Welcome to my little corner of the world of Orphaleena! Here is where I will share my experiences of working on the project with Sara. Looking back on it I am reminded of how well orchestrated our heavenly Father put all the pieces together in ways that exceeded my imagination. When you read these little snippets I pray you will find encouragement, inspiration and confidence to use your gifts and believe that God will bless your use of those gifts in ways that will surprise you!
Infinity and Beyond
It all began for me in April of 2015. I was at a conference sitting in an ‘Infinity Group’. These were impromptu casual gatherings of people who had a common interest and in this case it was the desire to write. I had been putting together a fiction story in my head for years and joined this low key group as my first public action towards actually writing and illustrating my story in book form. Sara was in the group too and shared how people had been suggesting that she write out a story she had, and possibly illustrate it. We chatted a bit and 4 months later I got a Facebook message:
03/08/2015 08:24 — Hi Karen! When u have a minute, can I have your email? My story about the orphan girl, that I mentioned to you at Euroconnect, is edited. Can I send it to you for any advice about illustrations? Sara.
So began the project. A few weeks ago Sara and I met up for the first time since that initial meeting at another conference at the same location. This time we had our first book signing, pulling 70 fresh copies of Orphaleena out of boxes and into the hands of enthusiastic people. Our table was just a few feet from where we had sat in that Infinity Group a couple of years earlier. All the books were sold. Orphaleena had gone full circle in two years. If there was one thing to take away from this paragraph it would be, ‘Don’t underestimate that first baby step you take towards a dream or goal.’ I have a long way to go before my book gets published but it is a lot further along now than it was two years ago. Images that have lived in my head since I was a little girl are now in my sketchbook and I have enjoyed hours of enjoyment writing out my story, watching it become a source of meeting with God in my private devotions. As for Orphaleena, its reassuring message of love, hope and joy can now reach so many more people.
