On December 4th, a friend reposted a post from her sister-in-law on Facebook.
Kara P: Another impactful way to help those in need this holiday season! My wonderful in-laws are living and serving in South Africa for the next several months, helping in so many ways, including working with the St Angela home for disabled children. Read the post for details and a link if you would like to help! Thank you!
Maggie G: In case you are looking for a new, unique and very needy charity to support during this season of giving, my parents (Katie and Gary Parnell) are volunteering with the St Angela Cheshire Home for Disabled Children in Lesotho. As a family we're donating to them for Christmas. I know there are many worthy causes, and there is no pressure, but we’d love your support. The Venmo is G_P... You could give it to me and I’ll send it on to him. We’re doing it this way so that 100% of the money donated goes to the Home.
Read what our parents wrote:
We hear that some of you generous people are thinking of sending Christmas gifts to your wandering parents in Southern Africa.
What would perhaps work better and warm our hearts even more might be to donate to the St Angela Home for Disabled Children. They are in need of "unrestricted" funds to use for staff who have not been paid in months and for unpaid water bills. https://m.facebook.com/St-Angela-Cheshire-Home-For-Disable…/
There are grants that can be applied for, but they almost always specify that their funding cannot be used for salaries or the payment of debts. It would be a nice gesture if the cooks, care givers and others could receive a portion of their back pay before they leave, and regular water will make it so the Home can keep their gardens going (There may be funding available to build a greenhouse, but not to pay for watering it).
We are focusing on sustainability projects in the grants I will apply for. One will be to buy more hens (they have a projected capacity of 1,500). Another will be to install a greenhouse in their large garden area so they can grow vegetables nearly year round to feed the kids and to sell on the market.
I am waiting to see a report on their previous chicken project, but I think the hens cost a little less than $4 each and the greenhouse will come in at less than $4,000. It is easier to get funding from the U.S. Embassy, the Peace Corps Friends of Lesotho, and LDS Humanitarian Services for things like greenhouses and chickens. Nearly impossible to get money for salaries or for payment of debts.
I read this post and then scrolled on. But you know, the thought of it just wouldn't leave my mind. I tried to find the original posting a couple of days later, but couldn't see it in my Facebook feed. And so, I posted a request on Facebook: Someone in my feed posted last week about their parents serving a mission in Africa and taking donations. I can’t find the post or remember who posted it. Can anyone help me out?
I was grateful that I received a response that led me back to the original post by Kara. At this same time, Chris was working on sending out information asking for donations for the Philippines. I talked to him about this post I saw on Facebook. And then I kept feeling the urgency of responding. And so I asked if he would Venmo (a method for transferring cash) money for this request. (Chris has a Venmo account. I don't). I was grateful that we were able to respond to the prompting.
This morning Chris received a note on Facebook from a Gary P who searched Chris out.
We tracked you from your photo on Venmo. We wanted to thank you for the donation you made to the St Angela's Cheshire Home for Disabled Children. We don't know how you heard about the need there, but we appreciate your responding. If it's okay with you, we will take part of your donation and repair the water pump that has been broken. Water is being trucked in. It is summer in Lesotho and having a functioning water pump will be such a God-send. You've answered a lot of prayers with your help. Gary and Katie
Chris responded.
Hi Gary. You found us. I'm going to remove your comment from the public feed if you don't mind...So glad the donation came at the right time! My wife, Jolayne, is friends with Kara and saw her call for help several weeks ago. That plea stirred in Jolayne and she talked about it with me multiple times. I served a mission in the Philippines and continue to be involved in assisting that part of the world now, so I was very focused elsewhere. But my wife persisted that this was where we needed to help. The Spirit works in us for amazing things when we let it. We wish you and your crew the very best merry Christmas. Thank you for serving and caring as the Savior would. That's how you Light the World.
I do not share this to say, "Hey, look at us!" I want you to know that we are truly the Savior's hands on earth. And when the Spirit prompts, and we listen and then take action, marvelous things happen. The magic of giving continues to spread throughout the world.
