A “Moneymaker” for Christ

Kids are really amazing, aren’t they?  We hear often from families who are doing a wonderful job of teaching and modeling to their children the blessing of giving. 

Recently, we received the following letter from a 12 year old boy who signed it “Moneymakers for Christ” – don’t you love it?



This young man took it upon himself to raise $600 so that a family in Ethiopia would have a safe place to sleep and live.  Kyle says “After two long years of saving…” he and his ace team (pictured below) were able to raise the money via selling homemade jewelry and crafts, and by writing and performing plays.  Talk about creativity and perseverance!  His wonderful church family matched the funds he raised so that TWO families will receive new homes. 

Just look at that team of incredible kids!

Thank you, Kyle, for your BIG heart, your hard work and your determination over a long period of time to change the lives of the very poor in Ethiopia.  You look so much like Jesus and I know how happy you and your friends have made Him!! (And GOOD JOB Mom and Dad!)

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Kyle is one of a whole host of children who send in their hard-earned gifts through our YWAM Gift Catalog. Be sure to check out all there is to donate - from a pair of shoes to a pair of oxen!  

A Conference for LIFE

by Joy Casey
photos courtesy of Living Hope Ethiopia

Getting rid of the unborn is one way to control population growth, I guess. Up until recently, this wasn’t a viable option in Ethiopia, but the United Nations, backed by Bill Gates’ billions, are making family planning clinics coupled with free abortion on demand a priority in Africa… and in Ethiopia.

Let me back up just a bit. Three years ago, my friend Dinah Monahan and I brainstormed a plan to start a maternity home in Ethiopia. Dinah is a second generation mover and groover in pro-life circles, oversees three pregnancy counseling centers and has run a maternity home for 30 years - so this just seemed like a natural extension for her. Living Hope Women’s Organization came to be, the first of its kind in Ethiopia. The Living Hope director, Meseret, has had many doors opened to her to teach about fetal development and abstinence education, many women have been helped and babies are thriving. The maternity home is making quite an impact on the community. Last winter, the planning for a pro-life conference was begun, culminating in a powerful time together November 1 & 2.
 

 

The main speakers were Dr. Seyoum and his wife Saba, and they were amazing. This dedicated couple has been tirelessly working to educate their country about abortion for 10 years, and they were encouraged to see the response to this conference attended by 200 Christian leaders.

 

Some of the photos that were used were taken of babies in dumpsters and waste buckets in U.S. abortion clinics. The Ethiopians were horrified. The utter barbarism of the act stunned them. This is what we are bringing to Africa… horrific practices that represent the darkest evil.
 

People were weeping and on their faces praying. Even though I understood only half of what was being said (the conference was in Amharic), the emotions were powerful and I was exhausted by the end of the day. We brought 11 leaders from the southern region where we work, and they want to do a similar conference in their area.

On November 12-15, 4000 people are expected to attend the International Conference of Family Planning in Addis Ababa. Their objective is to make free abortion available in every town and village in Ethiopia. The leaders who attended the LIFE conference now have the responsibility, tools and energy to speak for the unborn and fight the evil that is being allowed to propagate in their country.
 

 

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,
says the Lord Almighty.”
Zechariah 4:6

Christmas Boxes Full of God’s Love

Last year at this time we shared a wonderful opportunity to bless children in Ethiopia at Christmas with a little box full of love… and you responded!   We’d like to help Samy and Ruth once again with this amazing project.



Samy and Ruth are YWAM missionaries serving people in a remote area called Bishoftu.   These two have incredible hearts to bring the Good News to men, women and children.  Many on our mission teams have met them and had the privilege of serving alongside these two saints of God.

In this rural area of Ethiopia, it is a daily struggle for parents to provide even basic needs for their children and many children and families have not yet heard of Christ’s love for them.   Samy and Ruth have committed their lives to make Christ known in this area God has called them to.

You can touch the kids in this village with the love of Christ by giving them a small gift box for Christmas.  Ethiopians celebrate Christmas on January 7th so there is still time to do this!  Each box costs only $5.50 and includes:

Toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, Vaseline, comb,
bath tissue, spoon, cookie biscuits, candy treat, a boiled egg,
a pen, a notebook, a small toy and a New Testament.

 

Last year they were able to reach more than 200 kids with the gift boxes.  You can read about the impact those Boxes of Joy had on many children right here!   Samy and Ruth have nurtured ongoing relationships with the children in those rural areas where they have started Sunday schools so that the Gospel is still going out. This year they will be giving boxes and sharing the Good News in a different area.

 

If you’d like to bring a huge smile and bless a child in this way while opening a door for the Gospel to be shared, please donate via our website here and designate ‘Bishoftu Ethiopia’ or call our office to give your information over the phone:  

253-770-2283.

Thank you on behalf of all the grateful recipients of these Christmas boxes!

Christmas Shopping to Meet Real Needs

Today we are excited to introduce the 2013-14 YWAM Ethiopia Gift Catalog!  It’s easier than ever to give gifts this Christmas that reflect the love of God and directly meet the needs of the very poor in Ethiopia.

There are choices for every budget – from shoes to one year of rent; from a bag of charcoal for fuel to a cow that will provide income.  We’d love to send a card telling someone on your list that you’ve given a gift in their name!

You can order directly from our secure website or download and print an order form to send in the mail.  We hope you find lots of ways to make your family’s Christmas giving very meaningful!

What Is It Like to be HIV+ in Ethiopia?

by Joy Casey


Every time I go to Ethiopia I come back with a little deeper understanding of the struggles the poor face.  Ejigayo’s husband died of AIDS, and she and their son Samson have struggled with health problems secondary to being infected with HIV.  But health issues are only half of their struggle. 

There is a stigma in Ethiopia when a person is known to be HIV+ and this has affected Ejigayo’s ability to thrive economically.  She has tried her best to earn money to feed her 12-year-old son Samson and herself, but because she is HIV+, her community refuses to employ her or buy anything from her.  I found this brave, hard working woman and her son nearly destitute, without food or a place to live. 

The church Ejigayo and Samson attend has seen to it that Samson goes to school, and he is currently in the 4^th grade, but he does not have a lunch to take and the kids ridicule him.  School lunches in Ethiopia are a big deal, and those without food or with “poor” lunches suffer from the attitudes of their classmates.  Ejigayo and Samson have free antiretroviral medication (good news), but  the medicine only works when it is accompanied with consistent and nutritious food (emphasis on both those descriptions), neither of which this small family has access to (bad news). 

Would you or someone you know consider 'adopting' Ejigayo and Samson? With your help of $40 a month, Adoption Ministry 1:27 will make sure these two have healthy food every day (and yes, a lunch for Samson) and will find a place for them to live.  You can “adopt” them from our website:

www.adoptionministry127.com

**Thanks to a generous family Ejigayo and Samson have now been sponsored!  There are many more also in need - please visit our 'Adopt A Family webpage to read their stories.

God’s mighty army!

by Shannon Cline in Ethiopia
written Oct. 11,2013


So many emotions that wash over you while you are here. You try as hard as you can to prepare yourself for what you may encounter but really, there is no way. We have been here a week now, and I am still not used to what I see every day. I miss my friends and family dearly but I can honestly say that I am very present with everything that is going on here. The whole team feels like a well-oiled machine and the flow that we have going into each community feels awesome.

I am making a point to write down the name of each woman we meet and the meaning of it at each location we have gone to. It is such an incredible thing we are doing - ministering to the women leaders and wives of evangelists. They have never had this kind of attention and most of the men did not know what to do when they were asked to leave the building so that we could bless the women. We have made each woman a special care package including a beautiful scarf, lip gloss, chocolates, and body lotion. No matter where they lived and how far they walked to get there, you should have seen their faces light up to get these gifts.

We also brought pillow case dresses and toys for their children. It is not customary for the guests to bring presents so they were all so blessed. We also have been bringing bread and usually some kind of fruit. Many places have done beautiful coffee ceremonies for us and let me tell you ladies and gentleman... they put Starbucks to SHAME!  They hand roast the beans and make the most incredible coffee I have ever tasted in my life... Ah-Mazing!!

Many times when we go to these churches and villages, it is the first time they have seen a white face. Some stares are filled with intrigue and wonder, while others look in shock and disbelief. We always smile and wave and if we are going slow enough, many children run along side our van. It is sometimes difficult to go back to the comfort of our hotel and amazing food knowing where we spent all day. The gratitude I have for my life and family and tiny house fills me up daily. There is no way you can see what we are all seeing and not have it change your everyday life forever.

Our leader asked me to speak to a group of ladies the night before she needed me to and I thought she was nuts! But God showed up so BIG! It was AWESOME what I heard and saw that day. It is such a blessing to see the gifts and talents of my teammates. They all bring such an incredible necessary piece to this puzzle. I could not be more blessed with the knowledge and expertise of our leaders and the Ethiopian family that we now all have: our interpreter, our amazing drivers (who are so much more), our pastor friend who has been with us. We are a mighty army for God here!

Please continue to pray for favor for all of us. We have kissed and hugged so many people it is amazing! We are currently in Adama and looking forward to going to Kore and Addis soon!  Only 2 more sleeps to be here. It is an exciting thought to see family and friends... but my heart is already starting to feel the pain of leaving here.

A Broken Process

ABC's Cynthia McFadden chronicles a three year adoption journey that highlights the great need for reform in international adoption.  "A broken process is a pitiful reason to deny a family to a child."

ABC Nightline featuring Craig Juntunen and STUCK from Both Ends Burning Campaign on Vimeo.

Women to Women Team: Already Changed Forever

by Shannon Cline in Ethiopia
Women to Women Mission Team

We are all so blessed and already changed forever. After an incredibly long journey we arrived safely and were welcomed by our amazing hosts hosts Mark and Liane.  One of our team members, Keriana, was stopped at the custom baggage area which made us all a little nervous as the agent literally took every item out of her 70 pound duffle bag. It was filled with so many of the donations she and Zetta brought. We prayed for favor and that they would not confiscate anything  and our prayers were answered. She got it all back! 

As soon as we got into our van we began to see the poverty of this great nation.  The feeling that we were on some kind of movie set was overwhelming. I continued to think that any moment the donkeys carrying straw, the goats and cattle, the massive amount of pedestrians and the desperation in the faces of so many would end and we would see more of the "downtown next to an airport " kind of city we were all so used to. This is just not the case. The traffic was intense with no traffic lights, stop signs or lined lanes. Oh, did I mention no visible speed limit? People, livestock and fast moving cars, buses and taxis racing around.  Again, seeing all these things so quickly flashing by was movie-like and so surreal. 

The first 2 nights we have stayed at a guest house that is gated and very secure. We have been so blessed by the beautiful Ethiopians that work here. Today we got to hold an impromptu ladies conference for 13 pastors wives and wives of leadership. We sang, ate some incredible food and just encouraged these mighty women. Truth be told, I think it was more of a blessing to all of us than to them. They did say how happy they were to help us and they were overwhelmed that we took our time to be there. It's hard to believe that we were there for 6 hours. We laughed and got laughed at :)  We cried, they cried, we all prayed and really touched each other in such  genuine way. The love they have here is absolutely unconditional and absolutely true. They were such mighty, inspirational women of God and we are all better people for being with them. More soon!  

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Here is another blog post from another member of this women's team:

Salam from Africa

You Can Help Pass the Torch!

by Joy Casey


As a whole, Americans are favorable toward adoption. Our experience shows that there is high enthusiasm for adoption, both domestically and internationally. In fact, there are many more Americans wanting to adopt than there are children available.

Most of us in Adoptionland agree that there is a hierarchy of best practices when it comes to international adoption. When at all possible, every effort should be made to keep children with their biological family. We all know that this is not always possible or in the best interests of the child. Many times biological family is unknown (in the case of abandonment). In such circumstances, the next best option for the child is to find a strong and stable family within the child’s country of origin. When those two options have been ruled out, then a family should be found in another country. All children need their very own mommy and daddy.
 

 

Ethiopians are just beginning to catch the vision of adoption outside of family members. We are in the early stages of “Passing the Torch” of adoption to our Ethiopian brothers and sisters. Many organizations, including Adoption Ministry, are promoting local adoption and we are seeing progress!

If you have been an advocate for Ethiopians adopting Ethiopian children, would you join our campaign to raise the necessary funds to give adoption training to couples and government groups?  Adoption training is required by the government and is also necessary to approve the homestudy.  At times it is necessary to supplement the cost of a homestudy for a family. Let’s Pass the Torch! and see more and more children legally adopted into stable Ethiopian families!
 

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100% of your gift in any amount will be used to provide this necessary training and to help Ethiopian families who aren’t able to pay the complete homestudy fee.  You can make a donation on our website here – under ‘Gift Designation’ please select ‘Other’ then type in “Passing the Torch” in the box where you can specify where you’d like your donation to be used.  THANK YOU for helping us in

Passing The Torch

Songs of Praise

by Joy Casey in Ethiopia
written on Oct 27th, 2013


Songs of praise resonated throughout the newly constructed church in a village called Gutumuma. The joyful choir praised the Lord with abandon with only a drum accompaniment. Today was the dedication of this church building that rose from the dust thanks to many ministry partners.
 

Mike and Dinah Monahan, Wick Nease from Streams of Mercy, Pastor Bob Swank from Life Church in Kansas City, and Jason Shadrick from Anthem Church in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho all helped to make this day possible and were on hand to praise God with the exuberant people of Gutumuma.
 

In 2010, 93 Gutumuma families came to know Jesus Christ, all of them formerly of another religion. Today, there are 256 families serving the Risen Savior! Fourteen evangelists - all who are sponsored by generous donors here in the U.S. - are sent out from Gutumuma to neighboring villages to share the gospel, and just within the past two months 53 people have received Christ and are being discipled!
 

The substantial worship center in Gutumuma is a hub for Christian teaching, offering an anchor for the converted believers to resist significant pressure from their families and neighbors. The dedication of this worship center is a celebration of God’s work to draw men to the Truth and represents the work of the evangelists who have sacrificed much to spread the Gospel, as well as many here in the United States who have supported this work financially and in prayer.  Praise the Lord!