Flexibility

http://calvarytohokurelief.blogspot.com I found this blog yesterday and it looks like this could be a place we will be sending our quilts. They are a church in Japan that is on the ground and established and working daily to help the people of Japan by cleaning up and passing out food, water and supplies. They are receiving supplies from all over the world and I know they will get our quilts into the hands of people who need them. As you read my blog, you have seen that plans have changed often. Yesterday, I was called wishy-washy because I haven't been able to nail down a final plan just yet. I was very hurt by that. Today after reading this blog, there is a sentence that really healed my heart. It says, blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken! With a huge relief effort like this, I have to be flexible. Things change on a daily basis. At first, the pilots of the Air Force said they would take the quilts for us and then the next day, they were not longer flying to Japan. They had no control over where they flew. They felt really bad for making a promise they couldn't keep. My friend, the Mayor promised that his friend the pilot would help us and then he couldn't reach him by phone. He still hasn't been able to reach him and is worried. He believes he is in Japan helping his wife's family. At a time like this family comes first. I understand. I try to be transparent with everyone here so that you all can see that this is a process. I have several places that the quilts could go. There is the Japanese quilt company, but if you read the fine print, they are selling some of the quilts (how many?) to raise money for the earthquake victims. That's fine, as long as that is what you agree to when you send them your quilts. I don't want your quilts or my quilts being sold. I want them in the hands of kids. That's why I didn't just send my quilts there in the first place. I felt a burden to spearhead this project. It would have been easier to just give to the Red Cross and send a few quilts off to someone else. Trust me! But, instead, I have over 400 quilts in my house and I'm working very hard to find the best place to send the quilts where I know they will be given to the people that need them the most. I would also love to have pictures of them being given out. I know, that's a bit selfish, but I love seeing my quilts in other people's hands and I bet you do too. There are a few other efforts that I know of but again, they all seem so impersonal. Thank you for being so supportive of this project. I will continue to update you as plans unfold. The quilts will be headed out as soon as I can get them there, but my goal is the second week of June. If things happen before that, Praise God! My kids would be happy about that too :)