Update on The Twins

(Sarah and the twin girls last year)

You may remember the twin, baby girls we met last year in Addis. They had been abandoned and left to die in a field.  Rescued by a local orphanage which we support, I had the awesome opportunity to hold the little girls when they were a few weeks old.  This week, I got to return to the orphanage and check up on baby Ruth and baby Sarah, now almost a year old.  It was humbling to realize that God is using me and you to literally save lives—just like these little girls.

How can I thank you enough for helping? How can I praise God enough for sending us to Ethiopia to rescue these babies?  I believe God has HUGE things in store for us to do…to rescue babies like these around the world. Stay tuned because I know you will want to be part of this great work…

 

(Sarah and the twins this week)

Please visit savingmoses.org to help with this critical campaign.
Thank you

 

Ethiopia…by Isabell Bowling

Isabell & Banch

I went to see king Menelik’s pic & crown in the museum.  It was very awesome.  I also got to see the oldest, most complete human skeleton in the world, named “skeleton Lucy”.  I hope you will help us raise money for water wells that we want to help drill. In Ethiopia, I experienced Jesus alot! I disovered it was a very poor country because of the people didn’t seem to have very much & the some of the kids didn’t have parents.  My favorite thing about Ethiopia was getting to help other kids!

 

 

 

The Ethiopia video is here!

Here is the Ethiopia Trek video update! It is available on GodTube and YouTube as well, so feel free to post and share…thanks!

 

worldchild “adopts” Ethiopian orphanage

“God put Ethiopia on my heart many years ago but after our recent worldchild trek, the beautiful people there completely captured my heart.  The unspeakable conditions they endure—unclean drinking water, starvation, disease—it all broke my heart.  worldchild can make a difference there…”  -Sarah

Bridge to Israel in Ethiopia Orphanage is committed to bringing help, hope and blessings to many hopeless and impoverished children in Ethiopia where poverty, malnutrition, and HIV/AIDs are common.  They provide help to the most vulnerable members of society—the children—and strive to raise them up to become healthy, responsible and productive citizens. 

Sarah and her worldchild team spent 8 days at the orphanage while on their trek to Ethiopia in July. They got to spend precious quality time with the 120 children the orphanage cares for.  To learn more about Bridge to Israel and the great work they do for the children of this region of Ethiopia, click here!  Our sponsors are the reason we can help Bridges to Israel and other orphanages across Africa.  Join us in saving children through this outreach and the many orphanages we support across Africa and around the world.

 

Backpacks filled with HOPE

Sarah handing out backpacks

Here in America, stores are flooded with aisles and aisles of back-to-school supplies. Pens, pencils, binders, laptop cases, notebooks with speakers and plug-ins for mP3 players, locker mirrors—even back-to-school Kleenex in a convenient 3-pack.  We spend hundreds of dollars to prepare our kids for school, to help them get a good education.

Yet, in Ethiopia, it only takes a few dollars to give children a chance at a future.  A plain backpack with a few basic supplies is the difference between whether a child stays in school and gets an education…or is forced to leave school and denied an education. Children in Ethiopia do not have the privilege of staying in school if they don’t have a pen to use.

 

One of the highlights of the Ethiopia Trek was the distribution of 1500 backpacks filled with school supplies.  They weren’t decked out with the latest fad or cartoon character; they didn’t light-up or play music.  They did however contain the essentials that will give children in Ethiopia an opportunity…for an education, for a future.  Inside those backpacks was their hope for survival.

Their list was simple:

·         School paper & pens

·         Toothpaste and a toothbrush

·         A small bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap.

Even the basic hygiene items can make the difference between life and death to a child in Ethiopia. This simple act of kindness was our way of sharing the love of Jesus through real, human contact in a tangible way. More than just art and hygiene supplies—these items will allow the children to stay in school! Each backpack was an investment in their future…and in the future of Ethiopia.

 

worldchild/onegreenbracelet was able to personally distribute 1500 backpacks to three different schools. We may never know the total impact we had, but 1500 children are smiling now because of your generosity!  Thank you for sending worldchild to reach Ethiopia and make a difference in these children’s lives.

 

Let’s get real about poverty

 

When you travel to an undeveloped country, you really get what poverty is.  You get what it means for children and young people to have little or no hope of ever living their own future.  You get the heart of God as it breaks for the “least of these.”

 

This poignant post by Prodigal Jon about a conversation he had with his 5-year-old daughter shows exactly why we do what we do!  It’s why worldchild was formed; it’s why we’ve trekked to Cambodia and Ethiopia; it’s why we support orphanages in Africa…to stop the “unreal” impact of poverty and starvation wherever and whenever we can.

 

When my mom was in Egypt recently, she visited Garbage City in Cairo. Her heart was splintered with compassion for the children living in these conditions.  She’s developing a mission of mercy to help the children of Garbage City-to give them daily food, clothing, and school supplies. God broke our hearts for the children of Gonder when we were there last month. Seeing the filthy water they are drinking…it was simply tragic.

 

Not only is poverty and the death that surrounds it REAL…it is a foul smell in God’s nose. It stinks to heaven…and He is wondering what we will do about it.  God takes us to these places to break our hearts—to snap us out of our “comfort coma” and make us realize we MUST do something. We can’t live our lives as if we’re unaware of the suffering in the world.

 

Thanks Jon for this compelling reminder…that these things are real—and it’s up to us to make a real difference.

 

 

The Heart of the Ethiopia Trek

Reaching out to Ethiopia

 

We put together this slide show to SHOW you what we did in Ethiopia…and why it is so desperately important that we do what we can to reach out to Africa…and the children who live there!  Please pray that we will be able to do MUCH more to help the city of Gondar, the orhans there, and the nation of Ethiopia. 

          
 Click to view slide show!

 

home in body

Well, its about 3a & I’m extremely awake – my body is on Ethiopian time & maybe my heart too.  We had an amazing time in Ethiopia & coming home for me is extremely wonderful, but a little bittersweet too.  When we got home, I got really sick & was pretty flattened out all day yesterday.  I believe today will be better.  We’re planning to get some pics up as quick as possible (at http://www.flickr.com/groups/ethiopiatrek08/)

Also, Wed night at church, we’re going to have a really cool service about not only the Ethiopia trip, but also Catalyst’s trip to El Salvador, so come if you can! 

I’m very keen to hear what God will be saying to me about Ethiopia for the future.  I believe it to be a special place in His heart (He talks alot about it in the Bible).  Enough rambling at 3a.  Have a great day!

 

back in Addis

Hola!  We’re back in Addis & happy with life. 

Yesterday, we travelled in the morning & then got situated in our living accommodations & had a service at Pastor Eyob’s church in the evening, so it was a nice, full day.  The service went well – I ministered on following Jesus’ voice as our shepherd & not the stranger’s voice.  God also gave me several verses to minister to specific individuals in the service, so it was fun to flow in this gift.  Everyone was very happy to sleep last night & most slept extremely well.

This morning, we’ve had the great opportunity to do a vbs at Pastor Eyob’s church for street kids, orphans & HIV / aids kids.  It has gone really well & at present, we’re providing lunch for them.  We probably had around 500 kids, so its been lots of fun!

Tomorrow, we have the opportunity to do some street outreaches & evangelism, so we’re really praying about that & looking forward to it!

Pls pray:

1 – ongoing favor & open doors to minister:  Addis has about 5mill people & so there are plenty of people, its just finding the right contexts in which to share Jesus.

2 – health & strength:  we want to have the strength to continue being effective in sharing Jesus

3 – finish strong:  since we’re leaving Sat night, we want to maximize our time over the next few days to be as effective for Jesus as possible

THANKS LOADS FOR PRAYING!!!

Really appreciate all the support, comments, prayer, etc!!!

 

Another report from our team in Ethiopia

Tonight, we had our first church service in Gondar. The church was packed with over a 1,000 people! We had to bring in extra seats to accommodate everyone!

The evening kicked off with the team’s stomp dance. Talk about high-energy! Sarah taught on “going through tests” which is something the people of Ethiopia face every day. Violence, lack, and AIDS continue to take an unimaginable toll on the nation. At the core of her message she shared important keys on trusting God in the midst of the trial. Sarah had those having a difficult time trusting God raise their hands; then those who weren’t having a hard time trusting Him raised their hand—she had these pray for the ones having a hard time. It was a dynamic time of ministry—and a GREAT first service. Thanks for your prayers.