Ready for Work
Just got word that the team is up and heading out for work! At least one team member is sick - please pray for quick healing and for those that are healthy to remain healthy.
Oct 30
Greetings from Ethiopia!!! We are here and all but one tucked into bed (that'd be me because I'm writing to all you)! This is my first journal entry, so please feel free to read on...
Oct. 30:
On the plane - it was LONG. The air is dry and the seats aren't lazy boys by any stretch, thus sleep is hard everyone. The team was on the road or in the air for 30 hours. Everyone did well, but we were all more than ready to get off the plane. We arrived in Addis Ababa at 8:30am Ethiopian time (10:30pm here). The sun was shining and it was about 75 degrees - perfect weather!
After getting off the plane, everyone was in good spirits. We drove through Addis Ababa and saw the beauty of Ethiopian people, but also the poverty that strangles so many of them. For many team members this is the first time they've seen true poverty and it is shocking. It's hard to believe that some people live like this. It's definitely a good reality check for everyone. As we meet many Ethiopians we are continually amazed by how gracious they are with their smiles and polite gestures. We visited Hannah's Hope orphanage today and again, it hit us all that these children are orphans. We throw that term around so loosely, but when you put a face to the term orphan, you become VERY aware, VERY quickly just how devastating it is for these children. They run right up to us with such a genuine desire to have us be their mom or dad. They all just want to belong to someone who will call him/her their own. It is an eye opening picture for all of us, realizing that we are adopted into God's family and we belong! He is SO good! We look forward to loving these children and filling them with love!
Tomorrow we are off to paint an orphanage as well as build some needed structures. We're looking forward to getting our hands dirty! I will let you know how that goes!
Thanks for all of your prayers and support - God is working in and through us!
Oct. 30:
On the plane - it was LONG. The air is dry and the seats aren't lazy boys by any stretch, thus sleep is hard everyone. The team was on the road or in the air for 30 hours. Everyone did well, but we were all more than ready to get off the plane. We arrived in Addis Ababa at 8:30am Ethiopian time (10:30pm here). The sun was shining and it was about 75 degrees - perfect weather!
After getting off the plane, everyone was in good spirits. We drove through Addis Ababa and saw the beauty of Ethiopian people, but also the poverty that strangles so many of them. For many team members this is the first time they've seen true poverty and it is shocking. It's hard to believe that some people live like this. It's definitely a good reality check for everyone. As we meet many Ethiopians we are continually amazed by how gracious they are with their smiles and polite gestures. We visited Hannah's Hope orphanage today and again, it hit us all that these children are orphans. We throw that term around so loosely, but when you put a face to the term orphan, you become VERY aware, VERY quickly just how devastating it is for these children. They run right up to us with such a genuine desire to have us be their mom or dad. They all just want to belong to someone who will call him/her their own. It is an eye opening picture for all of us, realizing that we are adopted into God's family and we belong! He is SO good! We look forward to loving these children and filling them with love!
Tomorrow we are off to paint an orphanage as well as build some needed structures. We're looking forward to getting our hands dirty! I will let you know how that goes!
Thanks for all of your prayers and support - God is working in and through us!
ROME!
I just got word that the team has stopped for fuel in Rome. They generally do not get to get off the plane at this time, but should be heading on the last leg of their trip to Addis very shortly!
Addis Ababa Bound
The team is boarding the plane from Washington DC on its way to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This leg will take them about 16 hours! They will be spending a few days in the capital city of Addis Ababa (central part of Ethiopia) and later will be heading up North to Mekele (also on the map above).
We are ready!
Our bags are packed (all 26 of them) with clothes, shoes, donations and a variety of other items we're taking to Ethiopia! It's hard to believe that we leave in less that a week (4 days to be exact)!
Pictures from the streets of Ethiopia.
Our team is excited and more than ready to get our hands dirty, painted and working. When we arrive in Addis we'll be going over to Hannah's Hope orphanage and working! We cannot wait to see Almaz - the orphanage director, hold babies, play with the children and work!! We'll be doing a variety of these types of things for a few days before we fly up north to Mekele!
Pictures from Hannah's Hope
In Mekele we'll be working with Dr. Geb on his new hospital. We'll be painting and helping to build whatever is left to build. We are thoroughly excited to meet Dr. Geb, hear his story and work!! While in Mekele, we'll also meet the president of a seminary. They've asked us to bring 100 English bibles for their students which we were thrilled to be able to do. We are looking forward to learning more about this seminary and hopefully being able to connect them with a seminary here in the US. That's their desire as well. So if anyone knows of any seminary's that may be interested in forming a partnership in Ethiopia, let me know!
This is the hospital Dr. Geb is building. I'm excited to see how far it has come. Impressive!
From Mekele we'll take a 5 hour van ride over very rough roads, mountains and hills. We'll be heading to a village called Kerbera Valley. Almaz took a team there last year and they handed out shoes. This year, we'll be taking more shoes and clothes especially for older children. We are really excited to get to know these people and get to spend some time with them.
Some scenes from Kerbera Valley
After that we'll head back to Addis and work more in the orphanages.
Needless to say, it's a full and exciting schedule! Please lift up our team as well as all of the individuals we'll be meeting and connecting with in Ethiopia. God be praised for all that He will do in and through us!! Amen.
Pictures from the streets of Ethiopia.
Pictures from Hannah's Hope
This is the hospital Dr. Geb is building. I'm excited to see how far it has come. Impressive!From Mekele we'll take a 5 hour van ride over very rough roads, mountains and hills. We'll be heading to a village called Kerbera Valley. Almaz took a team there last year and they handed out shoes. This year, we'll be taking more shoes and clothes especially for older children. We are really excited to get to know these people and get to spend some time with them.
Some scenes from Kerbera ValleyNeedless to say, it's a full and exciting schedule! Please lift up our team as well as all of the individuals we'll be meeting and connecting with in Ethiopia. God be praised for all that He will do in and through us!! Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
