rice and beans. beans and rice.
Posted: February 27, 2013 Filed under: advocacy, jesus stuff Leave a comment »ah! it’s almost rice and beans month! let’s talk about fasting for a sec. i have never completed a fast. i have tried. it seems kind of like a mysterious thing, like i know i’ll be blessed if i have the discipline to do it, but i just can’t seem to dig down enough restraint. and before i know it (it takes like 2 meals, y’all) i’ve turned it into a diet. this time i think i have learned to separate the concepts. and i think it helps that i can have food on this one, just a certain type of food. and that it tangibly benefits someone else. i can do things for others that i can’t do for myself. so anyway, getting ready. i’m posting on give1 save1 about it today if you’d like to learn a little more or join me.
Alamayew
Posted: February 11, 2013 Filed under: advocacy, greenlight Leave a comment »There’s a new guy at Greenlight and he’s precious! Look at that face. We’re fully sponsored now except for this little sweetie. Do you have room for him? His name is Alemayew. He was attending Greenlight once before, but he never did have a sponsor. I’d love for him to have one now. Email me if you would like to sponsor him at b.cupitt(at)yahoo(dot)com.
In other Greenlight news, we have a big prayer request. Most of the kids who attend Greenlight live on the banks of a river. Their ‘homes’ are made of mud and plastic garbage. A few weeks ago the government decided to clean up by demolishing all of those homes. Now many of our kids are completely homeless. Please say a prayer for these people. Can you imagine? I just can’t. I’m so sad over it. If you have a Greenlight kid, why not head over and drop them an encouraging word? Click the orange ‘write to your child’ button at the bottom.
yeabsire
Posted: January 22, 2013 Filed under: advocacy, artistic Leave a comment »guys, i’m down to 2 KIDS without sponsors!!! that’s amazing!!! 61 with sponsors and only 2 without! one of them is dechu, who i posted the other day. i goofed up and steph, the girl who was going to sponsor him couldn’t, so she did someone else. that’s super awesome, but now dechu still doesn’t have a sponsor. sorry!!! if you sponsor him, of course, you’ll get your painting sent to you. and then my last little fella is yeabsire. cutie, no?
and here’s his fun little painting. i’ll send it to you if you decide to sponsor him. you can add a bible verse if you’d like.
sponsorship is $34 and will help pay for meals, tutoring, discipleship, medical, uniforms, and all kinds of good stuff.
if you’re interested in sponsoring either of these guys i will kiss you. email me at b.cupitt@yahoo.com and let me know!
Ydidiya
Posted: January 17, 2013 Filed under: advocacy, artistic Leave a comment »I’m sure it won’t take much persuading to get this little guy sponsored… (update: Ydidiya is being sponsored by the Laman family)
but still, i’ll send you his painting if you shoot me your address. click here to sponsor Ydidiya ($34/month) and then email me at b.cupitt@yahoo.com and let me know if you’d like a verse on there.
Dechu
Posted: January 16, 2013 Filed under: adoption, advocacy 1 Comment »Next up is Dechu. Oh, guys, it’s hard to fall in love with a teenage boy. Unless you’re a teenage girl, and I bet you’re not. Older boys are the last to be adopted and last to be sponsored. Maybe cause they’re too cool to smile in a photo. 
I bet he’d smile if he got a letter from a sponsor, though. And I do intend to document a smile from young Dechu when I meet him myself. If you’d like to sponsor him ($34/month), click here. And if you do, email me at b.cupitt@yahoo.com and I’ll send you his painting. I can add a verse if you like. I kind of love it. 
I Got a New Job
Posted: January 16, 2013 Filed under: advocacy, artistic 1 Comment »OK, it’s not like a job job, but it’s a big deal for sure. So, a year ago or so Give1 Save1 ran a campaign to get some kids sponsored through Children’s Hope Chest in the Greenlight community in Addis. We got a bunch of them sponsored, and if one of those dears is yours, thank you! And now, we’re taking it one step further. OK, lots of steps, actually. Brandon and I have accepted the job of sponsorship coordinators for Greenlight. We have 63 kids total, and only six of those are currently unsponsored. My first priority is to get us 100% sponsored as soon as possible. Right now, all of those kids receive all the benefits of sponsorship ( a meal a day, discipleship, tutoring, etc.), though the quality and quantity of those benefits will increase with each sponsorship. And we want the best for our kids, right?! We want them thriving! After we get them all sponsored I’ll let you know what projects we’ll be working on (financially and physically), to help restore the entire community. First up, is a medical fund, but more on that later! I’m getting ahead of myself.
Brandon will be coordinating the travel side of it. Right now we’re in chats with Children’s Hope Chest in regards to a trip to spend a week with our kids either this year or next year. Comment or email me at b(dot)cupitt(at)yahoo(dot)com if you’re interested in going to meet your sweetie! I won’t be going this year, but definitely next year!!! We’ll be going at least once a year! 
To learn more about Greenlight, click here. And if you have any questions at all about Hope Chest or Greenlight or your child, email me. They have been beyond transparent and trustworthy and would love to answer your questions.
Update: Abel now has a sponsor!
So first, let’s just get these kids set up with sponsors! This is Abel. He’s stinkin’ cute, right? Sign up to sponsor him here ($34), and I’ll ship this little baby to you for free to help remind you to pray for him. Email me at b.cupitt@yahoo.com with your address.
Want to see something scary?
Posted: March 29, 2012 Filed under: adoption, advocacy, randomness Leave a comment »
It’s me after my attempt at running A (single, tiny) mile. Failed attempt. I am not a runner. Not an exerciser at all. If you are, go you, but I can’t wrap my head around it at all. Which is why me training for a half marathon is whacked out at best. Who am I?! I have no idea. I find myself doing strange things these days. I’m too young for a mid life crisis, so I don’t know what’s up. But the Chosen Marathon in New Braunfels lit a little fire. And I promised that this was my Year of Yes, so… yes, ok, I’ll do it.
The marathon is run along a the river in the Hill Country. That sounds a little bit wonderful if I have to run. If you want to train with me, let me know. I’m just starting Week 1, which is super easy. This kind of training is for wimps like me, so expect me to be slow and tired and ridiculously proud of tiny accomplishments. Two miles last night! Party! I’d love some company on the trail. The Marathon is an adoption celebration and fundraiser in a beautiful setting. I’m actually kind of pumped. Want to run? Here’s my schedule for wimps. And here’s more info on the marathon.
A Year of Yes
Posted: March 5, 2012 Filed under: advocacy, artistic 2 Comments »Today starts a journey. I have read that everyone has a spiritual gift to be used to further the kingdom. When I think of such gifts I think of the the gift of wise council. Musical inclinations. Beautiful and inspiring speaking and writing (sorry if you’re reading this. Writing is not one of my gifts). Patient teachers and nurses. But I’m not great at any of those things. I’ve dabbled in all of them and shown no unnatural talent. I usually finish my volunteer stint frustrated and exhausted and wish I had the joy that I see some others with when they’re in their element.
Don’t get me wrong, I have joy. And there are moments when I feel like I’m so naturally good at something that it must be a gift from Heaven. Like when I’m shopping or planning a party or goofing off on the internet. Nobody knows Pinterest like me. But these little talents of mine have always kind of mocked me. Sure, I can make a blog look pretty, but that doesn’t really change the world. Until it did. Last August I decided that I’d start a blog and be faithful to it for a year. It would benefit others. And so it has. It’s made over $30,000 for families adopting from Africa. It touches lives and relieves a burden just by existing and I’m so proud of it.
Now my year is coming to a close and I’ve learned something. I’ve been in a crazy tornado of realizing that my ‘silly’ talents are a unique (and slightly bizarre) skill set to accomplish what I’ve been put here for, and I’m determined to use every ounce of what I have to further the Kingdom.
So for the next year, the Year of Yes, I’ll be doing all the hair brained ideas I think of. If there’s a way, I want to do it. And I want to show you and myself what happens when we trust God and are faithful to the Master Plan. Because I’d love to see you do the same. If we all said yes to the wild ideas that really do suit us, imagine the joy we could feel in our ministries. And guess what? If the ministry that fits you best doesn’t exist, you can make it!
Here’s my skill set:
Photography, design, blogging, party planning, painting, internet surfing. Yes, I’m going to count internet surfing as a gift. It’s served me well so far! And now I’m going to get started. And to kick if off I made a new formula. Painting + Blogging + Advocacy= Hopefully, a sponsor for Michel. Details here.
