It is crazy how fast time flies here in the states. I have now been home for a month and a half and I have no idea where the time has gone! A lot of people have asked me about my trip to Ethiopia and honestly, it has been hard to know what to say. My general response is, "It was AWESOME!" But really, I don't even know where to start. I have so many stories and situations that I experienced that it is difficult to process it all...even after a month and a half. So, I will do my best to share just a little bit of my trip to the other side of the world.
I left on Friday, October 14 and arrived back in the states on October 30. I was gone for 17 days and there were many days where it felt like I had been gone for over a month! We packed our days full of service and ministry and it was amazing. I did miss my family but I told the group several times that it was nice to be 'in the moment' and not be focused on other things.
When Jeremy and I make trips without each other we always slip a card in each other's bag. I found my card soon after I got on the plane and here is just a little clip of what he wrote to me. "Remember God is more interested in your character than your comfort. Please don't sit over there worrying about us over here and miss what God has planned for you. Go get your paint on, love on some kids, and keep your heart open!" At that moment my hesitation about the trip and the worry that I had about leaving my family was released. Seriously, I have the best husband in the world to support this incredible journey that I took AND to watch the boys, work, and keep up the house while I was away. I am so blessed.
I had never met any of my team and waited patiently for blue shirts to meet me at the gate in Amsterdam. When they arrived it was truly amazing at how comfortable I was around everyone. And, it didn't take long before we all realized that there was no doubt that God had brought each and every one of us on this trip for a reason. We all had a purpose to be there individually, but together we stood united. I formed forever friendships through my team and I am so grateful and honored that I was able to do God's work with these friends.
My main mission on the trip was to paint an orphanage and that is really all I knew that I would be doing. However, I soon realized that God had so much more in mind for me and the team. I spent the first week with the whole group as we visited a very poor area called Korah. We helped a new church be planted, we put together bags of rice, coffee, salt, sugar, and soap for widows, we loved on children, we visited a leper community and we put new shoes on children's feet (196 pairs to be exact)! The depth of these experiences are so hard to describe. In fact, I still have yet to sit down and finish my personal journaling from our days in Ethiopia. While I was there I 'cliff-noted' daily and plan to go back and unfold everything.
The plan was that I would be dropped off at the orphanage in Adama by myself for 8 days to paint while the others visited other villages. However, when the time came for me to be dropped off, I was really sad. On one hand I was excited to paint, but I was sad because I didn't want to leave my new family. As the team packed up to head out, I sat in the lobby waiting for my ride. However, as I was sitting there 3 of the team members came in, one of them being Chase, the other artist that had been on the trip. I was confused...I thought the vans had left so I thought maybe there was something wrong. However, Chase told me that he felt as if God had told him to stay behind and help me paint. If he did that, the team would be able to swing back through Adama and pick us up early and I would be able to spend the rest of the time with everyone. It was an emotional moment as I was so thrilled and so in shock. No doubt these were my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Chase and I busted the mural out in less than 2 days and we even took breaks to have 'tea time' and to play soccer with some of the kids from the orphanage. This was definitely one of my highlights, or 'happy snaps' as we called them, of the trip. To this day when I think of this particular orphanage and the director, Tezera, (or 'Mom' as she wanted me to call her!), I yearn to be back. I yearn to touch the children's faces, to paint more, to walk around on their soil and be in awe of this other world, and to love on the widows and the orphans.
Since Chase stayed back to help me, I was able to join the team for a 14.5 hour van ride (one way!) to the cities of Nekemte and Gimbii. I was able to visit another orphanage where I painted a blessing on the wall and held some sweet babies. If Chase hadn't listened to God I would have missed out on so many other experiences.
One of the biggest things that I learned on the trip was to be fervent in prayer. If someone is in need, pray. If someone needs to be encouraged, pray. If someone is sad and lonely, pray. If someone needs Christ in their life, pray. Unfortunately, I am ashamed to say that here in the states if someone would ask me for prayer, many times I would say that I would pray but then not put much effort into it. However, since being back I have been more aware of my responsibility and if someone needs prayer, I do it right then and there. Prayer is a powerful thing and even though God may not answer the way that we would like, he does hear us. Our team rallied together in prayer each and every day. We had awesome devotional times in the morning to start off our day and we would stay up late each night laughing, crying, praying, and just enjoying the fellowship of one another. And, there were MANY inside jokes and crazy moments that came out of our time together, which we were so thankful for. There were many emotional experiences while we were there and it was nice sometimes just to release our feelings through laughter. And, boy did we have fun! Our drivers were hilarious, our group leader was fantastic, and the team meshed like we had known each other forever.
Our trip was definitely God-filled, this was not just a humanitarian trip by no means. Our team mission was to spread the love, hope and the Word of God and that is what we did. There is nothing like holding the hand of a leper or cradling a malnourished baby in your arms. This is what Christ would do. He would not be afraid of diseases or being around outcasts. He went to where the need was and he wants us to do the same. There is a quote hanging in our church that reads, "You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving." It can be so easy to just send money to the poor but to actually walk with them...that is something that I will have forever etched in my mind. There are many people who think that writing a check is going to write their place in heaven, but per the Bible and God's teachings, that is just not the case. I am not saying that everyone needs to go to another country on a missions trip, nor am I saying that sending money to the poor is in vain, but my hope is that we will be open to the needs around us, whether they are in another country or here in our own homes and cities.
It is hard to understand this world that we live in and to know that we have so much here in the states and there are people that are literally eating trash and sleeping on dirt. We have transportation, shelter, clothes, money, and food, and there are people who sleep among feces and live on a bag of coffee, sugar, salt, and rice for weeks. It isn't fair and it doesn't make sense. But, unfortunately, there are many things in this world that will not make sense on this side of heaven. It isn't for us to understand. What I do understand and believe though, is that material possessions do not create happiness. We could have everything in the world and it will not be enough. Yet we observed and watched Ethiopian people be so content with their dirt homes, and their small portions of food. So many of them have nothing, yet at the same time, they wear big smiles and grateful hearts. Ethiopia was an eye-opener in so many ways.
One of the Ethiopian men that we met and hung around while we were there was a man named Tesafaye. Tesafaye lived among the poor and was a church leader and a 'social worker' to the community. He is a humble and godly man and was an instant friend to our team. Near the end of the trip one of the guys on our team asked Tesafaye if he would come to the states to visit us sometime. He simply stated, "That would take time away from my people." Oh, to have that kind of heart for the poor.
This trip also opened my heart up to international adoption. Jeremy and I have been so blessed by the gift of adoption and we would definitely like to adopt again at some point. However, I will admit that I have been a little negative when it comes to international adoption. Since being involved in the foster care system and knowing how many children are needing homes here in the states, I never really understood going across the world for a child. I viewed international adoption as an expensive 'fad' but I promise, I have since buried this perspective. It may cost a lot of money but to see the face of the world in your own home is priceless. To love a baby who was near death in the jungle and who escaped a hungry coyote is incredible and nothing short of a miracle. While we were there we transported a very sick and frail baby who had been found in the dirt with bugs and worms crawling out of his ears and nose and barely hanging onto life. Is this hard to hear? You bet, but this is a common story on the other side of the world. I am not sure what God has in store and we are definitely going to let Him take the lead again when it comes to expanding our family, but all I know is that our hearts are open to another child, and if that child comes from another country, then we will go.
I really wish that I could share all of my pictures with everyone here on this blog but unfortunately, my computer's memory is now limited and I have been having trouble downloading and uploading pictures. I took over 400 pictures and I know between everyone in the group we have thousands. However, pictures do not do the country and this trip justice. The people of Ethiopia are gorgeous and the country is absolutely beautiful and I can see why it is has been thought to be the place where the Garden of Eden once was. It was truly majestic and I really hope to be able to go back there again.
Re-entry into the states was definitely more overwhelming than I expected. Even though I was absolutely on top of the moon to see all of my boys, life hit me hard and fast. I felt as if Satan was working overtime as soon as I landed because my mind was soon flooded with to-do lists and schedules. I have had to be intentional and aware of making time for God and for slowing down a bit. I know the processing of this trip will be gradual and I look forward to God showing me little things along the way. It was truly an honor and a blessing to have been on this trip and to witness life in Ethiopia firsthand.
To my team and all of the amazing people of Ethiopia..."May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26.
