a sea of faces

Tom Davis posted this on his blog yesterday and I just had to re-post it to share with you. Look at their sweet faces. All of them. Crammed into one classroom.
WOW.
It is easy to just look at this picture and be overwhelmed with the sheer number of kids. But each of those kids has a name and is special and is loved by God...

Here is Tom's post:

This Fall there are two trips headed over to Ethiopia with Children's HopeChest. In Ethiopia, we are working amongst very poor and orphaned children who are often attending very crowded classrooms, like the one in this picture from Awassa, Ethiopia, where one of our teams will visit:

I've posted this picture before, and every time I see it I am overwhelmed by the sea of little faces in this classroom. This picture is today's "deep thought," because I think this is one of the best pictures of what 143 million orphans looks like.

In just two weeks, our teams will be with these kids. Do you know what these little guys need?


- New school supplies like notebooks and pencils


- A new classroom to be built by our team and staff


- Newly painted walls


I want to give each of those little faces the school they deserve. Can you help?


Chip in what you can. Whether it's $5 or $500. Go to HopeChest Giving Page and make your gift today. Just write: Ethiopia School Supplies and Projects in the notes section.


We will use the money to buy back-to-school supplies for the kids, construction materials, and paint to help nearly 1,000 kids this September. Don't miss being part of this.


Thank you for helping

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/redletters/2010/09/could-you-teach-this-many-kids-picture.html#ixzz0zAj8Tqgo


***I can't wait to be there. As much as I am going to miss my kiddos at home, I just feel so at peace about the whole trip and going to be with all the children there. I can't wait to join God in His what He is already doing in Africa!!!
WE are that team Tom is talking about and SO MANY OF YOU have already played a part in helping the orphans in Ethiopia before we have even left! We have had many friends and family and even blog-readers respond and give and we are SO SO grateful that the Lord is using you to bless the children in Ethiopia! You are awesome!!! This weekend will be full and busy with preparations and prayer and I can't believe we are almost a week away from being on that plane!