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Getting new shoes (all images
click to enlarge ). |
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Dear friends,
Greetings from Sofia. The last of our scheduled
volunteer teams has just left Bulgaria.
This was a shoe team from The
Heights Baptist Church near Dallas. We welcomed several first timers on
this team: Jacque Stauffer and Teresa Stienstraw from Corinth Baptist
Church, Lisa Gassiott, Dayna Castle and Mark and Deneen Vandergriff.
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A reminder of why we do
shoe teams. |
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But we were very happy to see familiar faces in the
group! I can't count the times that Phil and Cookie Slate, Jan Margrave,
and Rhonda Caldwell have been here! Tresa Simmons has been here 2 or 3
times before and it was the second trip for Dwaine Hansen who filled in
at the last minute for a volunteer with some health issues. The kids in
the orphanages find those faces familiar, too! They love to have
returnees--especially when those returnees remember their names.
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This boy's name means "lively."
It is unimaginably well-fitting. |
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These volunteers came with love in their hearts and
underwear in their luggage! Dayna Castle and Robbie Sutton had promoted
a campaign in The Heights church called Bloomers for Bulgaria. Hundreds
of undies were collected and sorted for distribution here. The Corinth
Baptist Church also collected underwear for hundreds of orphans. It was
greatly appreciated by all. A few weeks ago when we had distributed
winter clothing in a home in Berkovitsa, I was shocked when a very rowdy
ten year old boy asked me if there was any underwear because he didn't
have any. Now he does. Thank you to all who gave.
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Getting shoes. |
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This year, as in several years past, we again received a
large donation of great shoes and socks from Buckner Benevolence. Thank
you! But BCI needed to purchase several hundred more pairs of shoes for
school age children to meet the needs. We must express our gratitude to
the Missions Committee of The Heights Baptist Church who gave $6,000 for
the purchase of winter shoes. This gift from The Heights made it
possible for us to maintain our distribution levels and to make sure
that hundreds of kids have dry, warm feet this winter.
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The team at work. |
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In addition to the underwear, winter clothing was
distributed in 5 homes. Most of this clothing was part of a huge
donation from Kelly's Kids. Other items came on the container from
Williams Trace Baptist Church a couple of months ago. We also
distributed the last of the rocking chairs from this container. Of
course, everyone was thrilled. I put a few miles on one in the home in
Buzovgrad rocking one of the sweetest five month old babies you have
ever seen.
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I'm not sure what the
story is on the pink shoes that he's holding, but he got a nice
warm pair of boots. |
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This team traveled many miles, covering about ¼ of
Bulgaria! We visited a total of 16 orphanages and gave away 967 pairs of
winter boots. Children who could not walk due to age or disability were
given socks. We fitted about 900 kids, but had to just leave some shoes
at a baby home that was under quarantine for chicken pox. Another home
we planned to visit was the pre-school home in Georgi Damyanovo. That
home is still quarantined because of dysentery.
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As always, the children
at Vidrare sang and danced for us. |
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The main purpose of this team was to distribute shoes so
the kids would have warm feet this winter, but this was just one way the
children benefited: the other way was that they received smiles and hugs
that will warm them all their lives.
For all those volunteers who came to put others needs
before their own; who worked tirelessly to get the job done; who valued
the lives of abandoned children more than their own comforts; we say
thank you. Please come again!
Blessings,
JUDY
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