Bibles for Kids

I am using my Meniere’s Disease Blog to give THANKS, but this time it’s for way more than just my healing…

Many of you know about the Kings & Queens Project (KQP).  It’s a ministry that my best friend, Summer, and I started with our kids last year.  In 2013 our big project was the Underwear Affair where we collected over 800 pairs of children’s underwear for the Wellspring, a local agency that helps homeless and abused people.

This year many of you contributed to our 2014 goal and I want to give everyone an update on how it all worked out.  But first a little backstory…

For the past few years our family has sponsored children through the local Center for Children & Families Christmas Project.  Being a sponsor merely meant we bought Christmas presents for the underprivileged children in the program.  Each year we participated, we were sure to buy the children we sponsored an age-appropriate bible.

In January this year, we began brainstorming ministry ideas for 2014.   I recalled the testimony our Governor, Bobby Jindal, had given at our church several years ago.  I can’t remember the specifics of his testimony but I seem to remember that as a boy he had a Christian friend.  One day that friend either took him to church where Governor Jindal was given a bible or the friend gave him a bible.  Again, the details are fuzzy, but what I remember Governor Jindal saying is that one day he picked up that bible and began to read it.  Someone had cared enough about Governor Jindal along the way to give him a bible.  And one day, he picked up that bible and today he is a Christian.  It dawned on me that every child needs a bible of his own.  No child should be without one.  We never know the moment that a child or person may need that bible or when he may pick it up, begin reading and his life would be forever changed.

With that in mind, I contacted the man at CASA who organizes the Christmas Project.  I talked to him on January 27 and he told me because they receive state funding, providing bibles could be a problem (you know, the whole church & state separation thing).  On February 19, I talked to him again and he said the CEO was ok with our idea.  He said in 2013, 620 kids were sponsored for the Project.  YIKES!!!!  That’s a LOT of bibles.  So we set our goal of purchasing 600 age-appropriate bibles for kids to receive in December 2014.  We figured we could get the bibles for around $5 each since we were buying in bulk, which put our goal at $3000!

In February we talked to a graphic designer and brainstormed ideas for t-shirts.  We wanted to sell t-shirts that represented KQP as one way to raise money.  In April we finalized the design for our shirts.  We took photographs of our four kids and incorporated their silhouettes into the design, so the shirts hold special meaning for us.  

We also selected a bible verse that we feel represents our calling.

Matthew 25:40

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

We got our first t-shirt order in May.  We made $154 with that order.

In April our neighborhood held its annual garage sale.  Our families, along with Summer’s brother’s family, tagged all of our items and participated in the garage sale, with 100% of the proceeds going towards our bible goal.  We made $772!

Throughout the year, Lydia tenaciously sold rainbow loom bracelets and keychains by sitting out in the front driveway.  She and Emilee (one of Summer’s daughters) sold them the day of the garage sale too.  That little entrepreneur made over $165 in rainbow loom sales by waving down cars in the neighborhood throughout the year!

We placed two more t-shirt orders and with those two made just over $1000.

We also had people make donations throughout the year that totaled just over $250.

In mid-October, the man at CASA sent me the numbers for the 2014 Christmas Project… 590 kids.  Over the next couple of days I ordered bibles for 3 different age categories:

·        Birth – 5 years

·        6 – 10 years

·        11 and older

We needed 197 for the youngest group, 216 for the middle group and 177 for the older kids.  I found the bibles from 3 different vendors and was able to get free shipping on the bibles.  The total cost for the bibles?

$2417.61

Funds we had raised throughout the year?

$2460.50

We made $42.89 OVER what we needed!!!!  I was AMAZED, but then I remembered God was involved and thanksgiving and awe were the right responses.  When we move in faith, God ALWAYS responds – and He ALWAYS exceeds expectations.

 

We also wanted to put stickers in each bible.  Summer created the stickers (one for each age group) and a local print shop offered to produce 600 self-stick labels for us AT NO CHARGE!

Our kids have had a blast putting stickers into each bible.  

We will finish with that this week and will deliver the 20+ cases of bibles that arrived at our house a couple of weeks ago.  

Every kid in the Christmas Project will receive his own bible.  Please pray that one day, each kid will read that bible and make a decision to follow Jesus.

This has been an awesome journey.  It’s been a fun year.  It’s exceeded my expectations in every way.  Thank you to all who supported us.  We are contemplating what KQP will take on in 2015.  Please pray we will know exactly what God wants us to do.  And don’t worry, we’ll be sure and solicit your help.  J