Even my husband, a seasoned veteran of 3 wars, grimaced when I told him I had to have 6 shots at one time. I had already had one in preparation for my July 4th departure for Dire Dawe, Ethiopia. The availability of the yellow fever vaccine is limited, but thankfully I located a Naval hospital about 85 miles away which had vaccines for non-military travelers. The young corpsman was quite skilled, so I experienced minimal pain.

We had our first team meeting last week. Except for Brandon and Hannah, our team leaders, I did not know anyone in the room. I was feeling a bit uncertain about my decision to spend 10 days with unknown companions. This was only exacerbated when I was given the task of teaching 8 segments,  75 minute each, of vocabulary to approximately 50 students at a time. Reportedly, the English camp we will be offering on July 8-11 includes approximately 200 school age children ages 8-15 with varying levels of English comprehension. Except for being a mom and leading Bible studies, I have no education or experience teaching. Fortunately, my daughter has taught English in China for 3 years, so I will consult her for ideas and suggestions.

Each of our team meeting begins with a time of prayer, that is a place of security to me – talking to our heavenly Father. I would like to ask each of you reading this to pray for Project HOPE as the Spirit leads you.

Health Clinic- The clinic offers free care, medicine and education; many of those in the village have leprosy.
Orphan and needy child care -70 sponsored children in this program
Primary Education- the English Camp is part of this component which serves not only students but helps train teachers
Economic Development – micro-finance loans to help small business men and women

*For strengthening and equipping the local church of about 400 who have trusted Christ –In this predominantly Muslim region, some believers must worship “underground”
*For our team to depend of the Lord and follow however He leads, for adjustments and transitions, for the Lord to open doors of opportunity.
*For many to find hope in Jesus and come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. You shall multiply the nation; You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence. Isaiah 9:2-3

I will update you after I return through the blog, but you can learn more and see pictures during the trip at this website. https://www.facebook.com/ProjectHopeClinic/

My first post on my trip is called “My Turn!” https://poiema2016.wordpress.com/2019/04/13/my-turn/