Half of my heart...

A few of the things I miss about Ethiopia:

  The weather: If ever there was perfection in weather this would be it. Every day was warm and sunny with a nice crisp breeze. Everywhere we went people would say, "I'm sure you are burning up!" We were quick to say that we love, love, love, the beautiful weather and the high temps with ZERO humidity. Folks in Alabama can hardly imagine sunshine without the stickiness of high humidity. It was wonderful!

    

  The Buna a.k.a. coffee: Everywhere you go in Ethiopia they offer you coffee. It is the birthplace of coffee, and dates back to at least the ninth century, so it is a very big deal. They drink it so strong that it is straight up black (not a chance you will see the bottom of the cup until it is completely empty:). It is so, so, so good. I'm not sure that its goodness is as much about the coffee itself as it is about the hospitality it represents. These people embody the words gracious host. They are the very definition of it. 

The Food: As soon as this girl can make it to Birmingham she WILL be adding Berbere to her spice cabinet. If you know me well you know that when it comes to food, "the spicier the better", and oh my, do they do it up right in Ethiopia. The meal pictured below is quite possibly the most delectable meal I have ever eaten. If you order fried chicken dry style in ET, this is what you get.




As you can imagine, in a climate like this, the fruit is absolutely out of this world. We had fresh mangos and bananas every single day for breakfast.

The People:  Nick and I fell in love with Ethiopia. 

We fell in love with it's people: People who understand how to love their neighbor as themselves, People who jump at the chance to serve you, People who greet you not just with a Selam (hello) but quickly follow it with Dehna Neh? (how are you?... and then slow down to listen because they really do want to make sure all is well with you), People who greet each other with a hug and kisses and often stand holding hands as they speak.

Of all the things that moved me about the people of Ethiopia, the thing that stood out to me the most were their eyes. When conversing it was like I was looking into their souls. It was as if they were giving me a gift... no false pretenses, no self protective barriers, no illusions, just honesty, warmth, vulnerability. To speak with them would be as if you were having two conversations at once. One with your words, and one with your heart. I wish that I could better convey it, but some things are just too holy, too sacred for words.

Abdissa & Biniam of Children's House International:)

Markos- Cab driver extraordinaire ,and one of the friendliest people you will ever meet.

Zerihun- He was our guide to Adama, and what a blessing he was! We felt an instant connection to him. He was the first evangelical believer in his village , and endured much persecution for years. Now he is pastor of a church in that very same village ,and is praying that the Lord would bless them with more full time ministers and the funding and opportunity to buy land there to build a church. It is extremely hard for an evangelical to obtain land from the government to build a church. He has seen many victories there in his village, and asked us to partner with him in prayer. Will you join us in praying for Zerihun, his church Tede Kale Hiwot Church, and the people in his village Tede?

This guy was the guard at our guest house, and he would absolutely break his neck to try to help you.
 I don't think he stopped smiling the entire time we were there. I loved being outside during our stay because the weather was so beautiful. I eventually had to limit how often I went out, because if he saw me come outside he would jump up out of his guard shack, and come running with his chair. He couldn't bear to sit if I was having to stand.
Bless his heart, he's dressed in polyester from head to toe, in the heat, grinning from ear to ear because he had the opportunity to honor me in that way.

...and then there's Nigatu. A guy we met on the street who works locally at a school for sponsored children. He thanked us for coming to Ethiopia, and told us that he had much to learn from us. We had so much more to learn from him. We were able to talk, and share with him, and I really can't explain our exchange as anything other than holy. I thank God for Nigatu ,and what He did in my heart as a result of our conversation.

Tezera- Just typing her name causes my heart to well up. Thank you Jesus for Tezera. I have never known someone to serve so selflessly, love so deeply, or sacrifice so greatly for those the Lord has entrusted to her care. She puts her heart and soul into her work in Adama, and it is easy to see why she is so beloved to those who have the privilege of knowing her. I would greatly appreciate it if you would join us in praying Psalm 41:1-3 over her as she is recovering from a recent surgery. She actually sent me this scripture to bless me, but the Holy Spirit led me to pray it over her.

Psalm 41:1-3

 ¹ How blessed is he who considers the helpless;
The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble.
² The LORD will protect him and keep him alive,
And he shall be called blessed upon the earth;
And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies.
³ The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed; 

In his illness, You restore him to health.

Oh yeah.... and then there are these two ;) 

I most definitely miss them the most. Quite actually, not a moment goes by that I am not missing those little faces, longing to hold them in my arms, and kiss their sweet little noggins. Hold on little angels, we're coming soon!!!!!!