A Generous Outpouring

That's what we felt over the last couple of weeks.  It has been amazing to see our friends (we really do consider our customers our friends, and many of our friends are our customers) pour out so generously to a cause we give our whole-hearted support to.  Because of your generosity, we were able to raise $250 for the Hurst family!!!!  Can you believe it??  That money will be matched thanks to a matching grant the family received.  Our $250 will do $500 worth of good for this family!  That's $500 closer to this mama having her sweet baby in her arms and with the rest of the family where she belongs.  It has been an unusually long road for this family and as we have followed along with the progress (or non-progress) our hearts have become more deeply attached to seeing this family have a successful adoption.  Even though this fundraiser is over, we ask that each of you join us in continuing to PRAY for this family as they move closer to bringing Ellie home.

To follow Ellie's journey go here.

Thanks again for partnering with us as we help make a difference one child and one family at a time.

From a Mama...

We would like to share with you something that Katie, the mom of the Hurst Family wrote. Please consider helping them. Just a small contribution of 20$ will you get you something special, BUT will be live changing for a little girl waiting to come home.
You can shop right here or shop right on our Facebook page here.

From Katie, Ellie's Mom~

We first saw Ellie about 3 years ago on Rainbow Kids. For a long time we have advocated for a family for her. Slowly, over time she grew in our hearts until it became unbearable to think of anyone else parenting this girl. We loved her, adored her! So, this winter we began the process of adopting her and making her officially a Hurst! When people hear of our adoption they want to know our heart, they want to know our thoughts. But sometimes that feels harder to put words to than it should. We have always tried to put The Lord first in our lives. We've failed many times, but that is our priority as a family. In living this way God impressed on our hearts to adopt a waiting child. First, we brought home Simon 15 months ago and watched God work miracles in is life. Our kids that came to us from other places do have special needs and I don't mind sharing them, but I always want to be careful in the way that I portray it. They are really beautiful people that God has allowed to live differently than us. But I never want those needs to define them to anyone else, to us or to them. Simon has thalassemia B major and requires a blood transfusion every three weeks. Ellie was born with no eyes. We often hear others saying that we have so much on our plate, and I suppose we do. But our hearts are overflowing with joy and love! We have our trials, we have our moments of wanting to be lazy and not head out to doctor yet again, but not to the extent of ever regretting our choices. When people think of our family I don't care if they remember our names, if they remember our faces, but I hope that later, when talking about us they remember that one family that just loved God, and followed Him into the unknown. I want what we do to be pleasing to God, and part of that is being able to parent these special blessings. Ellie is our beautiful, beautiful daughter who just happens to not have eyes, lives on the other side of the orphanage and requires the marathon of a lifetime to bring her home to us. We feel incredibly blessed that others want to join in on this journey.

Is it a REAL problem?

These are statistics that can be found anywhere, I took these from the UNICEF.

There is an estimated 143 million orphans worldwide. Some go as high as an estimated 210 million.

8 million children live in institutional care.

Everyday 5760 more children become orphans.

250,000 children are adopted each year.
However 14, 505, 000 children grow up as orphans and will age out of the system.

10-15% of orphans commit suicide before age 18.

60% of orphans that are girls will become prostitutes.
70% of male orphans will become hardened criminals.
1.2 million children trafficked every year.

Every 2.2 seconds another orphan ages out of the system, with no family, and no home.


Yes. I think there is a problem.
We spend our money on what we put value on.

There is not a shortage of fast food, designer boutiques or sports arena's.

But there IS a shortage of families.

Yes. There is a problem.
YOU can help. WE can help.
Let's do something BIG!

From the Passenger Seat

This week we're pushing for the support of the Hurst family as they work toward bringing their sweet girl home to her forever family.  We want you to support them.  This is important work.  WE feel it's important.  The Hurst family feels it's important.  Several of our friends feel it's important.  But do YOU feel it's important?  Maybe you don't.  Why should you?  I'd like for you to ride in the passenger seat with me.

You see, I'm a passenger, too.  I don't drive the bus, so to speak.  As my Dad would say, "I don't have a dog is this fight." My husband and I aren't adopting.  Neither of us are adopted.  God blessed us with four beautiful children.  Our cup runs over.  Literally, some days.  No really, I over-filled my coffee cup this morning because I was trying to pour my coffee and direct lunch box construction at the same time.  It was a mess.  We have been blessed, and are content with what God has given us.  We have not been called into adoption.  But that doesn't get us out of taking care of orphans (or widows, for that matter, but we'll save that for another day).
 

We're Christians, so we're driven by a desire to live our lives as laid out for us in scripture.  James 1: 27 (CEB) says this:  "True devotion, the kind that is pure and faultless before God the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their difficulties and to keep the world from contaminating us."  It doesn't say HOW we're supposed to care for orphans (or widows, but, again...later).  God's good like that.  He's gives us flexibility in how we carry out His work.  I can help orphans by supporting those who adopt them.  I may not be in a place in my home or family to take on additional children, but that doesn't mean I'm off the hook.  It means just the opposite:  I have to find creative ways to do this work.  One way I can do that is by prayer.  I can pray for this family, this child and many, many others like them.  Even if you can't afford to shop with us and support this family financially, you CAN pray for them.  I can also support this family and many like them financially, by giving a donation directly to their cause.  Did you know you can do that on our shop website??  You can also support them financially and help raise awareness for adoption by purchasing one of our products on the website.  Even if you're not a Christian, you are a citizen of this world and this family is trying to make it a better place.  Won't you join with them?  Partner with us as we partner with them.  None of us can change the world alone, but together we can make a big difference.

While I have not discussed it in this post, adoption is very personal to me in a pretty unique way.  I promise to discuss it more when the time is right.  For now, come back everyday for a new story and a new perspective on what has become our passion.

It's a little funny (in a stalker kind of way) how I've become so involved in the Hurst Family's life.
When my husband came home from his 2nd deployment we were on recruiting orders and just KNEW we were going to be staying in Texas (our home state). However, between God's plan for my life and the reality that this was the Army...it wasn't exactly Texas.
So off to Michigan (?!?!?!) we went. The people we met in those three years have become some of my dearest, loved friends.  Fast forward to 2014 and for eight months my family has been praying over children we read about and see on Reece's Rainbow. An amazing organization that helps with special needs adoptions all over the world. I see that sweet Ellie has a family! Thank you prayers to God immediately! But wait, that family, The Hust Family. I know them, or at least know OF them. We share the sweetest friend in common. I did a little "stalking" and YES they are who I thought they were and there could not be a better match for a family.

The Hurst's have four children at home with them. Their daughter is thrilled to now have a sister on her side with three brothers! I've seen the photo shoot where they tell the children It's a Sister! and the faces, oh my goodness, the love is from ear to ear! Adoption is not new to this family, nor is China. They've done this before, and know how difficult the entire process is, however, they were called for adoption, and they answered YES. They had been praying for Ellie for a long time, thinking she had been adopted. When they found out she actually was still waiting, they knew they had to rescue her.

To see the beautiful Ellie take a look here webearthelight.com They update this blog regularly. You can read all about the adoption, financial needs and see pictures of Ellie herself.
I encourage you to read her posts. I especially was touched by One Small Act. She shared how just a small amount can do GREAT things! I am praying that you will be moved to donate and help us make a small difference in this huge event.  You help put a family together AND you can get awesome Markers & Mud product! Win/Win!

Shop the fundraiser right here on this website or you shop on our facebook page here.

We are offering special tshirts, fine art prints and note cards with our original adoption design but you can also get our home. collection shirts & note cards, color collection note cards or even custom shirts and note cards as part of this fundraiser. There has never been a better time to shop!

Please say a prayer for the Hurst Family and spread this fundraiser to all you know, let's get Ellie home to her family fast as we can!

Today could just be the day you go spend $5 at Starbucks or $60 at Target with no real value in your day, OR today could be the day you give a little to bring.a.child.home. Simple as that.

When we merged our business efforts we promised that giving was going to be a MAJOR part of Markers & Mud. So this new announcement should not be a surprise. We have been able to make donations to several causes that we are proud to support (friends adoption efforts & Red Cross to name a few). However, we've wanted to do more. 

This is our more.

Adoption Fundraisers.

I have been moved by the song from Hillsong United-Oceans (where feet may fail). Listening to it over and over and scrolling through the faces of children who need families. In January of this year my husband and I made an agreement to pray daily for our family, these children and where adoption fits in our lives. More on our story later in this fundraiser. Through this, is where I came up with the Adoption Design. 

{and YES we can customize it for you, names, hearts on locations etc.}

We are praying that we can share the story of a family. The story of a love that some of us run from.

To open eyes, and open hearts for the orphans in this world that we are commanded to take care of.  

My prayer is that you will help us and we can make a difference, one child, one family at a time. 

Our first family is someone I know from our time in Michigan. I will be introducing you to them over the next week, as well as Haley and I sharing personal thoughts on Adoption. We would encourage you to shop our Adoption Fundraiser. This campaign for this family will run for 10 days, ending August 13, 2014. We are trying to raise funds specifically for a grant matching opportunity they have been blessed with.  

The Adoption merchandise includes note cards, t shirts and fine art prints. All includes free shipping to you. All priced at $20 with all the proceeds (minus 5$ to help with the printing/shipping costs) will be given to the family's adoption fund.

ANY additional sales from our shop will also contribute to the donation that will be made by Markers & Mud.

You are also able to "donate" without purchase of product right here on our shop.

Keep up with us this week right here and on FB, it's going to be life changing!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Well, maybe not the chicken dinner, but we have winners!!  We're a little late getting this out, but we recently took part in a contest and blog hop over at The Review Wire.  We provided items for the grand prize as well as running our own contest as part of the blog hop.  Casey and Sarah were our winners, but we truly feel WE were the real winners.  We now have tons of new friends and we're so excited that they've joined us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and here on the blog.  While this contest is over, we hope all our new friends will stick around to see what the future brings for Markers & Mud!