Sunday, January 24, 2010

Africa in July


Enthusiastically, I would like to share that I am leading a mission trip to Ethiopia and Uganda this July 19th-August 1st. Our adoption agency shared upcoming trips with Visiting Orphans and I instantly knew that I was called to go. The objective of Visitng Orphans is to place volunteers in oprhanages to care for children and share God's love with them.
The team will be built of 25 passionate, loving, adventurous people who are willing to serve in some of the most difficult situations I can imagine. The trip will include serving with Katie, a 21year old Tennessee girl, who moved to Uganda and started an orphanage that feeds 400 children three meals a day! Katie has now adopted 13 beautiful daughters. She is truly inspirational to me! We will also go to Mother Teresa's HIV orphange and the Kids Care Orphanage.
The trip will be co-led by Cari Gibson, the author and creator of MyCrazyAdoption.org Her and I are blog buddies and as soon as I asked her to co-led this trip she was jumping up and down with tears of joy!!! Cari has a 2 year old adopted daugther from Ethiopia and 2 teenagers. She started her website to assist families in the adoption process. Ryan and I have used her advice and guidance from day one of our journey! She is going to be a fantastic mission trip leader and I cannot wait to meet her face-to-face in July!
I am holding an informational meeting on February 1st at Woodland Community Church at 6:00pm in room 115. We will discuss the timeline, fundraising, applications and immunizations. Please email me at Ryanashlie@aol.com to RSVP.

Please pray that this mission trip changes the lives of children.
With Love,
Ashlie

6 comments:

melissa said...

I just spent an hour and a half reading Katie's blog. What an amazing woman she is. What she's done is beyond phenomenal.

Ryan and Ashlie said...

Katie Davis is the most amazing person I have met....and I haven't even met her yet! I can't wait to hug her in Uganda! I could read her blog for hours on end...I've heard that she is going to publish a book, compiled from her blog~ Wouldn't that be great???
I adore her!!! Can't wait to see you on the 20th~
Ash

Naomi said...

Ashlie,

I want to stop by and say hello! I have left a comment recently on your blog after discovering that you are with AW and adopting from ET!! It is so exciting! But what I am also stopping by for, is to let you know that I have filled out the application to go on the missions trip this July! I am seriously praying like many others! I have never gone on a missions trip before , although always wanted to, but with children it has always been so hard. God is directing us back to to the US as soon as I get my visa. (I am British). There are some huge changes about to take place in our lives as we step out into the unknown. It is crazy that I would even be considering this trip but I really feel an excitement about going and just knew I had to take the step. So I wanted to say hello and get to know you more through your blog!!! The opportunity to meet the orphans, the rest of the team and see all that Katie is doing will be a dream come true!

Naomi
www.lydiahope.blogspot.com

Ryan and Ashlie said...

Naomi~
Thank you so much for leaving such a wonderful comment! You made my day!!! =)
Cari Gibson (mycrazyadoption.com) and Katie Davis (Amazima) are my heros and I can't wait to meet both of them! Caring for orphans in Ethiopia and Uganda takes a very special, passionate person. I hope to be that person this summer!
I will be praying for you. If God has put this trip on your heart, then he will work out all of the details around it.
Please email me at Ryanashlie@aol.com so I can add you to the trips email list.
If you have any questions, please let me know!
<3, Ashlie

Kristin from Kentucky said...

I just finished buying a shirt and necklace and then I decided to look up your blog. Wow! I have been repeatedly staring at the visiting orphans missions trip list. My lifelong vision is to work with AIDS orphans (I am a registered nurse) in Africa. Now we are in the middle of adopting from Ethiopia, and I keep looking at that $3400 and thinking, "Well maybe next year..."

Thanks for the inspiration.

Ryan and Ashlie said...

Hi Kristen! I just wrote your name on an envelope!! Your shirt and necklace are ready to go, thank you so much for your support, I stalked the Visiting Orphans mission trips for a month straight before I made the call! I'm so thankful that God led me to them. I'm not sure how the timing will work out but I know God will take care of it. Praying that the adoption and mission trip don't overlap~ We'll see what happens!!
We are visiting 2 AIDs orphanages on our trip. If there is anyway you can join us we would be blessed to have you. check out www.africainjuly.blogspot.com for more trip information.
Also, www.mycrazyadoption.org will have a post about fundraising for Mission Trips tomorrow. Check it our!
Thanks again, Ashlie