Your Treasure...A Sore Subject

What if a mere $10/month could assist these boys in getting off the streets?

As many of you may know, Courtney and I officially listed our house on the market about two weeks ago. We've had tons of showings and two offers so far. Nothing has worked out yet, but we foresee our house being sold and us homeless in the next month or so.

We are so eager to get to Addis to begin our work with Make Your Mark Ethiopia. Things are starting to fall into place and we can see God all over the selling of our house. Once our house officially sales, we will basically have our bags packed and ready to head out to Ethiopia! However, there is one thing keeping us from doing that...monthly supporters. Or the lack thereof actually. Everything seems to be falling into place for our big move except for the commitments of monthly financial partners.

We are currently at $1005/month or 22% (we can make the move @ 70%) of our needed monthly support. That $1005 consists of only 15 monthly partners...only 15! We are extremely thankful for those 15 partners, as well as all of our one time gifts that have come in. We are currently at 55% of our needed $35,700 up front costs which is covered by your one-time gifts. We feel confident that we'll "easily" reach our up front costs with the proceeds from selling our home, belongings, and cars. However, like I said earlier, we'll have our bags packed, ready to go, but we won't be able to leave for Ethiopia because the monthly supporter funds won't be anywhere close to what we'll need to sustain us to stay there.

We'd be lying if we said we weren't disappointed in the current number of monthly financial partners. When we started the process of fundraising back in September, we had hoped to be around 50-60% funded by this point. We knew that fundraising would be difficult, but we never thought it would be this difficult or slow.

We've brainstormed and racked our brains trying to figure out the reason for the lack of giving and commitments to give monthly to the mission and calling that God's placed on our family. There are really three main reasons we believe people aren't jumping on board or waiting to jump on board.

1) "I'll wait until they actually move to make sure they are truly committed to going."

I don't really blame this group for their reasoning and logic. However, we are fully committed to this and are doing everything in our power to make the move to Ethiopia. Our hearts and minds are already in Addis. Our bodies just haven't caught up with them yet. We have a love and passion for the forgotten children and families of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that can only be pruned and cultivated by God. There is no reason to wait to begin giving monthly. In fact, the sooner you begin giving, the better we are able to plan and set a date in stone to make the move.

2) "I don't have $40, $50, $100 etc. to give every month."

This may be absolutely true. However, we graciously and appreciatively accept all monthly commitments. You would be surprised at the dent it would make in our monthly needs if we had an army of people giving at $5 or even $10/month. If 220 individuals would decide to sacrifice $10/month, we would be 70% funded and could make the move to Ethiopia. We know that between the two of us, we have well above 220 individuals who are a part of our lives, whether it be family, friends, or church family. With that being said, don't be ashamed of your current ability to give. We want you to experience the joy of giving whether it's $5/month or $500/month! 

3) "My monthly contribution wouldn't really make a difference."

This my friends is a lie from the enemy! We witnessed the difference that monthly giving is making in the lives of street children and the poorest of the poor families in Addis. Street boys are stepping from death into life. Street boys are going to school for possibly the first time in their lives and excelling! Street boys are finding a safe place to find dignity, love, and the Gospel. Children of desperate families are able to go to school without being a financial burden to their parents. Muslim families are experiencing the love, grace, hope, and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ through the programs of Make Your Mark Ethiopia. Your monthly support would make a bigger difference in the lives of the least of these more than you could probably realize...no matter how big or small the amount! It takes the generosity of us all to make this happen...not just the generosity of the few "privileged"or spiritual "elite".

The heart of the matter is that this is a matter of the heart. 

It boils down to where your heart is.

Matthew 6:21 reads, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

I have to challenge you to ponder...where do you find your treasure in this life?

Do you find it in your salary? Your home? The latest and greatest iPhone? Your daily cup of Starbucks? Your Netflix subscription? Your 401k? Your bank account?

Or...just maybe...do you recognize that the treasure in this short lifetime is found in serving others and leading them from death in sin to eternal life in Jesus Christ?

Do you realize that our treasure or our money's true power to unlock unspeakable joy is actually in giving it away, rather than storing it up in the attempt to build our own kingdom here on earth?

So imagine with me for a second, what giving up that one $5 cup of Starbucks a month could do.

It could help bring a boy off of the dirty streets of Addis so that boy no longer has to endure constant harassment and beatings from police.

It could prevent this child from having to endure nightly sexual assaults from sexual predators.

Can a mere $5 make any difference at all? 

I say yes.

Would you miss that $5 or $10 a month?

Absolutely not.

If you are reading this, I challenge you to click the link below and set your giving up at $5 or $10 a month. At least start at that amount. See what the Lord does in your heart as money's hold on your life begins to dissipate. I pray that He does a great work in your life as you learn that it is truly more blessed to give than to receive.

You can set up your monthly giving HERE! Make sure to designate your giving in the "Thomas Support" box. 


"Be concerned for the poor – but be no less concerned for us rich who claim not to be rich so we can excuse ourselves from giving.

Be concerned for the poor – but no less concerned for us who have done just enough to assuage our consciences, just enough to pat ourselves on the back, but not enough that we’ve ever felt sacrifice. 

Be concerned for the poor – but be no less concerned for us who aren’t — because someday we will face Christ.

We’re all hungry for uncomfortable because we’re hungry for God – and He is outside of our comfort zones."  ~ Ann Voskamp

What's It Worth To You?

It's been awhile since I've blogged. I thought I would give everyone an update on where we are currently with our fundraising efforts, as well as what our financial needs are exactly.

First off, our family would like to thank everyone who has given up to this point whether it be spiritually in prayer or financially through donations and partnership. We had a hugely successful womanless pageant fundraiser at our church, Mission Baptist, over the weekend, and we are so grateful for the turnout. The show of support and the outpouring of giving at this event has encouraged us even further and we are so thankful for that. It looks like the total amount raised at the pageant is $8718.00!

There is an urgency in our fundraising. We plan to make the move by at least June 2015. There may be some that are curious as to what our exact financial needs are so let's cover that.

We have basically two types of financial need and they are:

1) Up Front Costs- These funds are to get us to Ethiopia and to get us established once we get there. This amount will include one way airfare for our family, a car, one year's rent, and furniture. The estimated total for this particular need is $35,700. We are currently at $17,500 or 49%.

All one-time gifts will go into this fund until we reach the $35,700. Once this amount is reached, the funds will begin to spill over into our annual operating budget.

2) Annual Operating Budget- These funds will be used to sustain our family on a monthly basis, as well as to sustain and operate the MYM ministry department, which I will be heading up. These funds will cover our annual trip home, language school for myself and Courtney, medical insurance, car insurance, car expenses, food, rent, home school materials, an emergency fund, and utilities. It also includes the entire MYM ministry department's operating budget which accounts for $6,600 of the total, which will also hire two additional Ethiopian staff members for the department. The total annual operating budget is $55,224. This breaks down to $4600/month. We are currently at $895/month in monthly partners which is approximately 19.5% of where we need to be. 

All funds from MONTHLY financial partners will count towards our Annual Operating Budget. THIS IS OUR GREATEST NEED! Once we move to Ethiopia, one-time gifts will also go towards this budget. 

When you are able to commit to giving monthly, we can count on those funds. We can plan and focus on ministry without worrying about where the next month's/year's budget money will come from. This allows us to focus on the MINISTRY, which is why we're going to be there, rather than constant fundraising.

These amounts may seem really high to some of you. I've even had a few people respond to me when telling them our needs by saying, "Are you serious?!! It costs that much to live in a third world country?!" Well, quite simply the answer is.....yes. Items that we consider basic or expected here in the States are considered luxuries in Ethiopia. Being a luxury, they are also usually imported and therefore they cost way more. This is especially true with cars, appliances, electronics, and certain food items.

We pray that if you're on the fence about partnering with us financially that you'll take a leap of faith and go for it! Courtney and I would never ask you to do something that we would not be willing to do or that we're not already doing. We are in the process of selling our home, and before we leave out, will sell basically everything we own. We tithe, give to different organizations, and sponsor two children in third world countries. Not once have we missed that money. This is the one area that God tells us to test Him in.

"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." Malachi 3:10

We have seen first hand that the MYM ministry model works. The lives of street boys are being transformed, and they are finding new life, salvation in Jesus Christ. Boys are being reunited with families that have counted them as dead or lost and they haven't seen in years. Families are finding dignity and community and are no longer at risk of giving up their children due to extreme poverty. This is the result of people like you who believe in what God is doing through Make Your Mark in Ethiopia. They believe in it enough that they sacrifice part of their finances. Do you believe that these transformed lives are worth the sacrifice?

Set up your giving here, designate your funds beside of "Thomas Support".

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:35

If God Originated It, He Will Orchestrate It...#preachinggospeltomyself

The past two weeks at church we've talked about finances. It was a reminder of what I have seen God do personally in our lives the past two years and how God always supplies our needs. Not all my wants, but always my needs. I want to share, not to bring any glory to Ryan and I, but to share how great our God is. When Ryan and I decided to adopt we had no idea how we would pay for it, but each time when needed to send in the next payment, the money was always there. When we try and look back at our finances it makes no sense how we were able adopt with no debt and still have money in savings. Ryan even felt led to start tithing during this time and we never did without.

Back in February we felt God calling us to full time missions in Ethiopia. After much prayer Ryan and I both felt we should do a trial trip this Summer and the Post family agreed that this would be a great idea to see the ministry first hand and make sure this was our fit. One night we emailed Trent and Carmen and told them we were planning to do a month long trip sometime this Summer. As soon as we sent the email Ryan and I both looked at each other and said, how are we ever gonna pay for this? We had just spent thousands of dollars traveling last year to Ethiopia twice and here we were planning a third trip that would cost us $6,000 just in airfare. We both decided that since this was a trial trip we wouldn't fundraise or tell anyone we needed money. We trusted that if God wanted us there He would get us there. Two days later I went to the mailbox and there was a letter from our adoption agency reimbursing us $500 for submitting our home study early.  About a week later I retrieved the mail and there were two more checks. One where we had over paid on our Escrow and another bill that I had accidentally paid twice! Then a client of mine left me a very nice unexpected tip. I was amazed how in one week God showed up in such a big way! This year was also the first time we could apply for our adoption tax credit. With the money we'd already received, plus the money from getting our tax money back we had almost exactly the amount we needed to purchase our plane tickets! You cannot make this stuff up!! God provided the $6000 in two months that we needed.

Now I'm not saying that if you give or tithe that God will pour a bunch of money in your bank account. The whole prosperity gospel thing is crap. We've had to change our life style a bit, but I've never regretted it. I've seen first hand that you gain a joy and peace that far outweighs anything materially you could ever want. So why am I sharing all this...I am amazed at how detailed and personal our God is and I needed to write this to remind myself of how I need to trust him with all the details of my life. I like to be in control and have a plan. I can see how I daily need to surrender and trust my Father knowing that He's got this. He is constantly at work and His fingerprints are all over the journey when I look back. So I keep moving forward with just enough light for the step I'm on, knowing that He goes before me. I keep going back to this quote from Andy Stanly at Catalyst..."If God originated it, He will orchestrate it." 

Orphan Sunday

The month of November looks like it's going to be a good one as we currently have three speaking engagements lined up so far!!! Tomorrow, which is Orphan Sunday, we will be sharing our adoption story and about orphan care at Euto Baptist. On November 9th we will be at our home church. Feel free to join us at either of our campuses. Mission Baptist Church at 8:30am or at Mission @ Stanfield at 10:00am! 

Many keep asking us when we are moving to Ethiopia and well...honestly, we're partly waiting on YOU! ;) Once we reach a certain percentage of support we will nail down a departure date but until the funds start coming in, it's hard to do that. 

We are very excited to celebrate our first monthly supporter as well as a generous one time gift during the month of October! Thank to you all for your encouragement, prayers, sacrifice and support. This isn't possible without you! 

Not sure what this is all about or who Make Your Mark is? Check out our Make Your Mark tab at the top of this blog on the home page. Or better yet...we'd love to sit down over dinner, share with your small group or your church about how this ministry is empowering street boys and families in Ethiopia while sharing the love of Christ. 

How does the Thomas Family fit into the Make Your Mark Ethiopia puzzle and how can you help?

In my last post I took some time to fill everyone in on some of our experiences from our three week trial trip with Make Your Mark in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 

After several weeks we've been asked a couple questions numerous times...

1) Who is Make Your Mark ministries?

and...

2) What will you guys be doing when you move there?

I'll try my best to answer both questions. 

So who is Make Your Mark Ethiopia? Here is the organization's mission and vision statements:

Mission Statement: "We are the relationship in the lives of at-risk youth and their families, to provide the resources, encouragement and LOVE that will lead them into their full redemptive potential.

Vision: To empower street and abused children through education, counsel, encouragement and a relationship with Jesus Christ. Using these tools we will prepare children to be adopted locally. We will train and equip local families to adopt, as this is what must take place in order to make a drastic impact in the street kid/orphan population.

Make Your Mark Ethiopia exists to act as a voice for the voiceless street children and at-risk youth of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Not only do they work with the actual street children, but they also work with the families of children who are at high risk of being abandoned to the streets or given up for adoption by their family because of their extreme poverty. No family should have to make the decision to relinquish the child whom they love based on poverty alone.

Here are the current ways and capacities in which Make Your Mark Ethiopia is engaging the local street kid and at-risk youth population:

The Day Center- Make Your Mark House
This is a safe place where the street children can bathe, wash their clothes, eat healthy lunch, get biblical teaching, some basic education, games, some counseling and any minor medical issue they may have. This first step will act as a filtering process for us to see who really wants to change their lives because many say they want off the streets, but as we’ve found out many don’t want to put in the work to stay off the streets.  Those who show consistent desire to come off the streets by their daily efforts; we invite them to the next step:

The Transformation Home- Rehabilitation. 

The ones we’ve evaluated and feel really want to change and get off the streets we bring in to these homes. In this home they stay for 1-2 years depending on progress shown. Our purpose and goals in the homes will be to teach them how a family functions. We teach them responsibility, they begin to going to school, dig deep with intense counseling, do a lot of role playing for family situations; for our goal is to have them prepared for a family. The Homes are not a place to live as the final step for each child is being placed in a local family. There is a need for house sponsorship and the cost is around $525 a month.

Domestic Adoption (Adopted by Ethiopian Family) 

We are currently working with the local church and other NGO’s to train and equip Ethiopian families in adoption. This is a new idea to this culture, but we are highly encouraged as God is having us meet families that have this desire. We are working towards having a yearly national adoption conference here to bring awareness and action. Why domestic??? Let’s look at the Ethiopia orphan crisis, as we said above there are 5.5 million orphans in Ethiopia. It would take 125 million USD and 2500 years for international adoption to be the solution. There are 80 million people in Ethiopia; if only 6.5% of the population would take in a child, there wouldn't be any orphans in Ethiopia, this has to be taught and this is what we’re teaching.

Keeping Kids Home Initiative

Our street kid prevention plan is coming alongside the poorest of the poor families to provide the needed resources to keep their children at home and not in the streets. At first we build relationship by providing some food assistance and full educational needs for the child. Our long term goal for each family is provide specific training to the parents in order to generate more income, in turn becoming self-sustaining. We also provide family consul and teach God-centered family values to strengthen the family’s core.

As you can see, Make Your Mark Ethiopia attacks the street kid and orphan problem in Addis from all angles...there is care for existing street children, but there is also street kid and orphan prevention through the Keeping Kids Home Initiative. 

So where does the Thomas Family fit in with all of this? What will be doing once we move to Addis?

Well as some of you may know, I (Ryan) recently graduated from Liberty University with a B.S. in Religious Studies. Trent and Carmen Post of Make Your Mark Ethiopia approached me a couple months before my graduating with a proposal...to move to Ethiopia to head up the ministry department of Make Your Mark ministries in Ethiopia!

My role would include:

- Biblical teaching and curriculum for the street boys who come daily to the Day Center.

- One on one counseling with the boys who utilize the Day Center. 

- Training and encouraging the Make Your Mark Ethiopia staff (caregivers, social worker, manager, accountants, etc.)

- Working alongside a local evangelist and secretary for the ministry department. 

- Networking and connecting the local churches to Make Your Mark Ethiopia's ministries. 

- Training and facilitating small groups with the Keeping Kids Home families. 

- General pastoral care concerning all facets of Make Your Mark Ethiopia's network of ministries. 

Courtney's roles:

- Homeschooling for Nara.

- Coming alongside me and assisting in all the ministry areas mentioned above. 

- Possibly taking in Ethiopian children and serving as a Transformation Home. 

Without saying, there is much work to be done in Addis. This work requires lots of prayer/spiritual support and of course...financial support. I can honestly say that raising the financial support for our family is what I've dreaded the most about this whole life change. Not that I'm not willing to put in the hard work that is fundraising, but I just truly don't like the thought of asking people for money, ha. But in order for our family to fulfill the calling that we know that God has on our lives and family, it will take the support of many to help us serve the least of these in Christ's name. 

How can you help?

We just got word today that our family's fund has been added to the Make Your Mark Ethiopia giving page. 

You can access this giving page by visiting the Make Your Mark Giving Page. Go to the bottom of this page and click the "Secure Giving Page" banner. Fill in the amount beside "Thomas Support". You can then select  the frequency of your donation...one time, weekly, bi-weekly, 1st and 15th of the month, or monthly. 

We would love to come to your church, small group, or business to share our passion and the vision for Make Your Mark Ethiopia. We'd even love to sit down for a meal with you to do this as well. 

You can contact us @ 704-506-8212 or email @ rydog4041@hotmail.com

"Jesus just told me something guys"...What Nara thought about our trip.

Going into our trip one of our biggest concerns would be how Nara would do being back in Ethiopia so soon. Many of you asked, so I'm gonna share a bit about our trip from Nara's perspective. She was super pumped about flying and requested to sit in the window seat of the plane. During take off and landing she had her face glued to the window and excitedly kept pointing and showing me the clouds.   We definitely have a travel lover on our hands. Almost a day later we finally arrived in Ethiopia. From the get go everything seemed to feel familiar to Nara in a good way and not a bad way like we had feared it might. The first few days at the day center she acted a bit stand offish and was really taking things in. I'm sure the street boys smell, clothing and the building may have reminded her of some past memories. However it didn't take her long and after a few days was joining in on the fun at the day center and picking around and playing with them. The most exciting day we had there was when we witnessed three of the boys moving off the street and into a Transformation home with their new house parents. The boys were overjoyed as they saw their beds and clothes. We were going to have them burn their old street clothes but the rain was too much. They threw them over a steep cliff instead symbolizing leaving their old life behind. The perfect visible representation of the old life being gone and how Jesus washes us and makes us new, giving us new life! We then gathered around the boys as Mr. Kramer led a prayer. He prayed Ephesians 3:20 over the boys and I couldn't help but stand there with tears streaming down my face. "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more that all we could ask or imagine because His power that is at work within us." This verse has continually kept resurfacing over and over again during this past year. Before I left for this trip the girls at work asked me what my favorite verse was. I told them that I had many but for some reason Ephesians 3:20 had been one I'd pondered over a lot lately. My coworkers later surprised me with a handmade sign with the verse written on the back and messages of encouragement. Praying this prayer daily now and that God would do more in Ethiopia than I could ever imagine and also in my own life. Not because of my own strength and power. That won't get me far at all...but because of HIS power that is at work within me.

STREET BOYS NO MORE...

 Ok so getting back to my story...Trent was driving us home that night and as we pulled away from the transformation home, out of the blue Nara says, "I hope someone takes those other boys home." She was talking about the other boys, our newest friends at the day center who would still be sleeping on the streets that night. Then we asked her what we should do about that? What's your strategy? She replied, "we should just go in the street and look for them." She gets so much to be so young. Better than most adults do. We thank God for her heart for the hurting and the orphan. The next day we were having a family day and Ryan and I are discussing our feelings over moving to Ethiopia. Again, out of nowhere, Nara says, "Agghh, just quit talking about it." We told her it was important and and kept talking. Nara stops us again and says, "Jesus just told me something guys." We asked her what and she replied, "Jesus told me that we are 'posed to move here." Jokingly we asked her how He told her that and she replied, "Cause He lives in my heart." Duh, right? We told her we should pray about the decision and she volunteered to pray. She prayed, "Dear Jesus, thank you for mommy and daddy. Thank you we have fun today. Help us if we move here. Amen." Nara's depth of understanding amazes us daily. Child-like faith. We are praising Him for already whispering truth and His love into her little heart and preparing her for the days ahead. A trip that we thought may cause her to be confused or mistrust actually did the opposite. Since we brought Nara home last year we have had trouble getting her to sleep in her bed all night. She usually would wake up and feel the need to come check and make sure we were in our beds and that she hadn't been left alone. On our trip the three of us had to sleep in a bed together. I always swore I would never let her get used to sleeping with us and felt she would certainly be ruined after three weeks of this. Since we have been home from our trip she has slept in her bed every night! Our trip was like a trust exercise. She sees that no matter what we are a family. Whether we are here in the states or traveling halfway around the world to Ethiopia. She even said herself a few weeks ago, "Daddy, I love you no matter what and we are gonna be together forever. Me, you and Mommy." She's got that right ;)

NARA AND I WITH OUR FRIEND AMY WHO IS ON STAFF AT THE DAY CENTER

Obedience

We've almost been home from our 3-week confirmation trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for almost two weeks now. We had hoped to post and update more while we were on our trip, but due to our poor internet speed we were unable to do so. I'm going to try my best to hit all the highlights of our time there in this blog post...try.

For those who are new to this blog or haven't heard, I (Ryan) was approached by Trent and Carmen Post of MYM Ministries Ethiopia about heading up their Ministry Department on the ground in Ethiopia. We decided to go on a 3-week "confirmation" trip to see the ministry first hand and to see how our daughter Nara, adopted from Ethiopia, would do being back in the city from which she was born and raised on the streets.

When we arrived in Addis, Trent Post (Make Your Mark Ethiopia) picked us up from the airport and drove us to what would be our home for the next 3 weeks. He dropped us off at the house to freshen up so he could pick us back up later. At the time he dropped us off, the house had no power, no hot water, and we learned that a "stranger" would be staying at the house with us. The enemy immediately began to attack our minds..."You can't do this....You're not cut out for this...You're nowhere near qualified for this..." I can remember sitting there in the living room of the house watching Courtney and Nara sleep on the futon thinking to myself, "What are we going to tell everyone back home? What reason are we going to give them for not being able to do this?"

However, after a few days of visiting the MYM Day Center and spending time with the 12-15 boys from the streets of Addis...the thoughts invading my mind from the enemy began to be replaced with, "These boys need us....There is so much work to be done here...No kid should have to live on the street....No kid should grow up without being loved by a family." Courtney actually got to sit in on some counseling sessions with some of the boys and she heard heartbreaking story after story. One boy had a Muslim mother who had walked out to "work" in an Arab country and never came back leaving his dad unable to provide for him and his two sisters. One boy was a double orphan who had never had a family. One boy worked jobs in the streets to help support his blind beggar father. These boys carry burdens and stories that no youth should have to bear at such a young fragile age. One boy was asked why he and all of his buddies huddle up and sleep together on the streets at night. Besides just to keep warm, the boy said that they are like family and they protect each other. Many of them had been sexually abused or had men attempt to rape them on the streets. They also shared that these men go after the newest, youngest, most scared boys.

Hanging out on one of our last days with the boys at the MYM Day Center.

Their stories became so real to us after spending a couple hours late one night on the streets in an area riddled with street boys. MYM Ethiopia calls this their "Night Lights" street ministry. This is where initial contact is made with the street boys to begin relationships and hopefully to recruit boys for the Day Center. We got prayed up in the car before getting out of the car, all of us wearing our hoodies to blend in on the street. The area we were in was from what I could tell a "Red Light" district sort of area if you will. Bar after bar lining the streets, drunken people stumbling around, loud music, prostitutes lining the sidewalks on both sides of the streets, and street boys....lots of them.

We walked up on a group of about 10 boys and some of them recognized Trent and Belay from previous trips out on the streets. The boys were visibly extremely stoned. Most of the boys ranged in age from 7-14 at my best guess and some were so high that they could barely talk. The boys carry around water bottles stuffed up their shirt sleeves, filled with strong shoe glue or gas. They continuously huff these fumes to numb themselves from the cold and also the reality of the situation that they find themselves in. Some of them just looked plan terrified. My eyes would almost water from the sting of the fumes every time I would shake the boys hands or hug them. We passed one young boy, probably around nine years old, who was walking by himself. We stopped him to say hello and get to know him. Trent and Belay were speaking to him in Amharic so I didn't know what they were saying. I watched the boys face as they talked to him and I saw tears begin to roll down his scared face. We got the boys info to schedule a follow up and walked away. I asked Trent why he was crying and Trent said he had asked him about his family. His mom had passed away and his dad basically told him to "Go get hit by a car and die".

Every time police officers would walk by, the boys would scamper and shudder in fear. The police treat the boys as if they were filth...they beat them with billy sticks....some say that they've even been knocked out by the officers and taken off to the forest in hopes that hyenas would eat them. We noticed that one of the boys from the Day Center ran very strangely and couldn't keep up one day when we went for a run in the forest. He said that when he was younger, the officers had beaten both of his legs and broken both of his knees. Our group got acquainted with these officers. Amy, one of the Ethiopian caregivers at the MYM Day Center, held out her hand to block the billy stick of an officer that was aimed at a street boy and her hand got smashed pretty hard. The boy was visibly mentally challenged and walking around holding a little kitten. The officer just identified him as "filthy street scum" and fired off with his billy stick. Trent, Belay, and myself were actually escorted by the police to the police station because we didn't have i.d. to show them. The officers hate the street kids and we explained the best we could that we were on the same team...that we want to get the boys off the streets just as badly as they do, but obviously in a much more Christ-like manner! I think I've watched too many episodes of Locked Up Abroad because as I sat there in the questioning room I began to think "I"m really going to spend the night in here." But, the officers let us go as we promised to never come back without identification paper work.

I mentioned earlier that there were prostitutes lining both sides of the streets. These girls didn't look like the girls from the movies or what you envision prostitutes looking like. Some of them looked to be as young as 13 years old. Most looked like they had walked there from fixing what little meal they had to feed their children. The girls in our group felt led by the Spirit to talk and pray with one of these girls. She had two very young children and was selling herself, very cheaply I might add, just to put food on the table. When us guys would walk by the girls they would yell out to us, "Come...Come with me...5 birr." Their going price for a "good time" was the equivalent of 25 cents US.

Experience after experience and story after story, and our hearts were continually broken for the many hopeless of Ethiopia. So many without a voice...so young...so much potential that for many would never be harnessed or brought to fruition.

So...I mentioned that this trip would serve as a confirmation trip for the calling that we felt God had on our family to move to Ethiopia to partner with MYM Ethiopia. You're probably wondering if we've made a decision.

Well....WE'RE IN! We simply cannot come back from our experiences and turn a blind eye to the boys we met and the things we saw. There is much work to be done in Addis and the workers are few.  We truly feel that God is calling our family to live in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to serve the forgotten, the hopeless, and the boys of the street in Christ's name. We were truly impressed with MYM Ethiopia's ministry style and approach during our time there. It is without a doubt an organization that we can be passionate about and commit to 100%. We know that the calling on our family is from God because our time there was not sugar coated...it was hard. However, as our new friend Jessie Benkert said while we were there, "Its only a love for the people and a purpose that will sustain you here and keep you here." There's really no other reason to put yourself through such tough living otherwise. During our time there, an even deeper love for the people and children of Ethiopia was cultivated...a love that we miss, crave, and feel our souls being tugged back towards.

So, what's next? Now the hard part begins...support and fundraising. We aim to make the big move around a year from now...sooner if possible. Trent is working on some numbers for a budget and upfront costs so I will post those as soon as we have them. Please begin to pray for our family if you haven't been already. Pray that our hearts and minds will be guarded from the ploys of the enemy. Pray that our hearts will be prepared for the longevity, strength, and courage that will be required in the months to come. Also, begin to pray about how you can get involved in the work. Is it through prayer? A one-time gift? Monthly support? That's between you and God and we truly appreciate any support that you can shoot our way whether it be spiritually or financially.

There is a poem called "Obedience" by George MacDonald that has been planted by God into mine and Courtney's hearts. I've had the poem open on my iPhone for about 4 months now and Courtney recently realized that she had written it down in her prayer journal over 10 years ago. I think it is no coincidence.

Obedience
By George MacDonald
(1824-1905)

I said: “Let me walk in the fields.”
He said: “No, walk in the town.”
I said: “There are no flowers there.”
He said: “No flowers, but a crown.”

I said: “But the skies are black;
There is nothing but noise and din.”
And He wept as He sent me back –
“There is more,” He said; “there is sin.”

I said: “But the air is thick,
And fogs are veiling the sun.”
He answered: “Yet souls are sick,
And souls in the dark undone!”

I said: “I shall miss the light,
And friends will miss me, they say.”
He answered: “Choose tonight
If I am to miss you or they.”

I pleaded for time to be given.
He said: “Is it hard to decide?
It will not seem so hard in heaven
To have followed the steps of your Guide.”

I cast one look at the fields,
Then set my face to the town;
He said, “My child, do you yield?
Will you leave the flowers for the crown?”

Then into His hand went mine;
And into my heart came He;
And I walk in a light divine,
The path I had feared to see.