Give Back

This is the time of year where Bring Me Hope is on their toes as we start pushing towards getting everything ready for camp. It’s not just the details, crafts and games we are planning but the kids that we will be bringing and who we will choose.

To get into our head and about the kids we work with means seeing our year long goal. We can say it starts at camp, our volunteers arrive ready to take on the new challenges and fun as orphans are bussed in for the week. This is a time where kids get to be kids and possibly forget for a fleeting moment that they are hoping for a family. There are firsts for them through the week and by the time they leave, we hope that they have felt LOVED in ways they have never seen.missions, china, orphan care, kids, summer camp, bring me hope

Camp is just the beginning for our kiddos, going home is one of the most crucial steps…it’s where we the staff and volunteer spend hours putting together information about our campers and getting them seen. We blast them on social media, tell their story to the world and search for families. Having first hand experience, photos and videos can attract the attention of many adoptive parents because they feel like they know the child before they lock in on their file.missions, china, orphan care, kids, summer camp, bring me hope

So, while a month is spent at camp, 11 months are spent advocating. This brings us to today. We want to change lives, we want to get our campers on the front page of many peoples minds…we want families. BUT to make this possible, we have to have people like you and me send orphans to our camp. It can be a $20 donation or $500. Without YOU, less kids come which could potentially mean a child’s story won’t get told.missions, china, orphan care, kids, summer camp, bring me hope

This month, we are coming alongside Cory, founder of Give Yak and making your donations more fun. Give Yak was founded with a passion to serve the Chinese community by designing Asian-inspired shirts that give back. For March, Cory had the idea to partner with us to launch Give Yak while giving all the proceeds to Bring Me Hope campers. The catch is, you get a gift if you donate this month…depending on the size of the donation will put you in different brackets from shirts to hand made Asian crafts and beautiful boxes.missions, china, orphan care, kids, summer camp, bring me hope

So if you want to help us send a kids to camp, go to Give Yak and give back (http://www.giveyak.org/support-chinese-orphans)

For The Kids,

Caitlyn

Last day to enter contest – Crystal Raindrop Jewelry

Today is the last day to enter  our first Bring Me Hope contest… >  HERE <

This is a first of our giveaways for the year with the intent to bring more exposure for people interested in Orphan Mission trips and coming to China.  We also are interested in providing a way for creatives to donate work who are passionate about giving back and serving.  So if you are a creative and are interested in partnering with Bring Me Hope, please feel free to contact us…we would love to hear your story (contact caitlyn@bringmehope.org).

Our first creative I would love for you to meet it Saray Gray, who is the owner of Crystal Raindrop.  Her jewelry creating began when she was a little girl.  Sarah and her sister would make different things for their Mom and Grandma together.

It was in Sarah’s Junior year of highschool, after making jewelry for her friend, thoughts of how she could turn her love for creating into a business began.  Her shop opened when she was a high school Senior and she has continued ever since.

What inspires you to create?

One of the many reasons I love making jewelry is, I can pick the style I create. I like very simple, elegant jewelry, and that is not easy to find. All the jewelry I make is something that I would wear myself, and know that there are other people looking for the same thing.

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How do you serve the community/others with your business ?

I love to be involved in raising money for good causes. I enjoyed being able to help with my friends fundraiser for the Bring Me Hope Foundation. It was not only a great experience, but it was a lot of fun as well. It was a blessing to see everyone give their all to raise money for this wonderful foundation.

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What was the inspiration behind the piece you donate to BMH & what is the pieces name?

The piece that I have made to donated to the Bring Me Hope Foundation is a good representation of the style of jewelry I make. When I was asked to make a piece of jewelry to donate I honestly didn’t have any idea what I was going to make. So I just sat down one evening and got to work. Cutting wire, trying different ways to bend it, to get an eligible look to it. Eventually I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like.

The name of the piece is Blue Ellipse. I picked this name because of its rounded shape. The calming blue and hints of crystal that remind me of the moon on a cool night.

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What piece of advice would you give to people who are creatives and want to use their business with a purpose?

If I had to give advice to someone looking to start their own business out of a hobby, I would tell them to have fun and really enjoy what they are doing. It is also very important to give what you are doing to the Lord. Seek the Lord’s guidance in your business always. I think that is the most important part.

Sometimes all you think about is what you have to get done and your deadlines, but that takes all the joy out of what you are doing. When you no longer find joy in what you are doing it shows in your work. So, take your time and enjoy what you are doing and thank the Lord for giving you your abilities.

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Random funny facts about you?

And a random fact about me is I have a weird obsession with clocks..I Love ’em!

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We loved having Sarah on the blog.  To find more of her work send her an email (CrystalRaindropShop@gmail.com) or visit her website www.CrystalRaindropShop.com.

For the Kids!

Caitlyn + The BMH Team