Friday, March 28, 2014

Meet the Crean Lutheran High School El Salvador team

Seven students and two faculty members from Crean Lutheran High School in Irvine, California, will be serving with HIS HANDS / HIS FEET from July 19-26.  This is Crean's first El Salvador team and All Blessings Intl. is honored to partner alongside such an outstanding group of students and staff!  The team is organizing a soccer ball and stuffed animal drive at the school for the children they will serve this summer.  Please contact Jenni Ramsey at jenni.ramsey@cox.net or David Anderlik @ anderlik@clshs.org if you have items to donate.


Meet our team:

Jenni Ramsey - Team leader (9th trip to El Salvador)
David Anderlik - Team leader/Crean teacher/girls' basketball coach
Valerie Anderlik - David Anderlik's wife/elementary school teacher
Lindsey Warneke - Crean teacher/assistant girls' basketball coach

Chloe Smith - Junior at Crean (basketball player)
Lauren Ludovico - Junior at Crean (swimmer)
Lexi Ramos - Junior at Crean (cheer team member)
Lisa Yamashita - Senior at Crean (basketball player & intl. student from Japan)
Alyssa Rikimaru - Junior at Crean (basketball player)
Sammie Evans - Junior at Crean (basketball player)
Jordan Bishop - Junior at Crean (basketball player)
Jake Bishop - 8th grader at Mission Viejo Christian School (attending Crean this fall)

Stephen Keenan - Graduate, Brethren Christian High School (has served in El Salvador 3 times, lineman coach, Crean football team)
Amanda Deal - Graduate, Cal State LA/former college basketball player (has served in El Salvador 3 times)

As you can see from the profiles above, we have a gifted team of athletes!  The team will be running sports camps and serving in a number of government orphanages in San Salvador.  Please for the team members as they are currently fundraising.  Crean students will be organizing team fundraisers.  Stay posted for details!  If you would like to contribute a tax-deductible donation for trip costs, send donations to All Blessings Intl., 95 Spring Valley, Irvine, CA 92602.  Thank you for your support and encouragement of out team!

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Young Women of Vision - Hosting our Second Quinceanera

We are thrilled to announce that the graduating class of Young Women of Vision (YWOV) Orange County has joined our June, 2014, El Salvador team.  This group of twenty-two mothers and daughters has committed to hosting our second quinceanera for teenage girls living in government centers in San Salvador.

What is a quinceanera?

A quinceanera is a traditional birthday celebration for Latin American girls who are turning fifteen. It is a "rite of passage" and families often spend thousands of dollars on this momentous event for their daughters.  Sadly, the teenage girls in the government orphanages miss the opportunity to celebrate their quinceaneras.  In July, 2011, our team learned how this heartbreaking reality affected the teenage girls and committed to return the following year.  We remembered these girls, honored our word and returned to host an unforgettable quinceanera for forty-three beautiful, young women.  Click on "Lady X" to read how God spoke to our 2011 team and "Transforming Hearts - The Quinceanera" to read about the 2012 quinceanera.

The 2012 quinceanera...





What is Young Women of Vision?  

YWOV is a volunteer ministry of World Vision that unites Christian mothers and high school age daughters who desire to grow in the knowledge, love and service of our Lord Jesus Christ. Transformed by this love, YWOV invest their time, talents and resources to serve impoverished women and children by being the hands and feet of Christ.  Jenni Ramsey, the Missions Director of All Blessings Intl., had the opportunity to meet with YWOV in February, 2014, where she shared about the quinceanera hosted by her 2012 team.  After learning that the government center had asked for another team to host a second quinceanera, YWOV was "all in!"  The team is currently fundraising, meeting and preparing to serve together.  Their goal is to bring one-hundred dresses, shoes and accessories to overwhelm and bless the precious girls who are currently living in government run centers.

Here are some of the members of the YWOV team...




Meet the Entire Team

YWOV will be serving alongside nine members of The Village Church of Irvine (Jenni Ramsey, David & Jessica Hughes, Stephanie & Stephen Keenan, Tanya & Rebekah Eason, Hannah Parkes & Jake Pam) and one member of Coast Hills Church, Aliso Viejo (Yvonne Khoury).   This is our LARGEST TEAM EVER with thirty-two team members total (twenty-nine women and three men)!   We will be serving from June 26-July 3 and are currently in need of the following items:

Formal dresses (all colors, knee-length or longer) - new or gently used
Costume jewelry - new or gently used
Hair pieces - new
Make up kits  - new
Feminine hygiene products
Gifts for the orphanage (diapers, wipes, formula, bottles, etc.)

The cost for the quinceanera is $4,000.  This amount is needed in addition to individual trip costs. If you would like to contribute towards this need, please send your tax-deductible gift to All Blessings Intl, 95 Spring Valley, Irvine, CA 92602.  Please pray for our team as we fund raise, collect donations, prepare our hearts to serve and unite as a team.  Pray for the young ladies that we will be serving.  Pray that they will be overwhelmed by God's deep love for them as well as their immense value and worth as His daughters.  Thank you for your support!!!