The hand-made, clay bead necklaces are 15 inches clasped (30 inches long).  Colors are brown and black with silver and black spacers.

To order, email store@p61.org and specify quantity.  Necklaces are $20.  (Shipping is $5 if required.)

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As I sit on a plane somewhere over the Atlantic I have a heavy heart for the country of Ethiopia and people that I left behind.  The questions I have been asking myself since my first trip are: Why me? Why Africa? Why so far away?  Why couldn’t I have fallen in love with a country closer to home or even my own country?

If anyone had told me 3 years ago that I would be called to go on a Mission Trip to Africa, I would have laughed and told them “God knows how scared I am of going out of the country since 9-11, he knows that I am terrified I would end up on a plane bound for some National Monument so he would never do that to me”……… Wrong.  Don’t ever say or think that God won’t call you out of your comfort zone, three years later and 2 trips to Africa, here I sit on a plane crying because it was time to leave.

The past 10 days have been nothing short of amazing for me and I still have lots to process. There was good and bad, things that made sense and nonsense but we went with a purpose to love on the people and share the good news of Christ and I believe we did that ten-fold.

We spent time in Shashemene and Korah getting our socks blessed off and then we went to feed the homeless in Addis…. I have always had a heart for the Homeless, I remember my dad telling me that when I was a little girl and we would go to Nashville I would ask so many questions about why they didn’t have a home and I remember him telling me that I would be in tears begging him to give them money or our “take-away” if we had been out to dinner.

I stood in amazement as hundreds of men, women and children, a large part of them blind and crippled filled table after table to get probably their only meal of the day.

It’s bad enough to be homeless but to be blind, crippled and homeless in Ethiopia is beyond anything I can comprehend. As they filed in and I began to serve them something that I am ashamed to say I probably wouldn’t eat, my heart became very heavy, I had to step away and take a minute because I starting to melt down.  After I calmed down (with the help of Pastor Duane:) These people had the sweetest faces and biggest smiles and when I was standing among them serving the food and one of the older gentlemen grabbed my hand and said “Thank you!  Jesus is so good.”  I thought, “this is it, this is why I am here” If one person knows that Jesus is good and Jesus loves them, then all the preparation and hard work was totally worth it.  I am honored to have that man grab my hand and Thank me but really I should have been thanking him.

Family and friends told me that they admired me, and told me that I had such courage to go so far away.  I don’t have courage, courage is the men I saw that were so crippled they could only walk on their hands and drag their legs behind them, the blind that had to depend on others to help them out, the women in the countryside that carried huge water jugs on their heads back to their families, the men, women and children pilfering thru the trash dump to find food for their families…  That is courage.  I am nothing, people…I only did what God called me to do and if I live my life from here on with the love and appreciation that the people of Ethiopia showed me, then I will be a much better person because of it.

Below are some of the lyrics to a new Casting Crowns song, it was my “Battle Song” for the week:

Jesus, friend of sinners, the one who’s writing in the sand
Make the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of these
Let the memory of Your mercy bring Your people to their knees
No one knows what we’re for only against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs crossed over the lines and loved like You did
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours
You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they’re the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But you died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

There is not a definitive list as I am sure there are many more books out here that are great resources.  Let us know what you think and give other recommendations in comments.

Choose one to start or read them all!

-Shawn
Shawn@p61.org

BTW – Each image connects to the books Amazon.com page.

When Helping Hurts

The Hospital by the River

Live-Dead.org

The Hole in the Gospel

Crazy Love

Kisses from Katie

Hope Lives

There is No Me Without You

It is actually January 7, 2012 by your calendar.  For the many sponsored students at Boarding School, the Christmas celebration will be a fun one. The January P61 team is traveling (very) light with their own gear and carrying crates of sponsor gifts to the students.  It promises to be an amazing day and produce some great pictures.  We will share the experiences here with pictures and stories.

(Just trust me, this calendar says it is January 7.)

We are often asked, “How can I help P61 other than sponsor?”  Well, here is your answer – GIVE A YEAR END GIFT!  

Almost everyone reading this blog is radically blessed and giving is a way to say “thanks.”  You provide some small miracles in a child’s life and  get a tax benefit (double whammy!).

Donations to Project 61 are tax-deductible, and gifts received before December 31 will be reflected on your 2011 statements.  Any contribution is always appreciated and will be used to cover recurring costs of boarding school and Brighthope students.  (There are other costs beyond sponsorship funds.  For an explanation, click here.)

You can give online now at www.p61.org.  Or, you may mail a check to the address provided at the same link.

As always, we commit to use your donations in the best way possible.  If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Shawn at shawn@p61.org.

Merry Christmas!  (Dec 25 and Jan 7)

-Shawn

The guys at Dude Perfect have a huge audience that started with some guys making trick basketball shots and grew into something much larger.  

The Dude Perfect guys spent time in Africa and specifically Korah this year.  Thanks to them for using their large megaphone for Ethiopia’s benefit.  

Checkout their recent video below.  God bless you, guys!

 Angela and Sumer at the dump on Ethiopian Christmas 2010

We loved passing out stockings filled with the gifts that you sent them last year.  It’s so fun to see the joy on their faces as they look through their goodies, read your letters and look at your family pictures.  It’s such encouragement for them to know that someone cares for them and prays for them.

Sumer getting the stockings sorted for Ethiopian Christmas 2011

I’m even more excited to do it again this year! This year, we are placing all of their gifts in a drawstring backpack. Sponsors don’t forget to send in your items.  We don’t want any child to be without a Christmas gift!

My sponsored child Birhane with her stocking

Here are the items that we would like each boarding school sponsor to send:

• 6 pairs of socks (gray and dark colors are good)
• 6 pairs of underwear (boxers for the boys)
• 1 pair of leggings for girls (dark colors)
• 1 package of sleeveless undershirts for boys
• 1 personal goody bag (no larger than a quart-size ziploc) – appropriate items include Christmas card, photos/photo album, gum/candy,
  chapstick, lotion, pens/pencils, bandana, small inexpensive items. Please DO NOT send electronics, money, jewelry, fingernail polish, or expensive items.  Please label the Ziploc with your child’s full name and your name.

Here are the items we would like each Bright Hope sponsor to send in:

• T-shirt (Please estimate size according to your sponsored child’s age.)
• photos/photo album of your family
• pens, pencils, other school supplies
• toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, lotion, chapstick, or other hygiene items
• gum/candy
• other fun, inexpensive items

Please DO NOT send electronics, money, jewelry, or expensive items.  Please pack all items into one GALLON-SIZE ZIPLOC bag. This is very important, due to space restrictions.

Please mail all packages by December 1 to:

Project 61 Ministries,  Attn: Angela Spencer, P.O. Box 126, Thompson’s Station, TN 37179.  If you are local, you can bring them by the church office
anytime. Please direct all questions about the items to Angela@p61.org.

Merry Christmas!

Angela

You MUST watch!  It is beautifully shot, and it conveys the need and energy of Korah.

Thank you in a huge way, Sam and team, for this work.  God bless!

Project 61: Spreading Hope – A short documentary from Session 7 Media on Vimeo.

Our latest trip to Ethiopia was once again amazing but in an all new way. As we left Korah in July, Sara and I both knew we needed to come back to Ethiopia soon to work with the Great Hope leaders and the kids we love so dearly. So, we set the dates which fell on her schools fall break and it was right in between all other teams and gave us an opportunity to meet with the leaders without them being spread all over the place.  Not only did the dates work but our tickets were buy on get one free – how awesome is that! (special thanks to Alicia Jordan and Sabrina Freeland.)  (Alicia oversees all P61 trips and Sabrina is a resident travel agent / expert.)

Because of the blessings of God, we were able to take the leaders of Great Hope off to Awassa for a retreat.  It was such a privilege to spend the week with these great men of God, we had some wonderful times in the word, amazing fellowship and a powerful time in prayer together.  Along with this opportunity, we spent each afternoon with the kids at Shashemene which compared to Korah resembles the Garden of Eden.

Surrounded by the beautiful green landscapes and the smiling faces of children who now have a hope and a future was beyond satisfying.  We spent time just hanging out with these kids who have stolen our hearts, it was fun to just watch them laughing and enjoying life and knowing it was because of the generosity of sponsors like you.  We passed out letters and gifts, shared meals, took tours of the classrooms and most of all we loved on these “gifts from God.”

As amazing as this time was and as hard as it was to leave our sponsored child Yohannes, God still had one more job for us and it was life changing.  We went to Korah on Friday morning about 12 hours before we were set to fly out.  I have to say the empty street in front of Great Hope is a beautiful sight because those kids who packed that street this summer were now safely tucked away in Sheshamene, Akaki and in class at Bright Hope.  We were in Korah for a reason though – we had brought gifts with us for some of the sponsored kids and when we arrived earlier that week Sumer informed us that one of the kids (Zarahun) sponsored by some of our church members had not gone to school but was back at the dump.  So that morning Sumer arranged a meeting with Zarahun and his best friend Habtamu at a home on the edge of the dump.  We arrived with Sumer, Mastewal and Murad to find two 10 year old boys in tattered clothes, covered in the grime and dirt of the dump and afraid they were in trouble. When Sumer asked why they didn’t go to school they replied “we didn’t think anyone would really want us.”  Our hearts sunk as Zarahun, whose parents are both dead, said he couldn’t remember his parents and Habtamu shared how his mother was poisoned and his father was raising the two boys in the dump.  We shared with the boys that they both had sponsors and asked if they still wanted to go to school, they both said they wanted to go to school and leave the life they had in the dump.  After some discussion about where they could stay until they would be able to leave for boarding school, Saylia Murad (One of the Great Hope Leaders) offered to rent a place and keep the boys with him so they would not return to the dump.  As we left this home with the two boys I realized what it felt like to change a life, it was exhilarating to say the least. As we made our way back to the church I told Sumer that this is one of the coolest things I had ever been a part of and I could only imagine what it was like to take over 200 kids out of the wasteland of the trash dump to give them a real shot at life.  Words cannot express the joy I felt walking along side these two precious children who just hours earlier were rummaging through garbage to find their breakfast.

When we arrived at Great Hope we took their ragged clothes and watched as Worldu and Maste scrubbed the boys clean!.  We gave them new clothes, fed them lunch but more than anything else we witnessed how generous hearts of sponsors and taking some time to care for these children now gave them joy they had never known before.  Jesus said “You clothed me, fed me and gave me what I needed, when you did it for the least of these.” And, we were witnesses of that scripture in action.  We left Korah that day with a sense of fulfillment and overwhelming humility that God would use us to be His hands and show His heart to those boys.

Many people have asked why are we so wrapped up in Ethiopia, why spend your vacation on another continent, why do we love this place so much and the answer is simple – It’s because God has made it a part of our heart and a part of our purpose in life, and it is a place that God has used us to help save some lives!

Please continue to pray for the precious children and families of Korah. And don’t forget to pray for Sumer and Corey and the men of God at Great Hope Ministries – they truly are working miracles every day.

Your gifts and support are truly saving lives!

God Bless You All!
Hirchie & Sara Schaffner

Set #1
Set #2

Michael (recent P61 intern) and Fantahun

Fantahun grew up in Korah. His parents met in Korah and they both made a living by begging on the streets. When Fantahun was born his mother would carry him on her back with her as she begged because children bring in more money. But then his sister was born, and his mother was earning enough money to send him to public school. His sister stayed with his mother though and helped bring in money.

His father left him just after he was born. His mother lost a leg in the war, and she later married a man who is also disabled. He is not around much, but
Fantahun speaks fondly of him. His younger sister got sick when she was young but they had no money to see a doctor. She was sick in bed for 3 years and then one day she just died. They never knew what was wrong with her.

Sometimes the children make me crazy with all their requests for medical treatment, and I get frustrated when they are panicking about a cold or a slight fever. But then I have to remind myself, they know so many people who just get sick and then die. And I remember also, that going to the doctor has never been an option before so they have to be taught when it is necessary and when it is not.

His mother took the death of his sister very hard. She was angry and in mourning for a long time, and would not leave the house. That was four or five
years ago now, and when I went to visit her one day she still talked often about her daughter. Fantahun dropped out of school in the middle of 9th grade,
and went to work at the trash dump to support his mother. He spent all of his days and many nights there, but gave his money to his mother. That was his life for four years.

She did receive help from another local charity as well, and they along with her neighbors helped to build her a three room mud house. He bought her a bed,
and chairs for their house. He was so proud to show me those.

He did not want to go to school initially. He had given up on hoping. Many people had come before and taken pictures and even taken profiles, but they did
nothing. They never really cared they just left behind their empty promises.  But now he loves school, and his mother is so proud of him. She struggles with
him away, but his new life has restored her hope for the future as well.

He is a good son, and she knows he will take care of her. He says he never wants to trouble her, and does not want her to worry. And yet he knows that there is so little he can do to help her right now, besides being the best student he can be. After four years out of school, he started over again in 9th grade and was 7th in his class of over 60. So much potential that was wasting away.

They both made the hard decision that so many people living in poverty struggle to make…to hope for tomorrow, to hope for 5 years from now. Sometimes I talk to him at night while he is at school, and when I ask him what he is doing he almost is always reading his Bible. And I smile because I know that ultimately it
is only God that gives lasting hope for the future, and I am so proud of him for realizing that as well!

Fantahun is one of those extremely quiet and shy children, until you get them alone in a room or in a group of people that he feels comfortable with and then he is so funny and full of life. He is so handsome, and has a smile that will turn your whole day around! I thank God so much for the opportunity to get to know these kids, to have long term relationship with them. Ashli and I have looked at each other before and laughed and said they are truly the coolest kids in the world!

Thank you, John and Kristan, for your support of this sweet boy. He showed me your pictures the other day and told me the things he knew about you from your
letters, he reads and understands English well so keep the letters coming! You have made an impact on his here and now and also his future…keep praying for
him that he will seek eternal hope above all else. He and I hope we get to meet you sometime!