Ethiopia 2022

Today we we went to International Evangelical Center for church with Lea and her husband Sammy. Lea’s parents (Colorado residents) helped plant this church and the connecting theological seminary in the 90’s. We were able to worship with locals and missionaries from all over. Sammy has been the youth pastor there for 3 years, so after the service he was eager to show us the youth area. He is a builder by trade and has a vision! After getting through a small swamp and hiking up 30 concrete stairs we were at the top of the youth center, which is currently being used, but all open. He described in detail all of his plans and vision for the youth of Addis. We had lunch at a trendy burger joint called Sishu and ice cream next door, then headed back to our hotel. Belay and his family, Lea and Chloe, and Keegan joined us at the pool and dinner afterward. This was a day of rest! -Jaime

“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.” Psalms 82:3 NIV After wonderful introductions the past several days to Ethiopia’s culture, people, and beauty, today we began implementing the teaching, songs, and games we’ve been planning the past several months.  The morning began with a visit to Elevate Ethiopia (www.elevateethiopia.com), a ministry serving children and their families in Addis through education, mentorship, and economic empowerment programs. Elevate seeks to preserve vulnerable families, keeping them intact so that the children do not become orphaned. Their programs include after-school tutoring, English classes, a class computer lab, life skills training, small business micro-loans for moms, counseling, and medical care.  In Ethiopia, more than 5.6 million children are missing one or both parents. Hope for the Fatherless believes orphaned and vulnerable children should be placed in a family—not institutional care—through...

Good Evening Ethiopia! Day seven started with preparation for VBS!  We journeyed to Hope for the Fatherless’ main head quarters, and gathered supplies and organized our team for what is to start tomorrow afternoon!!! We are all eager to get time with these sweet kids at Hope for the Fatherless!  After our amazing lunch at HFTF headquarters, and VBS prep work, we headed over to Unity Park - the “Ethiopian Smithsonian.” The best way to describe it would be, a zoo AND a museum in one, highlighting Ethiopia’s history and displaying some of its very own animals! Rain was not absent, as we all walked around Unity Park, but it definitely didn’t make our time any less special.  ❤️ We chatted, walked, talked, read, and listened to all we could while we were there!   We ended our day with shopping at a few local stores & then headed back to the hotel for dinner and bed.  We are so thankful for all of you watching our trip through this blog as well as covering us in pr...

Toilet with view:  We started the day again today with a delicious breakfast on the patio at Lalibela. The view was amazing and the food delicious! We have been so thankful for the gracious and attentive staff at this lodge! Our team was well rested and energized for our final tour of the ancient churches.   As we walked toward the last church of our tour, we traveled through a long, VERY dark tunnel which signified a journey from hell toward heaven. Along the way we were encouraged to pray, and feel God‘s presence as we moved toward the church of the Emmanuel: God with Us. We were a bit nervous at the time, but later reflected on how this experience impacted us. Many were thankful for the team and how we offered encouragement and guidance while walking through utter darkness. Personally, I thought it was a great reminder of how much we need each other as we walk through life, especially during dark times. Leaving Lalibela was bittersweet    because we were all so am...