Thank you so much for all the dolls. Thank you so much for all the care and love you put into this project. Thank you so much for continuing to support Rag Dolls. You're terrific.
Blessings, Mary Page
Here is a song written by Barbara Huddle to the tuen of "How Much is that Doggie in the Window". It was sung by the Kitchen band during the luncheon honoring Mary Page's wisit.
How much are those dollies on the alter?
The ones with the triangular eyes.
How much are those dollies on the alter?
I do hope the dollies' for sale.
We don't sell those dollies on the alter.
We send them all over the world.
For children to love and hang onto.
For children to love and they do.
We're just a little church int he Ozarks.
With people who lovingly share.
We carefully paint on the faces.
And cut, stuff, and sew with great care.
Of course we have meetings nad make them.
Of course we have lunch while we're here.
We bless them and send them to Mary.
She takes it from there, with good cheer.
We thank all who help with the dollies.
We do it in time that is spare.
We'll make a lot more in the future.
Right now we have Chirstmas to Share.
The Episcopal Dioceses of West Missouri has shipped out 1500 dolls, of those, 1100 were completed by the members of St Albans! We do not intend to reach some particular goal and then quit - war does not stop. The number of children who need comfort in this world does not lessen. And the need to show some kind of tangible love to these kids will never go away.
The women - and men - of St. Alban's purchase the material for the dolls, bring the stuffing, come to special doll-making days with our sewing machines, and even do the handwork during Christian Education on Sundays as we gather to study the meaning of our Christian faith and life.
A pattern is available at the website if you'd like to join us, wherever you are, and in this small way respond to children all around the world whose lives are damaged by war, terror, dislocation, fear.
From the website: "In war, children suffer. They are the "collateral damage" politicians refer to when they dismiss civilian deaths in armed conflicts. Rag Dolls 2 Love, Inc was started to put a soft cloth doll in the hands of children in countries ravaged by war. We now include children infected with HIV/AIDS, children in orphanages, children affected by the tsunami.
As cloth ambassadors, these Rag Dolls 2 Love can bring love to children turned all too quickly into adults by the violence of everyday life. This isn't just a doll. It is a doll without hair, a doll without clothes, a doll who has nothing but its heart, its eyes and its smile. Rag Dolls 2 Love offers children solace that real life doesn't offer. The Rag Doll 2 Love can become real as it is loved by the child who hugs it at night, whose tears wash it's body. The Rag Dolls 2 Love is 20" long, big enough to hug and small enough to tuck under a child's arm.
Volunteers around the world are sewing Rag Dolls 2 Love. Over 18,000 dolls have been shipped to children in 12 countries: Palestine, Israel; Haiti; The Sudan; Iraq; South Africa; Belarus; Mexico; Honduras; China; Ethiopia; Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. How wide our effort will be depends on how many more people are willing to join us as peace-makers with needle and thread."
