I'm among 37 other people spending today at Bay Life Church in Brandon, FL. What are we doing? Well, we're stamping, scrapbooking, floating through make & takes stations, and all for a good cause!
The money raised at this bi-annual paper crafting day goes towards the church's mission teams. That means 100% of your admission is tax deductible. Yep, crafting that's tax free! This event was built out of a personal necessity. My daughter, Gina, wanted to go on a missions trip to Peru in 2009. The entire 2-week trip would cost $3,000.
I wrestled with how I could help her raise the money and the Bay Life Crop was born! Since then, Bay Life Church has hosted TWO crops each year, raising more than $20,000. It's always amazing to me how God can use just one of us to bless so many people.
Gina's time in Peru was not only educational but enlightening. I remember on one of her calls home she said, "Mom, these people don't even know what they don't have." This is a picture of the village she worked in. Families in this village live in homes constructed of tarps and dirt floors. Trash is abundant. Gina, along with 8 adults, spent their two weeks building a drywall home for one family.
And they did finish the house! It was very small, about 200 square feet, built by inexperienced people but with lots of love. We're told the house is still standing today and that the family who live in it feel blessed beyond words.
The next time you're paper crafting think of how you can be used to help others. If you're in the Brandon/Tampa area, considering joining us on April 11, 2015 for the next Crop.
Place a $50 online order between now and November 20th and receive these two, free cards plus their hard copy patterns.
