President Ellen J. Sirleaf Talks on Education

Stratford Elementary Hat Day

Hats off to Ingrid, one of the fifth graders (who happens to be my niece) who is organizing this HAT DAY fundraiser.  A note went home with elementary students this week.  Bring $1 to school on May 12 and you can wear your favorite hat all day.

I will let you know how it turns out.  Thanks goes out to Ingrid Bender who is a mighty force (even at 11 years old) for Liberia's kids!

Garage Sale for Liberia

Friday and Saturday we held a garage sale to benefit the Liberian Literacy Program.  It was a success and we sold just about everything we had.  The remaining clothes and small things will now go to a consignment store to be sold.

Even the REALLY, REALLY, OLD, OUTDATED items sold!  (Like the brass end table with glass top)

In the end we sold $220.00 for Liberia!  Not bad, considering we sold most items at 25-50 cents!  Time to change the thermometer again.  :)

Six More Kids Making a Difference!

I wanted to post 6 more amazing kids who have decided to sponsor Christian for his next year of school. These kids have a heart for helping. J and G are from Liberia too so this project is close at heart for them. It is a joy seeing children/families give back to the culture their children are from. The children in Liberia get especially excited to have relationships with other children through pictures, letter writing and sometimes through actual trips to Liberia.

Here is Christian.  He will be finding out that he has a sponsor family for his schooling for this next fall.  He will also be getting pictures and letters from his sponsoring family.  I wish I could see his face when he receives that!  Donna will be traveling to Liberia soon and will be bringing back letters from the children for their families here.  If you want to be a part of sponsoring one of these kids, it's not too late!  We still have 3 children on the sponsorship page that are from Light Stream Academy, which means that their tuition is only 25.00!!  Take a peek and help us send them back to school in the fall.  And, then click over here and enjoy the Basten family blog and be blessed!

Happy Mother's Day!

My 12 year old couldn't wait to share her Mother's Day card with me. She wanted something special and from the heart. Here is the front:

and check out what she put together for the inside. LOVE!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Three new Light Stream Students are on the Sponsor A Child page.  Their tuition is only $25.00 for the year.  Could you be there sponsor this year?

His Hands, His Feet Blog Post

Walk With Us!?

I recently learned of an organization called Walk Alongside Liberian Kids (WALK).  They have a sponsorship program in Liberia where, for $25 a year, you can send a Liberian child to school (tuition).  There are additional schools which cost a little more as well  (this particular school is backed by a church which helps with books, uniform, etc).


$25
A. 
YEAR.


Americans spend that much on a pair of jeans, shoes, or a meal out.  Stuff that is 'gone' in 6 months or even 20 minutes!


So... we decided to sponsor SIX KIDS and send them to school!  Which, having been to Liberia myself, know that that's their only way out of poverty. Ben recently got a profit sharing check (first time ever in 9 years with this company) and so after we tithed off it it, we contemplated what to do with the rest after putting some in savings.  Our heads said, "we need a vacation of some sort so bad!" (it's been 2 years!) ... but our hearts said, "you need to invest in others with it"... so... that's what we did!


An education for six kids who otherwise wouldn't have one! 
Three boys and three girls!


We decided on the number "6" because our oldest six kids are able to write and draw pictures.  You see, this program is unique in that fact that not only can you send a child to school- but you have the opportunity to form a *relationship* with your sponsored child!


We are all about relationships in this family!


Our six kids will be able to write letters and draw pictures to their corresponding friend in Liberia!  They will also receive pictures, updates and report cards on their new buddy!  The amount of pictures and info they sent us about each child was quite impressive for Liberia!  lol!  The letters are hand delivered by team members and so that will be fun as well to hear about their reactions :).


So not only will these six kids be able to go to school, but the blessing is a two-way one.  Our children will learn greater compassion and develop a relationship with another child on the other side of the world.  They will see first hand what is "a little bit of money" to us in the U.S. ($25), can do on the other side of the world. As adoptive parents, this is also a great way to bring two of our kid's birth countries into their lives in a positive/life changing way (you know... social workers always ask you that question!  lol!).  We are excited to see what fruit this brings that we can't even anticipate yet!


So... will you WALK WITH US? 


Click here to check out the program and pray about how many kids you will sponsor?
http://walkalongsideliberiaskids.blogspot.com/


Attached are a few of the kids whose lives our kids are investing in ... we invite you to do the same!



fatumattu and bintu (twins!)



Samuel