Ethiopia Adoption Program (at last!)

Back in October we announced our new Ethiopia Adoption Program — which we believed would start in December 2007. It was just a matter of finishing up the paperwork and getting the final approvals. Unfortunately, because of changes in Ethiopia’s approval process, the timeline we had estimated became a parable about “the unforeseen” in international adoptions.

But now we’re ready for the announcement: Carolina Hope has entered into a partnership that allows us to offer a full-service Ethiopia Adoption Program. Because this is very fresh news, you’ll find that it will take a week or two for all the program details to find their way to our website or our Ethiopia Program booklet. But if you’re anxious to know more now, just contact our office.

We’re excited that we can continue to be part of something really big: helping orphans in need of homes, and helping families who desire to adopt. And even bigger than those things: taking part in a process that provides a picture of God’s adoptive love for us.

Posted in Adoption Programs, Ethiopia Adoption | 1 Comment

Ethiopia group home needs

Over the weekend we received our first donations to specific needs at the Ethiopia Group Home. Check out the list of needed items to see what’s been given and what is still needed. And thanks to those who gave!

(You can watch video footage here of Ethiopian orphans who were visited by Carolina Hope’s Lisa Prather and Dan Cruver earlier this year. This footage was taken at the group home that will benefit from these donations.)

Posted in Ethiopia Adoption, Orphan Care / Adoption | 1 Comment

Ethiopia’s Orphans: Our Benefit Concert Video

This is our Ethiopia video that premiered at our recent benefit concert with Caedmon’s Call. It was created by Brannon McAllister from footage captured on our recent trip to Ethiopia. The children shown in this video live at one of the orphanages with which we work, an orphanage located in a village with 20,000+ known cases of AIDS. It’s a profoundly needy area. The video is interspersed with quotations from John Piper’s book Don’t Waste Your Life.

[[ This slideshow has been removed to honor Ethiopia's desire that photos of orphans not be displayed on websites. ]]

(Donations to help Ethiopian orphans can be made here.)

Posted in Ethiopia Adoption, Ethiopia Trip Pics, Orphan Care / Adoption, Theology, Transracial Adoption | 2 Comments

John Piper: Adoption is Greater Than the Universe

Here is the adoption video that Desiring God made for our Caedmon’s Call benefit concert for our Ethiopia orphan care and adoption programs. Enjoy!

Posted in Ethiopia Adoption, Events, Theology | 1 Comment

On This Side of the Benefit Concert

img_8857-comp.jpg

I cannot express how thankful I am for all the volunteers who helped with our Caedmon’s Call benefit concert.  It was a great opportunity to raise awareness of and funds for the Ethiopian orphans we are sponsoring as an agency.  The concert began with a deeply moving three minute video created by Brannon McAllister from footage of our recent trip to Ethiopia.  It “set the stage” for a five minute video of John Piper talking about our adoption by God and its beautiful connection to our adoption of children.  His opening line was “adoption is greater than the universe.”  His comments were based on Ephesians 1:3-6.  After the video I introduced Derek Webb, who opened for the concert, and the almost three solid hours of great music began.  Around 800 were there to enjoy it.

The entire evening, the music and everything else, was wonderful.  Caedmon’s Call and Derek Webb did a great job of tying their music in to the importance of caring for Ethiopia’s orphans in their affliction.  Desiring God not only provided the John Piper video, but also a Don’t Waste Your Life table where everyone who attended was invited to pick up a free copy of John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life. It was an edifying event.

Earlier in the day, Kevin Boling, co-host of the radio program Calling for Truth, interviewed Derek Webb, Cliff Young, Wesen (our Ethiopian orphan care and adoption facilitator), and me.  If you were not able to hear it live on 660 AM that afternoon, you can listen to it here.  It was an excellent interview about the theology of adoption, the plight of Ethiopia’s orphans, and how the gospel speaks to this very important issue.

Here are some more pictures of the concert taken by Rachael Boling: Continue reading »

Posted in Ethiopia Adoption, Events | 1 Comment

Today is the day! Benefit concert for Ethiopian orphans and adoption

This evening at 7, Caedmon’s Call will be in concert at Southside Fellowship. This event is part of the Caedmon’s Call Overdressed Tour, which re-unites Derek Webb with the band. I’m writing from Texas, but as far as I know at this moment, the band is in Greenville, seeing the sites and getting ready for tonight.

Why should you attend?

  1. After the actual concert costs are covered, all profits from ticket sales will go to assisting Carolina Hope’s work with Ethiopian orphans.
  2. Caedmon’s Overdressed album has been critically acclaimed (5 stars from Christianity Today — a masterpiece), and the music is certain to inspire and challenge you.
  3. It’s Friday, and what better way is there to unwind from the week than with a concert?

Well, those are my reasons. Remember, you can still buy tickets online (HERE) for $12. Tickets at the door cost $15.

Invite your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and local politicians. Men, surprise your wife! (It’s still Valentine’s month.) Whatever you do, come.

Posted in Ethiopia Adoption, Events | Leave a comment

Ethiopia adoption workshop this Saturday (March 1)

From Carolina Hope’s Adoption Workshops and Education page:

Workshop on Ethiopia Adoptions with Wesenyelew Sahilemariam
Saturday, March 1, 2008 (9am – Noon)

Come hear Carolina Hope’s Ethiopia adoption coordinator, Wesenyelew Sahilemariam, this Saturday at Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church. The workshop is free of charge. Advance registration is appreciated but not required. Simply contact us to indicate your interest. Late arrivals welcome! Here’s the address: Continue reading »

Posted in Education, Ethiopia Adoption, Events, International Adoption | Leave a comment

Gearing up for the Ehtiopia orphan benefit concert with Derek Webb and Caedmon’s Call

The concert is this week! We’re gearing up for it, and we’d like to ask your help in getting the word out. Because we’re an adoption agency and not a public relations firm, our advertising dollars are limited. In addition to our promotional efforts in churches, on the radio, and here on the web, we’re hoping for a lot of word-of-mouth to raise awareness of this benefit concert. So that’s you! If you’re part of an email group that would like to know about the concert, please tell them! If your cell group or Sunday school class would be interested, tell them! Do you have a blog? Why not write a short post. Remember to mention that tickets are $15 dollars at the door but only $12 if they’re bought in advance (buy tickets here!).

A special word of thanks to Steve McCoy at Reformissionary and Justin Taylor at Between Two Worlds for their posts on the concert.

We’ll see you on Friday!

Posted in Ethiopia Adoption, Events, General | Leave a comment

Ethiopia orphanage trip slideshow

(Don’t forget about our benefit concert for Ethiopia orphan care and adoptions, with Caedmon’s Call, on February 29! Order tickets here.)

In January Lisa Prather (Carolina Hope’s Director of International Programs) and Dan Cruver (Director of Ministry Outreach) took a survey trip to Ethiopia. When they got back, Lisa made a slideshow with some compelling photos. To see the slideshow, click on the preview image below, which will open a new window. (Depending on your connection speed, it may take a moment before the slideshow is fully loaded, even though you’ll see the first slide immediately. You’ll know it’s fully loaded when you’re able to advance the slides by clicking.)

[[ This slideshow has been removed to honor Ethiopia's desire that photos of orphans not be displayed on websites. ]]

Slideshow preview

Posted in Ethiopia Adoption, Events, General | 5 Comments

Friday, 2/29/08: Derek Webb / Caedmon’s Call @ Southside Fellowship

Caedmon’s Call Photo

Interest is gathering for the Ethiopia Adoption benefit concert being held in 9 days. Just yesterday I got an email from a friend encouraging me and others to attend! I’ve copied the email below as a reminder to all of you within driving distance of the South Carolina Upstate. Caedmon’s Call and Derek Webb are known for their theologically thoughtful lyrics and their musical artistry. Tickets cost $15, but you’ll save $3 per ticket by ordering early.

Derek Webb Reunites w/ Caedmon’s Call in Greenville next Friday night (2/29/08)

Friends,

Caedmon’s Call is working together with Carolina Hope Adoption to help raise awareness and financial support for Ethiopian adoptions. A benefit concert will be held the evening of Friday, February 29th at 7 PM at Southside Fellowship in Greenville.

Desiring God Ministries will also be supporting the event with Don’t Waste Your Life books and a short video message from John Piper recorded specifically for the event. Continue reading »

Posted in Ethiopia Adoption, Events | Leave a comment

a “Thank you” to Desiring God

The staff at Carolina Hope wants to thank Desiring God for their very kind and thoughtful blog post about our recent trip to Ethiopia and our upcoming benefit concert.  Lukas Naugle’s post was encouraging to us.  It has been our great privilege to partner with them in these ways.

(Donations to help Ethiopian orphans can be made here. Tickets to the Ethiopia Benefit Concert can be purchased here.)

Posted in Ethiopia Adoption, Ethiopia Trip Pics, Mission Trips, Orphan Care / Adoption | Leave a comment

Ethiopia’s Orphans: “a pictures worth…” (part eight)

[[ This photo has been removed to honor Ethiopia's desire that photos of orphans not be displayed on websites. ]]

compressed-10b.JPG

(Donations to help Ethiopian orphans can be made here. Tickets to the Ethiopia Benefit Concert can be purchased here.)

:: picture taken by dan ::

Posted in Ethiopia Adoption, Ethiopia Trip Pics, Mission Trips, Orphan Care / Adoption | Leave a comment

Ethiopia’s Orphans: “a picture’s worth …” (part seven)

[[ This photo has been removed to honor Ethiopia's desire that photos of orphans not be displayed on websites. ]]

compressed-9.JPG

(Donations to help Ethiopian orphans can be made here. Tickets to the Ethiopia Benefit Concert can be purchased here.)

:: picture taken by dan ::

Posted in Ethiopia Adoption, Ethiopia Trip Pics, Mission Trips, Orphan Care / Adoption | Leave a comment

Ethiopia’s Orphans: “a picture’s worth …” (part six)

The picture below was taken at the same orphanage where these three pictures were taken (one, two, three). As I mentioned in the post of the first picture linked to above, we had just handed out colored pencils and paper to the children. They were all very quick to sit down to start drawing. The boys below are drawing their pictures on the mats where they sleep each night.

[[ This photo has been removed to honor Ethiopia's desire that photos of orphans not be displayed on websites. ]]

compressed-4.JPG

(Donations to help Ethiopian orphans can be made here. Tickets to the Ethiopia Benefit Concert can be purchased here.)

Posted in Ethiopia Adoption, Ethiopia Trip Pics, International Adoption, Mission Trips, Orphan Care / Adoption | Leave a comment

Ethiopia’s Orphans: “a picture’s worth…” (part five)

These children were enjoying watching themselves as I filmed them. And yes, I was listening.

Wesen, the gentleman speaking, is talking about churches sending mission teams to this orphanage to serve these orphans (builders, teachers, musicians, electricians, health professionals, people who just love spending time with children, etc).

[[ This video has been removed to honor Ethiopia's desire that photos of orphans not be displayed on websites. ]]

[Update: Donations to benefit Ethiopian orphans can be made here. Tickets to the Ethiopia Benefit Concert can be purchased here.]

Posted in Ethiopia Adoption, Ethiopia Trip Pics, Mission Trips, Orphan Care / Adoption | Leave a comment