All Aboard!

 

 

If you've read here before, you probably know that one of the ministries that I love and adore

is the folks at Children's HopeChest; an internationally focused organization based out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Their motto is simple: Encourage orphans to thrive in their home culture and know God through a personal relationship with Christ.

 

While HopeChest's model is simple, it is the approach that I adore.

Take an American community; a church, a school, a business, etc.

and partner them with an international community;

a village, a church, a school, etc. who is in need of encouragement and capital.

This partnership provides that the American partner obtain individual sponsors at $34 per month for

the children currently in the international program

to provide basic medical care, school and uniforms.

Individual sponsors are encouraged to send letters to their sponsorship child.

 

But the commitment doesn't end there.

The American partners are encouraged to send a travel group at least once a year to check the progress of the development and assess other needs which may lead to other development projects.

 

For example, this year, LoPa Art stepped up to fund through our art sales, a brick making project for the Hand for the Needy care point in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Currently, all of the children at HFN are individually sponsored, but the care center

was is desperate need of income generating ideas for the elder boys aging out of the system.

Thus, the brick making project was born.

(And fully funded by the way. :)

 

 

Currently HopeChest has 150 care points and projects in 8 different countries wold wide.

 

I have advocated for HopeChest to partner with two congregations in our metro area 

and LOVE watching the communities here fall in love with two separate communities in Uganda.  

 

While my family sponsors other children through other organizations over the world, I love through our church that all of our children know each other. Each time a trip from Westmoore Church travels to Ngariam, Uganda, we are updated with pictures and videos of our kids.

Our family's small group love sharing letters from one another's sponsored kids.

Such a beautiful picture of community here in South Oklahoma City.

And in Ngariam, Uganda.

 

So image my giddy delight when HopeChest asked me to accept a volunteer position with them.

To advocate for other churches, schools and businesses to travel with me once a year to the different countries HopeChest serves worldwide.

Uh...YES!!!

I only had one request...that this first trip would be to my favorite place.

You know what it is...

Ethiopia.

 

So that's where we're headed.

July 6-16th, 2013.

There are currently 5-6 new locations that are looking for an American partner.

We will travel to these locations as well as 2 sites that are currently being sponsored so that

you may see the difference between what a partnership and un-partnership can mean.

We will spend time in the capital city of Addis Ababa and also in the rural region of Awassa.

We will also be traveling to the red light district in Addis to minister to the over

40,000 prostitutes and children who live there.

 

If you, your pastor, your best friend, your manager, your church leadership board would

like to know more information about partnership, email me.

I'll send you some information about travel, partnership and Ethiopia in general.

I cannot wait to lead this trip with HopeChest staff and see the way God uses this for His glory.

Now...go pack your bags!

 

One of my favorite people and Ethiopian travelling companions called yesterday.

She was working on a blog post about K, she and I's friendship and the book.

As we talked, she was perusing her pictures from last year's trip to Ethiopia.

 

She asked me if she had sent me all of the photos from her camera.

I couldn't remember if she had or not.

So I told her to email them to me just in case.

 

Enjoy.

 

I did.

 

 

But this one is my absolute favorite!

Probably of all time.

 

I have less than 200 still in my possession.

I am blown away and truly humbled by all of this and I am honored that you all have supported me so much through it all.

I just can't wait to sell the remainder so we can start planning the REAL fun...global, clean WATER solutions!

 

So if you want to order, click on the BUY NOW button and order before Friday, so I can ship it for Christmas.

 

You can now find the book on Amazon and Barnes and Nobles.com.

If you received your book and loved it, please go to these websites and rate the book.

 

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

That's Your Job.

 

 

Almost 250 books have left my hands in the last two weeks.

Another 500 are being distributed by Amazon, BarnesandNobles.com and several private book stores.



I am excited, humbled and amazed that you all have been walking this journey with us.

 

The Hero asked me what I was going to do when this was over.

When all 1000 books are sold and we've chosen a site for the well.

I told him I really wasn't sure.

 

A really great friend is leaving for Ethiopia in the coming months.

She offered to take a copy of the book with her and read it to K.

It sounded great.

K would see the book in record time and would have a copy to keep.

 

I was telling The Hero her offer the other night.

He let me finish.

 

"Linz. Reading your book to K is only one person's job.

Yours."

 

I love it when he's right.

Just the thought of another trip to Ethiopia makes my heart leap.

I don't know dates or times or length.

But the last copy of my book left in my possession is already spoken for.

My Crazy Adoption Blog Guest Post

So excited that when Kari from My Crazy Adoption Blog put out requests for guest bloggers while she is in Uganda and that she chose ME! My blog post appears today on her site. You can go here and read it.

Why Last Wednesday Was Wordless

Last Wednesday, I opened up my email in between two meetings. I almost didn't make it to the second one. I couldn't stop crying. This picture greeted me in my inbox:




If you haven't been reading here for long, you probably need to go back and read here, here, here , here, here, here and definitely here to learn why this face, beaming in his University of Oklahoma sweater sent me reeling. I went back and read these post myself tonight and cried and cried.

He has changed such a part of me. This almost twelve year old boy who lives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I'm never going to be the same. I haven't had a new picture of him in over a year. That's how long it's been since I've seen him.

I sent his OU sweater with a lady who was traveling several months ago. I almost forgot about it. Until a rock star friend took him a backpack full of stuff a few months ago. She didn't have time to travel to his care point and see him. She sent the backpack with a friend. Since Africa time doesn't tick the same as here, I didn't expect he would have it so soon and I sure never expected a picture of him receiving it.

You now understand my elation.




So until I can take another one of these: