Have you ever thought of yourself as an advocate? Project HOPEFUL believes in you and invites you to partner with us as an advocate for orphans with HIV/AIDS. There are an abundance of opportunities for you to make your mark on a child’s life in a positive way. Our goal at Project HOPEFUL is to develop advocacy opportunities at every level for people who desire to effect real change in the lives of people living with HIV. Our HOPE+ Sisterhood seeks to prevent children from being orphaned by providing mothers and their children with life saving medical care, an education, and job skills training. Our Family in the Gap (FIG) program places the tools for helping unite a waiting orphan with their forever family. Our Truth Pandemic Campaign (link) combats stigma and educates the public with the facts about HIV/AIDS and orphans. You CAN make a difference in the life of a child. Finally, you can help fund the work Project HOPEFUL does through donating and shopping our store for awesome Project HOPEFUL gear.

I want to know what you think about the video and will you help spread TRUTH Pandemic?

You can travel with Carolyn Twietmeyer to Ethiopia and Uganda in April 2011… sign up today!

Dates: April 13 – April 23, 2011
Leader: Carolyn Twietmeyer
Location: Uganda & Ethiopia
Details: This exciting trip is in partnership with Project Hopeful. This amazing ministry works to bring awareness to orphans with HIV and to promote adoption of HIV waiting children. The trip will focus on HIV orphanages in Ethiopia like the Mother Theresa HIV Orphanage in Addis Ababa, another project through Project Hopeful called Hopeful House. This team will also partner with Project 61 to work with the children in the dump in Addis Ababa.
Cost: $3400 – $3600 (cost varies dependent on flights)

Merry Christmas Simply Love Blitz (1 week only!)

Today is Cyber Monday and I would love to offer tees today without shipping costs.  Store closes on 12/5 and I will re-open in March after my missions trip to Ethiopia!!  It has been my honor to share new Simply Love tees with you- I can’t wait for God to give me another dream & project!!

Buy your tees here!!

If you have a special Christmas order for 25 tees or more- email me and I can have them printed and shipped to you before Santa comes to your house!!  All 4 new designs are available for purchase in big bulk orders.  You & your friends can come together and be walking billboards for simply loving orphans!!  Discounted rate + plus shipping (my printing company will individually wrap your tees!!)

Simply Love Kit.

You can fundraise with Simply Love tees for your adoption, mission trips, etc… just email me for introduction packet.

Special Happy in the mail:

I received this email and [with permission] wanted to share it with you, too.  What a blessing!!

Kari,

I just wanted to shoot you an email and tell you a story. I have been reading your blog since the beginning of our adoption journey (March 2009). It has been a blessing to me in more ways than I can count. Anyway…

We brought home twin 6 year old boys from Ethiopia in May 2010 and Ethiopia has been heavy on my heart ever since. As you know, even after you leave Africa, it keeps a piece of your heart. When you were doing your missions giveaway I wanted so badly to purchase a t-shirt and enter, but we got into quite a bit of debt during our adoption and we are trying to be very faithful to our budget. Anyway, a shirt was out of the question for me.

Today we got out our Christmas decorations and that is a very stressful time of year for me. This year it was more than usual because my new twins were so overstimulated by all of the activity and it was taking every ounce of my energy to keep them contained. I finally snuck away to my bedroom to sit and pray for a bit and my body was literally shaking inside I was having so much anxiety…

Then the doorbell rang. I thought to myself…really, God? Right now, I just need some quiet time with YOU! Little did I know He was showing up at my front door!

I answered the door to the mailman who handed me a white envelope…you guessed it, one of your shirts!!! I have NO idea who bought it for me, but someone did, and I couldn’t have been more excited! I just wanted to share with you, that God knew in advance that my shirt would be delivered on this day, at the exact time that I needed reassurance of His never failing faithfulness and love.

God has once again, worked through you (and a mystery friend), in my life.

God bless,
Ashley Redburn
afr2007.blogspot.com

I have a week home with the kids for Thanksgiving holiday and I want to tackle some new books- novels, fiction or non-fiction… I want to know what you are reading.  Share the title and why you love your favorite book in the comments.

Top Bestseller List

I raced to Target this morning to buy hot off the press People Magazine!!!! I ripped through the pages and found what I was looking for… a 5 PAGE SPREAD about the Twietmeyer family (Kiel & Carolyn and their 13 amazing children) It was a little embarrassing blubbering through the check out line, but I’m just soooo proud of this crazy family!!! I asked Carolyn to share a little about why they decided to tell their adoption story to the world.

Hi Kari!

We were shocked when we first got the call from People. While we have been very open about our adoptions and verbal about the HIV related issues because of Project HOPEFUL, this was scary. We stepped back and realized if we believe what we have been preaching for the last four years that we HAD to consider it. If ALL of our kids were on board, especially understanding that, although never secretive about their HIV status that MILLIONS of people would have access to that information if we moved forward. They thought it was a NO BRAINER. So here we are, 10 months later in the BIGGEST publication in the world, exposed……..and it is BEAUTIFUL. I pray MANY will open their hearts and homes to adoption as well as caring for orphans infected with HIV….AND VISIT THEM!!

We prayed…and PRAYED……..and prayed……God has been clear from the beginning. There’s NO SHAME in His game and there are MILLIONS of children that wait….and suffer stigma all over the world.
I pray it brings comfort to the people hiding in shame and brings knowledge to the people that shame them into hiding. What a PRIVILEGE for our family to speak on behalf of these kids and speak God’s heart for the orphan.
This qualifies for ALL that is “CRAZY” for sure!!!!! Leaves me wondering how much “CRAZIER” it can get!

PLEASE go to www.projecthopeful.org and watch the TRUTH PANDEMIC VIDEO…PLEASE share it with FIVE friends….NO child should perish for OUR lack of knowledge!

ALL for ONE!
Carolyn Twietmeyer
Founder/Executive Director
Project HOPEFUL, NFP
Educating, Encouraging and Enabling families and individuals to advocate for and adopt children with HIV/AIDS.

“A FATHER of the FATHERLESS and protector of widows is God in His holy habitation. God places the lonely IN FAMILIES and gives the desolate A HOME in which to dwell;” Ps 68:5-6 Any questions?
www.projecthopeful.org

You can purchase any of the stunning jewelry at Project Hopeful Website!!

ROCK, ROLL & STUFF TEE PARTY

My family and friends helped roll and stuff 575 Simply Love Mission Project tees and they are heading to the PO today!!!  Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery, unless you have a super hero mailman!

I want to thank Roger, Sarah, Amelia, Michael, Jessica, Kim, Dawn, Marki, Kelly, Hannah, and Dad for helping me with all the orders and craziness!!  xoxo

If you would like to FUNdraise with Simply Love Kit – please email me for the Introduction to preview.  You can purchase the Kit for $49 and have exclusive rights to the designs.

My Crazy Store will stay OPEN till December 1st and won’t re-open until March 2011.  You can purchase any of the 4 new designs for Christmas presents- delivered before Santa makes it to your house!!

What is your favorite new simply love tee and why?

My CRAZY Printing Company rocks simply love !!

It was so much fun visiting my printing company and see firsthand how graphic tee shirts are born.  I had no idea how much team work went into printing shirts and the gifts, talents and passion it takes to create a beautiful design.  I am blessed to call Creator Designs my friends and the dedication they pour into every simply love tee!! They have helped hundreds of families fundraise for adoption or mission projects- celebrating 19 countries!

I have four new designs and wanted to head to Boliver, MO to personally pick out new ink colors.  We met my tee rock star, Jeremy [manager] and he gave us the printing tour and introduced us to the team.  The owner blessed me with a screen print of my original Simply Love artwork- what a treasure!  They have spent a busy week printing our 575 tees for the simply love missions project.  Thank you  for all your hard work, support and cheers!!

I love finding awesome activities for Mommy DIY.  Here are 11 crazy ways to make a turkey gobble with your kids this Thanksgiving holiday.  Click on the links and have some turkey fun!!  Bloggy friends, what is your favorite thing to do at Thanksgiving with your kids?

1.  Bakerella’s Turkey Pops.

2.  15 Different Ways to Make Turkey Cookies.

3.  Thanksgiving Turkey Luminarias craft.

4.  Colorful Turkey caddy fun.

5.  Yummy Turkey Sundaes.

6.  Gobbling Good Cupcakes.

7.  Feather Foliage Craft.

8.  Teeny Turkeys Appetizer.

9.  Put on a happy snood game.

10.  Thankful Turkey craft.

11. Rice Crispy Gobblers.