Children getting their care packages

Price of one t-shirt- $8.00

Price of one toothbrush- $3.00

Price of one pair of underwear- $3.00

Price of one picture- $.25

Price of a pair of barrettes- $3.00

Price of a matchbox car-$2.95

Price of sponsorship / month- $34.00

Price of watching Kechene children open their care packages from their sponsors- PRICELESS!

The stories behind the Sponsor...

We are fortunate enough to have lots of helpers throughout the country who shared the same passion and desire to help the kids of Kechene with getting sponsors! We have a leader in the southeast part of the country, one in Florida, one in West Central Wisconsin, and one in our area. Just recently, our leader in North Carolina contacted me with a new idea to get 10 for 10. This would be great. It would be kind of like her getting another leader to get 10 more sponsored. I was excited about this, but more excited to hear that she and her husband were going to be praying over her 8 more to get sponsored.

The day after she and her husband prayed over her profiles, they had phone calls and emails wanting to sponsor! I shared this story with another leader here in Wisconsin. She was touched by the story and prayed over her profiles she had. She still had 8 left to get sponsored. I got an email from her this morning that the next day she got emails wanting more information for sponsorship! She now has 3-4 more sponsored and more interested!

This is the story I hear over and over with this project. The great thing is that this is only one desire we have asked for. How many prayers are God answering daily that we don't even see yet? God is so good! He wants His Kingdom to be blessed and to see that through all of us. He wants US to be the ones to show His love and His kindness. It doesn't have to be through sponsorship or even something overseas. What can we do this time of the year that shows His love in ways He wants us to show it? I guess that is only known when we ASK!

Praise God for all that He has done!!

The Next Need...

The next need at Kechene is UNIFORMS! We have 74 children who are enjoying the ability to visit our care point at Kechene. They may be going to school already at a government school, however, their uniforms are not provided there and are very tattered, if they have one at all.

These kids are new to Kechene and obviously need a uniform. They LOVED their blankets and care packages, but still do not have a uniform.

Each uniform will cost $17.50. If you would like to donate a uniform to these children, you may contact me at gretabcg@hotmail.com and I can get you more information. Or, you can go to the Children's Hopechest website at www.hopechest.org and click the GIVE button. Give the specific amount you wish to donate and make sure to include the reference number ET2101000 UNIFORMS in the reference # field. That gets the funds to OUR location and then to the kids.

This is Balyo. He is also needing a uniform. He would love to be walking to school after Christmas with a uniform that shows he is a student at Kechene!

Medical supplies fill the shelves at Kechene Care Point!

Medical Supplies have been bought!

Remember this summer when we raised about $500 for medical supplies? The supplies that were donated were sent over with a team in early Fall, while the money was wired to Ethiopia for the staff at Children's Hopechest ET to purchase in Ethiopia items still needed.

Well, I am happy to share the following pictures with you! The money was well spent. We now have a very well stocked "clinic" at our school. This is so great for the children at Kechene since the staff would have to wait, when they didn't have the supplies, to send children with cuts and scrapes to the dr. because they didn't have transportation. By that time, the wounds were infected and needed more serious care.

Here are the pictures of the supplies that the staff in Ethiopia bought with the money that was raised.

Waiting for Sponsorship

These beautiful children are coming to Kechene and enjoying the fellowship of the care point! Thank God for the original sponsors who helped keep this care point going!

These children are getting fed at Kechene, but do not have a family who writes them or tells them words of encouragement. They don't have a family who prays for them and all of these children are vulnerable in some way. Perhaps their family is sick and cannot work, or one parent has died and the other parent is left to care for their family. Sponsorship will be the hope that they are praying for...the hope that determines whether or not they continue to go to school.

Let me introduce you to 7 of these precious children...

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Meet Tamirat...he is 9 years old and is a single orphan.

SPONSORED!!

Meet Kazru...he is 11 years old and loves to play sports and write stories.

Meet Temesgen...he is 10 years old and is a single orphan. He loves to dance, read and wants to know more about agriculture.

Meet Asmelash...he is 13 years old, is blind in one eye, and is involved in a sports club. He also loves to sing.

Sponsored!

Meet Betlhem...she is 9 years old, loves to draw and dance and read! What a beautiful smile!

SPONSORED!

Meet Balyo...he is 10 years old and while being very outgoing, also loves to read, sing and write stories.

Meet Mihretu...he is 8 years old, is a leader and loves to play sports and read. He is also interested in agriculture.

Sponsored!

We need all these children sponsored soon! $34 a month with Children's Hopechest (www.hopechest.org) and your communication once a month will change their lives forever...Please contact me to make a difference for a lifetime in one of these children's lives. gretabcg@hotmail.com

Proverbs 31:8-9

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Posts from Ethiopia this week!

I have received several updates from Ethiopia this week during the week that Children's Hopchest traveled with a team of 26 people to our care point and 3 others. They spent Wed. loving on our little ones.

They handed out care packages and read the notes from their sponsors...

They spent lots of time talking with them...

They watched in amazement how so many children in one place can be so orderly...

They observed the joy they have for the little things...

Though I was sad to not be with the team this year and sad to not have gotten the chance to build the relationship with these kids and the staff at Kechene, God worked through each of those team members to bring what He wanted the kids to have this week. I learned a painful, yet valuable lesson this year...sometimes, we have to let go and allow others to do what we really want to do. This is difficult for me, especially after having the feelings of pure joy and pure serventhood I felt last year. The feeling one has when doing this type of work is amazing, but letting it go for others to get to experience while working for Christ is equally important.

Just wanted to share.

More to come after the team is back in the states with all their pictures and reflections.

Angels for Kechene!

Just recently, we were informed that there are 74 more children at our school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on top of the original 56 children. This really threw me for a loop. I have to be honest that I felt very overwhelmed and a little scared. These are all very vulnerable children coming to our care point for help, yet it was so much to do by myself!

I prayed a lot about that and what to do. We had just sponsored all 56 children, and then to have 74 more was a real blow! However, as I asked Matt to pray about it, we stepped back as a couple and asked God to do what He needed to do, even if it meant I had to let go of the reigns. I felt that I needed help and that our sponsors would really help if some would take 10 profiles and match them with families. Not only have a couple sponsors stepped up and really worked hard for these children, but God had another person in mind as well.

Within a couple weeks, I had a phone call from Children's Hopechest asking my permission for someone to join me in my quest for sponsorship of these new children! They had gotten a call from a family in North Carolina who would be adopting 2 children from Ethiopia soon and wanted to sponsor 2 children from our school. Not only that, but they really wanted to do more for them. The staff member at Hopechest told them about our school and how there were 74 more children and that it was a lot right now for one person to take. She told Missy, the mother of 2, that she would talk with me and ask what I thought. Of course, I said "YES!!"

So, since that conversation and that wonderful connection through Children's Hopechest, Missy (also a former teacher) has been working non-stop teach basics of sponsorship with these very vulnerable children who are new to Kechene and getting her first 10 sponsored! In fact, she is on her second set of 10 children. Missy is definitely my angel from above. Thank you God for your help!!

Another child gets a family from afar to write him, love him and sponsor him.

This was Missy's email about how this has impacted her life so far...

Hello to all of my Sponsor Families!

I thank God for each and every one of you every day.

This project has blessed my life and my heart so much more than I could ever put into words - and so much more than I could ever bless these children.
God is so good!

Meanwhile, another sponsor from Florida, Ashlie, (mother of two 1 year olds and one adopted from ET) took 10 profiles for our care point. Just this past week, I am happy to report that she has gotten all 10 of those children sponsored!! Again, another angel that God has placed in His plan to make this school full of children now with families. They now have a place to be fed, both spiritually and physically! Ryan, Ashlie and their 2 little boys.

Closer to home in East Central Wisconsin, we have a sponsor who has also been working hard and has gotten a few children sponsored! That makes 21 signed up and presently "sponsored!"

Wow! We so often have a hard time letting go of something that we think WE are supposed to do all by ourselves. How wrong we are. I just needed to TRUST and let Him do His job. We are only along for the ride.

Follow our climb to all 74 getting sponsored (temp. gauge on the right side of the blog)! If you are interested in sponsoring or in getting other families signed up, take it from one of these "angels" and contact me. "It is an amazing feeling of JOY when you connect one so vulnerable to a family, or when you open another family's eyes to the love they can share!"

Packages are off to North Dakota!!

I am happy to report that all 78 lbs. have been received in North Dakota! We will see them next in the hands of our little ones at Kechene in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia! I am so excited to see the photos of our little ones and their smiles on their faces! Oh, how I wish I could see it in person!

This is going to be a very exciting time, yet heartbreaking, personally. There is just so much that I can do...and it stops here this year. I cannot go with the team to Ethiopia to help hand out care packages, hugs, kisses and love from their sponsors. I have to allow new hearts to reach out to the little ones this year and do it for me as I was able to last year.

I guess sometimes you have to give up that "glory" feeling and pure JOY of the hands-on task and allow someone else to feel that JOY and that feeling that God gave me 11 months ago.

Thank you to the team of 21 people going this year on Nov. 12! My prayers and thoughts will be with you all week long and although I long desperately to be with you all, please pass my love on to these children through the gifts of all the sponsors and the love they send!

The Oasis - Our Ethiopian Adoption: Hope Chest

The Oasis - Our Ethiopian Adoption: Hope Chest

Wow, that's a lot of shirts!

We are almost there to sending out 74 t-shirts with little items carefully packaged for the extra kids at Kechene as well as the 50+ care packages ready to be sent as well. Unfortunately, we are needing to send them ALL through the mail to North Dakota first in order to get them to the family who are taking them to Ethiopia for us. The great thing is that they will have room for our packages, but it will be expensive to get them all there.

I have changed my thermometer of fundraising to an amount specific for the shipping costs to North Dakota. This will be a minimum of $150 and possibly over $200 to ship. I am sick about this since I know that this money could be used in so many other great ways other than the "Speedy Delivery" business. However, I also am reminded that none of the kids will ever get their packages until this is done so they can safely be sent with the family who is going. This is a hard thing to accept, yet also the only way for them to get there.

If you are interested in sending a small donation for this, please email me and I will send you my address. I have received some very generous donations. A HUGE thank you to those who have given already. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

In Amheric, "Ameseqnalew!"

Care packages being prepared for Kechene!

Care packages coming!

Thank you everyone for sending all those care packages. We are getting closer to having one for every child. If you would like to donate for these care packages, but do not have a sponsor child, this is a great time to do it!

I am collecting t-shirts rolled up like a burrito with little items inside like a toothbrush, hair ties, matchbox car, stickers, neat pen or pencil, or gum. Then, rubber band it and drop it off at my house or contact me to send it here to my house. I will be sending these to Minnesota after next weekend.

These will be presented to the children in Nov. when Karen's team travels to our care point to get pictures and hand deliver these well thought out packages. What a blessing they will be to all these kids!

If you want to make a monetary donation towards the extra t-shirts for the new 70 children visiting Kechene on a daily basis, you may also contact me. We are getting closer to our goal!!

A new school year...for everyone!

Glad to announce that the kiddos at Kechene will be starting their new school year very soon and are equipped to begin! They have textbooks, uniforms, shoes, health check-ups, food, and families praying for them and supporting them financially to get them to the next grade! Thank you sponsors!

However, there are 70 children from the neighborhood who pass through the doors of Kechene daily to get a meal, and then they are off to the government school not far from Kechene. Thanks to this school, they are getting a meal for the day when otherwise, it would have been impossible to eat anything each day, other than what their parents can provide. This is a blessing, yet they do not, nor have never had anyone sponsor them. They were just old enough to attend the government school, thus missing the cut off to qualify for Kechene (where they could have been sponsored). These children are just as vulnerable and have been hungry for years! They are much smaller in size compared to an American child that age due to their lack of nutrition/food.

We have a new goal set for our special neighborhood in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 70 children from ages 10-15. These children are also crying out for a family to take them and to invite them into their families. To sponsor, of course, does not mean you are actually adopting a child, but rather giving the love one needs in their own country that we can provide while being a world apart. For $34 a month you are giving a child hope through letters that provide love, support, prayers, pictures, and a relationship. The money gets pooled together with all the sponsors' money from this care point to pay for much needed food (spicy, nutrition packed rice dish), medical care, education from 5 wonderful teachers, Bible lessons, and a community to keep an eye on them. They receive an "education" at the government school when they pass into the 4th grade, but there is lots of free time when they are not in school. That time can be spent at Kechene where the teachers add to their much needed educational appetite as well as their growing bodies' appetites.

This is Tsigereda. She is one of 70 in need of a sponsor.

Please pass this on to others who could possibly help get these kids a family from afar to love and support them like their neighborhood friends have at Kechene. We can do this together! That's what it is all about, after all! Have them contact me at gretabcg@hotmail.com and I will get them linked up with a child needing their support immediately. Thanks.

This is Balyo Gita. He is also in need of a sponsor.

This is Selam! She also began her first day of school at a local community college last Monday! What a great day that was! She has been here working at a farm in a training program for just about a year now and just recently was accepted into the Marketing Dept. at a local community college in Madison, WI. We are happy that she has begun a new chapter in her life. What a blessing it has been to have been a part of Selam's hopes and dreams. As she says, "God is so Good!"

Don't ever underestimate the power of God through your hands and feet! You may be the vessel God is using to help the least of these!! What a blessing that can be!

"We Got You Covered!"

WE DID IT!

56 children are all sponsored! They all have a family from afar that are writing to them and praying for them! They are ALL connected with a family! Such a great feeling!

Yesterday, I had a sponsor contact me. She had been reading the blog and each time she saw those pictures of kids left that were not sponsored, her heart just broke and she wanted to call and just sponsor them ALL! I know all of the sponsors, and others reading, feel this pull and desire to take them all! I hear it all the time. However, yesterday, she called to take the last 3. Someone was already interested in sponsoring, but hadn't had a chance to come over yet. She sponsored 2 of the last 3! So amazing what God will do with our hearts and then push us to just DO IT!

Then, last night the last child, Abele, was sponsored! What a momentous moment! The best part about it, was it was 2 boys and their siblings! Children themselves wanted to take on this risk, with their work money, their allowance, whatever they can do to be big brothers and sisters to this little boy so far away! It was really touching and I will never forget this entire experience summed up by these kids reaching out beyond their worlds for someone they don't even know. Thank you, Driscolls!

...and thank you everyone! WE DID IT!

Almost there!

3 KIDS LEFT!

Once there were 56 children in a very poor neighborhood of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia who were vulnerable, very poor, hungry, no money to attend school, yet they found a care point who would look after them and give then what they had. They started coming one by one until there were 56 in all! However, the food ran dry and the teachers weren't getting paid. There was no money left in the budget.

That was Nov. 2010. Today, 53 children are sponsored! Food is being served twice a day and the teachers are getting paid. Education is being offered to all 56 children as well as 72 others from the neighborhood! Children from the Kechene community in Addis Ababa are hearing the Gospel every day and learning about their God given talents and the plan God has for their lives.

All 53 children KNOW they are sponsored. They have been receiving letters, pictures, and hope from families here in the U.S. who contacted me because it broke their hearts and they wanted to DO SOMETHING! Well, they did! 53 children have hope and a future. They are able to eat every day, live in a community where they are loved and taken care of, and know God!

However, there are also 3 children that KNOW they are NOT sponsored. They are waiting for that connection to a family. They are waiting for that hope in having someone who will DO SOMETHING for them.

Abele - Just turned 5 in June. Loves sports, music, singing, writing stories, drawing, and reading, as well learning about farming.

Tsehaynesh- 10 years old. Alayu is 8 years old and his father has died.

Textbooks and smiles!

Textbooks !

The director of Kechene Care Point, Nicodemus

I just love the look on the children's faces in these pictures! It shows that they are having fun, they are learning with their new books, and their director (pictured by the books) couldn't be more proud of where the school is than now. It is a monumental thing to these people to receive textbooks for so many subjects and so many levels of learning.

When I visited this care point, Kechene, I watched the children file into the room quietly and quickly, 56 in all. They all took their seat to listen for their next direction. I noticed a little boy limping and using his crutch to get to his seat. He was holding under his arm, his book. It was his only book and it was curled up under his arm. When he laid it on his desk, it was still rolled up. I noticed it how old and crumpled it was.

Now, can you imagine the excitement in their eyes when they got their new books? The director, Nicodemus, is very pleased and again, couldn't be more proud of his school that he started years ago. Thank you everyone for your support to make these pictures possible!

Care Packages being collected

In November, last year, I had the amazing opportunity to help pass out care packages to all the children sponsored by Karen Wistrom's team. We all had our own care package to give our sponsored child. We got to sit next to them, or put them on our laps, and share what our family had put together for them, specifically. We explained what they were getting, since some of the things were foreign to them, and what they would use it for; toothbrushes, underwear, hairties, stickers, matchbox cars, an other small gifts.

The interpreters tried their best to keep up and to put into Amharic words the best they could. This was an overwhelming task on so many levels. For one, it was amazing that we were actually sitting there with our sponsor child loving them and talking with them. For another, we did this with over 200 children! Some of the more emotional care packages to hand out were from other sponsors who were not able to be there with their child. Their words of love and prayers were overwhelming to read that many times, the tears would just come and not stop.

This year, someone else will read our family's care package letter and give our gift to Bizuayehu. Maybe they will also find it difficult to read as we love her so much, yet are unable to hold her or give her unending hugs.

Karen's team will be going in Nov. again, but this time, they will be delivering over 300 care packages!! What a task that will be! We were busy every day with 200. They will graciously visit Kechene, our care point, and take pictures of our little ones with their care package and with their loving note from a family like ours from afar.

For Sponsors...

If you are a sponsor, please send me your care package before Sept. 15 and I will make sure it gets to a team member going to Kechene. Because there are so many children this year and no one from our care point going with the team to get them there, we are limited to a small care package. Please wrap a t-shirt (size ranging from 6-10) around a family picture, letter and small gifts like a toothbrush, underwear, stickers, hairties, etc. and rubber band it twice like a burrito with your child's name on it and their reference number. I know this is very disappointing not sending more, yet the team also has so many other care packages ( just as small) that have to be delivered. If someone from our care point was going, we would be dedicating one entire suitcase to the care packages and there would be more room.

If you can't send a care package to me, let me know and I will make sure your sponsored child gets a package. We certainly do not want anyone not getiing one when the entire school will be getting the packages. Please contact me if you do not have my address and I will email it to you. gretabcg@hotmail.com

It will be so amazing to see all the children receiving their packages and hearing their letters being read to them. Below are just a few pictures of the experience they will get that the other care points had last year...

This was a little book I published from Snapfish of our family for Bizuayehu. We read it together and Misikir (left) interpreted for me. What a blessing this was to explain our entire family with her through this little book to her!

Tadeleche- Born Jan. 27, 2004

Meet Tadeleche...

She is a single orphan, which means she has only one parent living, her father. She would love a sponsor, someone to write to, someone to pray for her, someone to encourage her and someone to let her know they love her. Most likely, like all of the kids at Kechene Care Point in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, her mother had AIDS, Malaria, or another disease that can't be treated in this neighborhood. She died and now her father is having to not only care for his 3 children, but try to work. He may also be sick if Tadeleche's mother had AIDS. So, she is in a very desperate and vulnerable situation.

She has been able to come to Kechene to discover what she loves to do and who she is. She loves sports, dancing, music, singing, writing stories, cooking, and farming. She really just loves everything her teachers introduce her to.

I got to meet Tadeleche and she is a delightful little girl. If you are interested in sponsoring Tadeleche, please contact me and you can begin to change her life forever! For more information on sponsoring, go to my Sponsor Tab at the top of this page. It can change your life forever as well!

Abele- Born June 2, 2006

Abele is a 6 year old little boy who lives at Kechene Care Point in Addis Ababa. He lives with his 6 brothers and sisters with his mom and dad, however, he is very vulnerable. His dad may be sick or his mom may be sick and they are relying on their father's income, which he can not produce due to his sickness. Abele has found hope at Kechene. There, he is able to sit with other kids his age and learn Math, English, Reading, and the Gospel. He is able to play with other children and learn about manners, discipline, and friendship. He has found joys in life that the school has found is his favorites; sports, dancing, singing, writing stories, farming, and reading.

Abele has the basics that he needs at Kechene thanks to so many sponsors here in America pooling their monthly sponsorship. Each month, the $34 that each sponsor is giving to Children's Hopechest (www.hopechest.org) makes it possible for the staff at Kechene to do their jobs and care for the most vulnerable of Kechene area in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. However, Abele is one of the 7 that does not have a sponsor yet, so he is missing out on the letters once a month, pictures of his "family from afar" and the knowledge that someone loves him and cares about him here in America.

If you want to be that someone for Abele, please contact me and I will match you up with him. Contact me at my email, gretabcg@hotmail.com, and I will make sure Abele knows that he has someone praying for him and caring for him, personally. Thank you for considering being Abele's ONE!

Medical supplies are on their way!

The director's wife at Kechene Care Point in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia explained how there is always a need for medical care at the care point, but they are running short of supplies. Our fundraiser this weekend brought over $500 of funds to use for this need. Soon, we will be sending a huge box of supplies to the care point. The items will be purchased at a discounted price with the funds that we raised from baked goods, hand made jewelry, crafts, and t-shirts all sold at our local farmer's market and at our church. Thank you to all who helped us out! We will be sending the following:

Soap

Toothbrushes

Toothpaste

Black hair care products

Rubbing Alcohol

Peroxide

Cotton swabs

Cotton balls

Gauze

Band aids

Antibacterial ointment

Bactine (antiseptic wound rinse)

Sterile normal saline and water

Iodine

Mercurochrome

Hand sanitizer

Vaseline

A&D ointment

Epsom salts

Blistex

Aloe Vera gel

Lidocaine gel

Gloves

Protective pads (provides a clean working area when cleaning wounds)

THANKS!!

Again, a huge thanks to all who bought from our table, or donated for these supplies to be purchased. Soon, we hope to have pictures of a full shelf of supplies to treat cuts, burns, and other first aid care. A HUGE thanks to the Harris Family for holding the sale and collecting all the items to sell. Jenny is a nurse in Madison and will be purchasing the items for us. They also have a sponsor daughter at Kechene, Bizuayehu.

49 sponsored, 7 to go!

(Go to "My Story" tab above for an explanation about this mission)

Tsehaynesh, Abele, Tadeleche, Alayu, Embet, Berekete, and Biruktawit

These are the children still waiting for sponsorship. They are all vulnerable and waiting for a family from afar to write to them, send them pictures of their families, and support them while living in their own country. They are struggling to make it day to day, yet thanks to the generous sponsors so far, are able to get meals, education, medical supplies, uniforms, etc. to have a chance. They are just missing the most important part... a family that has chosen them to love and care for them from afar.

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To sponsor, and change a child's life and your life forever, contact me at gretabcg@hotmail.com