HAPPY CHAMPAGNE FRIDAY!Photo courtesy of my friend, the Parisian Contessa, who just returned from Paris and Amsterdam.
Lucky bitch.
And that's the butt-end of about a million bottles of French Champagne.
This cave has my name all over it.
Thank you, Contessa, for the use of a vacation photo. It is truly a significant snap and very apropos for today.
This Friday's toast goes to Mama Virgo and the Immanuel Baptist Church Mission Team for the work they continue to do this weekend in Zambia. On Wednesday, I posted pictures of the school they came upon that needs a roof in order to not only house the students, but to even survive the next rainy season. The school is not part of their original itinerary, which was jammed full as it was. But with a school mostly finished and only awaiting a roof to finally become useful, Mama Virgo and the team saw a need that could not be ignored. They agreed to collect the funds necessary to finish it. That is a $12,000 bill to completely finish a building that the students can use instead of a tent. Some people spend that on a vacation (not any I know of, personally, but some do).
As Neal and I discussed it that evening, with the closing documents of the new house laying to one side of my computer and travel guides to Egypt and Amsterdam laying on the other, we agreed that we could not, in good conscience, book a European vacation or install wainscoting in the new house when there are children in Zambia without a roof on their school.
And last night, when Neal left a half-finished cob of corn on his plate, I echoed many generations of mothers and said "there are starving people in Africa who would want that corn."
To which he said, "no, they just want a roof on their school." True story. Although, they would probably take the corn, too.
After Wednesday's post, I got several responses back from those of you who wanted to give, but felt bad that it wouldn't be a large sum. To that I say, "Sally Struthers feeds and educates a child on $1.25/day. It doesn't take much. It just takes a lot of us." So, thank you to all of you who have sent checks in financial support of Mama Virgo and the IBC team of volunteers! And thank you to those of you who give in other ways, whether it be for breast cancer research, or the cure for AIDS, or an animal shelter. Thank you for giving from your wallet and your heart and your hands. It takes all of us to make this world great. If we each do one small thing, it adds up to many enormous things quickly.
And if it's not Zambia, Krysten over at After I Do has a charity spotlight each week. Read about the organization and if it calls to your heart, click on her "donate" button. It's easier than Sunday Morning.
I'll leave you this weekend with the latest pictures from Mama Virgo. Internet creeps and crawls at best so sending photos is tedious work, but she's eager to show their progress on the school and the children who await it. Cheers to you, IBC Team! You are doing God's work!
The students in their tentschool in Namapande.
Awaiting a roof, but at least the workers are back on the job!
The IBC Team (Mama Virgo takes a knee)
As Neal and I discussed it that evening, with the closing documents of the new house laying to one side of my computer and travel guides to Egypt and Amsterdam laying on the other, we agreed that we could not, in good conscience, book a European vacation or install wainscoting in the new house when there are children in Zambia without a roof on their school.
And last night, when Neal left a half-finished cob of corn on his plate, I echoed many generations of mothers and said "there are starving people in Africa who would want that corn."
To which he said, "no, they just want a roof on their school." True story. Although, they would probably take the corn, too.
After Wednesday's post, I got several responses back from those of you who wanted to give, but felt bad that it wouldn't be a large sum. To that I say, "Sally Struthers feeds and educates a child on $1.25/day. It doesn't take much. It just takes a lot of us." So, thank you to all of you who have sent checks in financial support of Mama Virgo and the IBC team of volunteers! And thank you to those of you who give in other ways, whether it be for breast cancer research, or the cure for AIDS, or an animal shelter. Thank you for giving from your wallet and your heart and your hands. It takes all of us to make this world great. If we each do one small thing, it adds up to many enormous things quickly.
And if it's not Zambia, Krysten over at After I Do has a charity spotlight each week. Read about the organization and if it calls to your heart, click on her "donate" button. It's easier than Sunday Morning.
I'll leave you this weekend with the latest pictures from Mama Virgo. Internet creeps and crawls at best so sending photos is tedious work, but she's eager to show their progress on the school and the children who await it. Cheers to you, IBC Team! You are doing God's work!
The students in their tentschool in Namapande.
Awaiting a roof, but at least the workers are back on the job!
The IBC Team (Mama Virgo takes a knee)
Go Mama!! It's so wonderful what she's doing. It's amazing what a little bit of help can do for those who are less fortunate than we are. I remember at church last fall, a mission group came back from Haiti (before the earthquake, even) and the whole service was dedicated to their stories. One woman got an old pillow case and tshirt and was crying for joy. I think we all think we have to do something BIG to make a difference, but like you said, it doesn't take much, just a lot of us!
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful. And cheers to you for raising awareness on a cause in need of some attention :)
ReplyDeleteLook at those smiley happy faces! Man, those people are so inspiring. This is just a beautiful thing to contribute to!
ReplyDeleteAw this makes my heart warm. Bless your mom and her cohorts for getting the job rolling and seeing it through even if it wasn't on the first line of business. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Champagne Friday to you as well !oxox
Love the idea of Champagne Fridays! (Or Champagne anydays, for that matter ;-) ) Found you via Fumblings Towards Normalcy.
ReplyDeleteAmazing! I set a reminder in my phone to write the check tomorrow (when I'll be near a checkbook)
ReplyDeleteAlso, at trivia (held at a pizza place) the guy wouldn't let me order a small salad even though I said I'd pay the same price for the regular. He said the salad doesnt come in small. I told him there are starving kids in Africa and if he gave me the regular I wouldn't eat it all. His response: they won't want lettuce. Thanks guy, clearly you get my point
Allyson,
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great cause, and I love what you say about considering our own spending in the context of others' needs. Or vice versa. It's great to appreciate what we have, and even better when we share a little of it.
Wonderful post. Fabulous work.
ReplyDelete