Seems a Bit Early

Our next rrip to Nicaragua will be July, 2009, but I'm already packing hygiene supplies. Why so early? Because if I wait until even the beginning of the year, there just won't be time to get everything collected, sorted, packaged, and packed. For example, let's consider the clothing we take for children. Most of that clothing comes to our storeroom in trash bags or big boxes with boys' and girls' clothing all mixed together with several sizes of each thrown in. First, I have to separate the clothing by appropriate sexes and look for damaged pieces in the process. We want to make people feel good with the clothing we give so anything that is torn or stained is removed. I also have to look for winter clothing. Stocking caps and mittens just aren't needed in a tropical country. Then the clothes must be sorted by size, and outfits matched together. We try to give everyone a top and a bottom that go together. Each set goes into a gallon reclosable bag, and on the outside I write the sex and the size. That preparation makes things go much faster once we get to Nicaragua. Our hygiene area is the last stop as people go through the clinics, and by the time they get to us, they've had a long day and are ready to start on their trek back home. Some will have hours to walk once they leave us. Getting the gifts to them quickly is as much a present to them as the actual gifts are.

In the last week I have spent about 8 hours at the church packing donations of flipflops, stuffed toys, and clothing. The next big job to do is packaging toys. We have 4 or 5 large boxes of small toys of all sorts. Four or five of them will fit it a small recloseable bag. We always try to include a little car since that is the most requested gift. Littls balls, action figures, tiny dolls, and toys from kids' meals at fast food restaurant are perfect for our gift bags. Putting those bags together takes lots of time, but getting to see a child open the bag and show Christmas-like excitement keeps us working.

At Crossroads we are making plans for two team events. Each person will have to raise at least $2,000 this year to make the trip. On November 2 we will have a Mission Team Fair where team members will have tables set up with fundraising projects. One member is planning to serve lunch after church for her project, and others are making all sorts of items that can be used for Christmas gifts. I'm working on baked goods like loaves of bread and cookies as well as homemade pasta. The second project is a team cookbook. We have just started checking in to the details of publishing the book so it will be a while before we have it ready. The book will provide funds for both the team needs and the individual team member who sells the book. I'll let you know when the books are ready and how to get one (or several.)

Several team members have set up boxes at their workplaces to collect items from their colleagues. If you have things to donate, call Crossroads Fellowship at 918-369-9111, and we'll work out a plan to take what you have. See the post titled "What We Need" for a list of what we are collecting. If you would like to help by sending a cash donation, you can make a check to Crossroads Mission Account and send it to Crossroads Fellowship, 100 W. Dawes, Bixby, OK 74008. You can designate the money for hygiene items, medicine, beans and rice, translators, or for a particular team member that you know. More than any gift, we need the gift of your prayers. At this point every year, making the trip successfully seems like an impossibility, and there will be unimagineable roadblocks that we have to work around, but God is faithful to answer prayers so please pray for us. We have a long way to go, and we need your help.