$35 to change a Life

Everyday I am amazed at how much God has blessed me. I have a good life and a great family and a fabulous husband and so much more. I don't want {well I should say I don't NEED for anything-want is totally different} for anything. I'm able to help those when needed and I'm able to bless the way I've been blessed.

{Side note: I don't live in luxury. I have a two-bedroom duplex with hammy down furniture, an old laptop, hardly any decorations and one car. But I have everything I NEED.}

I'm not striving to be rich to buy stuff but to bless others. To GIVE it away. There are soooo many amazing organizations doing awesome things in this world and I so wish I could support them ALL! One organization I'm currently supporting is World Vision. I can't speak highly enough of them. I sponsor two children. A boy from Malawi and a girl from Armenia. For only $35/month {for each child} I am helping to provide them with an education, food, a roof over their head, community development, clean water access, health training and services and so much more. Not only are the children being helped but so are their families and community. Some organizations only focus on the children, which is their choice, but I love that WV looks at everyone around the child as well.

Right now there are 29,300 children sponsored in Malawi! That is amazing, however there are still 1,826 still waiting for someone to show them love and compassion and kindness. Malawi's income per person, per year is $313-USA $41,400. I make more than that in a week! The average life expectancy is 54 years compared to the US of 78 years. We have 100% access to clean water, they have 80%. Infant mortality is 7/1000 here-Malawi not so good, 110/1000.

I believe in child sponsorship with all my <3. It makes such a huge impact in a child's life and can change the world not only for one but for many. $35 is one missed dinner out for the family or not buying a pair of shoes or one less coffee a week. It really, truly does not take much to show you care.

World Vision has a fabulous way to see each individual country and their stats. You can also compare their stats, like I did with Malawi to the USA. It's called My World Vision and it will also let you know what they are doing in the country and specific communities. Check it out!

Severe Drought

I know I haven't been on his blog very much anymore (really at all). I've been catching up on my reading and learning more about life in Africa. I recently read Ishmael Beah's book, A Long Way Gone-Memoirs of a Child Soldier. And another one about the Rwanda genocide that killed millions of Tutsis. And I'm currently reading one about a girl who was a child soldier is Uganda. I'm trying to learn as much as a can so I know how to help and to bring awareness to how difficult and troubling their lives are in Africa. Please check out my other blog A Compassionate Heart, Reaching Out. This is where my heart is right now. I'm not writing as much as I'd like but give me time. I will be.

Please check out my post today about the severe drought in the Horn of Africa. Nearly 13 million people are severely affected and need OUR help desperately. I donated to World Vision, would you please consider helping as well? Your gift will multiply 5X's! So even if you only donate $50, $250 is actually going over to Africa to help! Every little bit helps and makes a difference. Especially when many help=) One drop in a bucket won't fill it but thousands of drops will!

Happy Birthday

Today is Hripsime's 6th birthday! Who's Hripsime? She's the little girl we are sponsoring from Armenia through World Vision. Growing up I always had birthday parties with plenty of presents and friends and family to celebrate with. Today I'm praying Hripsime has the same. 


Please consider sponsoring a child through World Vision (or Compassion International, however I'm not very familiar with them) and give a child who has nothing, hope and a future.


Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version) ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.


With your monthly donation you are providing that child with an education, medical help, food and clean water, and a knowing that someone far away loves her and cares about her. 

James 1:27 (New International Version) 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.

Jeremiah 49:11 Leave your orphans; I will protect their lives. Your widows too can trust in me.

For those of us who are believers we have God's amazing love living inside us which means we have the capacity to love a great deal and to care about those that God cares about. There is such joy in helping a child receive the things that we receive in the U.S. without a second thought. You will forever change a child's life, their families life and the community. 

Check out the website for more information:

http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/sponsor/learn-about-sponsorship?Open&lpos=lft_txt_Learn-About-Sponsorship

Desires of my Heart

‎"As far as I am concerned, the greatest suffering is to feel alone, unwanted, unloved. The greatest suffering is also having no one, forgetting what an intimate, truly human relationship is, not knowing what it means to be loved, and not having a family or 
friends" 
 (This speaks to me so much. It breaks my heart to think of someone feeling this way. What a horrible feeling. That feeling is one reason I help those less fortunate and why I care so much)


‎"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." Amen!

"It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving."

"If you can't feed a hundred people, feed just one."

"At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in." 
  -Mother Teresa-


In 2007 when I was home from the Mississippi River, I decided to sponsor a child through World Vision. Who knew that day my life would change for the better! Those three weeks home were life changing for me. "how?" you ask? Well my grandpa died (God granted me such wonderful peace during that difficult time) and a friends mom died and I decided I wanted to know more about God (I'd always believed and prayed but I didn't have a relationship with him). I wanted to read the bible and read any books I could get a hold of. While I was home I also asked God to help me find the perfect husband. I was tired of wasting my time with the wrong ones but was in no hurry to marry. When I came back to the boat on the Mississippi I found my future husband, Nathan. No more losers. 


When I sponsored my first child, Issac in 2007 that was the beginning of my passion for Africa. Last night when I was in bed I remembered when I decided to sponsor a child and when I remembered it was at the same time I truly began a relationship with God, it amazed me. I'm not sure if I'm being very clear......? When I was home for those three weeks I was just beginning my walk with God but God had already planned for me to have a heart for Africa and its people. I didn't know it at the time but my love, compassion and concern for that country would grow fiercely over the next 3 1/2 years.


Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be-Matthew 6:21 This verse came to mind yesterday. I've always been an excellent spender of money but since I've become closer to Jesus, my desires are different. Yesterday I was looking for shirts to support Japan and I donated to World Vision to help Japan during this difficult time. The other day I put a bid in on a silent auction for a family adopting from Africa. I'm still looking for shirts that support adopting orphans all over the world or shirts supporting Africa and clean water. I don't want to sit by and do nothing. But the reason I feel this way is because of GOD! He gave me this heart. He gave me this burden. It is on my heart and I HAVE to help. 


I've always said in my blog that I was blessed and fortunate. I have nothing to complain about. So when I see other's suffering and going through difficulties like Japan, I can't help but have my heart broken. Imagining what they are facing. Some have gone without food, water or shelter for 4 days! Wow! I've never been in that situation. There was an article and a picture of a woman and the caption said she was trying to find her husband. Can you imagine the fear, hopelessness, concern she was feeling? It brought me to tears. I can put myself in her shoes and think "What if that was me?" And it's not just Japan. I would help any country in anyway I could. We are ALL God's children. We are ALL special to him. While we are on earth we are His hands and feet. 


I don't expect everyone to have the same passion as me. If so then others would be neglected. God has given us all a heart for something so we can make this world better. Most of my money does go to my passion but I would help anyone who asks. It doesn't matter to me. So when I ask for support/donations for my passion, know that God gave me this heart. I'm doing his will for my life. I don't believe we are here to think "me" or "I." 

HELP! for our neighbors

  -Richard Stearns, President of World Vision U.S.-

If the Japan earthquake and tsunami had happened 100 years ago, most of us would not even be aware that it had happened. Perhaps a telegram would have been sent to the U.S. and perhaps a small story might have appeared in major newspapers, but other than that, it would have had little effect on our consciousness.

So why is today any different? In a word, awareness. The connectedness of our world today brings the trauma and pain of Japan into our living rooms with gut wrenching emotional force. The result is that we cannot turn away. As human beings we are, by nature, empathetic to the suffering of others. But that empathy is not triggered as acutely by sterile “page ten” newspaper articles, as it is by the vivid and shocking images of human suffering bombarding our TVs, computers and iPads, causing even our children to ask what we can do to help. I think that most of us –as we have watched the events unfold in Japan– have thought to ourselves: “What if this had happened to us?”

Last night on our local news in Seattle, a rescue worker was interviewed as he prepared to leave for Japan. He had also deployed last year to Haiti. The reporter asked why he felt compelled to go, and he answered with words that many of us feel: “I just have to respond. The world is a smaller place today. It’s about ‘loving our neighbors as ourselves,’ and it doesn’t matter if they are right here or halfway around the world.” Indeed, it is about “loving our neighbors as ourselves”–the very thing Jesus called “the second greatest commandment.”

Here on the northwest coast of the U.S., we live on the same volcanic, “ring of fire” as Japan, and are vulnerable in the same way to earthquakes. Driving to work this morning over our vital bridges and highways, I thought about what might happen if such an earthquake hit Seattle. I shuddered at the possibility. This really could happen to us, I thought. And if it does, I pray that the rest of the world will also see us as their neighbor. Because we will surely need some friends.

Join me in praying for our neighbors in Japan, that they would find peace and comfort in the days ahead.

http://blog.worldvision.org/disaster-relief/rich-stearns-on-the-japan-quake-and-tsunami/?lpos=ctr_txt_readmore_RichStearnsontheJapanquakeandtsunami

What can YOU do to help? Every little bit helps and makes a difference. We can't do it by ourselves but TOGETHER we can make an impact! 

New Project! Need Help!

Okay I am ready to start my new project and I can't wait!!! On March 5th and 8th (so if you haven't watched them yet, PLEASE do) I posted videos of World Vision and Africa and the caregivers who take care of those infected with AIDS. The videos showed how the kits help those affected. Without these kits the people who are infected would be even more miserable. These caregivers not only help them by keeping them clean and treated but also by their love and compassion. By the touch of another human being. By helping with the children. Their role is vital in the fight against AIDS. 


But the unfortunate thing is the most basic things these caregivers need, they can't obtain! I'm talking about soap, petroleum jelly, gloves, cotton balls, pens, paper, flashlight and batteries, and towels. We take all these things for granted in the U.S. 


By now I'm sure you're asking yourself "How can I help?" Excellent question! World Vision will help us obtain all the supplies and kits for about $28/kit. Then all we have to do with a team of helpers is put these kits together with an encouraging note and off they go to Africa, Asia or Latin America. It's that easy and it makes a huge difference in this world=) Now all I need to start is your donations or time or craftiness or all the above!


Feel free to email me at kellinhobbs@yahoo.com if you're interested in helping in some way or another or have questions. I am going to do some kind of fundraising so any ideas are helpful! To check the info out on World Vision go to: http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/getinvolved/caregiver-kits-church-volunteer-activity?Open&lpos=btn-churchKits

The Need

• Who's in need? 33 million people living with HIV and AIDS
• Where are they? Africa, Asia, and Latin America
• Who's helping them? World Vision-trained volunteer caregivers
• What can you do? Build Caregiver Kits filled with basic supplies!

one kit + 4 refill packs = one caregiver equipped for an entire year

The opportunity

Assembling Caregiver Kits is an effective, hands-on way to:

• Show Christ's unconditional love to those suffering from AIDS
• Equip caregivers with a year's worth of the practical materials they need
• Encourage caregivers to continue caring selflessly for their neighbors
• Draw your church closer together by serving those in need

Out of the Shadows

I was overcome with emotion and tears watching this video! (I couldn't stop crying) From seeing the conditions of the schools and health clinics to the love of the caregivers for those affected by AIDS. 

“Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” —Bob Pierce, World Vision founder My heart was totally broken watching this video. I could understand and feel God's pain and heartache watching his people suffer and knowing that more needs to be done to help. I'm starting a new project soon, just figuring out the details but I did tell my husband about it. One of his responses was "Why don't I help those here in America. There's need here too." And he's totally right but God gave me a heart for Africa. I would LOVE to help EVERYONE but I'm only one person and this one person's heart is for those who are suffering from starvation, lack of clean water, disease, and AIDS. We are all part of a huge puzzle, representing one piece of it. Our one piece is unique with only our talents, gifts, personalities, desires, passions and so on. We all need to come together and put our "piece" to use toward whatever God has given us a heart for. We aren't the same. We won't all share the same passions but obviously that's good since there is need everywhere for everything. The important thing is to DO something! Help, donate, volunteer, give, share, love, care, etc.