Miracles Happen!

It's been over a week since it happened, but I still can't stop looking at this page. It's hard to believe it's real, but there it is, staring back at me with the total amount raised...

$190,000. We knew it was a big amount when we agreed to fundraise for this project back in November. But the magnitude of it all really hit us when we returned from a month in Africa and found out the deadline had been moved up. We only had 30 DAYS to raise the remaining $75,000 needed!

It seemed impossible. 3 weeks passed and we still needed $54,000. Then May 20th rolled around. It was The Sound of Hope's 2nd birthday and the deadline for this project was midnight. That morning, we still needed $20,000 to reach our goal! But by that night at 9:30pm, we'd been given the best birthday gift we could have ever asked for....

A MIRACLE!

That's right friends! In just 13 hours the remaining $20,000 came in! The Asha Mission Land Project is now FULLY FUNDED!

That means that this precious "family" is one (huge) step closer to getting their new home! A home that will be big enough for every child to have their own bed. A home that will have a yard to play in! A home that will rescue children out of the brothels and slums for generations.

For each and every one of you who made this miracle possible - THANK YOU just doesn't seem enough! We know that there are so many of you who donated, shared, tweeted, emailed, blogged, posted, called, prayed, begged, borrowed, and sacrificed to make this happen! We absolutely mean it when we say, YOU ARE HEROES to our children in India!

Asha Mission Land Fund :: UPDATE!

Over the past few weeks, we have seen and heard some truly incredible things. We've gotten letters and checks from people in Arkansas who said they couldn't sleep until they gave to this need. We've heard of middle school kids in North Carolina doing creative fundraisers for this land. We've gotten emails from a girl in California working to set up a benefit show to help us reach our goal. We even had a guy in Alabama SELL A CAR and donate the proceeds for our precious kids in India! Over and over we have seen the donations roll in online.... $25.... $500... $1,000 - some from friends, some from family, and some from people we've never even met before!

We have raised another $20,000 for our Asha Mission Land Fund in less than a month! We are SO encouraged! To all of you who have helped us spread the word about this need, and to each and every person who donated - THANK YOU for being a HERO to our kids in India!

But the work is not over yet! We still have to raise another $55,000 and we only have 9 days to do it!

We are asking all of you to dig deeper and reach farther than you have before! Dig deep into your heart and ask what you can give. Reach out to your friends, family, co-workers, twitter followers, and blog readers and encourage them to get involved!

This Sunday is Mother's Day. I can't think of a better gift to give in honor or in memory of you Mom, than a donation to care for a child in India who doesn't have a mother!

And would you consider sharing this video with your church congregation? Your Sunday School Class? What about your friends and family who gather together to celebrate Mother's Day?

URGENT NEED :: Asha Land Project from The Sound of Hope on Vimeo.

These forgotten children need YOU to be their HERO! Help us reach our goal by May 20th, and be a part of a miracle!

URGENT NEED :: Asha Mission Land Project

Friends, we have an urgent need for the kids at Asha Mission Children's Home in India. Please watch the video below before you move on...

URGENT NEED :: Asha Land Project from The Sound of Hope on Vimeo.

In case you couldn't watch the video - allow me to explain this need here. The children at Asha Mission need a new (bigger and better) home. There are several reasons why. The first is a simple lack of space. There are 33 kids sleeping in 2 tiny rooms - rooms that are the same size (or smaller) than some of our walk-in closets in America. There is only space for 12 beds total (6 in each room), which means over half of the children are sleeping on the cold, cement floor.

Another issue with the lack of space is privacy. As the kids get older, they need enough room for the boys and girls to have some separation. It is not appropriate (in any culture, but especially in India) to have the boys and girls living so close together.

In addition to the lack of privacy, there is a lack of space to play! There is no yard at all for the children to play in - the front door opens out into a narrow, crowded street with open sewers on each side. The only open space in this house is the roof (which is not safe to play on) and the main room - which can't be bigger than about 40 by 20 feet. The children barely all fit in the room sitting down for storytime. It is definitely no place for them to get exercise! There really is no where for them to enjoy being kids.

But the biggest cause for concern is that this small home is only a rental property. It is not a permanent home for these children. If the landlord decides on a whim that he wants them out, then these kids could be back on the street. We've seen it happen before. You see, in India orphans are considered to be some of the lowest people.  They are unwanted children. Some of them are the product of rape or prostitution. Many are born into extreme poverty. They are abandoned at hospitals, put out on the street to beg, sold as slaves, or left to die on the roadside. They are outcasts - forgotten by society.

But there's more. According to our Indian Partners, the government has been talking about passing a new law in India. This law would require every orphanage to own the land and building it is operating in. If they do not comply immediately - they could have their children taken away, separated from the only family they have ever known, and thrown into a government orphanage with horrible living conditions. This law has been under discussion for several years, and our partners are fearful that it could go into effect at any moment.

For all these reasons, it is IMPERATIVE that these children get a bigger, better, permanent home. A home that will last. A home that will be around to rescue children for generations! But before a bigger home can be built we need land. That's where YOU come in!

India is an overpopulated country and land is very expensive there. Our partners have put down a deposit on a piece of land, but in order to purchase it we need to pay the full amount by May 20th - and we are $150,000 short. The GREAT news is - we have a $75,000 matching gift - but it will not be released until another $75,000 is raised.

We need your help! If we do not get the $75,000 raised by May 20th then we lose the land, the kids lose a chance at a new home, and our partners lose thousands of dollars they put down for the deposit. This is a ONE SHOT DEAL. We get one chance to change the lives of these precious little girls and boys - and to save the lives of many others who have yet to be rescued. 

So we're asking you today - right now - WHAT WILL YOU DO TO SAVE THEIR LIVES? How much will you sacrifice to give them a future? What will you do to protect their innocence?

Will you give away 5% of your savings - your security - to invest in their future? How about 10%? What about 50%? As you save for the future of your family, can you consider these children who have no one saving for them?

If you don't have money to give, then what will you DO? Will you host a benefit show? A bake sale? A garage sale? Will you sell your bike? Your 4-wheeler? Your boat? Your car?

How much is the life of one child worth? What about the lives of 33 children?

BE PART OF A MIRACLE!



PLEDGE TO DO AN EVENT HERE.

Swaziland Photo Recap

For those of you who don't know, we made it back from Africa a little over a week ago. We're still working on some great video updates for you, but I thought I'd take a few minutes just to do a quick photo recap (for any of you who aren't on facebook or twitter). Here are just a few of our favorite shots from the past few weeks!

One of our first days in Swaziland! We loved watching the sun set over the traditional Swazi huts made of mud, sticks and grass.

Check out the new Children's Library we started in the preschool at the Nsoko Carepoint!

This little girl was SO excited about the new books! THANK YOU to everyone who donated to this project!

Working in the Community Garden with Phindile. To find out more about this project CLICK HERE.

Nutritious spinach! Just one of the many healthy vegetables the kids will soon be eating!

School's out! The children are quick to run to the carepoint at the end of each day. Year end donations to The Sound of Hope provided the funds for 112 children in Nosko to go to school this year!

Here are a few of the older girls, hanging out together at the carepoint after school.

Thanks to a generous donation, all the preschool kids got new Auburn clothes! You can see the video HERE.

There were new shirts for the Swazi staff we are partnered with too! Our work would not be possible without the help of the Gogos that cook for the children, the D-team, the facilities supervisors, the Clinic Assistant, and the Preschool Teacher!

We're also grateful for the American family we're partnered with that lives in Nsoko full-time. THANK YOU Jen, Eric, Claire, and Jacob for the hard work you do around the clock!

We loved seeing some traditional Swazi dances at the Cultural Center in Ezulwini!

Only in Africa can you see a Journey of Giraffe on the way to lunch! The wildlife in Swaziland is truly unique!

I have known Senkhosi since he was only 1 year old. It's been amazing to visit him on each trip to Swaziland and watch him grow up over the past 5 years!

This is Sotja, a 3 year old double orphan who spends most of his days at our carepoint. When we see smiles like this one, it makes all our work worthwhile!

Stay tuned for more updates about our time in Africa, and find out how you can be a part of giving HOPE to the children of Swaziland!

An apple a day...

Our last day at the carepoint in Nsoko, we decided to bring some apples for the kids who came to eat. I approached some older kids to ask if they would help me "round up" the little ones (as I assumed it would take some time to get them all in a line at the door). What happened next shocked me.

The older kids (teenagers) RAN to the door while yelling for the little ones, who immediately rushed from the playground. The next thing I knew there was an excited MOB all around! I have never in my life seen children so excited about apples! They were not lining up for candy or toys - they were anxiously waiting for a single piece of fruit.

an apple a day... from The Sound of Hope on Vimeo.

For children who eat meals that consist of only pap (maize meal), beans, and rice, an apple was a very special treat. Their excitement for something so simple gave me perspective, and made me even more determined to see the Community Garden we're starting flourish. This garden will provide not only healthy vegetables for the children at the carepoint (which means more nutritious meals), it will also empower and provide for up to 18 families in the community! To find out more (and to donate to this project), CLICK HERE.