Recent Posts

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Hurricane in 3-D Textured Glass





Hurricane in 3-D Textured Glass (candle not included)
$75.00

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Helping Women and Children in Ethiopia

The average income for an Ethiopian family is about $120.00 (USD) a month. In the area of Addis Ababa where YWAM ministers, the income for an entire family is about $25.50 (USD). The average-sized family is six children. Women who have been widowed are expected to provide for their children and there are no government social services to help them. Unemployment stands at a whopping 65% according to government statistics. The poorest women generally are not educated and have no skills to earn a living. Many of these mothers sell their bodies in order to provide bread for their children. YWAM’s community program helps some of these widows by paying $30.00 a month per child so they can buy food, pay rent, send their children to school with school supplies and access medical care if needed. The need is great and the only limitation is finances.



There are currently 27 children/families being assisted in the community in this way. Adoption Ministry, in collaboration with others, is putting together a proposal for vocational training and seed capital to start a small business for twenty of these widow heads-of-homes so these mothers can become productive and generate income to provide for their families.There are some extremely desperate situations that YWAM encounters when working in this poor section of Addis Ababa. Because of the pandemic of AIDS, fathers have died and many mothers are infected themselves. Several fathers have sought YWAM’s help because the wife has died of AIDS and he cannot care for the children alone. Food prices have soared in Ethiopia and the very poor are struggling like never before to purchase needed food. Several children in these distressed situations have become available for adoption and YWAM brings these children to our Widows and Orphans Home and searches for a strong Christian family to adopt them.



On our home page you can select the "Donate" button and make a donation.
All $30.00 donations will go to this cause.


*To learn more about what Youth with a Mission is doing in Ethiopia go to: http://www.ywamethiopia.com/

**This post was copied from the the YWAM Ethiopia site**

Monday, October 12, 2009

Art Classes

CHILDREN’S ART CLASSES TO CREATE GLASS MOSAIC


On Saturday, Nov. 7, Frankfort artist Amy Kirbow will help students create a Glass Mosaic candleholder or textured glass design. Students will work with small pieces of glass and an adhesive to create their design. Glass is sharp. It is possible that some children may experience a cut on their finger. Parents are welcome to stay and help their children with this project. Grades 1-3 will meet from 9-10am and children in grades 4 and up will meet from 10:30-11:30am in the Mae Conard Art Studio, Frankfort Library.

There is no charge for this class. Registration in advance is greatly appreciated and can be made at the library circulation desk, by calling 765-654-8746 or by visiting the library website at http://fcpl.accs.net. Donations to the Children’s Art Enrichment program help pay instructor and supply fees and are always welcome. Checks can be made payable to the Frankfort Library and designated for Children’s Art Enrichment classes.
 
 
GLASS MOSAIC WORKSHOP with AMY KIRBOW


The Friends of the Frankfort Library will sponsor a Glass Mosaic Workshop with Frankfort glass artist, Amy Kirbow. On Saturday, Nov. 7 from 1-4pm, Kirbow will instruct participants in how to create their own 8x10 Glass Mosaic work of art in the Mae Conard Art Studio, Frankfort Library. A self-taught artist, Kirbow was inspired to work with glass after observing a friend in college working on a glass project for an art class.

Designing with a floral theme, students will cut, assemble and adhere pieces of colored glass in an 8x10 frame. Grout will need to be applied at a later date, Wednesday evening, Nov. 18 at 7pm, after the adhesive has had time to dry. A sample window is on display by the top of the Grand Staircase on the library’s first floor.

Cost for this workshop is $55 and includes all supplies. Registration can be made at the library’s circulation desk, by calling 765-654-8746 or online at http://fcpl.accs.net. Programs at the Frankfort Library are sponsored by the Friends and provided with support from the Tippecanoe Arts Federation, the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and the Nancy N. Fullerton Fund for the Anna and Harlan Hubbard School of Living.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

What We Have Accomplished

From January 2007 to December 2009 The Isaiah Project supported a young Russian woman named Lena. We were able to bless her monthly with a $200.00 donation which allowed her to continue her work in Russia. Lena is originally from the region of Siberia and has a heart for children. During our time of financial support for her she was instrumental in establishing Kid's Club, an after-school program for the neediest of children in Perm, Russia. Not only did she help begin this program, but also was committed in visiting the children in their homes and meeting many of their physical needs. Lena is committed to the children of Russia and longs to make an eternal impact in their lives.



We have recently begun to support another young Russian woman named Katya. Katya also has worked with the children of Russia and really has a love for the young people of her nation. Katya is in the process of moving to Moscow in order to begin a ministry where children and young people are rescued from the sex/slave industry. This industry is growing wildly and Moscow is a known hub. We hope to continue to support Katya through the Isaiah Project.


The Isaiah Project was able to fund the leadership of a missions team taken to Russia in early 2009. This team was able to completely renovate a room at the mission house which now serves to sleep many missionaries. We hope to continue to support teams going into Russia, as well as Africa and the Middle East.


In 2008 The Isaiah Project bought the supplies for the Kid's Club to build a large puppet stage. We were able to see the stage completed on our last trip to Russia.

 We have also provided:


150 blankets to various orphanages

 50+ hygiene kits for street children

 100 pairs of slippers to various orphanages

 80 pairs of pajamas

 Art supplies

100+ tubes of Desiten

Monday, September 28, 2009

To Place and Order

I am still accepting orders for Christmas presents for the 2009 season. What I love so much about offering glass work to you for Christmas is that you as women are going to buy gifts for your families,friends and loved ones anyway...why not buy a gift that in the words of the old cliche just "keeps on giving". Anyone could buy a gift at Target or Macy's, and although they are lovely, they do not continue to bless others. When you buy a gift from Heart Song Studio, the money you spend goes to help serve the needs of women and children around the world. You can place an order for a custom piece at any time. You may look through the old blog archives and choose something you like and I can recreate it (although no two pieces are ever alike), or you may talk with me about a simple idea you have that perhaps I can create for you specifically. Prices are based on size, the amount of glass I use, as well at the amount of hours put into the piece. Generally the prices are as follows, but may vary depending on the exact glass work:

Ornaments- $22.00

Smaller than 5x7- $25.00-$35.00

5x7 $35.00-$45.00

Larger than 5x7 but smaller than 8x10- $50.00-$65.00

8x10-$75.00

Larger than 8x10 various drastically depending on size and design. Most pieces are created in salvaged old windows and frames and begin at $195.00

To contact us simply call: 765-659-1626 or e-mail us at: thekirbows@yahoo.com

Orders placed for Christmas should be ready to pick up (or ship) by December 1, 2009.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Teen Midwives in Afghanistan Help Save Lives

Teen midwives in Afghanistan help save lives
A bored teen at the mall? Hardly. This 18-year-old widow and mother works courageously to curb Afghanistan’s staggering infant and maternal mortality rates, thanks to a training program supported by World Vision.

September 2009

By Mary Kate MacIsaac, World Vision Afghanistan, and Rachael Boyer, World Vision U.S.


As part of her practical training, this 18-year-old midwife-in-training administers a vaccination to a newborn at Herat Regional Hospital in Afghanistan. World Vision is training young women here to become midwives in an effort to reduce the region's high maternal- and infant-mortality rates.
Photo ©2009 Mary Kate MacIssac/World Vision
Dressed in scrubs, pink vinyl aprons, caps, and the occasional surgical mask, midwives-in-training hustle between beds in the delivery room at the Herat maternity hospital in western Afghanistan.

In other countries, teens like these are attending high school, watching movies, or going on dates. But in Afghanistan, these young women are learning to save lives.

Almost half of all deaths of women age 15-49 in Afghanistan result from complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these deaths could be prevented with increased access to maternal health services. Competent midwives based in rural communities are beginning to make that difference.

A midwife named Suraya
It is May 2009. A young woman cries, “God, God, God…” from behind a portable turquoise curtain. Leaning over her, an Afghan teen dressed in hospital scrubs speaks calmly, encouraging her to take quick, short breaths. The laboring woman’s toes grip the mattress edge, and her hand presses against the green tiled wall next to the bed. “Don’t push. Not yet,” says the midwife, “Wait, wait…”




Make a donation to World Vision’s Mother and Girls Health Fund. Your gift will help provide maternal health care in areas where the need is great.
The midwife is Suraya,* an 18-year-old midwife-in-training from a remote village in the mountainous province of Ghor. Married at just 14, and widowed at 16, Suraya is more grown up than one might expect. She was 15 when she gave birth to her son, Razeq, who is now 3. Her mother cares for the boy at home while Suraya completes her practical training in Herat.

When her parents heard about the program, they encouraged Suraya to become a midwife. “They said, ‘This is good. You can help our community by assisting the women here. You can help save the lives of mothers and babies,’” recalls Suraya.

Eighteen months ago, Suraya had just completed the ninth grade. Then she heard about and applied to the midwifery training program, supported by World Vision. The program is about 125 miles from her home — an unheard-of distance for an Afghan woman to travel through rocky terrain and bad roads for an education.

Midwives-in-training, like Suraya, deliver most of the infants at the Herat maternity hospital. They work alongside trained medical staff, gaining invaluable experience assisting mothers in labor by preparing hydration drips, and monitoring infant heartbeats and maternal blood pressures. They also carefully examine each woman for signs of complications such as obstructed births, and other potential causes of maternal death in Afghanistan.

Some staggering figures
The United Nations estimates that Ghor has the highest rate of maternal deaths in all of Afghanistan, which holds the second-highest rate in the world, after Niger. According to the UN, one in eight Afghan women die in childbirth.

In 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) found that there were only 467 trained midwives in the country. By 2008, that number had increased to more than 2,100. However, Peter Graaff, a WHO representative for Afghanistan, says that the country needs far more — at least 4,500 midwives.

In 2008, World Vision started a program in coordination with an Afghan humanitarian organization. The 18-month program, which aims to improve maternal health, recruits young women from rural communities across the province. Each student makes a commitment to return to her community after she completes the training, to increase women’s access to care in remote areas.

On a mission to save their friends


A 17-year-old midwife-in-training is supervised as she dresses a newborn child at Afghanistan's Ghor Regional Hospital.
Photo ©2009 Mary Kate MacIssac/World VisionThe training program was a dream come true for Suraya. “When I was a small child, I hoped to be a doctor or a midwife in my community. When I heard about this program, I had to apply,” she says.

Suraya, like many of the student midwives, joined the program motivated by personal experiences from their own communities.

“Back home, in our village, my friend was in labor for more than four days…she lost so much blood, but they would not take her to the hospital. The baby finally came out dead and my friend, the mother, was in a terrible situation. It was her first child, an awful experience, but she survived, barely. They didn’t consult anyone.”

Every student has a story like this. Every student’s family has been affected or knows a family that has endured such a loss. Among these young midwives, there is a sense of urgency that something must be done to reverse the trends in maternal and infant health. These students see themselves as part of a new future for their country and their people.

‘Now I feel fully competent’

A 20-year-old mother lies with her newborn son after receiving care from midwives-in-training at Ghor Regional Hospital.
Photo ©2009 Mary Kate MacIssac/World Vision“The first time I delivered an infant, I was so afraid,” admits Suraya. “I was looking at the mother, feeling so sad for her and wondering, ‘Is it really possible that I can do this?’ I could only think how God must help me.’”
But she did it, and then she did it again and again, 43 more times in her final months of training.

“Now, I feel fully competent,” she says with a confident smile.

In one month, Suraya and her classmates will graduate and return to their villages. Suraya has not been home since she began the program in January 2008. She has missed her family, and especially her son.

“But I’ll miss all the friends I’ve made in this program, too,” says Suraya. “Already, every day we are missing each other,” she laughs, but then grows more thoughtful and serious: “But I must do this. I must return home. It has been my dream to finish this program and become a good midwife. This is my life’s purpose now.”

*Name has been changed.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Who is the Isaiah Project and Heart Song Studios?

The Isaiah Project

was founded on Isaiah 61, our purpose is to serve women and children who have been affected by poverty, war, AIDS or oppression. Our goals are to restore well being, dignity and hope through education and humanitarianism. By equipping both women and children with the tools necessary to better themselves and their community we empower their future. We desire to teach elementary skills and education to those who have none, and develop education centers as well as charitable homes to provide a refuge from the tempest. Our ultimate goal is to show love by giving our resources and lives to those without love, hope or a future and to show our fellowman a better way through compassion and action. To contact us please e-mail us at: thekirbows@yahoo.com


Heart Song Studio is a ministry of the Isaiah Project. Our vision is to take discarded materials and use them to create beautiful works of art, much the same as God does with those individuals that are discarded by the world.

In the past I have maintained two blogs, one for The Isaiah Project and one for Heart Song Studios. I am now combining the two, but if you have an interest in either ministry let me know and I can get you more information.

Sarah Groves "I Saw What I Saw"

Dreams

There are so many dreams we have, so many things we long to accomplish. Our hearts often run ahead of the moment, but I must dream it is what gives me hope. It is what wakes me in the morning and keeps me from sleep at night. I believe those who do not choose to dream are the ones who regret. I read once a poem, that sadly I have never been able to find again, which stated, "I want to live in such a way that when I come to die...I KNOW that I have truly lived". Of course that is paraphrased and if you should know the poet, please, please let me know, but that is how I want to live my life. I want it to be an unselfish life that, because I have lived, others too can really, truly live and maybe even, one day...DREAM.


Here are a few of our dreams (one of which is already a happy, successful reality):

The Refuge: We dream to take part in desert reclamation. To help provide tools, seeds, farming techniques, water wells and other resources for returning refugees and smaller communities so they can better reclaim their lives, homes and yes...dreams.We long to come along side refugees, who have been asked to return to their homes, but who have no homes to return to and help them re-establish themselves in small communities  and enable them to build a home, garden plot and community resources such as fisheries.

Beauty for Ashes: Here we would take the gift and skills of antenatal health care and midwifery to the women and newborns who, otherwise, would have no health care or resources in the Middle East and North Africa. Women in these areas are not going to be reached, unless other women rise up and go to them. The time in a woman's life where she experiences pregnancy, birth and postpartum are hinge moments. Her future, the future of her newborn and subsequent children, as well as her husband, in-laws and her community all hinge on a healthy woman during and after pregnancy. So often, the WOMAN IS THE MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE a developing world community will have, and we must reach her in these pivotal moments and offer her opportunities for positive outcomes.


Heart Song Studio: Heart Song Studio is a platform and voice for the art medium of humanitarianism. We make art for the sole purpose of raising money to support various projects in Russia, the Middle East and Africa. In time, we hope to encompass a COMMUNITY of artists who are willing to create and donate their art for the cause of their fellow man.


So we invite you to DREAM! Dream with us...dream on your own...just know there is so much more than you have probably ever imagined...and begin TODAY to DREAM!!

Heart Song Studio

Heart Song Studio is a ministry of the Isaiah Project. Originally Heart Song Studio began in order to provide finances for a blanket project in Russia. This project was to provide blankets to orphans in various orphanages in the Perm region of Russia. It was a success and so Heart Song Studio continued to produce work and continues to provide the bulk of the income for the Isaiah Project. As of now, 100 % of the proceeds from Heart Song Studio has gone, and continues to go directly to fund various projects and people in our focus region.

Heart Song Studio uses the gift and medium of art as a platform for educating others in the art of humanitarianism. We have dedicated our talents to the nameless and voiceless of Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Our desire is to bring awareness to their hideous plight juxtaposed against the beauty of art. Heart Song Studio takes discarded glass, salvaged frames, along with broken windows and creates unique works of art. Like the art materials that have been discarded these children and communities forgotten and forsaken by the world, can become beautiful with time and a loving, patient touch.






To learn more or to purchase a work of art from Heart Song Studio go to:

www.heartsongstudio.blogspot.com