Love Ethiopia

There is an exciting event coming to Addis Ababa in November… Love Ethiopia.  Andrew Palau, son of evangelist Luis Palau, will be heading up this festival which is an outreach to six cities.  The Palau organization always works through the local church when they conduct an evangelistic festival and local churches from several denominations will be involved. 

From the Palau website:
“The outreach will engage the Church in Addis Ababa and the surrounding areas in sharing the love and hope of Jesus Christ across their communities. Plus, four of our Palau Alliance evangelists will take the outreach to five other cities – making Love Ethiopia a truly significant time for the Church nationwide.”
 
We are always excited to hear about what God is doing through a variety of ministries in Ethiopia.  Join us in praying for a fruitful harvest in November!

Clean, Safe Water

by Michelle Gallegos

My daughter, Rachel, has a heart for the people of Ethiopia.  She takes advantage of any chance she gets to raise awareness and funds - and her latest fundraising took place at Vacation Bible School this summer.  
 
She and a friend performed a skit each day to show the kids what drinking dirty water can do to you and asked them to bring in money so they could purchase a water filter through the gift catalog.  It was a small VBS and her goal was to buy one water filter.  She was thrilled when on the last day they had enough funds to purchase 10 water filters and also some items for the YWAM orphanage.  
 
Our family was getting ready to travel to Ethiopia for the adoption of our beautiful daughter.  We asked Joy if it was possible while we were there to see one of the water filters that was being used and also to visit one of our Adoption Ministry 1:27 sponsored families.
 
 

Rachel was so excited the day we all piled in the van to meet up with YWAM staff and see the water filter.  When we arrived, our sponsored family was standing out front waiting to meet us.  It was such a joy to see face to face this woman and her child who we have prayed for and supported over the last year.  We exchanged hugs and then went inside a small room.  
 

Rachel was actually able to make a water filter and then we were told we were going to deliver it - to our sponsored family!!  We all piled again in the van, along with our sponsored family and a few others, and headed to their home.  
 

When we arrived in front of a small shack, an approximately 8’ x 8’ area, we were told this is where she lived and that it was also her shop.  When we began sponsoring her, she was able to start a small business selling injera with the money she received.  It was a blessing to hear that this woman is on her way to being able to sustain herself, which has always been our hope of sponsorship.  She couldn't wait to show us her business and then ran off to fill a yellow jug with water.
 
She had a huge smile as she poured the water into the water filter and watched as out of it came clean, safe water.  My daughter had a huge smile on her face too, knowing that this family would not get sick from the the water they drank and that through our sponsorship their lives were forever being changed.  
 

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If you would like more information on ‘adopting’ an at-risk family in Ethiopia, please visit our Adoption Ministry 1:27 webpage where you can read about how a monthly gift changes the future for a woman and her children.

Thanks so much to Rachel and to the Gallegos family for their sponsorships, their giving hearts and for sharing their story!

Teaching Adoption 101

We have been championing children in difficult circumstances for many years, and the goal at our newest orphanage in Ethiopia – Mana Gammachuu – is to find Christian Ethiopian families to give them permanent homes.  Several months ago, the first family interested in adopting came to the orphanage and lovingly met the baby girl they wanted to adopt.  



They have been busy getting a homestudy, criminal background checks, medical examinations and taking training, but it quickly became evident that the government offices in Shashemene did not have a clue how to process a domestic adoption and until training could be provided, adoptions would be at a standstill.




As a result of the generosity of one family in the United States who gave $1500 and another who gave $100, we had the funds necessary to conduct a workshop on September 7th and 8th for 38 people. These guests were from the Shashemene Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the city offices of finance and economic development, the Shashemene Woreda police station and attorney offices, as well as several representatives of local NGO’s.  The lead trainer was a judge from Addis Ababa.

Adopting children outside of family members is culturally rare in Ethiopia.  In conducting this training, we are encouraged that so many were interested in learning about domestic adoptions.  The questions were good, the presentation was informative and engaging, and we are optimistic that the government will now be an advocate for permanency for the children in Mana Gammachuu.

The other part of the training that is needed is to educate potential adoptive couples, much as we do here in the U.S..  We are partnering with Kidmia to prepare famiiles for adoption and we will be using their training materials for recruitment of Christian families in churches located in and around Shashemene and the churches we partner with in Addis.  The training will lay out the biblical philosophy of adoption and God’s heart for the orphan.  Practical help and resources will be given as well as a challenge to pick up the torch and give the orphans in their country a loving home.

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Many of you join a growing concern for promoting in-country domestic adoptions as one way to address the huge orphan crisis in Ethiopia.  We are seeking those who want a way to support that effort.  Join us in providing adoption training for prospective adoptive parents in Ethiopia as one very tangible way to DO SOMETHING!  We're calling this effort "Passing the Torch" and we'd love to hear from you so we can make this training happen.  Contact us at:  

support@ywamethiopia.com

An opportunity to respond!

Orphan Sunday is coming up on November 3rd!

Orphan Sunday gives an opportunity for people who may never have considered caring for orphans through adoption, foster care or orphan care ministries to respond!  Listen to David Platt share about Orphan Sunday...



Will you or your church participate?  We'd love to provide you with some information about Adoption Ministry 1:27 as one way for people to become involved in caring for the widowed and orphaned.  Let us know if we can help!

support@ywamethiopia.com

The story that changes everything

From Nothing to Something

When the church identifies a family in their community on the ragged edge, Adoption Ministry 1:27 embraces that family with prayer support and equips them with basic necessities. It is crucial that children have nutritious food, receive an education and have a roof over their head. Providing for some of these bedrock essentials is what happens when an American family “adopts” a family in Ethiopia through our program. It helps with the basics, but does not lift a family out of squalor and only lightens the burden of poverty.


Adoption Ministry 1:27 is not designed to be a long-term sponsorship program. We want to offer able-bodied parents a way out of their current situation through skills training, money management and loans to start a small business. Right now, we are helping 329 families get on their feet, and our case managers are beginning to to work with these families to come up with creative solutions that will cause these primarily single mothers to proudly and confidently provide for themselves and their children.
 

 

Our goal is to inspire a lasting solution, not a harmful dependency. This is about their family and their children’s future. We want a family to take pride and ownership in their own accomplishments. We certainly will provide some expertise they may lack, but when a family is invested in their own accomplishments, the outcomes are more likely to be sustainable.
 

And let us never forget the transformation that comes from a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, something no program or government can offer. This is why the church is potentially the most powerful change agent of all and why we link arms with the Ethiopian church to implement our programs.
 

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If you would like more information about ways you can help a single mother or widow find immediate help and a lasting solution, please visit our website:

Adoption Ministry 1:27
Preserving Families and Preventing Orphans

Changing Families on Both Sides of the World

We are constantly amazed at how parents are instilling in their kids a heart for the poor in Ethiopia.  We know that in this culture of self-promotion and self-satisfaction, compassionate action toward others doesn’t ‘just happen’.  It takes very intentional effort on the part of moms and dads who want their children to have God’s heart for the needy.

Let me introduce you to the Pierce family – TJ, Ronda and their three children – from Boise, Idaho.  They first became involved with our ministry through good friends who adopted two children from Ethiopia in our YWAM program.  Walking through the adoption process alongside them gave this family a heart for the Ethiopian people. 

Ronda says, “It is very important to my husband and I that we raise our kids to think outside of themselves and be aware of the needs around the world.  Our hope is that eventually their hearts will grow in generosity, love and a conviction to help those in need.”  After learning how little American money it takes to sponsor a family through Adoption Ministry 1:27, they were amazed – not just one person but a whole family!

Connor, Carly and Lilah began saving their money in a special piggy bank dedicated to pay for the extra things their sponsored families might need.  After asking Joy to let them know of some specific needs, they received photos of one of their families which showed their very meager living conditions.  The update from Joy mentioned that they could use new bedding so the kids immediately emptied the piggy bank and went to the YWAM Gift Catalog webpage to order a mattress, pillows and new bedding for their AM 1:27 family.

Carly, Jade and Hallie

   
Carly and two of her friends decided to give all the money they earned through their lemonade stand this summer to further help the two families the Pierces sponsor.  They proudly told everyone who bought a cup of lemonade or a cookie what the money would be used for and thereby showed God’s love for widows and orphans to all of the neighbors!  Then the girls were so excited to get on the Gift Catalog webpage and see what their lemonade money could ‘buy’.  They were amazed that they could buy bags of food (one of the biggest needs for our 1:27 families) and even had enough left to purchase a bible, which they were thrilled about.

“I have to tell you, as a parent seeing my kids help our sponsored families on their own without our prompting is enough to make my heart explode.  Not because it makes me feel like we are such awesome parents but because I see God's work in their little hearts and I see them overflowing with a love for the things that matter.  Thank you to all who make this ministry happen.  It is changing families on both sides of the world.”  Ronda Pierce
 

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Adopting a family through Adoption Ministry 1:27 will definitely impact the lives of a struggling widow and her children in Ethiopia but it also has the potential to shape your children’s world view and give them an opportunity to help and pray for someone in very different circumstances than their own. 
 
Visit our website to see pictures and read the bios of many families who are waiting to be adopted!

Adoption Ministry 1:27 Website

Shattering a Social Stigma

Most of us know little to nothing about what it means for a child to be diagnosed with HIV.  How is the disease transmitted?  What are their prospects for the future?

Fear and mis-information abound. What is missing is clearly presented truth about what it means to live with HIV and thrive.

One mom in Woodinville, WA is determined to get accurate, compassionate information about HIV/AIDS into our grade 5-12 public school curriculum.  Watch this video and be inspired!





For more information about HIV/AIDS and adoption, please visit

ProjectHopeful.org.  

You might also like to read a concise summary:

HIV/AIDS and Adoption Fact Sheet