THANK YOU!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!! YOU DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, Becky left for Ghana and William and Patience. Her origonal goal had been to collect supplies to help William for three months...In the end, she left with enough to last SIX MONTHS!!!!! Yes, SIX!!!!!!! My heart is so full of gratitude and joy! HOORAY!!!!!!! This is just so wonderful!!

I will keep everyone updated as I am updated! Let's keep praying for her safe journy, his speedy recovery, and a family for this sweet brother and sister.

Thank you all!

The Ol' Swap-A-Roo

Somehow, these last two posts published in the wrong order! Naturally, we FIRST picked out the gifts, THEN sent the package. I hope anyone who reads this caught that and isn't laying awake in bed, totally confused, trying to figure it out. HA HA! So yes, please read the blog "Picking out gifts..." FIRST, THEN read "Letters for...". Thank you!

Picking out Gifts for William and Patience

So we are down to the last few days before Becky leaves. Two weeks sounded like SO MUCH TIME...two weeks ago! The time FLEW by, and I am glad I started right away getting things ready to send for her to take!

Earlier this week, Taiger was going around Target picking up EVERYTHING saying, "Can I get this for the boy with the burns? I think that little boy would like this!", etc. So, today, we took my three nephews, two nieces, and Taiger to the dollar store and let them all pick something out for William. Boy, was that ever fun! Crazy, yes, but very fun!

(On the way to the dollar store)

It was so neat to see all of these little kids running around the dollar store, excited to buy things for someone else, someone who they had never seen or met, but who they were truly concerned for and who they really each loved.I took some pictures I will post here of our wonderful "outting". The kids were SO excited that it was difficult to tell them that something they picked out just wasn't that good of an idea...they are kids, after all! I said things like, "Wow! That is a good idea, I just don't really think William would like an inflatable monkey". But it was SO CUTE and endearing the things they thought he would like! Some of the "best" were: inflatable monkey, foam glasses, a cup that looked like a coconut, whoopee cushion, feather duster, dog chew toy ("Does William have a dog? He might like this!" SO CUTE!), Speed Racer car (Taiger, of course), squeezable frog whose guts squirt out when squeezed. The list goes on. I must say, my favorite was the feather duster!Some of the "cute" things they wanted to get him I just had to let go. I hope he does not take the gifts at face value, but can see the love that went into them. For instance, my little nephew was dead-set on getting him one of those disguises with the big nose, glasses and fake mustache. I have no idea why, but he thought William would just love it, so I relented (this is the same kid who wanted to get him a dog toy and a feather duster, so the disguise was an improvement and looking pretty good against the options!).

(The foam glasses Jack wanted to give William)

We also picked out a few things for William's sister, Patience. We also included a little craft project for them to do together. I just hope he actually enjoys some of the things we send!!Thank you to EVERYONE who has donated to help William! Thank you, too, to EVERYONE who is praying on behalf of this little boy.

(Taiger picking out crayons for William and Patience)

(Having fun picking out gifts for William and Patience)

It is easy to get caught up in the bandages, the toys, the medicine...but the fact remains that with God NOTHING is impossible! He could heal William NOW without all of those things, if it were in His plan to do so. God is bigger and stronger than this situation and than any of us. Praying for His healing mercy is a wonderful gift for William. Praying that a family is found for William and his sister is also a much needed plea at this time. Thank you ALL!!!!!!

(Everyone in the check-out line with gifts for William and Patience)

Letters for William and Patience

We sent our package out today for William and Patience!!!!! It will arrive to Becky in the next two days...then ON TO WILLIAM AND PATIENCE!!! The kids were all SOOO EXCITED to send it!

The kids all drew pictures and wrote cards to send in the package. They were so cute drawing the pictures, thinking of what William and Patience might want on a card. Jonny made a folded boat and drew a calendar on his card for William. Mitchell drew two robots, one for William and one for Patience. Taiger drew a picture of monsters. Bryttan and I were the only ones old enough to write, so we wrote them each a little card.

This was a good little "Service Project" for the kids to do. I was really proud of all of the kids for caring about William and Patience. They really did well yesterday thinking of things to buy William and Patience, and today drawing special pictures to send. It was really a good experience for them...and me, too.

On Love and William

I am excited to blog about our trip to Idaho and Taiger's Easter with his cousins...BUT I WON'T! I will refrain, because I said I am only going to post about helping William until we have all the funds and items raised/gathered for him that he needs. OOOO! We are SOOO CLOSE to having all Becky will need for this trip!

So many, many people have stepped forward to help this little boy and his sister! What a fabulous and remarkable thing to see. Complete strangers reaching out to these two. People who don't know a whit about Luckyhill, or even about Ghana for that matter!, are coming forward with ANYTHING they have to send with Becky, from money, to boxes of band aids!

Becky's purpose for this trip to "save William" was to begin the process of healing William's burns. However, her OTHER purpose, and one just as, if not more, important, was to begin to heal his spirit, hopefully before it is too broken. She wants to tell him that, even though he has suffered great loss in his short life, God has NEVER forgotten him! That even though he is an orphan, HE IS NOT ALONE! That hundreds of people here on earth love him and care about him and pray for him every day. She wants to tell him about all of the people who really do love him. Becky knows that this moment could be a turning point in William's life. He could feel so destitute and alone that he turns away from the "world" and closes in on himself and no longer reaches out, or up. He could begin to believe he really is alone here on earth. He could begin to feel in his heart that he really is an orphan, with no one. OR...he could learn that when we reach to God, He reaches back, and sometimes through the arms of other people. That his parents may have gone to Heaven, but they still love him. That although he has no mother and father for a season, great love is being poured out to him every day. That he will never, ever be alone in this world. That his heart can feel full of God's love, and the love of other people on earth.

Thank you all for being the drop in this HUGE, overflowing bucket of LOVE! Without you, William may not have been able to believe that people out there care about him. Now, he will know he is loved. That God has sent help for him. That he need never fear, for God is in control of ALL things, and forgets NO ONE! Not the lonely, not the orphaned. NO ONE.

TWO MORE DAYS!!!!!!

SO MANY people have donated to help William, and I am SO THANKFUL to them! We are still in need of some money to purchase med. supplies for him. We only have about two days until Becky needs to place her final order for bandages...so I am really strongly encouraging you all to donate ONE DOLLAR and let's get this little boy what he needs to heal!

Please send money to:

LUCKYHILL

C/O LOIS MARTINO

3220 East Horse Thief Dr.

Heber City, UT 84032.

If you would prefer to order the bandages, please post a comment and I will send you Becky's address to have them shipped right to her.

And PLEASE....KEEP PRAYING! It will take a miracle for there to be no infection by the time Becky gets there. If they are infected, he may have to have his feet amputated. Please pray for William and Patience, and for them to get adopted soon.

Thank you all so much!!!!!

Update on William

Poor little William. The doctor has stopped bandaging his feet. No one knows for sure why, but it must be all the doctor knows to do, or maybe he doesn't have any more supplies...either way, I am very anxious for Becky to get there and start taking care of him.

Taiger and I went to Target yesterday and bought socks to send William. Sweet Taiger wanted to buy EVERYTHING in the toy section for "the boy with the burns". It was really touching to see him thinking of someone else, ESPECIALLY when it comes to TOYS!

I am also worried because William is really discouraged. Kingsly, (the "owner" of the orphange) said William spends most of his time crying now. We don't know at this point why that is either, but I can guess: He must be in TONS of pain (they ran out of pain meds for him about 2 weeks ago). He may be afriad, no knowing what will happen with his feet, worried he will never again walk, discouraged and hopeless because the doctors have no more medicine or money for bandages for him. I don't know about you, but hearing about a little boy afraid and in pain AND CRYING breaks my heart!!!!!!! I would be there in A SECOND if I could be imminized!!!!!!!

William NEEDS a family to adopt him!!!!! He has a beautiful, amazing sister, Patience, who is 11, who has been caring for him with his burns, who MUST be adopted with him!!!!!! If you know of ANYONE who is considering adopting, please tell them about William and Patience! We have pictures available of them, and people who can tell you ALL about them. From what I have heard, they are nothing but SWEET, HELPFUL, WONDERFUL children. More than that, they are children of Heavely Father, and they DESERVE a family for now and FOREVER!