Lemonade for the Least of These

Our neighborhood garage sale had been on the calender for weeks. I had been on a serious spring cleaning kick. I'm pretty sure I organized and purged every closet and drawer in our house. There is something so freeing about getting rid of stuff and simplifying life. Abby was even motivated to add her toys and books to the pile because any money she earned is hers for vacation. We were ready!

On the same day as our garage sale, Abby joined a movement of kids hosting lemonade stands across the country to raise money for an orphanage in Ethopia. The proceeds help to purchase food, toys and all the other things needed to care for the children at Hannah's Hope. The movement is called "Lemonade for the Least of These" based on Matthew 25:40 which says,

"The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

I shared the information with Abby and took the time to answer all of her questions because I wanted it to be Abby's lemonade stand, not mine. I gave her the choice to decide. There was no pressure either way. When I told her how the money would be used, she had a look of horror on her face that surprised me. After asking a few questions, she shared that she wasn't sure we should send money to the people who take care of the orphans because she thought they would be mean to the kids and keep all the money for themselves. Then, I realized her only category for orphan care came from an "Annie" type Christmas movie she saw last year. Yikes! I'm glad I got to clear that one up. Once she realized that the workers wanted to love the children and show them God's love, she was all in.

 Abby was excited to set up her first stand and was even more excited to tell people about the orphans in Ethopia. She got up early Saturday morning and made her sign. She set up her table complete with her cash register and had a pile of informational sheets so people could learn about the cause. We had to help Abby channel her enthusiasm because she just couldn't understand why anyone would say no to lemonade and didn't want to take no for an answer. Most people were thrilled to give to the cause!

The neighborhood was buzzing with people all day. Friends came by to visit. We cleared out a lot and Abby raised $15 to send to Hannah's Hope. I loved watching my girl have fun and spread love!

The neighborhood boys came to visit and helped out with the stand for a while!

Miss Annemarie gave Ella her very own price sticker, "Make an Offer". We say....priceless!

Abby and Isaiah

Elijah and Ella

After a long and successful day of sales, we celebrated with our first summer dinner with friends at the little local ice cream shop near our house. Corn dogs and ice cream, anyone? 

Just one more reason to love summer!