News - at long last!

We have been very busy for the past few months!

Intern Amy has been a real worker bee, researching, phone calling, emailing, hobnobbing, paper writing, and much, much more. We have been conferencing and planning and yes...scheming!

A plan is coming together. Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? A plan to directly help disabled orphans in Ukraine. I wish I could share more details with you, because it is very exciting to imagine the possibilities! But, we have yet to secure the approvals that we need to begin our pilot program.

Please pray that the correct route to approval and implementation would be made abundantly clear to us and that hearts would be touched and softened along the way.

In other news, Project TLC has been invited to return to the institution in Crimea. We are putting together a small team for a trip tentatively set for October 2012. This time we will be permitted to work with the children, praise God!

We are taking baby steps. Will you take them with us?

Welcome Amy!

Please help Project TLC welcome Amy Patterson as our new intern! Amy is a graduate student in Cultural Studies at the University of Washington and mother of a beautiful young girl with Down Syndrome. She shares our passion and love for individuals with disabilities. She is a fantastic asset to our team!

Project TLC was never ever intended to be just another organization that ships diapers and formula to orphanages. There is a need for that, but we know firsthand that the children those things and more. 

Project TLC is pleased to have been able to distribute donations of diapers, hygenic supplies, cleaning supplies, school supplies and more. We are overjoyed that we were able to replace some drafty windows and help the children stay warmer this winter. You helped us to accomplish these things! We hope to continue! We thank you heartily!

But now, how do we truly improve the lives of these children? We would like to turn our attention to the intangible ways of making a difference. Things like eye contact, tender words, loving touch, stable relationships. Ask a parent of a post-institutionalized child what a difference those things could have made in the life child. It's huge.

Amy is already hard at work with us! We are building frameworks for new programs, researching existing ones, making connections and strategic partnerships. Although things seem quiet on the surface, we are paddling furiously under the water. 

There is much work to do, much information to wade through, and many children who are presently suffering. Won't you please pray that God would continue to bless our efforts and keep connecting us with the right people to get this job done?

~Stephanie

The Windows!

We received word recently that the new energy efficient windows for the mental institution have been installed! We were sent some wonderful photos, too. Take a look:

Here you see one side of one wing of the building. We took this photo in November. You will notice that there are a few newer windows already installed, the white ones. The brown windows are around 60 years old.

The brown wooden windows are rotted and missing pieces here and there. We were told that some of the windows we replaced were literally falling out of the building.

Here are the beautiful new windows delivered and waiting for installation.

First things first. Demolition! The children in this room were moved to a different area for the day.

That is a BIG window! Those are some thick concrete walls!

Fitting the beautiful new windows.

Proud of a job well done!

As the job was being finished, some brutally cold weather set in, record breaking cold weather. These windows were installed just in time. There is some concrete work that would have to wait until warmer weather. 

Thank you for partnering with Project TLC to help the bedridden and disabled orphans to stay warm this winter.

Fun with cupcakes!

Cupcakes for a Cause was a super fun event! Held on February 4th, we had 7 professional teams and 11 amateur teams competing for prizes and donations to Project TLC. We were so happy to include celebrity judges Rene Steven of Spangles, Inc., Alaina Fenton, Miss Kansas contestant, and Pastor Brent Warkentin of First Mennonite Brethren Church.

I was really blown away by the positive reaction of the people who attended, and the creativity of our contestants. We had several youngsters competing and just look at this great big plywood Project TLC heart!

The kissy monkey was guarding the donation bucket.

Another display done by a young lady.

These Snickers cupcakes took top honors, made by Ashlyn from A and K Cupcakes - a teenager competing in the professional division!

Testing out the PowerPoint presentation...Theo, larger than life.

Conversation hearts anyone?

Cherry limeade - my personal favorite.

Beautiful displays.

Super cute, huh?

Quality control.

Take a close look at that cupcake. How on earth did she get a heart shape baked in the center?

Super cute, huh? The entire room smelled like sugar and there were plenty of sticky fingers. Should I hand out wet-wipes next year?

Classy. Busy B Cakery

I just love this!

Such beautiful displays! Confection.

I really wanted to try these fluffy ones.

So creative! Totally Cake's

Someone was up very late welding this beauty!

This event raised $2388 for Project TLC. Not bad for our very first year, right? We are already hard at work evaluating and adjusting things for next year's event. It will be bigger and better. If you would like to participate in the event next year or assist with the organization, please email Stephanie at ProjectTLC@cox.net.

Cupcakes for a Cause

Project TLC is excited to present Cupcakes for a Cause - Valentine Edition!

Join us at First Mennonite Brethren Church, 8000 W. 21st N. in Wichita Kansas for this exciting event. Proceeds will benefit Project TLC and our programs to improve the lives of Ukrainian Orphans. Admission to the event is free. Come taste a couple of artfully presented cupcakes and vote for your favorite with your donation.

Professional level competitors include:

Busy B Bakery

Totally Cakes
Confection

Celestial Cakes

Sweetly Scrumptious

A 'n' K Cupcakes

We are still accepting amateur and professional level entries for this event. If you would like to show off your baking and decorating skills, and support a great cause, we would love for you to join the fun. Register as an individual or a team. Find the entry form HERE. We have a great lineup of prizes for our top cupcake artists, including:

Four passes to Rock River Rapids

One night as the Spring Hill Suites Marriott

$50 at Regal Nail Salon

Massage from Massage Envy

Dinner at Olive Garden

Dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse

...and much, much more!

See ya in Crimea?

Do you feel the need to give of yourself? Share your faith? Love the unloved?

Do you want to learn about the struggles that orphans in Ukraine face? Do you want to build long-term relationships with our brothers and sisters working there?

As soon as Project TLC began last year, I started receiving messages and emails from people who were interested in serving on a mission trip to Ukraine. At that time we didn't have programs or partnerships in place to discuss mission trips. Well, the time to talk and plan is suddenly upon us!

I am very pleased that the Lord has seen fit to connect Project TLC with The Least of These. If you have never heard of this ministry, I would encourage you to visit their website and do some digging. (Check out the team member testimonials!) I can't say enough nice things about this ministry and the people behind it. They were very hospitable and helpful to Project TLC, assisting us with many of the logistics for our Fall 2011 trip.

I'd like to invite you to experience serving in Ukraine this summer with Project TLC and The Least of These. It is a win-win situation...life changing for you and the children you will reach. More info HERE.

If you wish to serve in Ukraine this summer with The Least of These and Project TLC, it is very important to make your decision and start raising your funds very soon The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship,commonly referred to as Euro 2012 will be hosted by Poland and Ukraine between June 8 and July 1, 2012. It's a BIG deal in Ukraine and you'll want to have travel arrangements in place as soon as possible.

For more information email projectTLC@cox.net or tlot@theleastofthese.org.

See ya in Crimea? Can't wait!

2011 Fall Trip - part four

After accompanying us into the valley of despair, the Lord graciously guided Project TLC to a mountaintop that afternoon. A place where we could see great things that are happening and wonderful things that are possible. Hope Haven.

We learned about this place in October, seemingly by accident - a single little Facebook post that could easily have been missed. Since I, Stephanie, don't believe in accidents, I give credit to God for pointing this place out to us.

Hope Haven, is a school for children with special needs. I hope that you will take the time to read through their website and see all the ambitious plans they have. I also hope that you will consider sponsoring a child at Hope Haven.

They have lots of great equipment for the children, all donated and shipped from the U.S.A. 

Look! An indoor play area! The children can get some sunshine and play, even when the weather is too cold or wet to go outside.

The facility has heated floors, which we greatly appreciated! We all took our shoes off at the door and walked around with toasty toes. I'm sure the children enjoy this as well. What a bright and pretty music room!

AFO's for all!

Therapy room that actually gets used!

Walkers anyone?

Here you are privileged to witness the absolute cleanest and most accessible restroom in the entire nation of Ukraine. If you have ever been to Eastern Europe, you will understand what a monument this is! And there are a couple of other restrooms in this school that are just as beautiful.

Look! An American school bus! This bus is equipped with a lift that makes it possible for the children in wheelchairs to attend.

Visiting this rare and wonderful school was an uplifting experience for us. We will share more about the school and their needs in the future.