Keeping Up With The Bullards

We are having a baby. That is all.

Oh wait, this is a blog, not a tweet. #Ohcrud

Well, I'm the father. Does that get me over 140 characters? Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Come over and see our lights. And don't expect to see ultrasound pictures on Facebook. We just aren't those kind of people. #weirdos

Photo Card

Sparkling Snowflakes Christmas

This season, send Christmas cards personalized with family photos.

View the entire collection of cards.

Photo Card

Sparkling Snowflakes Christmas

Heartfelt: Christmas photo cards and holiday cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Photo Card

Sparkling Snowflakes Christmas

Christmas cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Photo Card

Sparkling Snowflakes Christmas

Custom Christmas cards are always available at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Photo Card

Sparkling Snowflakes Christmas

Shop Shutterfly for beautiful photo Christmas cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Photo Card

Sparkling Snowflakes Christmas

Customize your Christmas cards this season at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Keeping Up With The Bullards

Wow. So I am not a good blogger. I am also not a good journaler. Nor am I a good note-taker. My dad writes and article for the local newspaper, The Allen Advocate. I'm sure you've read it. Millions of subscribers. I am not that guy. I don't really like to write. Therefore, this blog was doomed to fail. Sort of like brownies at a Jenny Craig convention or a braille stop sign. Or those similes.

But here goes. I feel like I have a few things worthy of blogdom. (I've read that blogs are a great canvass on which to create hybrid words)

First of all, no this isn't about a new baby. Or a new house. Or car. Courtney bought a pair of shoes, and they're nice. Francesca is tall. She's great.

We have told most of our friends but wanted to make sure the word and story is out there on The Pearl House. The Pearl House is a home for teenage at-risk girls we are building in Winneba, Ghana. And by building, I mean raising money for and gaining support for (it's ok to end sentences in prepositions on blogs, just in case my high school English teacher is reading).

There is a gigantic need in Ghana (and worldwide) to get girls off the streets, out of sex-trafficking situations, and slavery. In fact, there is a huge need to remove young boys from the same situations. In fact, the need is so overwhelming it is easy to just do nothing but lament over the whole injustice of the thing. Paralysis by analysis. Or get mad at God. Why don't you do something about it, God? But what changed my heart forever was when God asked me the same question. God never said fix the world. He never said rescue everyone. Mother Teresa said if you can't feed 100 people, feed 1. So, thanks to God and Mother Teresa, Courtney and I are moving forward.

We have begun raising funds and developing all the boring, mundane legal and financial work such business plans, setting up endowments, etc. In fact, we need all the help we can get! Would love to have your help.

Essentially, the plan for the Pearl House is this:

Build a home to house a little over 20 girls in a home in Winneba. This will be on land we have already nestled by a church that a family in our church built. We already have 2 women who have felt called to go and live there and be house moms. We will also employ Ghanaians to be house moms, cooks, and teachers. The girls would stay 3 years on average and receive education, vocational training and career placement. They would also have a family for life! The Pearl House will be a family of young ladies who will learn to rely on and support one another. We also hope that they will reconnect with their own families as well.

These girls will not be available for adoption. The goal isn't for someone to take them from Ghana. The goal is to empower them to change Ghana--to spread the Gospel but also to empower women and poor to know there is hope.

How exactly we will do this is for another blog, or actually a business plan. Business plans do not a good blog make. But please pray for these girls, pray for us as we plan, pray about how God may use you in this plan as well. We have lots and lots of room for donors, volunteers, and prayer partners in this project. Please help!

Thanks for reading. And thanks for keeping up with the Bullards.

Follow me on twitter @stevebullard and @thepearlhouse and be sure to like The Pearl House- Ghana on Facebook!