Egg Money

photo from www.theactuary.com

You can contribute $50/month toward sending the Kidder Kids to school.  Click to begin.

Egg Money
My friend had said he wanted to meet me; he had a gift from one of his sons.  So we met for breakfast on a Wednesday at 9am.  Not too early, but still comfortably within the parameters of the breakfast promotion (half off your entire breakfast order before 11am).  We got to talking about our lives and ministries.  He's a pastor in town with a unique vision for reaching the "least of these" with the love of Christ (Matthew 25).  My family and I are missionaries in Ethiopia, hopefully loving people with similar passion and practicality.

We talked together for about three hours.  Turns out we could've had lunch, but there was no similar promotion, so we got up to leave.  Just before doing so, he pulled out a plain #10 envelope.  He said that his son has a little summer business to raise money.  He takes care of the chickens and sells eggs by the side of the road.  He had raised $52.00 over the course of the summer and wanted to help a missionary with his earnings.  My friend gestured for me to open the envelope.  What I saw inside created a deep emotional response.  My eyes welled up with tears.  I was holding exactly $52.00 in my hands... egg money from the entire summer.  "Oh God, make me worthy of this young boy's fifty-two dollars," I prayed.  And then I recalled the sacrifice of another boy in John 6:9 and one of my favorite sermons.  God has always taken care of us, many times in the most humbling of ways.

Send the Kidder Kids to School

We want to highlight the goodness of God in regard to our financial support and update the citizenship process.

94% of our support has been pledged!

The remaining 6-7% (approximately $400/month) would make a difference in how we proceed with Karina & Ethan's schooling.  If the additional support is raised, we would continue to send them both to Bingham Academy.  If it is not, we have committed to homeschooling temporarily.  The family's unanimous vote was for Bingham Academy, so we are making a passionate request for new monthly supporters.  If you live In the US and feel led to contribute, please click here.  In Canada, online donations can be made through SIM Canada here.  To send support by mail, please see below.  You can be part of sending the Kidder kids to school, and we thank you for your generosity!

U.S. Citizenship
Our immigration lawyer informed us that a temporary "hold" has been placed on all citizenship approvals.  It is related to the recent Presidential election and the system used for extensive personal background checks.  We have decided to return to Ethiopia as planned on January 3, 2017 to await the next step in the process.

Kidder Family Update

Flying to Southern California

13,000+ miles. 15 states. 4 provinces. 9 churches. 5 zoos.

The last 5 months of home assignment have been FULL. Full of movement, full of transition, and full of relationships. It has not been an easy time, living out of suitcases for this long with 3 young children, but it has been rich. It has been such a delight to re-connect with family and friends after, in some cases, 5-8 years! A huge thank you to everyone who opened their homes to us and made time to connect with us.

ONE MONTH UNTIL OUR DEPARTURE (03 January 2017)
We have loved sharing about Ethiopia, a country that has become home to us, and a ministry that we anticipate continuing for years to come (as God allows).  We anticipate going home to Ethiopia on January 3, 2017 and urgently need your prayers for the following concerns:

Financial Support
Our support need is $6,840 per month.  Under our new support agreement with SIM USA, our salary will not increase - the additional funds are toward (1) the kids' education, (2) continuing education for Nate, and (3) increased travel costs... more tickets to buy, and more frequent trips to the USA.  We need to reach 100% before returning to Ethiopia, so now is the time to let us know if the Lord has inclined your heart toward financial partnership with us.  We have consistently received nearly $5,340 in monthly support for the past nine years.  To reach the target goal, we are seeking 15 individuals or families to join our team at $100 per month, but every gift helps and we encourage each one to give as the Lord provides.  In the US, you can give online through SIM USA here.  In Canada, you can give online through SIM Canada here.  To send support by mail, please see below.  Please pray about this invitation, and thank you for your consideration!

U.S. Citizenship
We also need your prayers concerning Amy's USA citizenship.  We applied in late June and expected to have her interview already.  Furthermore, we anticipated that she would have completed her official "swearing in" ceremony.  Neither things have happened yet, so it may come to pass that Nate & Karina return to Ethiopia ahead of Amy and the boys in order to start their Spring Semesters on time.  Should this be the case, we would need a car for Amy to borrow and a place for her to stay for a few weeks into January 2017.

Spring Semester
Nate will be teaching "Survey of Church History" and "Exposition of Isaiah" at Evangelical Theological College in the coming Spring Semester.  Please pray for him in his lecture preparation, that it would lead to great classroom discussion and greater appreciation of God's truth.  Karina will resume her studies at Bingham Academy with her grade 1 classmates in mid-January.  She is excited to get back to school and be with her friends!  Please continue to pray about the need for teachers; and follow up with the Kidders if you have felt a distinct calling to come and serve in Ethiopia!