It's That Time of Year Again....AAI's Holiday Project Time, That is..

Just wanted to share a message from Mandie, who organizes AAI's Holiday Project every year:

In the spirit of the season, and reflecting on how truly blessed we are, and all the things we have to be Thankful for, I have to say how Thankful I am that we chose AAI. AAI brought three beautiful daughters into our family, and has offered me many opportunities to travel to Ethiopia, and to Layla House.

My life changed on February 10th, 2007... when I stepped out of Bole airport and into the crisp night air of Addis, and I haven't looked back. My eyes were opened to the plight of the people of Ethiopia, especially the orphans... Since that first trip, I've been back to visit and volunteer 7 times. My heart has the imprints of tiny hands and big eyes, workers who wash tons of laundry a week to provide for their own families, sponsorship kids, whose lives are changed by the contributions that thier sponsors send every month. 

I'm Thankful for the Holiday project... that allows me to play 'Santa' every year to hundreds of kids, not only in AAI's care center, but to sponsorship kids, and children in smaller government run orphanages, that AAI works with.  And I'm especially Thankful for all of YOU. You are the ones who keep this project going, who make it a success, and who brighten the lives of these children and caregivers... You continue to help me show them that someone out there is thinking of them... that they are loved... and that they mean something. 

Thank you to all who have donated! And Thanks in advance, to those of you who will find it in your hearts and wallets to do so now. 'm happy to say, that we have raised $5,705 since my last update, bringing our total to date to $5,755. With only 4 weeks left until Christmas, we need to really buckle down and raise the remaining $14,245.... I have no doubt that we will do it.... but I need your help! 

Here are a couple of pics from last years Holiday celebration

Debritu holding our daughter Tihun....Tihun waving 

Tihun receiving her Holiday Project gifts.....she's a little afraid of Santa, 

but who can blame her?  Santa's can be scary...have you ever gotten up close to one?  

Nice sandals Santa...  ;)

Back to Mandie's message:
Two years ago, my then almost 6 year old son, overheard me talking with my husband about the huge amount we still needed to raise, and how I was afraid we might not make it. An hour or so later, he came to me with his piggy bank, and a handful of change that he scrounged from around the house... he wanted to donate it all to the project. I thought it was a great idea (he has been to Ethiopia a few times, and has met and played with some of these kids!) and told him that whatever spare change he could find around the house, we would donate. Over the next day or so he managed to collect around $120 in coins from seat cushions, night stands, and the car.... Unbelievable, right?! This has become his annual tradition, the scouring of the house for loose change. I can't wait to see how much he finds this year!

I encourage you to get your kids involved... Allow them to empty your change purse, and look under the cushions... And when its all said and done in January, you can show them the photos on Snapfish from my trip, and let them see what they were able to do. I encourage you to give BIG... even if the best you can do right now is a few dollars... Every donation counts and helps us get closer to our goal! Go without the morning coffee for a week... Stay in this Friday night, and watch a DVD, instead of forking out money for dinner and a movie...
pack your lunch for a week... there are a lot of things we as American's could go without for a week (or more)in order to make a child's holiday brighter! What can you go without? How much can you donate by going without it for a week?

We have received many donations in the past in honor of a family or child that is home, grandparents, teachers, great aunts and uncles...A donation to the Holiday Project is also a great gift, for the 'folks who have everything'! For a minimum $30 donation, we will collect those names and addresses and a special "a holiday gift from _______________ in your honor will benefit children at Layla House and Humanitarian projects in Ethiopia" will be sent in mid-December to the recipient of your choice.

This year, the project will be smaller, and will encompass the following programs, with half of each total going towards Humanitarian Aid... (A $30 donation will provide for one child or caregiver)

*Children at Layla, Wanna and Opportunity Houses will receive A New Traditional Outfit, Small wrapped gift and Candy.

*Caregivers at Layla, Wanna and Opportunity Houses will receive a modest cash bonus which they can use to purchase holiday foods, and other items for their families.

*Children in the Orphaned Student Project (OSP) will receive a modest cash bonus which they can use to purchase holiday foods, and other items for their families.

*Sheep will be provided for several small orphanages in order for them to have a festive holiday meal.

For families who would like their donation to go to a certain child or program, I would be happy to receive those requests! Since I am in charge of keeping it all straight, Once you have made your donation via mail or online, please send me an email with your name, donation amount, and where you would like the money spent.Don't forget to send me the 'In Honor Of' info, if you would like a card sent to your honoree. Once we begin receiving donations, I will post weekly updates to let you all know where we are, and what we still need!

There are 3 convenient ways to donate....
1) Donations can be made by check or money order and sent (with a note
specifying "HOLIDAY GIFT PROJECT" and your preferences) directly to
AAI at the address below....

Adoption Advocates International
709 South Peabody Street
Port Angeles, Washington 98362

2) Donations can also be made conveniently at the AAI website, by
clicking the "DONATE NOW" button, click on "Holiday project" and type
what portion of the project you would like your donation to go to,in the Donation Designation Field.
www.adoptionadvocates.org

3) An option is also available at the Benefit Orphans store, where you can also find great gifts for the holidays that benefit the GRACE Fund and other AAI projects.
www.benefitorphans.org

**PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO EMAIL MANDIE WITH YOUR DONATION DETAILS! And feel free to email her with any questions! If she doesn't know the answer, she will find someone who does!
Mandie's email address:
socialbug69 @ hotmail.com (omit spaces!)

The children and staff at Layla, Wanna, Opportunity House, Orphaned Student Project and the orphanages that AAI works with, all thank you for helping to make their Christmas holiday a truly joyous one!

Can you hear them?

There are so many children all around the world, praying for a family to call their own.  They are waiting and hoping for someone to "hear" their small voice and to realize that they are missing "a little someone" in their lives.  Can you hear them?  I know I can........and it breaks my heart.

Meet Tesfaye

A few posts ago I added a video from Ordinary Hero about an organization called Project 61. Project 61 helps children who live near, and spend their days at, the Korah landfill near Addis Ababa Ethiopia.  They, with the help of sponsors like you and I, take a child that is living on the streets and foraging for food in the landfill and give them fresh clothing and send them to a boarding school in a nearby town.  These children are then able to gain an education and also live somewhere where they are safe and will be fed 3 meals a day.

$700 a year is all it takes to pay for the school tuition, pay for your child to live in the dorm and also for his bedding, buy his books, school uniform, 3 meals a day, hygiene items and transportation to and from the school and the village of Korah.  All money goes directly for your child's expenses.

After watching the video and learning about Korah and the people who live there, ours hearts were broken for these children. We decided to contact Project 61 and tell them that we would like to be a sponsor for one of Korah's children.

This is our child.  His name is Tesfaye, he is 15 years old and in the 5th grade.  That's about all we know about him right now but we will be receiving more information within the next few months.  Now that we are sponsoring him, he will be eligible to board the bus on September 12 and go off to school with about 249 other children from the Korah dump.

We are so excited to be a part of this program!  We are hoping to be able to meet Tesfaye on our first trip to Ethiopia this coming fall.  We will go to Korah and also spend time with the people that are running Project 61.  We will also be visiting Bright Hope school, which is a school run by Great Hope Church, a partner church of Thompson Station Church in Tennessee.  This is the church where Project 61 is based. We will be spending time with the kids and bringing them some of the supplies that we have been collecting since the beginning of our adoption process.  This is a school for about 65 of the children that live in Korah.

This is a short video that shows a bit more about Korah and the people who live there:



More sponsors are still needed.  Right now things are down to the wire because it's almost time for the children to leave to go back to school.  We are praying that all of the 250 slots that are available at the school will be filled for this coming school year.

Project 61---blog
Project 61 --website

Here is Erin's blog.  She is the coordinator of the sponsorship program.  She has a post on her blog about her experiences with the child she sponsors, to give you a glimpse of how these children react to the love that they feel when someone cares enough about them to say "I will sponsor you, you are important, I believe in you".
http://thebestofallenworld.blogspot.com/2010/06/habtame.html

Would you consider helping one of Korah's children by giving them a chance at a future other than digging through the garbage every day?

Where did you get your dinner from tonight?

Ordinary Hero....A Day at the Dump

I was going to post about our weekend and give a bit of an adoption update until this came across my Facebook. I watched, and it brought me to tears. So many times I have wished that we could sell everything and moved to Ethiopia, and once again the feeling swept over me. They have so little and are still so happy.....we have much, and....well, are unhappy and still want more....what can I say? I cannot wait until I am fully immersed in Ethiopian culture and society, I just want to soak it all in.

I'll post about our weekend and tell you all what's going on in "Adoption Land" very soon.  Watch the video....hopefully it will stir something deep within you.........

Double click on it to view full screen mode.





Peace....

The Lazarus Effect

(Red) The Lazarus Effect

In the Bible, in the Gospel of John, Jesus raises a man named Lazarus from the dead, in in essence that's what ARV drugs are doing for people with AIDS.  These survivors are examples of what is being hailed as "The Lazarus Effect".

~Dedicated to providing life saving drugs to Africans with AIDS~

This program would not be possible without the efforts of foundations such as the "Global Fund" who gets most of its financing from world governments....but a growing portion is now coming from Western retailers.

The idea behind (Red) is simple: Participating companies which currently include American Express, Apple, Armani, Gap, Motorola and Converse (a subsidiary of Nike), sell (Red)-branded products. Forty percent of the gross profits from those sales to go providing free ARVs to Africans with AIDS.

Buy a $170 pair of sunglasses and save the world?  What a concept.

From the website Joinred.com:

Red is not a charity.  It is simply a business model. You buy (Red) stuff, we get the money, buy the pills and distribute them. They take the pills, continue to stay alive and take care of their families and contribute socially and economically to their communities.  If they don't get the pills, they die. We don't want them to die. We want to give them the pills and we can. And you can. It's easy. 

"As first-world consumers, we have tremendous power. What we collectively choose to buy, or not to buy, can change the course of life and history on the planet."

Approximately 30 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa are HIV positive but widespread poverty prevents the majority of them from receiving the anti-retroviral drugs that have improved life for millions who are living with the disease.  On Monday, May 24th HBO premiered "The Lazarus Effect", a documentary by Lance Bangs, that follows four HIV-positive Zambia residents and shows how treatment has changed their lives.

Thanks to the efforts of non-profit organizations, ARVs have become much cheaper to obtain, dropping from $27 day in 2002 to about 40 cents per day today.

I realize that this program is over a half an hour long and you might not have time to watch it. I think they did a great job on it, so if you do happen to have some spare time, I encourage you to check it out.  

I just have to say that this program is amazing considering my post from a few days ago and the growing concern that the funding is running out for all of the many programs in Africa that are helping those with HIV.  

I'm going to start thinking more about where my money is going....

Maybe I could be helping to save a life!

Where is your money going?

Have a great day....

Wendy

Heartwork...Living James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. ~James 1:27

I ran across this a couple of days ago while doing a YouTube search for a song I was looking for.  As soon as I was done watching the first video, I searched for another, and then I googled "Desperation Band" and "Heartwork" to see if I could find even more information.  While reading and watching just about everything I could about Heartwork and Desperation Band, I sat bawling.  Ok, so pretty much anything can set me off these days but that doesn't mean that this is anything less than amazing!  


**Warning: Stop here if you don't want your heart to be touched or if you would rather not end up like I did....on the floor bawling.

Here is a paragraph taken from Desperation Band's website that explains what I found:

In 2008 God connected a group of passionate young people from a local church in Colorado Springs eager to fulfill God's purpose in their generation, a silver haired, soft-hearted businessman with a vision for orphans, and an organization with a mission to rescue orphans around the world. Something called Heartwork was born.

The challenge God issued to these young people was to live James 1:27. If they could give $60,000 for orphans in Uganda, the businessman would match it dollar for dollar. The end result would be $120,000 dollars, 4 orphan homes built, and countless lives changed. Challenge accepted.

They prepared for their first offering. They talked of sacrifice and fasting. They gave up cups of trendy coffee and overstuffed burritos with friends to feed kids who had no food at all. They refused to buy designer jeans in order to clothe children who dressed everyday in rags. They committed to providing family for those whose families had been ravaged by war and AIDS.

The day arrived and students came with hearts full of hope and offerings in hand. On that first night as worship ascended into Heaven, a group of high school students descended upon the altar and gave over $15,000 dollars. With great excitement they realized what just happened. One orphan home built. 8 weeks to go.

For the next 2 months high school kids worked extra hours. Junior high girls walked door to door to scoop dog droppings out of yards. Seniors drained savings accounts created when they were elementary kids. Public school clubs partnered together with the local church. Students who graduated years earlier sent checks in the mail. Friends and families, inspired by the vision, joined in and gave freely.

After 8 weeks of sacrifice these junior high and high school students gathered to give one last offering for these kids they had never met but already loved so much. The result was $67,000 dollars given freely by a group of 12 to 18 year olds. With matching funds, they gave over $127,000 dollars in 2 months to build 4 orphan homes. But they found that as they gave to rescue the destinies of orphans, their destinies were being rescued as well. Destiny rescuing destiny. This is a story of sacrifice. This is a story of worship, This is a story of Jesus at work in a generation without fathers. This is Heartwork.

And the story has only just begun......

I am in love with these kids and this song!

http://www.destinynetwork.com/


Heartwork and the Destiny Network are working together to make a real, tangible difference in peoples lives.  As focus is shifted away from a self-centered society and towards empowering others, cultural barriers are overcome and students get the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus...

My kids would LOVE to be a part of a youth group that actually DID things on a regular basis that made a difference....especially things like this:

Coming this summer  

Tour 2010

1000--Orphan Projects

1000--Youth Groups

1000--days

And if you spend yourselves 
in behalf of the hungry and 
satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
       then your light will rise in the darkness,
       and your night will become 
like the noonday. ~Isaiah 58:10

Heartwork from Desperation Band on Vimeo.

I'm so glad that you decided to continue on to learn about this wonderful organization and the unbelievable things that they are accomplishing.

May your heart be broken for the Orphans and Widows.....

Wendy

Sad News About the HIV/AIDS Crisis In Africa

For the last 10 years or so treatment for HIV/AIDS has become more and more accessible to those that needed it the most.  Drugs that once cost $12,000 a year are now less than $100, and people from all over the world were willing to donate money to help build medical centers and to fund the supply of medication that would go to help countless victims of the dreaded disease.

Sadly the tide is changing......

In Uganda, only about 200,000 people are receiving treatment out of 500,000 that are HIV positive, and each year an additional 110,000 are infected..  Even with these staggering statistics, Uganda was the first country where major clinics started routinely turning people away.

Also.....

*In Kenya, grants to keep 200,000 people on drugs will expire soon with no promise of renewal

*An American-run program in Mozambique has been told to stop opening clinics. 

*There have been drug shortages in Nigeria and Swaziland. 

*Tanzania and Botswana are lowering the amount of people they are treating

The global recession has had a huge effect on donors.  There is a growing sense that more lives would be saved by fighting cheaper diseases like pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, measles and tetanus. Cures for those killers, like antibiotics, mosquito nets, rehydration salts, water filters, shots and deworming pills, cost only 1 to 10 dollars.  Obama's new Global Health Initiative plan demonstrates this shift in focus to mother-and-child health care programs. The U.S. AIDS budget was only increased by 2 percent.  

Unfortunately the number of people infected by AIDS grows by a million a year but the money for treatment has stopped growing. According to the United Nations, for every 100 people put on treatment, 250 are newly infected.

I was floored by this information!  I mean, I knew it was bad....but really, I thought things were supposed to be getting better!  Are you kidding me?!  What do you do about a situation like this?  If someone doesn't do something.....will there be any people left in Africa in a few years?  Things aren't getting better....they're getting worse!


Along with this very sad HIV/AIDS news comes the fact that worldwide more than 15 million children have been orphaned due to AIDS.  One every 15 seconds, to be exact....

Over 5,500 each and every day.


AND...

Children are being left to take care of children.

Here is a short YouTube video documentary about some of Africa's children that are trying to carry on after their parents have died.

My heart was changed in November of 2008 when for the first time I actually saw, heard and acknowledged the situation in Africa....and have I ever mentioned Haiti?  Oh, I had heard it all before, but did I really?  It was so easy to just let it go and easily put it out of my mind.....it's not for me to worry about, I thought.  What can I do?  I'm just one person. 


 Something happened that day in Nov. 08 and now there is no turning back.  Here are the words to one of the songs that really hits home for me:


I saw what I saw and I can't forget it
I heard what I heard and I can't go back
I know what I know and I can't deny it

We've done what we've done and we can't erase it
We are what we are and it's more than enough
We have what we have but it's no substitution 

I say what I say with no hesitation
I have what I have and I'm giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction 

   

Something on the road
Cut me to the soul 

Your pain has changed me
Your dream inspires
Your face a memory
Your hope a fire

Your courage asks me what I'm made of
And what I know of love....

~Sara Groves

Have you been changed yet?

Wendy

World Aids Orphans Day...May 7

In 2010, the number of children worldwide who have lost one or both parents to AIDS is expected to reach 25 million – equivalent to the number of people living in New York, Paris, and Bangkok combined. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, over 15 million children have been orphaned by the pandemic. Experts believe that millions more orphans remain unaccounted for in India, China and Russia. 

The Impact:

• In addition to the trauma of losing a parent, orphans are often subject to discrimination and are less likely to receive healthcare, education and other needed services.
• In HIV affected households lacking community support, food consumption can drop by 40% putting children at risk to hunger, malnutrition and stunting.
• Impoverished and often without support to educate and protect them, orphans and vulnerable children face increased risk of HIV infection.
• Orphans are often easy prey to many forms of exploitation: forced labor, prostitution and child soldiering.

World AIDS Orphans Day (May 7) is a grassroots campaign to draw attention to and advocate on behalf of the millions of children orphaned by AIDS.

More than 15 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents to AIDS. In 2010, the number of AIDS orphans worldwide is expected to climb to an estimated 20 - 25 million children.

Too little attention is given to orphans and vulnerable children. Few than 1 in 10 orphans receives any external support.

Governments should direct at least 10% of their overall HIV and AIDS funding to support AIDS orphans and vulnerable children.

Speak up for orphans. It’s easy to get involve. Host a World AIDS Orphans Day event. Lobby world leaders. Generate press coverage about the orphans crisis. Spread the word.

All info taken from the World AIDS Orphan Day website.
Check out: www.worldaidsorphans.org

Your voice is their future.

Children's Leukemia Foundation--The Walk

"Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan (CLF) is a statewide agency that provides information, financial assistance, and emotional support to adults and children affected by leukemia, lymphoma, and related blood disorders. Until there’s a cure, CLF is here to help families overcome the challenges these conditions present. CLF is currently serving over 4,400 families in the state of Michigan." 

This past Saturday we participated in "The Walk" held by the Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan.  The event took place in Downtown Grand Rapids and as you can see from the pictures, it was a very scenic 3 miles.  

Todd's sister Shelly was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in July of 2009 and then just a few months later, in September of 2009, their Mother Ellen was found to have Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  Shelly finished her treatment of chemo and radiation in Dec of 2009 and is now considered to be in remission.  Ellen, finished chemo in Jan 2010 but will be continuing treatment for the next two years going in about every three months.  Unfortunately, there is no cure for Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma. 

Hana, Hannah, Jake Grandma Ellen and Nathaniel

  

Mom/Grandma Ellen and Shelly heading to the finish line

Mom and Shelly at the finish line

Todd in back, Me, Nathaniel, Shelly, Mom, Hana, Hannah, Todd's sister Darlene and Daughter Paige and Jake in front

Children On My Heart

"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble..."  
~James 1:27

Every time I read something about the children of Africa, my heart breaks.  Yes, I realize that there are children all over the world that have the same needs and hurts, and that breaks my heart too....but Africa's children have a special place in my heart.  

It's been very hard to be in waiting mode this past year.  It feels like I'm just sitting here doing nothing.  I would love to bring a dozen or more children here, to become our children.  But we only have so much room and we only have so much money to support a family.....these two things are the biggest factors that help us to know just how much we can do.  We will be waiting and listening to God's leading as far as to how many children He will bless our family with.  As for right now....we are just enjoying the journey!

This is a poem that I came across early on in our adoption process and it really touched my heart.  This boy definitely has the right idea.  Sometimes a task can seem overwhelming but if everyone helps a little, eventually a lot can be accomplished!  

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy

picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, 

he asked, "What are you doing?" The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean.  The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die." "Son," said the man, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference, it's impossible!" After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf.  Then, smiling at the man, he said...." I made a difference for that one."

Sometimes I get overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness. There are so, so many hurting, hungry children; I want to help them all, but can’t. I want to save every life, but it’s impossible.
There are millions of children suffering from malnutrition all over the world today. Every year over 15,000,000 children die of hunger. We can’t save the lives of even one percent of the precious little boys and girls who will die this year. The situation is seemingly hopeless. But as we work, sifting through the sand our fingertips grasp something....we attempt to cast that little one back into the ocean. It’s not always easy to pick them up, to lift them out of the sand, but as we do, beauty is unveiled; life is found, a life that has simply been waiting for someone to pull them out from under the tide that is ever washing over them.

It's true, we cannot save every life, but we can save a few... 

...Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.   ~Matthew 25:40

There are so many children just waiting for someone to realize that they are missing something in their life...won't you reach out and love "The least of these"? 

This quote is posted on a wall of Betsega Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:

"His Name is Today"

"We are guilty of many errors and many faults, 

but our worst crime is abandoning the children, neglecting the fountain of life. 

Many of the things we need can wait. 

The child cannot. 

Right now is the time his bones are being formed, his blood is being made, and his senses are being developed. 

To him we cannot answer....`Tomorrow,' 

......his name is today."

- Gabriele Mistral

Many blessings on your day......

Wendy

Open Arms for Asia

Our daughter Haylie dances with a group led by Sarah Grace McDaniel called "Reflections of Grace" and they performed a ballet version of "The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe" last Saturday at Cornerstone University. Ticket proceeds went to the ministry of 

Open Arms for Asia.  

The vision of Open Arms for Asia is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the community in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India, thru the children of Open Arms for Asia’s orphanage. The children are nurtured physically, emotionally and spiritually in a family Christ-centered atmosphere.

Here are some pictures of the performance:

Lucy (Kaitlyn Kyte), Edmond (Rachel Goodrich), Susan (Sarah Grace McDaniel),

and Peter (Ruthann Goodrich)

Maugrim (our daughter Haylie) fighting with Peter

Aslan's Death Scene

Aslan's Death Scene

Whole Cast

Lucy--Kaitlyn Kyte

Mr. Tumnus--Emily Peerbolt

Peter Pevensie--Ruthann Goodrich

Susan Pevensie--Sarah Grace McDaniel

Edmund Pevensie--Rachel Goodrich

White Witch--Ellen Peters

Mrs. Beaver--Allison Oostdyk

Aslan--Elizabeth McDaniel

Maugrim--Haylie Pastoor

Narnians, trees & Other Creatures:

Jenissa VanAntwerp, Rachel Ermatinger,

Amanda Vasicek, Danica Elder,

Jane McLemore, Teresa Bellamy

& Abigail Rigg

 Breana Brendsel, who is a close friend of our daughter Liz, is actually in India at the orphanage right now doing her college internship and ministering there.  To read about her experiences, 

click on her blog link below:

http://www.breanabrendsel.blogspot.com/

This is a link to photos taken by another person that is currently over there on a mission trip:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennaburns