I'm always excited to take my teams to Korah, the trash dump community in Ethiopia.
Several on our teams usually have sponsored children in Korah so it so exciting to allow the sponsors to meet their sponsored children.
Many of our first timers on the team met new friends that stuck by their side throughout the day.
We visited our sponsored child's home. In a way these kids become almost like an adopted child that your heart grows to love. It is always so humbling to see how the children live in this community. It is all they have ever known.
Our bud from TN works for Food For The Hungry. He was in Ethiopia with a day free so he joined up with us for the day. Thank you, Daniel White for some amazing photos!
You never know what you will run across in a third world country. It's definitely not what you see everyday in America!
Loved meeting up with Kari Gibson for the first time in Korah. She runs an awesome ministry called Simply Love, and also, Man Up! She's one awesome lady!
Some of our team went on home visits while some of us fed the Korah kids lunch for the day.
I'll just let the pics tell the story of the day. Many children blessed our team as much as we blessed them. These kids have nothing but love just flows out of them.
Shane and one of the Korah leaders.
Elizabeth's sponsored child showed up with an "E" in his head, ha!
These kids love their sponsors!!
The second half of the day we visit an orphanage that is run by nuns. They are the absolute sweetest women I have ever met! They care for these kids very well.
It's always so eye opening to our team to see so many children who don't have a family to call their own.
The children are just simply beautiful!! You understand why God's heart says that Pure religion is to care for orphans and widows in their distress (James 1:27) . Imagine how God feels when he sees precious faces like this that need help and he relies on us to be His hands and feet!
As I look around at my team I see each of them holding, loving, singing, and caring for a child. I think of how God calls us all to be his hands and feet and then think of the fatherless children who have no one. I look around and see my team in action and it's as if Jesus is picking up the children, loving on the children, and telling them they are special and loved as they stand in His place.
BEAUTIFUL!
I always LOVE talking to the teen girls! They sit off to the side assuming everyone will go straight to the babies. Once you sit and interact with them they come to life and start talking and telling you all about themselves. I definitely made some new friends. These girls are precious! I love hearing about adoptions of older kids. It is so life changing!
Bira, the sponsored child of a team member, has been such a help to us. He is learning how to serve, translate, and give to others in need, even though anyone would consider he, himself, a child in need.
It's awesome to watch.
As our day was coming to a close we loaded up to go to a restaurant. Sweet Bissy took a few of us by his home to see it. He is so proud and it is literally a tiny 10x10 room. This man is a jewel!
All the teens on our team are really bonding great!
Our night ended with a group meeting in the guesthouse.
Ashli came over and shared her story with the group. She was on our very first team trip in the summer of 2010. God rocked her world when she returned and she tells that she kept dreaming about Africa and felt the call to move here. I can't go into how God has turned her life around and how she now has found her purpose and her call in Africa. She is our on- the- ground rep in Ethiopia and helps OH so much!
Day 3 coming next!
We have such an unbelievable surprise to announce! :-)
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