For about three months now, I have felt the Lord calling me to expand my ministry. Some of you many know that my ultimate goal for the ministry is to provide hospice services for women who are dying of AIDS and other catastrophic illnesses, are homeless and have been abandoned by their friends, families, and even their churches. However, I am also a realist. God has shown me time and time again that I must learn to crawl before I learn to walk.
That said, when I return from the states in July, I would like to forge ahead with the opening of Sophie's Place. Sophie's Place is named for my great grandmother, Sophia Dietrich, and my grandmother, Juliette Sophia Dietrich Robinson, two Christian women who were the kindest women I have ever known. It only seemed fitting to name this place after them. The intent of Sophie's Place is to provide women with an opportunity to have respite from their household responsibilities and rest from the burdens of their illnesses for two days per month. The plan is for one woman at a time to come to my home at nine o'clock in the morning, and leave at four. During this time she will have the opportunity to have three full, healthy meals and choose from a wide variety of activities including:
1. Having her own private bedroom for rest and contemplation.
2. Lying in the hammock or on the grass.
3. Reading from the bible or from a wide variety of books.
4. Listening to relaxing music.
5. Receiving a foot massage with lotions and/or scented oils.
6. Watching a movie.
7. Going for walks or meditating in nature.
8. Spending one on one time with me, talking about hopes, dream, fears, or anything else.
9. Each woman will receive her own journal to take with her when she leaves.
10. Possible pet therapy
As you may imagine, this is going to take some money. However, not nearly as much as you might think. The first priority I have is a need for a one time $50 donation to buy a mattress, bed frame, blankets, pillows and sheets. Believe it or not, $50 will buy all of that. I'm going to be needing weekly donations of $20 for transportation to and from the center, and a weekly donation of about $40 for food, soaps, lotions, etc. And really, that's about it. If you'd like to help out,it would be such a blessing and I would love to hear from you. Be blessed!
Karibu Sophie's Place!
No comments:
Post a Comment