Where There is No Comfort

I read a short and well written book today called "Where There is No Comfort" by Juliann Trai. She went to Southern Ethiopia with an organization called International Crisis Aid with the intent of sharing their story. She shared well in her 80 page book about the seven days she was in Ethiopia. Many of her experiences were things we experienced on our first trip. And when I googled the town that ICA is working, it was about 40 minutes from Shanto where we work with FOVC. For those in the Holt adoption world, it was pretty much smack dab between Durame and Hossanna.

I love how this book told the story but didn't drag out the details. I love how it captivates you and makes you want to know more. I love how you get the picture of what ICA's mission is like. Reading the book and looking at the pictures made me want to put my experiences with FOVC down in a more detailed and specific space. While I've kept up this blog and my awesome hubby had it printed for me, there's not a specific place where you can get an overview of it all. I should do that.

If you're interested in reading more of her book, it can be found on amazon. The cost of the book was the only bad part about it. Except that it's not truly BAD. It's just more than I like to pay for a book. Granted, I'm guessing, yes guessing, that part of the proceeds go back to the ICA ministry.

Help me Help Kaight Help FOVC

Wow, that's about a tongue twister, isn't it?

My friend Kate and her husband, Rob, have hearts like mine. She desires to help keep families together in Southern Ethiopia and is partnering with FOVC. They desired to raise enough money to dig a new well in one of FOVC's communities AND to raise money to bring more widows into the crops program. Friends, Kaight and Rob are well [pun intended] on their way to meeting their goal. As of this morning, Rob and Kaight's efforts have raised $10,246.

The first $10,000 goes towards digging a new well. The next $5,000 of their goal goes towards the crops for widows program. I have no doubt that my friends will meet their goal. After all the first $10k was raised in 47 days. I'm so excited to see people believe in and support FOVC. I'm so thankful for how they're partnering with FOVC to raise awareness and funds. There's another important component to all of this.

It's more than raising a ton of money and throwing it at needy people. FOVC's programs continue to flourish with the assistance of people who care to get involved. To train, educate, and give hope to communities where they have none of those things. People like me. People like Ryan. We're partnering with FOVC to bring that training, education and support. But, we can't do it alone. While we volunteer our time and talents, our financial talents do get limited.

Ryan can treat all the FOVC livestock and outreach into the community to treat their livestock as well. I can teach the widows various management and cropping techniques to help them grow food during a drought, etc. But both of our efforts come with a financial cost as well. We're average people with an average income. Travelling to Ethiopia twice a year doesn't come without a cost. So, today I humbly ask you to help us as we help Kaight as she desire to help FOVC.

If you're willing to donate $5, $10, or $100, you can mail us a check or donate online here http://www.acharityproject.com/f/Buit

Lottery Winner

My friend Shiloh just posted this on facebook:

Who bought one of those tickets for the multi million dollar lottery last week?? How about investing in something you have 100% chance of winning in?? Help my friend Tamara and her hubby get to Shanto, Ethiopia. Your money will help them teach widows farming, which gives them the ability to feed their families!! So, a 100% chance of your money benefitting someone OR a one in 176 million chance of winning??? Go here and donate $5, $10, or $100 today!!! And hey, it's a tax deduction! http://www.acharityproject.com/f/Buit

:)

Thanks Shiloh for the encouragement and support. You're absolutely right. Giving towards our trip is a 100% guaranteed win in helping women keep their families together.

MY plans (highlight to see the print since I can't manage to fix it)

Maybe I haven't shared much about what my plans are for the June trip. I have a lot planned and am hoping to get it all done but I know it’s a lot. My three main things are:

1. Check in on my widows I’ve trained in the past, provide some additional training.

2. Set up a drip irrigation system and water collection basin by installing gutters on the metal roofs of the orphanage and school buildings.

3. Check in on a site donated for widows to grow coffee trees. It’s the best coffee growing area. This one I’m not really sure what I’m doing yet because I know NOTHING about growing coffee trees.

The other things I hope to do include:

1. Meet with the local ag specialists and get my ladies into a formal training program.

2. Identify some leaders of my existing ladies who will train others in the community.

3. Learn more from locals about their existing bee keeping practices.

And of course, I’ll love on the kids, chase them around and play soccer pretending to be much younger than I am. I’ll drink some STRONG coffee, and listen to traditional singing before they drag me into the circle to dance with them. I’ll hang out with the doc while she checks kids over and follow Ryan around while he checks on the livestock. It will be exhausting but worth every ounce of energy and every penny.

Almost April

Just a quick update on my week as it pertains to the June trip to serve FOVC.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the views expressed here are MINE. Not the views of FOVC. So, it is MY faith that is tied into why I do what I do. Not that of FOVC. I'm a volunteer with FOVC, a non-profit, non-religious organization. For those who are wondering, I mention this because I've been asked numerous times if FOVC is a religious organization. Some of the individuals who volunteer for FOVC, like me, may be bible believing Christians. So, it's my views that may be reflected below.

It's been a tough week. Another week where I feel like not enough is happening in the planning process. Another week where I feel like the time I spend on my knees for the organization isn't enough. A week where I'm reminded of how it's not just the devil who attacks where good things are occuring, but it's also my own sin that negatively impacts. It has also been a week where I'm so, so thankful to partner in life with my husband. He leads me, he provides for me, he loves me, he watches my back, and he encourages me. Yes, he's so much more than that. Last night while we were both exhausted and I crawled in bed at 730 for a short break to try to get rid of my headache, he tended the kids. My short rest lengthened when I stayed in bed for the night, only with a quick wake-up call from the kids when they were headed to bed.

Anyway, back to our work with FOVC. I learned that the bee project won't be happening in June. The beekeeping pros decided that they couldn't make it happen that quickly. As I thought through the impacts of that, many ideas floated through my head. one of which was for me to not even go on this trip. After all, it's really, really expensive. Some of my main goals included setting up a water catchment basin and drip irrigation system. Because I also found out that there's still no running well water at Shanto, I wondered if I even had a purpose for the trip. I wondered why I didn't know there was no running water... a critical component to a drip irrigation system. Selfishly, I didn't want to "waste" my 2 weeks of vacation and lots of money to figure out that I couldn't do the tasks I'd planned to do. As I talked through it with Ryan, he brought me back down to Earth a bit. My one main goal of starting the beekeeping project wasn't going to happen and my other main goal of drip irrigation might not happen.

I did a lot of complaining to my husband before I changed my perspective. There's a lot that still needs to happen in planning this trip but my whine session is over, my attitude is in check, and I'm ready to move forward. After all, I need to start designing a drip irrigation system and have never done that before.

Oh, Lord, that you would give me wisdom in knowledge in the areas I'm lacking so that I can best serve you in Ethiopia.

If you would like to make a tax deductible donation towards our travel expenses, you can do so here: http://www.acharityproject.com/f/Buit

Early in our marriage, we attended a Family Life adoption training. I learned a lot during the conference but one think has stuck in my mind ever since. The father of an adoptive family was standing up front speaking. What he said rocked my world:

Everyone thinks your 18 month old little boy is adorable. But when he's 18 years old and knocking on the door to date their daughter, he's not so cute anymore.

Rocked my world. I had never thought about it before. I had lots of daydreams including an 18 month old baby, and not many daydreams of that child growing into maturity. It was 7 years before we brought Judah, a two year old beautifully brown-skinned child into our family. By time that happened, I had thought many times about my son at 18 years old.

We live in a small rural town. Every one seems to know Judah. He sticks out in a crowd. He also happens to be a loveable and precious little boy. His classmates adore him (he might be a bit of a class clown) and he's not even in school yet. Adults love him because he's cute. But by time he's 14, or even 10, will he still be so cute? When he's 12 and lolly gaggy in a gas station (cause he's some times a bit ditzy and gets easily distracted), will be be looked at as lolly-gagging or will he be looked at suspiciously?

Even if in our small town, he continues to be like Norm on "Cheers" where everybody knows him, what about when he goes to the neighboring town for ice-cream? What if a girl in a neighboring town sits by him at a football game or movie theater? What happens when he leaves for college in a big city or moves for his first real job? I won't be able to protect my son forever.

Many have heard about Trayvon - a child who was killed by a man who thought the young boy looked suspicious. The hoodie (which all 3 of my kids love), skittles and iced-tea are apparently super suspicious. His death is heart breaking. Certainly for any momma with a brown-skinned beauty. Don't let his death be in vain. May we all, even us white momma's and daddy's, learn from this. maybe we not judge based on looks. And you know what, that goes beyond teenaged brown-skinned beauties, that also includes the kid at the park with saggy pants, gauges in his ears, tattoos on his body, and earbuds blasting music into his ears. That inlcudes stereotypes of all types of people.

While some families are putting on hoodies to prove that a hoodie does not equal suspicion, I think their pictures tell a story. Let us be people who don't judge unjustly.

Fundraising Campaign

We're headed back to Ethiopia June 1st. We'll be there 15 days. We have a lot to accomplish before we go and when we get there. While working on trip details this past week, we're also starting our fundraising campaign. Friends, we can't do this trip without you. I'm serious.

We're hoping to raise $7,000!

Yes, we know that's a big goal. But we have big expenses facing the two of us in the coming weeks:

• $3,000-$4,000 in airline tickets.
• $3,000 for in-country expenses (guide/driver, hotels, food, visas, etc)
• $500 for Livestock Outreach/Treatment
• $500 for Crops Project supplies

If you'd like to donate, you can mail us a check or donate online here: http://www.acharityproject.com/f/Buit