Counting Gifts as we Cut - a Sole Hope story

To Learn more, go to SoleHope                     

This is a special edition of Multitudes on Mondays... counting gifts all wrapped around my first ever Sole Hope Shoe Cutting Party!

Count with me, won't you?

* - Sole Hope Shoe Cutting Party Kit arriving... filled with info, bookmarks, a DVD with instructions, templates, etc!

* - The excitement of sharing the vision and inviting friends to come and be a part of something that blesses and makes a real difference across ocean and land.

* - Informative Booklet and DVD that gives directions and tips and makes it easy to host a party - even for this NON-sewing-blogger!

* - Gathering supplies and donations ahead of time.

* - Cutting the templates and tracing on material a few days before the party.  (A little prep work is SUPER helpful on the day of the party!)

 * - People are busy and even though I had a dozen or so say they were planning on coming, the closer to the party - the more friends' had things come up and were unable to attend. Instead of stressing out, I believed God would bring who He wanted and we would just have to commit to cutting a bit longer if necessary!

* - I kept it relaxed and low key... no browsing around Pinterest for recipes or party ideas... a trip through the local bakery and produce department, and I was good to go! Easy Peasy!

* - I collected plastic (milk cartons, laundry soap, or plastic binders) and purchased a few extra pairs of scissors - and borrowed a few pairs of Pinking Shears!

* - I set up 'stations' for cutting, tracing, organizing, and then assembling and bundling. 

* - The DVD was great - powerful, short, and to the point!

* - Everyone was ready to get right to work!

* - People brought extra jeans/denim... bags and bags!

Our Barrell was overflowing with Scraps by the end of the Party!

My sweet friends... sisters, really - who came to cut... and count, together!

These Girlies really ARE sisters! 

My party was scheduled from 9am to noon, and by 12pm we had 30 pairs of shoes cut and bundled and ready to be mailed.  My Honey and I finished up the rest of the materials that we had on hand and we ended up with a grand total of 40 pairs of shoes - all cut and organized, marked and ready to be shipped off!

* - FORTY pairs of shoes cut in a little over 3 hours!

* - Quick and Easy clean up!

* - Bonus - the one sister who was unable to come? Yeah - her family owns a small business in town that sells Sewing Machines... so she wants me to host another party, and have it there at the shop - and they will promote it and oh my goodness, who can KNOW how many pairs of shoes we will be able to cut?

All in all, this was a great way to spend a Saturday morning! In just a few hours, we partnered with SoleHope and that means that 40 African Littles who have never had shoes will get a pair to help them stay healthy (and you know there were ALL KINDS of hands laid on these shoes! Praying for each baby...)

...and we count on!  
(Next time I will catch up with my normal Counting of Gifts... numbered, one by one!)

Speak Life. Be Love. Shine On. 
~Karrilee~

Linking up with Ann Voskamp in Counting (beyond) one thousand gifts...

Are you counting too? What ministries or organizations do you support, counting them as the gifts that they are - both in what they do, and how you get to come alongside and help?  I'd love to hear!