Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Hey, Bishop Zimmerman, are you reading this?


Wow! Sister Ellison look what I got at Thee Church Humanitarian Center today! You LDS folks do good work and no one even asked for my temple recommend; how egalitarian. Charity for heathens/gentiles, no questions asked. Another adoptive mom mentioned on the local China adoption egroup a few months ago that Thee Church will fill up a suitcase for anyone with a legitimate reason for travel to an emerging country if they're willing to pack it along pay the fare and that's me! I managed to stuff 20 gallon zip lock bags into the jumbo case. And the cute gal who helped me noticed that the zippered front pockets could easily hold more blankets so we stuffed them in there too. Each bag has a fleece receiving blanket hemmed by hand in a perfect lock stitch, three diapers, four diaper pins, little socks and a little long sleeve t-shirt that is full around the bottom hem and will reach baby's feet. I should have picked out the 2 bars of Ivory soap at the distribution center, those were too heavy, so they'll go back to the DI tomorrow. So David, you know I have my concerns about organized religion and how hard I struggle to keep my opinions to myself for fear of offending any of the faithful and I did feel a little false out there stuffing the suitcase when I've probably tithed a total of $3 in my entire life because the peer pressure in the Bountifull 28th was brutal when I was a child. However, I was gracious and effusively grateful, I did not offend anyone while I was stuffing away and I'm even going to leave the little card in there that explains that this is a donation from the LDS Church: Credit due where credit earned.
Speaking of credit, many thanks to Ellie's friends Sarah, Samantha, Claire and Britta for bringing Gerber puffs, vitamins and more diapers to Ellie's slumber parth last week end instead of birthday gifts. Some cute babies in Guangxi Province (I'll give all this stuff to Xiao Xiao in Nanning on Sunday) will be gobbling up sweet potato puffs with their own fingers next week. Okay, now I just have to cram those infant kits and my 2-inch thermarest into that bag. Off to Costco tomorrow to buy the pack mates I should have bought when I saw them.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Marji! My soul sistah! I loved this blog about the LDS church donation! I was raised a fundy Christian. Rebelled at 18. Disgusted b y judgmental organized religions UNTIL a few months ago, when I discovered Religious Science! They are all about God and acceptance. No "You are wrong and my way is the only way" stuff. They are way cool. Doubtful that they have churches in UT. hee hee. Maybe, though? If you have any inclination, give them a try. Very accepting and fun. Lots of love from your friend, the coffee-drinking Heathen.
:-) -Holly