While many of our friends have faced some bleak winter conditions, we have been "suffering" in the 80's. :) Here's a bit of a rundown since our last update...
Ethiopian Christmas.
I must say that I'm not sure if our first Ethiopian Christmas could be beat. 80-plus people eating, sharing, playing, and laughing. We witnessed God provide for EGCH in so many ways. Some donated towards the practical costs associated with operations. Others donated specifically towards the Christmas celebration. Others sent gifts (including children's Bibles, personal letters, and a surplus of toys) for the children. A huge goat was sent from Hamar (to eat). Not to be forgotten, are the several prayers for each child in this time. Everyone pitched-in in so many ways. It served as a reminder of how the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ has impacted and transformed people to actually be Christ-like. And more specifically--thousands of miles apart--God has moved hearts to join what He is doing in the lives of the 34 kids and the staff of a relatively small children's home in Hawassa, Ethiopia. (CLICK HERE to view more pictures of the celebration.)
 |
| new Bibles! |
With this in mind, we wanted to impart giving as lesson for the older EGCH kids. That said, in addition to 34, we invited an additional 20 kids that were either children of staff members, family of those we minister to, and/or our new friends (I'll share some about them a little further down). EGCH kids were each assigned a "friend" to wrap a gift for, and to distribute out one-by-one on Christmas. Precious.
 |
| two of our new friends. :) |
The week prior to Christmas, Argaw and I met a group of six children (orphans ranging from five to 12 years of a age), a caretaker, and a guardian. All of these were/are living with HIV. Though there is a roof-over-their-head, food on the table, and sanitary living conditions… the need for spiritual and social interaction is evident. As mentioned above, we invited our new friends join us for the festivities. It didn't take long for the shy demeanor to wear off (I suppose food, other kids, and receiving gifts helps). Being a "big" kid myself, I threw a ball around with these two boys. I'm not sure who had more fun.
For the time being, we are partnering with our new friends practically, and are praying for how God desires to use us in their lives. Please join us in praying for these children.
Our Family.
As a whole, we are doing great. Here are some brief developments on our kiddos...
 |
| mama and the little man. |
I'm not sure how three years moves that fast, but on January 28th, we celebrated Jude's third birthday. We had a "committee" celebration for all of our January birthdays. And then we followed it up with a family day on his actual birth day. We are so thankful, privileged, and proud to be entrusted by God, to be Jude's parents.
Sonya is our social butterfly--learning and using new words everyday. She follows us around everywhere. And if she isn't on our hip she snuck outside. :) She had, and has recovered from, a mild case of the measles. Though she had lost some weight, but--rest assured--her "trademark" belly is still in tact. Oh, and did I mention they recently opened a gelato/ice cream shop close by...
 |
| i mean who doesn't love ice cream? :) |
Friends Coming.
Our friend, Katie Morris, is arriving February 21st, to join our team (for at least six months). We met Katie in 2012, while serving in Hungary. At the time she was one of the atendees of the A Vision For Life discipleship program. She has served in various capacities, in various ministries, and in various places. Since we've known her, she's had a huge heart for missions, women, and children. We are so glad to have her be a part of the work here. Please pray for grace in all of the preparations and transition to Ethiopia. If you know Katie, or would like to read her updates, CLICK HERE to check out her blog.
Additionally, one of my best buds (if you don't know him, you probably know someone that does :)), Colin, is coming in March to shoot some video on the ministry. He will be here for a couple of weeks and we are looking forward to some great times together. Please pray for his time here. It's not a matter of there not being enough material to film, it will likely be a matter of which things to cut out.
Hungary/Stateside Visit.
We recently purchased our tickets for our trip to the States. We will be leaving here towards the end of April for Hungary. After a short visit, we will head stateside for "family time" and connecting/reconnecting with supporting ministries in California and Colorado until the beginning of August. In addition to that, I wanted to make myself (and possibly family) available for any ministries that would like to hear more about what God is doing at EGCH, and in these parts. So far, we are planning trips to Arkansas and New Jersey. If interested, please email us.
Bible Time.
Megan started going through the Bible stories with the younger boys and Jude (ages three to four)
We finished the book of Galatians during our Saturday morning study. We are now studying through the book of James.
Tomorrow, February 5th, I head back out to Chuko to teach pastors serving in rural areas. I'm looking forward to getting started in 2 Peter.
Prayer Requests.
- For wisdom and discernment in how God wants to specifically use us in the lives of our new friends (orphans with HIV).
- For fruitful, Jesus-centered, times in the Word with others.
- For us to finish this season faithfully.
- For language growth, retention, and greater cultural understanding.
- For good health and protection.
One last note. I started a family Twitter account. If you would like to keep tabs on our family and ministry: @thehavelaars. Similarly, there is a Twitter account for EGCH: @EBgracekidshome.
All the best in Jesus,
Shaun... Megan, Jude, and Sonya
No comments:
Post a Comment