This girl is preparing for a "dream come true" mission trip back to her birth country of Ethiopia in just over 5 weeks!
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| going to get her passport |
Our church has formed a new partnership with a Children's HopeChest supported care point called "I Care for the Nations" in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
We have always planned on taking our kids back to Ethiopia at some point, we just didn't know exactly when that would be. When this opportunity was presented to us about a month ago, Nick and I prayed about it and quickly decided that we didn't want to miss this opportunity. We decided that because I just went to Ethiopia in February, Nick should go this time (although I'm dying to go back and be on this trip). He felt like Hermela was the child he should take with him and she is thrilled!
It doesn't get much better than this!
Our very own church forming a partnership to care for orphaned and vulnerable children in our favorite place of Ethiopia and working with one of our favorite organization, Children's HopeChest (to read more about Children's Hopechest go to www.hopechest.org or click on my blog posts tagged "trees of glory).
It's the perfect storm!
My heart is overflowing!
Hermela has been hard at work getting support letters together, applying for her passport and getting travel shots to prepare for the big trip.
Rahel volunteered to help with the many letters detailing the upcoming trip and how others can join in (coming to a mailbox near you :-).
So what does it take to send two people on a mission trip to Ethiopia for 10 days?
Aside from arranging time off and changing schedules and the above mentioned activities, I have to be honest, it takes a lot of money.
About $6000!
It's just expensive to fly to Ethiopia, no way around that! This time of year, tickets run between $1800-$2200 a piece.
Add in the cost of meals, guest house accommodations, ground transportation, translators/guides and mission project expenses and you can see how it all adds up.
So my question is, is it really worth it to spend so much money on a 10 day trip?
My whole hearted response to this is ABSOLUTLEY!
The relationships that are established on these trips are essential to ministry.
It's easy to hear about children in need, feel sad, and then go about your day.
It's nearly impossible to spend days with precious children swarming you, seeing their smiles, hearing their little laughs, taking in their often heartbreaking stories, and then return home and do nothing.
Once you know their names and have seen their faces and held their little hands, you are compelled to act.
It literally keeps me up at night wondering what else can be done to make a difference.
So I ask again, what does it take to make a trip like this happen?
It takes lots of people coming together for the sake of others.
We cannot financially do this on our own, but we are trusting fully in God’s ability to fund this.
As David Platt says, “What can we spare?” and “What will it take?” are two radically different questions. We are tempted to settle for throwing our scraps to the poor-our “spare time” and our “spare money.” What would happen if we stopped asking how much we could spare, and started asking how much it will take?
So we are prepared to once again fundraise for the cause of children in need. We will have a yard sale (not my favorite thing), Nick will take on side jobs, we'll save our pennies, and most importantly, we'll pray and trust God for his provisions.
We prayed over the support letters just before we dropped them in the mailbox. We know that God's story is bigger than just our family. By joining Hermela and Nick in prayer, you will have an opportunity to journey with them and impact the children at I Care. Additionally, your financial contributions will make this trip a reality and make a difference in many lives for years to come.
When God's people come together, there is no limit to what He will do.
I've seen it happen over and over again!
If you'd like to give towards this trip, you can click the donate button at the top left side of this page to donate via paypal. Every penny goes directly towards this mission trip.
You can also send check's payable to our church or give online at our church's website (email me at jirvin79@gmail.com for details).
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen
Ephesians 3:20-21
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