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Monday, June 25, 2012

It's Official


This is a post from The Sound of Hope website. I just wanted to share it with my blog readers! Check out these happy faces!


The Founder of the Asha Mission Children's Home flew to India a few weeks ago to buy the land and make sure all the i's were dotted and the t's were crossed. And now that it's OFFICIAL, the children are beside themselves with joy! They know that this means they are one huge step closer to a big, new, permanent home!

Babu, the Founder, took the House Dad and a few of the boys to see the land while he was in India. As you can tell by these pictures, they are really excited to see the place their new home will be!



I love how open this location is, and how lush and green the land is. Those are 2 things you don't see much of in this area of India!



To everyone who gave to this need - whether it was $5 or $5,000 - you have made an extraordinary impact on the lives of these little boys and girls! We are still so humbled and amazed by your support! We know this land will provide a safe place for children to flourish and grow for generations.  It is incredible to think about the hope this place will bring into the lives of orphans and vulnerable children in India - for years and years to come!

Next up is the building project! Babu met with some builders when he was in India and began the process of drawing up plans for the new Children's Home. We will all work together to be sure it meets the government requirements and becomes a healthy place for the children to call home. We are so excited to see this part of the project take shape! We'll keep you updated as Phase 2 begins!

Sunday, June 10, 2012

A Proud Husband

I was never so proud to be Ericka's husband as I was yesterday.

Let me give you the quick back-story. My wife grew up doing pageants, and not just a few, but scores of them! She competed for 19 years - including two trips to Miss Alabama in 2004 and 2005. Now let me tell you, this is quite an accomplishment in itself, because only 48 girls get to compete each year for the right to be called "Miss Alabama". The experiences and friendships from those two years are a big part of who my wife is today.

So, fast-forward to a couple months ago...

At the time we had some extra money from some side work I had been doing, so Ericka comes to me with an idea. She wanted to create a $1,000 scholarship for a Miss Alabama contestant called the IMPACT Award. It would be given to the young lady who was making the greatest impact in the lives of those around her. I loved the idea and said go for it!

Well, yesterday at the Miss Alabama luncheon Ericka got a chance to share some of her story and then present the award. I felt like her words carried so much weight and influence. You see, Ericka didn't win Miss Alabama, nor did she finish in the Top 10. That will be the case for 38 of the 48 girls in that room. Yet Ericka stood there as an example of life on the other side of Miss Alabama. I was so proud!

I was also proud to see who won the award - Beth Milam. She just got back from a mission trip in Haiti 20 days ago. A fitting winner to an award created by my wife!

Beth Milam - 2012 IMPACT Award winner!