And I love it!! I want to say a special thanks to Nikki from Blogs For A Cause. She did an awesome job!! What do you all think? Do you like the new look of the blog?? You should all check her out. See the button on the right side of my blog. The work is great and the money goes to an awesome cause.
I have also added a few buttons to the right side of my blog under my profile picture/info. The first one that says I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me will take you right to the page to make an online donation to my trip. How convenient is that?!? Then all you have to do is put in all the information needed. The second button that says Mocha Club will take you to the home page of Mocha Club which is the organization I am going to Ethiopia with. They are a wonderful organization. If you don't know anything about them, check out their website. Third is World Vision. I have supported World Vision for many years and this button will take your right to their website. I am a Child Ambassador with WV so if you have any sponsorship questions or would like to sponsor a child please contact me and I can help you.
Please remember to check out the gift card give-a-way. That is going on until January 31st! Look for all the info in the appropriate blog post. You don't want to miss your chance at getting in on that. Please share the post about the give-a-way on your Facebook or blog to help spread the word. Let's see how much money can be raised!! Thank you for spreading the word about my trip. And as always thank you for all your prayers!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The first fundraiser: GIFT CARD GIVE-A-WAY!!!
My first fundraiser for my trip to Ethiopia is here!! I am doing a gift card give-a-way! I will be giving away one (1) $50 gift card to Target!! Everyone likes Target, right?? Especially when you have $50 to spend!! Here is how this will work for every $15 donation you give you will get one (1) entry into the drawing. So if you donate $15 you get one entry, if you donate $30 you get two entries, if you donate $45 you get three entries, and so on. This give-a-way will run from today (when this blog posts) until Monday January 31st. That gives you about 12 days to get in on this.
All donations will be made the usual way through Mocha Club. You can donate online through this link. Make sure you type my name (Sarah Connelly) in the "Team Member's Name" box. Then fill in the rest of the information that is needed and click on Donate. You will then receive your tax deductible receipt in your email. Make sure you hold on to this email for your tax purposes. If you would like to mail in a check, you can do so. I would suggest if you want to mail in a check and would like to participate in this give-a-way you mail it in toward the beginning of the time frame to ensure the check arrives in time. Make all checks payable to Mocha Club. Send donations to: 963 Missions Attn: Mocha Club 12160 N. Abrams Rd. Suite 320 Dallas, TX 75243 Make sure to include a giving note with your check. This note will simply state the following: Sarah Connelly Ethiopia One Month Trip.
I will be getting financial updates about every week or two with a list of donations and donors. From this list I will look for this time frame (today through January 31st) to get the names all those who meet the giving requirements for this give-a-way ($15 for each entry). Once I have this list, the drawing will be done for the gift card. All the names will be placed in a brown paper bag and I will pick one name out. This person will win the gift card. The gift card will then be mail out the next day or given to the person the next time I see them whatever the case maybe.
Remember ALL donations through Mocha Club are tax deductible. Also if you do not want to mail checks in, you can give me checks made out to Mocha Club if you would still like to receive the tax deduction and I will be glad to mail them in. I ask everyone to please post on their Facebook page, their blog, or where ever else they post. Spread the word about this. I want this give-a-way to be success! I have $3,150 left to go! Let's see what cane be done with this give-a-way. Let's see how much money can be raised!
I thank you all for all of your support. Above everything else I need your prayers for my trip especially now for this fundraiser. Pray God uses this fundraiser to bring in the funds I need to get to Ethiopia. I will be posting more information in a few days about what the trip itself will entail. And about what I will be doing once I am in Ethiopia. I'm sure this will help some of you who are thinking about giving, but want to know more information before doing so.
All donations will be made the usual way through Mocha Club. You can donate online through this link. Make sure you type my name (Sarah Connelly) in the "Team Member's Name" box. Then fill in the rest of the information that is needed and click on Donate. You will then receive your tax deductible receipt in your email. Make sure you hold on to this email for your tax purposes. If you would like to mail in a check, you can do so. I would suggest if you want to mail in a check and would like to participate in this give-a-way you mail it in toward the beginning of the time frame to ensure the check arrives in time. Make all checks payable to Mocha Club. Send donations to: 963 Missions Attn: Mocha Club 12160 N. Abrams Rd. Suite 320 Dallas, TX 75243 Make sure to include a giving note with your check. This note will simply state the following: Sarah Connelly Ethiopia One Month Trip.
I will be getting financial updates about every week or two with a list of donations and donors. From this list I will look for this time frame (today through January 31st) to get the names all those who meet the giving requirements for this give-a-way ($15 for each entry). Once I have this list, the drawing will be done for the gift card. All the names will be placed in a brown paper bag and I will pick one name out. This person will win the gift card. The gift card will then be mail out the next day or given to the person the next time I see them whatever the case maybe.
Remember ALL donations through Mocha Club are tax deductible. Also if you do not want to mail checks in, you can give me checks made out to Mocha Club if you would still like to receive the tax deduction and I will be glad to mail them in. I ask everyone to please post on their Facebook page, their blog, or where ever else they post. Spread the word about this. I want this give-a-way to be success! I have $3,150 left to go! Let's see what cane be done with this give-a-way. Let's see how much money can be raised!
I thank you all for all of your support. Above everything else I need your prayers for my trip especially now for this fundraiser. Pray God uses this fundraiser to bring in the funds I need to get to Ethiopia. I will be posting more information in a few days about what the trip itself will entail. And about what I will be doing once I am in Ethiopia. I'm sure this will help some of you who are thinking about giving, but want to know more information before doing so.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Update On My Ethiopia Trip
Just a quick post today as I am completely exhausted and it's already late. As far as I know, I have $3,375 left to go!! I haven't gotten a financial update yet because the guy who is in charge of that (how professional is that? lol I'm sure there is a title for him that is more professional sounding, but it's late and I'm tired so I can't think. lol) is on his honeymoon so that total reflects what I am aware of was given. That means if 335 people give $10, I reach my goal. If 224 people give $15, I'm there. If 168 people give $20, I make it. If 134 people give $25 I get there. If 67 people give $50, I reach it. If 45 people give $75, I'll be there. And if 34 people give $100, I've got it. Will you be one of those people? Will you be one of the 335? How about the 168? Or the 34?
Remember all donations are tax deductible. You can go to Mocha Club and give a donation online. Make sure you put my name (Sarah Connelly) in the trip member's spot. After putting in all the pertinent information click donate. You will then get a receipt emailed to you. Hold on to this email as this will serve as your tax deductible receipt. You can also mail in a check. Make all checks payable to Mocha Club. Send to 963 Missions Attn: Mocha Club 12160 N. Abrams Rd. Suite 320 Dallas, TX. 75243. Make sure you include a note stating my name and trip information, i.e., Sarah Connelly One Month Ethiopia Trip.
If you are thinking about donating to my trip, but want to wait for whatever reason that is fine and I thank you for wanting to donate. I do want to let you know, though, I do have due dates I need to meet. Once I get definite due dates (the exact dates, i.e., February 5th or March 1st.) I will make a blog post. I'm not pressuring anyone into giving sooner than they feel comfortable with. I completely understand needing to wait for financial reasons or whatever the case maybe I just want to let you all know.
I did get some great news from my doctor the other day. I don't know how many of you know about the car accident I was in over a year ago. I think most of you know, but I'm not sure how many people read my blog. [Or who actually find it interesting enough to read! :)] I had a follow up with my neurosurgeon this past Monday from my neck surgery (cervical spine fusion). I was telling him that I was going to Africa in June, but I was a little concerned with the timing because I still have to get the lower back surgery. He told me not to worry that we still have plenty of time and that I will be fine by the time I leave. He gave me the ok to go on the trip and said the surgery will be taken care of and I will be fine by the time I'm ready to go. That's all I needed to know. I mean I knew that already. I guess I just needed to hear the doctor say it and give me the reassurance. I guess it just made me feel better having the doctor say it. Even though it is something God told me about 5 months ago. I'm completely at ease now with the surgery and everything medical. I'm so looking forward to my trip and just concentrating on fund raising 100% knowing I have nothing to worry about surgery wise.
And speaking of fund raising....stay tuned. I have my first fund raiser coming up next week! But by all means don't wait until then to give. If you feel led to give now, please give now. ;) But I think it's a pretty cool fund raiser, but I can't take all the credit for it. I have seen some of my awesome friends use it before for some of their fund raisers and it has worked well for them I decided to steal the idea. :) I think I will start it Monday, but we'll see. Stay tuned for that.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Have a blessed Sunday! Thank you so much for supporting me and my continuing adventures in Ethiopia. And as always I ask for your prayers for my trip above and beyond everything else!
Remember all donations are tax deductible. You can go to Mocha Club and give a donation online. Make sure you put my name (Sarah Connelly) in the trip member's spot. After putting in all the pertinent information click donate. You will then get a receipt emailed to you. Hold on to this email as this will serve as your tax deductible receipt. You can also mail in a check. Make all checks payable to Mocha Club. Send to 963 Missions Attn: Mocha Club 12160 N. Abrams Rd. Suite 320 Dallas, TX. 75243. Make sure you include a note stating my name and trip information, i.e., Sarah Connelly One Month Ethiopia Trip.
If you are thinking about donating to my trip, but want to wait for whatever reason that is fine and I thank you for wanting to donate. I do want to let you know, though, I do have due dates I need to meet. Once I get definite due dates (the exact dates, i.e., February 5th or March 1st.) I will make a blog post. I'm not pressuring anyone into giving sooner than they feel comfortable with. I completely understand needing to wait for financial reasons or whatever the case maybe I just want to let you all know.
I did get some great news from my doctor the other day. I don't know how many of you know about the car accident I was in over a year ago. I think most of you know, but I'm not sure how many people read my blog. [Or who actually find it interesting enough to read! :)] I had a follow up with my neurosurgeon this past Monday from my neck surgery (cervical spine fusion). I was telling him that I was going to Africa in June, but I was a little concerned with the timing because I still have to get the lower back surgery. He told me not to worry that we still have plenty of time and that I will be fine by the time I leave. He gave me the ok to go on the trip and said the surgery will be taken care of and I will be fine by the time I'm ready to go. That's all I needed to know. I mean I knew that already. I guess I just needed to hear the doctor say it and give me the reassurance. I guess it just made me feel better having the doctor say it. Even though it is something God told me about 5 months ago. I'm completely at ease now with the surgery and everything medical. I'm so looking forward to my trip and just concentrating on fund raising 100% knowing I have nothing to worry about surgery wise.
And speaking of fund raising....stay tuned. I have my first fund raiser coming up next week! But by all means don't wait until then to give. If you feel led to give now, please give now. ;) But I think it's a pretty cool fund raiser, but I can't take all the credit for it. I have seen some of my awesome friends use it before for some of their fund raisers and it has worked well for them I decided to steal the idea. :) I think I will start it Monday, but we'll see. Stay tuned for that.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Have a blessed Sunday! Thank you so much for supporting me and my continuing adventures in Ethiopia. And as always I ask for your prayers for my trip above and beyond everything else!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Fund Raising Ideas!
I have many ideas flowing through my mind of how to fund raise for my up coming trip to Ethiopia. I have to raise $3,750 for my trip so I have a ways to go. I'm coming up with some ideas for some give-a-ways so some of you will get something while I am raising money for my trip. Be on the look out for those! I'm getting everything together to start up with those give-a-ways so that should all be soon. In the mean time, if you would like to give a tax deductible donation you can do so either online or by mail. If you would like to give online go to this page on the Mocha Club website. (Make sure it's for the Ethiopia One Month Trip.) In the first box make sure you put in my name spelled correctly: Sarah Connelly. Then fill in the out the rest of the form with how much you would like to donate and your information. You can also mail in a donation. Make all donations payable to Mocha Club and send to 963 Missions Attn: Mocha Club 12160 N. Abrams Rd. Suite 320 Dallas, TX 75243. When sending in a donation by mail, please include a giving note. This note should include my name and the trip I'm going on. So it should say Sarah Connelly One Month Ethiopia Trip.
All donations are tax deductible, but must be sent directly to Mocha Club to get the deduction. Get ready for those give-a-ways because they will start within the next few weeks. But you can start giving now if you'd like! And as always, I could use your prayers for my trip. I need prayers that I can raise all the funds and prayers for the trip itself. Thank you! :)
All donations are tax deductible, but must be sent directly to Mocha Club to get the deduction. Get ready for those give-a-ways because they will start within the next few weeks. But you can start giving now if you'd like! And as always, I could use your prayers for my trip. I need prayers that I can raise all the funds and prayers for the trip itself. Thank you! :)
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Big News and I Need Your Help!
I usually don't tell this news this early, but I do need all your help. I usually do wait a couple of weeks. Get everything settled, get a plan together, get the final word, and let myself revel in the news before I share it with everyone else. But like I said, I need your help. I will first start back a little ways and delay the news for a little bit...I know you are all hating this right now. ;)
About July or August, I started asking God when I would be going back to Ethiopia. I started really feeling a stirring in my heart that I would be going back sooner than I thought. (I made reference to this in an earlier blog post.) He told me June July of 2011. I filled in that gap with an or and decided it was June or July of 2011. So I just held onto that and kept on going. I knew the gaps would be filled in eventually.
As most, if not all, of you know I was in a car accident a year ago. I've had my many ups and downs this past year dealing with insurance and doctor issues. Not to mention disability issues. I have not had any income since September because of many issues with disability. I have appealed this and am still waiting. They have since received all the paperwork they have requested and are in process of reviewing my appeal. I should hear something by Christmas Eve. Having the appeal go in my favor would be an amazing Christmas present.
On my last two trips to Ethiopia, I have always applied (if you have never gone on a missions trip, applying to go on one will sound weird to you) and paid the deposit right away out of pocket. I have then fund raised the rest of the money. This is typical protocol for mission trips--you fund raise! (Unless you are blessed enough to pay for it completely out of pocket. Which is wonderful!)
I have felt more lately (the past 2 months or so) that God had been leading me towards going back to Ethiopia with the organization I went with in July 2008 on my first trip. This organization is Mocha Club. They are an amazing organization! If you don't know about them please educate yourself. They do amazing work not only in Ethiopia, but throughout Africa. They have done mission trips to Ethiopia every year since 2008 and I knew the dates for summer 2011 would be coming out any day now. I was anxiously awaiting the email. And that email came yesterday!
More on that in a minute. I know, I know. You just want me to get to the point! :) I got the first of 2 surgeries I needed because of the car accident a little more than a month ago. It has been a pretty rough recovery and I had some unforeseeable complications. The doctors have had their concerns and they didn't want me (and still don't want me) to leave the house. The past few days have been good. I'm feeling a lot better than I was even 3 days ago. I'm still not 100%, but I'm getting there. I see my 2 surgeons on the 28th and am hoping to get the all clear to leave the house. I will then get my 2nd surgery as soon as my surgeons say it's ok. It will sometime in February. Then it is just a 3 month recovery after that which will bring me to May.
I know I've stalled long enough so I guess I will just get to it. Remember when I said before God said I would be going back June July 2011. Then I filled in an or for it to be June or July 2011. Yeah. Don't fill in gaps that don't need to be filled in. He meant exactly what He said. June July 2011. I filled out my application yesterday to go back to Ethiopia with Mocha Club for June 21-July 17, 2011. I filled out my application online and like I said I would have paid for my deposit out of pocket right away. They actually wanted me to pay my deposit right away. This time around I have to fund rise every penny of my trip. So I have to start fund raising ASAP to get my deposit in. The total cost of this trip is $3, 750. The deposit that I have to get paid right away is $400.
All donations must be made through Mocha Club. Mocha Club is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization so ALL donations are tax deductible. You can donate online at www.mochaclub.org/africa-trips then click on the icon to "Make a Donation" on the One Month trip to Ethiopia (bottom of page). Then fill out the page will the necessary information. Make sure you put my name in "Trip Member's Name". Make sure you spell my name right so it counts towards me.
You can also send in check made payable to Mocha Club. Send the check to: 963 Missons Attn: Mocha Club 12160 N. Abrams Rd. Suite 320 Dallas, TX 75243 Please include a note with your check with my name and One Month Ethiopia Trip on it.
As much as I need my trip fully funded, I need prayer most of all. I need prayer that physically I will feel strong enough to get to Ethiopia. God has already told me I will be fully recovered and feeling great before I get there. I need prayer to be fully funded and that my deposit can get paid. And most importantly pray for those in Ethiopia. My heart is in that country. February will mark 2 years since I have last been there and I miss being there so much. Ethiopia is a beautiful country full of beautiful people.
If you feel led to give, thank you very much. I appreciate it more than you know. I am completely humbled that God has chosen me to go back to Ethiopia again. And I am completely humbled that you would pray and/or give that I can go back to Ethiopia.
About July or August, I started asking God when I would be going back to Ethiopia. I started really feeling a stirring in my heart that I would be going back sooner than I thought. (I made reference to this in an earlier blog post.) He told me June July of 2011. I filled in that gap with an or and decided it was June or July of 2011. So I just held onto that and kept on going. I knew the gaps would be filled in eventually.
As most, if not all, of you know I was in a car accident a year ago. I've had my many ups and downs this past year dealing with insurance and doctor issues. Not to mention disability issues. I have not had any income since September because of many issues with disability. I have appealed this and am still waiting. They have since received all the paperwork they have requested and are in process of reviewing my appeal. I should hear something by Christmas Eve. Having the appeal go in my favor would be an amazing Christmas present.
On my last two trips to Ethiopia, I have always applied (if you have never gone on a missions trip, applying to go on one will sound weird to you) and paid the deposit right away out of pocket. I have then fund raised the rest of the money. This is typical protocol for mission trips--you fund raise! (Unless you are blessed enough to pay for it completely out of pocket. Which is wonderful!)
I have felt more lately (the past 2 months or so) that God had been leading me towards going back to Ethiopia with the organization I went with in July 2008 on my first trip. This organization is Mocha Club. They are an amazing organization! If you don't know about them please educate yourself. They do amazing work not only in Ethiopia, but throughout Africa. They have done mission trips to Ethiopia every year since 2008 and I knew the dates for summer 2011 would be coming out any day now. I was anxiously awaiting the email. And that email came yesterday!
More on that in a minute. I know, I know. You just want me to get to the point! :) I got the first of 2 surgeries I needed because of the car accident a little more than a month ago. It has been a pretty rough recovery and I had some unforeseeable complications. The doctors have had their concerns and they didn't want me (and still don't want me) to leave the house. The past few days have been good. I'm feeling a lot better than I was even 3 days ago. I'm still not 100%, but I'm getting there. I see my 2 surgeons on the 28th and am hoping to get the all clear to leave the house. I will then get my 2nd surgery as soon as my surgeons say it's ok. It will sometime in February. Then it is just a 3 month recovery after that which will bring me to May.
I know I've stalled long enough so I guess I will just get to it. Remember when I said before God said I would be going back June July 2011. Then I filled in an or for it to be June or July 2011. Yeah. Don't fill in gaps that don't need to be filled in. He meant exactly what He said. June July 2011. I filled out my application yesterday to go back to Ethiopia with Mocha Club for June 21-July 17, 2011. I filled out my application online and like I said I would have paid for my deposit out of pocket right away. They actually wanted me to pay my deposit right away. This time around I have to fund rise every penny of my trip. So I have to start fund raising ASAP to get my deposit in. The total cost of this trip is $3, 750. The deposit that I have to get paid right away is $400.
All donations must be made through Mocha Club. Mocha Club is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization so ALL donations are tax deductible. You can donate online at www.mochaclub.org/africa-trips then click on the icon to "Make a Donation" on the One Month trip to Ethiopia (bottom of page). Then fill out the page will the necessary information. Make sure you put my name in "Trip Member's Name". Make sure you spell my name right so it counts towards me.
You can also send in check made payable to Mocha Club. Send the check to: 963 Missons Attn: Mocha Club 12160 N. Abrams Rd. Suite 320 Dallas, TX 75243 Please include a note with your check with my name and One Month Ethiopia Trip on it.
As much as I need my trip fully funded, I need prayer most of all. I need prayer that physically I will feel strong enough to get to Ethiopia. God has already told me I will be fully recovered and feeling great before I get there. I need prayer to be fully funded and that my deposit can get paid. And most importantly pray for those in Ethiopia. My heart is in that country. February will mark 2 years since I have last been there and I miss being there so much. Ethiopia is a beautiful country full of beautiful people.
If you feel led to give, thank you very much. I appreciate it more than you know. I am completely humbled that God has chosen me to go back to Ethiopia again. And I am completely humbled that you would pray and/or give that I can go back to Ethiopia.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Enter to Win Some Handmade Ugandan Necklaces
Please take a few minutes and head on over to my friend Christie's blog Compass In My Heart to enter for a chance to win a handmade Ugandan necklace. Christie is about to leave to go back to Uganda to do the Lord's work and before she leaves she is giving away 3 beautiful necklaces. She please take a few minutes to check it out and enter for your chance to win. And while you are there read up on her blog posts to find out what she is all about and what she will be doing while she is in Uganda. And also while you are there consider sponsoring a child or two.
Thanks! :)
Thanks! :)
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Plans Are Tweaking
I love when God gives you a plan, but then He tweaks it along the way. The end result will resemble the first word He gave you, but it is better than you ever thought at the beginning. I will still be moving to Nashville, but it seems for something I didn't know He was leading me towards a few months ago. I found a graduate program at a university in Nashville that seems to be what He is sending me down there for. More info on that at a later time.
It also seems the June 30th date will be pushed back a bit as He is leading me towards going back to Ethiopia again. This I have felt for a while. This February will be 2 years since I left Ethiopia and I have been wondering and praying about when I will be going back. I have felt this almost nudge that it would be sooner than I had thought. He told me a while ago that once I am healthy (I have to get 2 surgeries) things will start happening quickly for me. I didn't realize how quickly. I know He wants to send me back to Ethiopia this summer! How awesome is that?! I don't know the exact dates I will be going back, but probably sometime in either June or July.
I am so excited for what He has in store for me. I have had a lot of people tell me over the years (since my first trip to Ethiopia) that what I am doing is wonderful and I am doing great things for these people. Honestly, it's not me. It's God. There is nothing in our human nature to want to do anything like this. It is God's spirit in us that make us want to do things like this. It would be so easy for me to sit and watch all these things happen and not do anything. It is only because of Him I do this. It is my obedience to Him that I do any of this.
I love the people of Ethiopia and I cannot wait to see their beautiful faces again. I cannot wait to just sit with the kids and just be with them and love on them. I cannot wait to be in the most beautiful country on the planet (I may be a bit biased, but hey aren't we all? lol). I cannot wait to be in the place I feel most myself in the world. I cannot wait to be in the place I feel most at home.
And these plans are continually being tweaked. I cannot wait to see what they will fully turn out to be. I just want to continue to be obedient to Him and be a part of everything He has planned for me. During this time of my surgeries and recovery, He is preparing me for what He has planned next for me. I know I will be hitting the ground running once this (the surgeries, recovery time) is all over. I know that may sound strange to some people or even look weird to some people that I will be doing one thing and then going down to Nashville for graduate school. But He has been preparing me for this all along. It is just on a whim I am deciding to do all of this. He has been preparing me, He is the one making the plans He is the once I am being obedient to. This has nothing to do with me. It's all about Him. I don't care if people think it's strange, or weird, or what they think. All that matters is I am being obedient to Him.
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