Birth Center

Birth Center

Derek and I have our house for sale. We have had it for sale for over a year now. We felt we were to go to Kansas City, MO as the next step in our journey, and we still walk that way, but in the meantime we wait. I have often thought, and dreamed of this house becoming a birth center. There are no birth center options anywhere in this area. I would love to see it as part of our mission to serve women here in the States, as well as use it as a training facility for those whose long term plan is to serve women in other countries as missionary midwives. I never thought I would start a birth center, but since our house has not sold, I am beginning to explore my options and look into how to become a licensed center here in Indiana. Of course, I would rather just sell the house and move to Missouri, but perhaps the Lord is doing more here than I myself had vision for.

Do You Have Books to Donate?

I am looking for midwifery books, pregnancy books, text books related: to the human body, well-woman care, gynecology, anatomy, etc. along with books on breastfeeding, raising children, immunizations,  or other related topics including health care in the third world. If you have any books of this nature, and would like to donate them to the Isaiah Project, then we can give you a tax donation letter for your end of the year returns.

501(c) 3 and Inspiration

Today we (The Isaiah Project) received our 501(c) 3 status. This means we are tax exempt. We have been a non-profit with the state of Indiana for a little over 2 years now, but now...NOW we are recognized nationally. Also, we can give the much desired tax credit to any and all who choose to give to our cause. This mean too, that we can now apply for grants.

I am so excited!
I feel: inspired, regenerated, challenged, determined, and ready!!

Ready to move out of the way and let God lead for once. (Instead of running ahead of Him, as I so often do!)
Ready to listen.
Ready to wait!!
Ready to obey!
Ready to create.
Ready to make a difference.
Ready to bring HIM GLORY!!!


I have lots of ideas for new pieces of art!! Now, just to get them done and loaded up here for you to see (and buy)! Stick with me....I know we are going places now!!!

SOLD!

Butterflies-SOLD

Roses in Vase- SOLD

Little Yellow Butterfly- SOLD

Partridge in a Pear Tree- SOLD

Tulips and Daffodils- SOLD

I need to get to work!! My inventory is all but gone!! Not a bad problem to have...

Gift Catalog for Ethiopia

Did you know that a purchase of one of my pictures will go to help women and children in Ethiopia? The following are examples of what your money would purchase should you choose to enjoy one of my art creations. To purchase a piece, or  to simply donate to our cause click on the 

Pay Pal link provided on the home page.

Your purchase of "The Yellow Butterfly" for $15.00 would buy a young child a uniform so they can go to school.










A purchase of "Wildflowers" for $60.00 would go to purchase a Bio Sand Filter which helps families provide clean, safe water for their children. -on sale-

If you purchased "Roses in a Vase" for $175.00 you would be buying a donkey for a family. This animal could help to pull a small cart so they could sell wares at market or be used as a "taxi" to get them back and forth to town. -on sale-

Purchasing "Daisy" candle holder for $15.00 would also go to purchase a uniform or a school aged child.

If you purchased this "Daisy with Stem" for $25.00 then your purchase would go to buy 25 pairs of sandals. -on sale-

For more information go to www.ywamethiopia.com and click on their Gift Catalog

The Future

I have recently taken a break from creating art. Before that, I took a break from midwifery. I was a little burnt out to be quite honest, first of midwifery and then of art. I generally pour myself out completely into whatever it is I am doing at the moment and quickly become spent and empty with no more to give. This is wonderful, if you plan to only do something for the short-term, however, this is not an ideal way to work if you plan on long-term success. This is where I am at the moment: learning how to pace myself. I think I was born with too many options, too many desires. Is this possible? I need 12 lifetimes in order to truly accomplish all that I want to accomplish, and yet I have one. One lifetime, and I am in the middle of it. So, how then to I succeed in this one lifetime that I have been given? Surely it is not to break myself into 10, 000 pieces and pass out a little here and there, because this is not effective. I need to concentrate and focus on one, maybe two ideas. I am in love with art, and equally I am in love with midwifery. I want to be able to use both mediums to help women and children world-wide, but as of yet, have not found how exactly to be successful at both in the same time. This leads me to where I/we are currently in our lives. I say our, because my husband and I are fiercely committed to one another's goals and hopes, ideas and dreams for the future. He will be completing his PhD within the year (in sha'a Allah). This means, and has always meant, in our minds, that we would then be moving on from this current location, indeed it meant that we would be moving back to Africa. That was always the goal. He to become skilled and degreed in the knowledge of international development, and I in midwifery then, together with the boys, we would return to help women and children in Africa and the Middle East. But now, it all seems so vague, so blurred. The future, that is. There is a part of us that is tired, tired of moving, tired of pouring out, just plain tired of it all. For once in my life I want a new couch, not one that has been handed down then handed down to me. I want to look through catalogues and buy new clothes, not ones from the Goodwill. I have always wanted to buy, whatever it was at the moment, as cheap as possible so that I could then have money to help others in far away places, whose faces I most likely will never see, but now? Now I want to stay in one place and have nice things. Is that so wrong? And then, just as I reconcile myself to this greedy me, and resign myself to think perhaps we just need to get normal jobs and lead normal lives I am convicted. I could no more be happy or content with material possessions or living in one place as a fish on land. So, here I sit at the crossroads of life, waiting to hear that voice behind me saying, "this is the way, walk in it"- yet, silence echoes in my ears and I am lost. What does the future hold? Endless possibilities.

Helping Mothers and Children in Africa

 As my quest to become a midwife and eventually serve in Africa continues, and as we continue to remain stateside I have followed many blogs of women who are themselves midwives working in Africa. Below is from a blog written by Joanne Jorgensen. She is a midwife, I believe currently in Ghana, but who worked for many years in Malawi, one of Africa's poorest countries and one in which the infant/maternal mortality rate is among the highest in the world. She has begun what is called the African Mothers Health Initiative.

To learn more about what she is doing and how you can become involved read the following interviews. Heart Song Studio will begin to support this cause this year. If you purchase a piece this year, you will help this organization and the women and children they serve.

 Malawi: http://www.worldvisionreport.org/Stories/Week-of-March-14-2009/Midwife-in-Malawi

Their website if you are interested in donating is: www.africanmothers.org

 Briefly, the African Mothers Health Initiative serves in the following capacities:

(1) Feeding Program - now we spend about $150/mo to feed 50 kids three times a week but we want to improve this project and increase meals (this is the bang for your buck program). 

(2) Infant Home Visits - we follow up infants who have survived their mothers death and provide support (nursing care, education, formula, and other material items) to the family. (this project spends a lot more money per baby but my heart is really with this one because without our support these little ones often go home to die.) 

(3) School Fees - we pay tuition for about 8 high school and college students who come from poor homes and who would not otherwise be able to continue their education.

If you are interested in a certain project we would also welcome a donation for a specific cause. Please contact me if you have any questions.

** taken from an e-mail from Joanne

Cards for Sale

 

 

I have made cards from artwork that I have previously created.

Each card you see was taken from a picture made of the original artwork.

The cards are on 4"x 5" glossy card stock and come with envelope and in a plastic sleeve.

$3.75 each plus shipping and handling

Available cards:

The Nativity

Field of Poppies

Sunflowers

**Glare is from pictures of cards only, and is not seen on the cards themselves**

Paper Works

Paper Orbs

$3.50 each plus shipping and handling

Colors available: yellow, green, blue, red, purple and orange

Other colors available upon request

Blue Candle Holder

3 1/2 x 3 1/2 square tea light candle holder  $18.00 plus shipping and handling

This piece was crafted in varying shades of blue glass accented with pieces of clear and yellow glass.