Hello, Family and Friends!
I could not be more thrilled to be writing (well...typing) this letter to tell you that later this summer I will join a team of nine others traveling to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to love on some sweet children, most of which will either be orphans or literally digging through trash to survive. Some of you may know that some dear friends of ours recently adopted a little girl from Ethiopia. Because of their journey, Rob and I have been exposed to the harsh reality that is everyday life in this part of Africa. We have been compelled to reach out, to partner with organizations, to sponsor children, to help however we can and part of that, we feel, is me traveling to see it for myself.
While we are there, our team will do three projects. We will work on a project at Resurrection Orphanage where our sweet friends found their beautiful daughter. We will also travel to a place called Korah, a literal trash dump where an entire community lives off of the trash brought there. In Korah we will partner with an organization called Project 61 to help them however they need us. Finally, we will complete a project at the boarding school where children from Korah are able to attend by sponsorship through Project 61.
I am writing this letter because I am requesting your partnership. The cost of the trip is approximately $3,500, and I would be honored if you felt it worthy to partner with me. The cost will cover the airfare (obviously that is NOT cheap), our stay at a guest house, supplies for the projects we will complete while we are there and extras like meals and travel fees.
Because I will be traveling in September, I am asking that you consider any contribution to this trip an early birthday gift. If you would, let’s say, send me a card for my birthday, then I’m asking that you consider sending $5 instead. If you would want to buy me a gift, would you send $10 or $20 instead? If you would want to take me out to dinner for my birthday, would you consider sending $30 instead? And if you would REALLY want to spoil me for my birthday, would you consider a gift of $50 or $100?
This has been an interesting call on my life. One I certainly never expected. While I thought it was all well and good that folks traveled halfway around the world to visit orphans, I never saw any appeal in it for myself. Now though, it’s like I’ve been shaken awake, knowing and trusting fully that I am supposed to go, to love on those sweet babies, to give hope to the hopeless and to share the joy that Christ offers even in the most destitute of places. I am EXCITED to go. I am certain I will be miserable at times while I’m there, but I am more certain that I will be changed. I am certain that God will meet me face-to-face in the eyes of a starving child or in the face of an orphan and He will allow me to have a good idea of what HE thinks of all of this.
Regardless of a financial contribution, I am asking for your partnership in prayer. I have to believe that God has brought this opportunity to me, to my family for a reason. I have to be obedient to this call. And without your prayers, I am certain that I will want to hit the road and run in the exact opposite direction, rather than run head on for starving, helpless, hopeless people. I want to be obedient. I want the people of Ethiopia to know of their Savior. I want them to know His kindness, mercy and healing strength. I want to see first-hand what I, what WE can do to change their circumstances. Please pray that God will make a way for me to go…financially, emotionally and physically. Pray that the lives we touch there are turned to Him and that we are forever changed, to be ambassadors for Christ and to never forget what He sees when he looks down to see the starving, helpless and hopeless people of this world.
Because of Him,
Delilah
Delilah
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