We are distributing 1300 beds this week throughout Gulu. It is our largest single distribution to date. Follow our blog all week to read the stories of the trip.
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| Sweet Sleep distributes 300 mattresses in Gulu Uganda |
Monday, February 13, 2012
Gulu First Bed Distribution
We are distributing 1300 beds this week throughout Gulu. It is our largest single distribution to date. Follow our blog all week to read the stories of the trip.
Hello Gulu!
Day 2 in Uganda for our team began with a 7:00 breakfast. After hearing the rooster next door and the Muslim call to prayer at 5 am, this wasn’t too much of a stretch.
We enjoyed a colorful, bumpy and dusty ride out to an orphanage to attend church with the kids and their caregivers. We were immediately surrounded with joyful faces giving big hugs and welcoming us. Mary Virginia and Josephine met with some of the elders of the orphanage who make the magazine beads and bracelets that are sold at Sweet Sleep and we purchased some of their wonderful new creations. While that was going on, Paul and Jen interviewed some of these women to hear their life stories. The rest of the team was busy getting to know the kids and had a ball.
The orphanage campus is surprisingly expansive and beautiful, with several buildings and a school. A soccer field sits in the middle of all the buildings and a swing set under a big shade tree. Following church the children were excited to show us their beds and mosquito nets that were provided to them through Sweet Sleep in the summer of 2009. Each bed was perfectly made and you could tell that they took great pride in their beds and bibles!
As we finished up at the orphanage, we were all extremely thirsty and were looking forward to buying some cases of bottled water for our six hour van(s) ride to Gulu in the northern part of Uganda. Twenty minutes into our trip, one of the vans broke down and was stuck on the side of the road. After some masterful planning and strategic coordination by Josephine and our driver, Jack, another van arrived and we were caravanning again.
Honestly, driving down the road and looking out the window is literally indescribable and is difficult to put into words. It was like watching a movie! Fresh produce. Goats. Thin cows and giant poisonous storks. Fried meat on a skewer. Dusty mopeds. Wrapped up babies on mommies backs. Potholes. Thousands of waving children, curious and smiling. Handmade bricks, and huts of all shapes and sizes. Campfires. It was mesmerizing. Darkness came and we continued to dodge potholes, oncoming trucks, and pedestrians. The nighttime breeze was a welcomed change from the sun and dust from a long day of driving.
We arrived to the Watoto House this evening around 8:30pm and were welcomed with open arms by the staff and Jennifer, our program director in Gulu. A warm meal was waiting and we love our new home for the week! Thank you for your prayers! Please keep them coming!
Tim and Mary Virginia
We enjoyed a colorful, bumpy and dusty ride out to an orphanage to attend church with the kids and their caregivers. We were immediately surrounded with joyful faces giving big hugs and welcoming us. Mary Virginia and Josephine met with some of the elders of the orphanage who make the magazine beads and bracelets that are sold at Sweet Sleep and we purchased some of their wonderful new creations. While that was going on, Paul and Jen interviewed some of these women to hear their life stories. The rest of the team was busy getting to know the kids and had a ball.
The orphanage campus is surprisingly expansive and beautiful, with several buildings and a school. A soccer field sits in the middle of all the buildings and a swing set under a big shade tree. Following church the children were excited to show us their beds and mosquito nets that were provided to them through Sweet Sleep in the summer of 2009. Each bed was perfectly made and you could tell that they took great pride in their beds and bibles!
As we finished up at the orphanage, we were all extremely thirsty and were looking forward to buying some cases of bottled water for our six hour van(s) ride to Gulu in the northern part of Uganda. Twenty minutes into our trip, one of the vans broke down and was stuck on the side of the road. After some masterful planning and strategic coordination by Josephine and our driver, Jack, another van arrived and we were caravanning again.
Honestly, driving down the road and looking out the window is literally indescribable and is difficult to put into words. It was like watching a movie! Fresh produce. Goats. Thin cows and giant poisonous storks. Fried meat on a skewer. Dusty mopeds. Wrapped up babies on mommies backs. Potholes. Thousands of waving children, curious and smiling. Handmade bricks, and huts of all shapes and sizes. Campfires. It was mesmerizing. Darkness came and we continued to dodge potholes, oncoming trucks, and pedestrians. The nighttime breeze was a welcomed change from the sun and dust from a long day of driving.
We arrived to the Watoto House this evening around 8:30pm and were welcomed with open arms by the staff and Jennifer, our program director in Gulu. A warm meal was waiting and we love our new home for the week! Thank you for your prayers! Please keep them coming!
Tim and Mary Virginia
Saturday, February 11, 2012
The Gulu team has landed!
Our Gulu team has landed in Uganda and God was clearly with us on our journey! Many of our team members were able to meet and get acquainted for the first time as we made our way across the world to Africa. All of our flights were on time and there were no weather delays despite the warnings we had previously received! We arrived at the Entebbe airport, after a long day of travel, and were graciously greeted by Sweet Sleep's National Director in Uganda, the beautiful Josephine, her husband Jonathan, and our wonderful drivers Jack and Patrick with warm hugs and bouquets of flowers! What a nice welcome! Best of all, every last piece of luggage arrived in the right place at the right time and all of our generously donated supplies are here! Blessings abound! There has been plenty of evidence that God has called each one of us to serve here in Uganda at this particular time in our lives and I know that this team is going to have an amazing impact on the children of Gulu. Until tomorrow, Sleep Sweetly
Friday, February 10, 2012
You're never too young to help
Children love to help other children. Here is another story of a child who is helping us provide more beds for orphans.
When Toby Ryan turned three, he and his family decided to try something different for his birthday party. Guests were invited to an afternoon of play at the family's local YMCA. Instead of gifts, they were asked to consider a donation to two children's nonprofits: ChemoDuck and Sweet Sleep. From bouncing around in the KidFit area, to playing birthday games with the Y staff — Toby's friends and family had a great time celebrating his life while making a difference in the lives of others.
Today the team from Sweet Sleep left for Gulu Uganda to deliver 1300 beds, bedding, Bibles and nets to HIV positive orphans and other vulnerable children. This is very exciting because it is the largest single bed installation for us to date. We partner with Health Alert Uganda, healthalertuganda.wordpress.com, an organization that offers prevention, care and support services for children infected and affected with HIV/AIDS in Uganda. Mosquito nets are especially important because HIV positive children already have a lowered immune system, making malaria more dangerous to them. Check back on Monday when we will have stories from the team.
Every weekday in February Sweet Sleep is Sharing Love through stories from individuals, churches and other partners who have helped us show love to orphans around the world by giving them a bed.
Go to www.sweetsleep.org/sharinglove and find out more about Sharing Love.
Be a part of this life changing ministry by giving a one time donation or Be a Bedhead and help provide beds each month for orphans across the world.
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Forcey Bible Church
The 3rd-5th grade boys and girls at Forcey Bible Church in Silver Spring, MD collected nickels and other coins to benefit Nickel’s for Nets, Sweet Sleep’s malaria prevention initiative. Nickel’s for Nets not only raises money to buy mosquito nets for orphans, but also educates children on the importance of using mosquito nets in other parts of the world. Without these nets, children are susceptible to malaria and its dangerous, deadly effects.
Tomorrow a team from Sweet Sleep leaves for Gulu Uganda to deliver 1300 beds, bedding, Bibles and nets to HIV positive orphans and other vulnerable children. This is very exciting because it is the largest single bed installation for us to date. We partner with Health Alert Uganda, healthalertuganda.wordpress.com, an organization that offers prevention, care and support services for children infected and affected with HIV/AIDS in Uganda. Mosquito nets are especially important because HIV positive children already have a lowered immune system, making malaria more dangerous to them.
Every weekday in February Sweet Sleep is Sharing Love through stories from individuals, churches and other partners who have helped us show love to orphans around the world by giving them a bed.
Go to www.sweetsleep.org/sharinglove and find out more about Sharing Love.
Be a part of this life changing ministry by giving a one time donation or Be a Bedhead and help provide beds each month for orphans across the world.
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Spring Back Recycling
Spring Back Recycling is a non-profit that exists to break down mattresses and build up lives. Its mission is to provide sustainable employment and small business training for formerly incarcerated men and women. Launched in March of 2011 as a partnership between Belmont University's Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team and Belmont Church's Isaiah 58 ministry, Spring Back's mission is to provide sustainable employment and small business training for formerly incarcerated men and women.
- One of a kind handcrafted magazine jewelry from Uganda
- Handmade scarves made by FashionABLE
- Long and short sleeve Sweet Sleep t-shirts
- Stay-Dri Team Sweet Sleep shirts for runners
- Hats, blankets, Tervis Tumblers and more!
Would you like to be a part of Sweet Sleep's life changing ministry? Click here to find out how you can also Share Love to orphans around the world by giving them a bed.
Every weekday in February Sweet Sleep is Sharing Love through stories from individuals, churches and other partners who have helped us show love to orphans around the world by giving them a bed.
Go to www.sweetsleep.org/sharinglove and find out more about Sharing Love.
Be a part of this life changing ministry by giving a one time donation or Be a Bedhead and help provide beds each month for orphans across the world.
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Brooke Builds a Bed
Russ and Jennifer heard about Sweet Sleep through Brentwood Baptist Church. One night, as Russ was putting his 4-year-old daughter, Brooke, to bed he told her that some children don’t have nice beds like hers. He said that their church helped buy beds for orphan children in other countries. Brooke told her dad that she wanted to buy a bed for a child. They found some information at the church about Sweet Sleep and went for a visit to the Sweet Sleep offices in Brentwood, TN. There they picked up a free Build-a-Bed Family Kit. This kit gives parents an opportunity to educate their children on the orphan crisis in our world today. It contains 4 lessons that engage children and emphasize to them the importance of helping those in need and sharing the love of Christ. The kit also includes a Build-a-Bed and Nickels for Nets bank boxes and lists different ideas families can use to raise money for Sweet Sleep. One box holds about $8 in change which Brooke used to help buy a bed.
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| Brooke, Russ, Jennifer and Sweet Sleep Founder Jen Gash |
Raising money for Sweet Sleep is easier than you think. Did you know that:
- $8 provides a mosquito net to orphans in Africa or Haiti.
- $10 provides a Bible to an orphan in his or her language.
- $50 provides a bed and bedding for orphan resettlement kits in northern Uganda.
- $125 provides a healthy, comfortable new Sweet Sleep bed for a child in Africa.
- $167 provides a complete Sweet Sleep bed for an orphan in Haiti.
- $200 provides a comfy Sweet Sleep bed for a Moldovan orphan.
Be a part of this life changing ministry by giving a one time donation or Be a Bedhead and help provide beds each month for orphans across the world.
Every weekday in February Sweet Sleep is Sharing Love through stories from individuals, churches and other partners who have helped us show love to orphans around the world by giving them a bed.
Go to www.sweetsleep.org/sharinglove and find out more about Sharing Love.
Monday, February 06, 2012
3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, First Baptist Church Lawrenceburg KY
August 2011 a group of 4 students from First Baptist Church Lawrenceburg KY were challenged by their student pastor, Rich Smith, to choose an organization to support through a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. The students got together to think about what choice they would make and remembered Sweet Sleep. These students became very excited about raising money to buy beds and Bibles for orphans in Haiti. Their goal was to raise $2,100 dollars. The students raised $1,600. However, the church quickly saw the passion these students had for supporting such a great cause and they began to give more. As the church began to give as a whole the amount began to get closer to the goal. Before all was said and done the students were able to raise $3,770, which was almost doubled their original goal! This story is an incredible story of a church working together to make a difference in the lives of orphans around the world!
Every weekday in February Sweet Sleep is Sharing Love through stories from individuals, churches and other partners who have helped us show love to orphans around the world by giving them a bed.
Go to www.sweetsleep.org/sharinglove and find out more about Sharing Love.
Be a part of this life changing ministry by giving a one time donation or Be a Bedhead and help provide beds each month for orphans across the world.
Friday, February 03, 2012
Alana’s Story
Go to www.sweetsleep.org/sharinglove and find out more about Sharing Love.
Sweet Sleep Trick or Treat
Be a part of this life changing ministry by giving a one time donation or Be a Bedhead and help provide beds each month for orphans across the world.
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Fun Run/Walk- “Huff and Puff Before You Stuff”
Go to www.sweetsleep.org/sharinglove and find out more about Sharing Love.
“Huff and Puff Before You Stuff” Fun Run/Walk
On Thanksgiving Day 2011, Matt Hershey and his family put on their 2nd annual 1 mile family fun run/walk. The event, which they call “Huff and Puff Before You Stuff,” was held in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. It started with 42 participants the first year and grew to 110 participants the second year. Overall, the groups raised a combined total of over $2,000 for Sweet Sleep, and according to Matt, this shows how “these folks truly want to be about God's Kingdom work, even on a day when many have lots of other family events planned. We have seen friends bring friends, people posting it on Facebook and sending out email blasts, etc. There is no doubt that people want to be a part of something that really matters in His Kingdom. Even when people can't attend they send in money.”
Would you like to be a part of Sweet Sleep's life changing ministry? Click here to find out how you can also Share Love to orphans around the world by giving them a bed.
Be a part of this life changing ministry by giving a one time donation or Be a Bedhead and help provide beds each month for orphans across the world.
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