Almost there!

Another wonderful day of matching sponsors to children thought Yezelalem Minch and Helps International Ministry! We started the day with approximately 100 children still needing sponsors. We ended the day with around 30 remaining.

Hopefully after next week, all of the children at the Sebeta branch will be covered.

This has been a wonderful experience! I love hearing people at church come and say "thank you so much for giving us this opportunity!"

I would strongly encourage other churches to do a sponsorship drive like this. If anyone needs help or ideas I would love to help out!

Dan

Phone calls from loved ones.

There is nothing like getting a phone call from your dear friends in Ethiopia! Just a few minutes ago I got a delightful call from Birtukan and Nesibu, expressing their joy and giving thanks for the amazing way God has been moving in our church.  140 children sponsored in one weekend and a very large Thanksgiving Offering will do wonders to continue to fuel this amazing ministry.

To God be the Glory!

Safe water

I forgot to post these pictures before.  In September, when the team from Parkview went to Ethiopia we were able to take over two water purification units.  I trained a couple folks on staff with Yezelalem Minch on the operation and left it in their capable hands.

They are successfully using these units at Sebeta and Holeta!  These pictures show the joy that safe drinking water can bring.  Something we so easily take for granted in the US.

The are able to purify the water that gets used at there facility as well as fill water containers for the people they serve!

Sponsorship Day at Parkview

It was an exciting day today, as 140 children were sponsored at our church through Yezelalem Minch! Sponsorship will mean that these children will have hope because their school fees will be paid, school uniforms and supplies purchased for them, shoes and clothes, and annual medical checkups.

Praise God and keep praying for the rest of the 101 children from the Sebeta Project to get sponsored in the coming weeks.

Dan

Verses Version 2

Slight change to the video...consider it a remix :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLopx9CKZD4

Verses

Hot off the presses...I just made this video, sitting in my hotel room in Toronto. I might try to clean it up on my better computer, but feel free to leave comments if you have ideas.

Those sweet voices are two of my beautiful children.
-d

Thanksgiving

Last weekend was a special time at our church. We got to give! Above and beyond our normal giving, we got to share our abundant blessings so that God's people can be blessed. And Yezelalem Minch will be one of the recipients of these gifts again this year! It is such a joy to be able to serve them and the orphaned and vulnerable children in Ethiopia in this way. I have been giving plasma in order to save up a special gift to contribute.

As far as what I am thankful for this year...I am thankful to have spent time with orphans, widows and those who live on about what I spend at a vending machine every day. And I am thankful to know the people who are daily being the hands and feet of Jesus in their lives. I am thankful for what I learned in the simple embrace from an 18 year old boy serving as the head of his household. And I am thankful that God reached out to me, forgave me, and revealed to me the beauty of simplicity and the danger of materialism. My prayer is that I would continue to loosen my grip on all that I think is "mine," and to continue to give of my time, energy and money for the Glory of God.

May you all have a most wonderful Thanksgiving celebrating with friends and family (if you are so blessed to be able to do so). But let us not forget those without family. Let us continue to pray for and be active in loving the nearly 40,000 children, who on the very day we are "giving thanks", will be receiving the tragic new title - orphan.

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
James 1:27 NLT