Let's Talk Ethiopia!

At church today, the group from our church who recently traveled to Ethiopia including Dave spoke during what is called learning & sharing.  It is a time between the two worship services where a certain topic or event takes place.  It is also a time for everyone to gather together to enjoy some coffee, donuts, and conversation.

Each week is a certain topic and today's topic was a recap of the Ethiopia mission trip.  Dave posted a few blogs about his trip and he has shared several stories along with many pictures with me since he has been home.  Today I got to hear stories from some of the others who traveled with Dave.  Many individuals gave a personal story about how they were able to connect with one of the boys who lived at Kolfe.  It is truly remarkable to hear some of the youth to reference their sponsored son their brother.  Truly amazing and tear jerking.  The group also wore their traditional Ethiopian outfit.  They all did a great job and sparked many questions as well as an interest to learn more.

Dave and I along with a few others started our sponsorship program at our church 2 years ago and were semi successful.  We were successful because we were able to establish a relationship with Children's Hopechest.  We were successful as we gained many sponsors and we were successful because we caused enough stirring to get a group of individuals to leave their comfort zone by traveling to Ethiopia for a week. 

But now we can be truly successful thanks to the energy the new group members bring to the table, the love and desire to make this relationship succeed and be long lasting, and the stronger connection my church, Olivet, has with these amazing young men.  

After the presentation this morning a woman who is very active in our church and who we have gotten to know thanked me for bringing Ethiopia to the church.  She thanked me.  Now I know I did not personally bring Ethiopia to our church as we have others within our church who are either Ethiopian themselves or adopted from Ethiopia but I wanted to cry as she spoke to me.  I needed to hear those words so badly because of how I have been feeling for the past 5 weeks.  Dave traveling with people I didn't know and to have an experience without me to my girls' birth country put me in a place that I never want to visit again.  It tore me to pieces so to be thanked meant more than I could ever express in any blog post.

Today was a good day but I'm glad it is over.  I'm glad the group got to share their story with the church as they needed to.  But now the rest of the group who did not travel can now get back involved with Kolfe.  It is going to be an exciting few months while we gather a plan, roll out the sponsorships again, and get the rest of the church excited about Ethiopia and Kolfe!

Day Three–Visit to Local Village

After lunch at Trees of Glory, most of the team went back outside to interact with the children. A small group of those asked if it would possible to walk to the local village, to experience how the families of these children lived. We walked about 4-5 children home, up a rock-laden hill to the village closest to the school. The village was made up of small compounds of mud huts. A little girl who so reminded me of Maya held my hand until it was time for her to walk in a different direction to home.

We were about to experience a situation that would be repeated over and over again the rest of the week. The mother of one of the boys, Worku, invited us into her home. She first showed us the hut that made up the kitchen and stable for the livestock. While in this hut she grabbed a animal skin and shook it out and asked us to come with her. She led us into the main hut where there were stools and beds. She laid out the animal skin and invited us to sit.

She explained in her local language that she had not been expecting us thus was unprepared. She quickly grabbed some glasses and washed them and placed them in front of us. Grabbed a pitcher and filled these glasses until not another drop would fit in. She had offered us a glass of beer, homemade, local brew. As much as I wanted to taste the beer to show gratitude, I realized it would be a mistake as my body would likely not respond well. But the thought that this widowed mother, with what I viewed having little material belongings offered us willingly and openly what little she had. She probably drinks 1/4 of a glass of this beer at a special occasion, and here she was offering to me, a visitor and entire glass was very humbling.

On our walk back to the school, we examined an Acacia tree up close. The tree that defines Africa is really somewhat of a thorn bush. Beautiful from a distance it was surprising to see how crude this tree was up close. I am sure there is a metaphor there to be defined further.

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Brad also had a close encounter with a bull

Lastly, we came across a two younger children, shepherds, watching over a herd. The little girl was so beautiful. There also was a little boy who was riding a donkey, and seeing us "farenjie" started showing off by making the donkey buck. The donkey eventually won and the boy went flying through the air. The pure innocent laugh of the little girl will be the one sound that stays with me from this trip.

Day Three–Trees of Glory

Today we traveled north to an school/carepoint sponsored by another of Hopechest's sponsor communities. Our team wanted to see a bit of rural Ethiopia beyond the city life of Addis. As we climbed up the mountainside, the smell of Eucalyptus was so strong combined with the smell of fresh rain. The city eventually faded and the signs of they countryside became apparent. There were shepherds watching over their herd and, harvests being transferred to be sold - some on the backs of donkeys and horses and some on the backs and shoulders of people.

The drive was about two hours, although it took a little longer as we stopped to purchase fruit for the children at the care point. Trees of Glory is a care point completely unlike that of Kolfe Boys Orphanage. Of the over 100 children at the school, only 13 are orphans who live at the compound. The others are all children from the surrounding villages. The children are provided education and nutrition each day. We were told of one little girl who when she first showed up at the school was thin as a rail and malnourished, but today is a plump and healthy child who is excelling in her studies

The property is a large compound given to the school from the government after the Japanese construction company abandoned the site after completing construction of the highway. It was made up of a number of barracks styled buildings. We had a tour that took us down the hill to where they were in the process of digging out the previous well as plans were under way to re-access that well and once again provide running water direct to the school, versus having to bring it on on donkey each day. They were so proud of this project and I am praying that they have success soon and can enjoy fresh water daily.

Further down the hill was a small creek that was also the schools property line. Being outside, walking the countryside down to the creek you noticed how quite it was, especially after leaving the bustle that is Addis Ababa. The view was out of a movie, slowing running and clear. We skipped a few rocks while exploring.

We then completed the tour by walking back of the hill to the buildings where we shown the progress and results that preceding teams had done at the compound. The toilets had been restored and much of the interior had been painted. Under construction was a covered walkway between the dining hall and kitchen.

Once the tour was done it was time to play! While getting the tour the children were so patiently waiting for our interaction. Finally it was time. We walked over to the playgournd and our team split up. Many of our team played volleyball and showed off some skills, it was the first time being introduced to the rule that you can kick the ball as well as use your arms when playing. This would come in handy later in the week while at Kolfe.

I picked up a soccer ball and started playing with the little kids, soon I had 10-15 kids surrounding me and trying to take the ball away. I love the constant energy that children have. After about 15 minutes we organized a game, with me and four others on one side and Fekra (Hopechest discipler) and four others on the other. The field was actually rocks but that didn't slow these children down. It was a close game (the goals are very small in Ethiopia) and neither team really dominated the other. The game ended when I twisted my ankle, luckily it was just a small sprain although it could have been avoided if I would have wore my ankle brace.

After playing we brought all of the children into the classroom and sang songs, many of them echo songs. It is such joy to see a child's face light up and watch them learn something new. So many of these children seemed to crave touch, they wanted to be held, hugged and provided attention. We didn't disappoint.

After lunch, we were provided our first coffee ceremony of the week. This is a very special part of Ethiopian culture and customary to provide guests with coffee. The coffee beans are roasted, the smell fills the room. I must admit, this was the best tasting coffee I have ever had.

Some photos of our time at Trees of Glory:

One More Day

And Dave will finally be home!

You think with Dave being all the way across the globe in Ethiopia, I would have very little contact with him. Well that is sort of the case but thank goodness internet and phone is everywhere. Yesterday I got to talk to Dave on the phone. I felt bad as it was very late for him (9 hours ahead) but I was beyond relieved to hear his voice, hear about his day, and to share with him my days.

While Dave told me about his day, I started to feel like my struggles being a single parent is nothing and that I have absolutely nothing to complain about. Dave’s heart is aching right now and he is filled with so many emotions. I know I am ready for him to come home and I know he is ready to see his girls (and me) again but he doesn’t want to leave Ethiopia. Dave got a tremendous opportunity to travel with an amazing group from our church and introduce them to a country we love. From the sounds of it, everyone has fallen in love with Ethiopia and it sounds like some if not all of them want to return soon. Amazing! This group of adults and young adults will be able to come back and share their experiences with the congregation, with their friends, their family, and anyone that will listen. I am personally excited to hear about their trip from others besides Dave and to hear how this trip has changed them (and if it changed them). I am thinking our church is going to be able to do some great things for Ethiopia!

Like I said, I listened to him talk and I couldn’t help but feel guilty. I should not have complained about my week especially to Dave. At least not now when he is wrapping up his trip and managing his emotions. But my week was not a joy ride. It was hard. Lack of sleep, girls bouncing off walls, being stuck inside thanks to a two part winter storm, and no personal time has turned me into a crazy person. Big kudos to all the single parents out there as they have a very hard job!

I have to say thank goodness for an awesome daycare as my girls are being well taken care of, I am amongst adults, and I managed to get a fairly good night's sleep last night. 

Dave will be home soon!  YIPPEE!

Christmas Concert - Peder Eide

Last night we had the honor of attending a free will concert of Peder Eide at our church. Peder has been to Olivet for the past 12 years and this is the first year we had attended. Thanks to our friends Evan and Teri-Lee who watched Makenna for us, we were able to enjoy the Christmas concert with Maya.

Confession: I really don't know much about him and I don't know his music but I did know that I wanted to know more about him. I heard he is amazing and I found that to be true last night. The entire concert was about Christmas and he sang only Christmas music. Peder talked about how wonderful it would be if we celebrated Christmas year round. He talked about giving and showing compassion not only in December but every day/month of the year. He talked about how one act can make a huge difference in lives. Personally, I think he is dead on when he says that one act can make a huge difference. I know that is true because I am seeing it with my own eyes with my two girls, with sponsorship of our son in Ethiopia, and with organization in my community such as United Way and Salvation Army.

Peder is a father. He and his wife made the decision to adopt their two youngest children, the youngest from Ethiopia. Peder talked about his adoptive son while promoting the group from Olivet (including Dave) who is leaving soon for Ethiopia on a mission trip as well as when he introduced a Christmas song he wrote.  This song really hit home to me and I couldn't help but let the tears fall down my cheeks.  Dave told me not to cry when the song began but no can do.  I couldn't help myelf.  Adoption is my life and it has changed me for the good.  Listen to their story and this song, grab a tissue as you may need it!

David’s Birthday Wish

I turn 37 on Saturday and I have a birthday wish – to share with 13 others from my church the amazing boys at Kolfe Boys Orphanage in Addis Ababa. As a birthday wish I am raising $1369 which is $37 for each of my 37 birthdays. If you feel obliged to make a donation, you can do so here: Donate Now

As an parent to two Ethiopian children I have a fond connection to the beautiful people of Ethiopia as well as an understanding of the great needs of children who have been orphaned through the loss of one or both parents due to poverty and disease.

The day after Christmas a group from Olivet Lutheran Church will leave for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to spend a bit over a week at the Kolfe Boys Orphanage. Kolfe is an orphanage made up of over 130 boys aged 10 and older. These boys are truly amazing and have touched many hearts already. You can read more about Kolfe and the relationship Olivet has with this orphanage here.

Other organizations such as Gladney and Luke 8:21 Orphan Care Ministries have provided resources and connections to these boys. You can read about a scholarship program that Gladney operates that provides an opportunity for these boys to attend school.

Upon our return it is my goal that our entire group will have been captivated by this amazing country, these amazing boys of Kolfe and the spirit and hope that they will then ignite an entire congregation to get involved in the relationship with Kolfe.

If you can help with even $5 or $10 it would truly be appreciated. I will be blogging and Facebooking the trip so you will be able to follow along on our journey. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and considerations.

Donate Now

Be a Valentine to an Orphan in Ethiopia

You can be a valentine for a very special orphan in Ethiopia by sponsoring them. There are 50 boys available for sponsorship at the Kolfe Boys Orphanage located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Your financial commitment of $34/month provides for the most basic needs of children in the community. HopeChest will assist in providing food, water, access to basic medical care, education and discipleship. While $34 cannot meet all the needs of a child suffering through extreme poverty, it does provide significant help.

Each sponsored child's network of emotional support is greatly expanded. Staff at the orphanage will receive special training that equips them to better deal with the unique emotional needs of the orphaned children they serve. Also, the sponsor’s involvement in each child’s life through cards and letters is an avenue of emotional support the child would normally be denied.

In our community-to-community model, all funds are "pooled" together so that if one child does not have a sponsor, they will still have these needs met. Your contribution of $34 a month will go towards providing food, clothing, and access to medical care, as well education and discipleship.

Here are 4 of our 52 children still needing a sponsor.

If you are interested in sponsorship of one of these boys (or any of the other waiting children which can be viewed by clicking on the banner below) than please email David at kolfesponsor@gmail.com

Children's HopeChest will also offer Life Skills training to these boys. Teaching them how to live independently as they age out of orphan care.

Read below for additional information on the sponsorship program provided through Children’s HopeChest.

Your partnership with Children’s HopeChest releases spiritual and financial resources to the children while individual orphan sponsorship brings the unique blessing of relationship.

HopeChest offers the needed expertise and resources to benefit orphaned children, as well as access to the orphanage. Not only does our staff in the US provide accountability and support, our indigenous staff on the ground, including disciplers, are responsible for the spiritual, emotional and physical aspects of sponsorship.

A HopeChest discipler or mentor is a national believer who visits the orphanage every week. Disciplers conduct classes on culture, character and Biblical principles. They spend time with the boys and help them with moral and ethical issues, problems and concerns.

Specific benefits to orphans include ministry in five areas:

Environmental - A portion of the sponsor’s support, combined with that of other sponsors, improves and maintains a healthy environment. This includes the purchase of clothing, shoes, furniture, books, etc. if needed.

Medical - Each sponsored child will receive regular health checkups, and medical intervention as needed. Improved nutrition is also provided.

Emotional - Each sponsored child's network of emotional support is greatly expanded. Staff at the orphanage will receive special training that equips them to better deal with the unique emotional needs of the orphaned children they serve. Also, the sponsor’s involvement in each child’s life through cards and letters is an avenue of emotional support the child would normally be denied. Regular visits from disciplers will also add to emotional well-being.

Educational – Sponsorship helps provide resources for the education of sponsored children. In Africa, for a child to attend school, fees must be paid, and uniforms and books must be purchased.

Spiritual – Orphaned children will see the love of God demonstrated tangibly through age-appropriate Bible teaching. A discipler will visit the orphanage regularly to conduct classes. Your prayer and letters will also encourage a child’s spiritual growth.

To read more about sponsorship through Children's HopeChest please click here.

Day 3 Monday - Kolfe

We finally got to meet the boys of Kolfe and what an experience. The two hours we were there flew by and we truly did not get enough time with the boys as we wanted. We must return soon.

We were greeted by a small group of boys who took us on our tour of the compound. The first building we entered was the library and we found all six computers with boys in front of them practicing their English. It was really neat to see how much school meant to them.

As we walked around we were shown the chicken coop where they raise chickens and saw a cow that Gladney provided to them. That cow looks so at peace, not realizing those boys cannot wait to have him for dinner! :)

We sponsor one of the boys at Kolfe, Malkamu, and it was great to get to meet him and learn a bit more about him. His favorite Africa Soccer Cup team is Ivory Coast and World Cup team is Brazil. We look forward to building our relationship deeper through time.

Theresa had a great time with the boys and you will quickly see the boys enjoyed her as well. They followed her around and posed for every picture she tried to take. These boys are truly amazing, so much energy and passion for life and such a desire to learn. They kept asking me how may languages I spoke which of course I had to answer only one.

We then had the opportunity to distribute the gift packs that we brought to the orphanage. These gift packs were put together through the efforts of some great friends and family including Nicole Anderson and Dr. Ali. In each pack were two packs of toothpaste, toothbrush, soap or lotion, book of daily devotions, and a wrist band from Olivet Lutheran, the church sponsoring the orphanage through Children’s HopeChest. All of the contents were put into a washcloth that was sewed into a little bag.

The boys were so grateful and organized. They quickly formed a line, and some of the older boys quickly distributed roles to identify and write down each name as they were given a pack. They are very concerned with every boy getting the same treatment so we were glad that we had enough. This also showed how valuable the sponsorship program is through HopeChest in that you donate $34/month that goes to benefit the entire orphanage while providing the boys a one-to-one relationship and providing spiritual discipleship on a weekly basis. If you are interested in sponsoring a boy at Kolfe, please leave a comment to this post.

Look at the joy in these boys – what a memory we have and we are already planning our return trip later this year.

Charms, necklaces, & art prints – Support Kolfe boys orphanage

www.jqueenan.etsy.com is a non-profit studio featuring antique silver charms, necklaces, and art prints. All profits go towards supporting the Kolfe Orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

You may remember that our church, Olivet Lutheran, is sponsoring Kolfe. It is amazing how every person that has visited Kolfe has come away changed, and empowered to act.

Her work is not only amazing, but affordable – take a look and buy a piece of art, or a charm and support the boys of Kolfe.

All profits go towards supporting the Kolfe Youth Orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia through efforts of The Red Letters Campaign’s Project Ethiopia. The Kolfe Youth Orphanage is a government run orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia located on a garbage dump and is in great need of repair and funds. Through efforts of The Red Letters Campaign, Kolfe has now been sponsored through Children’s Hopechest. But, the boys of Kolfe are still in great need. They call themselves, The Forgotten Boys of Kolfe. J Studio was created to specifically support the Kolfe Youth Orphanage.

Changing a Life, Changing a Community - Connecting a Church with an Orphanage in Ethiopia

Wow, what an amazing day. This morning the president of Children’s HopeChest and a team of volunteers at Olivet Lutheran Church kicked off a long-terms relationship with an orphanage of boys in Ethiopia. 

Kolfe Boys Orphanage in Ethiopia is made up all boys aging from as young as 10 to over 20. This is a very special group of boys that defies the stereotypes that you would think would be the case when you group 100+ teenage boys together in a situation such as theirs. But these are a unique bunch and I am looking forward to making the connection as a congregation to this orphanage - having an immediate and life changing impact on their life, as well as being able to learn from them - to have a transformation of our own.

Thank you to all of the volunteers over the past few months for your hard work and dedication, and thank you in advance for the hard work to come :)

Below is a picture of Tom Davis, President Children's HopeChest, and a picture of Nicole and Betty who have been instrumental in this project.

Below the photos is an article from today's local newspaper!

God Bless. David

Church launching effort to help boys in Ethiopian orphanage

Theresa and David Held returned from Ethiopia with a beautiful baby girl, an admiration for her countrymen’s scrappy spirit and awareness that Western adoptions help only a tiny fraction of the country’s 6 million orphans.

By: Mila Koumpilova

Olivet Lutheran Church pastor Kris Gorden, clockwise from left, Nicole and Abram Anderson, Maya, David and Theresa Held, Bethlehm Gronneberg and Solomon Anderson are involved in an initiative to help orphans from Ethiopia. The Andersons and Helds both adopted their children from Ethiopia.
Jay Pickthorn / The Forum

Theresa and David Held returned from Ethiopia with a beautiful baby girl, an admiration for her countrymen’s scrappy spirit and awareness that Western adoptions help only a tiny fraction of the country’s

6 million orphans.

It was summer 2007, and the Fargo couple resolved to do more.

They soon found out two other families at their church, Fargo’s Olivet Lutheran, had recently adopted infants from Ethiopia. Earlier this year, the three couples spearheaded a project to help an entire orphanage in the east African nation. The ramshackle all-boys facility is a very different place from the inviting, Western-funded care center where the Helds picked up their daughter, Maya.

Today, the church is launching its long-distance “adoption” of 130 boys and young men at Kolfe Youth Orphanage. Church members are calling it Connection Day.

“Sponsorship just sounded so sterile,” said the rev. Kris Gorden. “Connection holds more of what we want to be about.”

Just as the Helds, Nicole Anderson and her husband, Jared, traveled to Africa to start a family. They found themselves profoundly transformed by its residents’ warmth and hopefulness in the face of abject poverty.

“Life as we knew it was over,” said Nicole, who has two sons from Ethiopia and one from South Africa.

For some time, David Held followed the work of a Christian-based nonprofit named Children’s HopeChest. Since the early 1990s, the group has worked with orphans in Russia, where studies say 70 percent of those from orphanages resort to crime or prostitution to survive.

The group enlisted some 100 churches across the United States to sponsor orphanages there and in Swaziland. When the organization expanded its work into Ethiopia last fall, the Helds had to get involved. Gorden and the other adoptive families promptly got on board.

Olivet picked Kolfe – a government-run orphanage and a one-time dumping ground – because its residents seemed to need help the most desperately. The boys there are older, so their chances of getting adopted are miniscule. There are no beds, no meat in their meager diet and no money for school.

But HopeChest President Tom Davis said the boys were nothing like he expected: “They were the most well-mannered, kind, gentle young men I met in my life. The thing I kept hearing over and over was how much they wanted to go to school.”

The Olivet group hopes help from their church will give the boys a better shot at an independent life as adults. On Connection Day, the church’s roughly 1,500 families will be able to “adopt” one of the boys. Their $34 monthly checks will go toward food, medicine, school, and college fees and supplies.

A group from Olivet will make an annual trip to the orphanage. Until then, sponsors commit to write to the boys monthly. Says David Helm, “You let this child know, ‘We’re here for you. We support you and believe in you. We’re the family you never had.’ ”

How to help:

- Nonmembers of Fargo’s Olivet Lutheran Church are welcome to help with sponsoring Kolfe Youth Orphanage. Call David Held at (701) 330-2478 or the Rev. Kris Gorden at (701) 235-6603.