Ambassadors for Jesus

Snack time!

For three days, college students from the University of Georgia spent their mornings in a remote village sharing the Gospel with eager children. The vast majority of these children have never heard any New Testament stories and their knowledge of Jesus is as “Isa” in the Quran.
 
The story of creation and salvation was taught using skits and other visuals, and then the children were broken up into four groups for a craft that went along with the story.
 
 

Abebe and a team member help group the children

We three kings?

The university students had fun teaching songs with hand motions, and after they learned the songs and motions they had competitions between the groups to see who could do the motions the best or faster, and that created great fun for the children. The team brought soccer balls, too, so after the formal teaching time there were pick-up soccer games with barefooted children, some having only a shirt to wear.
 

After a morning of Bible teaching, the team got down and dirty planting 500 tree starts along the perimeter of the church property with the help of some of the men in the church.

This is the first time this church or this town has ever had a mission team come and serve them!  The group from Georgia displayed servants' hearts, were willing to work hard and go out of their way to forge relationships with the children and the church leadership.

This past weekend (Saturday and Sunday), the UG team lead a Bible time for children in our Adoption Ministry 1:27 partner church in Sheshemene, Gospel Light. Monday, the team goes back again to the same village they had VBS and will spend two days painting the church. Thank you, University of Georgia students, for being valuable ambassadors from the church in the United States!

Mark Wolbert - Missions Director

A weekend to remember!

Last weekend a group of YWAM adoptive families gathered in Franklin, Tennessee for a reunion/meet-up that we’ll all remember for a long time.  I have to start off by saying that the only thing that would have made it better would have been if all of our families could have been there.  We missed every one of you!

Here are most of the families who attended

I am struggling to put into words what an incredible blessing it was for Joy and I to get to be with these families, most of whom live in the eastern part of the country.  Joy has met some of them in Ethiopia when they were there for court or Embassy appointments but it was the first face-to-face meeting for me.  I have talked with them all at length on the phone and have prayed over each of them and their children from Ethiopia.  But seeing those children in person was, as Joy says, our payday. 



“Before” pictures from when they first came into our care at the orphanage kept flashing through my mind.  Many of these children were found abandoned… on a path, in the dirt or left on a hospital bed.  Others were relinquished by a single parent or relative who made a loving adoption plan so their child could be fed, clothed and educated.  I was continually thinking about what the future would have looked like for them had they not been adopted.

We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Franklin and on Friday night met at Chick-fil-A for a fancy dinner! 



Then it was back to the hotel for some swimming in the sauna hotel pool. 




Monica Barlow - a missionary mom who lived in Gimbie, Ethiopia and was instrumental in the lives of many of the children in our Gimbie orphanage - was also able to join us.  What a joy it was to spend time with her and hear many stories first-hand.



Saturday morning all the moms snuck away for coffee…



Along with many other YWAM moms, these women have become close via Facebook, offering lots of support, encouragement and understanding that only an adoptive mom can give.



The dads stayed behind to watch all of the children.  LOTS of children.  These dads are the cream of the crop… loving, involved, devoted to their kids and their wives.

Just a few of the dads who were there

Back at the hotel, kids were changed into their traditional Ethiopian dress and a mad scramble began to get a group photo.
 


Some seemed to kinda like posing…



Others, not so much…



I have to say that the older siblings of these children were truly amazing, as I know they are at home as well, helping and playing with the kids all weekend.




We all headed to a local park where we brought our own picnic lunches.  Jennifer Johns brought several of her famous pies!


There was face painting…



Bubbles were blown…




Nails were painted…



And everyone had a great time!





A rain shower changed our dinner plans and sent everybody back to the Marriott for BBQ pork and hot dogs.  Jennifer made a beautiful video of many of our YWAM families adoption stories that was shown after dinner –featuring lots of ‘before’ photos at the orphanage and then pics of the children in their forever families.  It was AWESOME!

Sunday morning we all went to church at Christ Community in Franklin, then headed up to Nashville for lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory.






There will be so many good memories.

Lydia and Samuel Steimer enjoying a popsicle with Joy.  Lydia said "It tastes like heaven dancing in my mouth!"

Thanks to all who made this weekend possible, especially to Jennifer Johns who coordinated everything, made reservations and was overall amazing. 

Now… when is the next one??

Video: Serving Elderly Widows in Ethiopia

Recently Brad Mattis from Facing Life Head On traveled to Ethiopia with Ministry Director Joy Casey to shoot this excellent documentary on the widow care aspect of our Adoption Ministry 1:27 project.  

You will meet women whose faith in their Lord is inspiring, and you will hear firsthand how individuals here in America have made huge changes in their lives by “adopting” them.  

Georgia team serves in Ethiopia

A great team of young adults from the University of Georgia Wesley Foundation (a campus ministry) have covered much ground in the short time they've been in Addis Ababa.
 
At the Meseret Christos church, one of our partner churches with Adoption Ministry 1:27, food was distributed to many of the widows in the program and the team held VBS for a large group of children there.
 

 
The kids learned that God is their protector and they made shields…


 
The lesson also focused on God as King, making it possible for them to be princes and princesses in His kingdom!


 
 
The team also visited several widows in their homes to find out ways they might be able to help.  Each visit ended in prayer for these dear women.
 

 
Also in Addis, they spent a day at YWAM’s Mercy Development, a ministry to street children where several kids are living who have been rescued from life on the dangerous streets of this city.  They went to work painting both interior and exterior walls at the compound.
 

 
Then the team passed out gifts of some very practical necessities to the children living there.  Lots of wonderful friendships were made with the staff and children.
 

 
Our missions director, Mark Wolbert, said he is very impressed with this team of truly amazing young people.  They have hearts to serve.

The team is now in Sheshemene where they will be putting on another VBS for the children in a nearby village and doing projects to serve widows and children.  I’m hoping, with good internet access for Jeff, to get updates and more photos!