Call to action! Pink Cross Foundation

Hey everyone!

I am writing today with another call to action! I am currently in need of individuals who are willing to help me make the hats and clutches for the Pink Cross Foundation. Shelley's outreaches are about to begin again and I want to make sure she has plenty of supplies. I don't want a single woman to have to leave her booth without a personally handmade gift. :)

If you need proof that these gifts touch people click here, and here. Here (look at their faces...they are shocked that anyone cares) and here! These are only a few of the beautiful people that have been touched by someone spending an hour or so of someone's time creating make up bags and hats. If you knew that you could probably save someone's LIFE by spending an hour with your crochet hook, wouldn't it be worth it?

I have contacted several churches about their women's ministries helping and am waiting to hear back from them. If you're one of those churches, please email me with information on how I can help with your first round of materials for the ladies who are willing to help me out. As one person, I can only do so many and am VERY thankful that you are considering helping me, help Shelley and the Pink Cross Foundation!

Sincerely,
Andrea

Two new items for Pink Cross!

Hi everyone!

It's been a while since I last wrote. I've been trying to get my handbags up off of the ground and got distracted by having my wisdom teeth extracted a little over a month ago. I'm having some complications from that surgery but God is seeing me through on his own time.

The first item I have created for PC is a secret. You'll have to keep checking back until Christmas time! Hopefully then I will have all of the items for the Christmas Boxes complete and ready to ship by then!

The other item is for mailings and trade shows. In addition to the make up bags and the hats, I have created a really beautiful clutch which is also crocheted. I'm using charms that I purchased back in January (because they were on sale) as the closures. I'm sure they will be a huge hit. They, too will be lined just like the make up pouches.



I hope this post finds you all well. I look forward to hearing from you all soon!

Sincerely,
Andrea

Prayer Shawls for Pink Cross

I got the package from Shanon today and inside was the purses she made and the prayer shawl sample. I really like it. The book that she sent to me with the pattern inside showed a little different of a border and I kind of like it. We'll probably do a little of each of the different styles.



Upon looking closer at the shawl, I saw that she had put the prayer that was prayed over this shawl while it was being made on the INSIDE! What a sweet sweet addition. I think it really makes it what it is!



In the pictures below, I couldn't resist trying it on! It's a perfect size and very comforting. I can't wait for Christmas to come so the women can be surrounded by the love of Christ anytime they feel the need!

Thank you Shanon for all of your hard work on this shawl. You are going to touch lives for Christ. Please know that God is smiling because of your obedience of using your talents to reach people for Him!

I'll post the purse pictures later. I'm off to line a bunch of makeup bags and purses.

Andrea

Another address for prison pen-palship

CODEY ANGLIN #1284335
SMITH UNIT1313 C.R. #19
Lamesa, Texas 79331

His mother wrote to me via http://www.prisonministry.net/ and asked for a pen pal for him. This is what she had to say:

"Could you add my son to the list for male christian pen pal. HE needs encouragement and direction. He is set for PAROLE IN MARCH."

Thanks everyone for pitching in!

--------------------------------------

Here are some deathrow men who would like to have a Christian pen pal as well. A man named Michael sent this list to me. Help if you can!

James Rising 99B1525
Clinton Correctional facility Annex
box 2002
Dannemora, NY 12929

Bubba Phillips 187810
Osp Deathrow
p.o. box 97
McAlester OK 74502-0097

Wesley Ruiz 999536
Polunsky Unit Deathrow
3872 FM 350 South
Livingston, TX 77351

Thomas Whitaker 999522
Polunsky unit Deathrow
3872 FM 350 South
Livingston, Texas 77351

John Quintanilla, JR 999491
Polunsky Unit Deathrow3872
fm 350 south
Livingston, Texas 77351

Please pray for these men even if you don't feel comfortable writing to one of them. Thanks for your compassionate heart!

I love this bag!

I will be making more of these for Pink cross, as long as I have the yarn to do them. This is a Suede yarn - super soft and thick! It's satin lined like all of the others. Wooden handles complete this look. I will either be putting a white cross on the right hand corner or a charm somewhere to spruce it up a bit!

Anyway enjoy the pictures!

These pictures really don't do justice to how nice this purse looks. I should be getting a package from my dad this week and I'm told my camera is inside! Yeah!! No more terrible photo shop work to get the colors simi-correct.

God bless you!

Introducing - Women's Prison Outreach

Hello all!

I have been working with a sweet friend back in Salina, Kansas to get a list of women who are currently being held in Topeka, Kansas at the women's detention center there. Below are two women who could really use some uplifting and letters if you have time.

Dana Flynn # 64573
TcF J-1
815 S.E. Rice Road
Topeka, KS 66607

Pam Livingston # 67255
TCf 2nd Floor
815 S.E. Rice Road
Topeka, KS 66607

These women, among other women need our encouragement and prayers. Some of the women being held there never get visits, calls or even a quick "I'm thinking of you" letter in the mail. Do you have a second to drop these ladies a quick card in the mail and be the provider of just one day of hope and lifted spirits? I am going to be writing them at least once a week for this entire year (and probably beyond).

Thanks for your kindness and involvement in this ministry!

Sincerely,
Andrea Warren

My first circular knitting loom experience!

Ok so Shanon from Salina talked to me not long before I left Kansas and said that she bought a circular knitting loom set and successfully made really cute purses on it. She said it was quick and easy so I figured maybe I'd give it a try. After all it would save money (as knitting takes less yarn than crocheting - which is what I normally do) when doing projects for the Pink Cross Foundation. Though I didn't find it as quick to complete as she did, I did find it to be a whole lot of fun. I couldn't get the handles to work like she said she could either, so I made my own! Improvise! She is sending me the three that she has completed so I will post pictures of those when I receive them so we can see if I was even close on how it was suposed to turn out!

This purse is made with three different skeins of yarn: Red Hart's Pretty 'n Pink and White and Patrons Glittallic - White Twinkle. There are little flecks of silver in every so often in the knitted fabric.

This was my first try with the ribbon. It gave me the "I'm 5 years old and I'm carrying my Easter purse to church" vibe so I had to come up with something else! :) I did like using the ribbon as an alternative to the wooden or plastic handles, but this just wasn't doing it for me. For one I felt like the knitted cross was hidden too much and, like I said before, maybe was a bit immature. I think if I hadn't had the cross knitted on there, it might have been ok, but for this particular one, it just wasn't working for me.





This one is my last attempt. I literally worked on it all day and decided that all of the purses sent to California would probably be a little different anyway so this one will ultimately go even though I'm not 100% thrilled with it. FYI, this one (to the left) shows the colors more truely. I can't wait to get my camera back from my dad's house. It's in a box ready to be sent. These pictures are courtesy of my cell phone camera!

In the picture to the right, you can see the little cross charm in the middle of the pink cross. It gives it something I guess. There is no ribbon work on the back of the purse and all of the ribbon work is the same piece of ribbon.

Thanks for checking in today. I am very exhausted from fighting with this thing all day. Sometimes my creative juices are flowing and other times, well they just aren't. I was very happy with how the cross turned out, on a brighter note. That's my first time working on a circular loom and the first time changing colors while knitting! Go me!

Good night and God Bless!

I'm writing my story for the Pink Cross Foundation website

Please pray for my strength during this time. I just didn't realize how emotionally draining this would be! Please lift me up to the Lord on this!

When I have completed it and it's up online, I'll post the direct link so you all can read it! :)

Andrea

I'm back online!

Alright everyone we are back home now after having been gone for almost a year! Jackson has started his new, old school and is loving it and the rest of us are just getting settled in. I think I have two more bags to unpack...I don't know maybe it's more like four. At any rate, were're almost there!

From November 2007 to today, I have handed out several Packs of Love packs. I have met many very interesting people during the past year and look forward to this coming year for sure. I also pray for God's protection and guidance for my outreaches. There have been months where I have gone without passing a single pack out dispite my eagerness to do so. I'm sure that's just God preparing my path and keeping me safe.

February of 2008, my boys and my sister's family outreached in downtown DC. We met a sweet man called Ariel. We got out of the vehicle down by the Vietnam Memorial and he was walking down the street by himself. I felt lead to speak with him for a moment and found out that he was originally from New York but had come across hard time. He was without his family and money. He told us he was working on getting employment and a home of his own. We gave him a Pack and went on about our evening. It was really sobering -- this man had such high spirits dispite his circumstances. I apparently had a few things to learn from this guy and God knew it!

During my time in Kansas, I met a man by the name of Tim. He had just arrived in Salina from St. Louis because he had made some enemies there and had to get away. He was traveling with his "girl" who was staying at a women's shelter while he was staying on the streets. He told me that he had only been with her a few months and that he had been married before. His wife had passed away and when that happend he found himself back on the streets. He expressed to me that his wife had been his "saving grace" because he was in prison when he married her. When he got out, she took him in and provided for him. Apparently they had a big house with all of the extras. She got sick and passed away and at that time, everything he had disappeared.

I know the streets probably make a person very...cynical. One constantly has to tkae care of himself and watch out for the other guy. Before I found him downtown on Sante Fe Street, I had gone to Burger King for lunch and something told me to get an extra meal, so of course I did. I gave it to him and he was thankful to have a warm meal as it was raining and cold. I told him what I had in the pack for him and he was confused as to why someone was just giving him things. He asked me if he could give me something in exchange for the pack but I told him that he didn't have to pay me for anything. I explain to him that I do it as my Christian outreach and that there were absolutely no strings attached and that he didn't have to do anything to repay me. He was thankful but remained a bit confused the duration of our time together.

Because of the big move from Kansas to Tennessee, I had to give up most of my Packs of Love inventory. I took an entire vanload of inventory to the local rescue mission

- 20+ bibles

- Three gallons of shampoo/conditioner and other travel-sized bottles

- 4-6 tarps

- various canned goods

- two huge totes of clothing

- over 45 bookbags

- over 100 tubes of toothpaste and toothbrushes

- 10 plastic cups

- blankets

- box of trash bags

Gosh I can't even name everything but needless to say I have some back tracking to do! I still had a very big inventory here in Tennessee but there are definately holes here and there. I know God will fill in the gaps though. He's faithful!

I have taken a couple of weeks for breaktime where Pink Cross is concerned. I finished up a blanket I was making for Shelley's approval after I arrived home. I'll let you know what she decides after she sees it in person. It is really beautiful but God will have to provide some serious yarn, time and shipping funds if these are going to work for next year's Christmas boxes. Below are the pictures I have of the blanket and hats.

The lighting is really bad - sorry about that. The actual colors are hot pink (Red Heart's "Pretty in Pink") and white. I am really happy with the way this pattern turned out. Shirley of Salina, Kansas gave me this pattern. She had used it for a different outreach and said it wears great. One thing's for sure, it looks great! I'm not sure if you can see it or not but the stitches are bubbled. The blanket has little pockets that really hold in the body heat.

When I sit on the couch with the blanket at my waist, the fringe covers my feet. Since I took this picture, I cut the fringe down to about two inches and it looks much better that way. Three strands of approximately five inch yarn is tied into every other stitch on the sides. It just finishes it off really nicely.

This is a picture of one of the white hats. We also do the opposite - pink hats with white crosses. The color on this picture is more accurate - same yarn used in the hat and the blanket. From July to December, we shipped out close to, if not more than 200 hats. To be honest, I have lost count! Hopefully this year we can get enough people involved to have a decent amount of people working on each of the different projects.

Well, my family is getting hungry. I hope you all have enjoyed this small peek into Matthew 25:40 Ministries. Please contact me if you feel lead to help out in either one of these areas or if you just want a bit more information.

By the way, if you talk to my husband, tell him thanks for getting me back up online! He has been so wonderful to me since our return home!

Andrea