Day Two

I got another quick update from Daniel.  They do not have internet access at the guest house, so they have been going to the Children's HopeChest office for about 30 minutes per day so they can all email home.  They actually haven't even had any electricity at the guest house for the past 24 hours.  Things like that come and go in Ethiopia.  Oh the things we take for granted....

The spent the whole day with the kids at Merkato again today, doing Bible stories, games, crafts, etc.  He said that it went great, and the team is working together really well.  Everybody is pretty tired, though.  Ethiopia is 8 hr ahead of home (CST), and they are two days into trying to adjust to that AFTER missing a night's sleep while traveling.

I wish I had more stories to share, but that will have to wait until later.  For now, pictures....

Day One

I finally heard from Daniel today!  The group made it to Ethiopia, and they had a great first day loving on the kids at Merkato.  They don't have internet access at the guest house (hotel) that they are staying at, so our communication is very limited. It's crazy how conditioned we are to being in touch with our loved ones at every second.  I am trying to let go and not  freak out about only hearing from him every few days.

Anyway, 110 of the 155 kids were there today.  They divided the kids into four groups and spent the day sharing Bible stories, doing crafts, and playing games.  The fed them PB&J for lunch.  Daniel said that it was a great day.  The kids are amazing to be around and full of life and happiness.  The mission team worked extremely hard and everyone is spent, but filled up.

Daniel got to hang out with one of the kids that we sponsor today too.  It was so fun to show this picture to our kids.  They see that Daddy is really there, really with Minty, who we pray for and talk about all the time.  Benjamin was grinning from ear to ear.

Here are a few more photos that Daniel was able to send me from the first day at Merkato:

Mission Trip

The time has come!  This Saturday, a team of 13 will be flying out of Washington, DC, headed to Ethiopia!  They will be spending the next week in Addis Ababa, ministering to the kids at Merkato and learning all that they can about how to grow and improve the ministry there. 

The team will have six full days in Addis.  During that time, they will:
·         Spend four days doing VBS type activities with the kids at Merkato – Bible stories, songs, games, etc.
·         Feed the kids at Merkato lunch four times, including providing a FEAST for all the kids and staff one day with freshly slaughtered goats purchased in the city :)
·         Deliver care packages to each of the kids individually
·         Visit the homes of six of the kids in the program and meet their families
·         Visit two other Children’s HopeChest CarePoints that are more well-established to learn from and be inspired by what they see there.  One is in Addis Ababa, and one is about 40 miles outside the city.
·         Visit with a missionary who runs a rescue ministry for girls trapped in prostitution
·         Spend an afternoon sightseeing and shopping, and eat at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant
·         Worship at the church at Merkato on Sunday
 

Here are a few ways that you can be praying for God’s protection and blessing on the trip:
·         That the children will be able to come and won’t be prevented by parents or circumstances.
·         That the children will have a clear understanding of the Gospel and God’s love for them.
·         That the parents of the kids will also be blessed by seeing God’s love through the team.
·         That relationships will grow quickly between the team and the kids at Merkato.
·         For the HEALTH of the team – no stomach ailments and trips to the hospital for dehydration
·         For the SAFETY of the team – they are going to attract a lot of attention and will be working in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Addis.
·         For God’s blessing on the team – that they would be bonded together, that they will work well together, and that God would grow and challenge each one of them.

I hope to be posting pictures from the trip here during the week if the internet in Ethiopia will cooperate.  Check back for updates!

Prayer Campaign

Etsubdenk - age 11

Ever since we attended the Children's HopeChest conference a couple of weeks ago, my heart has been increasingly burdened for the 25 kids at Merkato that still need sponsors.  I confess – in the past I have often fallen into a place of apathy, seeing the unsponsored kids more as something I need to get done and less as souls loved by the Lord and needing our help.  

We sang several songs during our worship time at the conference that focused on how much God loves us.  As I sang the words, I fixed my mind and heart on how much God loves THEM.  I shed tears as I sang words of his unfailing, overwhelming love for Our Kids.  And now I absolutely can’t get them off my mind.

Anwar - age 15

So here is my idea:  Let’s have a Prayer Campaign for the unsponsored kids at Merkato.   We are looking for volunteers to PRAY for all of the kids who do not have sponsors.  This is a great way to bless a child even when you are not currently in a financial position to commit to sponsorship.  Many of these kids may not have ANYONE who specifically prays for their needs.  Will you help? 

Pray for them like you pray for your own children:  For protection, for provision, for positive relationships and influences, for success at school, and most of all for salvation.  Pray that God will lead someone to sponsor them. 

We are NOT trying to guilt you into sponsoring this child!  But do pray that God will lead someone else to do so. 

Abudilmejid - age 15

If you are willing to participate in our Prayer Campaign, please leave a comment with your contact info (or a comment on Facebook or email me) and I will send you a photo and information about the child that you are to pray for.

“He upholds the casue of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets prisoners free,

The LORD gives sight to the blind,

The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,

The LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and widow,

But he frustrates the ways of the wicked.”

-          Psalm 146:7-9

Break our hearts, Lord, for what breaks yours.

A Visit to Merkato

The following was written by one of our sponsors (we'll call her CC), who traveled to Ethiopia about a month ago. She got to visit with her sponsored child at Merkato while she was there. Be sure to watch the YouTube video of her singing Jesus Loves Me with her child, Fikrte.  It will make your day.  :)

God is good! It blows my mind when I think that last June, I was chatting in a park with a stranger (Daniel) who told me about the precious kids in Merkato, and less than a year later I was standing in Merkato meeting my sponsored child, Fikrte!!!! What an incredible experience! 

Two very kind staff members from Children's Hopechest accompanied me to the Merkato Care Point. They told me Fikrte was waiting for me and was very excited. I was so eager to meet her, that I didn't even stop to look at the outside of the building or take note of the surroundings, I just quickly followed them through a small room with benches and into a much smaller office. A tiny, beautiful girl was sitting in a chair and the translator introduced us. The girl in the picture that I had prayed for and thought about so many times was real!!!! The love I felt in that moment was overwhelming. I grabbed her, wrapped her up in my arms and told her that I loved her. 

We spent the next hour talking via the translator and playing with the goodies I brought her. The joy on her face as she opened each surprise was one that I will never, ever forget. My eyes are filled with tears just thinking about her sweet face. I took a Polaroid camera and a little photo album and we had a blast taking tons of pictures. I printed them out, put them in the album and gave it to her. She was elated! Fikrte told me she wants to be a doctor. I applauded her.  I asked her if she prays to Jesus and she started singing a song about Jesus in Amharic to me. It was beautiful! I told her that I am a vocal teacher and asked her if she wanted to sing with me. She did, so we sang Jesus Loves Me together…so special! 

The time flew by and the facilitators told me she had to walk home. I asked if I could walk her home and meet her grandmother who cares for her. They said yes! Fikrte and I walked hand in hand all the way to her home. Prior to the trip, I considered myself fairly educated about the extreme poverty in Ethiopia, but you can't truly understand until it is staring you in the face. It was shocking. We weaved through rocky, dirt pathways and eventually arrived at her "house." It was one tiny room made of tin. The facilitators introduced me to her grandmother, who graciously invited me in. Fikrte's grandmother had decorated the dark room with posters of Jesus and I could see that she had taken great care to make it a home. As I looked at the dirt floors and tried to ignore the almost unbearable smell of sewage, I noted that their entire house was the size of my closet. We have so much. Through the translator, Fikrte's grandmother thanked me for all I am doing for Fikrte and said she loved me. She said she asked God to bless me. 

He already had. 

It was soon time for me to say goodbye and I couldn't hold back the tears as I held Fikrte in my arms. I told the translator to tell her I was crying because I was happy, and she told me she loved me. When we were walking away, she ran out of her house, smiled the biggest smile, and yelled ciao. I memorized her face.  As we walked the narrow path back to the Care Point, I cried the ugly cry. I kept saying over and over, "We have so much." 

I was broken. I grieved for the people who have so little and repented for taking for granted all God has blessed me with.  

The meeting with Fikrte was life-changing for me, and I'm praying I can return to Ethiopia and see her again soon.


Your sponsorship money is life-giving to these kids and their families. Thank you for giving. If there is any way for you to meet your sponsored child in person, I urge you to do it! Your little one will know, without a doubt, that there is someone who loves them, who believes in them, and who is praying for them. It will change you. I'm praying that God will bless each of you and your sponsored children. 

Thank you Daniel and Sarah for your passion for the children in Merkato. I'm thanking God for that conversation in the park.

Video of Director of CHC Ethiopia!

This past weekend, Daniel and I were blessed to attend a conference at the Children's HopeChest headquarters in Colorado Springs.  Awesome, encouraging, equipping, inspiring...just a few words that sum up our experience there.  We got to meet many other couples who do what we do for different CarePoints in Africa.  We also attended sessions that equipped us to plan better mission trips, get more kids sponsored, and accomplish more to help the children in Ethiopia.  It was helpful and affirming in so many ways.

A definite highlight of the conference was meeting the Super Star Director of the CHC CarePoints in Ethiopia.  Tesfa!  This guy has accomplished amazing things in service to the Lord in the last couple of years.  The Ethiopia program has exploded to include 23 different CarePoints now, and it is continuing to grow fast.  This guy has worked extremely hard to make that happen.

We got to ask Tesfa questions about what is going on with Our Kids at Merkato, and Daniel shot some video of him.  Be blessed by watching the short video below of our friend Tesfa talking about Our Kids.



We now have sponsors for 123 of our 155 kids at Merkato.  Woo hoo!  Go to this website if you would like to join our awesome team of sponsors:  http://www.hopechest.org/community/merkato/sponsor/

School Supplies

School supplies were recently purchased for the kids at Merkato using sponsorship money.  All of the kids received exercise books, pens, pencils, erasers, and paper to start the new school year.  What fun to see these photos of their happy faces!  Thank you, sponsors, for making this possible.