NotFatherless reposted this
Running a charity comes with all sorts of crazy stories of overcoming the odds. Here's one from this last Christmas season: For some context, I started my charity NotFatherless in 2017. Since then, we've raised more than $50,000 for children's homes in Mexico. I work with 3 children's homes who take in kids who've lost their parents or whose parents can no longer care for them. On December 5th, 2023, a couple that regularly donates to NotFatherless reached out and said they wanted to buy Christmas gifts for one of our Partnered Children's Homes. With only 20 days until Christmas, it was a tight timeline. But I said, "Absolutely, let's make it happen!" This same couple bought a new fridge and dryer a few years ago for Melody's Children's Home. So, we decided to keep with tradition and bless Casa Melody's (the family in the pics below). The problem was that Casa Melody's is located in Reynosa, which is a 6-hour drive from where I live in Houston. There are also 17 people in their household, ranging from ages 3 to 60! How were we going to get 17 gifts to Mx in time for Christmas?🤔 Over the course of the following 2 weeks, we brainstormed ideas of what the kids might like and tried to figure out how to get them delivered. We didn't want to buy a heap of cheap stuff, either. The donor was adamant the kids get gifts they'll actually enjoy. I reached out to Jaime Mayorga, the co-director of Casa Melody's, to see if he knew if the kids had a list. He replied with a PDF with 3 to 4 gift suggestions for each child in their care. Problem one✅ Next, we needed to know where to send everything. Thankfully, I know two wonderful missionaries (Bruce and Paula Hepburn) who live on the American side of the McAllen/Reynosa border. They allowed us to ship the gifts to their US address. Another problem solved✅ Then came the shopping. Even though Jaime's list had sizes for everyone, online shopping is always an exercise in hope. You never know if you'll get what you think you're buying, or if any of it will fit. Jaime's list had coats, skates, pajamas, and shoes for most of the kids. We searched all over Amazon Prime to see what could get there before Christmas. Remarkably, everything the kids wanted was available and according to the shipping estimate would make it on time! We typed in Bruce and Paula's address, prayed the sizes were accurate, and pressed order. And here's the really crazy part... Everything arrived at Bruce and Paula's on December 23rd and they were generous enough to deliver the gifts to Casa Melody's ON CHRISTMAS DAY! They're a real-life Mr. and Mrs. Claus🎅🤶 Somehow, believe it or not, everything fit!! Jaime told me "Everything is perfect!" So many things came together to make this donation happen that no one person can take the credit. I chalk it up to a Christmas miracle. God works through NotFatherless like this all the time. He always uses the generosity of others to make sure his people are provided for.
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