A break to the North

We enjoyed a great getaway to my family's cottage this weekend near Minocqua, WI. It was such a calming weekend of soft snow, good food, warm fires, and fun with my boys and Matt. My Dad and I even got a trail or two in on our skis.

It was really great to see the boys out on their skis and enjoying the beauty that winter can offer, even if we are tired of it. Caleb even coaxed us all out on the ice, with skiis, in the dark.

The boys had a lot of fun with Matt hiding behind rocks waiting for me to emerge from the trail after one of my skiing trips. Then, without any other warning other than my dad also waiting at the end of the trail taking a picture, they jumped out from behind the rocks sounding like sick goats. I didn't know whether to be scared or laugh. It was pretty funny.

"Peaceful" was definitely the word for the weekend; reading, relaxing, skiing, and soaking up the beauty of winter (without the usual obligations it so often seems to bring).

News from Jose'

Good News from Brazil...

We received a note today from Jose' Carlos! With hesitation, I opened it so hoping that it was just a statement or news of Jose' Carlos's recovery from brain cancer. Jose' is our 1st sponsored child that we have been corresponding with for at least 4 years. He was diagnosed last year with brain cancer. He has been in the hospital for 21 days and is now home. I was so relieved and read his note with tears welling up as to the amount of hope this must have been for his family to experience. Praise God for this healing!

Jose Carlos's letter...
Hello Dear Friend Matt and Family,
How are you? May the Lord's peace always be with you. This is Marcella, a project fieldworker, and I'm very pleased to write to you at the request of Jose' Carlos and his family to thank you for the photographs. He enjoyed them and was very happy. After spending 21 days at the hospital, Jose' Carlos is now at home, taking several medicines, and he is feeling a bit better.

His family thanks the Lord for bringing you into their lives and they ask God to protect you and to light up your pathways.

With Love, Marcella, for Jose' Carlos and his family

Lands' End fundraiser a success!

Well, I am blown away!

We had an amazing bake sale, to say the least!

It all started when a friend and sponsor of one of the children at Kechene wanted to do more for their little guy by holding a bake sale in her department at Lands' End. Lands' End encourages their employees to ban together for a cause they feel passionate about and then they will match it if they reach the $500 mark. If they reach the $700 mark, they will match that and if they reach the $1500 mark, they will match it as well. The message I got from LE is that they want their employees to give generously to their cause and they will support that cause.

Friday, the Uniform Dept. at LE brought baked goods, signed up for a shift to work the table, and encouraged the building to buy their baked good for the kids at Kechene for new uniforms. They, themselves, also bought numerous baked goods. They had 4 tables piled high of yummies all priced to make some good money. The goal was $700 since historically the sales have earned that much. So, if we made that much, LE would match to make $1400. By the time I got to the sale at 11:30, the department was down to 2 tables, had donations filling several jars, and a raffle going on to win a chunk of the money.

By 1:30, after counting out the money, we had our goal of over $700! Then, someone let us know that another department was selling jackets, totes, and sweatshirts whose logos had to be removed. They announced to us that they would like to donate the sales of those to Children's Hopechest for new uniforms! They had $600 to give us! That made us almost $1500! We were short, so someone added to the amount which gave us the $1500 needed to get a match for another $1500 from Lands' End!

This is amazing to me since our goal was I thought, "over the top" for a little bake sale. I guess I was proven wrong. What a great group of people! Thank you so much, Lands' End Building 6 for such a great donation to the kids! Now, not only uniforms will be purchased, but textbooks as well!!

Lands' End Uniform Dept. after raising over $3000 for uniforms!Claire very proudly handing over a very big check from her mom's deptartment at Lands' End. As Claire puts it, "It is the money for Henocke and his school." (Claire's family sponsor at Kechene so this was personally satisfying to their family!)

Flow chart of your life in Ethiopia

Your Parents diagnosed with Aids and die before you turn 5.

Neighbor takes you in, but they are also sick, so you are left to help raise their 3 and 1 year old. They have no money, so you are unable to go to school.

Age 13, you can go to the government school, but it is very difficult since you have not been in school until now. Everything is a struggle. You get by and graduate learning the basics. Skills are not taught, only literacy and arithmetic.

Some of your friends who were very intelligent or who had a uniform got schooling early in life so they did very well and will be going to the University. The government will pay their way and then they will pay the government back after they graduate. You do not get accepted.

This is the end of the road for you. There is no other school for you and no other options. You look for jobs as they come on the street. This is your life.

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This is the life of the same child who had a sponsor:

Parents diagnosed with Aids and die before you turn 5.

Neighbor takes you in, but they are also sick, so you are left to help raise their 3 and 1 year old. They have no money, so you are unable to go to school, however, your neighbor hears of a care point down the road called, Kechene. The school has sponsors from America who pay monthly for you to attend school and get fed 2x a day. They will provide a uniform, textbooks, teachers, and medical supplies. The sponsors send letters of encouragement and love from their own families. The pictures they send show fancy homes and comforts we can only imagine, yet their words are sweet, caring, and hopeful!

You attend Kechene and are supplied with a uniform, new shoes, food 2x a day and teachers who watch out for you and teach you while having fun. You meet new friends who are in the same boat and can share your struggles with. You start hearing about God and how much He loves you and all he has in store for your future. Future? Yes, there is a future because you are receiving an education at an early age.

You leave Kechene school at age 13 to attend the government school, but you are able to come back on Saturdays to receive your Saturday meals and Bible studies. Someone comes from

America and brings a ton of supplies and T-shirts! You have one more shirt to wear on Saturday! Your uniform can be washed on Saturdays now.

You do well in school and are accepted to the University for further education. You excel and explore other ways to get skills that the schools in Ethiopia cannot/do not teach. You find a global organization in the United States to learn about agriculture while living there for 2 years. You apply and get accepted to live in a little town in the U.S. to learn about animal husbandry. You can pay back the Ethiopian government AND start earning some money to give back to your Care Point.

After the 2 years are up, you return to Ethiopia and return to Kechene to teach the skills needed to raise animals.

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The end of the road is just the beginning! This is not just a hypothetical story. This is based on many true stories from our friends in Ethiopia. Sponsorship works and YOU can be the hope in a child's life from the disadvantaged to the advantaged. We are their future!

Painful yet encouraging reflections

I pondered some of my pictures tonight of little Bizuayehu, our sponsor daughter. I miss her so much! I look at some of the pictures of our time together in November at Kind Hearts, Ethiopia, and am encouraged, yet so sad.

I am encouraged by the fact that we saw bare feet on the children and now they have shoes.

I am encouraged that they once had no food and ate from the mud pies they made to fill their empty bellies, but now eat a balanced rice dish daily.

I am encouraged that their teachers and children have regular visits from Children's Hopechest staff and with them usually comes letters from their sponsors with pictures and loving messages.

I am also encouraged that our little Bizuayehu knows that we love her very much and that she is ok and is able to get an education in her own country.

However, at times, I am not ok. I process new things every day and one of those things is that there are still so many children, like Biz, who still don't have water, food, a family or a home. If they have families, they live day to day with the unknown; will their sickness take their lives today? Will their children be ok? Will they be fed, have a family, get an education?

Sadness overwhelms me at times. I feel sometimes as if the trip to Ethiopia and my answered prayers for God to give me His eyes to see what breaks His heart was a curse instead of an opportunity. However, I also realized that true joy does not come without heartbreak and pain.

I have had the incredible experience these past few months of seeing people in this country get to experience loving these children through sponsorship, first hand. I've gotten to see people reach outside themselves and their own difficulties for the fatherless and motherless children. What a joy it has been!

I can't say that it has not been difficult to process what I saw and what still haunts me, yet I can say true joy has been the bi-product of these experiences and I wouldn't trade it for anything! I only pray and hope that others may know the potential that they all have when stepping out in faith and experiencing what may not be easy, yet can be the most joy you will EVER experience in this life.

Out for Ethiopian!

We had so much fun at a local Ethiopian restaurant! We visited Madison's only Ethiopian food with our new friend, Selam. We were so glad she was able to go with us. She got to have Ethiopian and I got to watch my family experience what I meant by "injera bread, wot, sigawot, or Tibs."

Everything was wonderful, except it was different to eat the injera bread after it was UNDER the 5 different dishes. It was rather soggy, but my very American husband LOVED it! Selam, not so much. She asked for more injera bread separate. I don't blame her. Other than the soggy injera, the meal was a hit with everyone!

I guess it was a success when the 11 and 14 year old ask when we can go back!


Here is Selam with Matt, Caleb and Gavin. We decided to go "family style" with one big plate and 5 meals to choose from. You dip your injera bread and pinch whatever meal you want to try.





















Selam and I in front of Eastern African Cuisine on State St.