WE DID IT!

Updated again to add: WE HAVE NO CHILDREN LEFT TO GET SPONSORED BUT...CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR BIG NEWS!!!!!

Updated to remove the boys that have been requested and change the numbers. I am trying to keep this post current.

Good Monday Morning! I hope everyone had a great weekend! I truly believe that by this weekend every one of these children will have a sponsor.

 Don't forget that if you have already agreed to buy for a child and haven't gotten to see their profile that you can click on the New Day button on the top right of the screen and then click on the link that says "Our Children" it will show you pictures of all the children and you can click on their pictures to get to their profile.

As soon as I find Christmas families for this child I will be emailing specific gift information, shipping address, and timeline information to all of the Christmas families.

A friend recommended that I break the shipping down per child and asked for sponsor's for each child's shipping cost. The shipping cost is right at $25 per child. I would like to wait to do that until I see what I can raise here. I am going to be placing donation boxes at the following business here in Bradley County:

Jim Rush Funeral Home (Both Locations)

Paisley

Fantasy Styles and Tan

Debutante Salon and Day Spa

And

Dr. James White's office in Chattanooga, TN

We want to thank these wonderful CHRISTIAN businesses for allowing us to do this. I want everyone to join me in praying that by this time next month our shipping cost is completly covered. If not I may try to find sponsor's to help cover each child's shipping. Just to be clear this does not have to be the same family that has agreed to buy the gifts for the child, it can be anyone that wants to help. Like I said I will let you know if we get to the point where I feel this is something we are going to have to try to do.

If you wish to make a donation and you do not live in this area you are welcome to click on the Donate Now button and it will be placed in our PayPal account.

Please pray for me as I prepare to go on the radio on Wednesday to let others know about our shipping need. (see last weeks post for more info)

God bless you all and have a wonderful Monday!!

A little change in plans!

Hi everyone! I spoke with Carrie via email today and she asked that I not reserve the children whom have been placed by the CCAA for their families. She said a lot of their families do not know about the website or even where their children are so it might backfire and we may wind up with kids without Christmas sponsor families. So I am posting a new available list. Thanks for all of your help! We only have 20 more kids to get taken care of that means we have placed 42 children!!!! Yippee Jesus!!!!!




God Bless You and Have a great weekend!!!





Sherri



Available Children:



Aaron

Cameron

Christian

Daniel

David

Drew

Ethan

George

Jesse

Jordon

Joshua

Kevin

Maria

Nathan

Phillip

Terry

Tristan

Victoria

More updates!

Updated list 1:32 p.m. EST
Hi everyone! I have been MIA for the last few days. My son had Strep and it has been a long three days! We have had lots of people email me and request children to sponsor. I am so excited about what God is doing. I can not tell you how much fun it is to know that I'm not able to do something on my own and sit back and watch God show out and handle it like it is nothing! He is amazing and I love him so much.

This is an updated list of available children at this very moment. Please don't stone me if you email me in three hours and ask for a specific child and find out that they are taken. Right now at this very moment they are available (actually I just double checked and had to remove two of the kids I am telling you this is forever changing!).

Aaron
Christian
Daniel
David
George
Joshua
Phillip
Tristan
William
Yan Xia
Yan Zhi

Also the following children are available but these children have been matched with their "Forever Families" by the CCAA and I want to give their families a chance to buy for them. If the families haven't contacted me by Monday October 19th I will begin matching these children with sponsors. If you know a "Forever Family" please be sure they know about this opportunity.

Cameron
Drew
Jesse
Jordan
Kevin
Maria
Nathan
Shanna Elise
Terry
Victoria

If you are a "Forever Family" and you don't see your child's name on here contact me anyway, someone may have already contacted me to say that if you didn't come forward they would like to sponsor your child. You have "first dibs" on them until the 19th. :)

I am going to be on a local radio station Mix 104.1 promoting Operation Giggle. You can listen live next Wednesday at 8:15 by tuning in if you are local or by going to their website: http://www.mymix1041.com/ This is a great opportunity and I am so thankful that my sister gave me the idea of emailing one of the DJ's and telling them about Operation Giggle! Thanks Deanna!

We still need donations for shipping in a BIG way. I trust God to lead the people who he wants to give to our website and to the stores that are serving as donation/drop off locations. I will be posting a list of those up just as soon as I hear back from a couple of other shops.

Again, thank you for all of your support!!

Sherri

Operation Giggle Guidelines

Operation Giggle Gift Guidelines

(updated because of change in box size)

If you would like to become a “Christmas Family” for one of the children at New Day please email me your name and email address along with which child you would like to sponsor. After I match you with a child you may begin buying Christmas gifts for your child. All gifts should adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Please be sure that your gifts will fit into one 12x12x12 box. We have to put all of the gifts in the same box so that we can ship them on a palate.

2. All gifts should weigh no more than 3lbs.


3. Gifts should not be wrapped. We need to be sure that each child is getting an even share of gifts. You may include sealed cards in your box.


4. Please only buy “fun” gifts such as toys, books, stuffed animals, jewelry, and things of that nature. The Foster Home has said that the children are well stocked in clothes and requested that we not send them. Also keep in mind that the Foster Home will not be able to afford to replace batteries and they can be very heavy to ship. We are not going to say that you can’t send battery operated toys but you should make sure you send extra batteries and keep the weight issue in mind.

5. You are responsible for getting the items to us. We are in Cleveland, TN just outside of Chattanooga. All gifts need to be received by us no later than December 1st in order to ensure they are wrapped, packed, shipped, and received by Christmas. When I assign your child I will send you an email with our mailing address included.


6. We are asking for each family to also include a $5.00 check or money order made out to Sarah’s Hope with Operation Giggle on the “for” line. This $5.00 will be used to go toward the $700-$1000 shipping bill, cost of boxes, and wrapping supplies. Any money left over will be forwarded to the Milk Money program at New Day.

I included a couple of pictures of the cuties just to convince you that it is worth while to go "here" to see the children of New Day. You can click on their pictures to read their profiles. We will be adding their pictures and profiles to the website here very soon until then feel free to go to the New Day site and pick the child you would like to sponsor. 12 of the children already have sponsors so make sure you lock in your choice soon!! God Bless!

Sarah's Hope

I realized that I needed to let everyone know that Operation Giggle is being done as a ministry of Sarah's Hope. Sarah's Hope is a non-profit organization started in April of this year by My father, Jack L. Epperson and I. Sarah's Hope will be a maternity home for unwed mothers over the age of 18 living in Bradley County and the surrounding areas.

Sarah's hope is named after my daughter Sarah. In April of 1999 I found out that I was pregnant with Sarah. I was 18 and unmarried and scared to death. My family rallied around Sarah's dad (Mitchell) and I and we were married and because of the grace of God we made it. Without the network I had as an 18 year old girl I have no clue where Sarah and I would be today. The thoughts of other young mothers struggling alone to bring a child into this world and raise him or her is unbearable. God began to speak to my dad about opening up a home for those girls. He began to have conversations with New Life Pregnancy Center and learned that there was a great need for this ministry. In April we hired a lawyer and began pursuing our Non-Profit status. We are currently saving money so that we can purchase a home to remodel and get ready to house our first 2 or 3 ladies. One of the Pastor's at the church I attended and his wife have raised three children and have agreed to move into the home and be the House Parents.

I am excited at the doors God is opening in my life and I want to serve Him and worship Him in every second of every day. I know that many of you have this same desire! Thank you so much for your support of Sarah's Hope and Operation Giggle.

So Excited!

I am amazed at God's goodness. I mean I know he's good and I even have grown to expect it but it still surprises me sometimes. I have had a lot of blog traffic in the last few days and this doesn't excite me because I want everyone to read what I write or because it means that the fee I paid to have my blog beautified (is that a word?!) is paying off...it's because the word is getting out about these beautiful kids! I know the more people who see the blog the more people who are going to help send Christmas to the children at New Day. I am working VERY HARD on a blog with a list of all of the children and their pictures. This is not easy seeing as how I am not great with HTML and all of that but I am working on it and hope to have it up sometime today. For all of you who have commented that you want a specific child please send an email to sdrgodsgirl@yahoo.com and I will "reserve" your child for you. I am working toward having a meeting on Sunday October 11th for all of those who are close enough to get together. We will be making the info cards for all of the kids and going over the basics. If you are within driving distance of Cleveland, TN (about 30 miles north of Chattanooga) then email me for more information about the meeting. Please continue to pray about the freight and that we hear back from a local radio station about getting them to talk about it online. Pray for God's favor on everything we do and God's leadership in every area. I want to leave you with a scripture that seams to be bursting from my heart today:

Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Update

It has been almost one month since Operation Giggle got off the ground. I am so excited by the number of visitors we have had. I spoke with Carrie via email today and she said she will send me a list of children by Mid-October. If you are interested in sponsering a child please contact me. I am planning on having a meeting as soon as we get our list for anyone in the area that can attend. I will post the specifics a little closer to time. Please continue to pray for the children of New Day and for all of those who work with them. God Bless!

Sherri