What Is Sole Hope?

What is Sole Hope and how can you be involved?

Shoe Making Day

Yesterday was shoe making day.  It was the long awaited day when the girls going on the Sole Hope December trip were to learning how to make Sole Hope shoes so we can teach the women of Ndola.  Beth Gaffney came over to help us accomplish this!  We started our session at 1:30, and Holly and myself worked until 2:30AM!!  We were not making shoes the entire time, but most of it.  And when I say making shoes, I mean only one pair.  It is hard work-do not be fooled!  I will admit, doubt and fear are creeping in. Can the women do this?  Will this be too hard?  Will they WANT to do this once they experience what its like?  Will we be able to get the right tools to Ndola?  Will they have the right tires?

Part of my team and I were talking about "plan B" last night, and the thing I feel so strong in my heart is that the only part of "plan B" addresses the children's feet, a huge part.  But, I do not want to over look the widows-and I know this trade will benefit them in great ways.  They will be able to be paid for shoe making and more more of a profit than they will with any of the other trades they are learning!
This is an exciting time.  This is a scary time!  And when all the heaviness of the project weighs on me I must remember, this is NOT my project, I am only a vessel to carry out a greater plan.  Sometimes I don't even know what that plan is, but I want to be faithful even when it feels like the ground is getting shaky!

Above: Holly and I sewing at about 8pm.  We were trying to figure out why her machine kept messing up!  :)

Cleats For Wiphan

There has been something on my mind, especially as I take my daughter to soccer practice every Saturday. She plays for ABYSA and there are over 2,000 children playing in her league!

(Above: Here in America)

All of these are wearing cleats, shin guards (in fact, you are not allowed to play without them), and matching uniforms.  I LOVE soccer and always have.  I played up until last year and for various reasons don't know if I will ever play on a team again.  So, it was no surprise that as I visited the Wiphan school in Ndola, Zambia this past May, I heard the school team was going to have a soccer game I was BEYOND excited!  As we got to the dirt field the Wiphan kids proudly sported their uniforms that were donated to them last year.  They are property of the school so they come to the game, put them on, and before they go home they return them to the coach.  The fast paced game led to extremely hard kicks and quick maneuvers with their feet.  I was more than amazed becuase not only were they not playing without shin guards, but they had on no cleats!  I cannot even imagine playing on the ground they were playing on, and NOT having cleats!!!  

At first one could rationalize, well, they are used to it-their feet are calloused...and so on.  I inquired about this no cleats situation with the widow who started Wiphan...she said the kids would love to have cleats and it is to their disadvantage when they play a private school.  The private schools have cleats and shin guards and the Wiphan team is very intimidated for several reasons when playing them.  

I know that soccer cleats are not number one priority, but it is something that I want to ask others who love soccer to just donate a few dollars to.  We need $1,000 to buy cleats over there.  It would be the same price to buy cleats in America as it is there, and we would like to support their economy-not to mention, it would be great if we could get them cleats that fit!   

If this is something that stirs your heart as it does mine, please donate a little something on the side of this blog.  Together we can help make their favorite past time a little more fun, and safe!  Please share this with any other soccer lovers you might know.  :)