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Thanks for visiting our website and learning about our charity that helps impoverished children stay in school.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Where There is a Will There is a Way

Luo Piaoling Looks for a Way
Good News!

Two sponsors have shared Su Lingyun's scholarship expenses. She will go to college! That makes two scholarships provided so far for our students. Thank you so much.


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Give by credit card in the link above or send a check to the address below.

106 Timber Lane
Morehead, Kentucky 40351
606 784 4785

Luo Piaoling


If you look closely in the corner of Luo Piaoling's eyes, you will see the tears she was unable to hold back when she interviewed for a scholarship in Qinzhou.

Piaoling is one of our students who took her last year of high school over. We don't give students tuition for a repeated year, but we do consider them for scholarships. She brought her national score up to 538, the third highest of all our students applying. She plans to major in English teaching or economics and has been accepted into a key university. What a success story!

There are four students in her farm family who need educational expenses. She has a 16 year old sister, a 14 year old brother, and 10 year old brother. Her mother is often ill and cannot help to support the family.

The pressure of studying and interviewing must have weighed on her. She dissolved into sobs during the interview. I finally just hugged her and cried with her. The tears of scholarship applicants just make me more determined to help them in any way I can. Please help her realize her dream of going to college.

You can see her scholarship movie at this Youtube address. We edited out the te
ars.

Where There is a Will There is a Way.


My name is Luo Piaoling, a 19-year- old girl. Thank you very much for giving me help. I have been a Blessing Hands student since 2007. I graduated from Qinzhou No. 8 Middle School in 2008, but then I studied in Qinzhou No.1 Middle School this year. This is my application for a Blessing Hands scholarship for the fall of 2009.

I didn't do well in the college entrance examination of 2008, but I don't lose my heart. I have been trying my best and made big progress in the entrance examination of 2009, scoring 538. I intend to major in English teaching or economics in Guangxi University.

I am confident of my future. I want to change our life by education. However, my family is too poor to afford the high tuition of college, though my father is working hard to earn money. My father is making his effort to pay our tuition, but sometimes he can hardly make it. My mother is weak and needs treatment now and then. Four children are at school.

However, I don't give up my education. I always believe that I will be able to change our life by working hard. I can face the difficulty, because I get love and encouragement from many friends, my family, my teachers and Blessing Hands. "Where there is a will, there is a way. I need your help to fulfill my education. I think a college education will make me get more knowledge and skills to help others.

Sincerely
Luo Piaoling




Thanks you for reading about Luo Piaoling. We hope that you will give to her scholarship. You can give any amount using Google Checkout at this link.

Help her fulfill her college dream and give her a way out of poverty.


Sincerely,
Betty Cutts
Blessing Hands

Saturday, August 29, 2009

He Songke Wants to Study Biology.



August 29

In This Issue
He Songke In his own words
Chinese Colleges

Quick Links
Help He Songke go to College
GIve $500 Scholarship
logoWatch a Youtube movie of He Songke.

He Songke has the highest national test score (589) of all our students applying for scholarships this year. He is from the Pubei area of China. and graduated from the best high school in Qinzhou. He has always wanted to be a doctor, and help other people.
He has a 22 year old brother who is also in college and a 24 year old sister who is a worker. He especially needs a scholarship to college. since his college is more expensive than others.


He Songke
In his own words

logo I am He Songke, a student from No.1 Middle School in Qinzhou, China. Blessing Hands has been giving me help since I was in senior 2. I really appreciate the charity.

I was received by Xi'an
Jiao Tong University after the college entrance examination.
I will major in biology when I get to school this fall. I think I have a special fate with bioengineering. I started learning biology five years ago.
I fell in love with this subject, and when I was in senior 2, I studied biology again. It was more complex and interesting, and more surprising, I will study biology at my college, so I am very happy. Maybe that is what we call fate.

But the most impotent thing is that I have a special love for biology. I love the beautiful flowers, the green trees and grasses, the animals and the mysterious world. This interests me and leads me to study what they are and how they are made. Studying biology cannot only help me find a job I like to support my life, but also will give me a chance to know more about this lovely world.

The most important thing is that it can give me a chance to do something good for human beings. For example, I want to develop good medicine for the sick, cheap products for the poor, more food for the hungry and a more beautiful world for us all. I am eager to go to college to learn more.

I had a dream that one day I would become a doctor. When I was young, I saw many people died of diseases. Now, I can see a lot of suffering from deadly diseases. If a person is poor, he cannot afford to go to the hospital. He may buy some medicines from the store and take them, or he does not take any medicine. What he does is to bear the pain. The disease can make a strong man suffer weakness. I feel sorry for them. If a person suffers a deadly disease he needs to go to the hospital, but if he is so poor that he cannot pay the fee, he will refuse to go to the hospital. As a result, he dies. This is terrible.

I have met many difficulties because of the tuition. Both my parents are farmers. Though they work hard, they can earn little. My elder brother is studying at college. It costs lots of money, so my parents can't afford my tuition any longer. I need your help. With your help, I can go on with my study and realize my dream to become a biologist. What you do will help change my life, and maybe the lives of other people.

Thank you!
He Songke




Colleges in China
How do they select students?

Getting into college in China is a very stressful undertaking. There is only one entrance test given every June for several days at the same time all over China.

Students endure pretests and extra tutoring beginning in August to make the best score possible during the all important test. Parents, teachers, and students seem to think of nothing else for the whole year. It reminds me of the civil service exams given by the emperors in old times to select the top jobs of the kingdom. Family honor rides on the test score of their child.

Internet access is restricted during the last month to encourage students to concentrate only on the coming tests. Teachers teach for the test and nothing is allowed to interfere. Even traffic is restricted outside the schools chosen to be test centers.

Students have to submit applications to the three colleges of their choice weeks before the test. They don't know how high their score might be, but they hope and apply.

Many students are competing for key colleges. There is strategy involved to choose the right second and third school in case the first school does not admit them. Sometimes they don't get
a good score or don't get admitted to their first choice of colleges and decide to retake their last year again, hoping for a better outcome. Four of the twelve students applying for college in Qinzhou have repeated their last year of high school determined to get into a better college. Some times no college accepts them although they have a good score. Perhaps too many student with good scores applied to the same college.

When the all important letter of acceptance finally arrives, they have to scurry to find financial help. Even then they might not get the major they want, if too many others have also applied for that major. The colleges make decisions based on the needs of the college or country policies not the desire of the students.


Please help He Songke with a $500 Scholarship.
He has done all the hard work. You can help him and many others that he will help throughout his life.

If you want to give less than $500 you can use Google Checkout on our website. The link is here.


Sincerely,
Betty Cutts
Blessing Hands
106 Timber Lane
Morehead, KY 40351

Friday, August 28, 2009

Be a Fund Raising Team Captain.

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here
Blessing Hands


Wonderful News! Lin Jiafeng has been sponsored. She will go to College for sure.

Upcoming Events
5K Run for Familes
Run for a Student
Great New Idea.

Be a Captain of a Fund Raising Team!


I was talking on Skype to a friend in Virginia. She said that she wished she could come to the 5K Run for Families.

I suddenly thought to tell her that she could help right where she lives even though she can't come to the run. We are asking people to become fund raising team captains and compete to raise the most funds for our causes of Habitat for Humanity and Blessing Hands.

What is a team captain? It is anyone who will ask their neighbors, friends, coworkers or relatives to give to the 5K Run for Families. You ask people to give pledges or donations and join your team. Then they can even expand the team by asking more people to join the team.

Before long you have many people all working together to raise money for your team. They don't have to come to the race or even be in the USA. Just send the money you have collected to the Blessing Hands address below before the day of the race. The team that raises the most money will be acknowledged at the race and in our newsletter.

I told her the address of the brochure she can use as a team captain. She was so interested that she said she would print it out right away and start asking her friends for contributions.

You can be a hero to our Chinese students and help a Morehead family have their very own homes through low interest loans, volunteer labor, and sweat equity. Habitat has been doing that for many years.

Both of our charities are joining in the Run for Families. Be a team for good and help two great charity at one time. The proceeds of the race will be divided equally. Help families help themselves.
.
Hoping to hear from you,

Betty Cutts
Blessing Hands
106 Timber Lane
Morehead, KY 40351
logo
Sponsors:
Platinum Level:

Holbrook Drugs, Whitaker Bank, St. Claire Medical Center, Good Shepherd Printing, Sustainable Morehead, Hamilton, Inc, Commercial Signs, Freedom Radio FM 91.7, Main Street Textbooks, Holbrook Embroidery Plus, Northcutt and Son Home for Funerals, and All Seasons Florists

Gold Level:

US Bank, China Café, Wholesale Auto Parts, Creations by Jacquelyn, Wendy's, Rowan County Veterinary Clinic, Richie's Auto Detailing, LaFinca Restaurant

Silver Level: Sloan Market, Bluegrass Beauty School, The Salon and Day Spa, Morehead Tire and Auto

Door Prizes:
E campus.com, Blue Grass Beauty School, Kroger, Great Clips, A Head of Time, Cindy's New Image, Bo's Barber Shop, Ann's Hair and Body Studio

5 K Run for Families

"Changing Family Stories around the World"


Host:
Habitat For Humanity and Blessing Hands

Entry Fees: $5 for students, $10 adults, $10 (T-shirt extra)

Saturday, September 26, 2009
7:30am - 10:00am

Moonlight Stage Pavilion- Near the Rowan County Library
186 East 1st Street
Morehead, KY

606 784 8408
Email:
bdcutts@blessing-hands.org

Register online

Awards and categories will be divided by age and gender into classes for Runners and Walkers+ Grand Prize for the fastest overall time.

Door prizes will be drawn for merchant donated items at Awards Ceremony at 9:30 am

Runner Ages: 18 & under, 19 to 25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, 56-65, 66 +

Fun Walkers: Men and women categories with no age limits

Teams:
10 person teams are encouraged to collect pre-race donations. Any team that raises $500 or more will receive special recognition. Greeks, school and youth groups, family, and business teams are welcomed.

Entry Forms/Fliers to download:

Pick one up at these locations in Morehead
US Bank, 122 E. Main St., Morehead, KY
Fuzzy Duck Coffee Shop, 240 Morehead Plaza, Morehead, KY

Parking: Near Rowan County Public Library and Morehead Conference Center

Benefits:
Your generosity will help families have new homes in the Morehead Area and educate students in our Sister City of Yangshuo, China.

Volunteers:
Contact Ezra Dike by calling 784-8408 \
or email: moreheadhabitat@yahoo.com

Run for Your Student

If you are in Kentucky come to our Run for Families. Jan Lewis is running for her two Blessing Hands students, She even has a running shirt that features them. One of them is going to college this year and needs a $500 scholarship. Huang Xuan is going to major in English. Jan's other student, He Yusui, is going to high school and will need $80 a semester for her tuition.

You can help Jan raise money for her student or run for
your own student. We have plenty without sponsors.

You can see Huang Xuan on video here.

Other students in Yangshuo who need scholarships to college can be seen at this link.

Students needing scholarships in Qinzhou can be seen at this link.
Blessing Hands
106 Timber Lane
Morehead, Kentucky 40351
606 784 4785
Blessing Hands provides educational aid to students in Yangshuo and Qinzhou, Guangxi, China. We seek to help students help themselves and others.

Su Lingyun


August, 2009
Su Lingyun is Accepted into College

You can see Lingyun's short scholarship movie at this page.
She needs a $500 college scholarship. You can give at this link.
Su Lingyun Wants to Study Chinese in College
Lingyun was rated second by our scholarship process. I noticed Lingyun's picture the first year we started Blessing Hands because she showed the victory sign in her photo. She is still optimistic even though her mother died last year. She and her younger sister and brother miss her very much. Her sister is 15 and her brother is 17.
With three students in the family, her 46 year old father has a hard time supporting the family alone on the 600 yuan ($88US) per person yearly income they get from their crops.
Her scholarship essay is featured below.
Betty Cutts
Blessing Hands

Su Lingyun Asks for Your Help

Major - Chinese

My name is Su Lingyun, and I am from Qinzhou No.1 Middle School. I have been a Blessing Hands student for three years. Thanks Blessing Hands and all kind Americans who have helped us very much. Thank you.
What you have given to me is not just money, but love. The love, which is across the Pacific Ocean from America, makes me feel warm. I believe that the love can be spread widely by us. I will try my best to do good things to others.
Now, I am a senior 3 student. The national college entrance examination is around the corner. I have been working hard to prepare for the national college entrance examination, and I believe that I will be admitted by a key university, but I worry about my fee. I don't have enough money to pay for my expense of a university.
I live in a small village and my family is poor but happy. We love each other very much. My father is a simple farmer. My mother left us forever last year. My younger brother and my younger sister are both studying in middle school. My Father can't afford enough money to support the family, though he works day and night, so I hope that some of you can help me come over the big difficulty. If you can help me, I will get close to my dream. Anyway, thanks to all the kind people.
Thank you,
Su Lingyun
National Score: 533
You can contact us at this e-mail
Or Send mail to Blessing Hands
106 Timber Lane
Morehead, KY 40351
Join Our Mailing List!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

She Has Hoped for This All Her LIfe

"Let us spread love in every corner of the world."
8/27/09

Lin Jiafeng

Meet Lin Jiafeng. She was rated a perfect 10 by our scholarship committee. She is from a quiet rural village in the QInzhou area of Guangxi Province in China. She only has her 85 year old father left. and sadly he is losing his eyesight. All the illness in her family has made her want to be a nurse. She has been accepted by Gangxi Baise You Medical College. Her national college score is 465. I will let her speak for herself.



My name is Lin Jiafeng. I am a third grade student at Zhang Huang High school.

I am a girl who comes from a low-income, single-parent family. My mother was very ill in my childhood. In order to cure her sickness, my father was trying to borrow money from everywhere and searching for famous doctors. However, my mother's condition did not improve, but it was getting worse and worse. She passed away when I was four years old, leaving my father and me. Since then, my dad and I have been bound by the destiny. We depend on each other when alone and helpless.

Not only does my father rush for our daily bread, but also for the demands for restitution of the medical expense, which he owes for healing the illness of my mother. However, our economical predicament is increasing day by day as my father is working as a farmer, who has poor crops without any other income. As I grew up, my father is getting older and weaker, and he is not able to work as hard as before. Therefore, our life has become more and more difficult. What is worse, sometimes we cannot afford to support our one week of living expense, not to mention a large amount of college tuition.

I am really grateful to Blessings Hands that backed me up silently when I was most in need of help. During my second and third year of high school, Blessing Hands released my father from being anxious for my tuition. Moreover, because of Blessing Hands' help, I could devote all my efforts to my studying without any interruption at that time. It is because of Blessing Hands that I am able to get back my self-confidence during my school years. "Let us spread love in every corner of the world." It is Blessing Hands who helped me most when I was in the second and third years of high school.

I am unable to express with words how much my gratitude is to Blessing Hands that gives me the support in material and spiritual ways. I am pondering in my heart: Blessing Hands, I would like to bless you always. I want "you" to pass on, and the blessing will be sent continually.

After one year repeating, I am admitted to college currently. Although my school achievement is not ideal, I will not give up for pursuing a better future. Constantly, I would like to strive for getting into a better university, studying a good major, and becoming a college student who possesses high cultural accomplishments and moral virtue. I want to not only make a positive contribution for my country and society, but also contribute what I can afford to pass on to Blessing Hands.

At present, my family's financial condition is not good and the harvest of this year is poor. In addition, my father is old and sick and needs prescription medicine often, so we are unable to make ends meet. Now, my family can't support me to go to the college. Between going to school and quitting it, I am totally bewildered and hesitant. Sincerely, I hope Blessing Hands could help me again in order to come to pass my dream of studying college. Thanks, Blessing Hands.

Sincerely,


Lin Jiafeng
June 23, 2009


Movie of Lin Jiafeng

You can see Jiafeng for yourself and see why we think she is so outstanding among our scholarship applicants.
Please help Lin Jiafeng be a nurse. All she needs is $500 for her tuition for a whole year. You will be changing her life and the lives of all those she helps in the future.

Be a dream catcher and "Spread Love to every corner of the world" with her.

Click here to Give a $500 Scholarship to Lin Jiafeng


Donate If you want to give toward part of her scholarship just let us know or click on the button to give $100.


Checks can be sent to Blessing Hands,
106 Timber Lane
Morehead, KY. 40351 USA
Sincerely,

Betty Cutts
Blessing Hands

219 232 8887

Saturday, August 15, 2009

5 K Run for Families

Blessing Hands Newsletter

Announcing
5 K Run for Families
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Registration 7:30 am
Morehead, Kentucky
Blessing Hands &
Morehead Habitat for Humanity
Team Together for Families


Ezra Dike, executive director of Morehead Habitat for Humanity, has agreed with Blessing Hands to sponsor a 5 K Run for Families and Fun Walk. Together we hope to raise money for our charities, which help families help themselves. Money raised will be divided equally.

Habitat makes affordable homes possible for Morehead area families by using volunteers, low interest loans, and sweat equity by home owners.

Blessing Hands gives educational aid to help students in our Sister City, Yangshuo, China, rise above their rural roots and help their families improve their futures.



"Changing Family Stories
Around the World"


Preregister Forms
at Coffee Tree Books and US Bank


Starting Point
Moonlight Stage on
First Street by Rowan County Library


Awards and categories will be divided by age and gender into classes for
Runners and walkers + a Grand Prize for the fastest time overall.


Door prizes will be drawn
for merchant donated items at the
Awards Ceremony around 9:30 am



Runner Ages: 18 and under, 19 to 25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, 56-65, 66 +

Fun Walkers: Men and women categories with no age limits

Fund Raising Teams:
10 person teams are encouraged
to raise money before the race by getting their friends and neighbors to pledge contributions.

Entry Fees
Students - $5, Adults - $10
Children 12 and under free
($10 T-Shirts Extra)


People Raising $35 in Donations
Get a Free T-Shirt


The Person and Team Raising the Most Money Will Get Special Recognition.

Volunteer by calling 606 784-8408 or email: moreheadhabitat@yahoo.com


Sponsors






Platinum Level Sponsors:
Holbrook Drugs, Whitaker Bank, St. Claire Medical Center, Good Shepherd Printing, Sustainable Morehead, Hamilton, Inc, Commercial Signs, Emerson, Inc. Freedom Radio FM 91.7, Dr. James Daniell


Gold Level Sponsors:
US Bank, China Café, All Seasons Florist, Wholesale Auto Parts, Creations by Jacquelyn,

Silver Level Sponsors:
Sloan Market




Fund Raising Teams

10 person teams are encouraged to collect pre-race donations. Any team that raises $500 or more will receive special recognition. Greeks, school and youth groups, family, and business teams are welcomed.

Print out the team fund raising form
to fill out and mail or bring the day of the run.


Entry Forms/Fliers and Preregistration:

US Bank, 122 E. Main St., Morehead, KY, 40351 and Fuzzy Duck Coffee Shop, 240 Morehead Plaza, Morehead, KY, 40351

Benefits:

Your generosity will help families have new homes in the Morehead Area and educate students in our Sister City of Yangshuo, China.
If you can come to Morehead on September 26th, run or walk for our Blessing Hands Kids and their Families.

Sincerely,

Betty Cutts

Blessing Hands

The 5 K Run for Families is the same weekend as the Cave Run Story Telling Festival. Come to the "Run for Families" in the morning and enjoy the festival the rest of the day.
Walkers are welcomed.

Children under 12 are free.
Bring you whole family and enjoy the fun walk.

Directions:

Turn North from US 60 at Trumbo Ave / Bridge Street
near the Rowan County Library. You can see the outdoor stage from the East 60 By Pass also called W. Wilkerson Blvd.

Public Parking:

Near Rowan County Public Library and Morehead Conference Center

Want to Volunteer?

Contact Ezra Dike
or Mary Berglee
Moreheadhabitat@yahoo.com
606-784-8408

Contact Information:

Ezra Dike MoreheadHabitat@yahoo.com
606 784 8408

Betty Cutts
BlessingHands@gmail.com
606 784 4785