Help Bring Them Home

Some GREAT things have come out of my recent trip to Ethiopia. Many relationships were built, God was glorified (and continues to be), little Baby E received surgery AND there are several former orphans who will soon join their forever families.

One of my OH team members (Kim) and her family have begun the process to adopt two precious girls that we met on our trip.

She has begun fundraising and I'd love for you to go over to her site and pitch in. She has some great t-shirts that you can purchase (I can hardly wait to start wearing mine) and she's doing a great raffle give-away.

Go on over here and do your part in helping to bring two sweet girls home. Every dollar (and every prayer...remember this family in yours) helps.

"I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you" James 14:18

Update on Baby E

It's been a bit since I've posted an update on sweet Baby E and as is normally the case....thankfully, no news is good news.

E's surgery went well and he had a follow-up appointment yesterday to remove the stitches. Swelling is subsiding and the shunt placed in his little head seems to be doing its job.

It is hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, this precious baby lie in an orphanage on the verge of death. My fellow OH team member and her family have stepped out in faith for this baby. Not only has LeAnne (successfully) advocated for his care but she and her family have also stepped up and stepped out to raise the funds for E's medical care. And even though his surgery is over, his medical needs are not. Next on the agenda is a CT scan which, hopefully, is being done today.

If you haven't previously read about E, do so here.

The medical expenses for this baby continue to add up and YOU CAN HELP......there is a fund set up through Ordinary Hero where you can make a tax-free donation that will go directly to E's medical fund.

Click here to donate to Baby E's tax deductible medical fund.

Put "BABY E" in the memo line to designate your donation.

Thank you, in advance, for being part of the story that God is writing in the life of this little boy.

He Has A NAME!

Updated to add: GOD IS GOOD....."Baby E" will have surgery THIS Friday (day after tomorrow) in Ethiopia. God has BIG plans for this LITTLE boy.....please continue to pray for his healing and his future!

And his name means "the Lord is my God". (Due to the fact that he is an orphan, I can't tell you his name on a public site....but God knows.)

When we toured the orphanage and played with the children, there in a room full of tiny babies was one...one who didn't seem well, one whose little head was disproportionate and misshapen, one who lay in his tiny little crib...one who didn't have a name.

But that just wouldn't do for one of my team members, now friend's.

LeAnne couldn't live with the fact that he didn't have a name and so she gave him one.

LeAnne immediately began advocating for this sweet baby who was abandoned at birth. "Baby E" was taken to see the doctor this past week. "Baby E" has hydrocephalus. "Baby E" needs surgery. And soon. Without it, he will not live.

Could you pray with me, BY NAME, for "Baby E" and if you know of ANYONE who may be able to help us to get him here (he will need an emergency medical visa) and/or anyone who might be able to help make a connection with a Surgeon and Hospital who would be willing to donate "Baby E's" surgery, please contact me at kelleywms@hotmail.com.

Do You See What I See?

As I was going through some of the pictures from my trip, I was reminded of several things that we saw that, maybe, would make for a fun game of sorts. And so, I present to you eight images from Ethiopia.

OH team members, you are not allowed to participate. : D

I'll come back in a day or so and fill in the blanks. If you care to leave a comment with your guesses, please go ahead.

Item #1: Water Station @ Yezelelem Minch

Item #2: Guard's Sleep Shack (every street has a guard and this is where he sleeps)

Item #3: POTTY !!!!

Item #4: MehKOHtaht Woeff : ) (Angry Birds in Amharic)

Item #5: Injera.....traditional Ethiopian food

Item #6: Monkey eating a Pringles potato chip

Item #7: Laundromat and/or Bath-house....when we first passed, people were doing their laundry; when we came back through, they were bathing

Item #8: Home Sweet Home

Wonderful! Sad. Great! Depressing.

Things I don't miss about Ethiopia:

• Toilets that can't handle toilet paper
• Peanut Butter Crackers being my main source of nutrition
• Inability to wear flip flops (without getting cold, wet and muddy toes)
• No water pressure in the shower
• Sharing one bathroom with 15 other women
• Smog
• Daily headache as a result of the smog
• The indescribable smell
• Being scared of swallowing the water, by accident or otherwise
• Squatty potties (for those of you who've never experienced this....that would be equal to a hole in the ground)
• Carrying my HEAVY backpack
• Flies on faces
• Children in ratty, torn, ill-fitting and dirty clothes, with bare feet and bare bottoms

And, so, with a list such as this WHY, I ask myself, am I already wondering when I can go back? I mean, seriously, I just got home.

It's weird being torn between the blessings of home. My home, my family, my life. And the people of Ethiopia who I've just met.

So many things in this world seem different now. I look at everything and try to process the discrepancies. The water runs while I brush my teeth and I'm ashamed at how much I just waste without even giving it a second thought. (For that matter, I brush my teeth. With a toothbrush and toothpaste; not a stick.) I go to fix a bowl of cereal and that last part...you know, the part that's all tiny little crumbs that just turns to mush in your bowl? I would normally just toss that in the trash but now, after Ethiopia, I can't. I fill my watering cans to water my geraniums and I consider just letting them die. I break a sweat outdoors and think I'm miserable. How dare me. I fill the car with gas and imagine what that amount of money could do for a family or a street child in Ethiopia.

The faces of the children are etched into my memory. I hope that they will remain that way. People ask, "how was your trip?" and I find the answer stuck there. Somewhere between "wonderful, amazing, life-changing, fabulous" and "sad, depressing, awful and did I mention sad?".

It is so hard to put into words but God reminds me of my own words to Jordan (as he returned home, broken at what he'd seen in Mexico)......"God knew what He was doing when He blessed us one way and them another. He didn't make a mistake when He made us Americans and them Ethiopians (or Mexicans)". And, again, I go back to some words that I wrote in my Bible many, many years ago (probably 20 years ago), "He blesses us so that we may bless others".

And my focus must be on HOW He wants me to use my blessings to bless them.

And that should keep me busy.....until I get to go back. : )

God's Plan Wednesday

The vans headed North on this day. There was more beautiful African countryside to be seen along the way.
We were scheduled to visit a privately run orphanage but, when our guide Bizzy called to confirm directions, we were told not to come. Apparently, the bags and bags of donations that we had for the orphanage weren't what they had in mind; they wanted a monetary donation (which OH had previously made to this orphanage).

At one point after finding out that plans weren't going to go as originally intended, we pulled our three vans off the side of the highway and had the opportunity to hand out clothes, shoes, candy and Amharic children's Bibles to some locals on the roadside.

It also gave our driver, Hoptamu, a chance to try his hand at plowing.
It never gets old seeing God do His work. We began our stop on the roadside by handing out a few items to a few children and the next thing we knew, people were piling off of the hillside. We jokingly wondered who "tweeted" that the white people were roadside...and they had Dum Dums. Who were we kidding? God did that.

Next, we stopped to eat our boxed lunch and were able, once again, to begin handing out clothes and shoes to children on the street. (The picture below is of one of the boys streetside with our guide/translator, Maste). We also gave them some of our leftover pasta and it was fun watching them, first, decide what it was and if they wanted to eat it and, next, witness them scarfing it down.

From there, we headed up Entoto Mountain for a quick game of soccer and distribution of the clothes, etc. that we'd packed up that morning. I left Entoto Mountain in sock feet as this boy needed my shoes more than I did.




It was here that I was able to hand out a couple of special quilts that had been sent with me by a group called More Than Warmth. We placed 2 of these quilts at Woliso Orphanage and 3 at El Olam Orphanage but I had kept out 2 that I wanted to place in the arms of mommies with little ones.

It is 6 miles from the top of this mountain to the bottom and there are women who, 3 times each day, carry a load of eucalyptus branches down the mountain. That's 3 trips UP and 3 trips DOWN for a total of 36 miles each day. These women, some well into their 60's (and beyond) are mostly barefooted. Our guide, Bizrat, had shared that he is brought to tears each time that he sees these women and the grueling work they are forced to do. He wanted to be able to lighten their load in some way. Carry their burdens, if you will....if only for a little while.

So.....two of our vans stopped (I was unfortunately in the third van that didn't realize we were supposed to stop), picked up their load (it took 2-3 of our men to carry), tossed it onto the top of our van and let the women ride inside. When they got to the bottom, two of our team members took off their own shoes and placed them on the feet of these women.





God's plans, not ours, prevailed on this day and what a blessing that was.

A Mud Hut and a Green Marker

It was not lack of ability that limited my people, but lack of opportunity. - Tatomkhula

Everywhere we went in Ethiopia, children recognized and knew that the "farenj" would/could give them something. Candy. Shoes. Clothes. Food. Blankets. Diapers. Formula. Maybe even a little money (though we didn't really do this.....much). Over and over again we heard, "cahndee", "choc-o-late", "gum", "give me", "shoes", "sister, hungry".

But not at Korah.

At Korah, the children approach you with one intention, one need, one desire. They want a sponsor. They KNOW that education equals hope; hope for a better life outside of the trash dump. And they know that that opportunity (for them) will only come through sponsorship.

Project 61 is the conduit of that hope as they provide the structure through which sponsorship can occur. You and I can be the deliverer of that hope through a commitment to sponsor. The cost of sponsorship for a child attending boarding school (Shashamane) is $750.00 annually; for children attending Bright Hope, the day school at Korah, the cost is $350.00 annually. The price of sponsorship in both of these programs ensures that these children not only get an education but also are guaranteed one meal a day. As much as we don't want to accept it, they may otherwise not have a meal.

As we began to mingle with the children of Korah, they began to ask, "You sponsor?"; they were buzzing like little bees from one to another to find someone willing to sponsor. Many of our team found children to love and sponsor on this day.

As I sat talking with some little ones, my sister Ashley appeared with a whole crowd of boys. One was a young boy that she'd agreed to sponsor (Kumalachu), one was his friend (who we believe still needs a sponsor); and then the other pair was an impressive young boy and his quiet friend, Teraku. The friend has a sponsor and attends Shashamane Boarding School but, on this day, he was advocating for his friend, Teraku (who seemed sad and shy). He said, "he is my best friend; he needs a sponsor; he is a clever student".

(Ashley and her sponsored child, Kumalachu)

(Me and Teraku)

How could I say no to that?

I told Teraku that I would sponsor him and, from that moment on, I don't believe that the child ever let go of my hand. He was very protective and continually making certain that my backpack was zipped and no one was bothering it or my camera. He wanted to see pictures of my family which I was able to show him on my phone. He would shoo others away and just kept looking at me and squeezing tighter on my hand. It was closing in on time for me to leave so I began to try to explain to Teraku that I would return on Friday. He asked me to show him, using my fingers as a guide....Monday was my thumb, Tuesday (the current day we were in) was my pointer finger, Wednesday was my middle finger, Thursday was my ring finger and Friday was my pinky (and the day we would return). When I was sure that he understood, I said goodbye to him with promises to see him again.

Back at the guest house, we all packed our newfound friends a backpack filled with some of our donations. For Teraku, I packed an Amharic childrens Bible, jeans and a shirt, a pair of shoes, some school supplies, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a frisbee and some underwear. I threw in a few snacks and some play jewelry for his sister.

Thankfully, we were able to return on Friday as promised. We'd been told to be discreet in passing out our gifts so as not to "rub it in" to the other children, still without sponsors or otherwise ineligible for the program. As soon as we got out of the van, Teraku made his way to me and insisted on helping carry my extra load (his backpack though he had no idea it was his at the time). He handed me a handwritten letter that he'd written in green marker on a piece of notebook paper.

It said, among other things, that I was his gift from God. Teraku has so much to learn. : )

As we were sitting and I was reading my letter from him, I noticed that he had something written on his arm in that same green marker, so I raised his sleeve to take a peek. This is what I found:

Be still my heart.

Teraku invited me to his home and so we walked deep into the village of Korah for a visit.


His mother was at a neighbor's when we arrived but as soon as she realized that we were there, she rushed in and began scurrying around (the same way that I do when company's coming) tidying up their (tiny, one room, dirt floor, mud walls) home. She went out the door and came back carrying a bench for Ashley and I to sit on and then.....THEN.....she slipped a dress off of a hook on the wall and placed it on over her clothes. For me. Humbled.

Our translator helped me as I passed out the items in the backpack. He would describe each item and then translate for me their deep gratitude for each and every thing. After all of the gifts had been viewed and placed back into the backpack, I handed Teraku's mom, a single parent, some birr to help her out. She thanked me profusely, talked of what a gift from God I was and how thankful she was for me and how the children's father was gone and she was alone.

(Teraku's sister and his mom)

The love of that mother to this one has forever changed me.....and it all took place in a one-room mud hut.

Cliff Notes Version - Ethiopia

(Brief thoughts that I typed into my "journal" from each day of our trip.....I will blog more details regarding these experiences in the days/weeks to come).

For the time being, I am going to try to update the blog just with some details to chronicle each day. There is so much more to come…just as soon as my heart has time to process all that I’m seeing and experiencing.

Internet is sketchy (at best) and can’t be had at all in our third floor room here at the Ethiopian Guest Home, so I am typing into a word document and will later (when I catch a wave on the world wide web) post. Because of this, I can’t see my last post and recall exactly what it said. I apologize, in advance, for any repetition.

Day One (Wednesday, July 6^th)

Met at the airport in Nashville at 4:15 pm. 13 of our team of 28 left on this flight at 6:30 pm bound for Washington DC where we would (and did) spend the night.

Day Two (Thursday, July 7^th)

Boarded a flight at 12:00 pm. Next stop - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Day Three (Friday, July 8^th)

YES, you read that right, we didn’t arrive until the following day in ET). To be exact, 8:00 am (Ethiopia time) arrived in Addis Ababa. Things didn’t go as we’d planned at the airport (to put it mildly) and we were “detained” there for 5 hours. (I’ll try to explain more about this later but let’s just say, oftentimes in Ethiopia, they make up the rules as they go along). Because of this, we were unable to report to what was to have been our first orphanage (El Olam) to feed the children. Always an adventure, remember? Twenty six (two others joined us here) extremely tired people arrived at our Guest Home, unloaded the mounds of luggage and began sorting donations. WOW at the donations, by the way (each team member had 2-50 pound bags each –PLUS- we had 5 additional 50 pound bags. This, by the way, was the reason we were “detained” at the airport. As we checked into our rooms and peeked out the windows, the “street children” were starting to gather; waving to us from below and smiling widely. We headed out into the street and began to visit and play with the children (soccer, iPads, lollipops, etc.). What a blessing it was to see their faces, shake their hands and hug their necks. What started out as a frustrating day turned out to be a HUGE blessing. Beauty from ashes, for sure. We were able, from the donations, to provide many of the children with shoes, soccer jerseys, etc. Such fun.

Day Four (Saturday, July 9^th)

Our breakfast was served from 7:30-8:30 this morning and then off we went. We loaded the vans with donations and headed out to Yezelelem Minch. We were briefed on the program and then taken over into the village where the children were attending Sunday School (on Saturday; yes you read that right). Once they were dismissed, we had some time to play with them, hand out more lollipops, etc. This was a sweet time with the people of this village. As we were leaving, there was a young girl (age 20) there wanting help. She was homeless and had seen us in “town” and followed the van to the village to see if we could help her. The needs here are great. Next, we stopped by Restoration Orphanage to love on some little ones. We had a great time there; the children are being provided great care there. Heartwarming.

Day Five (Sunday, July 10^th)

We worshipped today at the Beza International Church. Such reverent worship with brothers and sisters in Christ. It was an English service (their earlier service is in Amharic) and was more than I can really put into words right now. We had lunch back at the Guest Home and then headed out to an area here known as the Post Office District. There is, in fact, a Post Office there but our mission was to visit the market place where locally made and culturally relevant souveneirs are sold. This was an experience that I’m not sure I was prepared for (even though I’d been warned). There are many beggars at the market area and we’re not talking about people with signs who say, “will work for food”. I’m talking about people who follow you around and BEG for help. Food, money, etc. It was more than just a little overwhelming but I was able to purchase some nice momentoes from the trip. Following our shopping experience, we went just across the road to a parking lot where the local street children often hang out and play soccer. I believe that I used the term “street children” in a paragraph above speaking about the kids who wait for us outside of the Guest Home. This is a completely different thing as those children have homes near the Guest Home….the just tend to hang out in the street. The “street children” in the Post Office District actually live in and on the streets. They are oftentimes motherless and fatherless; they are dirty, hungry and, oftentimes, high from sniffing glue or chewing "chat". It seems they are always desperate. Our intent in going there was to allow the guys on our team to play a pick-up game of soccer. They did play for a while but our time there was brief. We hope to return there before we leave one last time. It would be nice to be able to give out some of our donations there but it is simply not safe; I’m not sure how that is going to work out.

Day Six (Monday, July 11^th)

Today was our first day to head out into the countryside. We headed out bright and early and drove 2-3 hours South to Woliso Orphanage. The countryside was beautiful and just what you imagine Africa to look like. We saw mud houses and grass/straw huts. We saw farmers plowing behind plows that were powered by oxen. We saw many workers out in the fields and their children helping or shepherding the sheep; the smaller ones were playing on their own in the fields. We saw donkey carrying LARGE loads of hay/straw and/or water jugs on their backs and people gathering water from what, to us, was nothing more than a dirty mud hole on the side of the road. There were women washing the laundry in basins out in the “yard” and clothes hanging out to dry. There was beauty to be seen hand in hand with the stark realization that people are living this way in 2011 (actually, in Ethiopia it’s only 2003 now). Many (I would almost guess MOST) of the people that we saw were without shoes. As we approached the part of “town” where Woliso is, it became even more heart breaking. These children (and their families) are , BY FAR, the poorest I have ever seen. As our vans drove through the village, though, the smiles and waves for the white people ("fringe') were more humbling than I can put into words. We are quite the spectacle here and always draw a crowd. We arrived at Woliso and drove into the gates to unload, we were given a tour of the orphanage and then broke into groups to do crafts, play games, read stories and paint nails and faces. All the while, the village children (and many of their mothers) were gathering outside of the fence….little faces peering in in anticipation of a visit with us. Following our time at the orphanage, we walked through the village and were invited into 3 different homes. All mud/straw huts; either one room or two with nothing more than a foam mattress or just a pallet of blankets on the floor. Almost all of the children (and adults) were shoeless and many of the children were bare-bottomed. Children were carrying their siblings on their backs and the flies….oh my word….the flies. They were covering the children’s faces and they are so accustomed to it that they don’t even attempt to swat them away. Just life as they know it. We had brought donations for these children (as Kelly had seen the need on a previous visit and her heart longed to provide for them) and we attempted to gain some order and begin passing out shoes, clothes and UNDERWEAR. Kelly had remembered their being, maybe 20 children there in the streets outside of the orphanage last year and so we thought it would be a cinch. However, the crowd had grown to about 200 and it quickly became chaotic. We were able to hand out most of what we had but, reached a point, where we simply had to pack it up because it had become so crazy. Sometimes it is hard to see God’s glory in some of this but, on this day, I found it in panties and briefs and little bottoms that were bare when we arrived were now covered up and belonged to children with smiles on their faces. I’m not sure what all I can share about this area and this orphanage at this time but I would ask you; in fact, I beg you, to pray for these people. My heart is very heavy for them. And I’m sure that God’s is too.

Day 7 (Tuesday, July 12^th)

First stop today was the “sheep market” (which is nothing more than an empty lot on the side of the road where farmers bring their sheep to sell each day). There we purchased 45 sheep. Something I don’t do every day. I promise pictures later because you really have to see it to believe it but those sheep were thrown (alive and baa-ing), legs tied, onto the top of our van where they made the trek with us to Korah. I have blogged about Korah before. Five of those sheep were being slaughtered to feed the children (luckily we didn’t have to watch this) but the other 40 were being gifted to several families who have land. These sheep will help these families to build a flock of their own and provide for themselves; life changing. At Korah, we were divided into groups where we taught the children some conversational English. After that, we assisted in serving the children their lunch (rice and bread) and then spent some time visiting with the local children in the streets. We all carry backpacks everywhere we go and it is universally known that those backpacks contain candy and snacks, maybe a toy or two. This (and our white skin) make us extremely popular. The hot topic on the streets of Korah (amongst the children and the white people) is about “SPONSORS”. Education, in Ethiopia, is not a right but a privilege and there is no free public education here. Any child who goes to school has to pay for that education. Project 61 has come into Korah and is helping to educate the children with the help of sponsors. The children KNOW that sponsorship can and will change their lives and I was taken back by the fact that sponsors, more than candy, were at the forefront of their minds. You’ll be hearing more about sponsorship from me in future posts. I met a young boy on this day, Taraqu, whose friend was taking him from one "fringe'" (white person) to another, advocating for a sponsor for him. He would say, "Taraqu needs a sponsor....he is a clever student". I agreed to sponsor Taraqu and have some stories to share with you about him and the blessing that HE has already been to ME (not exactly the way that that was supposed to happen).

Day 8 (July 13, 2011)

We set out this morning with the intention to visit a privately run orphanage North of Addis Ababa. We thought that it was approximately an hour and a half drive. After 2 ½ hours, we realized we had passed our destination and turned around and headed back. In the meantime, the director of the orphanage speaks with our guide and has decided (since he discovered that we were not bringing a CASH donation) that he is not going to allow us there. On to Plan B (this is where we make it up as we go along). The team is transported in three separate vans and, as we are stopped one behind the other, to discuss what to do next, the area children begin to appear. We are able to spend a few minutes passing out clothes, shoes, Bibles and, of course, “cahndee”. We head back in to Addis to find a place to stop and eat our packed lunch and our guide, Bizrat (“Bizzy”) came up with a great plan. So, after lunch, we headed up the mountain to a village where the women carry eucalyptus branches in HUGE bundles on their backs down into “town”. We went to an open field where the children play and, of course, started a soccer game. The children began to come and we were able to load many of them up with new clothes, shoes, blankets for the babies, fun jewelry for the little girls and, again, “cahndee”. As we experienced at Woliso on Monday, once the parents begin to arrive to get in on the loot, things quickly become out of hand so we had to pack it up and go. However, two of our vans stopped on the way down the hill and each took the load of one of the women who was making her way down to town; they loaded her branches on top of the car and gave her a ride to her destination. And then, on top of that, Kelly and Lauren took the shoes off of their own feet and gave them to these ladies. Unfortunately, my van had gone ahead so I wasn’t able to experience this firsthand but ALL of the reports seem to add up to one blessed experience for all involved. These women make this trip 3 times each day but, today, their burden was lifted for just a while.

Day 9 (July 14, 2011)

We loaded up the vans for a journey today....off to visit the Hope Ethiopia site. I'm not exactly sure but we drove South approximately 2 hours and then turned off the main (paved) road onto a dirt one. On past trips, the dirt road was an indication that we were almost there but not today. We traveled on that dirt road for another hour and ten minutes. It was, by far, the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen. We eventually arrived at the Hope Ethiopia site and their guide joined us as we ended our journey in the little village there. As we drove into the area, it was evident that the land, the crops and the livestock were healthier than we'd seen. Hope Ethiopia has a reforestation project in this area and you could see the fruit of their work. It is our understanding that only 14 teams have ever made the trek out to this area, none of them to work with the children and, as we began to visit with them, it was evident. Many of them were scared of us and communicating was extremely difficult. They do not speak Amharic (native Ethiopia language) here but their own tribal language which meant that we did not have a translator. Love is universal though so we began to do what we do (soccer, crafts, hugs, cameras, "cahndee"). As I was opening some craft kits for the children to do, I opened up markers and set the items in front of them, I quickly realized that these children had NO idea what to do with a marker. I had to show them to take the top off and color with it. Unbelievable. These children were extremely dirty and COVERED in flies; on their faces, in their eyes. Heartbreaking. We loaded up and drove back down the dirt road to the Hope Ethiopia office. This area was fenced in with barbwire and had a large gate. We had brainstormed about a better way to pass out donations and thought we had it figured out. The families lined up outside of the gates and were let in 5 or 10 at a time. We were stationed inside the area with shoes, clothes, mosquito nets (malaria is a problem here) and food to pass out. It went very well. For a while. We have noted that each time we try to hand out donations, it goes fairly smoothly until the adults arrive. Once they realize what is going on, their desperation to get something for their children (or themselves) drives them to seek things more aggressively than we feel is manageable. Unfortunately, once again, this forced us to close up shop and load the vans. This time, however, instead of loading the items on top of the vans to return to the Guest Home, we simply placed what was left (mostly little girls panties) inside the vans with us and, as we made the long drive back out of the area, we were able to toss panties (and candy and mosquito nets) out of the vans to the little girls (and boys too) walking alongside the road. As crazy as it sounds, this was one of the highlights of the trip. So fun to bless others in this way when they weren't expecting it. We made a stop back by Restoration Orphanage this day as well as many of our hearts had connected with these kids and we needed one last time to love on them there.

Day 10 (July 15, 2011)

We could hardly believe that this was our last day...what a blessing this time has been to each of us. We headed back to Korah; an area that has just stolen all of our hearts. We had promised the children that we'd be back on Friday and they were eagerly awaiting our arrival. The sheep we had bought earlier in the week were slaughtered and cooked up for lunch (a HUGE treat for these children who normally eat rice and bread). We broke up into groups and served lunch. Many of us were invited into the homes of various children. I will blog later about my visit to Taraqu's home. We loaded up the vans with some of the children and took them to a nearby field for a soccer game. After returning them to Korah, we made one last stop at the marketplace for last minute purchases and then went back to the Guest House to pack up and load the vans. We grabbed a bite to eat and then went to the airport to catch our 10:00 pm flight back to Washington DC.

From the time we got to the airport in Addis Ababa (7:15 ET time) to the time we arrived in Nashville (4:30 pm Central Time) was approximately 28 hours (including layovers, etc.). You'd be safe to assume we were a little tired (and stinky since time didn't allow for a shower after serving in Korah). But all of our hearts are bursting with love for this country and the people there.

I look forward to sharing details and pictures in posts to come.

I have an Ethiopia-shaped hole in my heart.

Catching Up and Taking Off

And, just like that, I'm six days (SIX DAYS!!!) away from the beginning of the end of my journey to Ethiopia.

It has been an absolute privilege for me to watch the hands and the feet come together and join with me on this trip. A trip that was born of a love for people that I don't even know. I asked Him to break my heart for what breaks His. And He has (or at least He has begun to.....I have this sneaky feeling that this is only the beginning).

I want to chronicle a little of what has happened since I last posted.

Initially, I wasn't certain that I wanted to fundraise for this trip but it didn't take long for God to show me differently. He impressed upon me that this trip wasn't only for me and that there was a role for others to play. Also, I believe that he wanted me to put myself out there and work to raise the funds and, I'm not certain that I know ALL of the reasons for that but I know this......I have been blessed. I have been blessed by people who shopped at our Yard Sale who told us to "keep the change", who brought items for us to sale, who made a donation even though they didn't buy a thing. I have been blessed by the Sunday mornings at church when I was handed donations for the children we will meet. I was blessed by Eli (see previous post) and his friends who gave for the sake of children who aren't as blessed as they are. I have been blessed by people who unexpectedly (and quietly) made a donation to my trip online or who made a purchase from Ordinary Hero to benefit the cause. I have been blessed by the encouragement and the prayers of others and I have been blessed in being able to talk to people I otherwise may have never gotten to talk to about Ethiopia, about orphans and about Christ and what He is doing in me and for me. The cost of this trip is approximately $3,300.00 Initially, as I said, I wasn't sure that I was going to try to raise any of it. And, then, I thought I'd attempt to raise half. I shudder now at the blessings I would have missed along the way had I not stepped out in faith to watch Him fund what He favors. Instead of 50% of the trip costs, God blessed me through various means with closer to 90%.

Ashley and I held a Yard Sale in which we split all proceeds. We set out dreaming BIG....saying, "wouldn't it be AWESOME if we could each earn $1,000.00"? Later...as the sale became reality, I didn't tell Ashley but I decided that that was silly and that I'd just be totally pumped if we could each earn $500.00. (Ashley later confessed to me that she had similar thoughts about our BIG plans of $1,000.00 each).

Well, I'm guessing none of you will be surprised to learn that that Yard Sale earned us..... ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS. EACH! That God......he's something else, isn't He?

I sold Ugandan Acacia Bead necklaces (a fundraiser made available by Visiting Orphans (dot org) and I fundraised through Ordinary Hero (dot org) where 40% of all sales made on my behalf were donated to my trip.

And so, here we are; at the end of the beginning. Next Wednesday evening, I depart from Nashville for Washington DC. We will spend the night there and then leave on Thursday at Noon. Some (many) hours later (13 according to my itinerary), we will land in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

I hope to blog from there, although we've been warned that internet is questionable at best. There is an internet cafe that I may have an occasional chance to visit. I will try to pre-write posts in a word document and then copy and paste them into the blog if and when I get a chance and/or email info to Jeff that he can copy and paste into the blog.

I hope to post one more time before we leave but, just in case I'm unable, I covet your prayers for myself, for Ashley and for our entire team; not to mention the people that we will come in contact with along the way. I pray that I will allow His light to shine in me and that, in all I say and do, He is glorified.

Do You Know What An Ordinary Hero Looks Like?

I sure do.

As I prepare for my trip to Ethiopia, the "ordinary heroes" just keep showing up. They show up in the form of ladies at church who bring me little boys & girls underwear for the children of Ethiopia because they heard that the littles there love their own undies. They appear in the form of sweet friends who bring me Crocs and rain boots to share with children who have none for their bare feet. They are out there combing the shelves of yard sales and thrift shops for sweet little dolls and then taking them home and cleaning them up before delivering them to me so that some little girl will have a fresh, clean baby to love. They are friends and family who quietly donate online through Visiting Orphans toward my trip costs. They spend a day working hard at our fundraising yard sale; they clean out closets and donate items we can sell (and sell we did....yard sale post coming soon). They clip coupons and, weekly, bring me bags of toothpaste and toothbrushes to donate to the people of Korah. They sell Ugandan magazine beads in their offices and hair salons because they believe in the cause and they drop off things like Dum Dums (suckers) and Matchbox cars out of nothing but love.

And sometimes they are sweet little boys who, for their birthday, ask their friends to bring items for the children of Ethiopia instead of gifts for himself. And just like that story we've all heard about the starfish. He/we can't save them all but he/we can make a difference for at least one.



Thanks to one of my favorite ordinary heroes, Eli; I am so very proud of the sacrifice that you made on behalf of the children in Ethiopia who will be so very blessed by the gifts of you and your friends.

But I Know NOW

Once upon a time....I didn't know that Ethiopia, a country that's smaller than twice the size the state of Texas, was home to 5,000,000 orphans. FIVE MILLION.

But I know now.

Once upon a time....I didn't know that, in Ethiopia, one in ten children will die before their first birthday; one in six before they're 5.

But I know now.

Once upon a time....I didn't know that the average life expectancy in Ethiopia is 49 years old.

But I know now.

Once upon a time....I didn't know that, due to malnutrition, 50% of Ethiopian children have stunted growth; malnutrition is the underlying cause of more than half of all child deaths.

But I know now.

Once upon a time....I didn't know that, in Ethiopia, there is 1 physician for every 34,988 people.

But I know now.

Once upon a time....I didn't know that the literacy rate in Ethiopia was 36%.

But I know now.

Once upon a time....I didn't know that only 22% of Ethiopians have access to safe water.

But I know now.

Once upon a time....I didn't know that the average ANNUAL income in Ethiopia was $180.00; I didn't know that the country ranks in the bottom 7% globally in annual per capita income.

But I know now.

Once upon a time....I didn't know that only 26% of Ethiopian children will ever go to secondary school. Actually, only half will ever attend school at all.

But I know now.

Once upon a time....I didn't know that over 575,000 children have been orphaned due to the AIDS-related deaths of one or both of their parents.

But I know now.

Once upon a time....I didn't know that there are as many as 150,000 orphaned children living on the streets in Ethiopia.

But I know now.

I didn't know that there were people, like those in Korah, who live in and out of a trash dump. I didn't know that they were shoeless, diaperless and hungry. But I know now. And now that I know, I have a responsibility. What does that look like? I'm not 100% certain. We do everything that we can. To start, we make prayer for the people of Ethiopia a priority. We keep our eyes, our ears and our hearts open to what He would have us to do. It means that we do things to assist (financially and otherwise); whether it be through an organization like Ordinary Hero, Project 61, Compassion International or a family who is in the process of adopting; it means that we make others aware so that they too become responsible to do something. We hope, we pray, we encourage, we help.

I suspect that God will throw some doors WIDE OPEN for us on my upcoming trip. I look forward with hopeful anticipation and complete awe to having my heart broken a little (or A LOT) more for what breaks His.

ONCE OUR EYES ARE OPENED, WE CANNOT PRETEND WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. GOD, WHO WEIGHS OUR HEARTS AND KEEPS OUR SOULS KNOWS AND HOLDS US RESPONSIBLE TO ACT. Proverbs 24:12

Friends With News

Our sweet friends, The Hulshofs, received their referral(s) on Friday !!!

We have gotten a sneak peek at the faces of two cute girls who will soon be Hulshofs and are so excited for this family, whom we love so much.

If you don't already, follow them here and watch the rest of this story take place.

The hope is that Chris & Valerie will have a court date in June. Typically, the return visit to bring the girls home would be a matter of weeks later (sometimes 3-4, sometimes 6 or more). If things work out the way that it looks like they will, I hope to be able to visit the girls (Hannah and Aby) and take them a care package while I'm in Ethiopia in early July.

I am so excited for this family and eagerly watching God unfold the story of their family.

Update(S)

I have been neglectful in updating since my previous post regarding the scare surrounding Ethiopian adoptions. As it turns out, prayers have been answered and all seems well in Ethiopia. I am praising God for the following, posted by the Joint Council:

Since announcement, the Department of State has heard many rumors, but none have been substantiated. The U.S. Embassy can confirm that the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs has shuffled the portfolios of key adoption personnel. The Embassy has not been able to confirm how this reorganization may affect the processing of cases through the ministry. Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa is discussing the possibility of developing a consolidated assistance proposal to MOWA to find out what the resource needs are and find what assistance can be given to allow MOWA to accomplish their goals.

In the meantime, for the Williams family, time seems to be racing by at lightning speed. There is so much going on in our lives and in the upcoming months. Currently, we are "Spring Breaking" in Destin, FL where the weather is beautiful and the time together as a family is priceless. This is the last Spring Break of its kind as Jordan will soon be graduating from High School. This time next year, he'll be off to Union University and it's highly likely that the boys' Spring Breaks won't coincide for a trip like this one.

Another sign of time NOT standing still is the fact that Braeden will be celebrating a BIG birthday on Sunday.......can't believe he'll be THIRTEEN !!!!

In addition to Jordan's May graduation, Jeff graduates from Vanderbilt in July (with his MBA) but, first, he'll be taking his International Residency trip with his class (to Budhapest and Istanbul) in late April/early May.

I continue to prepare for my upcoming trip to Ethiopia. I am currently fundraising through Ordinary Hero. In addition, my sister (Ashley) and I will be holding the first of two yard sales on April 8th and 9th (at her home in Murfreesboro). So many people have been so gracious to donate items to the sale. We currently have one bay of our garage FILLED with items for the sale AND friends of Ashley's are housing another LARGE collection of items.

Speaking of collecting, I continue to be overwhelmed and humbled by the individuals in my church who, each week, bring me goodies for the children in Ethiopia. I can hardly wait to see the faces of the little ones when we take these items over. I have one special contributor who I plan to post about soon.

On Friday, March 25th, ORDINARY HERO is offering a matching grant for the first affiliate to raise $100.00. If you were considering ordering some OH gear for yourself/family, tomorrow would be a great time to do it. When making your purchase, simply choose my name from the drop-down box in order for me to receive 40% toward my trip costs.

Lastly.....for some time, I have followed the blog of a local family who adopted from Ethiopia. As it turns out, the Mom of this family (Amy) will be traveling on the same OH trip to Ethiopia. In addition, she recently linked to another blogger (Kim) who also will be on the trip. Kim is currently doing a giveaway on her blog with proceeds from the donations given benefitting El Olam Orphanage (which we will be visiting).

I apologize for the randomness of this post. I just felt like I had some catching up to do, but vacation calls and I likely didn't do this post justice. I have more posts swirling around in my head......promise to update soon.