Haben Voorhies- Trip to Ethiopia

Friends and Family,

Haben will be traveling to Ethiopia this summer. There is still some finalizing that needs to occur with some of the details, but the trip itself is definite, while the tentative dates are June 21st – July 8th. 

This will be Haben’s first trip back to her home country since she arrived in the United States in 2009. This trip will serve two purposes for Haben:

First, this is a Mission trip, and she will be traveling with at least one representative from Fields of Promise (http://www.fieldsofpromise.org/). She will get a chance to give back to the children residing in the orphanage she was once in.The following types of activities are being planned for this trip:

1. Launching the Boys/Girls of Promise Leadership     Program with the Mekelle Youth Center, targeting boys and girls ages 13-18 for life skills training, leadership development, and spiritual formation. 

2. A Vacation Bible School style day camp for the ORE Mekelle or Adigrat children focusing on life skills, crafts, devotions, and fun.

3. Possible help with medical outreach depending on the skills of the volunteers. 

4. Sports outreach events.

5. Delivery of donated supplies to stock the various projects such as backpacks, underwear and socks, and used cell phones. 

6. A discipleship/leadership training component for the high school volunteers, so each evening someone will be focused on teaching and helping them process what they did that day and how God is using them and wants to use them in the future.

This trip will also give Haben an opportunity to reconnect with her home country, including loved ones she left behind. This will be the first time seeing friends and family since 2009, so this will be an emotional, and hopefully a healing and cathartic experience for Haben. 

COST: We are trying to raise $2,800. 

Airfare is approximately $2,000, in country costs are approximately $600 (including lodging, meals and transportation) and the remainder will be used for other financial components to prepare for the trip, including vaccinations (while there is some insurance coverage) and a passport. 

At a later date, we will also be reaching out to anyone that might be interested in donating items for Haben to take with her, but we are focusing on the financial aspect at this time. 

Thank you to everyone willing to donate to Haben’s trip. So many of you have done so much for our family through our adoption journey, and we are still so very grateful.