Some things are priceless. Pouring into the lives of children by ministering and sharing the gospel, being a shoulder to lean on in crisis and a listening ear for their everyday challenges is a powerful example.

Many of the children we serve struggle with their emotions and spirituality and tell no one. They often aren’t living in situations that afford them the freedom to do so. Many have no one to tell.

With no outlet to process their feelings and experiences, their struggles tend to come out in ways that cause adverse impacts on their future, such as academic difficulties and lack of drive and motivation. They are at risk for engaging in harmful behaviors and of repeating unhelpful lifestyle and relationship patterns learned from their upbringing.

We feel God directing us to hire an on-site staff member who can wear all of these hats for the children; an observer, minister, counselor and confidante to help them navigate the internal struggles they face and the precarious nature of tomorrow.

This is a priceless investment, yet something we are able to provide for only $200 USD per month. We have a reach of 2,000 children of all ages and we feel that this is a small price for investing in everlasting life. We’re looking for partners who feel the same way, with a desire to give hope, healing and a sense of value to our children at this time of hopelessness, devastation and uncertainty.

Please join us in praying for our Ethiopian leadership as they search for the right candidate to fill this role. We desire a wise and Godly person who will serve with compassion and empathy. We aim to raise support for an initial investment to provide the first year of wages for a dedicated staff member to fill this vital role. We invite you to give any amount or to consider selecting one of the support options below.

One Day – $10 USD One Month – $200 USD
One Week – $50 USD One Year – $2,400 USD

Make a one-time donation online: https://blessingthechildren.org/donate.html

Mail a check to:
Blessing the Children International
2265 Fraser Road
Kawkawlin, MI 48631

The women of Ethiopia often work in grueling conditions, out in direct sunlight with no eye protection, and exposed to a great deal of smoke and fumes as they prepare food. This exposure causes many health problems, including negative consequences for their eyes.

Last month, donor support made it possible for us to provide vision-saving surgery for a mother named Welela. A lifetime of exposure to direct and intense sunlight caused severe damage that was robbing Welela of her eyesight. She is now following doctor’s orders to avoid direct sunlight, dust and smoke and is full of relief to have had the opportunity to receive treatment so she can have a better quality of life and provide for her family.

Sara, mother of Meheret and Ashenafi Efrem, recently approached us with concerns regarding her vision. She had to quit her $55 USD / month factory job due to failing eyesight caused by a treatable condition.

Sara first sought medical treatment for this condition four years ago but was unable to afford the treatment protocol. Her right eye has since deteriorated dramatically and her left eye is now in need of treatment. She came to the office and expressed desperation and was provided funds to go for a checkup, where she was informed that her condition has progressed to the worst stage and she needs surgery immediately.

Sara is struggling to work as a daily laborer and to provide for her children. She needs treatment for her right eye immediately, and her left eye as soon as possible. The cost for each eye is $250 USD. It’s staggering to imagine that $250 USD could stand in the way of a lifetime vision. Sara’s children need many more years of support from their mother and it’s critical that she be able to see and earn an income. Let’s work together and change the trajectory for this young family. A donation in any amount will help.

Make a one-time gift to support Sara’s eye surgery: https://blessingthechildren.org/donate.html

Tamrat Mulugeta is a cheerful 6-year-old boy who enjoys playing soccer with his friends and learning English at school. His mother, Buze, is determined to give him a better life than her own.

Buze experienced a great deal of hardship as a child. She never met her father, and her mother was involved in witchcraft. Her mother felt that her spirit did not like Buze, so she would feed her other children but would tell Buze that her spirit said she should not feed her. She would make her leave the house at night, and would scratch her body until it bled and then would drink her blood. Buze recalls being bullied due to scars on her face and body.

As soon as she was old enough, Buze left her home and began working in other homes as a servant. She spent eight years working as a servant in Dubai and Saudi Arabia before meeting Tamrat’s father, Mulugeta, who promised her a better life if she married him. After three years in an abusive marriage, Buze was left alone with her new baby and no money.

Coming to Blessing the Children has meant a new and hopeful start for this young family. Buze is a strong woman who is full of light despite her tragic history. In 2022, her sewing skills and work ethic earned her a job at the BCI Academy sewing uniforms. Tamrat is now a KG 2 student at the BCI Academy. Recently, the family received a wonderful blessing of electricity for their home. Tamrat has a few additional needs to improve his quality of life and help him succeed, including a bed, a small table and chair for schoolwork, and a rug to keep the dust and bugs under control in his home.

Tamrat’s Needs
$310 – Complete bed (frame, mattress, blanket, pillow)
$205 – Table and chair for studying
$110 – Rug for inside the home

Buze was deeply wounded by her mother and husband in countless ways and our Ethiopian staff and missionaries have poured into her to restore her and show her God’s love. She is blossoming and we feel compelled to help her on her journey to provide a quality life for herself and her son.

A number of years ago we began incorporating peanut butter into the diets of the children we serve to increase their protein intake.

Recently, we have hired the mother of one of our sponsored children to be the focal point for producing peanut butter in-house.

Peanut butter is not cheap no matter where it’s purchased in the world, as nuts are an expensive commodity. By producing peanut butter in-house, we can save the ministry money and also control the quality of the product.

We have hired Desta to take charge of peanut butter production. She starts with 6 kilograms (just over 13 pounds) of fresh peanuts and combines this with honey and a small amount of sunflower oil. After two hours of running batches through the food processor, we have enough peanut butter to serve the children for one week.

Desta is the mother of 11-year-old Faven Nebyu. Faven’s father passed away in 2020, and Desta has struggled to support Faven ever since. Her involvement in the peanut butter project helps her increase her income to support her daughter.

We have been on a mission lately more than ever to put the mothers of our sponsored children to work in ways that are mutually beneficial to their families and the ministry. We’re passionate about creating a strong community of women who can take pride and joy in their work and contribute to their households and we enjoy watching them thrive.

We have recently hired a gardener who has been busy at work growing a beautiful and delicious bounty on the Bethlehem campus of the BCI Academy. Tigist has been tasked with improving the form and function of the school grounds, and she has been doing a fantastic job of sharing her gardening talents with the school community.

The primary goal of this gardening venture is to grow food to support our feeding program. Tigist is accomplishing this goal by planting a variety of fruits and vegetables. She is also growing flowers to beautify the campus. Some of her projects accomplish both goals at once, including the grape vines she has established.

Social workers with Blessing the Children wear many hats. One of these hats is facilitating the academic development of the children in their care. This includes monitoring their progress in school, which they accomplish by checking report cards and speaking with the principals and teachers.

Goldy, our head social worker, takes the lead in promoting education among sponsored children and families. She will meet with the children who are struggling in school and speak with them to gain a better understanding about their situation and to determine what can be done to help. She will also meet with parents and guardians to learn about their home life and discuss steps that can be taken to help their children improve their grades.

One of the challenges faced by the children is that many parents and guardians do not see a value in education and are resistant to change. They are focused on day-to-day survival and are busy working to provide for their families, which means the children’s education gets left behind.

Goldy has been working hard to raise the standard of education among the children and families. Recently, she held a workshop where she discussed academic strategies. The children wrote individual plans for how they are going to improve their grades. At the end of the workshop, each child read their plan in front of the group and made a commitment to improve their schoolwork. We look forward to seeing improvement in their schoolwork during the next semester.

We are excited to announce a scholarship opportunity to join our 2023 Teach to Reach program. We welcome anyone with a heart for teaching children to join us in beautiful Ethiopia next July. Teach to Reach is an educational summer camp that combines fun and learning. We will customize the camp to use the skills and talents of our team of volunteer educators.

Team members may choose a 2-week option (July 1-15 or July 16-30) for $3,395 USD or 4-week option (July 1-30) for $3,985 USD. This fee includes round trip airfare from an international airport in a major US city as well as meals, local transportation, translators and guest house accommodations while in Ethiopia. One missionary will be chosen to receive a scholarship covering 50% of their trip fees. How to apply:

1. Submit your mission trip application and $40 application fee
2. Write a one-page response to the following questions:
   a. What inspired you to take this trip?
   b. What skills / talents / passion / knowledge do you hope to use during your trip?
   c. What personal experience can you leverage?

Requirements must be met by December 31st, 2022. Information: https://blessingthechildren.org/teach.html

Last month, we introduced you to 5-year-old Tamrat Mulugeta, a lovely boy with an electric smile. Tamrat was abandoned by his father at the age of 1 due to his father’s addiction to drugs and alcohol. He currently lives with his mother, Bizuayehu.

During a recent mission trip, a missionary saw potential in Bizuayehu and took time to help her learn a new skill – professional sewing. Bizuayehu had some limited knowledge of sewing due to a previous job she held at a factory. The missionary helped her further advance her skills, and this has turned into a full-time job working for the ministry.

Bizuayehu now sews uniforms for the teachers and janitorial staff. She also sews mattress covers. She has been given an office on the Bethlehem campus of the BCI Academy, and can often be found there helping Tamrat rehearse his ABC’s while she works.

This is the start of a new way for mothers to earn an income to support their families, and a way for the ministry to produce a needed product in-house, which has cost-saving and quality control benefits. The missionary who started this project will soon return to Ethiopia to train more mothers and help expand the project. We hope to someday be able to make the school uniforms in-house, as they’re currently difficult to source.

Praise God for His provision for this new project.

Some feel called to go to Ethiopia and experience the beautiful country and culture firsthand. They feel God nudging them to immerse themselves on the front lines of the ministry by going and doing. They are eager to walk side by side with the children, bear witness to their struggles and offer their physical presence to be used for God’s glory.

For others, their hearts are in Ethiopia, but circumstances don’t allow them to make the trip. If this sounds like you, we would like to share with you an opportunity to be a part of missions work without leaving your home.

We invite you to consider that God may be calling you to help send a missionary. You can make it possible for someone who has the right circumstances but lacks resources to make the trip. Think of yourself as the behind the scenes crew facilitating God’s work on the ground in Ethiopia.

We have a goal of offering a scholarship opportunity for our Teach to Reach program for July 2023 and we would love to send a missionary in your honor. A donation in any amount will help defray the cost for a missionary eager travel to Ethiopia to do God’s work. We’ll be sure to report back to you so that you can see how your support is making an impact on the ground.

If this sounds like a good fit for you, please get in touch to partner with us in supporting a missionary.

The children in our program are smart, talented and full of possibility. Their unstable home lives and broken family situations mean that they need special care and investment in their mental, spiritual and physical health to reach their potential.

This summer, we gave 81 students an opportunity to participate in a camp experience at the BCI Academy. The participating students were in grades 6 through 12. The students were sub-divided into three groups based on their ages and grade levels. Each group attended camp twice weekly for several weeks.

The purpose of the camp was to empower the children in a number of areas. They were trained on self-awareness, improving their academic performance, planning for the future, developing vision and goal setting. The training was divided into sections based on topics, with involvement from a number of teachers working together to integrate learning with fun and games.

The day started by sharing a meal together. The students were given classroom instruction and then participated in hands-on experiences to reinforce their learning.

We’re looking to build on the success of this camp with our Teach to Reach program in July 2023. Learn how you can get involved:

https://blessingthechildren.org/teach.html