People will often ask me if it wouldn't be better to donate money to help the children rather than spend it traveling to see them. I do understand why that might seem logical except that the children need to "see" Jesus. We could certainly work only on financial donations (and yes, we DO need those too!) and provide for the children's needs but they need to know that Jesus is real. They know His promises but nothing compares to someone flying halfway around the world to come see them and spend time with them to see those promises. Someone to give hugs, play games and show unconditional love. Someone who truly shows them in a tangible way, the love of Jesus. That just can't be conveyed through financial donations alone.
I know that not everyone is called to serve on a mission trip so maybe you could support someone who is. If you would like to make a donation to support someone who wants to go, please contact me. I would love to connect you with someone looking to raise funds for their trip.
My next trip to Ethiopia will be June 2015. I will be in country 6/22 - 29. Given time to travel, I will most likely be leaving on or around 6/20 and return on 6/30.
What we will do: The majority of our days are spent at Kebron. While we are there, we will be busy with the children. We will hand deliver care packages for each child that I bring from their sponsors. We will fit each child for a new pair of shoes and make sure they have new clothing. We bring soccer balls to play with them as well as other games, stickers, bubbles, etc. We sing songs and do Bible stories. I also try to arrange home visits of the children whose sponsors travel with me. If there are any immediate needs that we become aware of, we will cover those too (any child with medical needs or any needs/repairs on the property). Our last day with the children is the feast day. We will buy sheep, vegetables and fruit to have for a meal. We even treat the children to a bottled soft drink. It is an amazing day to wrap up our time with the children!
We take one day off in the middle of our week to have a little down time to regroup mentally and physically. We will plan somewhere to go to enjoy some of the beauty and history of Ethiopia.
Where we stay: We will stay at a guest house in Addis Ababa. This is the capital of Ethiopia and where we will fly in to. Kebron is located about an hour and a half south of Addis so we stay in Addis and drive there and back each day. The guest house has nice rooms with typically a shared hall bath. We have running water, toilets and showers. There is also a cooking staff. We eat breakfast at the guest house every morning, take box lunches with us most every day and will have our evening meal there too most nights.
Logistics: We fly in to Addis. Most likely will fly on Ethiopian Air though I do check the other couple of airlines that fly there for best pricing and connections. We select a guest house which will best suit our needs as a group. The guest house should have internet connection (though it often can be hit or miss) to be able to keep up with friends and family via FB, email and even Skype.
I have my cell service through AT&T and arrange ahead of time for international texting. This seems to be the best way for me to keep up with family. You are not charged for incoming texts and outgoing texts are $.50/ea.
We are met at the airport by a Children's HopeChest representative and will have at least one HopeChest staff person with us at all times, except at night. We are dropped off at the guest house and they have staff on property 24hrs a day. In addition to a CHC staff person, we will have a driver and translator with us.
Cost: Our in-country cost is typically around $1000. This will cover our lodging at the guest house, meals, transportation and translator. Airfare is unfortunately the unknown. I try to find rates to be around $2000. The earlier, the better when booking. Any additional money you bring is up to you. You will want a little for tipping, buying souvenirs and extra in case we decide to eat out a meal instead of going through the guest house.
Vaccinations: This is an area that you will want to discuss with your own physician to prepare. I can tell you that I got all of my vaccinations updated...MMR, chicken pox, polio, tetanus.... I also got Yellow Fever, typhoid and took an anti-malaria pill (few options for this). I take a prescription with me for any traveler's diarrhea issues too.
I can provide you with a suggested packing list as time gets closer to travel.
I am happy to answer any questions you may have. I wish I could put into words the impact that these trips will have on your life. I have never personally experienced anything more humbling than to be able to serve these children. You will be gloriously ruined!
"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1John 3:18
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