Elevate Ethiopia Mission Trip

July 2-11, 2026

The team had a great trip.  Once they arrived on Saturday, the team met up with the staff and some of the students of Elevate at Unity Park.  Sunday, they went to church with Lincoln and then traveled to Debre Birhan.  They stopped by the Haile-Manas Academy, which is a premier private collegiate prep school in Debre Birhan.  Elevate has 5 students who attend there now.  Most students end up attending Ivy League schools after graduation.  In Debre Birhan, the team was able to distribute food, see the library, and hang out with the students at the Debre Birhan center.

The team was back in Addis on Monday night so they could prepare for VBS.  The Bible story for the three days was of Joseph's life.  They talked about where he began, the dynamic of his family, and where he ended up.  They asked the students to share their dreams and taught them to bloom where they are planted.  On day two, the team shared about how God builds our character through trials/temptations but remains faithful to give us the strength we need to get through them.  They also talked about how God allowed Joseph to use his talents to find favor with Pharaoh.  They asked the students to share their talents and talk about how they could use them to help others.  On day three, the team finished VBS teaching the students how God used everything that happened to Joseph to have him in the right place so he could help his family and the people.  They also shared the Gospel.  The high school students had so much curiosity and great questions.  Our prayer is that God uses this week to plant seeds that will continue to grow.  The team was able to visit Cure hospital that afternoon.  The hospital provides surgical care to children free of charge, but more importantly all interactions are centered around the Gospel.  On their last day, they celebrated with the students the kick off of their summer camp.  It was an amazing week.  The team left with full hearts and extremely grateful for the experience.

 

This was our fifth year partnering with Elevate Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  Lincoln Vallett grew up at Hermitage Hills Baptist Church.  He is now the Co-founder and Executive Director of Elevate Ethiopia.  Their mission is to work with families through empowerment and education programs to help them become self-reliant and positive impactors in their families, communities, and country.  They provide education resources of after school tutoring, summer learning, spoken English class, computer lab, school materials, individualized academic follow-up and field trips.  They provide mentorship resources of life skills class, individual/group counseling, Bible study class, motivational speakers, vision building/goal setting activities, and counseling/training for parents.  They also provide for parents economic empowerment resources of micro-business grants, business/financial management training, savings program, and family medical support.  Students and families in the program receive food provisions each month.  You can explore more at elevateethiopia.org.

 

Cost: $2,400 per participant

Participants: Ages 18 and older

Physical Requirements: Ability to work in hot, humid conditions

Requirements: Valid passport, visa and background check

If interested, sign up below.