Ethiopia – Salle & Gosnell

Trip Dates:

March 30, 2018 - April 7, 2018

ABOUT OUR LEADERS:

My name is Melinda Sallé and I live in Greenville, South Carolina. I have been married to my best friend for almost 18 years. I am the mother of five children, three boys, and two girls. My youngest son is adopted from China. Orphan care has become a top priority for me since I went on a Storyteller Mission Trip in October of 2014. I reluctantly went on that trip and God changed my life, my perspective, and my purpose through what I experienced there. Now I am passionate about helping others experience God through caring for orphans. I have seen Him do the impossible time and time again through orphan care all over the world. Since going to China in 2014, I have traveled back there on an adoption trip in 2015 and was privileged to be part of another Storyteller Trip to China working with older orphans in October of 2016. I led a team to Ethiopia in October of 2017 and am so excited to be going back to Ethiopia in 2018. God is doing a huge work there and we are so blessed to be a part of it. I know that if God leads you to join us, your life will be changed in the best possible way.

My name is Ashley Gosnell, and I have been married to my husband Tollie for twenty-two years.  We have six children, four biological boys and a son and daughter adopted from China. My first experiences in international missions were in China in the summers of 1999-2002, teaching English to Chinese high school students.  During one of these trips, I had the privilege of meeting a beautiful little girl named Anne, who was an orphan.  God planted the seed of adoption in my heart at that time.  Ten years later, we felt God telling us that it was time to begin the adoption process.  In May 2013, my husband and I traveled to China to bring our son and daughter home.

God has given me the great privilege of continuing to serve orphans in China through Storytellers mission trips in 2014, 2015, and 2016 and  Ethiopia in October 2017. Storyteller mission trips have been absolutely life-changing for me. It is my joy and passion to know, love and advocate for these precious children, and I am so thankful for the privilege to serve in Ethiopia again in 2018.

ETHIOPIA:

With a population of over 91 million people, there is a diverse collection of food, languages, customs and people groups in Ethiopia. The country also contains a unique landscape, including parts of the Nile River and the Great Rift Valley. As an East African landlocked country, Ethiopia is bordered by Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, Eritrea, and Djibouti.

Ethiopia, an ancient Christian nation, has deep-rooted Ethiopian Orthodox customs and practices. The Judaic-Christian roots of Ethiopia can be found in both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. Today, about half the population of Ethiopia is Christian.

Ethiopia is a country that is about twice the size of Texas has an estimated 4.3 million orphans. The children are primarily orphaned due to poverty, and live in both government-run and privately established orphanages. The need is great in Ethiopia, especially in light of the recent termination of international adoption.

Our One Orphan teams partner with many orphanages in Ethiopia. It is at these orphanages that the One Orphan teams visit and work to help provide education, resources, and support for the ongoing care provided by the orphanage staff.

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* This is a general estimate of the overall trip cost per person. The costs are all-inclusive and intended to cover all traveling expenses, including international airfare. Our missions staff work diligently to keep the trip costs as low as possible.