Diapers, Diapers, Diapers.....

I have been thinking a lot more about them these days.

My oldest daughter wanted to do something to help the orphanage in Africa,(since she will never be the daughter who travels with me to far away places), so we reviewed the needs list and decided we could make diapers.

We went on a several day material procurement plan, and located flannel of all designs to begin our project.

We studied a few websites, then made our plan. Using a trifold diaper as a pattern, I began cutting material, placing doubled fabric in the center of each cut piece, and handed them over to Ash to stitch.

She recently worked as a factory seamstress, so she was able to figure out the most effective way of sewing each piece for maximum efficiency of time and material. I love the way her mind works!!

We have now finished stitching together over 10 dozen cloth diapers of some of the most colorful fabric I have ever seen! Now we have the task, in the next week, of sewing on the velcro strips that will allow for fastening on the children. I must say, it has been a big task, but each diaper has been sewn with the love and hopes it will be a practical blessing to each recipient.

Doing the math, that means in a week's time we have to sew 3 velcro strips on 120 (plus) diapers, making it 360 more details to finish before I can pack them for the trip to Liberia.

If I had calculated all the details from the beginning, I probably would have stopped before I started! (Ash wouldn't tho. She's determined like that!) I would have bought, maybe, 2 dozen diapers and packed them, feeling like I have done what I could do.

But with my daughters encouragement, we are now looking at many more useful items that are so needful, and all it took was time.

Now I know we all have restrictions on our time. My father-in-law used to say we all have 24 hours in every day. How do we used them?

Those of you who know me, know my heart is softened toward the orphaned child. I know it's where I want to focus my efforts and plan my giving. It's not because of me, I am not special in any way, but I really believe when I asked God to give me purpose, this was my answer.

I also know several people have said "you're crazy" or "what about children in America?" or "you can't save them all."

Yes, maybe I am a bit crazy. I do know there are children suffering in America (sad, but alot of them would suffer less if their parents made better choices, but that's not the subject of this post!), and my heart and efforts look for ways to help them too. And I realize, sadly, that I can not, in any way, save them all.

But what if a choice I made COULD help an orphan?
What if my efforts, big or small, made a difference for even just ONE child?
What if my friends, or family, could catch a bit of caring too, and help in a small way?
Could we all make a difference together?

Sewing diapers has been a good time for me to reflect. I am using my abilities (so far from perfect, but I am getting better at stitching!!) and I am seeing how much one, or two, of us can accomplish.

Many yards of material (on clearance!), a couple of hands and sewing machines humming together on my diningroom table, something we definately take for granted here (diapers)will be headed to Liberia to cover the tiny bottoms of babies who will feel the softeness and warmth from the work of our hands. I love that!

At one point I told Ash that I was getting into the whole cloth diaper thing, and it reminded me of when she was a baby. There were disposables back them, but it was much cheaper to wash and reused cloth diapers, and we needed everything cheaper back then! I was even contemplating making some for our new boys!

Who knows? I think we proved to ourselves that whatever you set out to do, if we do it will all our hearts, we can accomplish "great things!"

And to a wet baby, a nice, dry diaper is a great thing!!