Happy Ethiopian New Year (a few days late). On Thursday, September 11th we welcomed in the year 2007 with lots of visiting with friends, more coffee than you could ever imagine consuming in a given day, and copious amounts of dorro wat with injera (a local chicken dish eaten with a fermented pancake like bread called injera). Welcoming a new year here is similar to the states in that it leaves you reflecting on the previous year and looking ahead to what is to come.
The process of reflection took me back about 7 years, to what my life looked like in 2007. I was in the midst of the chaos they call middle school. ICK! Though, this is right about when God started laying Africa on my heart. And here, 7 years later (or no time later depending on which calendar you follow) I am living my dream in a situation that ONLY God could have orchestrated. It seemed as if these days would never come, preparing was a test of patience, but the result is so worth the wait.
Here, with a family I feel like I have been a part of my whole life, with people I have grown to love in such a short time, and with a new opportunity to serve right around the corner I feel complete. I am filled with joy and have never felt so alive. This is what it is to live, to come across a dream and follow it. It is not always easy, but it is worth it.
