Tag Archive - Outpouring 72

Power of Written Encouragement

July 26, 2010 in Across My Heart, Across Our Street, Across Our Table, Friendship with 0 Comments

John Maxwell – The Power of Words on a Page John Maxwell posted this yesterday & I thought I’d share it with you. It seems fitting after our Beveni Outpouring 72 campaign.

Nineteenth-century writer Walt Whitman struggled for years to get anyone interested in his poetry. He became very discouraged. But then he received a note that read:

Dear sir, I am not blind to the worth of the wonderful gift of Leaves of Grass. I find it the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet contributed. I greet you at the beginning of a great career.

It was signed by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

I can’t help but wonder what might have happened to Whitman had Emerson not invested in him by writing those kind words. That note must have been like fresh air to Whitman, who breathed in its encouragement and was inspired to keep writing.

You don’t have to be a professional writer like Emerson to make a difference in someone’s life. Just taking the time to write a note of encouragement is evidence of your willingness to invest in that person.

from 25 Ways to Win with People

I honestly enjoyed the planning & execution of Beveni Outpouring 72. I love when a team comes together, dedicating themselves to a higher purpose, outside of their own benefit. If you aren’t familiar with the Outpouring 72, Read This Post. Basically we took 72 hours to infiltrate all of the Facebook & Twitterdom worlds, asking everyone to give to 132 kids at our Carepoint in Swaziland who need some basic supplies such as Tylenol, band-aids, school supplies, shoes, etc. 72 hours to raise $7200.

Well we didn’t meet our goal by the end of hour 72, but we did raise a proud $2300! Like one of my friends said, that $2300 more than the Beveni kids had before the weekend started. Hope has been created and word has been spread about their needs!

But off & on I would find myself fighting feelings of discouragement that more people didn’t give. If you’d like to read how ashamed I was that I google, ‘how to get people to give to online charity‘ read this brief post Confessions of a Fundraiser.

You know how God helped me through? He helped me through you! Through the givers!

Here is a sampling of emails I received from people who took the time to encourage me along with their donation!

  • Hopefully it’ll help you reach your goal! Thank you SO MUCH for your willingness to step into the unknown, leaving what many of us would consider your safety zone, and embrace the adventure that God has provided.
  • And bless you for your sweet and compassionate heart!!!
  • Keep up the spirit!  Have a great evening! :)
  • Great Job! Your generosity will be no small thing to the children of Beveni!!!!
  • I was thinking about you and wanted to say how impressed and proud I am of you with all your work your doing with raising money. Please tell me more about your trip your taking to Africa. Also I am very impressed with your mom blog. You are very encouraging to me on many days.
  • Thank-you for all you are doing for these kids in Swaziland!! You are such a Blessing!
  • I just wanted to tell you how much I’m enjoying your Moms4Change blog and following the Beveni Carepoint happenings on Facebook. What a great thing you have going with Moms4Change. Sounds like an awesome group!
  • Any there were more!

Encouraging words are like a breath of fresh air just at the right time ~ just ask Whitman or myself!

Find someone in your life today that could use some encouraging words. Call or write them a note telling them how proud you are to be their friend!

Shine On Sisters!


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Confessions of a Fundraiser

July 24, 2010 in Across My Heart, Across Our World, Swaziland with 2 Comments

I confess. Tonight I Googled, “How to get people to give to online charity”

I’m ashamed.  I really was trying to avoid resorting to guilt & pressure (as you’ll read below). And that’s why I did it.

Partly.

I genuinely DO want to see people open their hearts & pocket books –

Wait back this blog train up – did I just say pocket books? I must have suddenly warped to 1953 when women called purses pocket books. Let me start that thought again!

I genuinely DO want to see people open their hearts and purses so that our 132 Beveni kids in Swaziland can have basic medicines, first aid supplies, clothes & paper for school! In fact, it’s been nearly all I can think about since last Tuesday. How can we get the kids the items they have need of?

God opened the doors through connecting us with Kids Against Hunger who is sending a shipment of food to Swaziland very soon. One of our sponsors is working diligently on our behalf to also ship medicines & other supplies to our Beveni kids, on that same container. It should arrive just before we do, in mid-September.

Then God sparked the idea for Beveni Outpouring 72. $7200 in 72 hours for Beveni kids’ supplies. And the needs are being fulfilled! Our Beveni Team (you’re on the team, too) is raising the money to buy the supplies….

Just not as fast as I’d hoped.
At some point today I got worried… (just before I googled) What if we don’t get enough money to send the supplies? And I began to formulate all kinds of cockamamie ideas (can I say that on a Christian blog?) anyhow…


  • Maybe God said 1072 – $1072 in ONE THOUSAND  SEVENTY-TWO hours.
  • All my friends clicked “HIDE” when they saw I was doing an online fundraising campaign.
  • And the worst – It can’t be done. Who can raise $7200 online in 72 hours? I asked God, “What am I missing?”

    • God Googles, right?

    So what did Google say?

    I found out that people give for several reasons.

    • Guilt – not gonna go there.
    • Pressure – here either.
    • Happiness – happy people give more. It’s a fact. Trust me. I don’t know what site I read it on, but a study was conducted sighting that happy people are 40% more likely to give than those who aren’t happy. Duh.
    If you feel guilt-ed or pressured into giving to the Beveni Outpouring 72, don’t do it. Did you read that right? Yep. Don’t give if you feel a measure of guilt or pressure.

    I know, I can’t believe I said it either. I may regret it later.

    Give Because
    • It’s there is a need that you can fill – money goes FAR in Africa!
    • You have a happy heart!
    • You want to spread that joy to others!
    If you haven’t read the specifics of the Outpouring 72, please do so Beveni Outpouring 72 Announcement Post

    Otherwise, if you want to GIVE from your happy heart, GIVE HERE! THANK YOU! That’s the link to Children’s HopeChest Ministry’s online giving form.  In the notes section, be sure to write BEVENI SUPPLIES. Then drop me an email & tell me how much you gave, so I can add it to the grand total. danielle.moms4change@gmail.com

    The truth is I believe (now that I got through the worry) we will hit the mark of $7200 by 8a.m. Monday morning. But even if we don’t, God will use the money that has been given and multiply it in the lives of the givers & the Beveni kids. I know that for certain…

    …without Google’s help!

    Shine On Sisters!

    Danielle
    Ps. I hope this doesn’t take away from those who have given during our first 48 hours of the Beveni Outpouring 72. I’m so thankful that you stepped up to the plate! I just had a few discouraged hours and decided to blog about how God got me through it! :)
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    Beveni Outpouring 72

    July 22, 2010 in Across Our World, Swaziland, VIsion with 2 Comments


    $7200 in 72 hours for Beveni

    Finally! I can announce what I’ve been so excited about! I teased on a Facebook post two days ago that my excitement was almost palpable & I still have people waiting to hear!

    As of tomorrow morning we begin Beveni Outpouring 72.


    But first… I have to tell some quick background for those who aren’t yet familiar with Beveni.



    What’s a Beveni, you ask?

    I’m the sponsorship coordinator for the Beveni Carepoint in Swaziland, where we have sponsored a young lady for over a year now. In fact, at the Beveni Carepoint 132 children receive care including food, education, emotional support, and medical attention if necessary.

    There are over 20 carepoints like Beveni in Swaziland – all begun by Children’s HopeChest Ministry. The Carepoints are funded through churches & people desiring to see these kids find hope & safety & love where they live. Beveni is the only Carepoint that is not funded by a specific church, but simply through a group of online, like-minded individuals who have taken up the cause to help the kids find love & hope.

    Most of the 132 kids are orphaned due the AIDS pandemic, but all are vulnerable & deal with issues children should never have to deal with. In fact, the life expectancy in Swaziland is only 32 years old.


    A 15 year old is considered middle-aged.


    ~~~~~     ~~~~~     ~~~~~     ~~~~~     ~~~~~


    Beveni Outpouring 72 is simple 72 hours set aside to raise $7200 for Beveni kids!

    We are part of a team who is going to serve at the Beveni Carepoint in Swaziland September 18th-29th. We have a huge opportunity to get the kid & the caregivers some much needed supplies – things you & I take for granted.

    ° Basic medical supplies – Tylenol, cold, allergy meds, first aid needs

    ° School supplies – pencils, crayons, paper, rulers, mathematical drawing sets, flashcards, music cd’s & a carepoint boom box, etc.

    ° Personal items – soaps, deodorants, toothbrushes/paste, shirts, socks, shoes

    ° Fun! – soccer balls, jump ropes, dolls, card games, candy

    There is a potential for us to ship the medicines & first aid supplies through a great humanitarian organization. The shipment leaves the US very soon. Thus the need for a 72-hour campaign. For the rest of the supplies, we will buy them in Swaziland and hand-deliver them to the kids & the Carepoint leaders! This will also help the local businesses & economy.

    So Friday morning (this morning!) the Beveni Outpouring 72 begins. And by Monday 8a.m. Monday morning, I expect that we will have EXCEEDED our goal!

    We WILL raise $7200 in 72 hours for the Beveni Carepoint. Do you want to help create hope? Of course you do! Give what you can, but give from your heart!

    It’s simple. Here’s how…

    READY… SET… CLICK! SHARE! PRAY!

    1. CLICK on this link to HopeChest.

    CLICK HERE TO GIVE TOWARDS BEVENI SUPPLIES

    2. Indicate the $$$ you wish to give  Your gift will be tax deductible.

    3. **VERY Important** in the NOTES section write: BEVENI SUPPLIES

    4. SHARE this information on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, with your church, your friends, and your kids…  ALL WEEKEND LONG!

    5. PRAY that God blesses this event of outpouring. Pray that He also provides an outpouring of hope to our kids at Beveni, their families & all those involved in serving the kids in Swaziland. And pray that He blesses those that give!

    HopeChest won’t have the totals processed until mid-next week. So do me solid & email me at danielle.moms4change@gmail.com to let me know how much you were able to give towards Beveni Outpouring 72. Names will not be shared, only dollar amounts.

    I will keep a running total on Moms4Change Facebook Page as well as my personal FB page. So stay tuned, cuz we’re about to be a part of something BIGGER THAN YOU & I!!!!


    Shine On Sisters!

    Danielle Brower

    ps. Shout out to ZekeDesigns for the graphics & logos! Holla! You can find them on facebook HERE!

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