Used Suitases or Dufflebags Needed!!!

Great news!!! Our team will be delivering 400 pairs of donated shoes to the children of El Salvador! We are in need of used suitcases or dufflebags that can be used to carry the shoes. Ideally, we'd like to leave the luggage in El Salvador. However, luggage can be returned as well. Please contact Jenni Ramsey at jenni.ramsey@cox.net if you can help! Thank you!!!

Count Down to Departure....

The El Salvador team is counting down for departure on July 9th out of LAX. Our team of sixteen met last Saturday, June 18th, to share testimonies and to pray for one another. It was an encouraging time of team building as we heard each others' personal life stories, passions and callings to serve on this team.

We continue to be blessed and overwhelmed by ongoing financial support. Today one team member received an anonymous $400 donation for trip costs! The total amount needed for the team costs is $28,000. We have now received over $23,000 and need just less than $5,000 to cover all of our costs (travel, housing, food, orphanage donations, transportation, insurance, etc.). If you would like to donate to the team, you can send your tax-deductible donation to:

Jenni Ramsey, Outreach Director
All Blessings Intl. Adoptions
12935 Villa Rose Drive
Santa Ana, CA 92705

The team will be commissioned at The Village Church of Irvine on Sunday, July 3rd in the 10 am service. Our final team meeting will be held at the Ramsey's home on Tuesday, July 5th. We will be packing over 350 pairs of donated shoes and reviewing final trip details. Team members will be posting daily entries throughout our trip and we look forward to sharing all that God willdo on our exciting adventure serving His orphans together.

Jewelry Sale To Benefit Our Trip!

Do you live in So Cal? Do you like jewelry? If so, please join us at the Wasson's home on Monday, June 13 at 6:45 pm for a jewelry show with Premier Designs. The Wassons' address is 19 Calotte Place, Foothill Ranch, CA 92610. 25% of the sales will go towards our El Salvador trip costs. The entire line of jewelry ranges from $10-$98 with the average price only $35. All jewelry is covered under Premier's warranty. Join us for a fun evening together and help send our team to El Salvador!

Authentic Salvadorian Food in Costa Mesa!

The July El Salvador team gathered at San Silvar Restaurant in Costa Mesa this weekend to enjoy some authentic Salvadorian pupusas! We have an amazing team! God is moving in our lives as we prepare to serve together. Great news! Dave Eason's parents, Dave and Sandi Eason, will be joining our team and serving alongside us in El Salvador! We are blessed to have their experience, passion and leadership as we serve the beautiful people of El Salvador together.

We want to thank all of our supporters for your donations! The team needs to raise $28,000 total, and we have already received $18,000! If you would still like to donate towards our trip costs, send your donations to:

Jenni Ramsey
All Blessings Intl.
12935 Villa Rose Drive
Santa Ana, CA 92705

2,034 Silly Bands!

A huge thank you to the kids at Arroyo Elementary School in Tustin! Last month Aidan Ramsey challenged his schoolmates to donate 1,000 silly bands for him to take to kids in El Salvador. Last week he collected all of the containers that he had distributed in each classroom. He received 2,034 silly bands! Way to go Arroyo! We can't wait to see the smiles' on the childrens' faces when they receive the silly bands this summer!

We are still accepting new and used silly bands. Let us know if you'd like to donate!

An Amazing Network Gathering...

Last Monday, May 2, Susan Clark and I led our first network gathering for So Cal leaders who serve in adoption or orphan care ministries. We had an incredible gathering with twenty-two people in attendance from Long Beach, Simi Valley, Riverside and Orange County! There were many more who wanted to join us and were unable to be there.

We invited each person to briefly share their personal journey with the group. I literally could have stayed for hours to hear the stories and vision that exuded from each person. Our group included adoption agency representatives, pastors, adoptive families, a family therapist and church leaders who are mobilizing their churches to "care for the least of these." I felt honored to spend time with other leaders who are intensely passionate about needy children in our community as well as the international orphan crisis. Our waitress was deeply impacted by the stories that were shared around the table. She actually interrupted our sharing time to tell us how inspired she was by our gathering. Awesome!

We are currently creating a roster of those who were in attendance. We are also researching an online network system that can help us to communicate with one another. Our goal is to begin meeting every quarter to encourage one another and to share our visions and ideas regarding orphan care, fostering and adoption. I can't wait to see how this network evolves and impacts our communities!

Headed to the Summit...

I can't believe that I leave for The Summit in just two days! Last week I learned that I won a contest through Christian Alliance for Orphans. The contest gave applicants points for posting information about The Summit on their blogs/Facebook and for recruiting to The Summit! I received front row seats and an invitation to a private reception with Christian recording artist, Sara Groves! The concert will be held this Friday night, May 13, at the end of The Summit. Lucy Armistead, the founder of All Blessings will be attending with me! We will be staying together at The Summit along with another All Blessings staff member. I can't wait!


Award winning songwriter/musician Sara Groves

Here are the break out sessions that I will be attending during The Summit:

Encouragement for Orphan Ministry Leaders
Creative Fundraising for Your Adoption
Adoption Reworked: Orphan Care Through the Rediscovery of Abba Father
Raising Children with a Heart for Orphans
Advocating as a Busy Mom
Creative Advocacy: Training Storytellers that Change the World

I am also excited to be hosting the regional network break out session for California. This will be a great opportunity to meet and network with other conference attendees who live in California!

Stay tuned for more!