Send Me

     I have been so blessed in my time here--even more so than I deserve. But I can tell you this much... It is not because of anything I did, but rather because I serve a God of grace who accepted my willing and obedient heart. The love that I have for the children at the orphanage and along the streets is not a love that I could have created of my own doing; it was God given and came from the overflowing love that He has filled my life with. 

     In coming to Ethiopia, I had a degree of qualification for working with and loving these young children, but to a large degree I was not at all qualified for the work that was ahead of me. I never studied cross-cultural ministries, I simply fell in love with it. I had no experience with orphans or social work, and the extent of my medical capabilities reached just about as far as the closest box of bandaids and tube of Neosporin. And yet God looked down upon me and saw something He could use: He saw a willingness to serve.  

     I have learned throughout this year, as I prepped and landed on the mission field, that something magical happens when we say "Yes, Lord." God starts moving in ways we never could have dreamed of. It was as if, by simply offering myself to God He began doing things in me, through me, and around me that could only be explained by His faithfulness even in this fallen world.  

Changing Seasons

There are seasons to mission work, just like there are seasons to life. Right now, I find myself in the most enjoyable season yet. Though I have many challenging days ahead that will test both my faith and strength, this season suits me. 

Two months from now I will be stateside. The chapter in my life lived in Ethiopia will be in the past and a new chapter will begin. Two months. That is how long I have to drink up each and every moment here, that is how long I have left to be transformed by this experience, and that is how long I have left to do what God has placed before me on this side of the world. 

Each season has it's ups and downs. But now, with two months to go, I feel like I am in a constant state of reflection. I have just enough days left that it is not overwhelming. I am close enough to the end that I am not experiencing even the slightest bit of homesickness. For that I am grateful. I am also close enough to the end that I am constantly feeling more challenged than ever to appreciate the now, the moment that God has placed me in. 

When I started this journey, I thought these feeling would never come. It seemed like a year might as well have been a lifetime commitment. That's not a bad thing, but I so often found myself taking the moments for granted. Wishing parts of them away so that I could be back with my family. But as you would assume, now that each day seems to fly by faster than the last, I am willing time to slow down because what lies ahead of me does not seem nearly as impossible. I feel like that is part of what God desired to teach me in this year though. He wanted me to enter what felt like the impossible so that He could be glorified in the wonder of possibility. He wanted me to step beyond my comfort zone so I could both grow and lean on Him in new and undiscovered ways. He wanted me to leave the norm not to change the whole world, but to make a difference for Him. 

I have said time and time again, at the end of this year my one desire is to feel God say to me, "Well done my good and faithful servant." I still have a lot ahead of me, but I hope that even up until this point I have fulfilled what God has asked of me, placed before me, and entrusted me with... Because this year, this not-so-normal path I have chosen, is purely because I love Jesus and this is what He asked me to do. 

Safari at Last

Wordless Wednesday... Went on a safari over the weekend. It was the most amazing experience. Rather than try to put it into words, I will let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy! 

Only in Ethiopia

   I am just about to begin my 10th month in Ethiopia, and with that I am left thinking about how different my life here is. Often times I am simply left to laugh at the things I do here that I never expected. Enjoy a laugh along with me...

Only in Africa would I...

• Remove an acrylic nail with dentil floss
• Take baby wipe "baths" for over a week straight
• Make my own yogurt, tortillas, bagels, and hummus, among other things
• Paint my nails regularly in an effort to hide the dirt
• Go for a month without electricity...and water...with a newborn! 
• Eat mangos 3 meals a day without shame
• Pay 20 birr ($1) to have my house swept and moped
• Haul water and live in a mud house
• Be living 7 years behind people in the US, and yet remain 7 hours ahead of them
• Draw excessive attention while simply living my life--occasionally it feels like I am an animal at the zoo
• See a child and think, "Hasn't he thrown a rock at me before?" 
• Embrace a life of such simplicity and fine such pure joy and happiness in it!

   This is my life. Some days are tough. Others are purely draining. I'd be lying if I said some days weren't. However, each day brings about its own rewards and beautiful moments. From time to time I even have to pinch myself to be sure this life is real: living my dream, the one that brought me to Africa! 

Let the Children Come

This week my heart is so full! 

Yesterday, on my way to Bible study at the local hospital, I passed a little boy in town. He looked SO familiar, just like one of the toddlers from the orphanage! Though I did not know if he had a home or not since I had not been since little miss came into my life, I was still convinced this was him. The boy I saw was happy, full of life, and complete in the joy of belonging.

Today, I went with a friend to the orphanage for a bit. God has been so good! After not being there for nearly 2 months, they have totally transformed! Many more of the children have been adopted into families, and those that are still in the home look so wonderful! They have all grown, and those that were "babies" before are now crawling around quickly enough to keep up with the big kids. And the best part... They still knew my name when I walked in! 

The little boy I saw in town was indeed a boy from the orphanage placed with a forever family! My heart swelled even more knowing it really was him! God sees these children. Even though they are orphans and abandoned by the people that are supposed to love them most, He watches out for them and provides for their every need. 

Not being with the boys every day has been tough, I missed them even more than I realized. However, today as I spent time with them again, I was reminded of the gift that they are in my life--gifts from God with a purpose and a special place in this world. Their starts may not be "typical" starts to life, but I have full faith that God saved each of these children's lives for a purpose! 

A God of Faithfulness

     Faithful and constant. Two words that have come to describe God for me this year. But I am not the only one who has experienced God in this way over the last year...

     My younger brother, Noah, shared his faith story this past Sunday at church for Youth Sunday. He sent me a copy earlier in the week. All I can say is WOW! He talked about how he has lost several people in his life this year, relationships changed, and he found himself feeling lonely and discouraged. One after another, some of the most important relationships in his life took on a totally new light: marriage, a foreign country, death... However, the amazing part of this story that both melted my heart and caused it burst with pride was how Noah found a deeper relationship with Christ through the losses. He shared that he felt God speaking this transformational truth into his life, "Yes, you've lost several people in your life, but I'm still here. Am I not enough? Why is your happiness based on those around you and not on Me, who has promised to never leave you nor forsake you?" W.O.W. 

     When I first read his sermon, I was simply lost in the joy of knowing my brother's heart had been captured by God in a very real way. But as I have read it since then, the truth that God spoke into his life has been something that has challenged me. 

     My time here is flying by faster than I ever could have imagined. And all the while, the only thing that I can count on as normal is that there is no normalcy! As soon as I get settled and things become routine, the game changes and suddenly I am called to serve somewhere else. In that, it is easy to attempt to grasp onto those around me, those that the Lord has me serving for this period of time, for my happiness and joy. Being a part of these lives has been transformational, and each experience that God has gifted me with He has also used to refine me and work within me. But the time will come that these relationships will draw to an end, and when that time comes, my hope is that I can remember the truth that was spoken into Noah's life this year... Joy in a faithful and constant God. 

     Right now it is easy to find that joy and fullness in Christ. After all, I am living my dream surrounded by amazing people that God has gifted me with for this season. But the real test will come when I return to the states and face the bittersweet of ending one chapter to start the next. 

When I Took a Bus

This past weekend, my friend Jodi and I set off for a few days away in Awassa. Awassa is essentially the Addis Ababa of southern Ethiopia. With everything from stop lights to an ice cream shop, Awassa has all the natural qualities of Ethiopia with a bit of a more developed spin. 

Friday morning we set off to the bus station for my first experience with public transportation. I had NO idea what I was getting into, but I certainly looked forward to the experience of doing things just like any other Ethiopian. Wow! Twenty minutes into the ride we had a stop; upon reboarding the bus, they let the local beggars on for a quick chance to bring in some money. I quickly learned that allowing beggars to board is a totally normal thing. Just a bit further down the road and we pulled over quickly to pick up a few people headed to the next town... and their 8 chickens. There was a short debate about whether or not the chickens could board, but when it was all said and done we found ourselves with a handful of chickens as seat-mates. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried! The rest of the trip remained pretty uneventful with the exception of a few window wars and a guy hanging out the door as we drove on down the road. 

We arrived in Awassa and I drank in the newness, the beauty of the lake, and the experience of seeing another piece of Ethiopia. We stayed in a guest house a short distance from the lake, not too far from the fish market. That made for a lovely smelling walk to town each morning. Storks roamed the area, hippos mooed away the evenings, and monkeys swung from the nearby trees. Each night we enjoyed dinner at a restaurant overlooking the lake as the sun set off in the distance. It was beautiful! The mornings were easy-going, sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee and listening to the birds and watching the rays of sunshine bounce off the water in the distance. 

We spent one day by the side of the pool at a local resort. I decided I was going to pamper myself with a pedicure. After nearly 10 months of Africa built up on my feet, they were begging for a little love. I spent a whole 70 birr ($3.50) for my hour and a half pedicure. I'd say it was worth splurging, wouldn't you?

Sunday afternoon we returned home. This bus trip called for a lot more patients than the 1st. It was cold and rainy, the girl behind me was smacking gum like it was her job (which is one of my pet-peeves), and the man three seats down decided it was his responsibility to provide music for everybody. With his radio turned up as loud as he could get it, he jammed away. We arrived home though, without a hitch, and with that our weekend getaway came to a close. It was so nice to get away for the weekend and enjoy a change of pace. I got some great pictures, and thoroughly enjoyed spending time in fellowship with Jodi. What a weekend...