To me this picture says Ethiopia like no other pic I have! I also love it because one of the sweet men at our guest house did an oil just like it and I bought it from him. It will be going in baby boys room:) Ethiopia was the second leg of our trip and it was quite amazing. It was beautiful. There are eucalyptus trees there and they smell awesome. That smell will always be Ethiopia to me from now on. When we got to ET we were tired, hungry and dirty. We got to the guest home and it was like going from camping to the Hilton in my mind! We could shower with warm water and sleep on a 4 inch mattress rather than 2 inches. Now the only part of this that I didnt enjoy was the endless prayer calling. Between the Muslim and the protestant-we never lacked for mournful noise. The people of ET are just beautiful. I love these people and love that they are free to show love to each other and not pervert it like we do in America. They are generous and will do anything for you. Our itinerary didnt go as planned, but that is okay. We were in the places that God wanted us to be. We spent some time a AWAA doing a mural for the orphanage. The first time we were there, I held a little girl about the whole time. She was so tiny. I thought she was probably 3 wks old. She was 3 months old. She didnt like to be swaddled like a little baby normally would. She just wasnt used to the human contact and the comforting snuggles of a mommy. It broke my heart. She cried a lot and would stop when I sang to her. I think of her every day. I prayed over her before I left and pray that she has been blessed with a loving family by now. As I think of my own two children sitting over there it just makes my heart ache for them and what they may or may not be feeling.
We spent a lot of time driving in Ethiopia. We would start out-the drivers would say "yes, yes" and act like they knew where we were to go are what was going on and then we would get to do something different:) Lots of crazy miscommunication! But one day we got to go to the dump. I believe there is around 80,000 or more that live and make a living at the dump. This area started as a leper colony. Than generations got lost in the poverty and rejection of growing up a dump child. The people here are amazing!! I know I use that word a lot but its just what fits. The love that they have for each other is such a testimony. They are going to be the Hebrews 11 people of Ethiopia! We spent the day there and it was a hard day for me. The altitude is killer and I was really suffering from low blood sugar that day. I got to walk through the dump with part of my group. Words cannot describe what our eyes saw. My heart felt as though it would burst wide open with emotion I have yet to put into words. Mountains of trash-puddles of dark yellow and black water-and more trash. Broken glass every where-I was begging God to not let me fall down. You are looking at the mountains of trash and than you start to see bodies moving on it. Its the people who are digging through all of it to find something that they can turn around and sell to make a small amount to keep on living. More flies than the old testament plague. You had to breath through your nose or you would eat flies. Maybe I should have for the protein! The children are so dirty and the women or too! Yet they hugged us and smiled like it was another day. I felt like I was in a nightmare. How do these people live here? How come they have to do this. What will happen to the tiny baby on the mothers back? This day changed my life. It opened my eyes to something I didnt know existed! When we got the referral for two babies, I asked Brett "how can we say no?". I couldnt-not after what we saw. We got to bless the children at the dump ministry with lunch of lamb and than we got out the soccer balls! We walked to a beautiful eucalyptus grove down by the river to play some soccer. So awesome! A day I will never forget. You can sponsor these children to go to school and get a education. To someday break the chains of the generations of dump living and hopelessness. If you would like more info on this ministry please leave your email and I will get you the info. This ministry just sent 250 children to boarding school. 250 children who will for the first time in their lives have 3 meals a day, a bathroom, more than one change of clothes, their own blanket, a bed and I could go on and on. I cant wait to take Brett. For him to walk the dump and see the poverty with his own eyes and see what I saw!
At the end...I was so ready to go home! It had been a long time away from my family and I was ready for some food! When I got to D.C.-I was so happy to be in the USA!! So thankful that I live here. I was so hungry though and I stunk so bad:) I found a little pizza joint at my gate, bought a huge slice and a yummy Caesar salad. I sat down and Blessed the food like no other time in my life. Than I proceeded to eat faster than ever with tears rolling down my face. I am sure the people around probably thought I was a little mental! Africa was awesome! Lord willing-I will go back to serve the people again. In the future we will go back-there are two little souls there that are waiting for mommy and daddy to come and get them!!! Thanks for your prayers and support for the most life changing summer ever!!
May you be blessed-A
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