In light of our #cheersfor10yrs celebration of 2019, we thought we’d share ten things we’re pretty excited about this August! 🙂 Ready?
10. Baby Goats!
Well, baby goats and all they represent, that is. Our farming program in Sierra Leone, West Africa now has ten goats thanks to some brand new ‘kids’ born this month, and not only that but we’re thriving with chickens (and eggs), pineapple, rice, palm oil, the early stages of coffee, and pigs, all which help sustain and empower the local community. Yay goats!
…and the precious gift every single life on this planet is – including yours – and mine. If you need a healthy dose of hope, it’s called Saturn by Sleeping At Last (click the title above to listen – you might have seen some lyrics from it recently if you follow us on social media). With all the difficult things we are facing, remember the billions of specific things that had to happen to create and perfectly allow you to be here in this moment and know: you are loved. You matter. There is a reason to keep fighting for the light and for each other.
8. Sixty Tables Sold for Our Gala (& counting)
Wahoo! We’re celebrating ten incredible years together and we can hardly wait. Did you know we recently offered a sneak peek into the whole experience for those of you who have a few lingering questions? What are you waiting for? Read all about it, grab your friends, and reserve your table today. We can’t wait to celebrate this incredible journey alongside you.
7. School’s Out For Summer
That’s right, our students at Hope Rising Academy in Sierra Leone have waited and worked hard. As of Aug 9, they get to begin enjoying their summer break! They’ve earned some time away from books and testing, but we can’t wait to see them back again soon.
6. Baskets & Donations Flooding In
We’ve got a boatload of donations and auction baskets beginning to fill our tables over here as Buffalo Volunteers have been busy making calls to local businesses and scouting sales racks. Thank you! With your help we’ll make this the best Gala yet! Looking for a simple way to get involved? Do you have an eye for trendy, fun clearance items? Do you love coming up with creative nights out, or simply enjoy our wonderful city (or maybe just eating)? Keep Let Them LOL in mind when you’re out & about. Grab a gift card or souvenir, ask a business owner for a donation, or snag a great sale and bring it by our Volunteer Center to support this year’s basket, live, and silent auctions! Help us get to 100!
5. Four Lives Transforming
When we visited this village in April, we knew we’d be seeing the very meaningful site of a very significant finished well (another story for another time), but we had no idea we’d encounter a wonderful mother precisely in her greatest need. We soon realized this woman was suffering greatly from leprosy – a disease many of us have long forgotten – and not only this, but she had recently given birth to triplets who were malnourished. Our team took careful assessment of her information so they could inform our Chief Health Officer Joseph. We realized she had sought previous treatment but with her babies and the far distance, she felt the travel to reach the closest available clinic was insurmountable. Since this time, Joseph has visited this village every week, providing treatments through our Hope Rising Health Clinic and nutritious meals (you’ve helped pack) from our Hope Campus to this mother and each of her children Faith, Hope, and Charity. Slowly but surely, we are beginning to celebrate with gratitude as we see these four lives transformed and returning to a healthy weight by these major acts of love, provision, and care (last two pictures are more recent, showing signs of improvement).
4. Hope Rising Buffalo Opportunity
You’ve heard of Hope Rising Academy in Sierra Leone, but we’re so excited for opportunities to get our Hope Rising Buffalo program in action here in our community as well! We are thrilled that this has become a reality again (just like in December with our coat collections). This time we’re collecting pencils, pens, notebooks, school supplies in general for children in our area who we can come alongside. Please bring all donations to our Volunteer Center by Thursday Aug 15!
3. Double-dose of Water Wins!
Currently, our water program is eager to move forward into the next drilling season but are at a point where we will be in need of funds to continue. Just over a week ago (so we’re celebrating it this month with you) we had an unexpected launch forward! On a calm Thursday afternoon, a long-time donor quietly walked through our door with a check in-hand. Saying very little, he was ready to fully fund an entire well! Needless to say we were full of joy. If this wasn’t enough, hardly an hour later, we met a young couple who were eager to learn more about Let Them LOL! It was their first time visiting the Volunteer Center and as they pressed into further detail, they almost immediately opened a fundraiser for a LTLOL clean water well to share with friends and family! We were thrilled as they stayed to volunteer for a while, and left having lifted our spirits even higher. Two unexpected water wins in one day! Thank you to our amazing donors!!!
2. New Hire at Hope Rising Medical Center
It’s so exciting to announce we’ll have a brand new staff member joining us in Sierra Leone this month! Her name is Hannah, and she is a midwife who will be providing this invaluable service at our brand new health center on Hope Campus. In this country where the maternal mortality ratio is the lowest in the world at 1 in 17 (meaning 1 in 17 women has a lifetime risk of death associated with childbirth), her work is the reason we dreamt of ever having a health center and we are so eager for Hannah to begin her lifesaving work in this community, turning the tide toward hope. Thank you for giving to help make this possible!
1. Our 10yr Anniversary Gala (of course)!
Did you know we’ve been chronicling the entire story of Let Them LOL since day one? Yep, it’s taken a couple blog posts already, but it’s pretty fun to look back at the faces and remember the ups (and inevitable downs) which have brought us all here (do you know the whole story?). We know there is so much more, and the best is yet to come. We can’t do this next chapter without you, and honestly hope to see each one of you as we count down the days and continue preparations for our big celebration in October!
BuffaloHope Rising AcademyHope Rising BuffaloSierra LeoneStoriesSustainabilityten yearswater gala
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