Vision

As my wife and I adopted our two children from Ethiopia (bringing our family to 7), our time in Addis was an amazing experience…and at times a bit overwhelming. We stayed at a typical hotel…overpriced, hidden costs around every corner, smoke filled lounge…not exactly family friendly. What continued to eat away at us was that none of the fees went back to the cause of the orphan in Ethiopia. The vision behind Ethiopia Guest Home is to provide a four-star quality stay, at a reasonable, all-inclusive cost…to benefit orphans in Ethiopia, while giving families and volunteer groups a personal, memorable stay.

In October of 2007, I flew to Addis Ababa Ethiopia to establish a transitional home for orphans. I was struck by the amount of children in need. The orphanages were doing the best they could, yet overcrowding was an understatement. I met the most beautiful little girl with HIV and she broke my heart. I knew I had to do something.

Ethiopia Guest Home is not going to save the world, but we are going to make a difference one child at a time. We will fund programs that seek to lower the need for adoption. Ministries that seek to de-stigmatize HIV and encourage people to seek treatment will be funded. Single mothers will be assisted with tools, skills, and resources that may be needed to sustain their families.

We have partnered with World Orphans, who have contracted to build 15 church-based children’s homes…to support Ethiopians caring for children who may not be adopted internationally. We have started a drop-in-center with Peter Abera of Compassion Family International that provides a safe and nurturing center for children in the community as well as job training and mentoring to single mothers.

We are working with Ephrem Hagos who founded a ministry to street kids through soccer that provides clothing, school supplies, food, and emphasizes the value that each child has in God’s eyes.

Programs that seek to assist women who are HIV positive to be treated and lower the risk of passing on the virus to their newborn children will be funded. Our desire is to empower Ethiopians as well as to stir others to action for the cause of the orphan.

At Ethiopia Guest Home…it is far more than just a place to stay.