting children to try to get him a family.

He had many friends at the orphanage and was always such a joy.

His smile could light up a room. I wanted him to find a family so bad! I took the pics below on my trip in July of 2010.

Then again in December as he still waited....

Then, FINALLY this July while I was in Ethiopia on my team trip I got to tell him HE HAD A FAMILY! HE HAD BEEN CHOSEN!! My beautiful friend, Crystal and her family knew that God was calling them to adopt Getu. You can watch this video and at the end you can see me tell him that he has a family. It was the highlight of my trip and such a blessing for this little boy who had waited for what seemed like forever for a family.

Crystal, her husband, and one of her sons traveled to go to their court date and meet Getu for the first time in October. They first stopped at his uncles house.

His uncle just hugged them and sobbed and said since Getus parents had both died he had prayed so hard for Getu to find a family as he was too poor to care for him. Crystal said she just sobbed.

They then made it over to the orphanage where they met their son for the first time. She said he was standing there waiting for them anxiously with a great big smile on his face. He just ran into all of their arms.
Finally he had a mother....

A father....

And a brother...

The family he had dreamed of. And it doesn't hurt that his Dad used to play for the Tennessee Titans :-)

They had a great week introducing him to so many firsts.

He got to Skype with one of his best buddies who had gotten adopted from his orphanage and gone home several months earlier. He just loved it!

Then there is the dreaded day that his family has to go back to America and he is left there to wait for them to return. I REALLY don't like this part of the adoption process. It is so hard on the children and the family. You can already see the look of uncertainty in his face as he has to prepare to say goodbye.

Crystal said it was the saddest moment of their lives. They all sobbed and just held him. They assured him that they loved him and that they would be back for him soon.

We now pray and wait for the day that they get that word..."Go get your son!" They are anxiously waiting for that day to come. We pray it comes quickly. You can read the full story on their blog HERE. Thank you, Archie Family, for stepping up to the call of adoption of an older child. We can all see how much it means the world to him to have a family.

We also remember all the children who are left behind and most are not adoptable.

We also are so thankful that Betty and Mahlet have found a family, as well as a sibling group of 4 I had advocated for and many others. We pray them all home to their forever families very soon.

ADOPTION. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING!

Blessing Bags!!

2011-11-18T13:11:00.000-08:00

Well, our Blessing Bags idea is taking off! So many of you have sent them our way after we got the word out about them. Thanks to some of the organized girls on my last visit to Ethiopia, they came up with the idea of these pre-packaged zip lock bags filled with basic items sorted in sizes for the children we run across that are in need. We used to show up with mountains of clothes and donations that we would have to sort through and then never end up having the right size at hand that we needed. Now I LOVE this new idea of having them already sorted by size and labeled by boy or girl!! If you missed my post which shows our visit to the country in Ethiopia to pass out these blessing bags, CLICK HERE to see why they are so greatly needed.

We find these kids in the country wandering in rags or sometimes nothing at all.

Do you have any idea how excited they get, and what a blessing it is to them and their mother struggling to provide? We show up clear out of the middle of no where and start handing them new outfits, snacks, shoes, and a toy, all in a bag just for them.

They come running from every direction. It is like Christmas for them. It is God showing them that they are not forgotten. It is God showing them they are loved.

These simple bags are GREATLY needed.

We have five teams traveling to Ethiopia in the summer and are probably about to add a 6th team in April. We will be passing out these Blessing Bags to the kids in need there.

Some of you have helped us get the word out about our Blessing Bags and we want to say THANKS!! You all have had some GREAT ideas that I want to share.

The Give1Save1 blog in Houston, Texas, put the word out about the Blessing Bags and got a great response. Here is a blurb about how they did this.... "I had alot of fun doing this. In fact I’m having a little party with my girlfriends this weekend to make more. Here’s the mission. Blessing Bags. We’re going to mail them to Ordinary Hero and they’re going to take them out to the country. It’s really that simple."

Thanks, Give1Save1 for helping spread the word to get these kids a bunch of Blessing Bags!

I also got an email from Danae in Kansas, who had a great idea to host a Blessing Bag party in honor of her 30th Birthday. What a great idea!! Check out the results of her party HERE. WOW! That little party produced 130 Blessing Bags!!

Thanks, Danae and to all your friends, for blessing the kiddos with these bags in honor of your Bday!! Happy Birthday!!

Next, I have to share Elizabeth's great idea from Knoxville, TN . "I have a small group for my PEP MOMS ministry at my church, meeting at my house next week for a mom's night to make some "Blessing Bags" for OH. :)" She just emailed me the pics from her girl's night. Wow! What a group of fun, crafty women coming together for a FUN night, and a GREAT cause!!

Thank you, Elizabeth, and your small group! You guys showed us the JOY and FUN that can be found in giving.

I have a couple more folks that have contacted me saying they have Blessing Bag parties scheduled in the next month. I also heard that a Brownie Troop just stuffed some Blessing Bags. I will be posting pics when I get them :-)

If you would like to host a party or simply send in some Blessing Bags, this is what we need:

We need items from baby all the way up to small adult for the teens and moms. So pretty much any size is welcome. We need the items packaged in Gallon Size Zip Lock Bags according to Size and Gender (Boy/Girl). Please label the outside of the bags with either Boy or Girl and the Age/Size. Slightly used clothing is acceptable as well.

We spend most of our time in Ethiopia during the raining season which is cold. Suggested items to be placed in the Blessing Bags are:

Pair of pants, and long sleeve shirt that fit as an outfit of the same size.
Pair of underwear and socks to fit that same size child.
Small toy, or something fun for the child. (stickers, small doll, toy car, etc) Give age appropriate small items that are not heavy.
Small Toiletries
We will pass out snacks ourselves at the time we give them the bags so that we don't run the risk of them going bad between now and when we deliver.

You may also include a note of encouragement to let them know that this hand-delivered gift is showing them they are loved all the way from America. This is something fun you can have your kiddos do as well.

Also, if you want to include your own signature on the outside of the bag or the name of your party, etc you may do so in order to let them and us know who it is from. This is what they will see first when handed the bag. The inserted notes will also serve this purpose as well.

Please mail your pre-packaged and labeled Blessing Bags to:

Ordinary Hero
c/o Amy Bealle

105 Keeton Drive.
Hopkinsville, Ky 42240

These bags will be taken with our OH teams to Ethiopia and passed out to many children in need. We will always try to take pictures to show you where your donations are going and who you have blessed. Speaking of Mission teams, there is still room on our trips if you want to jump on board and help pass these bags out with us :-) Check out our Mission trips page for more info.

Trust me when I say that these items are greatly needed and appreciated :-) Thank you for being an Ordinary Hero!!

Our November Grant Winners!!

2011-11-14T09:53:00.000-08:00

Yay!! We love giving grants!! Ordinary Hero has an affiliate program in which we help those of you who are fundraising for adoptions or missions, raise funds. We give 40% of everything sold in the store to our affiliates when their name is checked in the drop down menu during check out. It is that simple. We also average about one grant giveaway per month. We just wrapped up our grant giveaway this month which ended last night. The top three affiliates with highest sales ($ amount) credited to their name during our grant contest from 11/4- 11/13 are getting an extra $500 each on top of their 40% they earned in commission to be applied toward their adoption or mission trip expenses. Yay!!

Soooo......our winners are......

#1 seller is Lizzie Barrett!! Congrats Lizzie, you blew this out of the water with 38 of the highest sales credited in your name. That, with the $500 grant, earned you over $1400!! Lizzie is from Utah and this grant will be applied toward her adoption. You can see her blog HERE.

#2 seller is Kristen Williams!! Congrats, Kristen!! Kristen had 25 of the highest sales credited in her name. That with her $500 grant earned her over $1200!! Kristen is adopting two kiddos from different countries. This grant will be applied toward her adoptions. Kristen is from Ohio and you can see her blog HERE.

#3 seller is Rachel Edwards!! Congrats, Rachel!! Rachel jumped to #3 spot with 13 bigger sales credited to her name. That, with the $500 grant, earned her over $1100 which will be applied toward her adoption!! Rachel is from Indiana and you can view her blog HERE.

Congrats Ladies!!

Honorable mentions go to two other affiliates which both had over $1000 in sales credited to their name but did not fall in the top three spots. We would like to offer Amy Eatherly and Ladonna Powell a $50 gift certificate to our OH store for doing such a great job at getting the word out during this grant contest and having some great sales. Ladies, you both earned great 40% commission during this contest.

Also, a few others worth mentioning that had over $500 in merch sales credited to their name were
Bealle Family
Libby Bolesky
Sharon Wilson
Heather Kelley
Ashley Rippke
Kasey Hauret

Way to go!!!

You all earned some great commission during this contest. Many thank you's go out to all our affiliates for participating in this grant giveaway!! Also, many thank you's go out to all of you who purchased on behalf of our affiliates. Every single purchase credited to our affiliates puts money into their account which will be applied toward their adoption or mission trip. I have been on their side of fundraising with my own adoption before, so trust me when I say, it is GREATLY appreciated!!

Be ready for our next grant giveaway scheduled to start Thursday, December 1 and run through Sunday, Dec 11. Yep, $500 each will be given away to our TOP 3 AFFILIATES with the highest sales ($ amount) credited to their name during that time period. So if you are adopting or raising money for a mission trip, be sure to get signed up as an OH affiliate. Just spread the word and you could win a grant!! Orders will be mailed in time for Christmas so plan on some Christmas shopping.

We have some exciting new items that will added to the OH store soon in time for Christmas orders so be on the look out!!

Again, CONGRATS to our grant giveaway winners and all of you who raised funds during this grant giveaway. You are all winners!! Also, a special thanks goes out to Gina, our OH fundraising coach, for doing such a great job as always with giving out fundraising pointers and tips during this grant giveaway. Thanks, Gina!!

Let Us Not Forget ~ Orphan Sunday

2011-11-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

Today is Orphan Sunday. Let us not forget the orphan.

Ordinary Hero~ The Orphan from Kelly Putty on Vimeo.

Click here to go to the direct link.

Grant Giveaway Starting Tomorrow, Friday, Nov 4th!!

2011-11-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

3 Chances to Win $500!!! Don't Miss Out!!

Ordinary Hero is giving away THREE $500 grants!

The top three selling affiliates with the most sales beginning Friday, Nov 4th at 12:01AM through Sunday, Nov 13th at 11:59 PM will each receive $500 on top of the 40% commission that OH Affiliates receive. This is a GREAT way to fundraise for your adoption or mission trip. Have you been thinking about joining OH on an upcoming mission trip but don't know how you will pay for it? Sign up as an OH Affiliate and start raising your funds now. Our top sellers usually make over $1000 in about 9 days!! Even if you don't get in the top three you receive 40% of every purchase made in your name from the drop down menu at checkout. It is that simple!!

For instance, if someone buys our new GO BASEBALL TEE for $39.99 and clicks on your name in the dropdown menu, you receive $16 into your account. Look how simple that is. To find out more about signing up as an OH Affiliate, CLICK HERE.

Here is a sneak peek at some of the new items that we will be adding to our store before 12:01 tomorrow. We have some great new stuff!! Look for it at the start of the grant contest.

If you are an affiliate and did not receive an email from Gina, please email her at Gina@OrdinaryHero.org. She will be giving you pointers on how to do your best throughout this grant giveaway.You may also email her if you have any questions. Hope to see you all get signed up and win big! We are excited to help you adopt and travel on missions!!

Great Day at Halloween Outreach Pumpkinfest 2011...and new Video!

2011-10-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

"We are Ordinary People, but He takes NOTHING and He makes SOMETHING out of it." ~ Ross H. Minkler (Kelly's Great Grandfather)

I am loving the wisdom I continue to find from my Great Grandfather's messages. You will hear an excerpt in the video below.

OH had another amazing Halloween Outreach, Saturday at Pumpkinfest. You know, we sometimes don't do things to help others because we always think we have to help on a large scale that we feel we can never meet. Because of that mindset, we forget that the smallest acts of kindness can sometimes mean the most to others in need. For instance, a warm smile, a cup of coffee, a blessing bag filled with basic necessities, a hug, a Halloween costume, or lunch, may not sound like much, but it can mean the world to someone in need. God will use you in a small moment if you would think to allow Him to.

Our Halloween outreach has grown over the years since I first began it. This year we chose to set up a booth at the local, Franklin Pumpkinfest. Thousands of people come to this festival. We were thrilled to be able to spread the word about Ordinary Hero as well as bring the moms and their children who reside at the local mission, over for a fun-filled day out to enjoy the beauty and the hope that comes from making a new friend and having some fun. We match all the kids with a volunteer for the day, which gives the Mommas a much needed break. While at the festival, our OH booth gave children the opportunity to draw a picture for a child in Africa as well as make bead bracelets for children in Africa.

There were several moments that warmed my heart during the day. Some of you may remember one of our very first official Ordinary Hero Christmas Projects, at the end of 2009, where we went in and helped a family fix up their home and provided Christmas for them during their time of need. It was such a blessing for so many to be able to participate in that. You never know the lives you will impact by reaching out a helping hand. You never know who is really watching and taking it all in. Well, trust me when I say, the children are. This mother had a 16 yr old daughter at the time who was very sweet and helped us clean and fix up the home while her mother was in the hospital. She was one of 10 children. Well, Look who showed up to help as a volunteer on Saturday. She also came to my banquet last spring and expressed then how she really wanted to help and give back to others. Jenene is 18 now and on her own, starting college, and wants to be a medical assistant. She now wants to give back to others because she knows what it is like to be on the other end. I'm very proud of her and the young Ordinary Hero she has become.

Another revelation of God's goodness was when this family came walking up to me. I looked at them and said, "Well, this is where it all began." You see, 5 years ago, I organized my very first Halloween Outreach with the mission moms and kids and brought them to my church. There was no Ordinary Hero, it was just something I thought to do on my own and got my friends involved to help me. From that outreach I met a young mom that stole my heart and I decided to help her.

I got her out of the mission with help from friends and fam and we sought to get her and her children on their feet. She had two small children at the time and was very early pregnant as with #3. I helped her, but at the same time, watched her personally go up and down over the course of three years trying to raise her children as a single mom. A bunch of us stepped in to help her with her children when she was at the bottom once again. In the end, she made the most commendable choice of unconditional love.....she chose adoption for her children. All of her children were adopted into loving homes. Little Snow White, pictured below, was the little one in her belly at the time that I met her. Now Snow White and her little sister, as well as her other two siblings, are experiencing the miracle of adoption and are surrounded by many, many people who love them a lot.

This birth mom is a true Hero. She wanted nothing but the best for her children and did everything in her power to make sure they had that. She made this adoptive Momma doubly blessed. These children know what it is like to feel love in every direction. All I can say is THANK YOU, to all of you birth moms out there. I'm sure you don't hear that enough. You truly are giving your all.

Now that you see what amazing things can derive from such a simple outreach, enjoy this video of this year's Halloween Outreach and see all the many lives that were touched. Many thank you's go out to all of you who volunteered and to all of you who donated costumes and lunch for these kids. An extra special THANK YOU goes out to Kortnie Hastings for helping me coordinate this year's outreach. She is my awesome organized friend. Also, I must give a shout out to my daughter, Lauren, who was out till midnight at Walmart and then up the next morn at 5:30 to help set up. She was such a huge help! Also, Clay and Cindy, thanks for coming early to battle the cold and help set up.

You can all see for yourself what a big blessing this outreach was to them :-) To view all of the pics from this special day CLICK HERE.

Silence my music on my right side bar or CLICK HERE to go to the direct link.

Come See Us at the Pumpkinfest Tomorrow, Sat Oct 29th

2011-10-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, Sat, Oct 29th, is our annual Halloween Outreach being held at the Franklin Pumpkinfest this year in Franklin, TN. Please look for the OH booth located in the Kid Zone area. For directions and more info on the festival, visit our page on our website. Kids, come ready to make bead bracelets, not only for yourself, but for a child in Africa. We will also have you kiddos draw some pictures for us to put into our blessing bags for our teams to pass out to children in need in Africa. We want to show you kiddos how easy you can bring hope to a child in need across the world. Also be sure to stop at our OH hay bales for a quick snap shot with our stylish scarecrows. We will be featuring your pics on our site the following day.

We will also be hosting the Nashville Rescue Mission kiddos and moms throughout the day and providing them with lunch and a fun day out at the festival. Thank you to our volunteers who have signed up to help with this outreach and also those of you who have donated money for costumes and lunch for the kids. It always proves to be a fun day for the kids and moms of the mission.

We look forward to a fabulous day at the festival. Be sure to come see us to find out more info about OH!!

Grandpa's Message For Monday.....

2011-10-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

Ross Minkler was my Great Grandfather. He gave his life to do the Lord's work when he was 18 years old. He was a traveling evangelist for many years. He had his own radio show called "Green Pastures". He pastored Larchmont Church of God in Louiville, Ky for 20 years into his 80's just before he passed away at 82 years old. I have found many tapes of his preachings late in his life. These treasures were found in an old suitcase of mine that I recently came across. His messages are priceless and passionate. Here is a small excerpt from a message titled "If I Should Die Before I Live", in 1981 .....Priceless! Something we all need to hear. I will continue to pull words of wisdom from his messages in order to share from time to time. These are true treasures. He is still speaking to his Great Granddaughter 30 years later and this is my way to keep his message alive. So much of what he speaks is what I stand for today. It's so neat to have found these. Enjoy!!

Click on the link below to listen, or CLICK HERE to go to direct link.

Ross Minkler, "Empty Dish" excerpt, Nov 17, 1981, If I Should Die before I Live by KPutty

Halloween Outreach 2011.....Coming Soon!

2011-10-20T06:31:00.000-07:00

Our annual Halloween Outreach is just around the corner. This is always an awesome way to reach out to the children residing at the Nashville Rescue Mission. This year OH will have a booth set up at the Franklin Pumpkinfest on Oct 29. We will be providing costumes and transportation to the moms and their children who reside at the mission. We are currently taking sign ups for volunteers as well as event sponsors and costume donations.

Each year the kiddos LOVE this outreach. They get to dress up as their favorite super heroes and have some great festival fun for a day outside of their normal surroundings.

This is a great way to volunteer and be an Ordinary Hero to a child in need for a day.

We always head down to the mission about a week before and find out what the kids want to dress up as. We try to give them a costume from their top three choices.

We then arrive on festival day with many costumes in tow. Even our volunteers have fun dressing up.

Each child gets a costume and lunch and treat money for the day. They get so excited. It seems like Christmas to them :)

I encourage you to check out our Halloween Outreach page on the site and look into volunteering, sponsoring this event, or providing a costume donation. This simple outreach has connected folks and we have seen many lives change as a result. We look forward to a wonderful outreach on the 29th!!

Katie Davis ~ A true Ordinary Hero

2011-10-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to have gotten to see my sweet friend, Katie Davis, last night at her Amazima benefit. If there were ever a true Ordinary Hero, this is it. I want to encourage all of you to buy her new book that just came out this month. She is a true inspiration and has an amazing story of an ordinary young girl who simply took a mission trip and was never the same. She now lives in Uganda and has 13 daughters, runs a ministry, feeding program, and much more. She started out helping just one. She CHANGED THE WORLD FOR ONE, and God turned that into many, many more.

I also ran into my amazing friend, Gwen, who runs 147 Million Orphans. She has helped Katie for the past couple of years, sell her beads which has helped raise money for Amazima tremendously. I encourage you all to go to her site to buy Katie's book, where 50% of the proceeds will go directly back to Amazima Ministries.

I remember it wasn't that long ago that we were all meeting up at my sister's house for some girl time to talk about what God is doing in all of our lives. Now, a couple of years later, 147 Million Orphans, Amazima Ministries, and Ordinary Hero are mere dreams that God has brought to reality to help the least of these. I'm very thankful for these women in my life and the lives that they change every day. God has called Us all to be Ordinary Heroes to those in need in this world.

Our Last Day in Ethiopia

2011-10-11T05:41:00.000-07:00

We had several things to do before we flew out on our last day in Ethiopia. First, we needed to bless someone. Stacy's friend had sent some things with her and asked her to give it to someone in need. So this is where we ended up. We found this family in the middle of town, living in a homemade tent made out of what looked like trash and rags. It is a husband, wife and their children. They invited us in where we talked and shared the love of God with them. Then Stacy presented them with what her friend had sent and they were so grateful.

Our guide told us that they have lived in this same location for over 5 years with their family.

I found this little guy sitting alone outside of the tent. I'm guessing he was their son.

He looked very sad. I tried everything in all my goofiness to get him to smile but he wouldn't.

I wonder why I can't get him to smile but then turn around and see his reality and quickly understand.

And there he sits.....lost in it. But thanks to an awesome friend, they now have the means to better their life after that visit.

We then had some friends to go see down by the market. These street children have become some familiar faces to many of us.

Our team 2 in July gave these kids clothes, shoes, basic essentials, and then took them to the zoo for a day of fun. It was so great getting to see them be kids and have fun back in the summer. It is very humbling running into them again, and they are wearing the same clothes we gave them in July, and they are back to selling things on the streets in order to survive.

When we asked them about going to school most of them said that they already have sponsors and could go to school if they wanted to. Many are forced to choose this life because their families won't survive if they don't. It is a sad reality that we are looking to make a difference in. We must make sure that these kids.........

don't turn into this.

We headed back over to the Korah area to pass out a few more sponsor gifts. These kids are so cute and excited to get their gifts.

We ran into familiar faces that are being sponsored by others. They always ask us if we know who their sponsor is. They are so proud to have a sponsor.

Amy made a home visit to pass out this sponsor gift.

It is always very humbling to see the actual homes that these kids have lived in their whole lives. They are made out of mud, sticks, and tin.

And yet they still try to make it a home the best they can.

She was very glad to have this surprise visit and receive a gift for her child from her sponsor.

And then look who else was surprised to see us. She was so cute!

We went to the section of Korah where Mission Ethiopia ladies were putting together our new necklaces. After I bought some of their other beads I asked them if they could make a certain design that I thought of. We went by there and they had made beautiful necklaces exactly the way I had envisioned. It was awesome to see! Be looking for these new awesome necklaces to come out in our online store very soon.

Now you can catch a glimpse of them being made and appreciate them all the more :) Remember that these are ladies that used to work in the trash dump and have now had their whole lives turn around because of these necklaces.

Before we left we passed out one more sponsor gift. This young girl also got some new shoes.

Amy brought her little friend that was so excited to see her back to the van to get a new outfit.

When Amy and Bev got through this little one had a new outfit and a new doll to take back home.

Our last stop we made was to Restoration Orphanage to say goodbye to the little ones there. They are so precious!

It is so great to see the love that Ashli pours out on these kids. It has made so much difference in their lives. She is one amazing gal! They all love her so much!

As we packed up to head to the airport that night we really were in awe of all that we accomplished on this trip. We have a direction we are heading in for our sponsorship program and we made some great connections to get that started. We have big dreams for these kids and their futures. We are trusting that God continues to guide us to press forward down the right roads to make THEIR dreams come true. Many lives were touched, changed, blessed, transformed, and renewed on this trip.......but none more than the 6 of us. We can't wait to watch our plans come to fruition and give you all the opportunity to walk alongside us to make that happen. If you have sponsorship questions, please email Deborah@OrdinaryHero.org. We hope to kick this program off the ground soon. We are many steps closer because of this trip :)

From all 6 of us, we thank you for following us on this journey to Ethiopia. Great things to come!!

Headed South in Ethiopia

2011-10-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

We ended up at one of our favorite villages, south, in Ethiopia. These kids steal our hearts every year. We are looking into sponsorship needs in this area. It is a very poor area in the country. You see children taking care of children and Mothers struggling to survive. The first thing we did was pass out pictures of some of these kiddos that we took during our last visit. They loved getting a picture of themselves. I'm not sure if they have ever had a picture of themselves.

The children in this predominantly Muslim community are just precious!!

We continued to pass out pictures to the kids that we had taken with one of our July teams. Just these little pictures make them feel special in a big way.

If only these eyes could talk. ...

The mothers were so thankful to have the pictures of their little ones.

We made a few home visits.

Again, she loved her picture.

We passed out a few donations along the wy.

We spotted some of the rainboots that we had passed out in July.

We had the privilege of going to the local school to see how it is run. These books look like they had not been touched.

There are almost 1500 children in this small, mostly outdoor school.

On our way back to town we stopped along the way to pass out much needed donations. I love seeing our guides getting into giving so much. They are just awesome!

This young girl was sooo pleased to get a little doll.

We went to dinner that night with Eden, one of my favorite girls.

We will not forget this village. We are in the process of looking into sponsorships opportunities.

What an awesome day meeting all these beautiful faces.

Meeting New Little Faces in Ethiopia

2011-10-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

We spent the day making connections and meeting new little ones with potential sponsorship needs. These children reside at a daycare facility during the day while their mothers work. Have you ever seen such cuties??

The kids were showing us their classroom and singing us songs. So cute!

This little one is going to CHANGE THE WORLD while sporting the OH tee :)

Here we were gathering information on all the children one by one.

I caught these cuties playing pee-pie through the window. So cute!!

What adorable twins!!

As I was taking pics of all the kiddos I felt little eyes staring at me from below. I looked down and found this cutie taking it all in :)

Amy was our videographer for the day. They gave us a coffee ceremony so Amy was pulling double duty.

Sarah made some new friends and got a big squeeze from one little one who didn't want to let go :)

Deborah made some new friends too.

We have all made new little friends on this trip.

We then left and headed out to a new orphanage that we had not been to before. Our guides make our trip so great! They are just awesome and some of my great friends!!! Deborah thinks so too :)

We loved this orphanage. So glad to make this connection. It is so nice!

This little one had just been brought in by the police. He is 6 days old and was found abandoned.

We got to love on all the babies. They were just precious!

We were thrilled to have made some great connections and hope to bring some support.

Our last stop of the day was Restoration orphanage. What a blessing to see how far this orphanage has come thanks to Ashli and her dedicated selfless giving to the children and all of you who have supported and donated. It's awesome and the kids are soooo FAT! Such a great sight compared to what they used to look like.

Amy was giving some love to Baby E. What an amazing sight to see how much he has grown and healed after his surgery. Thank you all so much to those of you who have donated for him to have his head surgery and care. He is one amazing little boy!

We got to pass some gifts out to some of the little ones who are being adopted from their parents. We gave them big hugs and kisses for all of you who have children you are adopting in this orphanage. I was so thrilled to see all of them.

We ended the night at dinner and Ashli joined us.

I had my son's birth mom and sister join us for dinner as well. I feel so blessed to know them and get to see them when I visit Ethiopia. They are precious! I was glad to have them join us for dinner and meet my team. This was an awesome end to another great day in Ethiopia. More to come....

Our Day in Korah and More

2011-10-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

We started out our day by going to one of the Mission Ethiopia sites where they have hired women from the streets and other places to make jewelry. This gives these women an income to feed their families. It's an awesome thing....and they make beautiful necklaces! We have decided to partner with them and sell these necklaces in our store. Look for them in our next grant contest later this month.

I want you to meet some of the faces that make them.

These women have children and families that they must provide for. There were a few of the babies there with them that we got to meet.

All of the women were precious. We had each of them tell us their story. They are there from all walks of life. After they shared with us we gave each of them donations of clothes for all of their children and some snacks.

Here is a little close up of how they make the clay bead necklaces.

After we left that location we went to their location in Korah where they assemble all the necklaces.

They work in this house in Korah.

I ran into a woman that I met last time and gave her a picture of herself, which she got a big kick out of.

This is one table where they assemble the necklaces, and all the faces who make them.

Our translator spent many years living in Korah so they are always happy to see him around there. He now helps us serve that community.

A trash dump community like Korah may not have much but they have beauty and love that pours out of most of the people.

And the children will absolutely steal your heart....

Especially when you see where they go home to.

Deborah got to go see her sponsored child's Mom again and give her some pictures. It is always so humbling to see where these kids live and meet their moms and catch just a glimpse of their life.

We then walked through Korah to the Leprosy Hospital to go meet up with one of my favorite people.

Casa (Not sure if I spelled that correctly)

He is an amazing man! He has had leprosy which effected his hands. He has no fingers that look or function properly. I have seen several of the homeless on the streets that look like him who have given up on life. This man not only hasn't given up, he has more joy than most of us put together and he has his own business making mats.....with his HANDS!!

He even gave me a lesson. I was a little slow :)

What an awesome testimony this man is for us all never to give up when things look impossible. I'm so glad we all got to see him again.

Henok, helped guide us around this day to show us how everything works with Mission Ethiopia. We were grateful to get to see it all.

You are always humbled beyond words when you go to the dump and see these beautiful people living in the midst of it.

But as we were getting ready to leave this leprous community, I looked over on the grounds of the hospital, which would be considered the worst place in a leprous community. I caught a glimpse of these beautiful flowers in the midst of it all. To me they represented the beauty of these people, the beauty of God....He is there with them....Beauty from ashes.

We then went to eat lunch at a new restaurant which was great!

Our next stop for the day was a community of children at a daycare facility that needed possible sponsorship. These kids were precious!!

They loved us being there.

They even performed a musical and a little skit they had made up for us.

She was so cute. She was acting out Mary giving birth and then out popped the stuffed animal out of her shirt :)

Then in comes the sheep :) they were darling!

They performed another little song for us which brought our day to a close. Another amazing, humbling, productive day in ET. More tomorrow :)

Poor in the Countryside of Ethiopia

2011-10-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

Every time I arrive in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia my eyes are opened to the poverty in this third world country. My heart breaks for so many that I see in the city struggling and existing to simply survive. As sad as my heart is and as much as I thought I had seen it all......

then we travel to the country. I took my team to experience it for themselves.

The countryside, as beautiful as it is, is simply a place of struggle, HARD labor, sweat, famine and survival on the deepest levels.

I drive down the road for miles seeing little faces out in fields,

children younger than my sons without any choice but to work as hard as they can to help their families,

Children herding cows their families must keep for survival, who are barely surviving themselves,

People washing themselves in the muddy river because that is the only place they can find water,

And I can't help but wonder how do they survive? Where do they go to the store? Does anyone even know they are there?

Then there are the children!

The innocent little lives who can't help where they are born, or the circumstances they find themselves in. They simply do what they are taught.....SURVIVE!

We had planned ahead and brought some pre-packaged bags to pass out to the children we knew we would see on the side of the road in the country.

We would pull over to the side and here they would come running.

Their little faces would light up and they would wave to us from as far as we could see.

Then they would come.

What joy it brings to put a smile on a child's face and give them an outfit when they arrive in rags.

Somehow word spreads quickly and you see the little ones running as fast as they can to catch us before we leave.

They show up, not knowing what to expect, just hoping that there might be something for them.

Then we give them the basic items like clothes and food that we take for granted every day.

I watch as a beautiful little girl standing in nothing more than rags and torn material, stares at her brand new outfit. I wonder if she has ever had a brand new outfit in her whole life.

We want to show them they are special. We want to show them they are loved and not forgotten.

We watch as they skip and laugh with joy all the way back home as they can't wait to show their Momma their new clothes.

On these trips, it always comes down to staring desperation right in the face.

Seeing the need.....

and praying that God put us there just in that moment to show them He is there with them.

We see a struggling mother light up with a smile, not knowing what her very prayers were that morning that guided our steps in her direction.

Then, just when I thought I had seen the worst, we turn down another country road.

The children live in tiny shacks and come running from everywhere....in the middle of nowhere.

Still....a small act of kindness can light that little face up.

I wish I could see her in her new outfit.

This little one was heartbreaking!

She obviously had some type of infection on her beautiful face and rotten teeth that her mother did not have the means to get fixed.....if she even had a mother.

Still.....we brought a smile :) We showed her that God loves her and that she is beautiful.

Every time we handed out a package, these kids were soooo grateful.

Each one stole a piece of your heart.

This woman walked across a field to get to us.

As we traveled down this country road I saw three tiny figures in front of us on in the middle of the road.

As we approached these three my heart just broke. They were naked, starving, and playing in the dirt.

We did what we could.....but you always wish you could do more.

We are passing out these pre-packaged bags that are so great.

Some of the girls on the trip took up donations and had each bag come labeled with the child's size and a complete outfit with socks, underwear, and a treat.

If you would like to send us pre-packaged donations to hand out to these children on our future trips, please contact bealle@mac.com . This is how we will hand out all our donations in the future.

At the end of the day our hearts are heavy for these kids but we at least know that our steps were guided. As much as they needed us. We needed them more.

James 2:15-17

New International Version (NIV)

15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

1 Samuel 2:8

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s; on them he has set the world.

Trip to Shashemene!!

2011-10-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

We took a day and traveled out to Shashemene to visit some of our P61 sponsored kids. It was sooooo good to see our little guys! As soon as we got there we had Winker and Sisay waiting on us.

The kids are all getting their uniforms passed out to them when we got there.

We started passing out sponsor gifts and all the kids were thrilled! They always especially love the picture albums.

Many of you may see some of your sponsored kids on here as we gave them their gifts and visited. It was so great seeing all of them again.

Stacy had not seen her sponsored girl since our OH trip last year. It was awesome to see them connect again.

Denae is Sumer's nannie and is such a huge help to her. She is darling!

Ashli is busy at work getting everyone checked off the list.

Another happy sponsored child!

Winker is wondering where his friend, Christian (aka, "Girl") is :)

Getting to grab a bite with them in the feeding hall.

Two amazing friends and women of God, Ashli and Sumer...

Some of the faces at Shashemene.....

Check out that fresh paint behind Deborah and the boys, thanks to our last OH team, led by Jeremy B. Great job!!

Michelle, this one is for you :)

Sisay was so sweet, he had a handmade notebook he had made me filled with stickers and scriptures. Love this kid!

The little roommates!

This young guy below was so proud of his sponsor that he went and got a picture just to show me.

Then this little one did the same thing :) I'm telling you....sponsors mean the world to these kids.

We had a great time with the kids. We said our goodbyes and stopped at a beautiful place to eat on the way back to Addis. This place is just gorgeous!

Masti, our driver Getchu and Deborah strolled down to the beach

Looks like they had a blast!

This was the perfect end to a great day in Shashemene. Sumer made me aware that there are still 10 children currently attending Shashemene who are going to the school but DO NOT have sponsors. You have seen through these pictures how much sponsors mean to the children. They become like family. If you have been moved by this blog at all and would consider sponsoring one of these 10, then please contact Erin@p61.org to inquire about sponsoring one of these young ones. You can forever change their future and it is such a reward in return to simply have them in your life. I could be taking your package over next time :)

More of Africa to come......

Spreading love in Ethiopia

2011-10-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

Our second day in ET was great! We went to Hope Enterprises to feed the homeless. I had never been there before and was blown away by this place. This is the ONLY feeding hall for the homeless in Ethiopia. They feed children in the mornings and feed adults and children in the afternoons. In one day they average about 1000 people. The 6 of us went in and served everyone. We helped prepare and then passed out the injera and gave each person two big scoops of a type of sauce filled with beans, veggies, and spices. We were not allowed to take pictures at all :( In this place you truly serve the poorest of the poor, the blind, the lame, and the beggars. It is extremely sad, but such a joy to be able to connect with them all through serving. All the girls in my team really walked away with a life changing experience.

We then stopped and passed out some pre-packaged goodie bags for some of the folks on the streets.

They are always in desperate need, especially the mothers with babies.

They always light up with joy to discover that we are giving them full outfits for themselves and their children, along with snacks and candy.

We spotted this little buddy sitting on the side of the road with his mother.

We stopped and gave them a goodie bag. What a cutie!!

This is for all of you Ky fans out there!!

We then had some business to tend to so off to the Hilton business center we went.

We had one bag mix up out of the bunch and Deborah was soooo relieved to get her bag back that we had to take a picture of it :)

We grabbed a bite and discussed what tomorrow will bring......Shashemane!!

Can't wait to see some of our sponsored kids and show some of you yours! Stay tuned......

Mennonite Couple Shares About Ethiopian Adoption

2011-10-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

I want you all to meet Kevin and Krissy from Ohio. They are an amazing Mennonite couple whom I met while here in Ethiopia. They are adopting their first child and share about what led them to adopt in this video. Be inspired and have your eyes opened about adoption in the Mennonite Church by taking a moment to watch this video. Thank you, Kevin and Krissy, for sharing your story with Ordinary Hero and inspiring many!
Click Here to go to the direct link or silence the music on the right sidebar and watch below.

Ethiopia~ Here We Come!!

2011-10-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it to Ethiopia! The 6 of us met up in Washington as you can see above. Check out our new October Long sleeve T's. These are super cute and comfy and will be available in the OH store. There is an OH grant contest coming this week so be on the look out :)

Deborah, pictured below, is ready to kick off this Sponsorship program!!

We were running this first day on major jetlag so we made a stop at Kaldis with our awesome guide, Masti!!

We then had some packages to hand out to some of the P61 kids at the new Akaki boarding school that they are in so we headed over there. I met up with my amazing friend, Eden, whom I just love!

Robel was showing us his room.

We line the girls up in order to pass out some new jammies for all of them.

Here, Ashli and Sumer sat them all down to talk to them about being grateful :)

It was great getting to see some of the joyful faces that we first met just over a year ago living in the trash dump.

This was especially neat for Stacey, who met these kids last year on our first OH mission trip while they were living in the dump and had not gotten sponsors yet.

Of course I loved getting to catch up with Ashli and Sumer from P61 ministries.

So this kiddo below with Eden was so cute. He was having Eden translate a letter for him to his sponsor.

All I know is his sponsor's name is Michael. So if you are Michael, then this kiddo loves you and misses you. He said it over and over :) How sweet!

We were sooo wiped at the end of the day! I tried to sneak a pic of the girls sleeping on the way back to the guest house but Deborah caught me :) It was a great first day getting to see how the world of sponsorship works. It is an awesome, life changing experience for these kids.

Stay tuned for my next post. We met the most amazing couple. First we saw them on our plane and then they ended up staying at our same guest house. They are here to adopt and bring home their new baby girl. It is their first child. But the most fascinating and awesome fact to their story is that they are a Mennonite couple. I videoed their story and will show you in the next post. Stay tuned!!

Ordinary Hero Grant Offering Starts this Monday!!!!

2011-10-01T06:55:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!!

Just a shout out to all of you that we will be holding a GRANT CONTEST starting this Monday morning at 12:01am and lasting until next Sunday night at midnight (central time!)

We have some new items in the store for this Grant offering! It's a Fabulous baseball tee and some of you may have seen Kelly and some of her trip mates modeling it as they were on their way back to Africa! She is there now and will be blogging (hopefully) soon!

We have also added some great OH scrabble jewlery necklaces too. They are great!! They make great gifts and great stocking stuffers!!! :)

Lastly, since we didnt hold a grant contest last month we will be holding 2 GRANT offerings this month. One now and one much later in the month. You are welcome to play in BOTH and yes, past grant winners can play again and can continue to win!!. Keep fundraising folks. For the second GRANT offering we will adding even more items to the store for your friends and family to shop from!

Start compiling your list of people to send emails too, etc and get a game plan on how you are going to WIN!... Just remember for their purchases to count towards the grant contest all sales starting Monday am will count.

1st place in sales gets $500 in addition to 40% of everything you sell!
2nd place will win $300 in addition to your 40%...
3rd place will win $200 in addition to your 40%...

So that is $1000 that will be given away with this FIRST grant offering this month! Woo hoo! :)

If you know someone who is fundraising for their adoption or mission trip would you PLEASE tell them about the affiliate program with OH and tell them to sign up today so they can play!

If you are an OH affiliate and did NOT get an email from me this am, then I do NOT have your email address. Please send it to me asap so you will have communications from me about the contest! Email me your info to gina@ordinaryhero.org

Best of luck to all of you!!!

Gina Payne

We r off!

2011-09-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

Leaving Washington now. Thx for your prayers for this trip.

Little Liam Got A New Room!!

2011-09-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

What an amazing blessing for this family!! A group of Ordinary Heroes in Nashville, TN discovered the needs of one special little boy, named Liam, and went to work to help this family. Some of you may remember a recent email I sent out requesting help with this. It read.....

Meet Liam. Liam is a very special 11 year old who has been diagnosed with a genetic disorder that has left him profoundly deaf and blind, among other challenges. Liam and his family live in the Nashville area. Liam spends most of his day in a room that is ill-equipped to meet his needs or the needs of his parents, who are his primary caregivers. With hardwood floors, bare walls, inadequate storage, a bed that is too small, and an exposed fireplace/hearth, his room is not a fun or exciting place for him to learn and grow. His parents, Amy and Jeremy, lost another child to this same disorder several years ago and are in a tough place emotionally and financially, as Jeremy lost his job several months ago and they continue to care for their family and pay off medical/hospital bills. Let's be heroes to this family! We are collecting funds and materials to redo Liam's room as well as address other needs that the family has.

Well.....You all came through for this family and we can't thank you enough! Read the latest email from Hannah, who was in charge of this outreach.

Hi everyone! As some of you know, last Saturday was the big day for Liam's room makeover... let me just start by saying that it was INCREDIBLE! Many thanks to our volunteers who came out that day to make it happen! It came together so beautifully and even the smallest details were taken care of and turned out wonderfully. God's hand was truly over the project in the weeks leading up to the day as well as the day itself. I wish I had time and email space to share the stories of His provision for this family as we pulled this room together. We had some wonderful ladies do an impromptu reorganization/spruce up of his little sister, Fiona's, room... she declared it "The best day of my life!" It was wonderful to be able to give her some love too! Also, thanks to some generous donations, we were able to shower Liam's mom, Amy, with a basket full of goodies to pamper herself with like a facial, massage, and haircut... she truly deserves some pampering! My favorite moment of the day was the big reveal - the family was completely blown away by everything that all of you gave to make the room a special place for Liam. They (and I) are so, so, so, so, so grateful for your generous hearts and selflessness to help make their dreams for this precious boy come true.

Now take a moment to hear from this family, hear their story, and see the incredible makeover by watching this video.....It is truly heartwarming!! Click here to go to direct link or silence music on right sidebar and watch below. We can all be an Ordinary Hero to someone...... Special thanks to Hannah and everyone who donated, helped, and loved on this family.

Sponsorship Vision Trip to Ethiopia Next Week

2011-09-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

Ordinary Hero Soon To Launch Sponsorship Program!!!

6 of us crazy OH girls will be traveling to Ethiopia next week to work the ground and get our OH sponsorship program set up. We have had several of you who have emailed us interested in sponsoring some of the beautiful children we serve. We also have OH team mission trip members who are always left with heavy hearts wanting to help, after meeting some of the children we serve in some of the more rural communities. Well, now we are going to take this opportunity to hit the ground running next week, make connections, find the kids, find the schools, and get things put into place for you to be able to sponsor children in need in Ethiopia. The exciting thing is that we will always encourage and provide an opportunity for you to personally meet your sponsored child on our team trips :) I have seen eyes opened, lives changed and life-long relationships formed through the gift of sponsorship. We, at OH, hope to give you this amazing opportunity to CHANGE THE WORLD FOR ONE through child and family sponsorship. We will be on the ground in Ethiopia for one week heading out next Thursday. I will be posting updates, pictures of the kids needing sponsorship and showing you some of the remote villages we will be visiting. I invite you to follow along with the 6 of us.

Now let me introduce you to our Sponsorship Vision Power Team. First I will introduce you to the Fabulous Three from Utah who have stepped up to help with this sponsorship program!! All you Utah folks can proudly follow these three next week.....

First, we have Deborah, from St George, Utah. Deborah is married with 8 kiddos, two of which are domestically adopted. Deborah has stepped up to be our official OH Sponsorship Coordinator. So if you have questions regarding sponsorship opportunities, or if you would like to be added to the list of potential sponsors, be sure to email Deborah@OrdinaryHero.org. Deborah traveled with OH Team 1 in July, 2011 to Ethiopia and met her sponsored child, Muluken (otherwise known as Winker), through the P61 program. She now wants to help others experience the amazing gift of sponsorship.

Next we have Stacy, from Lindon, Utah. Some of you may remember her from our very first OH Team trip in July 2010 of last year. She is married with two domestically adopted children and a great BIG heart for Ethiopia. She is now returning with us to help launch this sponsorship program.

Next we have Beverly who lives in Orem, Utah. She is married with six kiddos(three pictured below), two of which are twins adopted domestically. She is excited to help with this sponsorship program.

Next, for all of you Tucson folks, we have Sarah, from Tucson, Arizona. She is newly married to her husband, Josh. She absolutely loves children and is pictured below with her two nieces. Her husband is a pediatric dentist who is looking into ways to help the children of Ethiopia on future trips.

Next we have Amy, from Hopkinsville, Ky. Amy is one of my long-time best friends. She currently lives in my Hometown in Ky. She has 4 kiddos and is in the process of adopting an older boy from Ethiopia, whom she will meet for the first time on this trip. Her 16 yr old daughter, Elizabeth, traveled with us on our OH Team 1 trip in July this year. Amy is super excited to help us launch this Sponsorship program and get the Ky folks involved.

Finally, all of you should know me by now. I'm Kelly, from the Nashville, TN area. Busy mom of 6, one adopted from Ethiopia. I am pictured below with my sponsored child in Ethiopia whom I have grown to love dearly. I have watched his life change through sponsorship and I can't wait to offer this life changing experience to all of you. These kids need us....they need you. So excited about this big week we have planned! Feel free to email Deborah if you wish to inquire about children you see us with next week. Can't wait to get back to ET...woo hoo!!

Last Day in Ethiopia for Team 3

2011-09-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

Blog written by Adriane, Team 3

The last day in Ethiopia, our team saw desperation and beauty collide in a nearly unimaginable way. We were scheduled to leave that evening, but we were not even considering that because we still had a full day to go and serve as many as we could before we left. Much of our day was spent on the mountainside, delivering donkeys to these precious women who carry huge loads 15 miles up and down the mountain, making barely enough money to survive.

As soon as our van was seen at the base of the mountain we were followed by throngs of women and children seeking clothes, shoes, candy…whatever gifts we might be distributing that day. The word had spread from our visit just days before so people came from every direction the moment we appeared. We gave out every last donation we had with us, but like every other time, it didn’t seem to be enough.

And though it was incredible to be able to help the countless people we encountered, my mind couldn’t stop thinking about the woman we had encountered earlier that day. A friend of a friend of our amazing translator heard about what we were doing on the mountain and had told him about a woman he knew of that desperately needed help. On the way to her house, we were told that she was sick with many illnesses which made her unable to work while she struggled to support her two children. Going to this dear woman’s house is something that I will never be able to forget. We walked through a gate, followed a path between mud walls and crouched through a door way and into a dark tunnel; with not even enough room to stand up straight, we made our way back and then encountered another doorway.

We had to step down into her house which consisted of a dark room dug into the ground; it was definitely not a place you would ever stumble upon and I’m not even sure I could find it again, knowing where it was. We stepped into the pitch black room lit by a single candle to bring some sort of light into the dark, hopeless room. You could feel the desperation in the air. We gathered around this woman, laying hands on her and praying for her. As we prayed, my heart broke for this woman. In that moment, I understood the heart of the Father to allow this broken, hurting woman see the hope and healing of Jesus Christ. After we prayed for her, we were able to bless her with clothes for her children and money. Her gratitude was obvious; she couldn’t stop hugging and kissing all of the members on our team. As we made our way back to the van, Jesus spoke so clearly to me. This is what I wrote in my journal that night: “As we got back on the bus, all I could think about was the grace of Jesus. I tried to imagine how that woman must feel--chosen. In a city of 3 million people, we chose her. Someone forgotten and overlooked by many. In her little home hidden from the rest of the world and lit by a single candle, we found her and we came to her. How amazing. How much more amazing that Jesus did that. He chose me. He came and He found me and called me by name. Seeing that woman today gave me a whole new understanding of that.”

Later that afternoon, we made our way to Korah and spent some time loving on the amazing children there. They clung to us and we poured our love on them. Seeing a place like that puts everything into perspective. How could you possibly walk away unchanged? Every person on our team walked away with an understanding of how amazingly blessed we are.

Every single one of us came on this trip with different expectations. We all wanted to see and experience different things and throughout our time in Ethiopia, each of us encountered Jesus in a new way. The thing that amazes me in all of this is the faithfulness of God to show us the one. No matter what we were doing or where we were going, each of us can share “the one” we encountered that day. It astounds me that God would choose us, a group of broken, imperfect people, to change the lives of a few. But, in changing their lives, ours were forever transformed as well.

Remembering 9/11 ~ 10 Years Ago

2011-09-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

I'm sure like me, most of you have been watching the recaps of 9/11 on TV and have felt such sadness, yet such a sense of true heroism by watching and hearing the stories that came out of such tragedy. In an instant our country was torn apart, yet it was also bonded by the heroism of the men and women that gave their lives that day to save those who fell victim. My own brother was a New York City firefighter who was off duty that day at home with his wife and their brand new baby. He got the call and he responded, ready to help his co workers who were like his brothers, rescue those who were stuck in the towers. He made it as far as a bridge on the outskirts of the city. They had it closed and they would not let him pass any further. He felt helpless, knowing that his brothers needed him. Without him by their side, his team of co workers were some of the first responders. He lost many brothers that day as they selflessly ran into the towers to save those who were stuck, never able to make it back down themselves before it crumbled to the ground. His own life was spared, but he spent the remaining months working night and day, sorting through debris, looking for any sign of life. He did pull one life from the buried debris of what looked like a war zone which is what fed his spirit the hope it needed to keep going in such circumstances. My brother, Michael, was spared that day because he happened to be at home with his wife and new baby. There were many Mommy's and Daddy's that didn't make it home that day. They are forever in our hearts. They are not forgotten. Their lives carry on through their children and their family. THEY ARE HEROES.

I found this video which puts the loss into perspective for one little girl who misses her Daddy. We forget how fast time flies. Make each day count. Be thankful for each day you have with your loved ones. God Bless those who have been directly affected by 9/11. God Bless our Heroes of America.
Click here to go to the direct link or watch it below and silence my music on the right sidebar.
Grab your tissues.....