Thanksgiving service project in October...

Okay I am SO excited! John and I have wanted to do something to help our troops and the people of Iraq and our friend Sarah told us about this opportunity (below). I did want to say that I called our Post Office and found out that you can stop and get the flat rate box, come home and fill it (it has to maintain its original shape) and then take it to the post office and they will send it to Iraq for $10.95! They need all sorts of things like kids clothes, toys, hygiene supplies. I am so excited because now I know what to do with a lot of the free medicines and hygiene supplies we have got through deals! Anyway, I think its a great way to serve. I mean I know things are kind of tight around here but really our tight is abundance to most people of the world and I know we all can find some things at home to share with these people. It will all arrive in Iraq around Thanksgiving and what a great way to show our thanks for our country.
The deadline to ship is Saturday though! Here is what Sarah wrote...

I have an acquaintance, Kelly, whose husband is stationed in Iraq right now, by a city named Bartolla, a Christian town. Here's what he had to say about the city and it's people (from Kelly's blog).

Really, though, yesterday was the best day of the deployment for me. To have an entire town swarm us thanking us and wanting to chat was incredible. The older women did this really high pitched howl/whistle thing and other people banged drums and were just having a party. It was great. The best part was how I told you that they take care of their own town. No cops or army, just beefed up neighborhood watch. I have no issues fighting to help those people. They know what freedom is and anyone who tries taking it from them is an enemy of mine. I wish I could better explain how it was to be with those people. I got watery eyes walking the street trying to comprehend the huge difference in the people there and the people in Mosul.

Mosul is the neighboring town and things are not going so well there. You may have heard about it in the news. The Christians in Mosul are fleeing for their lives. They have been told that they need to leave or be killed. Once again from Kelly's blog:

As some know, by talking to me or just by watching the news, the Christians in Mosul are in trouble.. On the speakers that surround the Mosques, instead of the regular prayers being recited every 5 hours, now there are warnings to any and all Christians the leave the city or be killed. Tyler went back to the Christian city Bartolla, that neighbors Mosul. The same city he visited a couple of months ago when he was overwhelmed with the feelings of hope, love and gratitude they had for the US soldiers. The city has changed. Drastically. Most Christians from Mosul have now gone there to get away from the persecution and murderers in Mosul. There are multiple families per home, and they're running out of food, clothing, and medical supplies.

Tyler asked Kelly for help and she in turn has asked all of us to help. You can get all the info here and here. But basically it's this:

At any post office, you can ask for Flat Rate Boxes. To send the largest size box, no matter the weight, it's only $10.95. If you can, get a couple of these and just fill it with stuff you don't need at home. Old clothing that your kids have grown out of, unused tooth brushes, unused tooth paste, band aids, canned goods, even seeds for planting, just anything. This would be an incredible way for you to have a family project and have your kids understand how important it is to give.

Have them draw pictures- and even stick some colored paper and crayons in the boxes as well.
Anything you send will help more than you could ever imagine. If you send a box, 1, 2, 3.. post below. Let's see how many we can get over there.

Please send to:

SPC Tyler E. Adams
C/O Chaplain CPT Pratel
HHC, 1-8 IN BN
UNIT # 43179
APO AE 09334

Please send your packages no later than Saturday, October 25th. With this date, they will have all the boxes by the middle of November and be able to take them to Bartolla and start organizing distribution.

Updated: Its amazing how much you can fit in those boxes! We had so much fun getting ours ready and just kept finding little things that we thought would be good to send and just shoving things down and making more room. I was so proud of Caleb and how into it he got!

Our dentist was also willing to donate toothbrushes and toothpaste so dont be afraid to ask for donations! Hmmm, I wonder if I called a hotel if they would donate soaps and shampoo...what am I talking about my box is full but if anyone else needs and idea!