It was the best day, it was the worse day

   Friday I woke up early and started to journal while the room was still quiet.  A little after seven I heard a knock on our door.  It was Eric bringing the most beautiful words with him, "Andrea's boy is here."  I jumped out of bed and got dressed as fast as I could.  Angela's, Eric's, and my sponsor kids had WALKED 10 km this morning to see us.  It was not on the agenda to see them today so I was THRILLED!  Greetings were so warm and natural now with Teshome.  I sent him back out to the soccer game the boys were playing in the courtyard and I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed out.  I giggled to myself thinking 'I'm a soccer mom and I'm loving it!'

Angela made the boys oatmeal for breakfast and it was nice to do normal mom things for Teshome.  The simple act of being able to go to the kitchen and pour him a glass of mango juice...priceless.  The boys played our phones and ipads while we all got ready for our day.  To my surprise, instead of dropping them off back in Korah they were going to join us for the day.  Hooray!!  Exactly what I had prayed for, a chance to serve together!  Our first stop was to Embracing Hope which is a daycare.  This ministry offers free daycare for working moms from the struggling communities around them.  The childcare is free as long as the women are working and it must not be begging or prostitution.  Embracing Hope is clean, has good toys, the kids are happy, and the nannies seems to love their jobs and are very creative.  It's unbelievable how wonderful this place is.

I really can't find the right words to express my feelings watching Teshome with these children.  He was fantastic!!  When all the other boys ran off to play by themselves or to the van to play with the phones, Teshome was right with the kids.  Comfortable, gentle, funny, and playful.  The American's might as well have not been there because the kids just followed Teshome around wanting to play with him.  My heart was so full I thought it would literally burst!!
While walking from one daycare house to the next, we passed a woman in the street that came up and started talking to Teshome.  Then she turned and greeted me but I didn't understand much of what she said.  Turns out that was Teshome's bible teacher.  Love the small community :)
This ministry was so unexpected.  The good conditions, the lively energy from the nannies.  The schedule is strict and filled with good play and music class.  I felt like I was at Ethiopian Gymboree.  The best sight was seeing that all the nannies are locals.  It made me happy to see the care and routine poured into these children who at the end of the day are picked up by their parents.  At this young age, so much good is happening for them.

After EH, it was time for lunch.  We headed to the resturant inside the city museum called Lucy's.  By far the fanciest place we had been, but it was very cold and rainy and the food was not that good.  I sat on the same end of the table as our sponsor kids and by now it was easy for me to forget where they come from because they were just part of our group.  After the boys polished off a huge plate of ingera (topped with meat and eggs and all sorts of stuff), one of the boys wanted a toothpick.  He unwrapped it and casually tossed the paper over his shoulder.  I was shocked for a second but then I thought about where they usually eat.  They live at the trash dump and it really isn't a problem to throw trash there.

Teshome and the boys also came along with us to Kadane, the catholic orphanage.  Seeing him in an orphanage for the first time made me thankful he isn't in one.  I'm not sure his funny, gentle, loving personality would have survived in institutional living.  I prayed for his safety in Korah but was thankful for his freedom there.  We decided as a team that this would be our last day together with the boys from Korah since we had the whole day together that day.  On the porch of the orphanage, AB our translator helped Teshome and I be able to talk a little more.  It was great to have the help.

When we headed back to the van, instead of sitting in a two seat aisle, Teshome scrambled all the way to the back with the other boys, put headphone right on, and put his head down.  We both knew what was coming.  The few times I did look back and make eye contact with him he looked so sad.  The driver decided to drop us off at the guest house first and then take the boys home.  At the guest house, we piled out of the van and the team was saying our good byes to the boys.  Teshome came and fell into my arms and cried.  I cried.  I wiped his tears and told him how special he is.  We hugged and cried and I prayed for him.  Then it was time to really say the impossible good-bye.  He jumped on the van and ran to the back seat. The others were still saying good-byes and  I saw that he was struggling to open the back window of the van.  I ran to the end of the van and helped pull from my side.  We held hands and I stared at his tear filled sad face knowing there was nothing I could do to make it better and at that moment my heart shattered into a million pieces and my knees wanted to buckle.  We held hands until the van was ready to pull away.  I touched his face one last time and told him I loved him.

Here are the moments why you should ALWAYS bring your best friend with you to Africa.  As soon as the van drove around the corner and I stepped into the guest house courtyard, my knees finally gave way as I went into the ugliest cry I have EVER had.  Kendra was there to literally catch me and hold me up as I sobbed all over her coat.  I will never be the same after this day.  God blessed Teshome and I with some emotional highs today and He will pick us up from this pit of sadness. 

Just because things are hard or sad, doesn't mean we shouldn't do them.  The biggest blessings come from some of the hardest things. 

Korah Clinic

Day 6 was a great day.  I'm going to post the blog straight from my journal...that way I get to go right back to that day with all of you :)

"Today was a GREAT day!  Wanting to do something to help the guest house workers during their sad week, Brian made breakfast for us like only a southerner can do.  Fried chicken breasts with gravy and eggs over medium...yummm!

We were late getting to Korah, so we started right in with VBS.  Things are so comfortable with Teshome now.  No grand greetings, we find each other, stay together, and look like we have always been together.  When I spend time with other kids as VBS he doesn't leave...he is more confident that I am there for him and will always come back to him.  This kind of comfortable is good.

Tigist brought her sister Salam today like I had asked her to do, so after VBS while lunch was being served, I took the girls to the clinic to see Kayla.  Since the girls are not a part of a program they do not eat lunch and they also do not have access to the clinic without paying so visits there are impossible for their family.

I crossed the Korah street with Salam in my arm and holding Tigist by the hand.  If they were going to come through the guarded gate with me it had to be clear they were with me.  When I went through the orange clinic gate the first thing I saw was Kendra standing on the porch with a sweet little girl.  My heart was about to burst.  My first thought was "THIS is why we are best friends!"  This is so Kendra and what I love about her.  Neither of us had a clue the other one was headed to the clinic.  Kendra's little friend had a gash in her hand and others with us had seen that as well.  What Kendra was able to see that others missed was the little girl's response time.  She tripped, wobbled, and fell over a lot.  Kendra witnessed her not moving for a car until it was RIGHT in front of her.  She couldn't see.  The cut on her hand was from a trip and fall that might have been prevented if she could have seen the road better.  Watching Kendra's heart breaking through emotion while explaining these things to Kayla, who works at the clinic, was really touching and I knew she was forever changed in that moment.  It was a really special moment to share.

Kayla said the little girl would have to go to Alert Hospital for an eye exam and glasses.  Kendra and I quickly pooled our money together for this expensive visit.  Luckily, I had some donations in my backpack ready for just such an opportunity.  Kayla then sent for the girl's mother so she could give her instructions.

Meanwhile, Tigist, Salam and I sat patiently as a few others had their turn being seen.  Salam was a little frightened but her big sister did a nice job keeping her calm and letting her know that it was important to be there.  Salam's fingertip had now swollen even more and she was running a fever.  As we were waiting, Teshome showed up.  He came into the exam room with the girls and I and watched intently everything that Kayla did.  Salam needed antibiotics to fight whatever infection was taking over, so Kayla sent Tigist to bring their mother to the clinic.  When the mother showed up, Kayla was able to explain that Salam had an infection and needed medicine.  I noticed that the mother was surprised to see the finger.  I'm sure Salam didn't even show her.  What would be the point, her mother could not have afforded to take her to the clinic. Kayla showed her how much medicine to give her and when to give it to her.  Because Salam was not a part of a program, I used more of the donations money to pay her bill.  I'm thankful her infection would not get worse and her pain would soon be gone.  Praise God for putting the girl in my path and letting me be His hands guiding her to the clinic.  I'm so thankful there was a clinic to take her to!!

Kayla let Teshome and I stay and watch the next few patients.  One boy had a terrible gash on his calf.  He had been at the trash dump and a garbage truck scrapped leg when he got too close, trying to fight for the first of the food off the truck I'm sure.  Teshome has dreams of being a doctor and so Kayla explained the whys of everything she was doing.  He seemed to really love it.

Today's good-byes were not hard.  Today was a good day and Teshome and I knew we would both see each other again.  I won't see him until Saturday so it was just a "see you in two days" good-bye."

***Update***
Kendra got a message on facebook yesterday from Emily who runs the clinic in Korah.  The little girl saw the doctor and has a pair of prescription glasses coming this week!!!  We had been concerned that she had more serious issues, but the doctor seems to think it was just her sight.  Wow!!!  Kendra was truly the hands and feet of Jesus that day for the girl.  Her life will change so much.  I know Kendra wished she could be there as she puts her glasses on for the first time and walks down the road.  There is a whole new world waiting for her :) Can't wait to see her next time I'm in Korah!

The Day I Was Waiting For

I was so happy to wake up to those obnoxious drumbs and realize that today is Wednesday!!  Today was the day we would serve the morning in Korah and when we left for lunch we would bring our sponsor kids with us!  Months before when I heard we would be doing this my heart jumped for joy and now the day was here.


We started the morning out with VBS for the Project 61 kids in Korah, which was always fun.  After that we helped serve lunch to those same kids, but since our sponsor kids were coming to lunch with us, we asked them to help us serve the other kids.  Serving side by side, just how I hoped it would be.


After lunch we all piled into the van to head back to the guest house.  Teshome looked so excited to be leaving with us.  On the way the most unexpected thing happened.  Jessie had borrowed my speakers to put in his ipod and he started blasting Justin Bieber's Baby.  Guess what?  These kids from Korah that speak almost no English started singing EVERY WORD!!  It's was hysterical.  I guess Bieber Fever is global.

Back at the guest house, the kids were able to get showers and we gave them their new outfits.  When I saw Teshome in his clothes I had picked out I was so happy.  One problem though, the jeans were too small.  I brought two sizes with me because I wasn't sure how much he would have grown from last year.  This past year he has been at the boarding school and getting at least two regular meals every day.  Guess what eating regular meals for a year will do for a kid?  Make them grow... a lot!!  I felt bad that the jeans were a little tight, but it also made me so glad to see that he is healthier.  (No worries, a friend of mine sent a pair after I got home with a team headed back there).  We hung out for a bit, took lots of photos, and the boys had a grand time playing our iphones.  I felt bad for Teshome because I had deleted most of the games on my phone.  He did get very good at Angry Birds Star Wars by the end of the trip though.

We loaded up in the vans again and headed to a pizza place for lunch.  It felt good to be able to feed them, and not just the filling food they get at the feeding program, but yummy food that filled their bellies AND tasted good.  All the boys crowded to one table and even though I wanted to be right next to Teshome all the time, I also knew that he would have more fun sitting and eating with his friends.  When the pizza came out, the boys went and filled their plates and headed back to the table to begin stuffing the pizza in their faces.  All except Teshome.  Teshome put a slice of pizza on his plate and also grabbed a fork and knife.  Back at the table, he tried to cut his pizza but it was apparent he had no idea how to use a knife.  All of their meals are usually eaten with their hands.  I think he thought this is the way he should eat with the Americans.  Eric stepped in and taught him how to use the knife and after Teshome had done it successfully, he then told him he could use his hands to eat pizza.  The kids ate all they wanted and enjoyed their Fanta.

Then we piled into the van again to head to our next fun place.  Teshome said, "Mom, music?"  I happily handed over my phone and head phones and he looked like an American teenager.  We went to one of my favorite places in the world...Kaldis.  It's kind of like Ethiopian Starbucks (as you can tell from the logo) except the coffee is way better and there is ice cream.  We all enjoyed that stop.

It was getting late in the afternoon by now and the time had come to take the kids back to Korah.  Here is one of those moments I can still see perfectly in my mind and feels as raw as if it had happened this morning, but the chances of me putting the right words down to convey my sadness and confusion are probably slim.
Bumping along those roads, Teshome took one ear bud out and gave it to me so we could listed to the music together.  We huddled together and he asked me to pick the song.  I put on a little Van Morrison and told him he was my favorite singer.  Not exactly what he would have picked, but I think he appreciated it. I have a terrible sense of direction, so I wasn't sure when we were getting close to Korah.  I had my arm around him and as we drove down a road that seemed familiar to me, I felt Teshome lean in and take a big, sad sigh.  That's when I knew we were close.  That sigh, forever in my mind, said it all.  The day was coming to an end, the carriage was turning back into a pumpkin.  The day felt so great, it felt wrong to drop him back off to sleep in the shelter.  I know that Korah is his home, but the realities of poverty are harder when you come to know and love people who are suffering.  Even typing this now brings tears to my eyes and my breathing feels labored.  When you keep difficult "social issues" at an arms length you can think about them and then move on with your life.  When you wrap your arms around someone you love who is in the middle of these social issues then it changes you.  Nothing has ever made me feel smaller and more helpless than looking  Poverty in the face.

The van door opened and the boys jumped out.  We said quick good byes so we didn't attract too much attention and then they were running down the road to their homes and Teshome back to the shelter.  The question I have struggled with ever since I stepped foot in Korah a year ago has not been "Why is there poverty?" but "God, why did you show this to me, and what are you asking me to do?"  I have a feeling this question will take years to figure out, but the only thing I've learned so far is stolen from a popular quote,
 "Live Simply so others can Simply Live"

I went to bed that night hoping Teshome went to sleep happy about his day.

Pack Your Flexibility In Your Carry On

On last year's trip to Africa, my leader used the phrase "pack your flex pills" no less than ten times a day.  It's true and just means that we need to roll with the punches and stay positive.  I have to say it's tough sometimes to be American in Africa and truly live the easy going schedule.  However, if you can find it within yourself to really try, you will experience a new way of living the day more in the moment instead of planning ten steps ahead.  You hear "no problem" and truly believe that whatever you just asked for is no problem...no problem if it works out and no problem if it doesn't.  This concept is so foreign to us, but on this trip it was put to the test in a MAJOR way! 

Remember the last words I said to Teshome the day before?  "See you tomorrow morning for VBS!"  I know never to promise anything to him, but I thought this was safe.  I was here in Africa, we had made a schedule with P61, it's all agreed on for us to be in Korah that next morning.  Then the unthinkable happened.  A member of the Ethiopia Guest House staff died that morning.  She was a lovely young woman that was working at the guest house up the hill from us.  The staff as a whole is a very tight knit family.  She had only been sick for three days and then passed away.  The staff who we were one hundred percent reliant on was now in shock and mourning for their friend.

As a group we were stunned.  Our new friends were hurting and there was nothing we could do for them.  In Ethiopia, funerals start the afternoon of the death and last for three days.  Even though the staff was still being as hospitable as only Ethiopians can be, we suddenly felt like such a burden.  If we said we didn't need drivers and would stay at the guesthouse, then they needed to come cook for us.  If we said we would leave for the day and not eat in, then we needed someone to drive us and translate for us.  Our hearts broke for them, but on the other hand we were only in Ethiopia for a few days.  The decisions made in these next twenty four hours by our leader were made with much compassion.  We wanted the staff to be able to mourn and we also wanted to uphold our word to the children we had promised to return to in Korah.

By the time a driver was available to drive us to Korah, we had missed our opportunity to do VBS that day.   We were left in Korah and a driver would be sent back later instead of staying with us all day.  I feared that Teshome would be hesitant or even upset thinking that I was not coming, but he was the same lovely and funny kid I remembered from the year before.  Gone was his shy exterior and he even started trying out calling me "mom".  I was walking towards the building where we would help serve food that day, and heard behind me, "Mom?"  I turned to find Teshome and gave him a smile.  "Lunch time, Mom?"  Yes, yes it is!!  From there on out I was Mom and each time he said it my heart felt like it would burst! 

We visited the Alert Hospital today.  Walking past all the different treatment buildings for various sicknesses gave me at least some hope for the people here.  Most people in Korah still could not use these services in the trash dump community medical center because it costs too much money.  When you are struggling to survive day to day, medical treatment is not an option.  Made me think about conversations happening in my own country about health care.  What these people wouldn't give to have the luxory of the outcomes we will have soon.  For better or worse, I can see that our country tries to take care of it's people in ways other countries don't have means to do.

Some of the men and women living with leporecy work daily spinning thread, weaving fabric, and embrodering the most beautiful table clothes, napkins, blankets and pillows. We did a bit of shopping at Alert in their store.  There are a large number of people living with leperosy in Korah because it started a few decades ago as a lepor colony.  The government, in hopes to iraticate leprocy, gathered all people suffering with the disease from the country side and the city and placed them in one spot.  Korah was born and they were presumed to die there.  They did not all die and some built lives and starting families.  Now the third generation lives in Korah free from leperocy but many orphaned by the AIDS outbreak that inialated much of the second generation.  These are the children we serve.  Korah is one of those places where devistation is everywhere but so are smiling faces.  Tough for an American mind set to comprehend and the most valuable lesson they can teach us. 

Teshome carried my bag for me all day, since we didn't have our van to keep it in.  He was such a gentleman about it.  As we walked through the muddy streets it killed me to watch our steps.  I had on my trusty rain boots protecting me from any drop of water and Teshome had on what looked like jelly sandals that were too small.  That's what he was wearing when I found him the first day and I wanted to bring him his new shoes today, but we had to wait for the next day to give them their gifts.  When we arrived back in the area of the church, Teshome showed me where he was staying in the shelter.  It was nicer than I had pictured and less crowded than I thought as well, still nothing cozy or welcoming about it.  As I sat on his bed and met some of the boys that live in there with him, I could almost feel the hunger for love in that room.  All those boys were in there for very sad reasons, none of them had to tell me their stories for me to know that.  In a community that is already filled with pain and suffering, these boys were also fending for themselves. However, they did have a bed, blankets, and a door they could lock at night.  The children living on the trash dump do not even have these luxories.

I sat on Teshomes bed with pictures of our family hanging behind us, and showed him my necklace that I wear every day.  Last year I bought an African pendant in Ethiopia and then had Teshome's name engraved on the back.  I showed him and told him I never take it off and that he is always close to my heart.  I think this is too much for a boy living in the shelter there to believe.  I hope he believes what I was telling him and that it heals some part of his heart that longs to feel loved. 

After making the most of our short day in Korah, our driver picked us up and took us back to our guest house.  We had a good afternoon bonding as a team and allowing the guest house employees to mourn their friend.  Today was nothing that could have been planed for, and at the end of the day we just prayed that we made the right decisions to not hurt people in our path. Did we miss out on some ministry opportunities in Korah this morning and this afternoon?  Sure.  Did we accept the opportunity put before us to let the guest house staff know that we love them?  Yes we did, and we would continue this over the next few days we were there.  Giving space when needed and praying with individuals who's hearts were hurting.  One of our team members even stepped up and cooked a meal for the house using his God given talents to show love for our friends. 

Reunited At Last

Most mornings in Ethiopia, I was awakened early by a drum.  At first I thought it was some sort of prayer drum because I was expecting the Muslim call to prayer to be the thing to wake me each morning.  Turns out it was just a karate class next door to the guest house.  A very LOUD karate class...that was unfortunate, but it did give me time to journal each morning after falling asleep with pen in hand the night before.  This morning I woke up to the "thump thump thump" and though about seeing Teshome today.

Teshome is our sponsor son who now lives in the shelter in Korah while he waits to go back to boarding school in September.  We have been sponsoring him for two years and have seen so much change during that short time.  It had been one loooong year since we had first met and I could not wait to see him again.  It had rained the previous night as I laid in bed happy that Teshome and I were listening to the same rain falling and thunder rolling.  I was a bit nervous about our meeting that day, wondering if things would be strange between us.  I didn't know if he had learned anymore English and I had only learned about two more Amharic words.

As our van turned off the main road into the side streets of Korah that morning, I saw Teshome walking down the street with his friends.  I waved and he looked stunned and even surprised.  I had told him I was coming, did he not believe me?  As soon as I could get out of the van I saw him and pushed my way through the crowd to throw my arms around him.  We were happy to see each other, but I could tell he was feeling overwhelmed and a bit shy.  He's not one of the kids in Korah who greets each team coming in looking for hugs and cuddles.  He is shy and reserved but anyone that will put the time in quickly finds him to be kind and loving.  We were able to talk a little through his friends because neither of us was very good at the others language...yet.

As our team ate lunch, I had some time to meet our translator, AB.  Through our talk I found out he had also been the leader for the group I had originally planned to come with a month earlier.  As soon as he found out Julie, a woman on that team, and I were friends he quickly got up and asked me to follow him.  He went and found a young woman with a small baby.  He told me I had to take a picture of them, so I did.  Then he excitedly told me that when Julie was in Korah this baby was very sick.  His eyes were crusted over and very infected, but today he looked just fine because Julie had provided medicine for the baby.  Later that day I was able to send an updated picture to Julie for her to see those beautiful healthy eyes.  These are the moments on missions trips where the world seems so small and simple acts from others inspire us to do what we can while we are there.  What a blessing to be able to pass on information. 

Still being in the first few days of our trip, I think a lot of us ended the day still wondering what it was God wanted us to do here.  We were having fun, enjoying meeting people, but why did He call us here?  I suppose a lot of missions trips start out that way and unfortunately there really isn't a way to speed up the process.  We were forced to slow down and enjoy the ride.  Went to bed that night thinking about how nice it was to tell Teshome that I would be back tomorrow morning.

Bole Community

This is a sign of a good day in Africa :)

Where to start?  I won't start with our first day in Ethiopia because our team had a tough time with jet-lag so we didn't leave the guest house :(  Kendra and I had a good day catching up and preparing crafts for the week though.  Back here in the states we don't always have time to talk about real things.  With the kids around it's hard to have a complete conversation without interruptions.

We will just skip to the first lovely community we went to in Addis.  The struggling community of Bole is just outside the city and up on a hill.  Surrounding the streets are eucalyptus trees. The day we went the wind was blowing the sweet smell all around us.  The houses were similar to the ones in Korah, the trash dump community, but the space between them and the farm land surrounding them was such a contrast to what I have previously experienced here in Addis.  This was my first trip to Bole community and is a place I would love to visit again.

As soon as we walked through the gate where the church is, a little girl clung to me and didn't let go for a long time.  She was adorable and just needed some cuddles.  There were not a lot of children around so it was a nice way to start our adventures.  We were able to play and visit without being overwhelmed.  In a building next to the church there is a room where a group of women make beads and jewelry for Mission Ethiopia.  Unlike the Mission Ethiopia women in Korah, these women are not as used to visitors.  They were shy but very nice.  Some women in our group joined them to make a few beads, but my little cutie was not about to let me go long enough for me try my turn at jewelry making.  That was just fine with me.

After visiting the room the women work in most days, a few of those same women invited us into their homes.  For most of our team it was their first looks at how a lot of people live around the world and not  from the comfort of their couch watching a documentary, but being welcomed in by the woman living there and being offered a seat on her bed.  Even though our team was small, we still could not all fit into her TINY home.  I'm guessing her home was probably the size of a queen size bed and dresser with no walking room.  She has worked for Mission Ethiopia for three years and two years ago came to know Christ in a personal way.  This was the first time I had ever thought of Mission Ethiopia being an outreach program and I loved it even more.  She asked our team to pray with her in her home.  Her son, who was probably around five-years-old, proudly showed off the few toys he had.  As we started to pray, he handed me all of his toys.  In my hands I held a plastic fisher-price type guy, an old broken baby teether, a plastic horse with matted hair, and a bead his mother had made.  He was so thankful and proud of his toys that it shamed me.  Those would have been the first toys I would have thrown away from my kids DEEP toy box and nobody would have noticed they were gone.

While we prayed, Kendra and I sat on the woman's bed that she shares with her son.  It was more comfortable than I had expected because it was just a mattress on a dirt floor, but all I could think about was her curled up at night with her son surrounded by walls that give little protection and listening to the wind, rain, dog fights, and worrying about the neighbors surrounding her that are disapproving of her being a Christian and aren't afraid to scare her.  What really blows my mind is that she has to pay RENT to live there!!!  How would she ever have a peaceful nights sleep?  Her faith in God is amazing!

The second home we visited was set on a hill and had an amazing view of the farm lands with the city in the background.  She is a widow that still has two young children at home.  When we asked her what we could specifically pray for, her response surprised me.  She replied that life has never been better for her and there was nothing that she needed.  We prayed a prayer of blessing over her home and headed out before the rain came in.  On the way back to the van I could not shake the look on her face as she happily proclaimed that she didn't need anything.  Dirt floors, dirt walls, one bed for her and her kids, a neighbor with an infant that shares a wall who must cry at night and keep them up.  No tv, radio, electricity, kitchen, plumbing, husband, wardrobe, vacations, "me time" at the coffee shop, latest book to read, any book to read, education, retirement, car...

I have SO much to learn about being content!

I'm Back!!!

I have been back from Africa for a few days now and just starting to get back to a routine...kind of.  The transition back to schedule is easier than figuring out how to live here again with my heart broken in new and beautiful ways. 

I have to give a HUGE thank you to all of you that helped get me over to Africa this year and those of you that helped fund projects we worked on as well.  The trip was even better than I could have imagined.  We had unexpected challenges and unexpected blessings that added to the heart break and beauty of the stories.  I know I was right where I was supposed to be and now can not imagine if I had chosen to skip this year...what a mistake that would have been. 

As I think about blogging stories this year, I know there are SO many stories all of you would love to read.  However, things are a bit different this year.  These are not just faces I met for a few days and now are stories in my past.  These people are my friends and some of their stories are too private to put out into the blogging world.  I know they would not mind me sharing them over a cup of coffee or a private chat, so if a story is interesting to you or speaks to your heart and you want to know more just send me a message :)

Don't worry, there is still much I can and will share.  My friend Kendra will blog as well and I will share some of her stories also.  Having my best friend along for this adventure was so amazing and at points I could not have stayed on my feet if it were not for her literally holding me up.  Best friends are a necessity when the "ugly cry" is in full force.  Learning more about the countries and cultures was a highlight and it was nice to not have the culture shock that I experienced last year.  It felt like going home.  

Stories are coming soon, I'm almost ready to start sharing.  It sounds funny, but it's actually hard to get them out.  I know I can't convey them in a way they can be fully understood, but my hope is that I can come close.  These are the times I wish I was an actual writer.  I hope that some of you would read these stories and think about going.  These trips are filled with really ordinary people who find when they get there something great they are able to contribute that is memorable and often life changing for someone.  Almost always it is life changing for themselves.  Think about it, consider it, pray about it, and keep an open mind.

Wildlife Fieldtrip

In my house we have a membership to the zoo and go about every other week or so.  The trips are something to do and quite unmemorable.  This summer I will get to take a trip to a zoo that will be a memorable day for me and an UNFORGETTABLE day for the children that let me go with them. 

Most of the children in the village of Busega, Uganda have never gone further than the village limits or to the villages neighboring them.  Their view of the country they live is poverty and suffering everywhere they walk.  In the last couple of years, some of the children of the village have started to attend a local school and gain an education.  I wonder what they think of this education and what they will do with it.  How can they dream and imagine beyond their current circumstances if they never see it with their own eyes. 

Pastor Samuel, from Return Ministries, and I have been planning a trip for some of the children while I am visiting them.  We will be taking the kids about an hour away from their village to Uganda Wildlife Education Center.  A day to see the beauty of the country God has placed them in, to see the beautiful animals that inhabit their homeland, to be kids, and most importantly to start launching some dreams withing them. 

This past year has been spent trying to meet some physical needs for these children in the way of food and clothing, but when I am there in person I have another need I would like to address.  I have been reading a book about poverty, and it described the greatest needs being of the psychological and social kind.  While these children live everyday feeling left out from the rest of society, on this zoo day they will simply be another group of children in awe of the animals and having a picnic lunch together.  This would be nothing to my children at home...this will be everything to these children in Uganda. 

I'm not going with a missions group to Uganda this year, I am going there on my own.  However, I will never be alone.  I will be well taken care of by Pastor Samuel and his wife Sarah.  Going on my own has some great advantages, but one of the disadvantages is funding an outing like this with a team of one.  We have priced it out and with the cost of admission, bus rental, adult supervision, and a simple lunch it comes out to be roughly $20/kid.  $20 for a day they will NEVER forget!  We set a goal of 30 kids hoping I can raise enough to fill that bus.  That comes to $600 and I have already had some wonderful donors that have covered half of that!!!  We are $300 away from all 30 kids going.  We can take as many kids as we get sponsored to go, but I am really hoping to at least get these last 15 kids covered. 

If you would like to sponsor a kid for this unforgettable day, simply hit the Paypal button on the top of this page and put in the comment "Zoo Day".  Just $20/kid

I can't imagine how spectacular the pictures from this day will be!!!  

Packing 101

As I prepare for my missions trip this summer, I have to pace myself because I get so excited that I just want to pack my bags and get on a plane!  However, there is still a bit of planning to be done before the fun can begin.  Speaking of packing bags, that will be the hardest part for me.  We are allowed 2 fifty pound bags to check and one will be filled with dresses headed to Uganda from In My Mother's Honor while the other one will be filled with things for the ministries we will work with in Ethiopia and gifts for some kids over there sent from sponsors here in the states.  Where will my two weeks worth of clothes and things be packed?  Those will be in my carry on and a backpack.  Okay, I know if my dad just read this while drinking coffee, that coffee has now been spit all over the computer and I'm sorry about that. 

These trips are all about being stretched.  Stretched emotionally, spiritually, physically, and evidently I am going to working on my traveling skills A TON this year.  Let me share a little story with you.  Twelve years ago (today in fact) Neil and I were married.  We headed out on our glamorous honeymoon to Jamaica with all five pieces of our new luggage for our one week vacation.  When we arrived in Jamaica, several Jamaicans laughed at us asking if all that luggage was for us.  We didn't get the joke...now I do.  How silly we must have looked.  What an embarrassing display of Americanism we were. 

The years have changed me a lot and I will be so glad to show up in Africa with four pieces of luggage and having almost none of it be for me.  So when you see pictures this summer and I'm in the same outfit again...and again, you will smile at all the growth that is happening in me. 

The Gavel is Down and the Numbers are in!

I am seriously blown away by the results from the online auction for my missions trip this summer!
First let me talk a little bit about the auction.  Without awesome donations of auction items from Abbadabba Bags, The Painted Piano, Family Christian Bookstore, In My Mother's Honor, Starbucks, and Jump City this would not have been as much fun.  I loved seeing the chatter between bidders and I'm really going to miss seeing that tomorrow on my facebook feed.  I saw bidders that were new friends, old friends, lots of family members far away, in-laws of my family members, friends of friends, and even an old co-worker of my sister's.  This reached way beyond what I ever could have dreamed.  I no longer felt alone in this.  Watching the bids was greater support for my soul than any amount of money could ever have been.

If you had asked me how fundraising was going this time last week, I would have said that I really wasn't sure how I was going to get to this seemingly insurmountable goal.  Not only did I have the expenses with the Visiting Orphans team, but also for my work in Uganda.  It is with great joy that I share these numbers with you tonight.
My numbers are still a little rough until they purchase our tickets this week or next, but this is a close guess.

Last week I was approximately $1600 short
In my wildest dreams I hoped to raise $500 from the auction
In reality, you all donated $1306!!!!!!!!
Now I am approximately $300 short.  Wow!!!

If any of you bid, didn't win, but still wanted to donate, please feel free to hit the donate button on this page :)
Anything raised above my trip costs will go to a project I'm working on in Uganda.  The pastor at Return Ministries and I are working on a field trip for about 30 kids while I am there.  These children live in a beautiful country and most have never seen past their small village.  Our goal is to show them a bit of the beauty God has blessed them with.  We are going to take them to a zoo/safari park about an hour away.  It will be a carefree day of play and seeing the most amazing animals.  My goal is that they would stop seeing all these Americans coming to visit them and dream of someday going to America thinking that is their only hope.  For many of them, this may never be an option.  I want them to see the beauty around them and start to dream of a better life within their country.  The cost is $20 per kid which includes the bus rental, lunch, and pass to the park.  We will take as many kids as we can afford to, but our beginning goal is 30 kids.  If that is something that you are interested in supporting, just put "Uganda safari" in the memo line when you hit the donate button on this page. 

The generous hearts that are obviously all around me have me in tears tonight.  I always knew I was going to Africa, but now I can really say, "I'M GOING TO AFRICA"!!! 
Thank you

Confession

Last year as I prepared to go to Africa for the first time, I was nervous and afraid.  I had no idea what to expect, no idea if there would be anything there I would eat, and no idea if I would like the people (or more truthfully if they would like me).

After my trip last year, I was amazed at how comfortable I was there and how I connected with people.  I was also surprised that I was dreaming about Sarah's cooking! It's been a heck of a year looking back to see all God had in store for me on that trip.  It is also cool to look forward and see the amazing and previously unseen adventures He has in store for me this summer and in the future.  I love my new friendships that have grown over the last few months.

Here's my confession:  This year's trip is technically a "short terms missions" trip, but in reality it feels like I'm going to visit family and some of my favorite friends :)  What a difference a year makes.  It's absolutely unbelievable to me that God could use an ordinary, kind of boring, nothing special (by worldly standards), person with no special talents like me to do His work!!!!!!  I had heard that this happens to other people but always assumed they were secretly really cool and talented before.

I'm here to tell you, all you need to do it SHOW UP and cool things happen.  You, yes YOU, are one of the people who can be used to change others lives and your own in the process.  Just show up somewhere you might be nervous and bit afraid to go and see what happens :)

Step One: Complete!

I am so excited to hit the first financial deadline of the trip with three days to spare :)
This first deadline was half of the money due, so it was the largest and most intense one.  I'm one step closer to putting my feet on African soil again and could not be happier to think about that!

I have been working hard on a fundraiser that will happen this weekend at a children's consignment sale.  Glad for all the donations of children's clothes, toys, and furniture that people have given for this event and I'm praying that big things happen on Friday and Saturday to give me a jump start towards my next deadline. Next deadline is to be at $3200 by May 19th. 

In May I have an online auction coming your way.  I'm excited to share these great items with you.  I have items I picked up in Africa last year, passes to local kids venues, and a few friends are joining in the fun like Abbadabba bags!!!  This is going to be fun, so get ready for it!

Exclamation alert... I'm excited!!!

**WARNING: there will be MANY exclamation points in here!!!!**

I am so excited to announce that I will be returning to Africa this summer!!  I never could have imagined the adventures God in store for me when I went last year.  I was stretched in ways I wasn't sure I was flexible in anymore.  The living conditions, restrooms, lack of creature comforts, and not having things sanitizingly clean were things I always imagined would bother me.  In the states I won't even go camping in a cozy sleeping bag after eating yummy smores over the crackling fire, but in Africa it seemed just fine to sleep with cockroaches, take ice cold showers, and use squatty potties.

Korah

After having my eyes open to how many others live, the old me would have said "this was a nice experience but I'm not going back again."  The new me says, "can I go back now?!"  After meeting the wonderful people I spent time with in Africa, none of those details mattered.  I'm excited to spend time in both Ethiopia and Uganda again with the majority of the time being in Ethiopia in my favorite place... Korah.  I will be going with Visiting Orphans again and we will be serving with Project 61 and Mission Ethiopia while we are there.  I am ecstatic to be able to spend a week with my sponsor son, Teshome!!!  Absolutely a dream come true!

The first day with Teshome

The other dream come true is that I get to take this journey with my best friend, Kendra!  Last year, as I was spending time with kids, I would literally be thinking "Kendra should be here."  This year she will be!!  Some girl friends take trips to Napa valley, spa weekends, or maybe a cruise.  We are choosing a girls crazy adventure week to a leper/trash dump community in Africa and could not be happier about it!

Can't wait to walk these streets in Korah again

Vanessa

After Ethiopia, Kendra and I will part from our group and head to Uganda to visit with Return Ministry for a few days.  This could be challenging for two gals who get lost going to places we go to all the time :)  It will be neat to see Africa outside of a big group.  Can't wait to spend time with Pastor Samuel and his family, visit the little girl we sponsor, spend time with the women making the beautiful jewelry I have been selling and have time with the children we have been feeding. 

Village of Busega

If you want any information on the organizations I am serving with or ways you could get involved, please let me know.  Otherwise, I'm sure you will hear from me over the next few months as I prepare for this next great adventure.

In My Mother's Honor

What I am about to write about brings me so much joy!

This summer while I was in Africa I would text home everyday where my mom and Neil were taking care of the children.  On the day I texted Neil about wanting to leave my sneakers for Teshome, I knew something interesting was going on in my mom.  I texted Neil about it because he had just purchased me those shoes, but when he read the text aloud to my mother, her immediate response was to leave them and she would replace mine before I even got home.  Now, my mom is a generous person, but this quick response made me think, "could Africa possibly be stealing my mother's heart as well?"

 

Coming home and starting to share stories, my mom wanted to hear every one of them.  One afternoon after retelling some stories at her kitchen table with her neighbor, they came up with an idea to sew dresses for the girls in Africa.  She texted me to see if I knew somewhere they could send them, and I was thrilled beyond belief!!!  I sure did know where!  The village of Busega in Uganda had me wrapped around it's finger and I thought of the children wearing ill fitting clothing, tattered clothing, and some no clothing at all.  The wheels were set in motion, my mother's sewing machine started smoking pumping out all these beautiful dresses, and the two friend's vision In My Mother's Honor was born.   

 

Miracle after miracle started happening.  People stated donating money for sewing supplies and eventual shipping, donating fabric, and even dresses they made themselves.  After every phone conversation I would have with my mom about this, we would just be in awe of what God was doing.  It started with a brainstorming session at my mom's kitchen table and ended up with these beautiful dresses for the girls in Uganda!! 

Total: 108 dresses and 40 pairs of short... all handmade and in about 4 months time!!

 

In this picture above, two things stand out to me personally.  The dress in the front with the bird on the pocket was made by my wonderfully talented sister, Monica.  She was the only one paying attention while my mother was sewing and what a beautiful way she chose to express her love though this dress on this sweet baby!! The second thing is the girl in the second row with the light color flower print dress.  This is our sponsor daughter, Vanessa.  Vanessa lost her mother a few weeks ago and is now an orphan.  My mom was able to bring sunshine through her talents to Vanesssa just like she does for my boys here in the states.  She's a good grandma :)

 



Pillow case dresses were the way to go.  Easy to sew, or so I'm told since I can barely replace a button, and super cute.  They can also grow with the children since the ties are adjustable.

This is one of my favorites.  Think you don't have money to give to big organizations so you can't help?  All you need to do is exactly what God had already given you the talent to do!  In fact you can use what you already have on hand to get started.  These beautiful dresses were made from my mother's curtains... how Sound of Music is that?!!!  Melts my heart.

Girls are girls all over the world.  A new dress that makes them feel pretty will also make them a bit giggly.



Okay, it doesn't get much cuter than this picture!!  Don't you just want to scoop these three precious babies up?  

Here's one of the most precious parts of the dresses.  Each one has a tag saying "Made just for YOU by Jeannie" (or whoever made the dress).  My mother and her neighbor had read some articles about children being kidnapped for the sex trade.  In the article it talked about children looking like they belong to a group greatly diminishes their chances of abduction.  Dresses of the same style and same tags are one step closer to this.  What an awesome idea they had!  Instead of placing the tag where the children could not see it, the loving hands put the tags on the front, near the bottom, and facing up toward the child so they could read everyday that someone had made their pretty dress just for them.  It's important that they feel someone cares what is happening to them...that they are not forgotten. 

 

Since receiving these pictures this morning and posting a bit on facebook about it, more people with big hearts and a talent for sewing are offering to join the cause.  I hope to personally take the second batch to the village this summer.  I can't wait to see what God does with these next few month and the newly energized Jeannie.  I have always had so much respect for my mom, but I am so truly HONORED to be her daughter now!

 

What talent do you have that could be used to touch another corner of the world?