Ethiopian trip 2011!

I posted this because you are trusted friends and family who visit my blog and I need to raise monetary and prayer support to visit (FOVC), Friends of Orphans and Vulnerable Children, in Southern Ethiopia. Our close friends; Dave and Lory Howlett are board members of FOVC and are planning a 2011 mission trip. FOVC is a small organization that depends solely on God for all help and hope. To date, two families from the West have ever visited (or helped) FOVC. If I am able to go on this trip, my group will be only the third western (white) visitors to Shanto in the history of the village. Of course, it is not the color of my skin, but my desire to bring the hope and love of Jesus Christ that really matters!

If you want to read/learn more about FOVC, then please visit their blog at http://fovcethiopia.wordpress.com/. Desalegn Daka, Howlett’s friend and the founder of FOVC, is also very active on Facebook.

At this time, we are looking at the following dates to travel:

December 29, 2010 to January 8, 2011

We expect to be gone for about 10 days. Currently, airfare is running about $1500 per person for all of these dates. I do not yet have in-country travel, food or lodging costs, but I have reason to believe the trip will run approximately $2500. An FOVC board member is working on getting 501c3 status for FOVC, which--I believe--will make our expenses tax deductible.

"What would we do in Ethiopia?" you ask.

We expect to spend the first couple of days in Addis Ababa. This is the capitol city of Ethiopia. We will stay at a guest house there, rest up and do some sight-seeing. There will also be opportunities to visit Children's Heaven (http://www.childrensheaven.org/), the leper community that is located in Addis, the world-renowned Fistula Hospital as well as ministry opportunities.

Next, we will travel approximately 5 hours south to the small city of Sodo. During our time with FOVC, we will be based in Sodo.

FOVC is located in the village of Shanto, approximately a 30 minute drive from Sodo. At the time of our trip, FOVC will be working on building its new orphanage facility, thanks to just-announced funding by an organization called Ethiopian Orphan Relief (www.ethiopianrelief.org). We will help with this project. We will also deliver much-needed supplies to the children there. Finally, our presence will provide life-changing support and encouragement to the orphans, vulnerable children, FOVC staff and villagers of Shanto. Shanto is an extremely remote and impoverished area where people suffer greatly from preventable conditions and children die of starvation.

In addition to the things we hope to accomplish for FOVC and the village of Shanto, I know the children and the villagers desire to welcome us with a festival, cultural dancing, street races and etc.

After three or four days in Shanto, we will travel back to Addis via the beautiful lake country of Ethiopia. And, or course, wherever we go in the country, we will see the beautiful, warm, welcoming people of Ethiopia.

If I am able to join in this trip, I know, I will never be the same!

Please let me know if you have questions, and if you are interested in supporting me as I need to raise $2,500. This amount of money will cover airfare, in-country lodging, food and travel. Please be assured that I will strive to be an excellent steward of any gift you are able to give: we will be safe, but in no way extravagant, while we are in Ethiopia. I am praying that God will use me and that this will glorify His name!

Blessings to you and through you,

DW