When I tell people I am going to Africa on a vision trip, you’d be surprised how often people look at me with bewilderment and say “why?” I can handle that. I’m 25 and a lot of people my age can think about 134 things they would rather do than give up their iPhone and running water for a week to go on a mission trip. The “why” doesn’t bug me, and as I become more confident in my calling the questions don’t bug me, either. I’m learning that everyone has their own opinion, their own calling, and their own curiosity. I would rather they ask me these questions and maybe I can open their mind in some way, than keep it to themselves. Here are some of the questions I had a hard time with at first because I felt like those asking were attacking my dream, or accusing me of something in some way. (Again, those are my own insecurities I had to get over and trust in God that this is what He wants me to do.)
Why Ethiopia? Why Africa? There are children “here” who need help, too!
Yes, there are. Let’s help them, too! Let’s help them all!! I am one person. I personally fell in love with Ethiopia when I visited and would love to help a community in that country. I am not opposed to helping ANYWHERE though. If God’s plan is to send me to the moon to help someone, I will do that for him, too. But right here, right now I feel like He is calling me to Ethiopia.
And also, why NOT Africa? I think too often we as humans value borders and segregation and too easily let ourselves forget this is one world. A 12 year-old Ethiopian boy is no different than a 12-year old American boy. If they’re hungry let’s feed them. If they don’t know the Word, let’s teach them. Even if they don’t want it, let’s love them.
Why Children’s HopeChest?
Children’s HopeChest for me was my first time getting to experience compassion and mission work first-hand. I sponsor a little girl in Ethiopia through Hopechest thanks to the wonderful mission group I traveled with in 2012. I know there are dozens of wonderful companies and groups that want to help change the world in their own way and I commend them all. I am emotionally attached to Children’s Hopechest and had personal connections with people who work for them, hence this trip fell in to place according to His perfect plan.
Why not help those children get adopted?
I do get this a lot. If the conditions are so terrible why not focus on taking those children away from there and putting them somewhere sparkly and safe?
I have to premise my answer with an explanation first: I try to be very politically correct when answering this question because it is a topic very dear to my heart. My nephew is adopted from Bogota Colombia and he is one of the lights of my life. He is the first nephew in my family and he taught me how to truly, selflessly love. I was the youngest child so I never experienced feeling protective of a small child and having them depend on me until he came into our lives. God made him to be a part of our family and there is no doubt about that in my mind. Adoption is a wonderful thing and I am SO proud of my sister and brother-in-law for listening to God’s call to them to adopt.
Okay, that being said, I don’t think adoption is always the answer. I think it is a wonderful answer sometimes, but not 100% of the time.
Children’s HopeChest tries to work with communities to provide education, safety and a future to children in their home countries who either live with their family in poor conditions, or have close relatives who care for them. One of the reasons they do not personally dabble in adoption is because they think it sends a mixed message for their main goal: to protect and provide for these children/communities and teach them to provide better for themselves. If they went in to these communities and built trust but then also helped children get adopted it would almost feel like they were saying “we are going to teach you to thrive, but we don’t have the faith in you to actually succeed so we are also going to get your children adopted.”
One day I would love to work to help an adoption program. But just like my answer for “Why Ethiopia?” specifically right now this is what I am being called to do. I admire and am so thankful for those who are being called to help the adoption process also, if everyone was called to serve God in the same way we couldn’t get everything accomplished so it is a blessing that we are all called to serve in different ways at different times, I think!
Can’t you, like, just send money instead of going over there?
Yes I probably could throw a check at the problem and that would help somehow. Money does, unfortunately, solve lots of problems in our world. But money isn't going to love those kids and teach them the Word. Someone has to be there to see the money be transferred into books and wells and food. Someone should be there to spread their stories and show them that whatever they’re going through, they are not alone. If not you, then who?
These are jsut a few of the many questions I receive and wanted to answer.
If there are any other questions you’ve wanted to ask someone please feel free to ask me! I’m not offended by political incorrectness and am all for possibly changing your perception!
Why Ethiopia? Why Africa? There are children “here” who need help, too!
Yes, there are. Let’s help them, too! Let’s help them all!! I am one person. I personally fell in love with Ethiopia when I visited and would love to help a community in that country. I am not opposed to helping ANYWHERE though. If God’s plan is to send me to the moon to help someone, I will do that for him, too. But right here, right now I feel like He is calling me to Ethiopia.
And also, why NOT Africa? I think too often we as humans value borders and segregation and too easily let ourselves forget this is one world. A 12 year-old Ethiopian boy is no different than a 12-year old American boy. If they’re hungry let’s feed them. If they don’t know the Word, let’s teach them. Even if they don’t want it, let’s love them.
Why Children’s HopeChest?
Children’s HopeChest for me was my first time getting to experience compassion and mission work first-hand. I sponsor a little girl in Ethiopia through Hopechest thanks to the wonderful mission group I traveled with in 2012. I know there are dozens of wonderful companies and groups that want to help change the world in their own way and I commend them all. I am emotionally attached to Children’s Hopechest and had personal connections with people who work for them, hence this trip fell in to place according to His perfect plan.
Why not help those children get adopted?
I do get this a lot. If the conditions are so terrible why not focus on taking those children away from there and putting them somewhere sparkly and safe?
I have to premise my answer with an explanation first: I try to be very politically correct when answering this question because it is a topic very dear to my heart. My nephew is adopted from Bogota Colombia and he is one of the lights of my life. He is the first nephew in my family and he taught me how to truly, selflessly love. I was the youngest child so I never experienced feeling protective of a small child and having them depend on me until he came into our lives. God made him to be a part of our family and there is no doubt about that in my mind. Adoption is a wonderful thing and I am SO proud of my sister and brother-in-law for listening to God’s call to them to adopt.
Okay, that being said, I don’t think adoption is always the answer. I think it is a wonderful answer sometimes, but not 100% of the time.
Children’s HopeChest tries to work with communities to provide education, safety and a future to children in their home countries who either live with their family in poor conditions, or have close relatives who care for them. One of the reasons they do not personally dabble in adoption is because they think it sends a mixed message for their main goal: to protect and provide for these children/communities and teach them to provide better for themselves. If they went in to these communities and built trust but then also helped children get adopted it would almost feel like they were saying “we are going to teach you to thrive, but we don’t have the faith in you to actually succeed so we are also going to get your children adopted.”
One day I would love to work to help an adoption program. But just like my answer for “Why Ethiopia?” specifically right now this is what I am being called to do. I admire and am so thankful for those who are being called to help the adoption process also, if everyone was called to serve God in the same way we couldn’t get everything accomplished so it is a blessing that we are all called to serve in different ways at different times, I think!
Can’t you, like, just send money instead of going over there?
Yes I probably could throw a check at the problem and that would help somehow. Money does, unfortunately, solve lots of problems in our world. But money isn't going to love those kids and teach them the Word. Someone has to be there to see the money be transferred into books and wells and food. Someone should be there to spread their stories and show them that whatever they’re going through, they are not alone. If not you, then who?
These are jsut a few of the many questions I receive and wanted to answer.
If there are any other questions you’ve wanted to ask someone please feel free to ask me! I’m not offended by political incorrectness and am all for possibly changing your perception!
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