A Christmas Miracle

I have been following the missionary (Angie) at Maison's blog for a little while now. Recently she posted how she had been collecting ruble from the streets in Haiti. The rubble was being sent to a mission for unwed mothers in the states called The Oak Project. The Oak Project's mission is to advocate, restore and bridge the displaced, lonely, afflicted and the fatherless to authentic community and acts of service that build healthy, sustainable lives rooted in the love of God.  It's based on verse 3 of Isaiah 61: “..to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”


The Oak Project took the ruble from the horrific earthquake and made something beautiful out of it. Here's a picture of some "rubble-wear" that I received this week along with a beautiful gift Stephen received from a colleague.  Along with the jewelry was a picture of this lady and this is what was written on the back: "This is our friend, Matte. She washes clothes at Maison orphanage. Your contribution helped us pay her lease for the next 6 months. You have played a part in keeping a roof over the head of her and her family. Love wins, The Oak Project. There was a card 
inside that said Your Rubble-wear makes a difference....
1.  because LOVE protects, defends, restores and is active
2.  it will keep conversations about Haiti active in your community 
3.  100% of proceeds help restore the hearts & homes of our Haitian friends
                                    4.  the ladies of The Oak Project joined 
                                    with local artists and made them
                                    5.  the caretakers of Maison orphanage                    
                                    gathered this rubble from their own 
                                    streets. 
Pretty cool huh? Here's the website if you are interested. Each necklace is only $ 20. www.theoakproject.com/rubble-wear


I bought a necklace for my mother and mother-in-law. I emailed The Oak Project early in the week because I was checking on the status of my order. I received an email back almost immediately and this is the miracle conversation that took place ........

Hey there!

We are so sorry for the delay. We had a HUGE response and the ladies have worked so hard to get them complete! We have been overwhelmed with joy at the response people have had!

Your order has gone out.  It went out on monday. A few people who we mailed to on monday have already written and said they received the order so my guess is that you will have it tomorrow!

I'd love to hear how you like your rubble-wear!

We love your feedback.  I hope you have a beautiful Christmas, Naomi.

Me--That is AWESOME! So glad you had a huge response. I love what you are doing and thank you so much. We are adopting 2 children from Haiti so this will be a precious gift to my mother and mother-in-law. 

You have a beautiful Christmas as well! 

are you really!?!?

I am adopting too!  SO CRAZY!

He sets the lonely in families!

Love well, 

Kelly Chambley 

Me--That IS crazy! Are you adopting from Haiti too? It's quite a process, but I know it will be well worth it. It's an honor to follow the Lord's leading and give a child a family and a home. Blessings on your journey. 

 yes!  that is lovencia and me.  She's my girl!   Are you adopting siblings?

She's beautiful! I can't wait to finally hold my kids. I just have pictures to hold for now. Our little girl is Lydie (6/5/09) and our little guy is Samson (5/24/10) They are not related. They are living at Maison.

I just became a "fan" of The Oak Project on Facebook. What a wonderful ministry. 

NO WAY!

YOU ARE GETTING LYDIE AND SAMSON!!!  THEY ARE AMAZING!

OH MY GOSH!

where do you live?

that is insane!  they are PRECIOUS!  I have so many pics of them!

WOW!!! This is an early Christmas present! I can't believe you know them!! We live in Independence, Iowa. Where are you? 

Chattanooga, TN!  I'm gonna send you some pics...WOW.

and yeah, they are two of the most popular toddlers when we are there. Everyone adores them. They are GOOOD kids. Actually, samson didn't even have a name when he arrived and the american girl (angie) who serves there named him and she regards him deeply in her heart. They are so well taken care of.  They are lovely lovely lovely!  I'm going back in february and I'll take pics for you. :)

and LYDIE IS A CHARACTER!

Kelly sent me 21 pictures of our kids that night. I couldn't believe it. What a gift. We got pictures of Samson when he just arrived and precious photos of them sleeping in their cribs. We suspected Lydie was a "character" and the photos Kelly sent reflected that.  Merry Christmas friends!!  I know many of you are praying for us and this is evidence that your prayers are being answered.