My heart is too full. Writing day 100 at the top of this post is surreal. There is so much to say and communicate to you. How does one go about writing day 100?!?! Let me first explain today’s outfit. Day 1 I just wore the dress forwards and today, day 100, I am wearing the dress “backwards”. The markings on my hands, feet, and face are significant in that they are the words that had meaning to me for this project as well as being a reference to Indian henna. As the letters were being sketched on my body I realized that they have already been etched on my heart. The plight of the orphans has pierced my heart like a quill pen and made red love ink come forth. I hope that this same pen has written on yours as well. I pray that you are moved to action. To everyone that has donated I wish I could give you a hug and look you in the eyes to say my sincerest most heartfelt “thank you”…I know the orphans would if they could. Thank you for putting your care for orphans into actions. It’s been incredible to watch.
Sorry everyone but I just can’t fit this all in one post (unless I were to make it unbearably long)! I will be posting a day after picture as well as continuing this post… Let’s see how close we get to our goal today but others can still donate later and we will just keep adding it to the total. So you can continue to spread the word! 😀
Thank you so much to Stevie from tru.che for this beautiful handmade necklace! She generously custom made this design for the project. 😀 I love the simplicity and effect it has. India truly does have a part of my heart. Stevie, thank you for this beautiful piece from your shop.
An extremely large thank you to: My photographers Jenn Lynn Images and Christa Taylor of producing beautiful images. To Jason Orth for much needed web support. To Karen, Michelle, Emily, Christa, and Amber for lending me clothing and styling the dress. To all my incredible readers who sent me mail and donated clothing, you made my day! To all those that prayed for me and supported me every step of the way I couldn’t have done it without that. To my parents for all their love, support, encouragement and for constantly pointing me back to Christ, I love you both and would never have done this if you wouldn’t have been here helping me. Most importantly I have to thank Jesus for allowing me to do this incredible project with him and that he was with me in every moment. Jesus may you receive all the glory you deserve! I love you Jesus and I am so thankful you hold my heart.
I hope to keep UPDATING this today: $24,286.82
UPDATE: $25,638.16
UPDATE 9:25 am: $25,890.66
UPDATE 10:50 am: $26,500.66
UPDATE 1:30 pm: $26,610.66
UPDATE 3:00 pm: $27,390.66
UPDATE 6:00 pm: $30,370.36
UPDATE 7:00 pm: $30,495.36
If 1,000 people gave $19 dollars we would reach our goal!!!! 😀
{Photos by: Jenn Lynn Images}
Wow, I can’t believe it has already been 100 days. You’re such an inspiration, Elaini! I thank God for giving you such a big heart for others, especially orphans!
Wow, thank you Lydia. I can’t believe I made it through…the grace of God is amazing! I have just been so blessed to do this. 🙂
Okay, I’m going to be honest. I cried. I’m sitting at the kitchen table teary eyed (LAME!) This has been awesome to watch! The necklace is beautiful, you should see if she’ll sell them and let the profits go to your donation thing-y..it would be kind of cool 🙂 Keep blogging! Love, -Kayla
Aww!!! I want to give you a hug! That is SO sweet and not lame AT ALL. Thank you for watching the project and for your encouragement. I’m so happy you want me to keep blogging. That is a good suggestion about the necklace…I’ll send her your comment. 🙂
Congratulations!! You did it!! I have enjoyed every bit of it!! Praise God for giving you the strength and endurance to make it 100 days!! And $24,000! (i sent you a letter today, sorry i haven’t responded sooner…)
I can’t believe that I made it through! God has been SO good. 😀 You’ve been such a wonderful support through this project. Thank you! It’s been a joy to have you “here”.
Dear Elaini,
I’ve been following this project for the whole hundred days. I’m so proud of you for following through even when it seemed like you wouldn’t be able to make $50,000. I’m proud of you for stepping forward each day in faith (even when it was tiring with your health problems).
I just love your compassionate heart for the Indian orphans whom you have never seen (I’m Indian myself). I know God has placed this burden on your heart. Thank you for doing something about it even though you couldn’t go.
Hello Rachel,
I really appreciate that you have been following since the beginning. That completely amazes me! Thank you for your encouragement.
It’s great that you are Indian! 🙂 I love that I am Greek and I think it fun when you know what culture you are from. Don’t you?
Amazing! Wonderful job! Praise God; He is doing spectacular things!
He is!!! So excited for what He has done and will do. 😀
What an amazing journey this has been. One little black dress, and one amazing woman with a passion for India, for orphans turned our world upside down in a good way for 100 days. I am thankful that this is not the end; it’s only the beginning! Who knows what the Lord will do with a life committed to loving the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul, and loving your neighbor as yourself??? You are such an inspiration. Thank you for letting us take this journey with you and we look forward to more journeys in the days to come 🙂 We are so proud of all the sacrifice you’ve made to carry this out to the end and we are so very blessed to be your parents. To God be the glory! We love you! Mom & Dad
M0mmy! Thank YOU. I love you more than words can say. I’m delighted you are my best friend!
Congrats on finishing the project and raising almost $25k!
Thanks! And look! It has gone up even more! 😀
Wow, Elaini, All of us at Warm Blankets Orphan Care are praying for you today & thank you! The orphans thank you too! We just have had 23 new kids join us in Burkina Faso & God is blessing us with more opportunities to help kids around the world, so thanks for helping to make this possible! +kathleen
Thank you Kathleen for your encouragement. It really blessed me. I appreciate your prayers. I hope to still raise the total amount…we’ll see! That is so awesome to hear about those 23 children. Thank you!
Great job Elaini! We are so proud of you and thankful for you beyond words. You have helped the orphans in a HUGE way. Humbled by the word God is doing through your life. THANK YOU!
😀 Thanks for all your support and prayers. I have been so grateful to be doing this.
WOW! Congrats on reaching your goal! What you are doing for God is really cool!
EEEE!!! Thank you! What God has been doing is very cool!
God is using you and your project for mighty things!
Congratulations on reaching the finish!
God Bless!
May Jesus receive all the glory!
Thank you! I can’t believe I made it!
It has been so incredible to follow your blog since day one. I am amazed by how God is working in and through you and so excited for these precious orphans!
Wow you have been following from the beginning?!? Thank you! It is so exciting to see what God has done and is doing. 😀
Congratulations!
What you’ve done is so amazing and inspirational!
Good Luck on reaching the target.
X
Claire thank you! I am just so excited that I got to do this. 🙂
Well done, Elaini! I’ve loved watching you transform that dress every day and Day 100 is my favorite!!! Love the henna, so much a part of the culture here and a very creative idea. (I’m assuming that that’s NOT Henna, though, or you’ll be wearing ‘thank you’ on your cheek for a few weeks! 🙂 )
There are so many needs in India that you would go crazy without knowning what your specific focus is. What we do isn’t related to orphans but I do see children living on the streets every day that probably have no one to look after them—-and it breaks my heart. Thanks for your heart for them and congratulations on a fantastic job!!!
Heather thank you! Glad you like the henna inspiration. 🙂 And yes it isn’t actually henna… 🙂
Yes there are so many needs. I admire you for serving there and laying down your life every day in India. Thank you. I wish I could come visit you!
I appreciate all your encouragement!
This is so awesome! I love the dress! I want to do something similar, but would hate to copy you…You are an amazing young woman that God has used and still is using!
In Christ,
~Madeline~
Go for it! It wasn’t my idea in the first place so if you want to do it you should!!!! Just warning you though…as incredible as this journey has been it really isn’t glamorous and it is a LOT of work. 🙂
Blessings!
I am sure it was a lot of work…I will think about it!
God bless!
~Madeline~
If you aren’t afraid of work and you feel God leading you in that direction then go for it!!!! 🙂
Woot woot! You made it! Great job, Elain, I can’t believe how much you have accomplished. You’re incredibly legit and I’m hugely blessed to know you.
Much love, Kelly
Hee hee! Thanks bell! I can hardly believe it either. 🙂 I’m hugely blessed to know YOU! Love you friend!
You’ve done such a great job, and I’ve really enjoyed looking at all of the outfits you’ve put together and all the money you’ve raised. I’m going to be showing this to my family tonight, and I live in New Zealand, so it might be a bit past your last day, but that’s a great idea to continue to let the donations come in and add to the total! My brother said that you should sell your dress on ebay, then you could add the money to the total again, and whoever bought it would know just how they could style it with your 100 outfits!!!
God bless you Elaini, you’ve done so well and I can see that God has really helped you, you’ve inspired me to do something to raise money as well, I’ve just got to think of what I can do…
Blessings,
Esther
Hi Esther! Happy you like it. I am THRILLED you are showing your family and that you live in New Zealand. I have always wanted to visit your country and I think it is really cool that you are from there. 🙂 Haha! Yes your brother has a great suggestion but I don’t think I can part with the dress… 🙂
God bless you too! The Lord really has been my strength and help. That is wonderful that you want to raise money for orphans. I can’t wait to see what you do! I’d love to hear when you have decided. 😀
fantastic job!!! we are both so proud of you for undertaking such a huge project. it has been so neat to see God’s faithfulness to you in so many ways through this. what an amazing thing you’ve done, and just think how all your hard work will impact so many orphans in such a positive way. way to go!!! 🙂
we love you!
drew & mel
Thank you guys SO much. Knowing that my brother and sister were for me in this was very special. 🙂 I love you both!!!! <3
Yay!! Congratulations, dear!!!!
Ooh, and I didn’t know that you knew Jenn Lynn Photography!! haha I haven’t met them yet, but I have friends who know them really well.
I could see Christa’s photography hand in your pictures…not surprised. 😉 She is such a dear.
Keep up the amazing work!! You are such a bright light to this world!
::hugs::
♥
Thanks! Yep I know Jenn Lynn Photography. They have been a HUGE blessing. Yes Christa is amazing. We have been dear friends since I was 10. 😀
Gorgeous!! And LOVE the henna!! Love you, girl!
Thanks darlin! We had fun with the “henna”. 🙂 Love and hugs!
Elaini, it has been such a blessing and an inspiration to share this journey with you and catch your enthusiasm. Praise God for the work he is doing in and through your life. He is always faithful.
Thank you for joining me on this crazy adventure. Everyone’s support has really helped get me to this point. 🙂 God is SO faithful and I am SO grateful to be doing this with him. He deserves all the praise!!!
Congratulations on coming through all the way! I only learned about your project a few days ago, but I’m so proud of what you’ve done. Keep on being lovely and creative and I pray that God will bless you mightily for it!
Love,
Abigail
Hi Elaini!
My friend and I are sending in money… but it could take a few days because it’s coming from Canada.
Congrats on the awesome job! Are you going to post pictures of the first ‘regular’ outfit you’ve worn in 100 days? 🙂
You are awesome! thank you!! So cool that you are from Canada. I love it! Hope you like the “regular” outfit. 😀
You made it! You have shown us all what is possible! I know it’s the last day but, in many ways this is also the beginning. Can’t wait to hear what happens next! Hugs! Andrea
By God’s grace!!! Thank you friend. I can’t wait to see what’s next either!!! LOL! Hugs to you too!!!
I have been following your blog from day one and it has been a joy to see you transform this dress every day. You have achieved something very special and very wonderful and I know that you have been an inspiration not only to the orphans that you love, but to many others! May God continue to bless you in all you do. I believe that one day you will be able to visit India in person and continue on with the work that you have already begun!
THANK YOU! Wow it never ceases to amaze me that people have been reading since the beginning. I am humbled that I could inspire anyone…God is so kind to me. I pray that I could visit India sooner rather than later and be able to share with everyone what we were able to do! 😀 Thank you again for your sweet comment.
Your message is action, words with works, goals with results. Some now will eat, some will be clothed, some sheltered and many loved for the first time because of your efforts to bring awareness to those with much, and substance to those with nothing.
Grateful, humbled, and blessed to be a part of helping these sweet children. Thank you Mark. 🙂
I love that you wore the dress just as it is for day 100. Congratulations on all that you’ve achieved – I will definitely keep following your blog! Your faithfulness is amazing – well done! 🙂
😀 Jennifer thank you! I want to give you a hug for that comment! Glad you’ll be sticking around. 🙂
Wow, God has been so faithful to you! What an exciting journey you have been on, and will continue on! I just wanted to encourage you about your health, I saw that you mentioned eczema…I too have battled with this skin issue all my life, and now (I am 17) thanks to God’s healing hand, I have not had to deal with as much pain and steroids for about a year…I pray that this remission continues.
I have praying for your health and your wonderful project, and I will continue to pray for you as the journey continues on. You have made such a profound statement to others through a simple gifting of fashion…what a wonderful example of what young people can do at home (vs. traveling far & wide.) Stay strong in the Lord!
He has! He has!
Thank you for your prayers and support and I am glad that you are feeling better!
YEAH 🙂