Thankfulness Day 240-244:: Cambodian Purses are Here!

Thankfulness Day 240:Today I am thankful for my church and all the people that go there.  I've never found a church quite like it!

Thankfulness Day 241: This week started off with lots of orders.  I just LOVE doing orders, especially custom ones I've never done before!  God is so good and has really blessed me, for that I'm thankful today.

Thankfulness Day 242: We are still praying about Devin's job.  It's so hard to stay in a temp job and never though if they will value you enough to hire you on.  My heart goes out to him and I pray often that they would see the hard work of his hands.  For now we just have to wait.  I could be frustrated and very unthankful but I am reminded of the year without any job.  So I am very thankful that he has full time employment and I will choose not to worry but trust that God has that greater plan for us.

Thankfulness Day 243: Wordless Wednesday! 

Future Police Officer!  Today I am thankful that the boys got to visit a Fire Station and dream a little.

Thankfulness Day 244: I got a shipment from Cambodia this week.  Purses, wallets, nursing covers, aprons, ornaments, scarfs, headbands, and baby booties made from women/girls rescued from Prostitution and given a new life learning to sew at a Safe House.  What a ministry and what a blessing for these girls.  Most were sold into slavery at a young age from their families or their families were tricked into thinking it was education they were getting but they were wrong.  In His Steps International created this ministry to give these women a new life. I'm helping to sell these purses for them and they are so well made!  I've already picked about 5 favorites!  I'm thankful today to do my part in helping supply the needs of these young women. 

Thankfulness Day 233-236:: Lots of fun things!

Thankfulness Day 233-We had a great day at the Fire Station, pics to come! I am very thankful that my boys got to experience that!

Thankfulness Day 234-We visited a church in Carlsbad as a potential place for Devin to lead worship at.  The people were so friendly and they even did a potluck lunch afterwards!  Gotta love those!  I also found a few
people who LOVE ice cream as much as I do!  Imagine that!  So we talked about all the great flavors of course!
Today I am thankful that we got an opportunity to worship there and meet this congregation!

Thankfulness Day 235-I received an order for Twins!  I love twins and it's so much fun to do two matching outfits but make them each a little unique just like the different personalities of twins! Today I am thankful I got to do a 'Twins' order!

Thankfulness Day 236-I think I get the purse shipment from Cambodia tomorrow!  I will be having a purse party in the next few weeks so stay tuned!  All proceeds go to In His Steps International!

Thankfulness Day 201:: As for me and my house

Below is the latest blog post from In His Steps International, what an amazing thing!

As For Me And My House...

Church should be a gospel-oriented community: a place not only to worship and learn, but to share in the lives of fellow believers and build each other up in Christ. This is a beautiful but also challenging privilege, and we at In His Steps take it seriously. Gospel Community Church Saang has been holding services at our Foundation Center property since July of 2010, and since then there have many significant events in the lives of our congregation. Recently, another milestone was passed as we held our first child dedication service!
The Khmer people have been taught that evil spirits, dead ancestors, and karma are what brings curses or blessings to their families. Frequent sacrifices at temples and ancestor shrines are viewed as a way to take care of yourself and your family. That makes it somewhat radical to dedicate your child to Jesus, a God who requires neither sacrifices nor offerings! But the parents and guardians of 6 young boys and girls chose to break with cultural traditions and entrust their children to God. By dedicating each one to Him, they were declaring their commitment to raising their families according to biblical principles, with the prayers and the support of the Saang community of believers. We are so excited to see what God is going to do in each family as they walk in his steps!
Please join us in praying:

• That God would watch over and care for each child as they grow to know and love him
• That parents in Saang would have wisdom and discernment in the way that they raise their families 
• That unbelievers would see that the true God is more faithful to his children than any carved image or stony relic could ever be

Today I am thankful to hear that families in Cambodia are taking huge steps of faith in Christ!

Thankfulness Day 188:: New Purses to Support Cambodia

The ministry that I'm going to support through Sweet Lily Tutus is In His Steps.  The Women have been rescued from Human Trafficking and brought to a safe location and taught various skills to give them a new life.  One of those skills is sewing and they've made these beautiful purses. 

I'll be having a 'Purse Party' soon to support these beautiful women and this ministry. 

Today I am thankful to be able to help others thousands of miles away.

Thankfulness Day 117:: THE BIG NEWS!

I know you have been waiting around eagerly anticipating the Big News from Sweet Lily Tutus right???

Well wait no more!

We are pairing up In His Steps International to help STOP Child Sex Trafficking in Cambodia!  Sweet Lily Tutus will give 20% of all proceeds to this organization and hopefully we can increase this giving number in time.

Why this organization and why Cambodia?  Years ago I almost went to Cambodia to teach woman how to do hair in rescue shelters once they were rescued from Brothels.  That didn't work out and a few years later I actually got to go to Cambodia for three months , loving on the people there, and staying with the Founders of this organization.  Then a couple of weeks ago I was thinking about giving and a 2 year old girl in an Aids Orphanage came to mind.  I called her Lily.  I hadn't remembered her until now. I loved her!  I held her all the time.  She lost her parents due to Aids probably from her dad going to a prostitute and infecting her mom.  Oh Sweet Lily.

I then broke down into tears.  It was one of those moments where I KNEW God was speaking to me and this is what He wants me to partner with and spread awareness about. The name of this business wasn't by accident.  I knew I needed to pair up with people that I trusted that had the same goal in mind.  And story's like this touched me so deeply:

"At an age when most children might be preparing for their first day of school, Srey, 6, already has undergone trauma that is almost unspeakable.She was sold to a brothel by her parents when she was 5. It is not known how much her family got for Srey, but other girls talk of being sold for $100; one was sold for $10.
Before she was rescued, Srey endured months of abuse at the hands of pimps and sex tourists. Passed from man to man, often drugged to make her compliant, Srey was a commodity at the heart of a massive, multimillion-dollar sex industry in Phnom Penh, Cambodia."

A few statistics:

**77% of Cambodians live on less than US $2 a day

**35% of prostitutes in Cambodia are under the age of 18

**Children as young as four have been sold into the sex industry in Cambodia

**Minors, some as young as seven, constitute more than 25% of the prostitutes    in Cambodia’s sex industry

**The local industry for sexually exploited children is exploding for two reasons: Many Khmer -- and other Asian men -- believe sex with a virgin will renew their vigor and youth, and the fear of contracting HIV is fuelling a demand for younger and younger virgins

**40-50% the prostitutes in Cambodian are HIV positive

**Prostituted girls endure miserable conditions and abuse, including beatings, cramped quarters, inadequate food and sleep, and little to no protection against sexually transmitted diseases

 You can give straight to In His Steps by clicking here

Today I am thankful for awareness and opportunities to save a child's life.