In case I don't get a chance to log on any more today or tomorrow I want to share this prayer that I picked up at the Religious Education Congress this past March. It was given out by Our Sunday Visitor. And I think it is appropriate as we celebrate the Fourth of July.
A Prayer For Our Nation
Gracious and loving God, we come to you in humble prayer for the United States of America.
Bless our President. Give him wisdom and strength to serve the American people and lead our country in ways that are pleasing to you.
Bless our Congress. Instill in them knowledge and understanding to enact laws that protect the sanctity of life -- from the unborn to the elderly; and promote the good of all people.
Bless the people of the United States. Make us aware of our responsibility as citizens to uphold the principles of life, liberty, justice, and equality.
Send your Holy Spirit upon our beloved country. Make us people of faith in time of uncertainty. Make us people of hope in times of trouble. Make us people of compassion with those who are less fortunate. Make us people of peace in our homes, our communities, our country, and our world.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior.
Here is an interesting article on the blessing of big families. Its a short but lovely read, make sure to read the comments on the article - interesting to see people's responses.
Both my husband and I are from big families. My husband is one of 9 and I'm one of 6. Although, we both lost siblings at young ages - so he has 8 siblings living and I have 4.
Still between us we have 27 nieces and nephews and 12 grand nieces and nephews. Now hopefully, we will be able to add to that thru our adoptions.
So I'm new to this whole coupon thing. Well not new to coupons but I finally realized how much more I could have been saving after reading some of the blogs I currently follow.
So I thought I'd share with you what I did these past couple of weeks -- it will be the same as most other couponing blogs - but here goes. I'm only going to show Target and Walgreens because I didn't document the other two stores as much.
Target (6/14-6/20):
Breyers Ice Cream, Klondike Bars, Popsicles $2.50 each - buy 5 get $5 Gift Card
(Had 1 Q for $1 off of Breyers) 5 x 2.50 - $1 Q - $5 GC = 6.50/5 = 1.30 each
Buy 3 boxes of cereal get gallon of milk free
(Had 3 Qs for $1 off + 1 Q for .50 off milk) 3 x 2.75 - 3.50Q = 4.75 for 3 boxes and free milk
Buy1 DiGiorno Pizza, get a 2 liter of Coke free
(Had a $1 Q for Pizza) $5.50 - $1.00 = $4.50 for Pizza and Coke
Buy 1 Kraft Cheese and 1 Deli Fresh Meat Get 1 Deli Fresh Lunch Meat free
(Had a $1 Q for Cheese) $2.79 x 2 - $1 = 4.58 for all 3 items
Buy 2 Archer Farms Tortilla Chips Get a Jar of Salsa free
(Had 2 Qs for $ 0ff chips) $2.33 x 2 - $2 = 2.66 for all 3 items
We are in an all out effort to find ways to cut back on water and electricity.
We got a notice that starting June 1st that the level of water that the water company thinks we should use by 15% and anything over that will be charged double (they base it by the size of your lot). Well we are over slightly the current level so we really need to reduce it.
Secondly, they told us starting July 1st there will be new electric rates. For the area we live in if we use over 500 kilowatt hours every two months we will pay .3 of a cent more per minute and if we go over 1500 we will pay double. We used 800 last month so we will have to pay the .3 of a cent more - which doesn't sound like much but it does add up.
So we decided to put a window in our closet that will give us natural light in the closet and bathroom.
In this picture you can see how our bedroom/bath/closet is configured -- the door to the right is our bedroom and we do have some light coming from there but not enough.
Here is my general contractor (AKA Hubby) making the hole for the window.
As you can see it is not a very big window but it is amazing the amount of light that it gives us, the first day or so I kept thinking the light was on in the closet - now during the day we don't need to turn the lights on and it also gives us circulation that we don't need to use the exhaust fan either.
And the best part of all the window was, wait for it, FREE!!!! My hubby brought it home from work - it was in a storage unit that his boss was having them clean out - it was going to wind up in the trash.
For some time now I wanted to learn to make perogies from scratch. So my mom asked my Aunt Betty (her step-sister) if she had a recipe and it came in the mail two weeks ago. So last weekend we made perrogies.
Here is my mom pealing the potatoes
The potato filling and the dough rolled out so you can see about how much I put in each perogie.
The folded perogies waiting for the pot.
And the finished product - my hubby likes his crispy so that is why they look quite brown - but they were yummy. A few of them came apart but if you see the one at the bottom of the plate that was after I really got down how to close them.
And lastly, the recipe:
Dough:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons sour cream, buttermilk, or plain yogurt
1 cup water (more if required)
butter or oil
salt and pepper
Combine flour, half of the water, eggs, and the sour cream, buttermilk or yogurt in a large bowl. Stir vigorously to incorporate the eggs. (I did mine in my Kitchen Aid mixer - just don't over do it)
Slowly stir in the remaining water until a dough begins to form. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead gently, lifting dough to stretch.
Continue lifting and stretching the dough until the dough is smooth and somewhat sticky inside, about 3 minutes or so. Do not overwork the dough - if it begins to become elastic, allow it to rest 5-10 minutes under an overturned bowl before working with it again.
When the dough has been kneaded enough, wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator to rest 20 minutes, or leave on the counter under an overturned bowl 30 minutes, to allow any gluten which may have developed to rest.
While the dough is resting, you can prepare the filling.
Filling:
3 medium or 2 very large waxy potatoes (baking)
3 T unsalted butter
1-2 T light olive oil (or butter)
1 large onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cabbage, finely shredded
1 small leek, finely minced (optional)
2 T Parmesan or cheddar cheese, grated ( I used cheddar)
Cook the potatoes in their jackets, in a covered heavy pot with barely enough water to cover them in slightly salted water (add about 2 tsp salt to the water). Simmer over low heat until potatoes are fork tender, then remove from heat. (If you can judge when they'll be done, remove from heat 10 minutes in advance and just allow to steam in the pot with the heat turned off).
Allow the potatoes to cool sufficiently to handle, and rub off the skins with a clean towel. Drain the pot you cooked them in, and return the potatoes to the pot and shake them around a bit to dry them.
Put the potatoes through a sieve or a potato ricer if you have one, otherwise, use a masher. Set them aside.
In a skillet, combine butter and oil or butter over medium heat to melt. Saute the garlic, onion, and leek, if you have one, for a few minutes until they begin to take on a translucent color.
Stir in the cabbage, turn the heat to high for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, reduce heat and allow cabbage to begin to brown, 6-8 minutes. Then add the potatoes, cheese, and season to taste. Remove from heat and go on to work with the dough again as the filling cools.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and form it into balls 1 1/2 to 2" in diameter. Roll each out with a rolling pin into a 3-3 1/2" round approximately 1/8 inch in thickness. Cover the ones you've made with a damp paper towel as you work. If you prefer, you can use a KitchenAid pasta roller attachment (or other pasta machine) to roll out the dough circles. Be sure to flour both sides lightly first.
Hold the dough in one hand, and place a round ball of filling or spoonful into the center. Fold in half to enclose the filling, and pinch the edges securely together. Don't allow filling to touch the edges to avoid an imperfect seal. Be sure there are no openings along the edges, or the filling will boil out.
Boil a large pot of salted water as you continue to fill the remaining pierogi until all the ingredients run out. As you work, place a sheet of waxed paper dusted lightly with flour or corn meal over and between the pierogi layers until ready to boil.
Cooking: Gently lower pierogi into rapidly boiling water 3-5 at a time and cook for a few minutes until they float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and continue til all are cooked. Serve fresh with melted butter, or saute in butter until lightly brown on outside.
NOTE: If your pierogi are too doughy, you either rolled the dough circles so they were not thin enough, or if their thickness was correct, they may not have been evenly rolled or cooked sufficiently. The first attempt is not always perfect, but if you note where you could have done better, your next batch will be much improved!
I hope you enjoy them and you will try to make them - so much better than store bought :)
We picked our first picking of Red Beans this past weekend.
The beans with the red blush are ready to pick and those who are still a little green came off in the process.
Below is what we wound up with after shelling.
The first crop that we pick I usually make some fresh bean soup and then the rest of the beans are let go until they dry. The fresh bean soup brings back memories for my hubby so we always have one pot from each crop
Here is a basic recipe for how I make it.
Fresh Bean Soup
Saute garlic, onion, and tomato in a little oil. Once tender add some pieces of pork and saute until browned. (this time I used some pieces of country pork ribs I had, but you can use chops if you like, also pork neck bones work nice). Add water and beans - we eat it as soup so I added about 4 or 6 cups of water for this bit of beans. You can also add any other veggies you think would work (zucchini, potato, carrot). Cook until meat is tender (will vary upon what type of meat you use). Add salt, pepper, and oregano if you desire and enjoy.
Okay, well this was suppose to be for last week but I'm going to post two this week.
Apples had to be the crop of the week this week because we picked so many of them this week. Another two or three weeks and there won't be any left on the tree.
My husband took this next picture - it was one of the casualties - a worm got to it - but he thought it looked like a face on the apple.
So what do we do with so many apples?
First we enjoy them as is, and we also give some away to neighbors, friends, and family members.
Then we like fried apples, baked apples & apple crisps.
Lastly, we make apple butter & apple sauce with them - Yummo! We got 6 pints of apple sauce and 5 pints of apple butter so far.
Here are links to recipes for apple butter and apple sauce from Ball - these are the two we use for those items. We actually halfed the apple sauce recipe.
And here is the recipe I use for fried apples - this brings back so many memories of my aunts and grandmother in Virginia.
Fried Apples
Ingredients:
8 medium Granny Smith apples, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Prep:
Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sauté 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are tender. The key is to not over cook or stir too much - otherwise you'll end up with applesauce
Well last night was our orientation night at the foster to adopt agency we are going to work with. Overall I'd say it went well.
I'm a little nervous about the whole process but as a friend said, if you weren't nervous I'd be worried.
So here is how the process will work:
- We first have to take 21 hours of foster-parenting classes and be certified in CPR & First Aid.
- We also have to do a Live Scan -- to make sure we don't have criminal records -- $40 per person.
- Then we will do the home study -- which will cost $2000 but will be reimbursed by the county upon completion of the adoption.
After that it can take a couple days to a couple months to be matched and placed with a child depending how open we are on our criteria. I think ours is some what open.
So what do we think after the orientation. First of all I think we've changed our mind on the age - they had a family come and talk with us - who signed their adoption papers yesterday actually and we are back to thinking infant again - maybe up to two years old, which is down from 4 years old :) And maybe one child at a time instead of siblings.
Secondly, I like the atmosphere of the adoption agency -- it feels like family. They kept talking about some of their other adoptive families, sounds like they are very involved with the families and helping them through the process. Not like we are just some nameless case. They also are the ones who do the home study so that makes me feel some what better - they really work with you to pass this part.
Now what I'm afraid of -- the idea that reunification with the birth family is the first goal. They do try to tell you up front what they think chances are, but there is no guarantee. The thought of having to have visits with the birth mother, and all. How can you act the way you're suppose to when you really want that child to be yours and not the birth mothers. I think once I'm in the situation of the visits and all it will just happen. I like to think I am a caring person so God willing I am just going to focus on being as caring as I can to the birth mother and pray that God will do what is right. The couple that was there last night told how the first baby they were placed with was taken after a month -- but they said that it just gave them new resolve to adopt. And that they were thankful for the month they spent with the other child.
So what's next. Well we have decided to wait till October to start the foster parenting classes. The agency is about 20 mins from our home and the summer meetings are divided into 7 on Thursday evening from 6:30 to 9:30 which means we don't have time to go home and then go -- so we wind up taking two cars and then we don't get home until almost 10pm. If we wait until October the classes it will be 3 all-day Saturday classes which is much better. And we are going work on the paper work and everything at the same time, so that hopefully we should be certified by beginning of December. This also gives us more time to come up with the $2000 as well as pay off some more of our debt.
So there you have it - as soon as January we could have a child in our home. Please keep us in you prayers.
I know this may not be a post you thought you'd see me write or even if you care about it. And I know there was a lot of controversy surrounding Michael Jackson, but I just want to share with the world what a very very nice man he was. And that I feel saddened by his loss.
I had the pleasure of meeting Michael twice and interacting with him on several other occasions via phone and I want to share that story with my readers.
For over 10 years (late 80's - early 90's) I worked in the hotel industry and I guess I came in contact with over 30 celebrities in that time, and I can count on my one hand the individuals who were nice. I've been yelled at, sworn at, and lots of other things by people whose celebrity had gone to their heads. But this isn't about me or about them, it's about Michael Jackson.
Yes, he was an icon and yes he is one of music's greats. But I really want to give you a glimpse into the humble person that he truly was by sharing a story from one encounter I had with him.
One night I was helping to cover the switchboard during dinner shift and a call came in because someone in a room was trying to reach another room that had a do not disturb on. I politely told the person on the line that there was a do not disturb and they said thank you and we hung up.
Then it dawned on me it was Michael trying to reach his manager. It didn't click at first because Michael was staying under an assumed name. So I called back up to the room, apologized for not realizing it was him and offered to connect him. This is what he said, "no need to apologize, you were only doing your job, and if he has a do not disturb on his phone not even I have a right to bypass it. I will just call him later". I was like Wow!!!!
If that is how he interacted with a stranger then he was a great person in my book. I will never forget that conversation and I hope he rests in peace and maybe some day I'll get a chance to tell him how much that small moment meant to me.
So the thing I ask people to do today is be kind to everyone - even if its the cashier at the grocery store or the telemarketer who calls your house at dinner time.
Sorry I haven't posted in a week or more - did any one miss me? Oh well, life just some times gets in the way. I have a lot of things to post about and I will try and catch up today.
Things are progressing around the homestead, we are picking our first tomatoes and zucchini - and finally the weather is warming up. Can't believe we had such cold weather here in Los Angeles. And they are saying that we are going to have a bad winter - which in many ways I'm glad for because we need the rain - maybe then we will get out of this drought and won't have to pay double water rates if we go over the limit they have assigned us.
I've discovered couponing and I am so thrilled with what I've been doing. I've always used coupons but never really got into the whole idea of really using them and even getting money back until these last two weeks. I will share my finds with you in a seperate update.
Oh and last night we went to our first meeting at the adoption agency and I will share that experience as well.
And I do want to express my saddness over yesterday's passing of Michael Jackson - but I will dedicate a post to him. I know probably not what you expect to hear from me but I will share.
So I hope you'll enjoy the posting blitz I'm about to do
I'm so excited over the fact that I can now post links that I thought I would post some links to some of the blogs I follow in addition to those here at Homesteadblogger.
There are a bunch of different types - homesteading, coupons, cooking, etc. I hope you find some you come to enjoy as well.
Daily Devotional -- Genesis 3: 1-7 - Did God really say it?
Posted on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 11:34
I'm just starting over on a new devotional in my bible. And I wanted to share the verse and what was said today. I found it very thought provoking.
This devotional is from my Woman's Devotional Bible and each entry is written by a different Christian Woman - this one was written by Kathy Troccoli.
First here is the bible verse from Genesis 3:1-7
1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
And this is Kathy Troccoli's comment on this verse - especially Verse 1.
"Did God really say it?" "Are you sure?" "Surely he didn't." How often I am tempted to listen to those words-how often all of us are. God most definitely has spoken. His word, steadfast and unchanging, he means what he says. Does what he says. Never pulls a fast one. And still we question and disregard his heart. I, for one, have indulged in the rationalizing, the putting a stamp of okay on something that God has said is unholy. We need only look around today to see the effects of Satan's questions. Moral and spiritual decay. A rightness placed on what is so obviously wrong. A label of old-fashioned and barbaric attached to laws that are still the same in God's eyes and that he still cherishes. A bend toward our own philosophies. A turning from absolute truth to what our own truth happens to be.
So we are left believing the lies of the enemy and with the consequences of our choices. And it all takes place under the guise of love and honesty, goodness and fairness, open-mindedness and tolerance.
The serpent may come to you and say "Did God really say that?" Your answer must be "yes". For no matter how many promises God has made, they are yes in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 1:20). "Yes!" to all he desires and "No"! to all he does not. Nothing is worth being out of the will of God. Take him at his word.
--Kathy Troccoli
And for reference here is 2 Corinthians 1:20
20 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.
This really got me thinking, how many times have I justified something or said well it's a different world now. It doesn't matter!! This passage has really convicted me to put into practice more(all) of what his word says. I know it won't be easy I am human after all, but I need to try.
One of the things that some of you who read my blog regularly may notice is how I'm now signing my posts.
Look here for a hint of what I mean. While my parents gave me the name Sandra, I've been Sandy for as long as I can remember. Until somewhere in my 30's I started going by Sandra for work and even with friends. Now my family still calls me Sandy, but to all others I have been Sandra.
However, in my journey the last few years I have started to feel more like Sandy again, and not Sandra so much. And homesteading and blogging has been part of that journey that has taken me back to feeling more like the Sandy of old.
So I thought why not start signing my blogs be that name as well.
So one of the new things you'll notice on my blog is the Swagbucks widget. I came across this last week on a blog I read and decided to give it a try.
Basically it is a search engine that gives you points for using it and then you can use those points for merchandise or gift cards. There are also other ways to earn points such as reading their blog for swagcodes, and other things.
Here is a link or you can click on the widget on the right side. In a little less than a week I've earned 12 points. I probably could have earned more but wasn't use to using it in the beginning so I kept forgetting :)
I plan on using my points for gift cards - mainly -- Target, Lowes, JCPenney's, or Amazon. Or perhaps ticketmaster if I find something good to treat ourselves to.
So this week I decided to give everything a little change on my blog. I hope you like the new look, I do. I think it's more feminine than my last look and I also added a few things that I didn't have before.
I've been enjoying learning how to make changes - most of it has been trial and error but I think it looks pretty nice finally.
One of the biggest changes beside the look is the addition of Categories. I still need to go back and and put some of my old posts into categories. Thank goodness I'm doing this now and not later - as it is I have a lot to do. Now I just need to remember to add the category when I post to my blog.
I still want to add some music but have to give this some more thought as to what I will add.
Sandy
P.S. I'm sooooo excited -- I can now post links using my Mac. Not sure what changed but I'm going to go back and fix all the old ones as well.
Okay, I don't have many pet peeve's mainly this one and when people don't return phone calls. See this picture - that is my neighbor's two orange trees - she also has a plum and a peach and maybe a few more.
So what is my pet peeve - they never pick any of the fruit. They just let it fall to the ground and rot. Look at that one on the right it is loaded with oranges. I just think it is such a shame that people don't think to either use it or give it away. As many people who are starving in this country - heck in our city - they'd love to have a nice fresh orange. And my neighbor isn't alone - all over this city fruit is going to waste. I've often wanted to start an organization that offers to go and pick fruit from peoples trees to donate to homeless shelters, food banks, etc. Maybe when I quite my job I will do that - I've spoken to a few people about it and there may be some issues with knowing where the fruit comes from, etc. But still - don't let it go to waste.
My neighbor's are Jehovah's Witnesses and I pray every day that a light will come on in her head and she will decide to take the fruit to her church. I've wanted to say something to her but I don't want to get into an argument so I just sit back, watch, and pray.
Okay - I'll get off my soap box now - I just wanted to share this pet peeve with you all.
We've had a family of House Finches visiting our bird feeder this past week. We're not sure where they're living but every time we come into the yard they take off for our guava tree. I've also seen them head for one of the pine trees our neighbor across the street has. I think I counted 5 or 6 its hard to keep track.
I took some pictures of them on Monday when I was off -- take a look they're so beautiful - and I'm not a bird person. Actually I love them in nature but not up close, they're claws and beaks scare me :) I know they are God's creatures but I'd rather pet a tiger than have a bird land on me.
Sorry the pictures are a little fuzzy - that's because I took it from the porch with my zoom so they wouldn't fly away.
This week's crop of the week is eggplant - we started picking them last week - only 2 and another this week, but if our weather ever straightens out, we'll be sure to get quite a few. We grow Japanese eggplants because they are less bitter than the big round ones - no need to peel them.
These are the first two we picked - the one is a little on the small side but it was getting really dark so I picked it.
Now what do we do with eggplant in our house. We use it in stir fry, saute it with zucchini and tomatoes, or we bread it as below.
Breaded & Fried Eggplant
- Slice eggplant -- I like to slice them long ways but round circles is good as well.
- Dip slices of eggplant in flour, then in beaten egg, then bread crumbs.
- Saute in small amount of oil 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender and golden brown.
- Season with salt and pepper.
I also like to make Eggplant Parmesan as well - here is how we make it - although it's not a true recipe - it's easy and good.
Eggplant Parm (This recipe is for 4 people and you can adjust the cheese and sauce to you're liking)
- 1 large eggplant (sliced and prepared as above in Fried Eggplant)
- 2 cups of Tomato Sauce
- 1 cup of Mozzarella Cheese (I use what cheese I have on hand shredded or otherwise.)
- Parmesan Cheese for topping.
Once the eggplant is fried -- it is as simple as stacking the ingredients - like making lasagna.
- Put a little sauce in bottom of a baking dish (for 4 people I use a square glass dish).
- make layers of eggplant, sauce, cheese (I usually get three layers.)
- sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and place in microwave or oven until cheese melts - that's it.
Here is one last recipe that I tried last year and it was a big hit - I'm going to make more of it this year.
Jamie Oliver's Pickled Eggplant
4 1/4 cups water
4 1/4 cups white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 1/4 lbs eggplants
1-2 tablespoon dried oregano
1-2 red chili peppers, sliced
4 garlic cloves, coarsely sliced
1 cup sunflower or canola oil
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Combine water, vinegar and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil.
Remove the green end of each eggplant. Slice in half lengthwise, then cut across into 1/2" slices. Cut slices into 1/2" julienne. Add to boiling brine for 3 minutes. If they float, keep re-submerging them with a spoon.
Combine oregano, chile, garlic and both oils. Drain eggplant and add to oil mixture. Toss well.
Put canning jars into boiling water for 5 minutes. Transfer eggplant and oil to canning jars and seal.
Hope you find these recipes helpful - and would love to hear any other recipes you have for eggplant.
I wanted to pass on this prayer request from a friend of ours who is a missionary in India. They are doing such great work there and could use our prayers. This is from an email he sent to me and I've just pulled out some of the more important parts and the actual prayer requests. I know they are also asking for donations and I'm not asking you to help with that but if you feel moved to do so I've left that information in here as well.
I also left some good news that he shared as well on the end. Thanks for taking the time to prayer for them.
Everything below this point is directly from the email.
Please cover our Foursquare family in Bangladesh in prayer at this time! As you be aware, cyclone Aila ripped through the Southwest part of Bangladesh last week. Over 200 village homes of believers were destroyed and the flood waters have yet to go down. People are living on roads and any place they can find high ground or temporary shelter. Food and water are scarce and many are becoming sick from the germ ridden flood waters. FMI, Foursquare Cambodia, and others have sent initial emergency relief funds, but much more is needed. Please pray and please give to help in this time of crisis. $20 will provide a family with a week's worth of basic food and $400 will provide a simple village house for a family.
I'm sure you have also seen Sri Lanka on the front page news lately. [One of our pastors writes] "You probably are aware of the 26 years of ethnic war which brought devastation to our nation. It ended finally on May 19th leaving many thousands dead and over 300,000 homeless. We lost a few of our believers and all the Churches in the province of Vanni in northern Sri Lanka. In partnership with the National Evangelical Alliance we are serving 3,500 people in a refugee camp." Foursquare Sri Lanka is asking for $60 per month
for the next six months for 145 families in order to provide for their needs and to help resettle them.
If you are able to give to help our Foursquare family in Bangladesh or Sri Lanka during these very difficult times, please do! You can send a check made out to Foursquare Missions with "relief fund - (country name)" in the memo portion. 100% of these funds will go to meet these needs.
FMI, Suite 700
Attn: Paulette
P.O. Box 26902
Los Angeles, CA
90026
It seems that we are often hearing about "bad news" lately, so let me conclude with a bit of good news from the field. In the last 5 years, over 500 churches were planted in the South Asia region - primarily among
previously unreached peoples. Praise God!
Welcome to my blog. I'm Sandy, and my husband and I live outside of Los Angeles. We are homesteaders at heart and Catholic by faith. We started on a path to urban homesteading in 2007 after attending a conference on stewardship and our responsibility as Christians to care for God's creation. Thru this blog I hope to share our journey and learn from others on a similar journey.
Update: Starting in 2009 I will also share our journey thru adoption.
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