For His Glory Handiwork: September 2010

A few weeks ago we had to turn in our Record Books for 4-H. If you're a 4-H member, or have been in 4-H you probably know all about record books, but if not, I'll explain them to you. As a 4-H member, after the fair you have to turn in your record book. You have to fill out you pages of all the different projects you did, include pictures of what you showed at fair and what placings you got, fill out several forms, include pictures of other 4-H activities, and write a 4-H story about your past year in 4-H. It all has to be neat and organized and when you turn it in, your club leaders can nominate you, (depending on the neatness and how well it's put together) for an outstanding record book. Then the books that get nominated are turned in to the county, and the county decides if they deserve an outstanding record book award. Since crocheting has been most of my 4-H year and I knew I wouldn't be able to fit all of it on the 4-H Story sheet, I decided to write My Crocheting Story which I added below. Sorry that it's a little long, but enjoy!

My Crocheting Story

I love to crochet and my love for crocheting has given me many opportunities I never would have had otherwise.

In March of 2009, I started crocheting. My mom taught me, and I started by making a scarf. At first my tension was really tight, but I got better by the end of the scarf. I made several things for the 2009 county fair. I showed my scarf, on which I got a third (yes, I agree that it should have been a third, but the judge should have given me a little bit of break because it was my first project!); and I showed a pack of six hair scrunchies that I made, on which I got a first. I also showed a set of two pot holders, on which I got a second; a set of two dish cloths, on which I got a first, and a Merit Award; and a baby hat, on which I got a first place.

Because of my success at fair I started crocheting more, and at the end of August I decided to start my own business selling crocheted items. I got several orders, and I sold dish cloths at a small craft shop for a while. I started my own crocheting and sewing blog in November (forhisgloryhandiwork.blogspot.com). I also sold some of my items at the Craft Sale at the Christmas Fair at the library in Winneconne. I made Christmas presents for my family, and I learned a lot about making up my own patterns.

In February, I decided to host a Block Party. I asked a bunch of friends who knit and crochet to start making 6 inch blocks. Then in March we all got together and sewed together the squares into blankets for charity. We collected over 300 squares which made 8 blankets and two scarves!! We also collected 23 pairs of slippers, 2 pairs of baby booties, 4 baby sweaters, 34 crocheted baby hats, 17 knit baby hats, and 21 flannel baby blankets!! Below are pictures.

I made over 60 squares, 14 baby hats, 21 flannel blankets, a baby sweater, and 12 pairs of slippers myself. As we prayed about where to send the blankets, my mom came up with the idea to send them to Ukraine. We have a friend who is a short-term missionary and she had been to Ukraine several times, and had spoken of a young man named Max who runs an amazing ministry that reaches out to the lost and forgotten of Ukraine. While emailing with Renae, Max’s contact person in the U.S., about the need for blankets, and what size to make them, she asked if we would be interested in going on a mission trip to Ukraine in July this summer. My mom couldn’t go on the trip as she still had a nursing baby at home, so my mom and I decided that me and my dad should go on the mission trip. We dropped the idea on my dad at supper that night, and after several weeks he finally said yes!

We were able to get-together with the team that was going to Ukraine at the end of April for a packing party. We sorted all of things everyone had collected to send to Max (including all the blankets and other things collected from the Block Party!) and packed them into tubs to ship to him. We ended up with eleven 60 pound, 35/45 gallon tubs full of stuff!! As we got closer to leaving I started another blog to blog about our trip (ukrainemissiontrip2010.blogspot.com). We had several more team meetings before the trip.

We flew out of Minneapolis on July 1, 2010. I was just starting the best trip of my life (so far) and it all started with crocheting. We then flew to Chicago, and then on to Germany, and then to our destination – Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Ukraine was a former part of the U.S.S.R., and the area we were in speaks Russian, but we had translators. We had an amazing ministry time while we were there.

Most of the time we ministered in an adult handicapped home. We were at the facility most of the time but we also took them to outings to the beach a couple of times. We also go to visit the teen dorms, new mother dorms, baby orphanage, and children’s handicapped facility. There are only about 15 ladies at the adult handicapped home, and 300 men. One of these ladies is named Valla. From what I heard after, she had talked to almost everyone on our team (through a translator) and it just happened to be me who she talked to when she said she needed new slippers, because the ones she was wearing were getting old and had holes in them. I told her I would make some new ones and bring them to her next time I saw her. So I was able to go back to our apartment that night and crochet her a pair of slippers. I brought them to her the next day, and she loved them and kept saying how beautiful they were. It was so special to me that I was able to see what my hobby could do in the life of one of the lost and forgotten of Ukraine. I hope they fit her as she didn’t try them on as she was saving them for winter. I was also able to make a kitchen set for our amazing cooks while we were there. That trip changed my life and it helped me see how I could use my talents in the mission field.

A couple weeks after I got back, I showed more of my crocheting at fair. You can see pictures of those in the following pages. (Or since you aren't reading my record book, you can go here to se what I showed! :) )

I am currently back to selling things, but this time I am raising money for my little brother, Elijah’s adoption from Eastern Europe. Elijah will be three on Sept. 17, and he has Down Syndrome, and other heart and kidney problems. This adoption was not because of the trip, but Ukraine and the country he is in are very similar, and we were able to see places like the place he is living now, and places he will be in the future if he lives to be an adult. In the orphanage Elijah is currently in, the children are transferred to a mental institution at the age of four, where they are basically tied in a crib for the rest of their lives. 95% of these children die within the first year there. Because of his medical condition, we are trying to get him home as soon as possible, and my parents hope to be traveling in Dec. to get him. I started a 3rd blog, and I am selling my crocheted items on it to raise money to bring him home (handiworkforeliajh.blogspot.com). You can also visit my mom’s adoption blog – mygodislord.blogspot.com, to find out where we are in the process.

I hope to someday go back to Ukraine, and teach one or two people in the handicapped home how to make slippers. Since they have so much time on their hands, they will be able to make slippers for everyone in the facility, and no one will have cold feet during the winter. This is a dream of mine, and I am a long way from being there, but I hope someday God will be able to fulfill it, hopefully through me! :)
Without crocheting, I would not have gone on the mission trip, and we probably still would have adopted, but I wouldn’t be able to help with funds as much as I am now. Crocheting has definitely changed my life and I can’t wait to see what new adventures it leads me on.