Onisemus Means: He Who Was Useless Has Become Useful

Boys of The Forsaken Children

Today we had the privilege of going to be Onesimus House here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  This is an incredible multi-pronged ministry that reaches out and transforms the lives of children living on the streets. We met Joe Bridges about seven years ago.  He was just beginning a new ministry to the street children of Ethiopia called The Forsaken Children.  We were so deeply impressed, not only by his vision, but also by his outstanding character.  Soon, the vision of The Forsaken Children became a reality as they launched their work to help the street children of Addis Ababa. Streams of Mercy supports this amazing ministry every month.  We want to dramatically increase the amount of support we send, by finding donors who want to help reach more street children in Ethiopia.

Phase One: The Onesimus Drop-in Center

With Nega – The Onesimus Director

The Forsaken Children and Onesimus work together to form a dynamic partnership!  The drop in center is the Initial program of this ministry. Children living on the streets come each day to a program that transforms their lives.  When the children arrive they immediately get a shower, receive clean clothes, and begin their daily program. Their day includes breakfast, an education with tutors, lunch, recreation, and studies in the scripture.  They also receive life skills training that will help them to become successful adults.

Phase Two: The Half – Way House

My Grandson, Will, Presenting a Soccer Ball to Nega

The second phase of this dynamic ministry is a halfway house. This is a  residential care facility where the children find a safe home. Onesimus has both a boys home and a girls home.   For some of the children, this is a place to prepare the children to be reunited with her biological families. Many of the children do not have biological families or they have families who are unwilling to allow the children to return home.  For those children, this is the place where the children actually find a long-term home.

Phase Three: Rescuing Entire Families

Charlene Getting More Info on Onesimus

Phase three is probably the most difficult of all. It is an attempt to rescue entire families from lives of poverty, drug addiction and begging.  For the families that they help, many of those families really don’t want to be rescued.  The director of Onesimus put it well. He said “the problem of street children is not the problem with the children. It is the problem of families”.  Even though this is the most difficult phase, it is also the most rewarding, when these families are transformed.

Feeding Program

Prayer Before the Meal

Onesimus and The Forsaken Children feed 60 children every day in a remote city in Southern Ethiopia. The children have little hope of survival without the daily care given to them.

Will Spending Time with the Street Kids

Brittany Arm Wrestling the Boys. She was a Tough Opponent

Josiah has Come With Us to Capture the Journey on Video

Wick & Jan at the Forsaken Children Onesimus House

The Kote Ganate Farm

Kote Ganate means Hidden Garden. It is in extreme Southern Ethiopia and serves the Forsaken Children.  This region of Ethiopia is famous for it’s apple production, and one of the farm’s primary crops is apples. The farm has expanded dramatically to include vegetables and fruit of all kinds.  The latest project is the poultry side of the farm, which will help the Forsaken Children become more self sufficient and will help train local farmers in poultry production.

Journey into the Rift Valley

Children of the Rift Valley

We boarded our bus with 12 team members for the 7 hour trip to Central Ethiopia. This is a region in the Rift Valley, and it’s what you envision as the African Plains.  Acacia trees dot the landscape, round mud huts cluster by the dirt road, and you know that you’re in the ‘real’ Africa.

We first came to this desperately poor region of Ethiopia 4 years ago. We were doing a ‘Goat Project’, providing much-needed animals to poor families and to widows. This is a village in a region where people walk for up to 4 hours a day to fill jugs of water from the nearest water source.  To meet that need, YWAM ran a water line from the nearest water source to help this village. It has transformed the village and opened the whole region to the Gospel.

Ethiopian Evangelists Risk Their Lives every Day For The Gospel

The Evangelists

We met the 14 evangelists when we first arrived.  These guys are my heroes!  They travel across the African savannah regularly, bringing the truth of the Gospel to those who have never heard the truth of Christ. They travel by bicycle!  I love the hearts of these guys. No cost is too great for the Gospel. I am humbled by their dedication and their calling. This is a region that is very hostile to the Gospel, but they are unswerving in their commitment. Almost all of them have families, and they live on $ 50.00 per month.

Prayer Time With the Evangelists

We gathered at the Prayer Tree. It’s a massive tree on the land where a new Worship Center is being built. The Worship Center is necessary because 250 families have come to Christ in the last few years. Many have given for the Worship Center construction. We’re especially grateful to Life Church for their generous gift for the construction. The Worship Center will be completed this Summer.

New Worship Center

The New Auditorium Will Seat 350 People!

Children in the Rift Valley Village

Making a Difference

My Grandson, Will, Giving A Soccer Ball to The Village Preschool

Streams of Mercy is changing lives in Africa!  We are caring for orphans and widows, and helping the most desperately poor and needy. We are so grateful for the opportunity to show Christ’s love in practical ways.  Thanks for ALL who partner with us to impact these lives.

The Children of Ethiopia are Very Beautiful

Kore (Korah), Ethiopia is the most desperately poor area of the world that I’ve ever seen in all of my years of traveling across the globe.  Most of the homes are made of mud or tin.  All of the people live in desperate poverty. There is a major road through the middle of Kore, but it’s the road to the Addis Ababa city dump.  The most desperately poor and those with leprosy, climb the mountain of that dump every day to search for things to sell, or for food to eat.  Many people find their daily food in the garbage that they dig through, on the top of that dump.

The Kore Church

Our day in Kore began at a place of great hope in this city of hopelessness. We gathered with about 200 people in the Bethel Christian Church in the heart of Kore. The people raised their hands and worshipped the living God. There was incredible preaching of the word, and then there was a time of celebration worship.  It was deeply moving to see the people with nothing, give everything in worship to the living God.  This was not a traditional worship service. It was dancing and singing from the very depths of their hearts.

After the church service we traveled through the streets and walkways of Kore, visiting families that are supported through Adoption Ministry 1:27.  This is an amazing ministry that we partner with through Streams of Mercy. Adoption Ministry 1:27 rescues families that are facing imminent collapse.  Without significant intervention, these families would totally disintegrate.  Many of the families are widows with children that they are unable to provide for.  Some of the families are the extremely poor, and have no hope other than living off of the dump.  It’s a major struggle to provide even one meal a day for their families.

Stephanie and Her Son Jacob Support This Girl’s family!

The first person that we visited was a young girl 14 years old. She and her 18-year-old sister are supported by Stephanie and her son, Jacob. What a joy to meet this young lady and to hear that through Adoption Ministry 1:27, these girls now can have a home, food, and the basic necessities of life. These girls are orphan!  These girls now have hope through Stephanie’s donation of $40.00 per month!

Eric & Charlene’s “Family”

The second family is a widow and her three daughters who are supported by Charlene and Eric.  It’s so good to have Charlene and my grandson Will on this trip, and for them to meet the family they support. We asked the mom what the greatest blessing was of Adoption 1:27. She said the greatest blessing is being able to provide three meals a day for her daughters. Before Adoption Ministry 1:27, they barely had enough food for one meal a day. Now their lives are totally transformed.

Typical Homes in Kore

Another Family Rescued

Adoption 1:27 is Transforming Lives

We visited several other families in this desperate place. All of their stories were very similar. Families at the point of collapse, who were totally transformed by this unique ministry. You can be a part of this through streams of Mercy as we partner with Adoption Ministry 1:27.

Dr. Edwards and the Kids of Santvana

Aids and HIV are dreaded words. How do you conquer this dreaded disease? Sometimes there will be a miracle, and a child diagnosed with HIV/AIDS will totally beat the disease. This is rare, but has happened at the Santvana Comforter AIDS Kids Home in Pune, India. The children are given a great diet, and loving care. Eventually they will have to start the retro-antiviral medications to control their disease. All of them are just children, but children with HIV.

We arrived at the Santvana Comforter Home and were met by 25 happy, well cared for orphans. All the children but one are HIV positive. A beautiful distinguished medical doctor, Lalita Edwards greeted us as well. We have fallen in love with Dr. Edwards and the kids of Santvana over the last few years. She is one of the most compassionate people we have ever met. She radiates love and care, and has a passion for children who are HIV positive. Most of the children come from homes where their mothers were in prostitution, and who died of AIDS. She takes the children no one else is willing to take.

Children Rescued From Sex Slavery

Brenda

I want to share about one child we met. Her name is Brenda. Brenda is a sweet little girl, but she was born as a boy. Shocking, I know! It’s common in India for children to be sold into prostitution. If they are little boys, the traffickers often drug them, and operate on them to turn them into eunuch’s . These children are then trafficked in brothels across the nation. As horrifying as this is, it happens regularly. Brenda has been rescued and now lives in this loving, caring home, but she carries the scars of what has been done to her, including being HIV positive. She has battled infections and serious health challenges, but is now doing well.

Balloons were a big hit!

Santvana Gives Hope

Balloons and Bubbles

Jeff & Tracy joined us on this trip to India. Tracy has a wonderful gift. The gift is not preaching or teaching. She has learned how to make balloon animals, swords and hats. Her balloon creations were a real ‘hit’ in every home we visited. Children would line up with their requests. Many of the boys wanted swords and shields, and balloon battles broke out all across the room when they got their swords. Bubbles were another great gift for the kids. Simple things make the deepest impact at times. The kids loved just being kids, and Tracy ministered with balloons and bubbles.

Attacked in India

Yes it’s true! Jan and I were attacked in India. It didn’t happen on the streets. It happened the small apartment, in a plain, ordinary apartment building in Pune, India.  We were the unexpected victims of the attack of precious little kids from the Transition Home of the Good Shepherd Homes.

As soon as we walked in the door they swarmed us and they were yelling “Wick Uncle”, “Wick, Uncle”. Then, they surrounded us and gave us one of the best group hugs we’ve ever had.

GOOD SHEPHERD TRANSITION HOME

Girls of the Transition Home

The Boys of the Transition Home

Bubbles are a Thing Of Wonder

Loving Their New Toys

The transition home is one of my favorite places on Earth. These are the little kids that have been rescued from the streets – from work slavery, and sex slavery. They are the small children of the good Shepherd homes.  Their lives have been absolutely transformed by the love and care given by the Good Shepherd staff.  I look at the loving faces of these little ones, and I want to cry and laugh all at the same time. They’ve endured unspeakable horrors, but they’ve been rescued from that life by this amazing ministry.  We’re so blessed to partner with them through Streams of Mercy.

SUNALI

Sunali

After the group hug Sunali comes to my side. I fell hopelessly in love with her a couple years ago when we first visited the Transition Home. From the first time I saw her, she began to call me ‘Grandfather’.  She had been a work slave in a slum in India.  Sunali stays close by, and she smiles with that gentle, loving smile.  How could this little orphan girl have experienced such a devastating past, and how can she be so loved now?

A GIFT OF LOVE, A GIFT OF SHOES

Beautiful Shoes for a Beautiful Girl

Soon, all of the children run out of the room. I wonder where they’ve gone, until they return holding a precious treasure. They’re all holding the pair of shoes that they purchased through our Shoes for Orphans project that many of you have given to.  The kids want to a shoe store, and were able to pick out and shoes that they personally loved. This is a rare occasion for them. They were very proud of their purchases, and I had to comment on every single pair of shoes. Some of them were sandals. Some of them are running shoes.  All of them were precious treasures for these little kids.  I’m amazed that such a small gift can make such a big impact.

WRECKED BY HIS LOVE

I sit here today “wrecked” by the Love of God.  He’s given us a glimpse of His heart for these kids.  How can we ever be the same?  Jan and I are so very grateful for all who give to make this ministry possible through your prayers and giving to Streams of Mercy.

We arrived into our hotel at 6:00 AM. We would only be able to have about five hours sleep before we headed out for our first orphanage. Our first stop was the Good Shepherd Homes and offices in Talegaon, India.

GOOD SHEPHERD HOMES

“I AM A CHILD OF THE KING OF KINGS” T-Shirts Given By Hope’s Gate

The Good Shepherd Holmes is an amazing ministry in three different locations in this nation. The first location is the main center in Talegaon. This facility houses both a boys home and a girls home.  There are  about 35 children in these two homes.  Talegaon is about an hour and a half drive from where we were staying in Pune.

When we arrived we were met by 35 excited older young people. This facility houses the older children of the Good Shepherd homes. The children were extremely excited to be able to see us and to have Patty visit them as well.  Patty has spent many hours with the older girls with the Hopes Gate jewelry project. They look to her like an older sister.

This ministry is extremely effective in transforming the lives of these kids. Many of of the children come from the streets. Many of them are abandoned. All of them have found a loving home in this ministry. All of their lives have been radically transformed!

We hung out with young people and had a wonderful time of sharing together. The young people presented dances and gave testimonies of Christ’s life changing impact their lives.

Girls Ministry Dance

SHOES FOR ORPHANS PROJECT

Good Shepherd Home Boys in Their New Shoes

The highlight of our time was when the young people came out wearing their brand brand-new shoes. We are doing a Shoes for Orphans project in Streams of Mercy, and now the young people were very excited to show us the shoes that they chose.  The kids actually got to go to the store and pick out shoes for themselves. Some chose running shoes, others, dress shoes. Some picked out sandals, but all of them got to choose the shoes that they wore.  It’s so amazing to think that a pair of shoes can transform the lives of young people. When you’ve never purchased a pair of shoes yourself, this is an extremely important event. We want to thank everyone who gave generously to the Shoes for Orphans project. In the good Shepherd Homes alone, we were able to purchase shoes for almost 90 children in their 3 different locations.

New Shoes Make A Huge Impact

THANK YOU!

The trip to Talegaon was the beginning of our newest adventure in India.  Thank you so much for all who partner with us in Streams of Mercy. Your gifts are truly changing the lives of needy children!

Blessings!
Wick & Jan

Today our team spent time at the Widows & Orphans Home in Adama. The home is run by a very capable Ethiopian woman, and is home to a group of widows and orphans awaiting adoption. There is a mural painted on the wall of the baby nursery says “But God had a plan to save them all”.

We heard stories of many babies abandoned in the countryside. The people of the villages nearby know when another baby is abandoned because they hear the hyenas finding them. I particularly fell in love with a little 8 month old who was found near death with bugs & worms coming out of his nose & ears. Today he is thriving and waiting for his loving family to bring him home.

To find out more about this project, and how you can get involved, CLICK HERE

Last night our team landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and we hit the ground running this morning. We loaded up in a van to join some friends who work on the ground here to deliver much needed supplies to a group of widows in a remote village near Adama.

These widows are destitute. They don’t have anyone to care for them and huge smiles covered their weathered faces as we delivered mattresses, pillows, sheets and a few other necessities. They literally kissed and kissed our shoulders out of gratefulness.

We partnered with a local pastor & his wife who live in the village and love these widows faithfully. Today it was difficult to hold back the tears as I saw sheer & unrestrained thankfulness for basic items that we take for granted every day. Today these elderly widows are not forgotten tucked away in their village. They matter. They are precious.

To learn more about this project, and how you can get involved, CLICK HERE

We also spent some time yesterday with the staff and patients at a clinic in the middle of a remote area outside of Jinja. A little baby named Blessing has been sick with an upper respiratory infection for a while now. His father asked if our team would pray for his son. We gathered around him and asked the Healer to meet this family and make the baby whole again.

This clinic is the only way the residents of this village have access to health care.

We spent the morning with Irene who, with her husband, leads the Foster Family Network here in Jinja. The FFN is a community support network who collectivelyhave taken in 250 at risk kids into their homes and really embraced them into their families. They work together, they support each other-it’s incredible! It could very well be the best example of community I’ve ever seen.

They’ve just started a farm to help provide additional food for the foster families, since the cost of food is skyrocketing in Uganda. All the families participate in working on the farm. Irene held beans in her hand that will provide much needed protein in their diets.

Since being here we’ve met children whose parents have both died of AIDS, and discovered that a huge risk to children here is being kidnapped or taken after their parents die of Aids to be murdered in child sacrifices. Some believe that in sacrificing a child they will gain wealth.

The Uganda Foster Family Network is such an amazing group of families who are truly transforming the lives of vulnerable orphans and at risk kids!

To find out more about this project, and how you can get involved, CLICK HERE