A Christmas Conspiracy

I wish I had had the foresight to post this video BEFORE black Friday, cyber Monday and all the other magazines and sale flyers crashed relentlessly into mailboxes across America. Oh well.

Last year I bumped into the Advent Conspiracy over on Facebook and I was thrilled. This is a clever and pointed way to tell the body of Christ to stop making Christmas so consumeristic. I'll let the video speak for itself, but I think it is a healthy reminder of what really matters around the holidays. What better way to celebrate the birth of Christ than by furthering His kingdom by extending grace and mercy to those who NEED. The possibilities are endless!

Drumroll Please!

The Lord sure was smiling our way when he opened the door for us to participate at the Christmas Village in Birmingham this weekend. Click HERE for more details on that story. It threw a lot of unexpected work our way these last few days. It has been a bit of a three ring circus at times. At one point we were actually working three separate events simultaneously!

Was it worth it? Oh yeah! After all the paper beads were back in their boxes and the nativities were neatly packed away over $6,500 had been raised for the ministry! Over $5,000 of that income came from our five days of sales at the BJCC. November is off to a good start, y'all!

In addition to the funds raised, we met a lot of fantastic folks who encouraged us. Who knows what other doors will be opened thanks to this fabulous opportunity.

This simple little miracle enforces in my weak heart what I have known to be true all along...God knows our needs, manages the details and can make red seas part when we least expect it.

As we sing in Uganda, "My God is able. My God is able. We shall sing hallelujah, AMEN!"

Christmas Village: A Mini Miracle

The Christmas Village Festival at Birmingham's BJCC is one of the south's largest and most attended craft festivals each year. This event is HUGE. When we applied for a space back in August, vendor space was already sold out. But we placed the ministry's name on the waiting list in case there was a cancellation. We didn't have any real hope that there would be....or that we'd even be chosen in such an event. Well-much to our surprise-a MIRACLE.

Last weekend we were contacted by the coordinator informing us that Pearl Ministries had earned a spot at the show! Not only that-but the entry fee of $410 was waived. WHAT!?! Yes, we just got into the largest event of the season for FREE. God is so good.

Because we had very little hope of getting into the Christmas Village, we went ahead and booked a spot at North Shelby Baptist Church's Christmas Arts and Crafts Show this Friday and Saturday as well. But being double booked isn't a bad thing. It is just more opportunity to make contacts and raise some much needed funds for the children at Ranch on Jesus.

It is going to be busy, though. The Christmas Village at the BJCC runs this Wednesday through Sunday (see their site for specific times) and the Baptist church's indoor market is all day Friday and Saturday. In addition to this we'll be setting up a small table at Samford University this Saturday afternoon during their homecoming. Pray we have endurance, wisdom in coordinating our staff and volunteers and a lot of successful sales!

God often brings wonderful folks by our booths. It is a great chance for us to tell others about Jesus and meet fellow believers who have His heart of love for the fatherless around the globe.

Keep us in prayer, tell your friends and stop by and visit us!

October News Flash!

Pearl Ministries' latest edition of the News Flash is out and up on the website. News Flashes are a monthly mini newsletter highlighting the latest happenings in the ministry. To view the October News Flash click here. This issue is specially packed with Pearl's seasonal campaigns! Check it out to learn how to easily multiply the good of your 2009 holiday season.

If you would like to receive News Flashes or other updates from Pearl Ministries and Ranch on Jesus, please email info@pearlministries.org to sign up for our mailing list!

We're always grateful to hear your opinions and insights related to the material you receive from Pearl Ministries. Your feedback greatly helps us as we develop our publications!

Jewelry Party Christmas Promo!

Want to use the Christmas shopping season to make an impact on Christ's Kingdom...ALL while spending time with family and friends? Contact us about hosting an African Jewelry Party! Give others an opportunity to shop for unique gifts with ALL proceeds benefiting children in Uganda!

Each hostess will receive a FREE long paper bead necklace as our way of saying "thanks."

YOU provide the venue and the crowd. WE'LL provide jewelry, set-up and sales!

A representative of Pearl is always willing and available to run your jewelry party if you live in the southeast. We can even provide you with a template for invitations or e-vite! But don't let location or time limit your impact! Jewelry Parties can take on many shapes and forms. Here are some suggestions/alternatives to hopefully lend you some inspiration!

-Present jewelry at a women's function or Bible Study gathering at your church.

-Partner with neighbors to offer an open house.

-Team up to host with friends, increasing your invite list while minimizing your hosting responsibility.

-Incorporate a small display of products into the holiday party/function you've already planned.

-Sell jewelry outside of a local athletic event or concert.

Beautiful handmade paper beads support working women in Uganda AND vulnerable children!

Hand-carved Soapstone bowls make unique gifts.

More paper beads and trendy, colorful bags.

Use your Christmas gift list to help gift children in need this December! Get involved!

For more information contact us at 205.202.5616 OR crafts@pearlministries.org

PHOTOS! Uganda Trip September 2009

Enjoy these photos of Scott's recent trip to Uganda!

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For larger shots visit the album on my picasa site:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jamielaslo/UgandaTripSept2009?feat=directlink

Born an Orphan

Two weeks ago I made the mistake of checking my email first thing in the morning. Generally I don’t do this, but since I was expecting a particular message I thought I’d be impatient. Because of this, my day did not start well.

There was no reply waiting for me in my inbox, but there was a disturbing message sent from our friend, Pastor Francis, in Mabaale. As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, we have a small developing partnership with Francis and his church, New Life Presbyterian. They care for 64 orphans and operate a small school.

This area of western Uganda is very rural and very poor. Access to clean water, electricity and medical care is severely limited. Stories of loss and heartbreak are common there, but the frequency never seems to diminish their impact.

The email I opened from Francis told the story of a pregnant woman from the church who endured a long, painful labor and due to lack of proper transportation did not arrive in town in time to deliver her baby. She gave birth to a son on the way to Kigadi Hospital and continued to hemorrhage until she died of blood loss shortly thereafter. Baby Joshua was only a few hours old, but he was already an orphan.

You would think that after years of serving in Uganda I would be accustomed to such occurrences…but I’m not. I stared at my laptop in devastation. Feeling angry. Feeling hopeless. Francis wrote that they didn’t know what to do for the baby, how to feed it, etc. They were feeding him drops of water. He sent this photo. I wanted to reach my hand through the screen and grab his tiny fingers. No child should have to lose their mother like this. Especially not on their birthday.

My entire morning was disoriented. I puttered around the house in a tearful haze, making lunches, finding shoes and packing bags. All the while my mind was turning, imagining the last hours of this sister. I never met this woman. I don't even know her name. But I felt responsible. I felt as though I had lost a part of me.

I live within ten miles of five major hospitals. When I was pregnant I knew that if anything happened to me I was moments away from the best medical care in the State of Alabama. The odds of me losing my life in childbirth are one in a million. But for my sisters in most of the world the chance is much greater. It is more like one in a hundred.

I know this is not my doing...that I didn't choose to be born here, that it isn't my "fault." But that morning as the weight of this sister's death pressed heavier and heavier on my chest I did NOT feel grateful to be an American. I did NOT feel privileged, blessed or any of those words you're supposed to feel after learning of others suffering or misfortune. I just felt ugly and annoyed.

My heart murmured at God, "Why does it have to be like this? Why do I have to have so much while others die from nothing?" And this is what my restless heart received: "It doesn't have to be like this. Everything you have is Mine. What you do with it is your decision."

He was right. He always is. I couldn't go back and change the story, but I had a choice about what to do next.

In light of this I am currently assembling a box of items I hope to take to baby Joshua when next we are in Uganda. If you have the ability or desire to donate formula, bottles, clothes, shoes, etc. to include in this box please email me at jamie@pearlministries.org. There are many more babies out there besides Joshua.

I have recently learned that Joshua is being cared for by his aunt. He has been admitted to Ft. Portal Hospital where he is being fed and his condition is stabilizing. But this little boy will have many more battles to face. He will have many needs over the course of his life which his aunt will struggle to meet.

I take comfort in the knowledge that our Father in Heaven takes account of all our tears and stores them in His bottle (Psalm 56). Each sister lost in such heart wrenching ways is more than a statistic to Him. Each child born an orphan is remembered in His book. Joshua's mother can never be replaced in his life, but in Jesus name we can give what we can. We can remember the least of these in our books as well. It doesn't have to "be like this," and if we want to we can start using more of what is His to care for those who NEED it most.