Walk For Hope

Dear Family and Friends,

As you all know, our lives were forever changed by our adoption journey and our two trips to Ethiopia. Along with some other local adoptive families, we have committed ourselves to raising awareness and funding for an amazing organization in Ethiopia that touched our hearts. That organization is Yezelalem Minch (YM). YM is a non-profit, non-government organization which operates in the capital city of Addis Ababa. Their purpose and mission is to see that orphaned and vulnerable children in their communities are cared for, becoming healthy, educated, emotionally stable and productive citizens for their country, and growing to serve their community. Some of the ways they are accomplishing these goals are through child and family sponsorship, a weekly feeding program, job skills training, and as a last resort, foster care and adoption.

Getting a tour of the Yezelalem Minch office during our first trip to Ethiopia

The name Yezelalem Minch means "everlasting spring". It comes from Isaiah 58:10-11.

"...and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

Meeting Bilen, the child we sponsor through YM, during our first trip

Visiting with Bilen and her grandmother again, during our second trip

Yezelalem Minch was founded by a wonderful friend of ours, Birtukan Sinshaw. We met Birtukan the very first night we were in Ethiopia. She owns and operates Morning Coffee Guest House in Addis Ababa, which also helps fund YM, and we were fortunate enough to stay with her. Birtukan's story of how she was inspired to start YM is truly amazing as she was once a sponsored child herself, through World Vision International. She is a testament of how sponsoring one child can have a ripple effect that will change the world.

Our beautiful friend, Birtukan Sinshaw, founder of Yezelalem Minch

While we and other adoptive families were in Ethiopia, we began to realize that Yezelalem Minch was about to hit some rough times. The price of land/real estate in Ethiopia is skyrocketing. Beginning in May, there was a large increase in rent for the building YM operates out of. They are also facing a government grant that is about to expire, and the slower pace of adoptions which means less guests coming through Morning Coffee Guest House. All of this means that more money is going to operating costs, and less to the children and families in need of assistance. Our group of adoptive families got together to brainstorm what we could do to help, and came up with Future Hope Campaign. Future Hope Campaign is a volunteer coalition wishing to raise awareness and support for Yezelalem Minch. Our mission is to hold fundraising campaigns for specific goals which will help to build and grow YM. We now have adoptive families from 35 states participating with Future Hope Campaign.

Our first of ongoing fundraising efforts, “Land for Opportunity,” is a $160,000 challenge directed towards the purchase and development of property in Addis for the program’s operations as well as a new vocational training center. This will eliminate the financial drain of rent payments. Our ambitious goal date is set at August 1, 2011. Our group in Michigan has planned a "Walk For Hope" on June 18, which will take place on Kent Trails in Grand Rapids. Our family is participating in the 5K walk, and will be collecting pledges and donations in support of the Land For Opportunity goal.

Would you consider supporting our family's participation in Walk For Hope? Our family goal is to raise $1,500 for this campaign. It sounds like a lot right now, but we believe it can be reached. Can you spare $10, $25, $50, or $100 for a great cause? For an easy way to make a donation, click our "donate" button at the top right corner of this page. Payment is sent securely through Paypal, and you do not have to open a Paypal account to use this service. Since Future Hope Campaign is not yet classified as a non-profit organization (we're working on it), we have teamed up with a non-profit in order to make your donations tax deductible. For those interested in making a tax deductible donation, checks can be made out to Helps International Ministries (HIM). Please write "Future Hope Campaign" in the memo line. You can give your donations to us, or mail them directly (along with this pledge form) to 573 Fairview Road, Asheville, NC 28803. You will receive a receipt for tax purposes.

Two of the most amazing people we will ever meet, Birtukan and her husband, Nesibu

Thank you for your consideration in supporting a cause that is very near to our hearts. If you have any questions, or would like to walk with us on June 18, please let us know.

Blessings!

Brandon and Jen