I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn,
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and we welcome you
once again to 3ABN Today,
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and we just always.
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Please don't think
that when we say this,
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what I'm getting ready to say,
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that this is
rote because it's not,
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we thank you from
the bottom of our hearts
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for your love, and your prayers,
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and your
financial support of 3ABN
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because frankly,
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we couldn't be
ministering around the world
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without you.
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If you didn't partner with us,
we couldn't afford to do this
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and nobody would be blessed.
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But I'm so excited
about our special guest today
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because this is something
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I was explaining
to one of the guests,
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she's been here
several times before,
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that you do so many interviews,
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you don't always
remember the story,
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as you meet somebody
for about 15 minutes,
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and you think, "I'll
never forget that story,"
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but you do.
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Her ministry is
one that was so unique
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that it really
did touch my heart,
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and it's going to touch yours,
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and I remembered it
as soon as I saw her,
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I remembered dear Barbara Neher.
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Barbara, we're so
glad you're back again.
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Well, I'm glad to have
you as my interviewer too.
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Oh, well...
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We've made some
good friends here.
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Yes, and you're a
very special lady,
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you're the National
Director for It's My Very Own.
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Yes.
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And we're going to
explain actually in a nutshell
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what you do is
provide a bag for children
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who, you know, get
opioid crisis is so bad,
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and what happens
is when people find,
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and we had it here
in our own area recently
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where somebody had a
meth lab in their home
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and DCS and the police show up,
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and here you are in
the middle of the night
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grabbing some little
child away from their parents.
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And this is the
only security, they know,
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and they are being
taken away with strangers.
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Well, It's My Very
Own provides a bag,
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and it's not just any
bag and a homemade quilt,
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and all kinds of goodies
that we'll tell you about.
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And it has some
very far reach...
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It has a far-reaching
impact... Yes, it does.
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And so we're very
excited about that.
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But you've brought someone
else special with you this time.
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And this is Susan
Schnell's first time at 3ABN.
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And you're the
International Director
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for It's My Very Own.
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Yes.
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How long have you been
serving in that position?
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Since February but...
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Okay. Yes.
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All right, so
we are very excited
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to hear this story.
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And they've got some
amazing personal stories
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just how the Lord has led.
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I know you will be
blessed by this interview
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so please stay with us.
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But first, we have a
special friend of mine.
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And I love her,
she's from Australia,
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she's a sweet,
sweet sister in the Lord.
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And I love her voice,
her name is Sandra Entermann.
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I don't know if you know her.
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The first time I heard her sing,
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she controls her vibrato,
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there is no
vibrato to the very end,
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and then all of a sudden
it comes in like a slow wave,
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and it's just
beautiful but when she sings,
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she sings from the heart
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because she has such a close
relationship with the Lord.
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And she is going to
sing for us "That's The Day."
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There are burdens
that I carry every day
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Sometimes they
make me want to cry
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Hopeless feelings
hobbled deep inside my heart
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And I find it hard
to hold my head up high
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But in the middle of
the darkness in my life
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I find the strength to carry on
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'Cause I'm holding
to a promise Jesus made
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And I know it won't be
long till we'll be gone
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In a while we'll be gone
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And we won't have to cry anymore
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All our sorrows left behind
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That's the day
that I am waiting for
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And that's the day
that I am longing for
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And if you feel
there is no meaning in life
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And it seems
you've lost your way
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Listen closely to
the voices deep inside
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And remember what
the Savior has to say
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In a while we'll be gone
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We won't have to cry anymore
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All our sorrows are left behind
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That's the day
that I am waiting for
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And that's the day
that I am longing for
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Jesus comes to take me home
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You know, we just want
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to thank Sandra
Entermann so much
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and that was Kristie
Sipec that was singing with her
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and they're dear friends
and wonderful Christian women.
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Well, if you are just
joining us a little late,
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our special guests today
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are Barbara Neher
and Susan Schnell,
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and they have an
amazing ministry.
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But before we jump off
into the story of the ministry,
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tell us a little bit about you.
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Barbara, did you grow
up in a Christian home?
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Actually I did.
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But when I was 18, I
married out of the church
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and walked away,
I wasn't mad at God,
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I wasn't mad at
anything in the church,
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I just married out of the faith.
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And my father tried
to talk me out of it,
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and he told me
what would happen,
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and he was right,
everything he said,
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that's what I did.
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And it took me over 40 years
to come back, but here I am.
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Amen.
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And when you came back,
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what was it in
your personal life
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that got you
interested in helping children,
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particularly children, who are,
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I guess you could say
whose parents are drug addicts?
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Well, my youngest
daughter was into drugs
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for better than 25 years.
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She wanted to out, she
tried, and I tried to help her,
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but she just couldn't do it.
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And she had children,
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and we did take
the children from her
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not on a permanent
basis but just to help her
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get her act together.
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It's two little boys, right?
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Then later on, she had two more,
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the two little boys.
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At this time, she was
so involved into the drugs
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that the entire time
that she was pregnant,
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she was drugged,
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and when the baby was
born he was addicted to drugs.
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And it has a
lasting effect on the baby.
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Yes, it does.
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And the Child
Protective Services
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removed the children from her,
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and they gave her 18
months to get her act together,
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and she could
have the children back.
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But she wouldn't even show up,
and she apologized to me later,
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she says, "I am so sorry
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that I chose the
drugs over my children."
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And it wasn't long
after, we got the children
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that we had to argue with
the Child Protective Services
00:11:07.73\00:11:11.23
in the state that she was in
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because they didn't want to
adopt them out of the state.
00:11:12.90\00:11:18.07
And I told them, I said,
00:11:18.11\00:11:19.64
"I don't care
what your rules are,
00:11:19.67\00:11:21.64
they're my
grandchildren, and I want them."
00:11:21.68\00:11:24.71
And so they
eventually saw it my way,
00:11:24.75\00:11:27.88
and they allowed us to
bring the children down,
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and the father
signed the children away,
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and my daughter was
able to legally adopt them.
00:11:35.49\00:11:38.76
And six months after
that I was watching...
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While I was actually
working at the computer,
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and I had the TV on
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and listening to
the 10 o'clock news,
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and this news anchor came
on and she was talking about,
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I wasn't paying any attention,
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you know, how you're
listening, but you're not,
00:11:57.61\00:11:59.95
and she mentioned 'meth orphans'
00:12:00.05\00:12:02.98
and that got my
attention immediately,
00:12:03.02\00:12:05.19
and I turned,
and I looked at that,
00:12:05.22\00:12:06.76
and I started listening.
00:12:06.79\00:12:08.82
And it was a drug bust.
00:12:08.86\00:12:11.09
And I was watching it,
00:12:11.13\00:12:14.46
they were taking the
parents out in handcuffs,
00:12:14.50\00:12:18.30
and the reporter
went over to the window,
00:12:18.33\00:12:21.57
the children were
still in the house.
00:12:21.60\00:12:23.97
Terrified?
00:12:24.01\00:12:25.34
Terrified. They
were just sobbing.
00:12:25.37\00:12:27.44
I mean, they weren't
just crying or screaming,
00:12:27.54\00:12:29.44
they were sobbing and
that hit me really hard.
00:12:29.48\00:12:34.28
And I had told
Jack, I said, "You know,
00:12:34.32\00:12:37.25
there should be
something that can be done."
00:12:37.35\00:12:40.42
And the amazing thing is
00:12:40.46\00:12:44.93
that the Lord was
starting to work on my heart.
00:12:44.96\00:12:49.50
Just before that
I had been praying,
00:12:49.53\00:12:51.60
"Lord, I want to work for You,
00:12:51.63\00:12:52.97
but I don't know
what You want me to do."
00:12:53.00\00:12:55.77
And that's when the
idea for the bags happened.
00:12:55.80\00:13:02.04
And my daughter called
me, my oldest daughter,
00:13:02.08\00:13:05.75
and she says, "Mom,
00:13:05.78\00:13:08.35
I just had this
idea what we should do."
00:13:08.38\00:13:12.15
At the very same time,
well, I had called her,
00:13:12.19\00:13:15.69
but she was going to call me,
00:13:15.72\00:13:17.86
and this is how it
actually started growing,
00:13:17.89\00:13:23.43
and this was like
at Thanksgiving time,
00:13:23.47\00:13:29.47
and it was amazing,
00:13:29.50\00:13:34.04
we sat down, we put it together,
00:13:34.14\00:13:37.01
we had prayed,
00:13:37.11\00:13:38.81
and the results
is what you see here.
00:13:38.85\00:13:43.45
We immediately went out
00:13:43.49\00:13:44.89
and started buying toys and such
00:13:44.92\00:13:47.52
that were on sale
because that's after,
00:13:47.56\00:13:49.69
you know,
Thanksgiving, and so on.
00:13:49.72\00:13:53.46
So let me just
stop for just a second
00:13:53.50\00:13:55.13
because we're kind
of dancing around this.
00:13:55.16\00:13:57.90
The idea was to, you know,
00:13:57.93\00:14:01.37
you will see
these little children
00:14:01.40\00:14:04.01
when they are being
ripped apart from their parents,
00:14:04.11\00:14:06.98
parents being
taken off in handcuffs,
00:14:07.01\00:14:09.64
and often these little kids
they grab maybe a garbage bag
00:14:09.68\00:14:15.35
and put something
in the garbage bag,
00:14:15.38\00:14:17.19
and the little
children are being taken away
00:14:17.29\00:14:19.75
without anything.
00:14:19.79\00:14:21.89
And so what they've done here...
00:14:21.92\00:14:24.39
I'm going to grab this one.
00:14:24.43\00:14:26.36
But what this ministry does is
00:14:26.39\00:14:30.33
since they
don't have a suitcase,
00:14:30.37\00:14:32.57
you make them a
really pretty bag to carry.
00:14:32.60\00:14:35.90
Yes.
00:14:35.94\00:14:37.37
And I love this one
over here for the little boy
00:14:37.41\00:14:39.54
if we can get a
shot of that one.
00:14:39.57\00:14:41.58
But you make a
bag and in this bag,
00:14:41.61\00:14:46.11
to me the most amazing
thing, is a handmade quilt.
00:14:46.15\00:14:50.45
Yes.
00:14:50.49\00:14:51.82
And so you sew and
make a handmade quilt.
00:14:51.85\00:14:55.29
You can see here,
00:14:55.32\00:14:56.99
we've got the contents
of one of the bags here.
00:14:57.03\00:15:00.23
And this is such a cute one,
00:15:00.26\00:15:02.36
this is E is for
elephant, G is for giraffe,
00:15:02.40\00:15:06.13
got the little matching pillow,
00:15:06.17\00:15:07.74
and this is for age
three and under, right?
00:15:07.77\00:15:09.87
Yes.
00:15:09.90\00:15:11.24
And you have a hedgehog, a
hedgehog book, you've got...
00:15:11.27\00:15:16.24
Tell us all you've got the...
00:15:16.28\00:15:18.55
We have pacifiers,
we put a bottle in,
00:15:18.58\00:15:21.58
and a sippy cup
depending on what they need,
00:15:21.62\00:15:23.99
and we put toys,
a few little toys,
00:15:24.02\00:15:27.46
and then hygiene
products or personal care items,
00:15:27.49\00:15:30.33
toothbrush, a
brush for their hair,
00:15:30.43\00:15:33.16
and so, you know, the
baby wash, and baby lotion.
00:15:33.19\00:15:37.70
Now, actually
00:15:37.73\00:15:41.00
what did DCF tell
you about these bags
00:15:41.04\00:15:45.07
and as far as
making it easier to place?
00:15:45.11\00:15:48.44
Well, one caseworker told me,
00:15:48.48\00:15:50.41
she said, "I would not have had
00:15:50.45\00:15:51.98
a successful
placement for this child
00:15:52.01\00:15:54.28
if it wasn't for your bags."
00:15:54.32\00:15:55.95
She said, "Because
you covered all the bases
00:15:55.98\00:15:58.65
we had no supplies,
00:15:58.69\00:16:00.69
and the foster care
parents didn't have any either."
00:16:00.72\00:16:04.26
And she said, "You
covered all the bases with this,
00:16:04.29\00:16:07.60
and we were able to have
00:16:07.66\00:16:08.96
a successful
placement for a child."
00:16:09.00\00:16:10.97
And, you know, you think
about something so simple,
00:16:11.00\00:16:13.07
I remember the
story that you told
00:16:13.10\00:16:15.57
from the very first
time you were here, Barbara,
00:16:15.60\00:16:18.67
or the first time I
interviewed you at least.
00:16:18.71\00:16:21.28
You told the
story of a little boy
00:16:21.31\00:16:23.85
who was holding on to his bag
00:16:23.95\00:16:26.05
in the back of the
police car and feeling around,
00:16:26.08\00:16:29.75
reaching the
pocket, what happened?
00:16:29.78\00:16:32.45
Well, he was
actually 12 years old,
00:16:32.49\00:16:34.99
and he and his
sister had been removed,
00:16:35.02\00:16:37.86
and they were taking
him to their foster home,
00:16:37.89\00:16:40.30
and he was hugging the bag,
00:16:40.33\00:16:42.06
and he was feeling in the front,
00:16:42.10\00:16:44.23
where the pocket is,
where the personal care is,
00:16:44.27\00:16:46.80
and he reached into it and
he pulled out a toothbrush,
00:16:46.90\00:16:49.80
and he says, "Oh,
great, I got my own toothbrush,
00:16:49.84\00:16:52.77
I don't have to share anymore."
00:16:52.81\00:16:54.34
Oh!
00:16:54.38\00:16:55.71
See, we just can't even imagine
what these children go through
00:16:55.74\00:16:59.51
but this is so precious.
00:16:59.55\00:17:02.15
Especially, the quilts,
00:17:02.18\00:17:04.59
tell us how
these quilts are made?
00:17:04.62\00:17:09.22
Okay, this was
what the Lord required.
00:17:09.26\00:17:15.10
When I asked Him, you
know, I wanted to do something,
00:17:15.13\00:17:18.80
and when He
started laying this out,
00:17:18.83\00:17:21.14
He laid it out,
this isn't our own idea.
00:17:21.17\00:17:24.34
And He just asked,
00:17:24.37\00:17:26.78
"What do you
have in your hands?"
00:17:26.81\00:17:28.14
Well, I had a lot of
fabric, I used to teach sewing,
00:17:28.18\00:17:32.81
and I had a fabric store,
and so I had a lot of fabric.
00:17:32.85\00:17:35.62
And I said,
"That's what I have."
00:17:35.65\00:17:38.05
He says, "We'll start there."
00:17:38.09\00:17:40.46
And I said, "But I don't
know how to make quilts."
00:17:40.49\00:17:43.16
Well, He says,
"You have a book."
00:17:43.19\00:17:44.63
And He told me
exactly where to find it.
00:17:44.66\00:17:47.86
And we had moved so much,
I had no idea where was that,
00:17:47.86\00:17:51.70
and I went there
and there it was,
00:17:51.73\00:17:53.80
and it was this pattern.
00:17:53.84\00:17:56.14
And so I went and started
digging fabrics out to do it,
00:17:56.17\00:18:02.08
but He said that
He wanted quilts,
00:18:02.11\00:18:04.58
we could use fleece, but
they don't have the love.
00:18:04.61\00:18:09.05
When these quilts are made
as we're putting it together,
00:18:09.08\00:18:12.62
we obviously don't ever
get to see the children,
00:18:12.65\00:18:16.19
but you're
thinking about the child
00:18:16.22\00:18:18.29
that's going to
receive that quilt.
00:18:18.33\00:18:20.53
And there is love in that quilt,
00:18:20.56\00:18:22.33
there's prayers in that quilt,
00:18:22.36\00:18:24.77
and it shows when they
get it, they see the love
00:18:24.80\00:18:27.44
and that somebody
really does care for me.
00:18:27.54\00:18:31.71
Amen.
00:18:31.74\00:18:33.07
And so that is
the important thing,
00:18:33.11\00:18:36.85
to me, is that quilt.
00:18:36.88\00:18:38.85
And I always put it
in the bottom of the bag
00:18:38.88\00:18:41.75
because that's
where the prize is.
00:18:41.78\00:18:44.09
Yes.
00:18:44.12\00:18:45.45
And they pull that out,
they're not meant for bedding,
00:18:45.49\00:18:48.26
they are a comfort blanket.
00:18:48.29\00:18:51.93
And when they're picked up,
00:18:51.96\00:18:53.40
a lot of times they don't have
a foster home ready for them,
00:18:53.43\00:18:56.93
and they take
them to the office,
00:18:57.03\00:18:58.43
and there they're left sitting,
00:18:58.47\00:18:59.80
you know, while the
adults are running around
00:18:59.83\00:19:02.00
doing other stuff,
and they're terrified.
00:19:02.04\00:19:04.61
Surely.
00:19:04.64\00:19:05.97
But they have this bag,
00:19:06.01\00:19:07.41
and it's just the
right size for them
00:19:07.44\00:19:08.94
to bring it up around
them and to take the bear.
00:19:08.98\00:19:13.75
Yeah.
00:19:13.78\00:19:15.12
We always put a large
stuffed animal in there,
00:19:15.15\00:19:16.55
and it gives
them something to hold
00:19:16.58\00:19:19.35
and to listen to them, it
listens to their problems,
00:19:19.39\00:19:22.72
they cry into it,
it's their new best friend.
00:19:22.76\00:19:26.49
And with that blanket and
that large stuffed animal,
00:19:26.53\00:19:29.70
it comforts them,
00:19:29.73\00:19:31.07
and they
generally will go to sleep
00:19:31.10\00:19:32.77
until they're taken and
put where they need to be.
00:19:32.80\00:19:36.20
Please share the story
00:19:36.24\00:19:37.61
that you shared
with me, previously,
00:19:37.64\00:19:39.91
about the little girl
who was found in the closet?
00:19:39.94\00:19:44.85
That one breaks my heart.
00:19:44.88\00:19:46.61
It's really hard
to tell that story
00:19:46.72\00:19:50.19
because you can't imagine
00:19:50.29\00:19:52.35
people treating
their children this way.
00:19:52.39\00:19:55.86
But they did a
drug bust on this home,
00:19:55.89\00:19:59.26
and it was filth,
it always is filth,
00:19:59.29\00:20:03.73
and they thought
they had everything,
00:20:03.77\00:20:05.63
and they heard a baby crying,
and the baby was in the closet,
00:20:05.67\00:20:11.71
and it had nothing,
00:20:11.74\00:20:13.07
it was just laying in the closet
00:20:13.11\00:20:14.44
like so much garbage.
00:20:14.48\00:20:16.48
And it had been so
battered and abused,
00:20:16.51\00:20:20.38
they had slapped her around...
00:20:20.42\00:20:22.18
It's a little girl?
00:20:22.22\00:20:24.05
It's a little girl, she
was about 13 months old.
00:20:24.15\00:20:26.45
And her hearing was affected
and her eyesight was affected.
00:20:26.49\00:20:31.03
And whenever they touch
her she'd start screaming.
00:20:31.06\00:20:34.93
And one of the caseworkers
00:20:34.96\00:20:37.50
had one of these
bags in her trunk,
00:20:37.53\00:20:40.47
and she went and got
the quilt out of there
00:20:40.50\00:20:43.44
and brought it in and
wrapped the baby up in it
00:20:43.54\00:20:46.07
and soon as she was
wrapped up in the blanket
00:20:46.11\00:20:48.68
she stopped crying.
00:20:48.71\00:20:50.48
When they got
her to the hospital,
00:20:50.58\00:20:52.65
they took the blanket away,
00:20:52.68\00:20:54.05
you know, 'cause they
needed to examine her,
00:20:54.08\00:20:55.58
and she just
started screaming again.
00:20:55.62\00:20:57.82
So the doctor asked
them to bring the blanket in.
00:20:57.85\00:21:00.76
As soon as that
blanket touched her,
00:21:00.86\00:21:02.72
she stopped crying,
00:21:02.76\00:21:04.49
and they were
able to work with her.
00:21:04.53\00:21:06.36
And he said,
00:21:06.39\00:21:07.96
"That blanket
goes with that baby
00:21:07.96\00:21:09.56
every place she goes."
00:21:09.60\00:21:14.20
I'm just given a
thumbnail of the whole thing,
00:21:14.24\00:21:16.87
you can get the
full story online
00:21:16.91\00:21:19.77
on our website.
00:21:19.81\00:21:21.98
It's called the 'Blanket Story'
00:21:22.01\00:21:24.11
and this was down in
Texas that this took place.
00:21:24.21\00:21:27.95
And it just...
00:21:27.98\00:21:30.85
I always know when
Jack is reading that story
00:21:30.89\00:21:33.92
because I hear him sniffing.
00:21:33.96\00:21:35.42
Yeah.
00:21:35.46\00:21:36.79
Because it is
one that just really,
00:21:36.89\00:21:38.79
it breaks your heart.
00:21:38.83\00:21:40.16
It is
heartbreaking to think about
00:21:40.26\00:21:41.70
how these children
are abused and neglected.
00:21:41.73\00:21:45.40
But no matter, how abused
and neglected a child might be,
00:21:45.43\00:21:50.04
it is a traumatic
thing to be separated
00:21:50.07\00:21:52.54
from their
familiarity of their parents.
00:21:52.57\00:21:55.58
Yes.
00:21:55.61\00:21:56.98
I mean, kids are
going to love their parents
00:21:57.01\00:21:58.35
one way or the other.
00:21:58.38\00:21:59.71
So when a little child
is separated and suddenly,
00:21:59.75\00:22:04.39
probably has never
had anything this nice
00:22:04.42\00:22:07.96
to have their very own bag,
00:22:07.99\00:22:09.89
a handmade quilt,
that's been prayed over,
00:22:09.92\00:22:13.70
as you said, it's
just a comfort for them
00:22:13.80\00:22:16.53
to put around their
shoulders or on their lap,
00:22:16.63\00:22:19.37
have some a new best friend,
a teddy bear or these things,
00:22:19.40\00:22:24.84
and the personal
products that they need.
00:22:24.87\00:22:27.34
That is so special.
00:22:27.38\00:22:29.24
Now I want to...
00:22:29.28\00:22:32.11
We want to,
Susan, get you in on her.
00:22:32.15\00:22:34.85
But first, before, you
tell how you join this.
00:22:34.88\00:22:38.29
Give us a little
background on Susan Schnell.
00:22:38.32\00:22:41.59
I can say it Susan
Schnell. How did you grow up?
00:22:41.62\00:22:45.29
Did you grow up
in a Christian home?
00:22:45.33\00:22:46.76
I did. I grew up...
00:22:46.86\00:22:48.30
Actually, my... Sorry.
00:22:48.33\00:22:51.50
My father was a pastor,
00:22:51.53\00:22:53.87
so I grew up in
an Adventist church.
00:22:53.90\00:22:55.24
You're a PK. Yes, I am a PK.
00:22:55.27\00:22:57.74
And we moved around
a lot, but and then,
00:22:57.77\00:23:01.94
I met my husband
at Union College,
00:23:01.98\00:23:05.68
and he was a theology student,
so I married a pastor as well.
00:23:05.71\00:23:12.25
So you went from
one pastor to another...
00:23:12.29\00:23:14.26
That's right.
00:23:14.29\00:23:15.62
Pastor's home to
another pastor's home.
00:23:15.66\00:23:17.03
That's right. Yes.
00:23:17.06\00:23:18.39
So how did you become involved?
00:23:18.43\00:23:22.36
How did you even
learn about this ministry?
00:23:22.40\00:23:24.90
Well, I learned about it
initially at a women's retreat,
00:23:24.93\00:23:28.24
Barbara was there, and
she was one of the people
00:23:28.27\00:23:31.87
that they
interviewed about her ministry.
00:23:31.91\00:23:35.08
And originally, I
thought what a great ministry,
00:23:35.11\00:23:38.15
but I don't know how to sew.
00:23:38.18\00:23:40.48
And so I just sort
of put it behind me
00:23:40.52\00:23:42.58
and didn't really
think much about it
00:23:42.62\00:23:44.55
because I thought,
00:23:44.59\00:23:45.92
"Oh, I can't really
do anything with that."
00:23:45.95\00:23:48.12
And then it wasn't
long after I moved to Maine,
00:23:48.16\00:23:50.49
and one of our members
of our church there was...
00:23:50.53\00:23:55.00
She had a chapter, and
she was doing this program.
00:23:55.03\00:23:57.97
And so I started
buying toys for the bags
00:23:58.00\00:24:01.20
and started helping her
put some of the bags together.
00:24:01.24\00:24:05.47
And so that's
initially how I got involved,
00:24:05.51\00:24:08.34
and I was just
so excited about it.
00:24:08.38\00:24:10.55
And then we moved
again, moved to Tennessee,
00:24:10.65\00:24:13.21
and there I was talking
with one of our church members,
00:24:13.25\00:24:16.69
and she was
telling about how she sewed
00:24:16.72\00:24:18.85
and different
things, and I thought,
00:24:18.89\00:24:20.86
"You know, this can
be a good partnership,
00:24:20.89\00:24:23.83
I don't know how to
sew, but I can work with her,
00:24:23.86\00:24:27.60
and we can
start a chapter here."
00:24:27.60\00:24:31.37
So she and I
started the chapter there,
00:24:31.40\00:24:34.10
we served seven counties,
00:24:34.14\00:24:36.17
we still, she still
is, I've moved again,
00:24:36.20\00:24:39.17
but she still is
serving seven counties there.
00:24:39.21\00:24:41.08
Praise God. Yes.
00:24:41.11\00:24:42.91
And so, you know,
with that partnership,
00:24:42.94\00:24:46.18
so I had the
organizational skills,
00:24:46.21\00:24:49.25
and I was able
to do some speaking
00:24:49.28\00:24:51.59
to Kiwanis Clubs and
different civic groups
00:24:51.62\00:24:56.69
to raise some funds,
00:24:56.73\00:24:58.59
and so I did that part of
it, and she sewed the quilts.
00:24:58.63\00:25:01.46
Amen.
00:25:01.50\00:25:02.90
And we also worked with
quilting guilds as well,
00:25:02.93\00:25:06.07
and they provided
us with quilts also.
00:25:06.10\00:25:10.61
So it's a nice outreach,
not just for the children,
00:25:10.64\00:25:14.48
although that's our main focus,
00:25:14.51\00:25:16.64
but also for other
people to become involved.
00:25:16.75\00:25:20.42
Community
involvement. Yes. Absolutely.
00:25:20.52\00:25:22.48
So obviously,
00:25:22.52\00:25:24.65
you began this
ministry in 2004, Barbara,
00:25:24.69\00:25:27.82
when God gave you
00:25:27.86\00:25:29.19
and your daughter
simultaneously the same idea...
00:25:29.22\00:25:30.73
Yes, it's awesome.
00:25:30.76\00:25:32.59
And that's a lot of
years that you put into this.
00:25:32.63\00:25:37.13
But it didn't
just stop with you...
00:25:37.17\00:25:40.40
No.
00:25:40.44\00:25:41.77
I'm going to have
to put down to her.
00:25:41.80\00:25:43.77
I want to hold on to
me, isn't that funny,
00:25:43.87\00:25:45.54
even as an adult we do that.
00:25:45.57\00:25:47.14
But it didn't just stop with you
00:25:47.24\00:25:50.31
is what I should say.
00:25:50.35\00:25:51.68
No.
00:25:51.71\00:25:53.05
It was a God idea,
00:25:53.08\00:25:54.42
He planted the
seeds within your heart,
00:25:54.45\00:25:56.95
but then you began
sharing about this.
00:25:56.99\00:25:59.69
How many states now have
It's My Very Own chapters?
00:25:59.72\00:26:06.73
Well, the last count
we had was 42 States,
00:26:06.76\00:26:10.87
but I must add that 3ABN is
responsible for this as well
00:26:10.97\00:26:17.81
because after
our first interview,
00:26:17.84\00:26:21.31
I'll tell you
people have huge hearts,
00:26:21.34\00:26:25.08
and they care about children
00:26:25.11\00:26:28.35
and don't like
to see them abused,
00:26:28.38\00:26:31.55
and this did hit
home on a lot of people,
00:26:31.59\00:26:36.12
and the phone began to ring,
00:26:36.16\00:26:38.63
and it kept me
really busy for a while
00:26:38.66\00:26:41.96
after the interview.
00:26:42.00\00:26:44.13
And it was so touching
to hear that people call,
00:26:44.17\00:26:49.10
and they would give me
00:26:49.14\00:26:50.47
a bit of a life
story on their own
00:26:50.57\00:26:54.54
and why they wanted to do
it, and how could they do it.
00:26:54.58\00:26:58.45
And that was my
part to play in it.
00:26:58.48\00:27:01.65
And so I've had the privilege
00:27:01.68\00:27:04.02
of talking to almost
every one of these people.
00:27:04.05\00:27:07.69
And the way the
Lord has set it up
00:27:07.72\00:27:11.19
is that each
person that signs this up
00:27:11.23\00:27:14.73
and a chapter started
00:27:14.73\00:27:16.40
that's an
individual, they do not answer,
00:27:16.43\00:27:19.53
you know, to
lack of a better word,
00:27:19.57\00:27:23.00
the head office.
00:27:23.04\00:27:24.37
I don't like that but anyway
00:27:24.41\00:27:25.91
that's the only
way I can explain it.
00:27:25.94\00:27:29.08
They have to do
their own fundraising,
00:27:29.11\00:27:32.05
they go out and do
everything themselves,
00:27:32.08\00:27:34.95
they get into the community.
00:27:34.98\00:27:37.09
And we had the most
delightful experience
00:27:37.19\00:27:40.56
when we first did it,
00:27:40.59\00:27:43.43
the Lord was pulling us through,
00:27:43.46\00:27:44.89
you know, all you have to do
00:27:44.93\00:27:46.26
is just hang on
to His shirttail,
00:27:46.29\00:27:47.60
and He'll take you
where He wants you.
00:27:47.66\00:27:48.96
Amen.
00:27:49.00\00:27:50.33
And there was a
community meeting
00:27:50.43\00:27:53.90
that they had once a month,
00:27:53.94\00:27:55.27
and it was all the
different organizations
00:27:55.30\00:27:57.91
would come together,
00:27:57.94\00:27:59.27
and they would tell
what they were doing,
00:27:59.31\00:28:00.71
and they always
invited a speaker.
00:28:00.81\00:28:03.04
And so I heard about all
this, and so I invited myself,
00:28:03.08\00:28:08.25
and asked them if they
needed somebody to speak,
00:28:08.28\00:28:11.32
and they said, "Oh, yes."
00:28:11.35\00:28:13.19
Well, then I
went with my display.
00:28:13.22\00:28:15.76
And the one thing I did
and that was another thing
00:28:15.79\00:28:19.66
that was whispered
in my ear by the Lord,
00:28:19.69\00:28:21.96
He said, "Get the news.
00:28:22.00\00:28:23.77
Get a newspaper
reporter in there," which I did.
00:28:23.87\00:28:28.44
And the newspaper reporter
was so engrossed in this
00:28:28.47\00:28:34.64
and so taken by it
00:28:34.68\00:28:38.05
that when she gave her
report in the newspaper,
00:28:38.08\00:28:41.35
we only have a once a
week newspaper in our town,
00:28:41.38\00:28:45.59
and I got better than
three-fourths of a page
00:28:45.62\00:28:49.86
in the newspaper
00:28:49.89\00:28:51.39
talking about this
with telephone number
00:28:51.43\00:28:54.60
and all of the
necessary information.
00:28:54.63\00:28:59.40
And our town just
opened their hearts up,
00:28:59.43\00:29:04.54
and I was getting
all kinds of donations
00:29:04.57\00:29:07.31
of things like this.
00:29:07.34\00:29:09.21
I mean, we kind of
depend on our community
00:29:09.24\00:29:13.95
to keep us supplied,
00:29:13.98\00:29:15.75
none of this is bought,
00:29:15.78\00:29:17.62
it's all supplied
from our community,
00:29:17.65\00:29:22.59
and there were people
volunteering to do things
00:29:22.62\00:29:25.66
because they
realized the necessity.
00:29:25.69\00:29:28.80
And the beautiful
part about having it,
00:29:28.83\00:29:32.57
the chapters being separate
00:29:32.60\00:29:34.80
is because they can say
00:29:34.84\00:29:36.34
all of the
things that are donated,
00:29:36.37\00:29:39.31
any monies that are donated
00:29:39.34\00:29:41.51
goes right back
into the community
00:29:41.54\00:29:43.65
to the children
00:29:43.68\00:29:45.01
that nobody in that
chapter gets anything out of it.
00:29:45.05\00:29:48.38
It's all volunteered. Amen.
00:29:48.42\00:29:50.69
And it's just
amazing how people respond.
00:29:50.72\00:29:53.86
And that's why, I say,
00:29:53.89\00:29:55.22
"I have seen people open
their hearts up so wide."
00:29:55.26\00:29:59.83
And it's a real delight to work
for the Lord, I'll tell you.
00:29:59.86\00:30:04.03
Amen. It is.
00:30:04.07\00:30:05.40
But, you know, I
have to say this,
00:30:05.43\00:30:07.10
it is simplistic in nature
00:30:07.14\00:30:11.14
as far as starting a ministry,
00:30:11.17\00:30:15.48
it is such a simple sweet
idea, yet it has such an impact.
00:30:15.51\00:30:21.68
And I think the fact that
00:30:21.72\00:30:24.92
as these quilts
are being handmade,
00:30:24.95\00:30:28.09
they're being
prayed over every stitch,
00:30:28.12\00:30:31.16
and the little child
to whom this is going,
00:30:31.19\00:30:33.46
they're thinking about that.
00:30:33.56\00:30:35.46
And so when that blanket,
00:30:35.50\00:30:38.33
when a child wraps
that blanket around them,
00:30:38.37\00:30:40.87
it's just like those
prayers are there with them.
00:30:40.90\00:30:43.00
Now I love your
story, Susan, when you said,
00:30:43.04\00:30:48.01
you heard Barbara
tell this moving story,
00:30:48.04\00:30:51.21
and you think,
"That's a wonderful ministry,
00:30:51.25\00:30:52.68
but I don't sew."
00:30:52.71\00:30:54.05
See, this is something
00:30:54.15\00:30:55.48
that we all have
to realize is that
00:30:55.52\00:30:58.25
sometimes you see
something, and you think,
00:30:58.29\00:31:00.16
"Oh, I can't do
that," but go ahead and ask,
00:31:00.19\00:31:03.29
"What can I do, Lord,
to help that ministry,"
00:31:03.32\00:31:05.63
because the synergy when
God brings people together
00:31:05.66\00:31:10.53
who have organization,
one can sew, one can organize,
00:31:10.57\00:31:14.24
or one can go out and speak,
this is what it's all about.
00:31:14.27\00:31:16.97
Yes. Right?
00:31:17.01\00:31:18.34
Yeah.
00:31:18.37\00:31:19.71
So when you began a chapter,
00:31:19.74\00:31:22.78
was there a
manual for you to go by,
00:31:22.81\00:31:24.61
tell us a little more
about how chapters can begin?
00:31:24.65\00:31:28.15
Okay. Yes, there is a manual.
00:31:28.18\00:31:30.35
Barbara developed
this manual early on,
00:31:30.39\00:31:33.82
it's an amazing piece of
work actually that she did,
00:31:33.86\00:31:37.29
and she describes, you
know, everything step by step
00:31:37.33\00:31:41.03
of how to start a group,
00:31:41.06\00:31:42.90
she also has
quilt patterns in there,
00:31:42.93\00:31:46.37
and step-by-step
how to make a quilt,
00:31:46.40\00:31:49.27
how to make the bag, and sew,
00:31:49.30\00:31:51.77
and that can be found
on our website at IMVO.org.
00:31:51.81\00:31:55.61
IMVO, It's My Very Own.
00:31:55.64\00:31:58.08
Correct. Yes. Okay.
00:31:58.11\00:31:59.45
And so the manual
is on the website,
00:31:59.48\00:32:01.62
and it can be downloaded.
00:32:01.65\00:32:03.22
So that describes, you
know, really everything
00:32:03.25\00:32:06.39
that you need to
know to how to do it.
00:32:06.42\00:32:08.56
And there's also
forms on the website,
00:32:08.59\00:32:11.53
thank you notes,
letters for the child,
00:32:11.56\00:32:14.46
many things are on the website
00:32:14.50\00:32:16.30
that you can just
download and start your program.
00:32:16.33\00:32:18.37
So how do you... What do you do?
00:32:18.40\00:32:20.90
Just go to DCSF and
say, "Hey, I want..."
00:32:20.94\00:32:24.07
And that's the Department
00:32:24.17\00:32:25.67
of Child
Protective Services, right?
00:32:25.71\00:32:28.28
Just say, "We
want to provide bags
00:32:28.31\00:32:31.71
for your social
workers to take out
00:32:31.75\00:32:33.38
so that the
children have something."
00:32:33.42\00:32:34.85
How do you make that connection?
00:32:34.88\00:32:36.22
It's actually best
to take a bag with you,
00:32:36.25\00:32:38.85
have a demonstration bag
because they can't resist that.
00:32:38.89\00:32:42.89
Sure.
00:32:42.92\00:32:44.29
So, but, yes, you just go
'cause I found, I tried calling
00:32:44.33\00:32:47.60
and trying to
get an appointment,
00:32:47.60\00:32:48.93
it just doesn't work.
00:32:48.96\00:32:50.30
So I just walked
in and took a number
00:32:50.40\00:32:52.50
and sat until
they called my number
00:32:52.53\00:32:54.90
and asked to speak
with the social worker,
00:32:54.94\00:32:57.24
and I had my bag with me
and described it to them.
00:32:57.34\00:33:01.51
And, you know, they
just can't turn you down.
00:33:01.54\00:33:04.75
So it's such a wonderful program
00:33:04.78\00:33:06.55
because it's
completely freeded them,
00:33:06.58\00:33:09.52
it's made so easy for them,
00:33:09.55\00:33:11.99
and it gives them a
chance to have something
00:33:12.02\00:33:15.49
to give to a child
00:33:15.52\00:33:17.43
that is under
traumatic circumstance.
00:33:17.53\00:33:19.86
And how do you this?
00:33:19.89\00:33:21.26
Because, obviously,
00:33:21.30\00:33:22.63
it's a little
different for boys,
00:33:22.66\00:33:24.03
a little different for girls,
you've got various age ranges,
00:33:24.07\00:33:27.20
you've mentioned
the 12-year-old boy
00:33:27.24\00:33:28.87
who was so excited
about his toothbrush,
00:33:28.90\00:33:31.61
but also the little baby
00:33:31.64\00:33:33.01
that needed the
comfort of the quilt.
00:33:33.04\00:33:35.14
Yes.
00:33:35.18\00:33:36.58
Do you tell us
how that system works?
00:33:36.61\00:33:39.28
We do have several
categories of age groups.
00:33:39.31\00:33:43.35
So we have 0 to 3, 4 to 7,
00:33:43.39\00:33:47.89
8 to 12, and 13 to 17,
00:33:47.92\00:33:50.96
and sometimes, some groups
do an infant by themselves
00:33:50.99\00:33:54.46
rather than 0 to 3.
00:33:54.46\00:33:55.80
But there's many
ways you can do it,
00:33:55.83\00:33:58.00
but we have all these
different categories and gender.
00:33:58.03\00:34:01.24
We do some for
girls in those categories
00:34:01.27\00:34:04.44
and some for boys.
00:34:04.47\00:34:05.81
Amen and amen.
00:34:05.84\00:34:07.28
Now you said that
our sweet Susan here
00:34:07.38\00:34:13.25
came to you
straight from the Lord,
00:34:13.28\00:34:15.88
tell us the story of
how Susan got connected
00:34:15.92\00:34:18.45
because...
00:34:18.49\00:34:20.56
Do you want to say your age?
00:34:20.59\00:34:22.16
I don't mind. You
don't mind at all.
00:34:22.19\00:34:24.13
You're 81 years old. Yes.
00:34:24.16\00:34:26.03
So you knew that it was kind
of the Lord was impressing you
00:34:26.06\00:34:29.86
with your husband's health,
00:34:29.90\00:34:31.83
and Jack is a
handful, I'm going to tell you.
00:34:31.87\00:34:36.67
He's a
sweetheart, but he is so cute.
00:34:36.71\00:34:39.51
So your husband
isn't in the best health,
00:34:39.54\00:34:43.41
and you realized,
00:34:43.51\00:34:44.85
it's time to kind of pass
the baton to someone else,
00:34:44.88\00:34:48.98
but you were dragging your feet.
00:34:49.02\00:34:50.35
Tell us how Susan came to you?
00:34:50.45\00:34:52.92
Well, we hadn't
even asked the Lord,
00:34:52.95\00:34:55.59
you know, what to do,
00:34:55.62\00:34:56.99
He knows
everything, you know that.
00:34:57.03\00:34:58.39
Absolutely. And we
were talking about it.
00:34:58.43\00:35:01.23
And I said, "You
know, we need freshness,"
00:35:01.26\00:35:06.60
because I felt that the view
00:35:06.63\00:35:11.51
was getting old like me.
00:35:11.54\00:35:13.98
And we needed...
00:35:14.01\00:35:15.98
We needed some fresh
ideas, and I did not want to...
00:35:16.01\00:35:20.92
I wanted to stop
because of all these reasons,
00:35:20.95\00:35:24.65
but I didn't want to
just stop it and forget it
00:35:24.69\00:35:28.36
because it isn't my
ministry, it's God's.
00:35:28.39\00:35:31.96
Amen.
00:35:31.99\00:35:33.40
And I wanted somebody in
there that would be committed,
00:35:33.43\00:35:37.13
and it mean as much to
her or him, I didn't specify,
00:35:37.17\00:35:43.77
that's what we were hoping for.
00:35:43.81\00:35:45.97
Well, you couldn't
just put an ad out there
00:35:46.01\00:35:48.04
and say, "I need somebody
that can answer to this."
00:35:48.08\00:35:50.11
Who wants to
volunteer and do this?
00:35:50.15\00:35:51.88
And so we were talking about it,
00:35:51.91\00:35:54.68
and the Lord decided
that we were talking too long
00:35:54.72\00:35:57.79
and no action so, he says,
"Get a grip and let's do it."
00:35:57.82\00:36:01.49
And right at the same
time, as this was going on,
00:36:01.52\00:36:06.19
Susan sends me an
email wanting to buy a manual
00:36:06.23\00:36:10.57
because she was
going to start a chapter,
00:36:10.60\00:36:14.04
and then she just put
a little almost PS on it,
00:36:14.14\00:36:17.31
you know, "If you
ever need any spokesperson,
00:36:17.34\00:36:19.97
well, I'd be glad to do it."
00:36:20.08\00:36:22.11
And when I read
that, I said, "Aha!"
00:36:22.14\00:36:25.98
The Lord says,
"She's your girl."
00:36:26.01\00:36:30.29
She'd put her
phone number on there,
00:36:30.32\00:36:32.05
so I called her up.
00:36:32.09\00:36:34.16
And I'm a bottom-liner, I
don't beat around the bush,
00:36:34.19\00:36:38.93
and I offered her the job
but she wasn't thinking that.
00:36:38.96\00:36:43.16
And I said, "Well, you
talk it over with your husband,
00:36:43.20\00:36:46.00
and if you are in
agreement, then let's talk."
00:36:46.03\00:36:51.87
And it wasn't about
an hour or two later,
00:36:51.91\00:36:54.41
and she calls me, and she says,
00:36:54.44\00:36:55.94
"Well, I think
I'd like to do it."
00:36:55.98\00:36:58.85
Amen. And so it's really...
00:36:58.88\00:37:03.15
I was very pleased,
and I have no qualms
00:37:03.18\00:37:07.19
about passing
the baton on to her
00:37:07.22\00:37:10.36
because it is His, and
I wanted it to continue
00:37:10.46\00:37:14.46
the way He laid it out.
00:37:14.46\00:37:16.56
And she is doing,
she's following right along
00:37:16.67\00:37:19.13
with what the Lord laid out,
00:37:19.17\00:37:21.30
and it's like
having a child, you know,
00:37:21.34\00:37:25.51
and some more grandchildren.
00:37:25.54\00:37:28.88
But it does have an effect,
00:37:28.91\00:37:31.78
the outreach
possibilities is so marvelous
00:37:31.81\00:37:36.02
because you can go to
these different ones like,
00:37:36.05\00:37:39.59
now she mentioned
the quilters guild,
00:37:39.62\00:37:41.62
if you don't sew,
that's a good place
00:37:41.66\00:37:44.43
to find people that do.
00:37:44.46\00:37:46.80
And you tell them all
about it, and the word spreads.
00:37:46.83\00:37:51.77
And if you present it
in just the right way,
00:37:51.80\00:37:55.57
you have quilts made
for you indefinitely.
00:37:55.60\00:37:59.57
And so God is, like
I say, He is awesome.
00:37:59.61\00:38:04.08
And it's
something that when we think
00:38:04.11\00:38:08.62
about the impact this is making,
00:38:08.65\00:38:12.89
God knew He
couldn't just let go of this,
00:38:12.92\00:38:16.42
and He needed somebody,
as you said with fresh ideas,
00:38:16.46\00:38:20.33
so when Susan came aboard,
00:38:20.36\00:38:23.47
she started
doing some new things.
00:38:23.57\00:38:25.63
And you actually, your
son, you updated the website
00:38:25.67\00:38:29.74
and there were so many things
00:38:29.77\00:38:31.54
that were being
renewed if you will.
00:38:31.57\00:38:36.28
But this thing fascinates me
because it's such a simple idea
00:38:36.31\00:38:40.42
on every bag they
now put a postcard,
00:38:40.45\00:38:45.02
and on the back
of this, it says,
00:38:45.05\00:38:46.76
this is from this bag, the boy,
00:38:46.79\00:38:48.82
infant to three years old.
00:38:48.86\00:38:50.73
Tell us what is the purpose
of this stamped postcard?
00:38:50.76\00:38:55.63
Well, we just
found that so many times
00:38:55.66\00:38:58.70
when we would deliver the bags,
we would not hear from DCFS,
00:38:58.73\00:39:05.31
and we didn't know
when to replace the bags.
00:39:05.34\00:39:10.58
And we would call,
00:39:10.68\00:39:12.01
and it was hard to
get a hold of people,
00:39:12.05\00:39:13.85
and so I finally thought,
00:39:13.88\00:39:15.32
"You know, we need
to make this easy."
00:39:15.35\00:39:17.42
And so we came up with
this idea of the postcard
00:39:17.52\00:39:20.59
that we put it on the bag
00:39:20.62\00:39:22.99
and when they give
the bag to the child,
00:39:23.02\00:39:25.29
they take the postcard off,
00:39:25.33\00:39:27.40
and they just
stick it in the mail.
00:39:27.46\00:39:29.93
And so then we
get it in the mail,
00:39:29.96\00:39:31.93
and we know exactly
which bag to replace.
00:39:31.97\00:39:35.70
Amen. Well, I know after your...
00:39:35.74\00:39:38.51
I think you're second time here.
00:39:38.54\00:39:40.48
Now you've actually got...
00:39:40.51\00:39:44.41
Barbara is the
National Director,
00:39:44.45\00:39:46.58
but Susan is the
International Director
00:39:46.82\00:39:48.98
so that tells us this ministry
00:39:49.02\00:39:51.72
has reached
beyond the United States.
00:39:51.75\00:39:56.49
What countries are you in now?
00:39:56.52\00:39:58.46
In Canada, in
Australia, and New Zealand.
00:39:58.49\00:40:01.73
Okay.
00:40:01.76\00:40:03.10
Actually, there
are some more too,
00:40:03.13\00:40:04.47
but they haven't
been really active,
00:40:04.50\00:40:08.10
but the interest is there.
00:40:08.14\00:40:09.97
Good.
00:40:10.01\00:40:11.34
And sometimes, you can't just...
00:40:11.37\00:40:14.14
The manual isn't
in their language
00:40:14.24\00:40:17.61
which makes that...
00:40:17.65\00:40:18.98
But we do have a Spanish manual
00:40:19.01\00:40:23.35
so that those that are
Spanish-speaking people,
00:40:23.39\00:40:27.52
it's this exact manual.
00:40:27.56\00:40:29.99
Excuse me, and
it was translated,
00:40:30.03\00:40:33.46
this is interesting,
00:40:33.56\00:40:34.86
another thing that God has done,
00:40:34.93\00:40:37.00
we were at an ASI meeting,
00:40:37.03\00:40:41.37
and I think it
was down in Dallas,
00:40:41.40\00:40:46.17
I think it's when
it was, but anyway,
00:40:46.21\00:40:48.41
this woman came up to
me, and she had a booth,
00:40:48.44\00:40:52.15
but it was with a
school on the border,
00:40:52.18\00:40:55.88
a church school, and
she took that with her
00:40:55.92\00:41:00.36
and that was
part of their lesson
00:41:00.39\00:41:03.53
was to translate
the manual into Spanish.
00:41:03.63\00:41:07.83
Praise God.
00:41:07.86\00:41:09.23
And so we have it in Spanish
00:41:09.26\00:41:11.63
as well as in American language.
00:41:11.67\00:41:14.57
Amen.
00:41:14.60\00:41:15.94
And, you know,
I'm going to say this,
00:41:15.97\00:41:18.14
it sounds strange,
but it's bittersweet
00:41:18.17\00:41:20.74
that the ministry is
growing as rapidly as it is,
00:41:20.84\00:41:24.21
it's bitter
because the drug problem
00:41:24.25\00:41:27.28
is just
pervasive around the world,
00:41:27.32\00:41:30.35
it doesn't matter,
00:41:30.39\00:41:31.72
it crosses all
socioeconomic borders,
00:41:31.75\00:41:35.32
it doesn't matter the culture,
00:41:35.36\00:41:36.99
we're just seeing that
it is just such a tragedy.
00:41:37.03\00:41:41.96
But what happens
to the little babies
00:41:42.00\00:41:45.07
is really horrid.
00:41:45.10\00:41:47.90
And thank you for being
willing to accept the baton.
00:41:47.94\00:41:53.01
So tell us a little about
00:41:53.04\00:41:57.91
how can people become involved?
00:41:57.95\00:42:01.05
What are you looking for?
00:42:01.08\00:42:02.82
There's many ways
00:42:02.85\00:42:04.19
that people can become involved.
00:42:04.29\00:42:06.19
One way is to look up and see
00:42:06.22\00:42:08.06
if there is a
chapter in their area,
00:42:08.09\00:42:10.53
you can look it
up on the website.
00:42:10.56\00:42:12.13
And It's My Very Own is
the name of the ministry.
00:42:12.16\00:42:16.30
Yes. And it's IMVO.org.
00:42:16.33\00:42:20.30
Correct. Okay.
00:42:20.34\00:42:21.67
So they can look up online
00:42:21.70\00:42:23.04
and see if there's
one in their local area,
00:42:23.07\00:42:25.74
and if so, they can ask
how they can participate.
00:42:25.77\00:42:29.64
You know, they can
donate items for the bags,
00:42:29.68\00:42:32.71
they can help put
the bags together,
00:42:32.75\00:42:35.02
they can sew quilts
if they know how to sew
00:42:35.05\00:42:37.15
or sew bags.
00:42:37.19\00:42:39.05
If not, if there's
not a one in their area,
00:42:39.09\00:42:42.69
chapter in their area,
they can start a chapter.
00:42:42.72\00:42:45.99
Amen, amen.
00:42:46.03\00:42:47.56
And that's a very
precious thing to think about.
00:42:47.60\00:42:50.60
Now how difficult is
it to start a chapter?
00:42:50.63\00:42:53.47
It's really not difficult at all
00:42:53.50\00:42:55.37
because you really just
have to get a few people
00:42:55.40\00:42:59.27
that are willing to help
you, and find someone to sew,
00:42:59.31\00:43:03.24
as we've talked
about before but...
00:43:03.35\00:43:06.82
Find someone who
doesn't mind speaking
00:43:06.85\00:43:08.32
at different civic events.
00:43:08.35\00:43:09.68
Find someone who
doesn't mind speaking.
00:43:09.72\00:43:11.05
And, you know,
there's also some things
00:43:11.09\00:43:14.52
people can send thank you notes
00:43:14.56\00:43:16.93
for people that have donated,
00:43:16.96\00:43:18.29
there's just a lot of
things that they can do.
00:43:18.33\00:43:20.60
But it's not hard to start,
you just gather the materials
00:43:20.63\00:43:24.63
and so...
00:43:24.67\00:43:26.00
You're actually
00:43:26.03\00:43:27.40
in your third
different location from Maine,
00:43:27.44\00:43:29.97
to Florida, to
Georgia now, right?
00:43:30.01\00:43:32.37
Yes.
00:43:32.41\00:43:33.74
And it's just something
00:43:33.84\00:43:36.58
that this is part of
your DNA now, isn't that?
00:43:36.61\00:43:38.58
Yeah, it really is. I love it.
00:43:38.61\00:43:40.88
How has it changed you?
00:43:40.92\00:43:45.19
I think just...
00:43:45.22\00:43:47.32
I often would see
with the opioid crisis,
00:43:47.36\00:43:52.19
and I'd see
things about children
00:43:52.23\00:43:54.63
that are being
neglected and abused,
00:43:54.66\00:43:56.70
and I didn't
know how could I help,
00:43:56.73\00:43:58.87
it just seems so overwhelming,
such a big problem.
00:43:58.90\00:44:00.94
Yes, yes.
00:44:00.97\00:44:02.30
But with this, once I
got involved with this,
00:44:02.34\00:44:05.54
I thought, "This is a way,
00:44:05.57\00:44:07.38
this is a very
practical but very impactful way
00:44:07.41\00:44:13.28
to help in this situation."
00:44:13.31\00:44:15.45
So it just has changed me
00:44:15.48\00:44:17.69
because it allows me to
do something for the Lord
00:44:17.72\00:44:21.09
and to do
something for these children.
00:44:21.12\00:44:23.09
You know, that's one thing.
00:44:23.12\00:44:24.46
And, Barbara, I know,
00:44:24.49\00:44:25.83
you and I've been around
a while, we can say this,
00:44:25.86\00:44:28.86
people are
looking for something.
00:44:28.90\00:44:31.47
You know, we
hear it all the time,
00:44:31.50\00:44:32.83
my husband tells me every day,
00:44:32.87\00:44:34.50
he works in the
pastoral department,
00:44:34.54\00:44:36.17
and on the way home,
I'll say, "Well, honey,
00:44:36.20\00:44:38.34
what good calls
did you have today,"
00:44:38.37\00:44:40.44
and we will pray about
the prayer requests that,
00:44:40.48\00:44:43.14
you know, we'll talk about
it, and then we'll pray again.
00:44:43.18\00:44:46.15
But he often says,
00:44:46.18\00:44:48.42
"People are
wanting to become involved,
00:44:48.45\00:44:50.65
they're looking for a ministry,
00:44:50.69\00:44:52.65
they're looking for a
purpose in their life."
00:44:52.69\00:44:55.32
And you don't
have to be a quilter,
00:44:55.36\00:44:56.99
you don't have
to be a seamstress,
00:44:57.03\00:44:59.43
Susan can't sew a lick.
00:44:59.46\00:45:02.30
It's true.
00:45:02.33\00:45:04.07
But you can get involved and,
00:45:04.17\00:45:07.34
you know, what
impresses me about this,
00:45:07.37\00:45:10.31
not only are you doing something
00:45:10.34\00:45:13.38
extremely
meaningful for the child
00:45:13.48\00:45:17.25
but what a great way
to introduce your church
00:45:17.35\00:45:21.72
to people in the community.
00:45:21.75\00:45:23.39
Exactly.
00:45:23.49\00:45:24.82
I mean, because this
is the type of project
00:45:24.85\00:45:27.46
that can be interdenominational,
00:45:27.49\00:45:30.63
that people would jump aboard,
00:45:30.73\00:45:32.83
but they can get to
know you as a Christian.
00:45:32.86\00:45:36.36
I just think it's amazing,
and I'm very excited about it.
00:45:36.40\00:45:40.00
You know, I just wanted
to add about the simplicity
00:45:40.04\00:45:42.60
of the sewing part.
00:45:42.64\00:45:46.04
My husband,
when we started this,
00:45:46.07\00:45:48.28
he sewed all the bags,
he even got his own fabric,
00:45:48.31\00:45:53.01
chose everything, he sewed them,
00:45:53.05\00:45:56.32
he did them all, and
they were top quality.
00:45:56.35\00:46:00.19
And so...
00:46:00.29\00:46:01.82
See, Jack's just
full of surprises.
00:46:01.86\00:46:05.73
Well, I gave him, you know,
his option, I said, "Honey,"
00:46:05.76\00:46:10.27
I said, "I can't
do it all by myself,
00:46:10.30\00:46:12.43
I'm going to need some help."
00:46:12.47\00:46:13.94
I said, "I'll give you a choice,
00:46:14.04\00:46:16.07
you can either sew
the bags or the quilts."
00:46:16.10\00:46:19.34
And all he did
was just looked at me
00:46:19.37\00:46:21.88
walked out of the room,
00:46:21.91\00:46:23.24
and I thought, "Well, okay,
00:46:23.35\00:46:24.68
I'll go ahead and do it myself."
00:46:24.71\00:46:26.05
And he comes back and, he says,
00:46:26.08\00:46:27.92
"How hard will it
be to make the bags?"
00:46:27.95\00:46:30.49
And from that moment on,
00:46:30.52\00:46:32.42
I showed him how
to use the machine...
00:46:32.45\00:46:34.06
Well, yeah, how
to use the machine,
00:46:34.09\00:46:36.42
the
measurements, and all of that,
00:46:36.46\00:46:38.13
and I can't begin to tell you
00:46:38.16\00:46:40.40
how many bags this man has sewn.
00:46:40.43\00:46:43.13
Praise God.
00:46:43.16\00:46:44.50
So you don't have to be a
woman to be involved in this,
00:46:44.53\00:46:47.50
anybody can become involved.
00:46:47.60\00:46:50.37
Amen, amen.
00:46:50.47\00:46:51.94
And then what all is
featured on your website?
00:46:51.97\00:46:57.01
It's still in progress.
00:46:57.05\00:46:58.78
But we do have,
we have the story,
00:46:58.81\00:47:01.55
some of the
stories and testimonials
00:47:01.58\00:47:03.62
about how these bags have
been impactful to children.
00:47:03.65\00:47:09.22
We also, as we
said, we have the manual,
00:47:09.26\00:47:11.89
we have some forms
that people can use,
00:47:11.93\00:47:16.20
the logo is new,
we have a new logo
00:47:16.23\00:47:20.04
since we've
transitioned to the new website.
00:47:20.07\00:47:21.90
It's beautiful.
00:47:21.94\00:47:23.27
So we have the logo on
there that people can use
00:47:23.30\00:47:25.77
in their own the brochures
and that sort of thing.
00:47:25.81\00:47:29.74
The brochures are
also on there as well
00:47:29.78\00:47:32.48
if people want to
download a brochure,
00:47:32.51\00:47:34.22
and then they can edit it
00:47:34.32\00:47:35.65
to put their own
chapter information on their,
00:47:35.68\00:47:39.85
contact information.
00:47:39.89\00:47:41.56
And I guess...
00:47:41.59\00:47:46.53
It's a turnkey
operation is what you're saying.
00:47:46.56\00:47:48.13
It really is.
00:47:48.16\00:47:50.33
You've got this
source of information
00:47:50.37\00:47:52.03
that you can go to.
00:47:52.07\00:47:53.40
And what we want to
do right now is that,
00:47:53.50\00:47:55.84
I know we've got your address,
00:47:55.87\00:47:59.11
your web address
on an address roll,
00:47:59.14\00:48:02.94
and we want you...
00:48:02.98\00:48:04.31
I just really believe
that there are so many,
00:48:04.35\00:48:07.68
not just one, but
there are so many people
00:48:07.72\00:48:10.32
who are saying, "I can do
this, I can be part of this."
00:48:10.35\00:48:14.69
Or you may not
sew, but you think,
00:48:14.72\00:48:17.06
"I know someone who can sew,
I can call them about this."
00:48:17.09\00:48:21.76
And they don't even
have to be a church member,
00:48:21.80\00:48:24.07
you can find other people,
this is the kind of thing
00:48:24.10\00:48:27.04
that anybody that's got a heart
00:48:27.07\00:48:30.01
wants to help
these little babies.
00:48:30.04\00:48:31.94
So here's how
you can get in touch
00:48:31.97\00:48:34.68
with Barbara or Susan.
00:48:34.71\00:48:36.04
Children removed from their home
00:48:37.55\00:48:39.58
due to parental
drug abuse and neglect
00:48:39.61\00:48:42.22
are often left with nothing.
00:48:42.25\00:48:44.62
And volunteers
with It's My Very Own
00:48:44.65\00:48:47.69
try to make their
lives a little brighter
00:48:47.72\00:48:49.92
with Bags of Love to care
for their immediate needs.
00:48:50.03\00:48:53.70
To support their
ministry, visit IMVO.org.
00:48:53.80\00:48:59.03
That's IMVO.org.
00:48:59.07\00:49:02.97
You may also call
area code 423-408-3142
00:49:03.00\00:49:09.94
or write to It's My
Very Own, 400 Hunt Club Road,
00:49:09.98\00:49:15.65
Saint Mary's, Georgia 31558.
00:49:15.68\00:49:19.25
That's amazing.
00:49:22.09\00:49:23.46
During the address
roll, Barbara was telling me
00:49:23.49\00:49:26.53
how great this
is as an icebreaker
00:49:26.56\00:49:29.83
with other
Christians in other churches.
00:49:29.86\00:49:32.50
We're Seventh-day
Adventist Christians,
00:49:32.53\00:49:34.60
what is your experience been?
00:49:34.64\00:49:36.71
Well, we've got, like I say,
chapters all over the place,
00:49:36.74\00:49:41.44
and we are glad to take on
00:49:41.48\00:49:46.45
the different
denominations to be a part of it
00:49:46.48\00:49:51.55
because we have
had so much support
00:49:51.59\00:49:54.72
from the different places.
00:49:54.76\00:49:57.13
I just have to say
this, at one church,
00:49:57.16\00:50:03.20
the kids wanted to have a
ministry that they could do,
00:50:03.23\00:50:06.17
so it was the kids
that were doing this
00:50:06.20\00:50:09.44
but, of course, you know,
00:50:09.47\00:50:10.87
parents always
have to be involved,
00:50:10.91\00:50:12.87
and they decided
to have a bake sale.
00:50:12.91\00:50:15.78
And the bake sale
went like all bake sales,
00:50:15.81\00:50:18.78
only half a dozen
people bring stuff
00:50:18.81\00:50:21.18
and there you are,
and that's the amount.
00:50:21.22\00:50:23.95
Well, they were so
interested in this ministry,
00:50:24.05\00:50:27.89
and the children
being so interested,
00:50:27.92\00:50:31.36
one guy paid $50 for a cookie.
00:50:31.39\00:50:34.13
Oh, how precious.
00:50:34.23\00:50:35.56
And, I mean,
that's the way it went,
00:50:35.60\00:50:36.93
they just donated, you know?
00:50:36.97\00:50:39.63
And I got the shock of my life,
00:50:39.67\00:50:42.67
the kids
presented me the monies,
00:50:42.70\00:50:46.71
and when I looked at that check,
00:50:46.81\00:50:48.74
I almost lost my
teeth, it was over $800.
00:50:48.78\00:50:53.45
Oh, praise God. That is amazing.
00:50:53.48\00:50:56.18
And, I mean,
everybody has the heart
00:50:56.22\00:50:58.69
to help these children.
00:50:58.72\00:51:00.26
Amen. We're all children of God.
00:51:00.36\00:51:03.09
And you've had the opportunity
00:51:03.12\00:51:04.69
to go speak at many other
00:51:04.73\00:51:06.06
different
denominations to share this.
00:51:06.09\00:51:07.50
Yes, I have.
00:51:07.50\00:51:08.83
But how important is it,
everything that we see here
00:51:08.86\00:51:11.30
is top quality.
00:51:11.33\00:51:12.93
We see that
everything is wrapped,
00:51:12.97\00:51:15.84
it's new,
00:51:15.87\00:51:17.27
how important is it
00:51:17.31\00:51:18.64
that things that go
into this bag are special?
00:51:18.67\00:51:22.58
I always tell when a new chapter
00:51:22.61\00:51:24.55
is wanting to start up,
00:51:24.58\00:51:26.51
I always tell them
that it's so important
00:51:26.55\00:51:28.92
that you put new things in,
00:51:28.95\00:51:31.62
these children probably
have never had anything new.
00:51:31.65\00:51:35.16
So put new things in
and not to put anything in
00:51:35.19\00:51:39.53
that you wouldn't
give to your own children.
00:51:39.56\00:51:41.23
Okay. You want it
to be very special.
00:51:41.26\00:51:43.03
This isn't running
down at the dollar store
00:51:43.06\00:51:45.17
and getting the 10 for 1.
00:51:45.20\00:51:47.67
Right.
00:51:47.70\00:51:49.04
You want to have something
that that they will know
00:51:49.07\00:51:52.24
that they are very special.
00:51:52.27\00:51:54.11
And kind of lift
their self-esteem.
00:51:54.14\00:51:55.74
Yes.
00:51:55.78\00:51:57.18
You told us about one young man,
00:51:57.21\00:52:00.12
who, this was so special to him,
00:52:00.15\00:52:02.98
what did he do with his quilt?
00:52:03.02\00:52:04.92
He actually took
and kept his quilt
00:52:04.95\00:52:08.89
and took his quilt
to college with him.
00:52:08.92\00:52:11.63
Isn't that precious?
00:52:11.66\00:52:12.99
That tells you that the
impact that that quilt had.
00:52:13.03\00:52:16.83
And if we had time,
she's been telling me stories
00:52:16.93\00:52:19.40
about one little
girl that ran away
00:52:19.43\00:52:21.47
from the foster care home,
00:52:21.50\00:52:22.84
and when they picked her up,
00:52:22.87\00:52:24.27
she had her stuffed
animal and her quilt with her.
00:52:24.31\00:52:25.64
Yes.
00:52:25.67\00:52:27.01
Because that's It's My Very Own
00:52:27.04\00:52:28.38
that's how
special it was to her.
00:52:28.41\00:52:30.91
Well, we've got
to do a news break,
00:52:30.95\00:52:32.58
and then we're going to
come back in just a moment
00:52:32.61\00:52:35.28
to have a final
thought with Barbara and Susan.
00:52:35.32\00:52:38.49