New Number!

Watch the video (here) to find out our new number!

www.longingforafrica.com

A Quarter in the Ice...

One of my closest friends in life emailed me this. She is one of those friends that I only get to see about one time a year and we love it when that time comes, but we stay connected thru technology...thank God! I so miss her. She one of those friends who challenges me as a wife and a mom. She actually grew up with my husband and we've had all of our kiddos about the same time. So she too is a mom making ends meet and living her life to bring a smile to God's face. She and her fam asked for a baby bottle for our "Baby Bottle Fundraiser". This is a snipet of how God provides for our needs...even a quarter when we ask... read this cool story:

"Thought you would like to hear what happened to me this morning...I emptied out my change this morning and put it in the baby bottle. It was mostly pennies and I sighed wishing that we were filling it up faster and with more quarters than pennies. Well, I left and went to the store and this old lady with an Italian accent started yelling at me in the parking lot and motioning to this patch of ice. She said "you young you can get it!" I realized she was pointing to a quarter buried in the ice. I was a little annoyed because she kept insisting that I get it out of the ice. Then I thought maybe she needed it for her cart (I was at Aldi) so I decided to get it for her. I managed to get it out with my shoe and gave it to her then she insisted on giving it to me. I took the quarter, but was really confused. It didn't hit me til later I knew where this quarter was going... in the baby bottle of course! And I had just been asking God for quarters to put in it! I know it probably sounds silly and it was just a quarter, but it was like God saying I will provide even if it means a quarter stuck in the ice of a parking lot! So I thought I would share! And the honest truth I never saw that lady again...she never went in the store! Hope you have a great day!"

Thank you my friend for listening to that dear lady and for digging that frozen quarter out of the ice for our precious little girl in Ethiopia! I love your heart! Thank you for being so in tune to God that you turn to ask and give Him praise for quarter. I think that is the heart God wants us to have. One who remembers to turn to Him and thank him for all things in life...even when it's stuck in the ice and we have to digg it out;-)

Facts about Ethiopia

Here are a few more facts about Ethiopia...please don't just read them. Let them soak in, lift them up in prayer, think about one thing that you can start doing to make a difference in the lives of those who live in poverty.

*There are approximately 5 million orphans in a country less than twice the size of the state of Texas.

*Only 24% of households have access to safe drinking water

*One in ten children die before their first birthday.

*In the 1980's, one million Ethiopians died of starvation

*Half the children in Ethiopia will never attend school; 88% will never attend secondary school

*Ethiopia’s doctor to children ratio is 1 to 24,000

*Children and family are honored above all else

*Between 60-150 million kids live on the streets

*82% of the population survives on less than 1 dollar a day

*1 in 3 people are HIV+, the average life expectancy is 37

*Ethiopia is 432,312 square miles

*Average temperature in Addis Ababa in January/July 61 degrees F...it is very similar to Denver Colorado altitude and temperatures

*Average precipitation in Addis Ababa 49 inches

*Population: 67,851,281

*Capital City: Addis Ababa

*Languages: Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromingna, and more than 75 others

*Natural Resources: gold, copper, hydropower, natural gas, platinum

*Religions: 45 % Muslim, 35% Ethiopian Orthodox Christian, 12% Animist, 8% others

~Thanks to those of you whom are praying specifically for our little girl and her birth family and country. We should be getting a new number here soon!

Thought of the Day

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
~Micah 6:8

Kids Against Hunger Service Project

In the Family Road Map workshops, one thing we talk about is how to map out your family values and live them day in and day out. One of our family values is having "Servant's Heart". Our kids know our values, but we don't just want them to know them, we actually want to live them out as individuals and as a family. We had the opportunity this weekend to serve along with 200 others from our church packaging meals for people in Haiti through the organization Kids Against Hunger. Together, we packaged 71,000 meals! When the body of Christ works together, God can do beautiful things in and through his people.

Our missions pastor giving instructions

We watched a short video explaining the history of "Kids Against Hunger"

Afterwards, they handed out small samples to taste. It was a great way for the kids to see what other kids in third world countries get to eat maybe once a day or once a week. Check out the Kids Against Hunger website for information on how you can help in your community.

So true...

A friend sent me this and it made my day!

"Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture had a different hair color than the other members. One of her students suggested that he was adopted. A little girl said, 'I know all about Adoption, I was adopted. 'What does it mean to be adopted?', asked another child. 'It means', said the girl, 'that you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy!'"

Thought of the Day

"There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land."
~Deuteronomy 15:11