Fundraising Update

To date, I have raised just about 1/2 of the $3,000 that I need to raise in order to be able to go to Africa in June. Thank you SO very much to all who have donated. I have been extremely blessed by each and every one of you.

I still need about 40 people to participate in my $39 x 77 Fundraising Campaign. I ask you to consider being one of the 77 and donating $39. I assure you, it will be money well spent. You can find out all about the $39 x 77 Fundraising Campaign HERE.

Although the deadline for the total amount due is June 1st, I need about 70% of the money in by April 2nd (IN 2 DAYS!) to cover some immediate costs. If you would like to be one of the 77, please follow the donation instructions on the $39 x 77 blog post.

Thank you so very much!

Looking for a House...Please Read

Ok...This has nothing to do with Africa, but thought it might help to post this here...

I wanted to let you know that Nathan and I are looking for a place to live starting near the end of April. We are selling our house and will most likely be closing on April 30th. We are aggressively trying to pay off debt. That is our #1 goal for the next year.

Can you help us get the word out? Do you by chance know anyone that is going to be out of town for the next 6 months to a year that would like someone to house sit for them? This nice family of 4 is up for it. I know it is a long shot, but God is big. We figured you never know until you ask, and there may be someone out there needing someone to sit on there house for a while. :) Oh, and for school purposes, it needs to be in Williamson County. Beyond that, we are not picky at all. Tiny or huge, condo or house, big yard or no yard, we are ready for anything.'l We'll even take care of pets and plants!

Additionally, if you are aware of a very inexpensive rental that will be available at the end of April, let us know. Again, needs to be in Williamson County (except Fairview), in a safe location, and very inexpensive. Even a carriage house or guest house would be fine. Our kids are young so we can squeeze into something smallish. We are trying to get out of debt in 1-2 years. It's an ambitious goal, but one we really want to do. We're hoping once we do this, it will be done once and for all and we will never have to do it again. :) Thanks guys!

P.S. We can also barter tree work for rent. Lots and lots of tree work!

Please help us get the word out!!

Heartbreaking Orphan Statistics

Every 15 SECONDS, another child becomes an AIDS orphan in Africa.

Every DAY 5,760 more children become orphans.

Every YEAR 2,102,400 more children become orphans (in Africa alone).

There are 143,000,000* orphans in the world today. The population of orphans theoretically makes up the 7th largest nation in the world.

Orphans in the world today spend an average of 10 years in an orphanage or foster home.

Every YEAR 14,050,000 children grow up as orphans and AGE OUT of the system.

Every DAY 38,493 children AGE OUT.

Every 2.2 SECONDS, another orphan child AGES OUT with no family to belong to and no place to call home.

Many of these children accept job offers that ultimately result in their being sold as slaves. Millions of girls are sex slaves today, simply because they were unfortunate enough to grow up as orphans.

*Reliable statistics are difficult to find, even the sources often list only estimates, and street children are rarely included. But even if these figures are exaggerated by double, it is still an unacceptable tragedy that over a Million children would still become orphans every year, and every year 7 Million children would still grow to adulthood as orphans with no one to belong to and no place to call home. They are totally vulnerable and easily fall prey to predators and slave recruiters.

(Data provided by UNICEF)

Don't let these numbers and statistics just be "numbers." These are CHILDREN. Real, live, human beings. Just like you. Just like me. Just like your children. Just like my children. 

For a moment I image my children, my beautiful Ellie and Libby, without a mommy or daddy. I imagine them growing up with no one to lay in bed with them when they have a bad dream. No one to see them blow out the candles year after year. No one to journey through with them and walk alongside of them through the challenges of life. Tears are streaming down my face.

It just isn't right. God, give us wisdom to know what to do, to know how to act, and courage to be obedient to what you tell us.

Are YOU one of the 77?...$39 x 77

I started my fundraising efforts on March 16th. I needed to raise $3,000. I was curious to know how much money needed to come in each day to make my goal by the due date on June 1st. From March 16th to June 1st was a total of 77 days.  I did some calculations and figured out that I needed $39 each day to make the goal of $3,000. That's it...77 people to donate $39. That seemed so doable to me!

Will you consider partnering with me? Will YOU be one of the 77?

*Scroll down to see how to donate.

In case you missed it, here are some of the specific organizations we will be working with and activities we will be doing while in Africa:

Ethiopia

Kids Kare Orphanage

Ahope AIDS Orphanage

AWAA Transitional Home

Kidmia Homes

~Spending time with street kids

~Possibly visiting a leper colony

~Possibly working at the Mother Theresa Orphanage

~Possibly at an orphanage out in a more rural area

Uganda

New Hope Uganda
Amani Baby Cottage
Canaan Children's Home
Amazima Ministries

I feel as though God has specifically called me to care for the fatherless and more specifically to Africa. I am eagerly awaiting the opportunity to love and serve His glorious children and those who care for them. 

I ask you to consider donating $39 to fund this trip. 

Two Ways to Donate:

1. Via This Blog

This is very easy. Just click on the "Chip-In" link on the right side bar near the top. Your donation will be processed through paypal.

2. By Check

Make your check out to: Visiting Orphans

Mail to:

Mindy Spradlin

204 Cavalcade Circle

Franklin, TN 37069

*Your check will be tax-deductible.

And the Winner Is...

To find out the winner of our $350 Portrait Photography Package from Erica Erck Photography, watch the little video.

A Great Team Meeting...and Updates!

I just got done with a great team meeting with some of the others that will be heading to Africa with me this summer. What a great group of people!  This week I hosted the meeting at my house and we had about 10 in attendance with another several joining us on the computer via Skype. There are 18 members of our team from all different ages and walks of life. How wonderful!

Amanda Lawrence from American World Adoption and her husband Simon are leading the trip. They are doing such a fabulous job managing it all. Amanda filled us in on several new details of what we will be doing in Uganda. We had been waiting for a few weeks to get these details so it was really exciting. The first part of our trip will be in Ethiopia and the second part will be in Uganda.  We will be in Uganda from June 26-July 3. Here are couple of organizations that we will be assisting while there. You can click on them to visit their websites. 

New Hope Uganda

Amani Baby Cottage

Canaan Children's Home

Amazima Ministries

Each of these organizations looks to be doing amazing things for the people of Uganda, and I feel honored and humbled to be able to walk alongside of them and serve them in any way I can. 

Fundraising Update: I have raised $1,044 so far. That leaves $1,956 left to raise with $1,056 needing to come in by April 2nd. I humbly ask you to consider donating. I currently am running 2 fundraising campaigns. Click on the links below to see the specifics of each one.

Raffle for an AMAZING Portrait Photography Package (ONLY 2 DAYS LEFT!)

$39 x 77 -Will you be one of the 77?

Prayer Pray...

that our team would continue to grow and bond together.

that the Lord would provide all the necessary money that I need to fundraise.

that my relationship with the Lord would grow to a deeper intimacy unlike anything I have ever know.

that Nathan and I would sell our house quickly and easily.

that the Lord would provide the perfect place for us to live once our house sells.

that the Lord would protect Nathan as he works each day.

that I would not get overwhelmed in the midst of the current level of craziness that is abounding in our lives. 

Thank you all very much!

P.S. The picture on the blog post is of a little boy at the Amani Baby Cottage. How precious is he??

Our 1st Raffle!!

Today begins our first raffle! So exciting!

How would you like a Portrait Photography Package worth $350 for only $15??

Erica Erck Photography has generously donated a photography package worth $350. Erica Erck is one of the most renowned baby, child, and family photographers in all of Middle Tennessee. Her photography is just amazing! Check out her website here.

The Prize Package Includes:

A Lifestyle Portrait Session (Worth $150)

5 x 5 Book (Worth $125)

A $75 Print Credit

(See all specifics below)

This can all be yours for a $15 donation to my trip to Africa. 100% of the raffle money will go to Visiting Orphans to cover the cost of my trip to Ethiopia and Uganda to work and care for orphans there.

How to Enter & Info about the Raffle:

• Use the "Chip In" link on the right hand side of this blog to make your donation and purchase your ticket. 
• For each $15 you donate, you will get 1 entry.
• You can enter as many times as you would like.
• Each entry will be put into a hat and the winner will be drawn from the hat at the close of the raffle. The drawing will be videotaped and the drawing and announcement will be shown on this blog.
• The raffle begins on March 21st and ends on March 25th at 6pm.
• The Price Package can be redeemed anytime after July. (Erica is on maternity leave from May-July).
• Winner must contact Erica & redeem package before December 31, 2009.

Members of the Hyatt & Spradlin families are not allowed to enter.

Specifics of Prize Package

Lifestyle Portrait Session:

*An unhurried shoot on a Mon-Thurs morning lasting up to two hours

*Location of choice at Erica's studio, outdoors, or at your home

*Digital images fully retouched as needed and delivered online at a secure proofing gallery in a combination of color, black & white, and antique

*Unlimited groupings of people, poses, and clothing changes

5 x 5 Hardbound Book:

There are six material options including a black fabric or three different leathers in black, tan, or red, or a custom designed photo art cover. Each book is created from your vertical or horizontal images, and includes up to 20 images per book, with additional pages available for $2.00/image. Larger books are available for an additional fee.

$75 Print Credit

(Luster, metallic, art paper edited, retouched prints)

What God Says about Orphans...

Thinking of donating to the cause of orphans? Read a few of God's promises and thoughts about the orphans & poor below. Fascinating!

Prov. 19:17. He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed.

Psalm 113: 7-8. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap: He makes them sit with princes, with the princes of His people.

Prov. 31:8. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.

Deu 24:18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.

Deu 10:21 When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow.

Ps. 82:3 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

Jam 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

*If you would like to donate to my trip to Africa to care for some of the FATHERLESS of this world, please see the previous post for how to do this. 

Will You Join the Journey?

I want to humbly ask each of you to join in my journey to Ethiopia & Uganda. This is not something I can accomplish by myself. It is going to take God, me, and YOU. It takes many to accomplish God's will. Some are the hands, some the feet, and some the eyes. There are many different roles. Here are the ways you can join in:

1. Prayer

There are specific prayer needs that I will be posting on this blog through the next few months. I would be extremely grateful if you would join me in praying for them. When a group of 20 people join together to go across the world to a foreign land to show the love of Christ, there are bound to be numerous challenges. Satan is not going to like what is going on and is going to do everything in his power to put a stop to it.

2. Financial Support

I need to raise a total of $3,000. I'm trying to have all this money in by June 1st. However, and this is where I need my faith to really kick in, I have to have the total amount of my airfare in by April 2nd. The airfare alone cost approx. $2,100. I have raised about $400 this week so I have 2 weeks to raise the additional $1,700. I humbly ask you to consider making a donation. 

On Sunday I started a Facebook fundraising campaign that I will run on this blog as well. It is called $39 x 77.  You can see the link here. When I started the campaign, I had 77 days left to fundraise. I figured out how much money I would need to have each day to reach the goal of $3,000. The daily total is ONLY $39. That seems so doable! I need 77 people to donate $39 to cover all 77 days. You can choose to cover 1, 2, 3, or more days. Also, any donation, no matter how large or small, is greatly appreciated. Will you be one of the 77? On the Facebook page, you can see how many days are covered so far. Again, I need $1,700 by April 2nd. Please prayerfully consider partnering with me in caring for and loving on God's beloved children in Africa.

You can donate in 1 of 2 ways:

1. Donate Online by using the "Chip-In" link on the right-hand side of this blog. Your donation will be processed through paypal.

2. Donate by Mail

Send Your Check (made out to Visiting Orphans) to me at:

Mindy Spradlin

204 Cavalcade Circle

Franklin, TN 37069

*Your donation by mail is tax deductible.

Thank you in advance for all your support. Each of you, some I have never even met, are very much appreciated!

*And once again, please subscribe to this blog using the subscription box at the top right-hand side of the blog. That way you will receive an email each time I post an update.*

I'm heading to Africa!

Hello everyone out there is blogland. I created this blog in order to document my very first, but hopefully not my last, journey to Africa. I will be heading to Ethiopia and Uganda on June 20th and returning on July 4th. I can't even tell you how excited I am! Our primary goal while in Africa is orphan care. In the coming weeks I will know a lot more about the specific of what we will be doing. I'll share the itinerary with you when I get it. For know I know that we will be going to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia and working in 1 or more orphanages. In Uganda will be working with Katie from Amazima Ministries.  The organization that is setting up the trip is called Visiting Orphans. 

I met my team for the first time last Monday. It was such a joy! I love being with people who are passionate about sometime very important to me...orphan ministry. The Bible is so specific about the fact that Christians are called to take care of orphans. I have been involved with the Orphan Ministry at my church, Grace Chapel, and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Years ago I went to Romania & China to work with orphans. It absolutely changed my life.

There are orphans all over the world, including right here in America. You may be wondering why I chose to go to Africa. I honestly don't have a very specific answer except that I know, without a doubt in my mind, that God has called me to go. It is not a very convenient time for me to be planning a trip to the other side of the world. We have had an extremely stressful year. We have been through job loss and are putting our house on the market on Tuesday and I am currently working about 3 part-time jobs in addition to planning my next consignment sale for my company Little Sprouts. God is so faithful though. He has provided our every need and I have learned to recognize what is really important. It has been a painful journey, but one I would not change. The lessons I have learned are more valuable than gold! After Nathan lost his job, he started his business back up. After a VERY slow winter season, his phone is starting to ring. Praise God! All that to say, in the midst of being mommy, working, and everything else going on, it is difficult to fit in fundraising, team meetings, planning, and all the intricacies that goes in to preparing for this trip. But I trust in One much great than me. It lifts a great weight off to know that I don't have to figure it all out. God has very clearly and specifically called me to go. I chose to be obedient, and I know He will work out all the details. And did I mention that I am SOOO excited?!

Please pray for me as I begin this journey.

Make sure to subscribe to my blog so you can get an update each time a write a new blog post.