StephanieAnderson

I feel like money has always been the bain of my existence. Well, money and sleep, but that can be the topic of another post. I have always worried about money. “Where is it going to come from? Will I have enough? Am I using my money wisely? What happens if I don’t have enough?” Working for a non-profit doesn’t help that predicament much. God has blessed me in so many ways through working with Friends Life, but I will be honest and tell you, I did not get into if for the money. I know that it is one of the main ways that God is constantly driving back towards Him. Raising money for my trip to Africa is no exception. I seriously questioned whether or not I should send out support letters. I worried  because I have already done a number of things where I have needed financial support, and people would be annoyed with hearing from me again. I talked with my Mom about it and she said I should give people the opportunity to give . If they decided they couldn’t than it was okay. I sent out my letters, and I have been overwhelmed the response. Every time I got a check in the mail, I felt completely humbled. Every check in the mail was God telling me that I need to trust in Him. It’s not my money, it’s His.

I raised and earned enough money to buy my plane ticket. When I finally figured out all of my flight details and typed my credit card number in, I panicked. Satin attacked me with every one of my doubts. I thought, “I’m not going to have enough money to cover the flight and land expenses. I’m going to go into debt. What if I can’t go? What am I going to tell the people who have already given?” These thoughts overwhelmed me. After talking with my Dad and taking a deep breath, I hit send. The only problem was that I had waited too long to make my decision and ended up having to go back and do it all over again. After all of that, God has continued to bless me. I have my land expenses covered. God is good. My journey to Africa isn’t only about what will happen once I land on Ethiopian soil, but the process of trusting in what God has planned for me before I get there and once I get home.

My next project is to fill a duffel bag full of goodies for the children at the Care Centers we will be visiting. Some of the things that the kids there like are:

• Shirts
• Chapstick
• matchbox cars for boys and hair ties or ribbons for girls
• suckers or gummi bears
• pencils
• toothbrushes

I would love help getting some of these things to take with me. If you want to help, I can pick it up from you or you can mail them to me. Let me know how you want to send them.

On a side note: I went this week again to the HTC to practice my venipuncture (aka sticking a needle into your vein to put medicine in).  I finally got it! I was nervous I was going to blow the vein again but was ultimately successful! The question now is, can I do it again?

Dear Friends,

I wanted to start your week with a meditation from Proverbs that relates to our mission trip. I hope you will go with us–either in person, in prayer, or in financial support.

“Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.” – Proverbs 25:25

When we approach missions, we often think about traveling into distant lands–lands with names like Ethiopia. They are far and unfamiliar to us.

But for the many orphans we will visit, it is the U.S. that is the distant land. In their minds, it is unbelievable that people who live in the distant land of America would come all the way to Ethiopia just to visit them.

They often do not understand their precious value to God the Father. In some cases, they are seen as cursed or unlucky. A burden more than a joy. A problem more than an opportunity.

These are the things the enemy has done to the orphans of Ethiopia. He has stripped them not only of their earthly protectors and loving parents. He has, with cruel elegance, planted the seed in their minds that they are without value to anyone.

But when you visit them in person, that starts to change.

When you tell a child you are there just to visit them, to become their friend and learn more about them, to exchange letters and have a relationship–it means more than they can even describe. It is like “cold water to a weary soul.”

At HopeChest, we build on these mission trips and connect every orphanage to a caring church or sponsoring organization who will provide individual sponsors for every child and missions trips to their orphanage every year. It is the long-term, and these trips are just one part of a larger process. But that first cup of water is so important.

You can be that water. God can use your life to bring comfort and love into the life of an orphan in Ethiopia. Come with us…here’s a few ways you can join this team:

1. Visit Ethiopia with the Team

Join us if you can in person. All of the details are on the invitation page, or you can e-mail matthew@hopechest.org and he’ll get you everything you need to participate. The dates are Sept. 19-29, and the cost is $1,300 + airfare.

2. Commit to Prayer for the Team and the Kids

Satan does not want us to care for orphans. Our team and the kids need vigorous prayer from a team of people committed to pray. If you would like to commit to pray for the trip, the individual team members, and the kids we are serving, email matthew@hopechest.org to get more information.

3. Give of Your Treasure

Jesus said “Where your treasure is, your heart will be also.” Give your heart to this trip by making a gift of any size. HopeChest can use it to purchase even more on-the-ground supplies, and assist others in going on the trip. Make a gift of any size by clicking HERE. Just put “Ethiopia September Trip or Stephanie Anderson -ET100901T” in the note line.

Thank you friends. I know you care about orphans around the world, and I appreciate all of your prayers and support.

For the Fatherless,
Tom Davis
CEO, HopeChest

This week Friends Life has had a break from our daily program. I figured since we had a bit of a break, I would work on checking some important things off of my list to get ready for Africa. I went and got my vaccinations at the Vanderbilt Travel Clinic. I was sitting in the waiting room when Dr. David Gregory came out! Dr. Gregory is the father of one of my friends from Young Life Capernaum. It was fun to talk with Dr. Gregory about my trip.

Yesterday, I had a much more nerve-racking appointment. Here’s a little background to help make sense of this appointment. My family (grandfather, dad and sister) have a genetic bleeding disorder called VonWillebrand’s Disease. It basically means that my blood clots but then the clot dissolves so then I re-bleed. If something major were to happen than I can take a medicine called Humate P. This lasts for 12 hours and corrects my blood. Unfortunately, the only way to get Humate P is through a vein. In order to be proactive, I went to the local Hemophilia Treatment Center to learn how to set up an IV on myself if needed. Now, my sister is a nurse in the Emergency Department at Duke Medical Center. She is used to setting up IV’s on people every day. Me, not so much. I wouldn’t say that I am afraid of needles but I am not fond of them. I was nervous about the thought of trying to do this on myself. Chasity, who is the nurse that teaches people how to do this, was extremely patient and kind while she walked me through the process. I tried once on the inside of my arm. I got the IV started but then proceeded to “blow” the vein. I learned this means the vein breaks and fluid leaks out. I tried again on my hand. I got this one in but blew that one as well. I am right handed so I had to only use my left arm. I probably would have kept trying but I was running out of veins! I am going back to make sure I get it right. The likelihood that something will happen while I am there is probably slim but I want to be prepared. I will always want to travel, so it’s a good skill for me to learn.