Our Deepest Thanks!

What better way to communicate to you, our partners in this ministry, than in the words of our staff in Ethiopia?  They speak on behalf of the thousands of people you are impacting through your prayers and your financial support…

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From Abebe Getachew, In-Country Representative


Happy Christmas and New Year,! I would like to express my deepest and genuine appreciation and gratefulness for the work you have accomplished by your extraordinary support. The monthly support and the extra support you made to Adoption Ministry 1:27 did amazing things in the lives of many helpless families who are supported by the ministry. Some of the accomplishments are:
 

• All families got the opportunity to eat 3 times a day (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner), where it was impossible to have it previously.
• The provision of the monthly food support by the donors makes the parents free from their daily stress and tension where this makes the family enjoy good and better health.
• Many children have got the opportunity to go to school with all the necessary school materials and good lunch in their lunch box, equal to their classmates.

Therefore, it is my greatest wish to say thank you very much for all what you are doing for the poorest of the poor in this country. I hope you will continue working with the ministry in the future to change the lives of the helpless.

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From Abonesh Kebede, IGA Program Manager

I am very happy for the chance to express my feelings toward the donors who were sharing their lives in order to change the lives of the poor families here in Ethiopia by supporting them to start a small business beyond the monthly food support you give.

Those families who started a small business have got the monthly food support so that they cannot use the business money for food. Since the beginning of the small business support (IGA) the families started to work with good desire and passion and they are becoming successful. Therefore, as we plan they will graduate after 2 years and they will enjoy a sustainable life by themselves. So, I am very thankful and pleased for the valuable support you are doing to change the lives of the hopeless family and lead them to a sustainable future. God bless you and Happy Christmas & New-year.

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From Pastor Zerihun Girma, Lead Evangelist

I am very grateful to our Lord Jesus for giving us a tremendous harvest in the Muslim area of Ethiopia. I believe the Holy Spirit is moving mightily in these last days and Jesus is coming soon. I send my warmest gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to you for covering the missionaries and my salary and transportation expenses. This has greatly helped us to pursue the vision we have to reach the Muslims in different places through evangelism. Moreover, giving this opportunity to all the missionaries and myself to fully engage in the evangelism activities with much less worry about our family’s monthly expenses. In 2015, our ministry reached more than 5000 and about 600 peoples are saved through our missionaries. We acknowledge God is the only One who deserves all the glory and honor. We have 41 missionaries; all of them are former Muslims. They all have powerful testimonies and work wholeheartedly in complete dedication, love, and unity.

I will continue on working committed to our missionary goals as long as God be with us and your support to the mission work stick with. I would like to say many thanks again.

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From Ephrem Gebremariam, Orphanage Director

Right now in Shashemene we care for 13 orphaned children who receive care and support until they get a permanent family either through domestic or inter-country adoption.  During their stay in our orphanage center children will be provided with food, clothes, medical service, and everything they need. In this regard, the babies get formula, milk, comfortable cribs, and toys. The nannies love them and are very helpful to make them healthy and strong.

So, I would like to thank you very much in my name and on behalf of the organization for your support that you generously donate for the orphan care services of Mana Gammachuu. Even if the formula is very expensive, you donate every time. Due to this, the children have high quality care and will keep very healthy and happy. They also thank you very much.

I hope you will continue to help the children in Ethiopia, and we will keep praying for you. I assure you that we have endless thanks for you all the time.

Have a very blessed Christmas and may God bless you.

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You can read more about these areas of ministry on our websites…

      

And if you haven’t yet completed your year-end giving, many in Ethiopia would be very grateful indeed to receive your help!

Happy New Year!

Christmas Outreach Boxes

We have the tremendous privilege of helping our dear friends Samy and Ruth in their outreach to several villages near Debra Zeit, Ethiopia by providing Christmas Boxes for children.

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 $5.00 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.

In years past they were able to reach hundreds of 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 check payable to 'Adoption Ministry' with a note attached designating ‘Bishoftu Ethiopia’ or call our office to give your information over the phone:  253-770-2283  Our mailing address is:  PO Box 1145 Puyallup WA 98371.

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

A FULL Christmas

by Kristen Welch
@(in)courage

Kristen Welch

Christmas break starts today for my kids.

The excitement is electrifying. Kids and Christmas just go together.

It’s time for hot chocolate and Christmas lights. Carols and nearly Christmas Eve candles.

It’s time to do something for someone else.

This Christmas we will give to those who can’t give back. We will empty ourselves of time and resources because that’s how we get full.

That’s how we will find the heart Christmas this year.

But it hasn’t always been this way for our family . . .

Continue reading at (in)courage here…

______________________________

Thank you, Kristen, for always inspiring us, challenging us and for being REAL!

 

In Honor of Friends and Family

You still have time to give the gift of HOPE to someone in Ethiopia in the name of a family member or friend... we'll send them a card telling them what you donated and your Christmas giving will have huge dividends.

100% of your gift goes to purchase what you choose. Order by Dec 15th so your gift notification card reaches your loved one before Christmas! THANK YOU for these much-needed and much-appreciated gifts!

So far this Christmas our generous partners have given 5 goats, 5 cans of formula, 2 packages of diapers, 2 sets of clothing, 1 pair of shoes, 1 water filter, 2 month supply of food for a family, 2 bags of charcoal for fuel, 3 blankets, 3 soccer balls, a school package and a donkey!

If only you could be there in person when these gifts are received! What a blessing they will be to the many folks who will be receiving them! Thanks so much on behalf of many grateful recipients!

Are We Dealing With Sensory Issues? {a repost}

For most kids, sensory integration (how the brain receives and processes information from all our senses but particularly the sense of touch, sense of body movement and sense of body position) happens as a result of normal development.  For some adopted children, this process is interrupted and can result in a wide range of behaviors.  Sensory integration disorder is common in children who were born prematurely, had no prenatal care or who have lived in an orphanage for more than a year.  These ‘out of sync’ children have learned not to trust the information their bodies provide so they can experience anxiety, poor school performance, difficulty listening and sensory-seeking stimulation to feel better.  They will either magnify or minimize input from their senses.  Sensory issues can be magnified during the holidays!

Typically, a child with sensory integrative disorder will show more than one of these signs.

• Overly sensitive to touch, movement, sights, smells or sounds (ie. hates tags in clothes, seams in socks, textures in eating, strong odors; withdrawing when touched, trantrums when bathing or grooming, crying or withdrawal in crowds or noisy places)
• Under-reactive to sensory stimulation (constant falling, tripping, bumping into things, don’t react to pain, aggression with toys and other children, seemingly unaware of objects or people)
• Activity level that is unusually high or unusually low
• Coordination problems (poor balance or motor coordination, an odd gait when walking)
• Delays in speech, language, motor skills, or academic achievement
• Poor organization of behavior (impulsive, distractible, frustrated at change of activities, aggressive)
• Poor self concept (may appear lazy, bored, or unmotivated)
                                                                                          Harriet McCarthy

Everyone has sensory processing issues (you may have read the list above and thought, ‘I am a bit impulsive or unmotivated myself!’) but they become an issue when they interfere with normal daily life functions.  A professional therapist should always be consulted when you suspect your child has significant struggles in these areas and there are many wonderful OT’s with experience in sensory processing issues.

There are also many things you can do at home to help your child regulate their senses and feel comfortable.  Many adoptive parents whose children struggle with sensory issues have shared ideas they’ve received from professionals and have used at home.  Here are a few:

15 Quick Sensory Activities from Hands on Moms

Sensory Activities for Kids (on Pinterest)

Home Activities for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder

Articles by Professionals on Sensory Issues in Children

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Shameless plug:  An excellent OT in the Seattle/Tacoma area specializing in sensory processing issues is Sally Carman, OTR/L at the Center for Therapeutic Intervention in Gig Harbor, WA.  Sally, an adoptive mother of two, has been a contributing instructor at each of our International Adoption Training weekends, providing valuable input on attachment, bonding and sensory processing issues in adopted children.

AmazonSmile – a 'no cost' way to give

Here’s a super easy way to support Adoption Ministry of YWAM while you do your online Christmas shopping! 



Amazon, the online retail site where so many of us find great deals, has created a way to donate toward your favorite 501c3 charity every time you place an order. Without any additional cost to you, Amazon donates a portion of your purchase price (.5%) to Adoption Ministry.  Here’s how it works:

1. Visit AmazonSmile at: smile.amazon.com 
2. Select our ministry by typing in "Adoption Ministry of YWAM"
3. Amazon remembers your selection and every eligible purchase you make on AmazonSmile will result in a donation to our ministry.
4. There are two things to remember in order for us to receive the donation:
   * You need to complete your shopping at AmazonSmile (not the regular Amazon website – you can add items to your cart there then go to smile.amazon.com to check out).  Set your bookmark to AmazonSmile for all your online shopping!
   * Amazon’s phone app currently doesn’t support AmazonSmile so you need to use the web browser (we hope they are working on making this function via the phone app as well!)

You shop.  Amazon gives.  Pretty cool, right?  We hope that by taking just a few minutes to select us as your charity of choice and then remembering to shop from the AmazonSmile webpage, we can better help vulnerable women and children here in the U.S. and in Ethiopia. Thanks so much for helping us spread the word!

Giving (Hope) Tuesday

How does a woman who has received help to turn her life around say thank you?

Her rent is $25 a month.  $55 pays for school expenses for one of her boys.  New shoes or clothes is $25.  Food staples are $40 a month.  $600 sets her up in business for life! 
 

One year ago, Asnakech couldn’t provide any of these things for her family and the future for her and her three boys was hopeless. 
 

Today, this industrious lady has a little shop where she sells the produce she grows and other food items.  She is faithfully paying back her loan, all the boys are in school and doing well, and she can pay her rent.
   
This is not an isolated story!  You can help another single mother in Ethiopia do the same thing. Give hope and empower a woman to become self-sustaining.  It’s not an exaggeration to say you will change the future for an entire family!  
 
With any amount donated for an IGA (Income Generating Activity), you can know that 100% of your gift goes to a deserving woman to start a small business in Ethiopia.  What a wonderful way to take part in #GivingTuesday! 
 

 

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You can read about many other women who are success stories in the making on our webpage here. 
 

Giving Hope!

The Christmas season is here and we have lots of ways to help you
make your Christmas giving have a huge impact!
It might sound like a cliché but giving through our YWAM Gift Catalog
really does change lives.

Visit our Gift Catalog here:

ywamethiopia.com/giftcatalog

Emotions

by Jennifer Johns

Both of our daughters lost their first mamas due to childbirth complications. We had the privilege of meeting their birth fathers when we traveled for court and were able to learn more about our girls' biological mothers and the circumstances that led their birth fathers to place our girls for adoption.
 



It was obvious to us that both of these men loved their baby girls, but felt unable to care for them. One gave us his blessing and asked us to raise his little girl to know Jesus. The other told us how much he wanted his daughter to have both a mother and a father. We looked both of these men in the eye and promised we would love the girls as our own and would raise them to the best of our ability. We also told them we would keep them updated on how the girls are doing.



We were so grateful to learn that Joy was willing to travel to Gimbi and meet with our girls' birth families on her recent trip to Ethiopia. We prepared photo books, an update on how the girls are doing, and some questions we hoped the birth fathers would be able to answer. It was an incredible blessing to receive pictures, answers to our questions, and video footage of Joy's meeting with these men who will always hold a special place in our hearts. What I wasn't fully prepared for, though, were the emotions that would be stirred up in my own heart. As beautiful as adoption is, it is also quite complicated.

Our girls are 6 and 4. We talk about Ethiopia often and we have shared with them the details of their stories that we feel are age appropriate. It had been a while since we had talked in detail about the circumstances that led them to join our family, so we used Joy's recent update as a conversation starter. For a few days afterward, our older daughter asked me to tell her again about her Ethiopian father and her siblings that remain there. One night before bed, we were praying and her prayer was this, “God, please tell my birth mama that I am six years old and in first grade.” The floodgates broke at that point. How is a 6 year old supposed to reconcile the incredible losses that she experienced so early in her life?

It seems that even our four year old has some understanding of the complexities in her story. She was recently telling her brother about how she will be in Heaven with her birth mom someday. She immediately followed that comment by telling him how much she loves Daddy and Mommy. She will also say things like, “I never want to leave this family.” There is some part of her that intuitively knows that her situation is not the norm and she makes an effort to smooth things over for our sake.

While we are so grateful for the pictures and video that we received, they also serve as a vivid reminder of how challenging life is for our girls' families in Ethiopia. As I watched them look through the book of pictures, I wondered what in the world must be going through their minds. I know they were happy to see that the girls are growing and thriving, but I know it must also be painful for them, too.


Our older daughter's birth father and two birth sisters came to the meeting. I couldn't help but notice on the video that the girls made some of the very same facial expressions that Sena makes. I watched them interact with one another and my heart just ached at the realization that they are missing a sister. One sister is just a few years older than Sena and it was almost as if we were looking into the future at Sena in a few years.


Our younger daughter's birth father is very thin and shared with Joy that he is having some health issues. It is so hard for me to know that anytime I am sick, I can drive myself to the doctor and I will be treated while this man is suffering and does not have access to medical care. It just doesn't seem fair.

Our hope is to take both girls to Ethiopia when they are older. I know that will present a whole new set of challenges, but we believe that they need to see and experience their beautiful country of origin. In the meantime, we will continue to navigate the complexities as they come. Ultimately, we trust in the sovereignty of God and know that He has a plan for our girls that is good. They are resilient and I look forward to seeing what He accomplishes through them as they grow.

Special thanks to Jennifer and all of our adoptive families who made this trip to Gimbi financially possible. Your photos and letters brought great joy, peace and amazement to the birth parents with whom they were shared.

How the Church Works

The body of Christ at Lake City Community Church, in partnership with Adoption Ministry, has wrapped their arms around a city in Ethiopia... and God is at work through their personal, relational and financial support.

Fifty at-risk families have been sponsored.  The families of seven evangelists are supported monthly so the Gospel can go out in a region not friendly to the Truth.  Sixty children are attending our little kindergarten, learning their ABCs and hearing about Christ.  Mission teams travel to visit and serve this community.

We are so honored to partner with Lake City in Ethiopia!

Links You’ll Like

Don’t Protect Yourself from Adoption
@russellmoore.com
If you want your “dream baby,” do not adopt or foster a child. Buy a cat, and make believe. If what you like is the idea of a baby who fulfills your needs and meets your expectations, a cat is the way to go. Decorate the nursery, if you’d like. Dress it up in pink and blue, and take pictures. But don’t adopt. Adopting an orphan isn’t ordering a consumer item or buying a pet. Such a mindset hurts the child, and countless other children and families who are watching your family in order to see a picture of what adoption means.

5 Things Adoptive Parents Want Teachers to Know About Trauma
@confessionsofanadoptiveparent.com
It wasn’t that the teacher was unprofessional, or rude (although we’ve experienced that), it was a lack of understanding. Most of the children in their classroom did not come from traumatic pasts. Most were not abused, or removed and placed in foster care. Most were not mal-nourished or left to fend for themselves before their adoption. Most had a forever home from birth.

Precious in His Sight
@empoweredtoconnect.org
In this brief 20 minute talk, Dr. Purvis shares some fascinating insights about the way in which we were created by God to connect. As revealed in Scripture and confirmed by science, all humans are designed as relational beings. Yet ‘children from hard places’ have missed out on so much of the nurture and development that is ideal and serves to build a strong foundation of trust early in life. As a result, adoptive and foster parents must be committed and uniquely equipped to lead these children toward healing.

YOU Sent These Kids to School!

This last summer we began inviting you to help us get all of the children in our Adoption Ministry 1:27 sponsored families in school - with uniforms, supplies, backpacks and fees.  This week we received photos of some of the over 90 children you sent back to school. 

All of these faces show the joy of having new clothes and school supplies.  For many of them, it is unimaginable to go to school at all or to walk there with the proper supplies and a new pair of shoes.  What a wonderful way to start their school year!

Enjoy these photos (I couldn’t decide on a just a couple!)…

THANK YOU on behalf of many children and their parents for the opportunity to go to school, something we can take for granted in our wealthy culture.  You are changing the future for so many!!

Hawii Has A Mommy

 

 
Hawii was one of the abandoned children placed in our Mana Gammachuu orphanage when she was very little.
 

Abozenech is a divorced mother of one son who lives in another country.  She had lots of room in her heart for a sweet little girl.
 

She adopted Hawii and is overjoyed to be parenting her.
 

Abozenech owns a cow and sells milk for her livelihood. The cow stays in the compound where she and Hawii live. Both mother and daughter are happily enjoying family life together.
 
Thank you Lord!

God’s Wonderful Plan of Adoption

 

Sena was born in the hospital in Shashemene but his mother abandoned him right after giving birth.  The police searched for the mother but could not find her. 
 

Sena came to our Mana Gammachuu orphanage and lived up to his name – Blessing! 
 

Tekelu and Senyit had two daughters but have always wanted a son... so little Sena is truly a gift from God for this family who adopted him. Grandma lives with them and cares for Sena while his mom and dad are at work. Tekelu is the finance manager at the medical college and Senyit is a secretary.
 

What a wonderful plan God had for this boy who was abandoned... a family who loves him greatly!

"If we don't have food, we just sleep..."

by Joy Casey in Ethiopia
 

Meet Worke (Work-aye). She is 34-years-old and came to the church with her two little boys. Their smiles and obvious tenderness toward their mama immediately won my heart. Birhanu is 8-years-old and in the second grade and Maru is 4-years-old. The boys have a 10-year-old sister, Birtukan, who couldn’t be with us because she was still in school (fourth grade).
 
Worke had to flee the Amhara region in northern Ethiopia to escape an abusive husband. She is safe from him but is in a terrible position making choices between a roof over their head or food in their stomachs. The one thing she won’t compromise on is schooling for the children.
 
Worke is employed as a low-paying daily laborer in construction or goes house to house seeking a job as a servant. Her rent is $20/month and her typical monthly income is $15.50. There are many evenings when all they have to eat is boiled maize (corn) or, in her words, “If we don’t have food, we just sleep.” Her lack of nutrition and the toll construction takes on her body has caused her to have health issues.
 
She tearfully shared her fear that she will die before she can get her children raised. I think a solution for her fears is to get this family food, don’t you? Would you consider “adopting” Worke and her three children for $50 a month to ensure they have plenty to eat every day?
 

Today I listened to a story told to me by a mother of three children who herself was an orphan and never had a chance to go to school. She is determined her children will go to school!
 
Tigist Gibe is 30-years-old and is HIV+. She has sores and rashes all over her legs secondary to HIV and brings home around $1.25 a day from begging. She needs money for nutritious food to prevent her from dying like her husband from AIDS. The antiretroviral medication only works with consistent, nutritious food. She, Addis, her 7-year-old girl who is in kindergarten, and 2-year-old Hawii (girl) live under a plastic tarp lean-to on the compound of a friend. Tigist is a wisp of a woman and her children are very small for their age … possibly due to poor nutrition combined with their genetic make-up.
 
Would you "adopt" this family for just $50 a month? They need a safe place to live and FOOD will make all the difference in the world to their health. It is also our goal to break the cycle of begging and eventually empower Tigist through employment. She can live an active, healthy life and be a wonderful role model for her girls. Let’s lend a hand and make it happen!

You can adopt Worke or Tigist or another at-risk family at:

adoptionministry127.com

When in Ethiopia…

by Joy Casey in Ethiopia
 
Food is not only a necessity of life but our social lives are centered around food.  It is no different in Ethiopia.  Hospitality and honor are shown through the coffee ceremony and I love that beautiful tradition. 
 
Today Jeff Burns and I are in Gimbie.  Gimbie is “out there” and is not cosmopolitan and the restaurants are certainly not accustomed to catering to “ferengi” (foreigners).  So, when in the countryside of Ethiopia, eat as the locals eat. 
 
For breakfast, we were served dabo (bread) with our eggs.  Along with dabo came honey. 


 
Along with the honey came bees! 



For lunch, we walked to a little place that has the reputation of having good meat.  It is all they serve.  And it is fresh!  
 


It is cut up before our very eyes, spices are added and then it is taken out back and cooked. 
 


It is VERY tasty. 
 


Since all they serve is meat, this restaurant would be good for those on the Atkins diet plan. 
 

 


As we sat on our benches chewing hunks of meat and laughing with our friends as well as the new acquaintances sitting next to us, our view was of the police station across the street.   
 


At dinnertime, we had many more choices.  
 


Life is good!