missionary spotlight: Amanda Herdina [Uganda]

hey yall, so for my FIRST missionary spotlight....I want you to meet my girl Amanda.  ya know how yesterday I talked about our very first man up trip [through Visiting Orphans] to Africa?  Well, that's how I met Amanda.  she works for VO and this was her first trip to africa too!  she has a beautiful story....so let's meet Amanda!  make sure you visit her website HERE.
[read more about why I'm starting this here.]

that's us, in Ethiopia [Korah to be exact].  we went on both of our first ever mission trip to africa together summer of 2011.  and she's my sister for life now.  it's been so amazing to see what the Lord has spoken over her + where He is leading her since this picture was taken.  She's so close to going for it.  and she has a story, she has needs, she needs a team! 

[Amanda on the Nile in Uganda]

tell us three words to describe your personality...

Only.Three.Words.?  ok, ok:  Spunky.  Freespirit.  Broken.

what's your absolutely favorite thing in the world to do? 

…Wynne.  That’s so not fair.  Between roadtrips, going to the lake, sitting at a bonfire, belting Disney in my car, cheerin for my Pats (do NOT say anything), going to live shows, watching movies and camping?  I’d have to say Living Life.  G’aw, I know that sounds so Miss America.  But really!  Every year for my birthday, I do something to make me feel alive.  Whitewater rafting, a tattoo (or 5), Skydiving, taking a trip...  There’s so MUCH TO DO in life.  So as long as I feel like I’m LIVING, then that’s my favorite thing in the world.

So, Amanda you are a dreamer.  When would you say that dreaming started? 

I was standing on my coffee table in a costume made from tinfoil, performing the entire soundtrack to The Bodyguard, at the ripe ‘ole age of 8.  Or maybe it was when I choreographed an entire figure skating routine to “Independence Day” on rollerblades.  Or when I wrote screenplays with my cousin and acted them for my family.  I can’t tell you when they actually started, I feel like I’ve been a dreamer since the day I came bursting into life!

what would you say to someone who didn't grow up dreaming big?  where should they start? 

Oh gosh, this hurts my heart a little.  I think if someone hasn’t been dreaming since day one, they need to first ask themselves, Why Not?  (and I mean that in all sincerity, not a condescending way at all).  What’s happening, or going on in their lives, that has been robbing them of the freedom to dream?  Every day, children are told they can’t be somebody or do anything with their lives, and they grow up believing it.  Are people living in environments where they feel uncomfortable to escape?  Financial burdens create vicious cycles that leave families giving up their dreams.  Even marriages will sometimes steal the truth that it’s ok to dream and people tend to settle for mediocre…

So where, you ask, should they start?  By taking one small step.  “Things” are always going to come up in life (where you live, who you live with, what you’re doing) and if you continue to put those in front of your dreams, your dreams will continue to stay on the back burner.  It’s OK to dream.  And that it’s always, always, always okay to go for them.  Small or Big.  And then surround yourself with positive people that believe in you!  But if you’re going to start now, you need to start by taking that step. God’s going to either crazy bless you in your own dreams or he’s going to show you another one, but you’ve got to take the first step!

It’s funny you asked this because as I was trying to put my thoughts together, this post came up in my newsfeed, and I think this is the BEST way of saying what needs to be said:

[amanda in Uganda]

when you were a little girl - what did you dream of?

I remember always dreaming as a little kid of being in front of people singing or dancing, entertaining in some way, shape or form.  I never had a shy bone in my body and I loved the spotlight.  (Loved.  Past tense……. Urrr. Right).  So when I dreamed, I always dreamed big.  If I wanted to be an actor, I dreamed of the Oscar or Tony.  If I wanted to be a singer, I dreamed of the Grammy.  I dreamed of designing the most exquisite bridal gowns on the planet.  I was going to win scholarships for sports and awards for school, travel the world… Honestly, I dreamed of everything.

But I will say this.  Every time.  EVERY time I ever dreamed BIG, it was so that I would have a decent paycheck to be able to travel the world to visit children in need and make a difference in someone’s life.  I didn’t want the glory that came with those awards, I honestly wanted the platform so I was able to do more, to BE more.

I literally remember it like it was yesterday.  Laying in bed as a 4^th grader, I woke up in the middle of night with this thought that I was supposed to “Coat our Country”, giving warm winter coats to children in freezing places around the US.  What??  A 4^th grader?  How in the?? … Almost 14 years later… partnered with Burlington Coat Factory & Cabela’s, we brought coats to over 400 children in need.  And THAT’s when I realized that no matter what you dream and how you strive to reach it, or how long it takes for you to get there, don’t ever. EVER GIVE UP on a dream… If it’s His will, God’s going to give you a platform whether you’re an Academy Award winner or not.

[WAC in beautiful Uganda]

 did you ever think you would end up in Uganda? is this a crazy life or what? 

hAHA! Yes, when I was 3, I sat on my front porch drinkin my sweet tea, dreaming of a life in a faraway world, stricken with poverty, disease, famine and ………  Okay sorry.  NOOoo! That just goes to show that, NO WAY EVER did I EVER think I would end up in Nashville, let alone be moving to Uganda.  I probably couldn’t even pronounce it until like 2 years ago!

so, you are moving to Uganda.  when was your first trip there? 

(deep breath) I am.  I went with this really cool, really fun, really awesome spiritually centered organization called, Visiting Orphans, with the very first ‘Man Up’ team.  It was the summer of 2011, and I met some pretty cool, pretty radical world changers on that trip that have inspired me to do more.  (cough, wink)

did it completely rock your world? 

I smile.  Thinking back how I felt after I returned from that trip, it’s almost silly now.  I was not only rocked, I was WRECKED.  Literally.  I see it definitely as a refining season now, but during those couple months that followed, I was ultimately miserable.  Couldn’t focus.  Couldn’t relate.  Couldn’t find my place… I didn’t want to work and yet I couldn’t sit still.  It was one of the hardest times I’ve been through, the waiting and wondering.  I probably wasn’t the most pleasant person to be around, and so for that… all my friends and family deserve patience awards, seriously!  Sorry y’all!!

when did you know that you had to go back? 

The second I stepped off the plane in Entebbe.  I knew I would be going home a very short 14 days after, but I KNEW I’d be back.  I knew right then and there that this was the beginning to the ‘rest of my life’.

[Amanda in Uganda]

so your dream & vision for heArts to hope...can you share that with us

Do y’all have a couple hours, can’t we meet for coffee instead?

Prelude:  It was a crisp and sunny October afternoon in 2010.  I was on my way to Georgia after a pretty intense argument.  I remember being so frustrated.  So tired and weary of the fight.  So aggravated that my point wasn’t being made and boy, was I mad…. And halfway into the drive, I felt, what I like to call, a Flick in the Forehead moment.  I had to pull over as the most random, unexpected, and yet totally vivid and clear thoughts began to take over… 14 journal pages later… ‘The Vision’ was born.

Why do I tell you all that?  To explain that this isn’t mine.  Because I was in a totally different place in my life at this time.  I’d never traveled to a third world, let alone knew what orphan ministry even was.  I was working in the Entertainment industry and was settling into that lifestyle, married to my pride and control.  So to say that this is definitely not my dream and vision is an understatement.  You couldn’t have paid me to write this script ….

heArts to hope was born that day as my saving grace.  I mean it.  It was then and there that I knew I needed a life change and it has since saved my life.  Visiting Orphans was introduced just weeks after.  One thing led to another and I was on a trip to Africa only 8 months later.

While there, I noticed how these kids just shriek and squeal with delight when you throw all your insecurities and inhibitions out the window and just… DANCE.  But what really stuck?  Is that every time we took out the guitar, every time we sang a song, drew a picture, took a photo, or threw a dance party, these kids came alive.  It was like we were feeding them HOPE on a silver spoon.  And the vision started becoming a reality that this isn’t just a fun time for us… this is a NEED for them.

heArts to hope strives to be a place where learning and teaching creative expression through visual art, performing art, film, fashion, photography, and music, can offer children affected by life’s damaging circumstances and vicious cycles of poverty with an opportunity to use their passions for long-term life change.  The goal is to build a ‘heArts Center’, an actual physical structure for Ugandan’s youth to come to and find solace—a safe haven to find freedom in Hope.

what's your plan now?

Haha…. Oh lordy.  That word is my kryptonite.  My ‘plan’ (knowing full well that when dealing with another culture on His timeline, anything could change at any given moment) is to visit Uganda at the end of February and talk with some of our ministry partners to see where this can best help.  I will gather details on where I’ll be resting my head, how much it’s going to take, where to build the facility, who will be involved, the timeline—basically creating the business plan for the next year.  Then come home to hit the ground running to finish raising support to move back in May and get started!

[Amanda in Uganda]

what do you need to get there? 

Wynne, that’s such a loaded question. J  I’m like a cliché Disney princess, so I say Prayers… but I really.do.mean.PRAYERS.  This is not going to happen alone or without them.

 And then after that?  Turns out, you need funds to move to a foreign country and jumpstart a project.  So if you’re anxious to help immediately (and I’m so thankful you are) here’s your chance!  I have about $1,800 left to raise for the February trip and then from there, I’ll need about $10,000 more to get me back there to live.  This is the biggest need at the moment and your help will go such a long way! (read amandas heart on this here.) 

what should people that are wanting to support you do to help? 

Set up a time where I can hug their faces!  I’m already feeling the love from people I’ve never met and it’s the most humbling thing ever!

I’m gonna need encouragement.  That’s what I love so much about you girl, and this Missionary Spotlight you’re doing.  Not for my benefit.  But for ALL the missionaries out there!  For those kids!  Because the times when we feel weary.  The times when we get discouraged, frustrated, afraid or feel let down?  THEY’RE going to be the ones that are affected, let down.  Those kiddos aren’t going to get the best of us like they deserve.  So let’s rally some cheerleaders!  Maybe we can have a sign up where someone sends all us crazies like, a singing skype telegram every other month or something!!  Or boxes of laffy taffy.  Endless boxes of laffy taffy….

If people want to know specifics on tangible ways to help, always visit my website www.heArtstohope.org and click on the NEED. tab.  I will keep that updated as much as possible on immediate needs, as well as long term dreams so people can pick and choose how they best fit in and where to help.  If they’re feeling led to donate, all the directions are on the to DONATE. tab.

And finally.  If you’re still reading this, all I ask is that you quietly listen to the little (or big) dreams that are whispering in your ear.  Just remember that no matter what your situation is, your dreams can come true at any given moment.  You just need to take one baby step towards the door…

[always full of joy and light...]

so what do you think yall? 

think we can rally around Amanda?! 

man up and GO! [a trip in June, lead by my husband + yours truly]

Our mission at Man Up and Go is simple:  To compel men to bring hope by GOING to the fatherless, widows and oppressed.  We are called to fight for the least of these (Isa. 61) whether that is in your neighborhood or 7,000 miles away.  It is time to stand up for those who cannot standup for themselves.  So I challenge you to stop...pray and think about where you are called to GO; fight and bring hope by taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the darkest and most hopeless places in America and in the World.  We are on the clock and it is time to do something.  Join us in the fight and do a canon ball into the Man UP and GO movement!!!  

[THIS is what Man UP is all about.  Stephen in Korah, July 2011]

I am really excited to share with you this morning that my husband will be leading a Man Up and Go mission trip to Uganda + Ethiopia June 5- June 15th.  I'm also excited (and a bit nervous) to tell you that he found his co-leader....ME!  So TOGETHER we will be leading a trip.  so, even though it's MAN UP, women can man up too!  

As most of you know, Stephen & I went on our first "man up" mission trip to Uganda + Ethiopia together the summer of 2011 and our lives have never been the same!  Stephen is now on the leadership team of Man Up [just got home from their leadership retreat!] and they have a few trips planned this spring/summer that I wanted to pass the info along to you or your husbands (or fathers, brothers, sisters, friends).  It's an amazing opportunity to get your feet on the ground in Africa, love big on orphans, and see God in a new way.  I have blogged a lot about our trips [you can find those posts here] but would love to help answer any questions/fears/concerns you have.  

[me in Korah on Man Up trip, July 2011]

[thanks Amanda for the pics, as I'm always taking them - I never get "real" live shots of us loving big]

Details about our trip::

 Ethiopia & Uganda Trip

• Dates: June 5 - June 15
• Leader: Stephen Elder (jselder05@gmail.com), Wynne Elder co-leader
• Application Due: as soon as possible - print, fill out, scan and email to: jselder05@gmail.com. If you'd rather physically mail the application with your check, that's fine too (see below). 
• $200 Deposit Due: February 15th
• First Trip Payment Due: March 15th (approximately 1/2 of estimated cost)
• Final Trip Payment Due: April 15th 
• Checks payable to: 
• Calvary Baptist Church (memo line write "Man Up Ethiopia/Uganda")
• Send your checks to: 
• The Sports Facilities Advisory, c/o Jason Clement, 600 Cleveland St., Suite 910, Clearwater, FL 33755
• Pay online. Instructions found here - http://www.manupandgoblog.com/submit-your-200-deposit/
• **NOTE** If you pay online, please let one of the Man Up Leaders know what name the payment was given under so that we may properly designate it

applications are due ASAP, so pray about it & see if God is calling you to GO this summer! 

Stephen can be reached::

email: jselder05@gmail.com

cell: 432-853-4623

man up site: http://www.manupandgoblog.com/

I can be reached:

email: wynne.elder@gmail.com

a heart to connect.

If you knew me well, you would know I am a connector.  

I think it's a god given spiritual gift [I know it is]

I absolutely love to connect people!  that comes in a lot of ways, but recently I've been asking the good Lord how I can use that gift (and this space) for good.

and I think I found a way!

Something that my eyes have been open to since going on my trip to El Salvador in March of 2011 were the missionaries that have given up their life to be on the mission field.

see, on short term mission trips, you go to serve the local people of wherever you are going, but in reality you are there for the missionaries too.  

They need support, they need community, they need encouragement.

[Ken & Vicky Conway]

I remember the last night in El Salvador our team joined together at the Conways (the missionaries) home for a time of prayer and encouragement.  We all went around the room & shared with Ken + Vicky about whatever was on our heart to encourage them.  and then one by one we prayed for them.  it was an emotional night but a night of refreshment!

[shea's send off. shea is the one in green holding her nephew  sidenote: I went to El Salvador with her & 1 other girl in this pic in 2011]

reminds me of this morning: going to the airport to pray and send off my good friend Shea as she is going to serve with Mercy Ships in West Africa for 2 years! 

[alison]

rabbit trail...back to my story.  and as my good friend Alison, currently serving in Rwanda, told me tonight when they leave their home they leave their community!  think about that - they leave everything that they know to move to a country or culture that is unfamiliar.  no more church family, no more community group, no more family dinners, no more supper club or game nights.   they are there, a lot of times alone or with their small family unit.  can you imagine doing that? 

so they need encouragement and love.

but how do we know how to serve and love them well? 

that's where I hope this missionary spotlight segment will hopefully get your mind turning.

I have some pretty radical friends I've met over the years that have given their life to the mission field: whether thats in a village in Rwanda or in the inner city in San Diego.  either way, they have given up all they know and all that is comfortable to spread the gospel.  and I think you should know about them!

they all have some pretty amazing stories

and as you know, I love telling stories. 

SO I've just talked to 3 or 4 people lately that I would love to introduce you to.  they are all in different stages: some just released their mission & are starting to raise support, some are a year into living cross culturally, and some are about to be launched into their mission.

This isn't going to be a weekly thing or something I do on a schedule, just sort of as the spirit leads.  

I hope & pray that you will connect with one of these fabulous people and get involved.  get connected.   if anything, just pray for them.  support them - and a word on that,  supporting doesn't JUST mean financial.  they need to raise PEOPLE and not just funds.  people who will be a part of their team, support them, pray for them, encourage them, send them cards on their birthday - you know what I'm saying! 

(this girl, up first.  the one & only Amanda Herdina)

I'm excited to introduce you soon to a dear friend of mine who has a heart of gold and dreams dreams of hope! amanda ;) 

man up & go. the road trip.

so, before we got "the news" we had planned to road trip it up to Springfield, MO for the Man Up & Go film premier.    We were excited to meet up with our Man Up family (the first mission trip we took to Africa together, summer 2011) and see the film that had been in the works for a year & a half.  Call us crazy, but we still decided to go . We couldn't be in the states & not at this event - so we did it!  We road tripped it 11 hours 5 days before leaving to pick up our babes.  

A perk to driving that far, is having besties that live half way!  We LOVE getting to stay in "the falls" with my bestie Brynn + her family!  They have a beautiful community there & as always we were welcomed with love, gifts, a good meal and lots of laughter.  Brynn outdid herself and even had a cake made in celebration!  

then it was back on the road & onto Springfield!  we were greeted by our family - the Neals & Gibsons and had a super fun dinner out followed by the best custard ever at Andys then some good ole fashioned fun - watching you tube videos & laughing so hard it hurt.  so great to be back with our man up family!

(might I add that my fave part of the night is when me & hannie (to my left above) broke out to a tswift dance party in the restaurant parking lot.  i had been practicing the words to "we are never getting back together" for weeks for that exact moment.  hey, it's what we did in Ethiopia to entertain ourselves.) 

Saturday was the big day!  everyone met downtown (Springfield has a pretty impressive downtown I might add) for coffee and breakfast! 

LOVE this girl.  she's my sister.  loved hanging out & having lunch after.  

ya know those people that even if you don't talk every week or every month you still know they are family & will be in your life forever...yeah.  she's one of those :) 

some of the original man up girls - amanda, elise, me & shailey! 

after lunch & coffee it was off to get all dolled up for the big premier!!

me & my sister, mama kiki!  LOVED getting to waltz into her house like I lived there.  oh how I've missed her & her family!

one of the most fun things, was just getting to see so many amazing friends!  from our mission trip, from my time this summer in ethiopia, baylor friends, LIFE LONG friends, adoption friends I've never met until now...it was a crazy fun mix of amazing godly mission minded people.

walking the red carpet!  ready to see the film!!!!

emotions were running high at this point.  getting ready to see our 17 day trip to africa played out on the big screen.  the trip that started it all!  

I was pretty proud of this guy.  

although he wasn't one of the 5 guys that was featured in the film, you can be sure to see him loving big on orphans.  he has an amazing heart this one! 

after the film, we headed back to Randy's studio for dessert and a little Q&A with the man up & go film stars & directors!  

Here's a little more about Man Up & Go!

{from the website}

FATHER  fa·ther [fah-ther]  noun

a man who exercises paternal care over other persons;  paternal protector and provider: a father to the poor and orphans.

Why would an unlikely band of American brothers go on an adventure, a road trip, to the depths of Ethiopia and Uganda, and join with African men? They joined in a push to help combat the heartbreaking problem that there are over 7,000,000 orphans suffering in these two countries. They left their jobs and families to help bring to light the gut wrenching issue that over 700,000,000 children worldwide grow up without a father. Not dismayed by the staggering numbers, the men literally man up and go to change lives and discover their own lives are most impacted

This cast of characters is joined by a common passion -- to love and care for orphans and people that are hurting and in need. To be a father to many, even if for one day. To hold and hug those children that do not have a father. To show women the healthy touch of a man and to be an example to other men what a real man is like...what it means to be a father. The Man Up team did dishes for the women, cooked, gathered food, washed feet, shaved and fed lepers, played games and simply….loved big.

Many of the men call home Missouri, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Uganda and Ethiopia. Miles apart geographically and worlds apart socially, economically and culturally, this band of American brothers includes a seasoned cop, a retired military man and an architect. Then there is the standout ex-college football player, highly successful businessman, well-known publicist, celebrity athlete and teenage boys. With over 30 adventurers on this rag tag team, most previously have never stepped on African soil.

Focusing on five Americans, the film reveals the unique stories of the men...before the trip even starts. We see them at home, work and play and connect with their unfolding lives. The film's journey continues as the team comes together at an airport in Washington DC -- for most, a first time meeting, yet they unite as one. 

The Americans are contrasted and compared with the lives of African brothers. Included are harrowing stories of survival through unthinkable situations -- one being left for dead on a mountain of bodies and the second once orphaned himself, living in a dump. These stories and others represent shining examples of manhood and the spirit of the adventure.

Strongly drawing attention to the touching lives of orphaned children , the Man Up team travels to hidden children prisons and a dump site, which is home to thousands of orphans. The journey continues to a ministry for street children, a remote village in the middle of Ethiopia and to a multitude of orphanages. The needs of the precious children are revealed by the spirited actions of the Man Up team, entwining strong, common threads of hope, joy, love and the power these have over adversity 

In the end, the American team travels home to their comfortable lives...but will they ever be the same? Will the choking facade of the American dream grip them like it used to? The men return with the truth planted that life is not just about them; they are transformed by their African adventure and brothers, and are united with a strong commitment to love big and to be fathers to the fatherless.

here's a little teaser to the film....

http://manupandgo.com/teaser

I have the DVD at my house if you are in Midland...we would love to have you view it!  

they will be submitting the film to festivals & we are praying that god does something BIG with it! 

it was raw, real, beautiful, heart breaking, motivating, inspiring, and oh so much more.  

we are blessed to be a part of it! 

changed me.

ethiopia changed me.

god used my time in ethiopia to transform me.

I truly believe that I am coming home a different person.

as one of my besties jenna said, a new woman, a new wife, a new mommy and a new friend.

i’m a summer girl.  always have been.  I have loved every summer since I can remember.

going to camp(s), playing on the lake with friends & family, baseball games, disney world, concerts, road trips.

the 4th of july is my second favorite holiday behind christmas. 

I love the warm texas summer nights.  

I love the break from the normal go-go-go schedule that the rest of the year holds.

I love the sunshine.

so it’s funny if you think about it.

one of the best summers of my entire life was spent in a big-dirty-rainy city, hanging out next to the trash dump.

ethiopia changed me.

it changed my priorities, it changed the way I look at life and people.

it changed the way I define family. 

I asked god all summer (and so did Stephen) to give us a big vision for our future.

we want so desperatly to serve Him in a big way, and I wanted to use my time in Addis to figure out what that may be.

there were times I was frustrated, not feeling like I had a purpose.  

the enemy was really firing at me this time.

it really wasn’t until the past week that God revealed to me His vision for us.  and showed me why I was supposed to be in Ethiopia all summer.

and it’s summed up in one word: family. 

I’m a mom, a sister, and a wife.  

and being a mom & sister don’t look like you might naturally think here. 

god blessed me this summer with getting to spend time with my two babies, camp + asher.  to really bond with them.  and I am grateful every second for the time we had together in their home country.

god also allowed me to spend time & build deeper relationships with our two sponsor daughters.  tsion (10) and abenezer (12) - who call us mom & dad.  (who call camp + asher their brother and sister)

I became sister to many.... I can’t tell you how much joy it brings me when my boys call me sister.

and, my notes that read, “my beloved mom” and “dear my wonderful mamma Wynne” from my sons Eyob + Biligne brought serious tears to my eyes.  

we are family. 

and god is revealing more and more to me that THAT is what counts.  

whether you look alike or not.  

god can start a bond between two people that look nothing alike & don’t have the same blood running through their veins.  those things don’t matter.  love does.

and even if all I did this summer was be a mother and spend time with my big crazy ethiopian family, then my time served it’s purpose.

I will never look at family the same. 

it’s made me more appreciative of my natural family than ever.  the way my parents, in laws, sisters, grandparents, grandparents-in-law, cousins, aunts, uncles, sister-in-law have loved us and supported us has been amazing.

especially seeing and spending time with kids this summer who don’t have anything like the family I have. 

my parents dropped everything & came to Ethiopia to meet their 2 grandkids - what?  I love my family, and although we are somewhat dysfunctional (what family isn’t!), I love them and they love us.  we are family -- always. 

living in midland, away from natural family, we’ve built family here too.  a church family.  people who come to our house at midnight the night before a big trip to pray for us.  people who work their tails off while mommy is away to make sure everything is perfect for c+a.  people who cook us meals.  people who fight to protect us & love us the way we need to be loved in this season.  family.  

changed.

in more ways than I can count.  

my missionary summer.

Hi, my name is Wynne. 

 and this is my family.

God allowed me to stay in Ethiopia after our court date of these two precious babies (Camp + Asher) to do ministry and
 I spent the past two months living with this missionary family (the Yates) in Ethiopia. 

well, more exactly I lived in a house with all of these people.

working with Project 61.

in Kore (or Korah)

in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

where this group of guys help lead the charge as leaders of the church & Great Hope Ministries.

I partnered with this sweet family

the gibsons

to be "happy helpers" in Korah. 

We watched teams come in every week to serve the kids of Korah

We did VBS with them...

scripture memory, songs, crafts, games....

and most importantly sharing the gospel!!

{photo by Kari Gibson}

and at the end of every week, we celebrated what Jesus had done with a big MEAT lunch.

{photo by Kari Gibson}

The afternoons were often spent (with the teams) visiting Alert hospital & going on home visits.

during home visits you can always expect buna (ethiopian coffee), popcorn or traditional bread, and lots of good time hearing each other stories and praying together.

there was always a lot going on in Korah with Project 61, Hope for Korah (family program), and Mission Ethiopia (sustainable work for at risk women)!

that is a small glimpse into what we did as a part of the Project 61 team in Ethiopia, but it doesn't even begin to tell the stories of what we really did.  or rather what God did through us.

It wasn't necessarily through the programs, or events that we felt God at work - it was through the personal relationships we had with the people.

Mid summer I started going into the bible study that Roger Gibson & Kari started for some of the boys that live in the dorm in Korah during the summer (when they aren't in school).  Roger really felt like God told him to disciple these young men - and it was an honor and blessing to watch them grow this summer and to really just be a family with them.

Yes, we had bible study with them every week.

we prayed with them.

we gave them bibles.

we shared the gospel & our personal testimonies.

we took them to church each Sunday

but we also ate with them

took them to the zoo

celebrated birthdays with them

played soccer with them

watched movies & made cookies together

took them bowling

we did things FAMILIES do together.
and that is exactly what we became - a big crazy ethiopian family!

my last Sunday in Addis, I got to witness a beautiful baptism of my friend & brother, Kedir (Kedy).
it was an emotional day as I've seen this boy transform by the love of Jesus this past year.

THIS is what it's all about.