Approaching the Finish Line!

We had a big collection weekend!  This was aided by two shipments from fellow VOH supporters in Grand Rapids, MI and the Bible Fellowship Church in Newark, DE.  Also a big thanks to all the EHCC donations that  came in.   The weekend of 10/15-16 will be our last collection weekend.  We are at 3/4 full, with several large things yet to come.  Based on what we are hearing that will come in next weekend, that should fill us up! So, one week left to get your stuff out of the closets and garages and get it down to the container.  Let’s fill it completely!

Neither rain nor snow keeps the container packing team away!

So, What Do You Still Need?

Making Progress

First off, thanks to all of you that have brought things for the container.  The container is now over half full and contribution activity really picked up this last weekend.  We have scheduled two more weekends (hope to complete 10/16) of collecting to get the second half of the container filled.  Bikes are coming in as well, but we are not even half way to the goal of 100 bikes yet.

This past weekend the most popular question was “So, what do you still need?”  First, we can still use everything on the list.  But, if you are interested in what we still have not collected or at least not collected much of, here is that list:

Household supplies
Ribbed bedspreads, plastic twin-size mattress covers (not the padded kind, but the plastic kind used to keep wetness off of mattress) and sheets.  Bath and kitchen towels.  Clothes pins and plastic clothes hangers.  Irons and ironing boards.  Electrical convertors.

Agricultural supplies
Heavy, long garden hoses. No inexpensive, damaged, twist-prone hoses. Must be good quality, able to withstand heat. 50′ lengths minimum, longer preferred.  Hose attachments.  Shovels. Bee hive boxes and bee vale.  Hand-crank honey extractor.  Garden seeds including garlic.

Building supplies
Floor tiles for two different rooms of approximately 900 square feet each.  Door handle/locksets.  Plumbing fixtures for bathroom sinks and showers.  Four kitchen sinks with faucets.  Towel racks.  Outside faucet taps.  10 sheets of 4×8 exterior treated plywood.  10 rolls of heavy gauge black construction plastic.  10 rolls of translucent heavy gauge plastic.  11 long landscape timber ( like railroad ties).

Tools
Chain saws.  Generators.  Air compressor.  Hand construction tools (hammers, saws, screwdrivers, pliers, etc.)  Battery chargeable tools with workable battery (drills, screwdriver, etc.)  Outdoor heavy-duty extension cords.

Furniture
Sturdy commercial non-wood chairs (not card table style).  Metal desks (not wood or particle board).  Metal or plastic bookcases.  Non-wood computer desks.

Musical
Beginner level guitars.  A new item: a piano in good working order.

Other Misc. Items

Men’s clothing and shoes, rubber boots (adults and children’s), sewing notions (zippers, buttons, snaps, thread, beads), construction paper

Thanks again for everyone’s help.  No contribution is too small.  If every member in church just brought one box, it would fill the full 40 feet of the container!

 

 

Container Update and a New Addition to the List!

After two weekends we are a little over 25% full.  Many promises from people of things to come next weekend though!  We are up to 15 bicycles on the hopeful count of 100.  Many wonderful things, used and new, have been arriving.  We have a great, but small group of sorters who are ready to kick it into high gear.

This week, Kathleen wrote us with this new addition to the list:

“Lots of teachers have to upgrade their education and certifications.  Most do distance learning where they go to the university on holiday months and come home with assignments. So you
have lots of teachers out in the bush who are supposed to do research where there are really no books to use.  We had 2 teachers from a school in our zone that came here hoping that we would
have something that they could use to do the research.  So what I have been thinking is that we could set up a research library for teachers.  We want to become a satellite center for the distance learning for some university.  One of my jobs before I go back to US is to do research on this matter.  So if we can get the word out to collect books of educational psychology, psychology, educational theory, special education, any teaching education books and then set up the library.  (NO Teacher’s manuals for curriculum books that we don’t have.)”

Do you personally have these types of books or have a source for these books?  If so, please bring them to the container so we can send them over.  Thanks.

 

We Need Your Stuff, Especially Bicycles

Our first weekend in packing the Zambia container was a bit of a disappointment.  Saturday night a bad rainstorm blew in shutting us down.  Sunday donations where light.  However, we have great hopes for this coming weekend.  This week would be a great time to clean out the closets and garage!

One of the more desired items is bicycles.  Our container in 2009 contained somewhere between 50-75 bikes.  Our goal this time is 100 bicycles!  So far we only have 13, so we have a long ways to go.  We can take any size bicycle.  If it needs minor repair, that’s okay.  We have several people going though each and every bike to adjust and make minor repairs.  Kathleen Schwartz, one of the founders of Villages of Hope, has made a special request for a beach cruiser type bike (no gears) for herself.  This is the first time I have seen Kathleen ask for something for herself, so it would be great if we could locate one.

Thanks to all for your continued support.

 

 

Container Packing Has Begun! We Need Volunteers!

While the official start of the container packing begins September 17th, we already have a jump start.  This summer we acquired items from the EHCC Zambia garage sale, donations from our other container sponsors and early donations from EHCC worshipers.  The container is now about 20% full.  We have a long way to go, but now with the official start for EHCC it will start filling fast.

With all the items that will be coming in, we need help in sorting and packing.  Packing is from 5:15-7:45 on Saturdays and 8:15 to 12:45 on Sundays.  If you are interested in helping, please sign up on the volunteer list in the church lobby.  In addition, we are expecting a lot of bicycles.  If you have the gift of bicycle repair, we can certainly use those skills as well.

Sorting Clothes

Repairing Bicycles

Time to Fill the Container Again!

This summer our green container has been sitting in the parking lot getting ready for action.  The time is quickly approaching.  We will start accepting container donations beginning with the weekend of September 17th and will continue each weekend until the container is full.  The new supply list has been generated and can be found at www.hopecontained.com.  Review it and start setting your stuff aside.  40 feet is a lot of space to fill.  However, with God’s help we did this once.  With his help we will do it again.  Stay tuned for further announcements.

Ready to fill

VOH kids seeing the bikes coming off the 2009 container.

Picking Up the Container!

Wow!  It is time to say “good-bye” to the container here in the United States and hopefully in Zambia, Africa they will be saying “hello.”

I would like to say THANK YOU to all who made the hope.contained   project SO SUCCESSFUL.  This was our first time doing a project like this, and without a doubt, God smiled upon in every step of the way.   My new prayer is that the

container will make it all the way to Village of Hope, located in Zambia, Africa without any problems.  Please join me in that prayer.
Again, my deepest thanks to all who made this project possible!  Thank you for being the “hands and feet of Jesus Christ.”  You brought a smile to His face.

Wow!

Have you ever been “overwhelmed”? 

Sometimes we have so much on our “to do” list that we don’t know where to start.  Did you ever come back from a vacation and you had so many e-mails in your Inbox and so many voicemails on your phone that you wish you would have never left?  Or…have you ever felt the love of Jesus extended to you through the hands of others?  Have you ever seen others open their hearts to you?  Have you ever been on the receiving end of some amazing gifts from those nearby you?

Obviously, the word “over-whelmed” can be taken in a couple different ways. 

Well, right now, I am over-whelmed, big time OVER-WHELMED!  I am over-whelmed by your kindness, by how many of you from EHCC and the surrounding communities have opened your hearts, hands, and wallets to support the Hope.Contained project.  Your giving has been more than remarkable.  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  Thank you for making me feel over-whelmed…in a good wayJ

I am quite certain that we will fill the container this coming weekend.  That is one month that it has been on our property.  God’s people are so good! 

In fact, I am almost getting nervous that we will not be able to fit everything on that we want to!  What a great problem to have!

So, here is what we are going to do:

1)       We will still accept items throughout the weekend at our normal drop-off/service times (Sat = 4:30 – 7:30 pm and   Sun. = 8:30 -12:30 pm)

2)       During these time slots we will NEED volunteers to help sort, pack, weigh, inventory, and load the final 12 feet of the container.  Just think, you could be on the loading “team” that could top this bad-boy off.  That could be a story that you could pass on to your grandchildrenJ.  “Kids, I remember the day when I packed a container that was headed to Zambia, Africa.  I had to walk uphill in both directions, in and out of the container, AND against the rotation of the earth.  Yet, I persevered and didn’t quit.  What a day it was…..”  (Sounds like the making of a legend!)

3)       So, please let me know if you can help out this weekend with this history making venture.  Many hands make light work.  If you can give 2 hours or 3 or 4, we will take what you are willing to give.  Just hit me back with an e-mail and let me know what day/time works for you.

Grace and peace to all!

Mark DeNooy

PS.  Don’t forget to let me know what times and day(s) you can volunteer!!

Overwhelmed and (almost) Overflowing

Today I want to share some great news….we are SO CLOSE to filling the container!  We had a wonderful weekend of drop-offs and a large number of volunteers to help sort the items that were donated.  Thank you to all who came by to drop off materials and also to those who helped sort and pack!  A special note of thanks to the Hermsen family for all the time, energy, and effort that they, as a family, have been putting into this project. Thank you Mike, LeaAnn, Kyle, and Kaylea!

 I think it will be safe to say that this upcoming weekend, July 25 and 26 will be our last and final collection weekend for this container. Please feel free to stop by during the Saturday evening service drop-off time, 4:30-7:30pm, or during the Sunday morning service time, 8:30am-12:30pm to drop off your Zambia goodies. 

Each week we have been featuring an “Item of the Week” that Ben and Kathleen have specifically requested.  This past weekend it was a Riding Lawnmower.  When I showed up at church after the weekend and walked into the lobby, guess what was sitting there waiting for me?  A BRAND NEW John Deere riding lawn mower.  THANK YOU!  God is so good!!

Items that we can still squeeze into the nooks and crannies would be rakes, shovels, gardening trowels, and other “smaller” landscaping and gardening supplies. 

 On one hand, this project is coming to an end; on the other hand, it is only just beginning, because what we are sending to The Village of Hope in Zambia, Africa, will touch many lives for many years to come. 

 The Body of Christ is truly a wonderful thing!!   Thanks for being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ.

Weekend work at the container

Yeaaaaa, God!  We are past the half-way point of filling the container!  In fact, I would say that we are closing in on the 58.73649% full mark!  Seriously, the container is filling quickly!  I will give my best guess and say that it will be filled after the upcoming two weekends.  If you have supplies for us to send, please bring them by on Saturday, July 18 from 4:30-7:30 pm or on Sunday, July 19 from 8:30 – 12:30 pm.  We will collect again at the same times on the following weekend as well, July 25 and July 26.  Those could be our last two collection times.  Keep you eyes on this blog and I will keep you posted.

We have received lots of clothes and bicycles.  If you are looking to bring things we are still short on, here are some suggestions:  hula hoops (none received so far), soccer balls, outdoor play equipment, rubber boots for ages 4-12, school supplies, kitchen supplies, twin-size bedspreads, and twin-size plastic mattress covers.

I would like to say THANK YOU to all who have donated so far.  Nearly all of the items that you have donated have been in excellent condition.  Not only have they been in excellent condition, but you have been doing such a good job of “pre-sorting” the items so that all we need to do is box them, weigh them, label them, and pack them.  Thanks for all you have done to make this project so enjoyable.

We have added a page of pictures; take some time to look at the process.  What an amazing process it has been!  To God be the Glory!