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When God Opens a Door
by Andrea Gaines
My husband and I have adopted two beautiful children from Ethiopia, and this
exotic yet tragic country has become a part of who our family is and its people
have become immersed in my soul. One day while in Sunday school, I felt God’s
prompting to lead a mission team to Ethiopia to share His heart with the
desperately poor and to open our church’s eyes to the plight of the widows and
orphans He speaks about in Psalm 68:5-6.
In doing my research for mission opportunities, I found Mark Wolbert with YWAM
Adoption Ministry - Ethiopia. This was truly a God led encounter from the begin-
ning. As we began to speak about what God had laid on my heart and what YWAM was
doing in Ethiopia, I knew this was the organization that we would work with. All of
the details were worked out before the eleven of us arrived in Ethiopia. God even
threw in some wonderful surprises that we could not have dreamed of or asked for.
We shared meals with new friends, Samy and Ruth, who are house-parents at
YWAM’s home for street children. We loved on, prayed with, and provided practical
support for the hurting in a leper colony. Our team delighted in playing soccer and
volleyball on the savannah with the children of a rural village called T’ede. At one of
the Widows and Orphans Homes, we held babies just weeks old and participated in
a coffee ceremony with the widows. Best of all, we witnessed and participated in
the baptism of 24 brand new believers from the village of Gutumuma. At each
place we made relationships with people we will never forget and whose faces will
forever be etched in our memories.
We could not have asked for a better leader and guide or organization to work with
than the YWAM Ethiopia team. Their commitment to Christ and being His hands
and feet are the reason we are planning our next trip with them in 2011.
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The elders of Gendebaret, a village about six hours from Addis Ababa, have set aside property for a school to be built. The trees have been felled for lumber and all that is needed are finances and manpower to build a two-room school for the many children in this out-of-the-way village. Indigenous labor and practices will be utilized in the construction of the school, which will allow members of this mission team to work side-by-side with local tradesmen in the community. An incredible opportunity awaits the men who have both building and relational skills. This is a unique chance to make a BIG impact for Christ in a small rural Ethiopian community. The size of the team must be limited due to our hosts’ capacity and the difficulty of transportation to the village. Adult men 19 and older are preferred. Men without building experiencewill be considered as ministry to children is anticipated through Bible stories, crafts and sports.
Serve the Lord this Spring Break! Build your physical muscles as well as your spiritual strength. Near the Sudan border in the western region of Ethiopia, the small town of Dembidollo is in GREAT NEED of clean drinking water!
Artisans are needed to use their talents to serve Christ by designing and painting murals at the newly built Widows and Orphans Home. Come serve the needs of the orphanage staff while developing relationships with orphans and community children through crafts and VBS stories. Participate in the community widows feeding program. While some paint, others can work on landscape projects that must be done. Together we will learn that we need the precious people of Ethiopia and the lessons we learn there as much as they need what we have to offer!
Women with huge hearts --- apply here! This is a mission trip designed exclusively for women who will minister to teen girls living in Addis Ababa, widows in small villages, and groups of women in several towns in Ethiopia. Join Liane Wolbert as she leads the way in building relationships with women in this great nation. Come as a learner and a teacher. God will use you and change you as you share your life and break bread with Christian women in Ethiopia..jpg)
This team will hold carnivals in different locations that will bring the gospel story to children in a fun way. You will partner with Ethiopian staff and young adults to create a multi-national team that will effectively share Jesus’ love in a creative, fun atmosphere.
Game booths, balloon hats, face painting and puppets will delight children of all ages who have 
See firsthand orphan and widow ministry in a third world setting. Build relationships with YWAM's directors and leaders in Ethiopia. See the plight of the poorest women and children in Ethiopia and visit widows that are being cared for in YWAM's ministry. See what your church or organization can do to assist in the fight against the "orphan issue" and grinding poverty. Fulfill Jesus' command to visit the orphan and widows in their distress. Adoption Ministry of YWAM Ethiopia runs four orphanages in Ethiopia and is involved in many humanitarian projects addressing the needs of the poor.
The team will work with local tradesmen using both traditional and new construction methods to repair, build and paint identified assignments. There are significant plumbing issues and other “honey-do” lists that could keep a team busy from morning ‘til night. As much as we want to give practical help to the orphanages in these two towns, we also want to spend time with the children and staff and represent our Lord in a positive, friendly way. The team will reach out to the community children and their families through storytelling and crafts in the evenings. You will come offering much needed practical help, but you will leave richer in every way through friendship with the warm, hospitable people of Ethiopia.
