Support Reckless Abandon Ethiopia - Buy A Shirt!

As we close in on our fundraising for our trip back to Ethiopia this January we've been blessed with some incredible people who have come along side us to support us through prayer, finances, and emotionally. People that love us, love Ethiopia, love orphans, and love Jesus. Some of these people are complete strangers. I'm amazed at how blog land and facebook brings people together and even more amazed to be apart of the body of Christ as we come together to support each other as we all seek out one goal of loving others well and being the hands and feet of Christ in our daily lives both here and across the globe.

Over the last few weeks I've had the privilege of getting to know Kari Gibson a bit more through email and on the phone. Kari and her husband are in the early stages of their second adoption from Ethiopia. We've talked about the Lord, learned a bit more about one another's hearts and shared some sweet stories about what God is doing in our lives. Kari and her husband also designed an amazing shirt. I love this shirt. My picky pants husband LOVES this shirt. We ordered ours immediately. I gushed about the shirt to Kari which led to further discussions which led to Kari allowing us to purchase a bunch of shirts not only for everyone going to Ethiopia with us but also to sell as a fundraiser for that trip. Isn't that amazing?!?! I remember her saying "we're all in this together" and thinking WOW. You have an amazing shirt and your willing to let me buy in bulk as a fundraiser. What a gift.

Due to our trip coming up rather quickly and us still needing some funding we are doing a limited edition pre-order shirt sale for the shirts pictured below. Need a great gift idea? You can purchase your shirt on my side bar, we will only be selling the shirts through January 6th. We'll have the shirts within a week or so of that and we'll get them mailed out before we leave so long as USPS cooperates with us. Hurry and order yours! You won't regret it. Promise. We love ours, the quality is great and the message is perfect.

ALL proceeds will go towards our trip costs, in the event that we have an excess we will be donating all of that to one of the projects we'll be working with in Ethiopia.

Without further ado, The shirts.

The men's shirt is an olive green, black writing with "Simply Love" in red on the front. A great basic T with great color and quality printing fits true to size. My husband wears a large normally and he wears a large in this shirt as well. My son is 11 and the size small fits him with plenty of room.

Men's - Front

Men's Back

The Women’s T is black with white and teal writing, super cute! The fit is longer with not a whole lot of stretch but enough to be cute. My 12 year old daughter is wearing a small with room while I chose a medium for length and a bit looser fit. I can wear a small but it is fitted. The medium is less fitted and has more length on me.

Women's Front

Women's Back

David modeling his shirt on Christmas. :)

Email me with any questions and THANK YOU for your support! erica.shubin@gmail.com

Humbled.

Today I stand in awe of the generosity of friends, family, and perfect strangers. Yesterday during our 24 hour Facebook-a-thon to raise money for our mission trip there was over $1400 raised! Glory to God!! We had set a goal we felt was attainable in 24 hours ($1200) instead of posting the whole amount we needed. Thanks to many of you that goal was reached and then some! We're still fundraising and we'll still leave our donate button up, anything over and above what we need to get us there will be used 100% at the projects we are working on. Yesterdays totals is enough to buy a plane ticket! God is SO SO good!

Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

James 1:27
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Thank you for being apart of this trip, thank you for being the hands and feet of Christ and blessing us in this way. We're honored to be called to carry out this mission. Without you it wouldn't happen. THANK YOU!

We have seen the Lord work in HUGE ways to work out all the details of this trip. There are a few things we are needing and are actively working on what the Lord has asked of us. That brings us to this point.

We need your prayers.

We'll be working with several different projects while we're in Addis Ababa. Including building a chicken house at Bright Hope School.

We're taking a group of about 10 people (Lord willing their funds come in) most of whom have never been out of the country. This includes our oldest child who is very excited about this opportunity.

Please pray for our team. Pray for unity. Pray for health and safe travel. Pray that the Lord provides for each persons specific financial needs.

Pray for our church. We are apart of a new church plant http://lifebridgechurchpinellas.com/ and part of this trip will be to identify opportunities where we as a church can have long term involvement. Our pastor and his family are also adopting from Ethiopia. His wife Rachel and their two kids are planning to go on this trip as well.

As a family we have hosted back to back garage sales with the help of precious friends, we've received many items to sell, random refund checks, some of you have helped by purchasing coffee, and others have given intentional financial gifts. To each of you that have supported us through giving of your time and resources THANK YOU!!! We are well on our way but we're still short a few thousand dollars.

We need you to spread the word.

This is where you can help. I was looking at my friends list and realized if each person gave $5 we'd raise over $2,000! Our goal is $1200 in 24 hours. Its been done before, my sweet friend Natalie T is where I saw it first as they raised money for their home study. We're going to have a Reckless Abandon 2010 facebook-a-thon!

Here's how it works:

Thursday December 17,2009 from 12:00am-11:59pm we're asking that you donate your facebook status (or write a blog post) to our cause. I'll have a paypal button up on our mission trip blog as well as this blog, all you have to do is copy and paste the info below. In other words spread the word and let the Lord work as He will in the hearts of His people.

Reckless Abandon Ethiopia - to give of oneself unrestrained without caution for the cause of another. Will you send us to Ethiopia to help build a chicken house? To sing and play with sweet orphan babes? To play soccer with the street kids? To be Jesus with skin on to those we meet? To show love in a tangible way. If everyone on my friends list donated $5 we'd be fully funded. Will you consider donating? Every dollar helps. http://recklessabandon2010.blogspot.com - Thank you!

Thank you for helping spread the word!! Stay tuned, if this isn't your thing but you want to donate items for us to take to Ethiopia?!?! That's coming up next! Merry Merry CHRISTmas to each and every one of you!

World Aids Day

Today is World Aids Day. I know many of us don't really even know what that means. For us last year was our first year of really being involved in this movement. We bought T-shirts and the whole nine yards. I think after being in Africa and seeing the absolutely horrific effects of this disease it changes how you view AIDS and HIV. AIDS and HIV is not just a disease that affects a particular group of people. HIV is treatable. Many people in Africa have NO WAY of getting this treatment. We can help. We can help by supporting the (RED) campaign. We can help by raising awareness. Today is a day to SHARE. To SPREAD the word about the devastation of AIDS and let others know how THEY can be involved.

Here is a little video put out by the (RED) campaign on how medicine made a difference in the lives of these children.

Please be in prayer for those suffering from HIV and AIDS in Africa. Be in prayer on how God might use YOU to spread the word and make a difference. We are focusing intently on fundraising for our trip to Ethiopia in January and as others are joining to minister along side us we are humbled to see God provide for EVERY need as we go along. Kicking it into high gear for fundraising we are humbled that God has called us to go back to Ethiopia yet again. I truly feel that I gain more then I ever give when I'm there. Those of you praying about going on the trip - we are praying with you and for you even now. Watching the Lord put our "team" together is incredible. I leave you with this AMAZING video. I do need Africa more then Africa needs me.