Bags o' fun

I still can't make any announcements on my prospective Compassion tour (still waiting to get a few ducks in a row), but I do have something else fun to talk about.

My mother in law is going to India this fall for work. She has gone to the Philippines before and was hoping to go again, but she is going to India instead. And I'm happy about that! I love India, and my mom and I are going to get carryout from our favorite Indian restaurant and have dinner with her before she goes. I can't wait to see her pictures and souvenirs from her visit!

Possibly the best part about all this is that she has agreed to take gifts for our Compassion kids! She will be traveling with a bag for my Jayid, my mom's girl Amisha, and our friend Blaire's girl Nisha. Amisha probably has the best relationship with my mom out of all her sponsor kids, and Nisha is very precious to Blaire, as well. So we are all very excited.

We are keeping our eyes peeled for mini backpacks or totes of appropriate size, but for now, the gifts are going in a plastic gallon-sized bag for each of our kids. They don't take long to fill up! For all I know, this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to send gifts to Jayid. I hope that some day I am able to send (or bring!) gifts to each of my kids. I have some special things in mind for each of them. Like Mary- Mary loves to sing, so I would bring her sheet music and music-themed stuff. Said would get art supplies because I don't think I've ever received a letter from him that didn't have at least one drawing on it. And Brenda would get a dolly and fruit loops, because she's little and likes fruit loops. : )

My bag for Jayid is almost full- I have room for just a few more things (some soap and a little photo album with pictures of where I live and my family and stuff.) Here's what else I have packed for him:

*Mechanical pencils (no sharpeners to worry about!)
*A pack of crayons
*A tiny coloring book
*Two Hotwheels cars
*A mini Magna-Doodle (it takes up the most space, but it's really cool.)
*A blue washcloth
*A Transformers toothbrush (I looked for superheroes, because he likes them, but the only superhero ones they had in stock were battery operated.)
*Cavity-fighting kids' toothpaste
*Werther's hard candies to share with his family
*Trolli crawlers (those neon sour gummy worms!) for my boy!

I am also going to include a letter for the field office staff telling them how much I appreciate them and the work they do. Jayid's package will be going to the EI field office, while Amisha and Shima's bags will be going to IN. I told my mom and Blaire it would be cool if they wrote notes for the staff there, too.

I don't know what all Blaire is packing for Shima, but my mom got some cool stuff for Amisha! Two things in particular stand out. She got a pretty pink headband that benefits Amazima Ministries (each headband buys three meals for kids in Uganda.) I have several of these headbands and really like them! You can buy them at Lifeway or online. Lifeway has also started carrying these pretty beaded bracelets made by women in Nepal. I definitely want one! Actually, the one I wanted is going in Amisha's bag! : ) Hopefully they will get more in stock!

Have you ever been able to send gifts to your kids? What kind of stuff did you send? What would you like to send to your child, if you could?