Excerpt
ANGEL MISSION FOR KIDS
Faith based in Huntingburg, Indiana
For the past eleven years my past time has been giving to those who are in need due to poverty, crisis, disasters.
In 2005 I was called to do missionary work on an Indian reservation. I was ready to go, with my suitcase packed full of Ty Beanie Babies, when I injured my leg. Sadly, I had to cancel my mission trip. An email from the Indian Reservation arrived. It said, Keep the faith, it appears the Lord has other things in mind for you!
In May 2005 I opened my past time to the public, and named it after the cancelled mission trip. Angel Mission for Kids was born. My first goal was to collect 100 30-gal. trash bags filled items for those in need. In seven months I had exceeded the original goal and had filled 624 30-gal. bags. These trash bags were filled with toys, books, clothes, coats, shoes, school supplies, infant items, homemade lap blankets, and many other items.
325 of these bags went to the Appalachian Mountains, Indian Reservation, Haiti, Sudan, two tornados, Hurricane Katrina, Ronald McDonald House, and Angel House/Galilean Childrens Home, which is nestled in the rolling hills of Casey County , Kentucky.
Locally, 299 30-gal. trash bags went to help 73 local children, Crisis Connection, 4 local fires, 5 nursing homes, Matrix, Headstart, Koatz for Kidz, and people in dire need.
As the trash bag goal multiplied from 100 to 624, the coincidences also multiplied from 1 to 3 per day. In November 2005, I was inspired by God to write this book Angel Mission Coincidences Inspired by God because of the rise in these coincidences. Having no desire ever to write a book, I let God guide my heart, hand, and head.
Four hours into writing this book I found out that my Great Uncle, on my mothers side, Father Augustine Edele, O.S.B. was on an Indian Reservation for 25 years in South Dakota. He improved and replaced obsolete buildings and kept a school in operation. The Indian people called him Ticage Waste, meaning good builder. I knew that on my fathers side my Aunt, Sister Mary Hilary Fehribach O.S.B., was a cook on the reservation in North Dakota for six years. I had planned to travel to Arizona to an Indian Reservation to do some mission work. I was forced to cancel the trip when I injured my leg. The email from the reservation came and I felt inspired by God to start Angel Mission For Kids.
Six hours into writing this book a national award comes. Rockports The Difference Inside award was two all expenses paid trips to New York. The first included a makeover, interviews, luncheon, and a photo shoot for Self Magazines April 2006 issue.
Fifteen hours into writing this book comes a call from USA Weekend. Over three million volunteers participated in Make A Difference Day, October 22, 2005. Angel Mission for Kids was one project. Make a Difference Day was set up in 1990 to encourage Americans to volunteer in their communities. This annual event takes place on the fourth Saturday of October. The ten national awardees, along with 500 plus honorable mentions will be announced in the April 2006 issue of USA Weekend magazine.
The nature of Angel Mission for Kids means most of the donors and recipients are anonymous. Yard sales, garage sales and a collection box at church are the main sources of collecting gently used items in good, clean condition.
Thank yous for the mission work come from Gods little miracles, coincidences. My little miracles are what keep me going. It is Gods way of saying: Thank you, whatever you need at the exact time you need it, I will put in you hands. We speak to God in prayer, through coincidences God speaks to us.
Examples of these coincidences are the first four fires. I found clothes, toy firemans hats, fire trucks and a stuffed Dalmatian firedog. Then when the four calls about local families left homeless by house fires came, I had the toy fireman items and the exact sizes of clothing that the families needed.
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