Blessings ... Like A Steady Rain!!

I love rain!  
Yep, I really like a rainy day; oftentimes, I am energized and motivated by a cloudy sky and deeply fulfilled by pouring rain!  I'm sure that not many of you reading this agree with me ... that's okay, I'm used to that! 
Spaghetti Dinner with 

Silent Auction

Community Church of Elkhorn:

Honduras Mission Team Fundraiser

Just last week, we held our (first ever, I believe) Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction.  We held it as a fundraiser for our Honduras Mission Team.  And I have to say that the blessings that this team have been experiencing have been like a steady rain!!

We worked hard for several days before the event to get things ready ...

We turned our Sanctuary into a giant dining room, something I never imagined I would see.

The tables were set and decorated and ready for the dinner guests to arrive.

We even had a Silent Auction ...

... we had this super, terrific lady (who happens to be our church's Missions Director) who rustled up A LOT of auction items donated by various local businesses!!

We sure ended up with quite the array of items for the Silent Auction!!

Praise the LORD and thank-you to all of our contributors!

(for a complete list of all our Silent Auction contributors, see bottom of this blog post)

The purpose of our event was primarily to raise funds for our mission team to purchase greatly needed medical supplies that will be used to care for the people of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  Additionally, this event was a way for us to reach out to our community with the love that God has for all people.  

Our 1st "Customers!"

This is Dick and Mary Ann ... don't they look thrilled to be first?  

This lovely lady is the mother-in-law of one of our team members.  When she walked in, I was super excited because she was dressed so festively in Blue and White - the theme colors for our night, which are the colors of the Honduran Flag!!

Guests were served their spaghetti shortly after coming into the building and then they could proceed into the sanctuary to enjoy their meal in a relaxed setting.  A photo DVD was running up on the large screen to show the guests what the mission team would be doing in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  Teammates Ben, Paul and Laura were serving up the noodles, sauces (Paul made the yummy meat sauce) and salad and bread.  Teammate Deb brought in the most DELICIOUS tomatoes for the salad.  They were SO GOOD, you could just eat a bowl of those by themselves ... ahem, ... oh, I think some of us DID!  

Here is the handsome team leader as well as master of noodles and marinara ... oh how I thank the LORD for his kitchen skills!!

It was great to see the guests enjoying the dinner and the fellowship!!

Meanwhile, the Silent Auction was under way and it went through until 8:00pm.  

We ended up with some very happy Silent Auction Winners!!

Here's Brittany - she got a pie, a massage and a manicure/pedicure.  She is going to be one very happy and pampered young lady!!

Laura and Alex won the Thirty-One Extend-a-Day Bag as well as the Pizza, Pop and Bowling package (a great family outing)!

Dee won this original oil painting ...

Wayne confidently bid BIG on Baked Goods and Culvers ... so he was a BIG WINNER!

Susan won a set of hand-made earrings with a matching necklace and her daughter, Myanna, won the Honduran coffee and pine-needle trivet package.

Here's Janet ... also a winner of a Pie and some Baked Goods!

And here's Dan!  He won an Oil Change - oh boy!

And here's Mrs. Pam with two of her former Sunday School students.  They are are super excited because Mrs. Pam bid on and won a Cupcake Decorating Basket!!  Mrs. Pam is going to let the kids have F-U-N decorating some yummy treats!!

I wasn't able to get a photo of ALL the happy winners.  Some of them snuck out with their loot before getting their picture taken ... oh well!!  

Remember how I started out this post stating that I love the rain and I am energized and motivated by a good rain??  Well, let me tell you - I am buzzing bigger than the Energizer Bunny ...

... because it is downright POURING now!!!  

Do you know how much money we raised from our little Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction??

Doot doot do doot!!!  

(sound of a trumpet blowing before a big announcement--)

$2,984.00!!!!!

... and it's still coming !! 
(I do so love it when it rains)

Then, we went to a birthday party for a sweet little one-year-old a few days after the Spaghetti Dinner and WE left with birthday presents, if you can believe that!!!

The wonderful parents of this little boy asked, on behalf of their cute little boy, that the invitees bring "medical supplies" to support the ministry that we are a part of when we go on this mission trip!  

REALLY?  Can you believe that?  That is SO AWESOME!!!

Just look at all this stuff!

And then they brought us some more!!!

This Honduras Mission Team just continues to be blessed by God and the people He's touching along the way.  There are SO MANY who are a part of this Great-BIG GOD Team and I do try to thank each one individually!!! The blessings have become so grand and so great, we are so overwhelmed and we realize that we are likely not even aware of ALL those who are a part of this.  

Brian and I were talking about how there are just so many people who have "joined our team" by supporting us, donating supplies, attending our fundraisers, selflessly and generously giving of their time, resources and money for the benefit of this team and the ministry we are going to Honduras to be a part of ... there's just so many.  We imagine that all of a sudden there's nothing but darkness but then if each person who has participated in this Honduras Mission, one by one, were to emit a beam of light upwards towards the heavens ... imagine each one, then several at a time, one after another, transmitting beautiful light into the darkness ... it would not take long for our city to be engulfed in LIGHT!

That's what Jesus says we are ... 

Matthew 5:14-16

New International Version (NIV)

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Each of us is a light ... may it pour from each of us and be a blessing to others like a steady rain!!

Thank-you to ALL of our Spaghetti Dinner Workers, Partners, Guests, Donors and Contributors and also to our Silent Auction Donors/Contributors and Bidders.  Your Generosity and your Support is greatly treasured!!  (your official thank-you's will be in the mail)

Of course, thank-you to Team #3913B and Community Church of Elkhorn, as well as ...

(if I have missed anyone, please forgive me and let me know)

Special Help:
Alex Johnson
Brenda Walter
Brittany Gonzales
Dan Nevala
David Bush
Janet Cline
Jennifer Bush
Kylee Kozbiel
Pam Millar

Donors:
Bark Market
Bonny Ringblom
Brenda Walter
Carol Eslick
Cimino's
Colleen Loomer
Compworth
Culvers
Darlene and Mitch Considine
Eleanor Condon
Essential Yoga and Massage
Features Hair and Nail
Gladys Dietzman
Gordie Boucher - Janesville
Jane and Doug Kleyn
Jennifer Bush
Jennifer Peltier
Jill Jackson
John Dietzman
Lakes Area Physical Therapy
Lake Geneva Lanes
Laura Johnson
Life In Motion Massage: Anna Loomer
Merle Norman - Janesville
PerKup
Pizza Ranch
Riga-Tony's
Salon Luscious
Shannon Wiedenhoeft
Showboat of Lyons
State Farm Insurance
Vasili's
Walworth County Fair

Tables and Chairs - Calvary Community Church