{Missions Guest} At the Core of This is Love

Hi, my name is Adam Derloshon and my family and I are moving to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to serve with the amazing ministry Embracing Hope Ethiopia. Honestly, this whole story started a little more than 4 years ago when we felt God tugging on our hearts to adopt; our son Zek has been home for about 3 ½ years.

Now, as we opened ourselves more and more we noticed God working within us to shift our perceptions and self-defined values. There is a song that we sing at church sometimes that says, “feel what You feel, love what You love, go where You go… that’s what we want.”  That is what was happening inside us, we became more tuned in to what God had in store… remember in the days before cable when you had to keep moving the “rabbit ears” around to get the TV signal you were looking for?  That was it, we had spent our lives up to that point just trying to get His signal to come in stronger… small groups, Wednesday nights, Sunday school… heck, my wife and I have both held positions in ministry… but it wasn’t until we traveled to Addis Ababa that we felt “tuned in” to God’s plan for our family.

At Embracing Hope Ethiopia, we will be serving single mothers and their young children that live in and around the slum of Korah (Kore).  The ministry focuses on restoring hope & purpose while breaking through mental, emotional and spiritual bondage…much of which has been prevalent for generations.  These are moms that on the brink of giving up, they are doing all they can to care for their families and it is still not enough.  Through holistic measures Embracing Hope Ethiopia is preventing orphans and preserving families.

At the core of this is love.  These moms love their children at incomprehensible levels.  I’m going to be honest… I love a lot of things.  I love my family, I love my church, I love football, I love pizza, I love video games, I love music… I mean, really, I love a lot of things.  But these moms, they have their children.  Their children ARE their life.  Their children ARE their love.  So, for us to be able to share and show Jesus to these women while loving on them and helping them to build value and feel self-worth… man, it just gets me all pumped up!  We’ve all been created with value and for purpose, but for some of us we just need told and given the opportunity to understand.

We are currently in the final stages of raising support for our family to move and serve alongside Embracing Hope Ethiopia.  Our ultimate goal is to be able to move by the end of September.  We need to raise $840 more in monthly support to be fully funded! We need to raise $400 more to be in a position to book our plane tickets!

Additionally we are in the midst of finding partnerships for families that are currently in the program.  At $136/month, family sponsorships provide these moms and kiddos with nutrition, hygiene & healthcare.  Also, the kids are able to stay at Embracing Hope’s day care center throughout the week while mommy is free to work and create a sustainable lifestyle for herself and her family.  Sponsorships are available at the full $136/month or shared sponsorships are available at $34/month.  For more information on what all goes into family sponsorship and to see the families currently needing sponsorship please check out www.embracinghopeethiopia.com/sponsorships/.

One such family needing a sponsorship is Sisay and her son Dagmawi.  Sisay’s husband passed away around the time of their son’s birth and she is currently restricted by a very serious health condition that she has battled for nearly 6 years.   She is 23 years old but only attended school until 3rd grade, which unfortunately leaves her with very few opportunities to work.  Prior to coming into the project she was working as a cleaner at a local private college; however, being the sole caregiver for Dagmawi as well as battling illness left that opportunity difficult to uphold.  Please pray for Sisay as she continues to battle this illness while also trying to provide for her family. If you are interested in sponsoring Sisay & Dagmawi visit the website above!

Thank you for listening to a bit of my heart while I share the amazing opportunities God has provided all of us with His people in Ethiopia. For more information on our family and what we’ll be doing check out our family’s blog at www.loveisethiopia.org.  For more information on Embracing Hope Ethiopia visit www.embracinghopeethiopia.com.

My Life Is Crazy Too is a series of reader submissions. Your life is a story … this is your opportunity to share your stories about life, love, and mommyhood to provide understanding, hope, and compassion in the unique situations each of us face every day. “Your love, God, is my song, and I’ll sing it! I’m forever telling everyone how faithful you are. I’ll never quit telling the STORY of your love.” Ps 89:1 If you would like to submit a story to this series, send to karigib@gmail.com.