Lori on November 10th, 2011

Last year our Christmas in Acholiland was a huge success!!  We hope that 2011 is exactly the same.   Please share this link with everyone you know!

I tuned my radio to my favorite station today and they are playing Christmas music from now until the holiday is over.  It is the time of year when holiday music rings through car stereos and shopping experiences are full of jingle bells, decorations and lights bringing a warm atmosphere and new life to homes across America as families gather together.  We go on a mission for that perfect gift for our loved ones, and then overdo it just because we can.  This is the season of Love, resounding Joy and the season of family.

We reported this last year:   Last year the average American spent the following during the holiday:

Gift Recipients
Family members: $431
Themselves: $119.82
Friends: $94.52
Miscellaneous: $43.50
Co-workers: $26.70
Total: $750.68

These are only the gifts we gave. As we all know, there are houses and yards to light up; trees to decorate; cards to write or print, stamp and mail; flowers, food and candy to buy; travel plans to confirm…and on average each American family that traveled spent $2000 for the holiday last year!

As we watch our children open their gifts on Christmas, please remember the 147 million orphans worldwide who won’t receive a gift from a parent, or anyone.

What about the orphans?  The children with no family, in war affected areas, children orphaned by AIDS, children who have no idea about Christmas?

You can make Christmas possible for these children!

These are children who suffer daily just through their daily life.   As we celebrate this season with our families we must remember those who cannot and will not be celebrating.  But we have an opportunity to change that for a few children in Northern Uganda, and you can help!!!  This holiday season remember our Acholi children who live in survival mode each day.

Some of these children for the first time ever, will receive the love of God through new shoes, new mattresses and a family Christmas feast!!!

Would you consider giving if your gift didn’t include something that goes under a tree? What if your gift allowed children to rest above the ground cleanly and safely as they sleep on a new mattress replacing filthy rags over mattresses soaked with urine, mud and years of wear? What if your gift allowed children to walk for miles without their feet touching soil.  New shoes would bring new life to these precious souls.  What if your gift would allow the children to eat until full without worry that there will never be any more??

Only you can help us make this happen for our children!  You do not need to have a PayPal account to donate.  Simply select Pay by Credit Card Option after clicking the button.

Here is what we need to make this happen:

$250 for the bull (yes a bull) for the celebratory feast  They will also dry the left over meat for future meals

Donate a Bull or a Part of the Bull to the Children:

Bull Donation Options
In Honor or Memoriam

Donate a Live Chicken that the children can enjoy throughout the year, meat and eggs!

Chicken Donation Options
In Honor or Memoriam

$25 each sleeping mattress per child and caretaker (They need about 30)

Orphan Bedding Options

$30 for each child to have shoes, clothing and pay for their meals for the next month  (there are 35)

Shoes, Clothing and Food Donation

$50 for each caregiver that has worked without any pay whatsoever for every single day.  This will give them encouragement and allow them to buy necessary items they need for their own lives.   (there are 4 of these) Please ask yourself how can you help us make a difference this Holiday for these children?  How can we bless the adults that care for them selflessly without pay?

Love Offering for Caregiver

Donate Any Amount to the Christmas Celebration in Acholiland!!

We need to buy the following so any amount of donation can go towards that!:

  • Bales of used clothing $300.00
  • Entertainment (we hire a stereo system that will cost us $250.00
  • Other Food:   1 sack of rice $150.00, cooking oil $45.00, sodas $150.00, potatoes $50.00

Make payable to “Little Miracles International” on the “for” identification line of the check, please write the project name “Christmas in Acholiland” and send to:

Christmas in Acholiland
Little Miracles International
PO BOX 19776
Amarillo, Texas 79114

What in that great list of gifts of American spending each year above, can you give up to give a needy at risk child this season?

The children deserve what we can afford, and we must show them the love of God on this holiday season.

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Lori on November 22nd, 2011

A Christmas Story From Jeannie Lorin, President of Beauty Society, Inc.

Many, many children n Jamaica live in ‘blissful poverty’.  The country is not so ‘third world’ that they are cut off from the rest of us.  They are smart and keenly aware of how we live because of television, internet access and wealthy people from all over that come to their country to vacation. The sad part is they know that other children around the world have so much more than they do, including how we here in the US and other countries, have our annual visit from Santa.

A close friend of mine Stayce Smith, from San Antonio Texas who lives part-time in Jamaica was asked by some Jamaican children recently if she believes in Santa. She said, “Of course!”. She explained to them that everyone believes in Santa, the kids replied, “Why does Santa not come to Jamaica?” She was heartbroken, more children chimed in and one child told her that they tell the younger children are told Santa was killed by a helicopter in an attempt to make them feel better about being left out, each and every year. That conversation, the mere thought that there are kids who feel that they are not good enough for Santa’s sleigh and reindeer to make a stop during his Christmas night around the world, has speared this ONE LOVE – ONE SANTA Christmas drive.

Teaming up with Little Miracles International, Beauty Society, with the help of Stacye Smith, all of you have the ability to make this a reality for some of the children in Jamaica. This will be the first year some of the kids of Montego Bay will see Santa! His first stop is the Montego Bay Public Hospital, a local hospital /orphanage. The kids will get to visit with Santa, and receive a small gift. A gift that will bring them joy and hope.

The process has begun.  An initial donation has been sent to some wonderful friends in Jamaica, and we have even shipped Santa’s suit!  Arrangements have been made for inexpensive toys, food and essentials to be given to needy kids. The wonderful people of Jamaica are so excited about this that hundreds are asking to volunteer in any way they can.  There is even a family that is donating some of their livestock (their own food) from the family farm to be the main course at a Christmas Feast in Santa’s honor.

Small children believe in Santa Claus but very few Jamaican homes have chimneys. So the Jamaican Santa shrinks in size to fit through the keyhole of the front door to a home! We just know our Jamaican Santa will fit just perfectly!

Please donate what you can, just $3.00 will bring love, joy, dignity and self respect to a child in Jamaica. You will feel overjoyed by knowing  that such a small sacrifice from you will be an enormous gift of generosity to these children.   So very little on your part will mean so much this Christmas.   Help Santa make his way up the mountain from Montego Bay this year…it will be a long journey, but Santa always arrives just in time!

There are two ways to donate:

Donate by PayPal by clicking on stocking below: (tax deductible contribution)

Another way to donate is to purchase a handmade Beauty Society denim and satin tote bag, a replica of one I purchased on my trip to Jamaica. They are fabulous trendy and hand made by mother for this cause! $5.00 from the purchase of the tote bag will go directly to the ONE LOVE – ONE SANTA cause. You will also receive a $5.00 Beauty Society Gift Certificate good towards a future purchase with your tote bag order. Tote bags are $25.00 and can be purchased through your Beauty Society rep or through www.beautysociety.com. Supplies are extremely limited as they are hand made, please order early.

Please also know that every penny is going directly to Santa visit!

Yes Jamaica there is a Santa Claus, and he’s coming to town!

All The Love,
Jeannie Lorin
President and CEO
Beauty Society, Inc.
Beauty ~ Wealth ~ Humanity

Lori on January 17th, 2011

I wanted to let the sponsors and donors know that I have arrived in Uganda.   I’m thrilled to be back again to serve these beautiful people and the orphans that we all love so much.

I will update you on my travels as I go and I will cherish your prayers for my 6 week journey!