Rick and Phyllis LaBranche and their daughter, Kami, from Durham Evangelical Church, left for Ethiopia on Sunday, becoming the sixth World Orphans missionaries to sacrifice much to move to a different country, a different culture, away from their family and friends, responding in faith to God’s call on their lives to go and serve the orphan.
“Home Based Care helps marginalized people in the community find their identity.”
– HBC coordinator at Wolisso Kale Heywet Church in Wolisso, Ethiopia.
It’s this kind of impact that fuels our commitment to our ministry in Ethiopia. Helping the church care for orphans who are living with extended relatives, keeping these families from falling apart, showing these children that they matter, bringing the hope of the Gospel.
We now have nine churches in Ethiopia running Home Based Care programs. Many are partnered with US churches as they minister the gospel together, and some are awaiting partners.
The LaBranches will be working to better facilitate our current ministry, receive and care for short-term teams from the US, and hope to eventually open a guesthouse to help financially support our work there.
Rick and Phyllis arrived in Addis Ababa on Tuesday. As they settle in and transition to life in Ethiopia, please join us in praying for this dear family. We are excited to have them there and look forward with anticipation as they begin their service, establish their ministry, build relationships, and serve the church and the orphan in Ethiopia.
We are looking for others to be a part of World Orphans teams in Ethiopia, Cambodia, India, Haiti, and Nicaragua, as we seek to rescue orphaned and abandoned children by partnering with, supporting, and equipping the local church. Because the work is Gospel centered and holistic, we need people with a variety of backgrounds in church ministry, small business, teaching, social work, youth ministry, counseling, video/media, communications, or project management…or just people who are willing to serve, learn, and be flexible.
Is God calling you to be part of one of these teams? Is God calling you and your family to serve internationally? If this makes you wonder…we would be honored to be part of that conversation with you!