Who's Traveling

Top Row:
Dan Holcomb: Video, Podcasts, Long term Partner Coordination
Erin Willett: Volunteer coordination
Nate Grubbs: Photographer
Dana Berterman: Interviews and Children's activities

Bottom Row:
Doug Holcomb: Podcasting, spiritual lessons, photography
Anya Holcomb: Interviews & Counseling
Lyla Peterson: Nurse

Boxes:
Josh Thrash: Games and spiritual lessons
Meri Malone: Child Sponsorship Director, kids activities
Leisha Adams: Financial partnerships

Trip Overview

Africa in 2006

This December and January, Lahash International will be leading a trip to East Africa to enter into the realities of modern Africa and become a part of the hope that is rising to meet the challenges. Africa is crushed under a weight of wars, corruption, and diseases - primarily AIDS and Malaria. It is the only continent to have become poorer in the past 25 years. Some countries have a HIV infection rate of up to 40% (Swaziland), others are fragmented like Sudan into multiple civil war conflicts. And the assistance coming in to the region is seized upon by greedy government officials and opportunists hoping to grab as much of the aid as possible.

Despite all of the heartache and suffering, the church in Africa is rising to meet the problems and is full of hope. The church in Sudan has grown exponentially in the past 20 years. Across the continent the African church is finding its voice, reaching out in love to the local communities, and now is even confronting the Western churches on various issues of weakness. There is something special about God's movement on the continent.

About Lahash

Lahash International is a young non-profit organization that partners churches, schools, and other communities in the West with local national movements in Africa that are confronting the devastation of AIDS, war, and corruption head on. These ministries, churches, and community groups are lead by faithful Christians, operating on minimal budgets. The leaders have chosen to live in the regions in which they work - in war zones or slums. They've given up comforts in service to their neighbors and to God. And their work is producing bright lights of hope across the continent. Lahash seeks to fill in the gaps with prayer, training, experience, and funding - encouraging and strengthening these ministries and letting them know they aren't alone in their struggle. Currently Lahash partners with organizations in five countries: Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda.

The Trip

This winter, a team of 10 volunteers will be traveling to Africa. Each one will be equipped with specific roles for encouraging the local ministries. We will have a team nurse to work with local doctors, we'll hold financial trainings, and conduct Bible lessons.

We also want to live with the verse from Proverbs 31:8 - "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who need an advocate." It is our goal as a team to expose the atrocities and the suffering and work together to find solutions to the problems. We'll be traveling with a documentary filmmaker and photographer to creatively and compassionately capture the reality on the ground. We also want to go as friends and learners - experiencing the culture, learning some of the language, and being encouraged by the faith and hope of the local church.

The destinations will include the Amazing Grace Orphanage in Uganda (working with Sudanese orphans), several communities in Southern Sudan, an AIDS medical team and orphan school in Kenya, and a church in Tanzania that has partnered with Lahash in sponsoring local children.

The team will be providing regular updates on the trip blog: http://www.hopeisalive.com

More information on Lahash can be found on the web at: http://www.lahash.net

Donations can be made out to:
Lahash International
10750 NE 4th Ave
Portland, OR 97211

Please pray with us that we will be an encouragement to the local communities, have safety as we travel, learn to love God and our neighbors on a deeper level, and that we'll be unified as a team.