fundraising dilema & delights

when i grew up kent & i grew up our parents taught us to work for "things"...we weren't given "things" as kids are today...this fundraising reminds me of when i was a kid saving money for a stereo for my car, a new outfit or 8 track tapes for my car (now that shows my age)... it has been neat coming up with ideas to make items by hand to sell...it has been amazing watching natalie come up with creative ideas...kent & i have stuck to the same rules are parents taught us work for "things" you want they'll mean so much more to you...natalie sent our letters to family members and a few family friends asking for donations for her fundraising for her airline ticket to china...we've had mixed views on her sending out the letter good and bad...
some commented they felt the letter was natalie begging for money
some have commented she shouldn't have to raise her own money for her airline ticket
some have commented that it is a great idea that she's fundraising for her ticket
some have commented my kids expect everything...garrett & natalie expect "things" just like other teenagers do they do get some "things" without working for them...we're not perfect matter of fact far from perfect...we're doing the best we can as parents...we make mistakes like all parents do... we are just hoping to raise garrett & natalie to value hard work and to not feel as if they are entitled to "things."

yearly we receive between 4-6 fundraising/donation letters:
people going on mission trips
families adopting a child
medical reasons for fundraisers
when natalie asked us if she could send out a fundraising donation letter back in january kent & i at first said no...several weeks later she asked again if she could send out a letter but this time she came with a list of other ideas she had to raise money for her airline ticket...when we saw she's put forth effort to come up with other ideas we told her she could send out letters...if she only raises $500.00 and she's done all she knows how to do we will of course pay the rest...it's about putting forth effort.


these are the standards kent & i were taught as kids & young adults we've chosen to stick to those values with our kids...we do get comments from garrett & natalie every so often.
"mom so and so didn't have to pay for his/her own cell phone"
"dad why do i have to pay for my own car insurance when so and so mom and dad pay for his?" i'm proud to say that garrett & natalie have pride in their "things"

it will be so wonderful when we get to china and emma lael is handed to us knowing we all worked so hard to bring her home...was it a sacrifice absolutely...was it worth it 100%...would i do it all again, yes...do friends & family think we've lost our minds, yes...do friends & family think we're following our hearts, yes...do we think this will be easy, no...

this is what goes through my head daily...why should i/we live lives of comfort while 147 million orphans:
yearn to be loved...
beg to be held by someone...
wonder "why me"...
go to sleep hungry...
dream of having a family...
have never felt love...
cry themselves to sleep...
sleep in cribs with multiple children...
have never smelled puppy breath...
have never heard I LOVE YOU...
have never petted a kitten...
have never been rocked to sleep...
have never heard a bed time story...to name a few


here are a few of the fundraisers we've come up with here in the sisler household:
kent: putting on basketball camps
natalie: car wash, selling baked goods, baby sitting, pet sitting and picking up the neighbors mail & newspapers when they are out of town.
me: making t-shirts and dog biscuits, cleaning a friends house & subbing in the school nurses office.
garrett: well due to him being away at school he's not fundraising nor is he going to china with us because he'll be in college...when he works this summer he'll put some of his funds into the pot for sure!

Ecclesiastes 5:3 teaches us that we need to put effort into seeing our dreams come true. i hope you have a dream or a vision in your heart for something greater than you have now. though you will likely have to work in order to see your dream come to pass, i know that God is for you and He will help you. if you are not dreaming of anything, you are cheating yourself. we all need to think big thoughts, hope big hopes, and dream big dreams!