Avalon Aglow Fundraiser!

Summers and me at our second official Formula One Life fundraiser for our upcoming mission to Ethiopia! In light of meeting some wonderful people who offered to help in various ways-- including the President of the Kiwanis Club who has offered to do formula drives with us at the local schools!-- I would say it was indeed a successful night! Our heartfelt thanks to the following people- without whom we could not have done it:
Mel Ramos for his invaluable 'base support' on many levels and Jay Stevenson- for the booth set-up! Stephanie Hodson- for donating our wonderful table space on behalf of Avalon Park Group... and a very special thanks to Andrew Lazeration-- for bringing in an untold number of donations from friends and co-workers at the Orange Co. Sheriff's Office... Many thanks to all who gave!!

Formula One Life in Guatemala, Nov. 2009

(click on picture to enlarge)

Andrea, Summers, my mother and I just got back from our wonderful first trip to Guatemala where we delivered over 700 lbs. of baby formula, powdered milk, garden seeds, toys and crafts to the precious infants and children of Hannah's Hope, Casa de Sion, Casa Angelina and Amor del Nino...
(scroll down for more pictures and video from this trip)

FormulaOneLife Flight Attendants Mary Beth Lavin, Andrea Branas, Summers Doonan and Extended Wings Volunteer Claire Lavin visit the orphans of Casa Angelina in Guatemala, November 2009

Orphans of Casa Angelina singing the heartbreaking words of a lullaby (translated):

Streets bathed in moonlight, the cradle of my youth, I come to sing to my beloved, the silvery moon of my youth... moon of my youth, you brought light to me in my nights of sorrow over a dark colored woman who abandoned me...

And We're Off...!

The first Team Formula One Life (including Andrea with 3 suitcases full in NJ!) raised over 500 lbs. of formula for the infant orphans in Guatemala plus hundreds of dollars worth of powdered milk for the older orphans and enough garden seeds to grow groceries for years! Our heartfelt thanks to all those who gave... The babies will be drinking up your blessing very soon... :)

Remembering Ethiopia... Ready for Guatemala...

We are less than a week away from our first team mission trip to Guatemala and are still in need of formula and financial donations... Please visit formulaonelife.org (or simply click on the title of this post) to help meet the needs of Guatemalan orphans through "Formula One Life." Thank you and God bless...

First Fundraiser at Avalon Park's Oktoberfest!

FormulaOneLife's Mary Beth Lavin at FOL's first fundraiser in Orlando, FL, Oct. 2009 

...mission accomplished! We raised over $600 in financial and material donations and made invaluable contacts with some wonderful people who offered their services to help our cause... God bless everyone who gave! Thank you!!

One of the angels at "Amor Del Nino" in Guatemala...

Dear friends and family,

Most of you have seen the pictures from my first "Formula One Life" trip to Ethiopia this past Summer. It was indeed a heartwarming success and blessing to many infant orphans thanks to the generosity of so many of you. Since then, " Formula One Life" has grown into an organization well on its’ way to becoming an official 501c(3) non-profit, as attention from international adoption and sponsorship agencies has us planning future trips to orphanages around the world well into 2010!

In the immediate future, we have been called to Guatemala-- which is in more need than ever on account of the country’s current food shortage. The President of Guatemala has declared a state of national calamity as the country’s poor of all ages face malnourishment and a rising number of hunger related deaths. Compounding the hunger crisis is the orphan crisis- only worsening since the country’s adoption program was shut down last year. After contacting a handful of orphanages in Guatemala last week to determine their formula needs, these are only some of the replies I received within hours:

"Wow! This is an answer to prayer! We have a number of infants, and spend about $1400/MONTH ON FORMULA IF WE DO NOT GET IT DONATED. THIS WOULD BE A HUGE BLESSING! Thank you!" (Amor del Nino)

"We service about 20 infants with formula and have more mothers asking us everyday...We could use a lot as we have many mothers without milk because of the food crisis. We started the formula program after the baby of one of our workers died because the mom had no milk. Thank you so much for this offer." (Casa de Sion)

"Yes, we need support... At the moment we are looking after 30 children (and infants), and our goal is to duplicate that next year... Thank you very much for your offer..." (Hannah’s Hope)

It is overwhelming to contemplate the amount of need in Guatemala, right now. But as Mother Theresa said, "...we can only do small things with great love."

What smaller thing than a can of baby formula could better translate into great love... bottles of love, in fact.

I will be going to Guatemala along with three other women this November on the next "Formula One Life" mission. Our goal is to fill as many suitcases as possible with cans of powdered formula. By donating a can of formula or the cost of one can, you will literally be feeding infant orphans in need. We will also be bringing powdered milk for the older orphans and garden seeds as a harvest offering during our own Thanksgiving season.

On a final note, today is my birthday, and I have only one birthday wish: that you might consider helping us help the children of Guatemala... by doing one small thing with great love...

Please visit our website to donate a bottle of love to a baby in need: formulaonelife.org

Thank you and God bless...

Mary Beth

formulaonelife.org

"Feed my lambs..."

"Take care of my sheep... Feed my sheep." It bears repeating afterall, since Jesus, himself, said it three times to Simon Peter after asking him "Do you love me?" (John 21:15-17)

"Formula One Life" is headed to Guatemala this November to feed some of the littlest lambs by delivering baby formula to orphanages in dire need on account of the country's severe food shortage. Compounding the hunger crisis is the orphan crisis- only worsening since the country shut down its' adoption program some time ago. After contacting three different orphanages today, I received three prompt replies within hours... Here are some excerpts from those replies:

"Wow! This is an answer to prayer! We have a number of infants, and spend about $1400/MONTH ON FORMULA IF WE DO NOT GET IT DONATED. THIS WOULD BE A HUGE BLESSING! Thank you!" (Amor del Nino)

"We service about 20 infants with formula and have more mothers asking us everyday... We could use a lot as we have many mothers without milk because of the food crisis. We started the formula program after the baby of one of our workers died because the mom had no milk. Thank you so much for this offer." (Casa de Sion)

"Yes, we need support... At the moment we are looking after 30 children, and our goal is to duplicate that next year... Thank you very much for your offer." (Hannah’s Hope)

Please hear the urgency in these petitions from Guatemala and consider being a vital ingredient in this "Formula One Life" mission. A can of baby formula-- or enough to cover the cost of one-- will truly become a bottle of love for a baby in need.

Please contact me at formulaonelife.mary@gmail.com or visit formulaonelife.org to make a donation...

My heartfelt thanks,

Mary Beth

"Formula One Life" in the news...!

Tuesday's surprise...!

I woke up this morning to find this in my e-mail! What a sweet surprise and beautiful memory from Ethiopia... I'm hoping it will plant a seed in your heart to sponsor one of these precious children... ICCM (Int'l Childcare Ministries) runs a wonderful sponsorship program!

"FORMULA ONE LIFE" MISSION: ETHIOPIA!

First "Formula One Life" mission to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Aug. '09. Delivered 120 lbs. of baby formula, diapers, medicine, shoes, toys and $500 cash to Hannah's Hope (All God's Children Int'l), Bethzatha Orphanage & the Kechene Center (sponsored children). On behalf of all the orphans and sponsored children who were blessed by this mission, I would like to thank the donors who made this first "Formula One Life" mission possible... Your love has traveled farther and deeper than you know.... Ameseganalo ("thank you" in Amharic) and God bless you!!
~Mary Beth
(click collage to enlarge)

Powder Power and the Growing Tower...!

I felt I owed it to all my donors to rebuild the tower with the 30 extra cans of formula that came in overnight from my wonderful pastor and church! (It’s ok– I’m getting into the Playskool mentality for my trip! ;-)

The grand can total is now 50!! And because I simply cannot carry anymore by myself (not to mention weight limitations!) I will have a very generous cash donation to give on top of all this! A thousand thank you's to all of you who contributed to this mission!! God bless you again and again!!

Get ready... get set...!!

In three days I will be on my way to Ethiopia on my first "Formula One Life" mission... delivering baby formula to infant orphans... and some desperately needed shoes to both orphans and poor children in need. God has blessed this mission far beyond my expectations--raising up such generous donors that I will have a surplus to give as a cash gift to the orphanage, as well! God bless and reward all of the people who are making this trip possible... Thank you for sending me to serve such precious children!!


...and this is not everything! My pastor has a suitcase of formula waiting in his garage! :-)


Donors bought 20 economy size cans of formula SO FAR (it's still coming!), 250 diapers & 700 wipes (orphanage requested items) while other baby items were donated by a dear friend, and the shoes I bought myself from Goodwill & WalMart for $2-$4 a pair...


Me, formula and diapers... just slightly out of my element! ;-)

Thank you, so much, everyone, for your prayers and support!!

"My Very Own Room" (click here to listen)

Dear family and friends,

I hope this letter finds you enjoying a beautiful Summer wherever you are...

I wanted to share with you my new song on adoption (click title above) as well as an opportunity to feed infant orphans in Ethiopia. I am going to Addis Ababa this Summer to deliver suitcases of baby formula to infants in need... It is a mission I am calling “Formula One Life.”

The story behind the mission...
The urgent cry came to my ears through a recent letter I received from a dear friend who runs an orphanage in Addis Ababa. I met Almaz on a mission trip to Ethiopia a few years ago- at which time she was living a comfortable life in the U.S. Within months, however, Almaz- a native Ethiopian herself, left behind all her American comforts to return to her homeland to become the director of Hannah’s Hope, a transitional home for orphans in Addis Ababa.

In her letter, Almaz wrote of a dire need for baby formula. Because baby formula is not produced anywhere in Ethiopia, its' low supply and high demand had caused it to become a price gouged commodity on the black market... and Almaz had no choice but to pay the price. I immediately wrote a check, but sadly, I knew it was only a temporary solution...

That is when I realized what I had to do: Using my flight benefits as a flight attendant, I would carry suitcases of formula to Ethiopia myself and recruit other flight attendants to do the same...

My hope is that this will be the first of many trips for years to come, as other flight attendants join me in serving the weakest among us...

Will you please consider joining me in feeding these infants...? I would like to fill at least three suitcases with cans of powdered formula to deliver by the end of July... You can be a blessing to this mission by donating any small amount in one of three ways: 1) by giving a can of formula, 2) by sending a check for one can of formula, or 3) by purchasing my online album, “Songs of the Vine” featuring my new song on adoption, “My Very Own Room.”
All of the proceeds from these sales will go directly to purchasing formula. You can also make a very valuable contribution of prayer... so please don’t hold back!

Finally, I would be honored if you would listen to “My Very Own Room.” It is the true story of my experience at one Ethiopian orphanage in 2006...

My deepest, heartfelt thanks to you... for sending a bottle of love to a baby in need...

God bless,

Mary Beth
www.marybethlavin.com