It all started last Fall, when we took a Storybook to each of our Children's Homes in India, and a few educational books to The Refuge in Thailand. I always like to bring a little something for the kids when we come, and I was looking forward to having storytime with them and adding a book to their collection.

It didn't take long for me to realize - they don't have a "collection". There's maybe a handful of books at each of our Children's Home (if that many), and very few of them have pictures. It turns out that books are very expensive in these countries, and it's hard to find good copies of English books (without spelling mistakes or missing pages). A few minutes after I read a story to the boys at Asha Mission, Kolkata and handed over the book for them to keep, I looked over to see this -

All 15 boys crowded around ONE storybook! I was heartbroken that they didn't EACH have their own book, and the wheels began to turn. I couldn't help but dream of shelves full of books that they could read until their hearts were content!

A similar thing happened a few weeks later with the "My First Atlas" book I took to the students at The Refuge. After they all crowded around the books in groups, one girl came up to me with the Atlas clutched to her chest. "I LOVE THIS BOOK!" she said enthusiastically!

I immediately thought back to my own childhood and teenage years and remembered how much I LOVED reading. I thought about the shelves and cabinets stacked to the brim with books at my parent's house, the school library full of books I got to visit weekly in elementary school, the enormous library I explored in college, and the two public libraries at my fingertips at anytime. I couldn't believe that these children didn't have access to books the way I had, and I knew I wanted to change that! When I asked the children what they thought of the idea, they were ECSTATIC!

You see, books have POWER. They inspire literacy, aid in mental development, and encourage creativity. Books can of course educate, and they can also help children explore their imaginations! Whether or not these children ever have the opportunity to travel, they can go anywhere and be anything in a book!

I am so excited about the impact these libraries will have in the lives of our children!

We currently have 2 homes in Thailand, 3 in India, and a community center in Swaziland that we'll be equipping with books and bookshelves for the kids. Every Children's Home is different, with different ages and reading levels. Our plan is to take a suitcase (or two) full of books each time we visit the homes (at least once a year) and to continue building the library year after year!

Here's where you come in! We'll have a book drive prior to each trip overseas, when we'll request specific books aimed toward the reading levels and needs of the children in that specific country and home. These books can be new or gently used (a great reason to clean out your children's old bookshelves!) You can send as many books as you like at any given time. We'll sort the books and take as many as possible with us each trip. Those left over will be used for the next trip overseas.

Our upcoming need is for SWAZILAND. We'll be in Swaziland for almost 4 weeks this March/April, and we cannot wait to see the children's faces when we bring them so many beautiful books! The carepoint we are partnered with operates at the Community Center in Nsoko. There is also a preschool at the Center, and our plan is to first equip the preschool with books, and then to hopefully expand to a complete Children's Library!

To donate books for the SWAZILAND BOOK DRIVE, please follow these instructions:

1) Choose new or gently used books that are TODDLER/PRESCHOOL to KINDERGARTEN appropriate. These can be story books, picture books, or educational books. Board books (which can be cleaned regularly) are especially good. We prefer books that are small and light so that we can pack more of them to take at one time. Little Golden Books would also be a good option. Remember that the children receiving these books are of many different cultures and ethnicities, so multi-ethnic illustrations would be wonderful!

2) Write a message inside the front flap of your book(s). This is optional, but I'm sure the kids would LOVE to know who gave them each wonderful book in their library! Keep your message simple. For example, "From the Smith Family in Austin, TX" and maybe even the names of each person in your family, would be great! Remember, we may have too many books to take on this trip to Swaziland, so some of the donated books could go to our children in India or Thailand. For this reason, please do not write anything specific to Swaziland in your message.

3) Mail your book(s) to:

THE SOUND OF HOPE - 140 Maple Street - Maylene, AL  35114

*The DEADLINE for this Book Drive is MARCH 7th! Please have all your donated books to us by this date. You can comment below with any questions you may have. We will let you know of future book drives for our Children's Homes in India and Thailand as soon as we have scheduled those trips. If you would like to make a monetary donation instead of sending books, you may do so by donating here and writing "Children's Library" in the designation box. Thanks in advance for being a part of this project!

We want to give a big THANK YOU to Loquita and everyone who donated as a part of Alabama Gives Day! Thanks too for those of you who blogged, tweeted, and facebooked about this event! We know you are the reason we now have new donors and followers on twitter. We also appreciate the folks at ABC 33/40, especially Producer Erica Huddleston, for featuring us on "Good Morning Alabama"! (See the video here!) THANK YOU for advocating for our kids!

Thank YOU for GIVING to The Sound of Hope from The Sound of Hope on Vimeo.

We used the True Random Number Generator to determine our winner. LoQuita, you now have a choice between the AUBURN Prize Pack or the ALABAMA Prize Pack. Let us know which one you prefer and we'll get it in the mail to you asap!

The Alabama Gives Day AUBURN Prize Pack ::

(navy handwoven cotton scarf from Thailand + orange camel bone bangles from India + SOH American Apparel T -shirt)

The Alabama Gives Day ALABAMA Prize Pack ::

 (red handwoven cotton scarf from Thailand + elephant earrings from Thailand + SOH American Apparel T -shirt)

Thanks again for giving!

Back when I was a student at Oxford High School, if you’d told me I would be comfortable half a world away in Africa I would have thought you’d lost your mind. A few years later, when I was struggling in Spanish classes at Auburn University, I would have laughed at the idea of learning Thai! But sometimes, things don’t go as we plan – and I am grateful for that! Every day that I get a chance to rescue innocent children from horrors like drug trafficking, sex trafficking, genocide and abuse, I am in awe that this is my job.

Through our work in third world countries, we are making a real difference. Little girls, who suffer in extreme poverty in Africa, are getting an opportunity for an education. Little boys, who would otherwise be forced to fight as child soldiers in Burma, are learning sustainable life-skills like gardening and raising livestock. Forgotten children, orphaned and abandoned in India, are being welcomed into loving homes. And it’s all happening because someone gave a few dollars to show they care.

If you’re reading this and wondering, “What does this have to do with me?” - well, I’m getting there.

Leah was born by c-section on January 20th. As you can see, she is already dearly beloved by the other children at Asha House!

We are so grateful that her mother cared enough to give birth to her and to give her away to a loving home. The truth is, many women in India get pregnant out of wedlock as a result of rape or prostitution. Most live in poverty, and have no way to care for themselves or a baby... so they often attempt abortions or suicide. Baby Aksha (also at Asha House) survived 4 abortion attempts, but struggles with lung infections as a result. Sweet little Tabitha (a 3 year old member of the Asha House family) almost didn't make it into this world - her pregnant mother was about to jump in front of a train when a pastor stopped her and brought her to Asha House. Other children aren't so lucky. Because girls are devalued in Indian culture, female babies are often strangled or suffocated at birth or abandoned on the street.

Leah's mother, however, lived at the house for several months so that she could get prenatal care and proper nourishment. When I met her in November, I told her how brave she was and thanked her for making a courageous choice for her daughter. While it's a tragedy that Leah won't grow up with her biological parents, we rejoice that she will have a chance at life! We know she will grow up with a loving "family" at Asha House, where she will be cherished, protected, and given an opportunity to get an education. So today we say THANK YOU! Thank you to the donor who paid for her to be born safely in a hospital, and thank you to everyone who donates regularly to help us care for precious children like Leah!

But thanks to your generosity, our kids (and staff) had nothing to worry about. In just 20 hours, $5,665 was raised to help them renovate an old school building and turn it into a big, beautiful Children's Home!

We are looking forward to taking you on a video tour during our next visit to India, but until then - we hope you enjoy these pictures!

We'll start with Christmas in Swaziland! In late October, we shared the sad fact that most of the children in Swaziland do not have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas. Swaziland is one of the most impoverished countries in the world, and it has been ravaged by AIDS. Over 10% of the population is orphans, and even those with family usually do not have money for Christmas presents or even a special meal on Christmas Day. The children we serve lead difficult lives, and we knew they deserved a day to celebrate!

Lucky for them, you agreed! The donations began pouring in and within a few days we had almost DOUBLED the goal amount we'd set for the Anchor Center Christmas Party! Thanks to many of you, the $1,294 given provided a very special event for some very deserving kids!

Two of our partners - Jen & Eric, sent us a description of the day. You will be amazed when you read how much your money provided!

We know that, as a donor, you want to see the greatest impact made with your year-end financial gift.

Merry Christmas from The Sound of Hope on Vimeo.

Promised Land Children's Home - Our First Glimpse from The Sound of Hope on Vimeo.

As I mentioned in the video, the home is still being remodeled, but the all the preparations should be done in just a few short weeks. I can't wait to see how beautiful it is once the cement wall around the outside is finished and painted, the wood inside is all re-stained and sealed, new tile is laid, and the furniture is moved in! I love all the light from the windows, and looking outside at the beautiful view of the coconut trees. It's so exciting to know that the next time we visit, there will be children living in this home!

            The house Mom & Dad, Rapee & Banya, CELEBRATE! They are so excited about their new Children's Home!

To see this dream come true for Rapee and Banya after 27 years is truly incredible. Being a part of starting this home has been so thrilling and humbling at the same time. There are no words to express our gratitude to everyone who donated to this project! Because of YOU, many children's lives will be saved and changed forever!

After a short drive from the Children's Home, we arrived at what appeared to be an empty trash heap. But as we peered inside the open huts made of leftover plastic and cardboard, children began to arrive out of nowhere. Within a few moments, we were surrounded by filthy, beautiful, pathetic, precious little boys and girls.

They were covered in dirt and sores. Snot dripped from their noses and their matted hair looked like it had never been washed or brushed. Their clothes were trash - torn, worn peices that other people had thrown away. And as they ran to us, Babu (our Indian partner) explained that any food they got was also from the trash - leftovers or spoiled items their parents found while trashpicking.

I looked deep into their eyes and it was more than I could take.