Big God: Little Me

Just before drifting off to sleep last night, I laid listening to sounds of the night. With my window open it seemed as if the night was coming to life. The sounds of crickets filled the air and reminded me of home. Dogs barking in the distance, a mosquito buzzing around (who feasted on my arm last night), and the occasional scurry of the mongoose that lives in my attic. Oh, and how can I forget the hyenas. Yep, I have hyenas that spend their nights calling not too far away from my bedroom window. I guess it's safe to say that I am not in North Carolina anymore. 

Even in an evening of listening to life come alive all around me, I am reminded of what an amazing experience this is! I have had a rough go at it lately as I have tried to, yet again, create a new normal. Home has seemed even further away than usual, and with that my desire to be there has grown even greater. Yet after days upon days of crying out to God for a peace, comfort, and joy that can only come from Him, I felt His very real presence today. 

The reality that I am in Africa literally living my dream in bigger and bolder ways than I ever imagined hit me. The work that God is doing, and that I get to be a part of, hit me. The ways that He has revealed Himself to me in my time here hit me. I am not saying it is an easy road from here. However, what I am saying is that I am thankful to be on mission serving a God who is faithful. A God who looked upon all of His creation and intentionally sought out my hurting heart to reach today.  

Too Pretty!

Today, before the evening rain, God placed a beautiful double rainbow in the sky. It was too pretty not to share!

Early Rains are Back!

You are in America welcoming spring, and here in Ethiopia we are welcoming the early rains! 

After months upon months with full on sun all the time, I am excited to welcome back the rains. Or, the early rains. For the next month or so we will get a nice rain storm every day that will hopefully cool the air and hydrate the dry and dusty earth! That means it is time to pull out the rain boots and the rain coat again--and figure out how to zip my little miss up inside! These rains will last about a month before the sun returns full time. At that point though it will only be a month of sun before the full rainy season comes back.

Excited for the rains and looking forward to the life that it will bring back to the earth here! 

Mountains and Valleys

I have debated whether or not to post this for some time, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that it is okay to share the valley moments as well as the mountain top experiences. Right now, I am in a valley.

Sometimes it is hard to admit that things do not go smoothly all the time. It's hard to allow for that vulnerability and share the reality that some days, weeks, or even seasons of mission work are not always easy. Right now, I am in one of those valleys. 

I am at a point where I am so passionate about what I am doing, but struggling with being away from home. I am living my dream here in Africa, but life in America seems so appealing. I am struggling with feeling disconnected and separated from life on the East Coast. I am both pouring out and receiving love from the boys at the orphanage and my baby girl, but I am longing for the tangible connection with my loved ones stateside. I so want time here to stop so that I can drink in the blessing that is mission work, meanwhile another part of me is willing time to fly so I can be running into those long awaited hugs back home. 

You see, it's a battle. A time when everything is good, and yet I am struggling. I don't share this so you can feel bad for me, but rather so that you can pray for me. But not just me, each and every missionary around the globe that is feeling this same way for this given time. 

This week, be in prayer that God would wrap His ever present arms around my fragile heart and remind me that even in the valley He is faithful! Pray that this truth is one that I would not just believe, but accept. Pray that this time of discouragement and missing home would pass quickly and I would find myself feeling fueled and ready to face whatever God has for me in the next 4 months here. 

1st World Girl: 3rd World Problems

     I recently met with the leaders of the compound that we are living on to explore the possibility of renting a house of my own here on the compound. I am getting ready to start my eighth month in Ethiopia which seems impossible, but along with that I am eager to test out my independence and see what I am really capable of living here on my own. I have learned SO much living with Jon and Jess, and now I am ready to take that into the real world. I have secured a house and am planning to move in this weekend.

     Yesterday I spent the day at little shops around town getting fabric for my "couches". Don't be fooled. I am in Africa so my couch consists of two beds pushed together with a bunch of pillows. I have to laugh at the things we can get away with here... Beds as couches, duck tape for upholstering, and a major explosion of color that falls together so well in the space. TIA y'all (This Is Africa)!  

     This is what I like to call: 1st world girl, 3rd world problem. When it came time to skirt my repurposed beds, I was reminded of my lack of materials to keep everything in place. Well, when all else fails, borrow the neighbor's duct tape. Worked like a charm, and looking at it you'd never know a classic American fix is holding it all together!

Welcome to life in Africa!