Dressember 6th

Dressember 6th

 

Let it snow...

 

 

Let it snow...

 

 

Let is snow!!

We received over 8" of snow on top of the ice/sleet we were getting yesterday! Even though we live next door to each other it's quite a hike when we have to walk through the woods through 8" of snow. So we took pictures apart and Hope and Sara's Momma emailed me their pictures for the blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Confessions from the Dressember Girls

 

 

Like yesterdays pictures showed, It's Not Just a Dress. But this challenge is harder than any of us imagined.

 

Waking up to all this snow, it was fun knowing I was 'snowed-in' and didn't have to go any where. It's the ultimate 'pajama-day'. Drink coffee, make cookies, decorate the tree and watch Hallmark Christmas movies all day. Except for one thing. I have to wear a dress. I have to be presentable. Every day this month. [I never realized how much I like my 'un-presentable' days] :^)

 

 

 

Sara and Hope's Momma shared this with me today:

"I have to be honest, today was a little harder to put on a dress.  Hope did not want to wear one.  It was cold and she wanted to play outside.  But I reminded her why she was doing this and that she made a commitment to do this and she decided on a warm but cute dress.  As you can see.  It might be a long cold month.  But definitely worth it!!!"

 

KIGALI, RWANDA, AFRICA – Thu, 12/05/2013 - Justice was secured for 16-year-old Angelique* [through the efforts of IJM]on Friday, as a judge found the man who repeatedly sexually abused her guilty and sent him to prison. Now raising a baby born from the abuse, Angelique can look forward to a safer future. {Read More}

 

 

"When we first met Angelique, she was living in a critical situation," says IJM Rwanda Client Care Specialist Souvenier Alphonsine. "She was occupying one very dirty room with her baby. They slept on an old wood door—with no clothes for the baby, no insurance cards [for medical care] and no meals."
IJM quickly got Angelique to a safer location, and made sure she had proper food and clothing. Angelique's baby was born deaf, so IJM helped her secure a government insurance card to make sure they could get medical treatment going forward.{Read More}

 

 

 Angelique is a young girl like us. She was a victim of abuse until she got help through International Justice Mission. Not only did she receive the help she immediately needed for her and her baby, but Justice was brought to the individual who wronged her.

 

 

Through Dressember we are raising funds, through people like you, who will sponsor us as we wear a dress everyday through the month of December. We are raising awareness that there are girls like us around the world who don't get to sleep in a warm bed every night, and who don't have loving parents to take care of them. There are girls like us who just need to be loved, but they are tricked and used.

 

We might not help them all.

But we can help some.

 

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Wanna join the fun?

•  Commit to Praying for Sara, Hope and I this month so we can continue to stand strong in our challenge this month to stand with those who stand alone. Leave a comment below to let us know you're praying!
• Sponsor Hope, Sara and/or I, by giving to Campaign 1:17. Go Here to hear the story behind the campaign and Go Here to Donate [be sure to add a note to say who you're sponsoring!]
• Go To the Campaign 1:17 blog and leave a comment for Grace to encourage her to continue the fight!

 

 

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Don't miss a single dress!

Dressember 1st

Dressember 2nd

Dressember 3rd

Dressember 4th

Dressember 4th 1/2

Dressember 5th

Dressember 5th

Dressember 5th

 

 

 

It's Not 'JUST' A Dress

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Freedom and Femininity and raising awareness of the modern day slave trade.

 

The land rights of women are violated on a massive scale worldwide, but with particular ferocity in Africa, leaving widows and other women in vulnerable positions unable to care for themselves or their children. Around the world, women suffer the double trauma of rape - and seeing their perpetrators face no consequences. {source}

 

IJM seeks to make public justice systems work for victims of abuse and oppression who urgently need the protection of the law. {source}

 

Campaign 1:17 seeks to bring awareness of modern day slavery to people, and raise funds for IJM to continue their work.

 

We - Kerry, Sara and Hope - are wearing dresses everyday for a month to raise awareness and funds for Campaign 1:17 to benefit IJM to save kids and woman like us live free.

 

Wanna join the fun?

 

 

• Comment to let us know you're following!
• Sponsor Hope, Sara and/or I, by giving to Campaign 1:17. Go Here to hear the story behind the campaign and Go Here to Donate [be sure to add a note to say who you're sponsoring!]
• Go To the Campaign 1:17 blog and leave a comment for Grace to encourage her to continue the fight!

 

Dressember 3rd and 4th had us enjoying the sun shine and temps up to 75*!

 

It was nice taking our pictures outside everyday. So far.

 

Today was a little different. :^)

 

We were shivering in our tights and billowing dresses in 27* today! 

 

With ice piling up around us, wouldn't it be warmer just to wear pants?

 

Now snow is piling up on top of the ice this late afternoon in Missouri and we are glad we can partake in some suffering for this cause.

 

All for Jesus.

 

-Kerry-

 

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Don't miss a single dress!

Dressember 1st

Dressember 2nd

Dressember 3rd

Dressember 4th

Dressember 4th 1/2

Dressember 4 1/2

Dressember 4 1/2

Hope, 5yrs

 

Hope's Mom [Leslie] shared this conversation with me that they had while making dinner together last night:

Hope: "I'm little so I don't think I can do big things, but God thinks I can do big things."
Wise-Momma: "God knows you can do big things and that's why He is using you to help kids in slavery."

To God be the Glory, Great things He hath done!!

 

What big things does God know YOU can do?

 

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Wanna join the fun?

 

• Wear a dress every day with us! Comment with a link to where you'll be posting your dresses so we can see them too!
• Comment to let us know you're following!
• Sponsor Hope, Sara and/or I, by giving to Campaign 1:17. Go Here to hear the story behind the campaign and Go Here to Donate [be sure to add a note to say who you're sponsoring!]
• Go To the Campaign 1:17 blog and leave a comment for Grace to encourage her to continue the fight!

 

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Don't miss a single dress!

Dressember 1st

Dressember 2nd

Dressember 3rd

 

Step Up

There is a place where we get to, a point in our life where we are given a choice. We've been given some kind of news, information, an awakening or enlightenment. Then there is the choice. To step up. Or back down.

As you look back on your life, you can probably pinpoint times where you stood up. It was hard, or maybe it was easy. But the ultimate result was a victory gained, a life improved, an enemy pounded and hope restored.

Can you remember those times when you backed down?? When there was hope within the grasp of the weak and you let go of the rope, you dropped the lifeline and let them fall? Those regrets are often only shadows compared to that of the pain of the one who was let down.

Each year, nearly 2 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade. (UNICEF)




Since she was rescued from slavery, Susheela has flourished. Now she raises goats and supports her family.

1 in 5 women is a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. (U. N. Development Fund for Women)



This family was once in slavery in #India, but are now free to flourish.



27 million men, women and children are held as slaves. (Kevin Bales, Disposable People)

Meet Grace

She's stepping up.

Yeah, she's only 13.

Yeah, she's only one girl.

But she has freedom. She has a voice. Which is more than those caught in slavery and sex trafficking have. It is more than those orphaned and abandoned have. She has hope. And she is reaching out from where she is to share that hope with the weak and poor.



 

"Provide justice for the needy and the fatherless; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and needy; save them from the power of the wicked." Psalms 82:3-4

 

 

 

Will you step up with her?

 

Go to her blog: http://campaign117.blogspot.com/ 

This is where you can read all about:

*the campaign she has organized

*the reasons WHY she organized it

*WHY it's called Campaign 1:17

*what top rated organization she is partnering with to help free slaves and change lives.

*AND how YOU can be a part

 

 

 

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Blessings - Kerry

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PS - This amazing girl just happens to be my cousin and sweetest friend!!

 Drop by her blog and leave a comment of encouragement and pray about supporting her in her campaign!!

 

 

 

 

 

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Photo Credits: The two of the pretty blonde are my pictures [as in, I took them, I own them] the rest are pictures from IJM's Facebook page.