Taking off!

Well, I can hardly believe it, but tomorrow morning I fly to Washington DC at 6am and then our flight to Addis Ababa departs at noon!  I am so excited!  Yes, I am nervous, for many different reasons, but I have faith that this is exactly where God wants me to be going and that puts my heart at peace.

I had hopes of blogging and uploading pictures while there, but there is mostly dial up service where I am going and it is not very reliable service.  So, I have decided to journal my trip and then post once I am home with pictures.  I know so many of you who have offered prayers...thank you!  It is like a warm hug whenever I hear those lovely words! 

I will be missing my family like CRAZY, but I will be loving the orphaned children like CRAZY too!!

Peace and blessings,
jen

Another success!!!!

So much fun was had tonight at the Wii MarioKart Tournament!  We had 12 kids play, and they all were great sports and so kind to one another!  Drew L. won the overall tournament, and Drew V. took 2nd place.  Rumor has it that alot of the kids were practicing before they came (I love that!!!). 

Craig did a stellar job as commissioner of the tourney--thank you, my love!  We would still be setting up the systems if I was left to manage this myself (seriously, folks!)

The grand total for all of the fundraising for the playground (between the bake sale, balloons, and Wii Tourney) is.....drum roll please......$564.31!!!  WOW!!!  Thanks to everyone one of you who baked, sold, purchased, ate, donated, played and ate some more!!  Without you the children in a village in Northern Ethiopia would not be getting a playground, but now they will be!!!  When I started fundraising, I was told that the cost of the playground was $1,200, and that $600 had been raised already.  I know that the others have also raised additional funds, so we will likely be donating the playground as well as a tv and dvd player!!  God is so very good!

Please continue to pray for me as I begin packing and getting ready to leave.  I will be updating the blog as often as I can pre and post trip, but because of the lack of internet accessibility, I will not be able to update while I am there. 

Happy Tuesday!!!
jen

So much to learn....

Here's a bit of information about me that you may not know.  I am one of the least technically savvy people around, and I think I am OK with this.  I do not have an MP3 player, or a nook or smartphone.  I do have a digital camera and a camcorder, but that is the extent of my savviness.

Other things I want to learn:
How to sew.  When my grandma passed away, I was given her sewing machine, and I truly want to use it, but I need a lesson.  So, I asked for a gift certificate to a local sewing shop that gives lessons, and I got it...for Christmas.  I truly just need to find the time and go...maybe I will set it up for after my trip!  Nat and I have big dreams of sewing together and making skirts and American Girl doll clothes.  Can't you see us doing that??!

How to knit.  Again, I need to find someone to teach me and then I just need to do it!  Crafty stuff just does not come easy to me. 

How to blog better.  Yes friends, but I am a sorry person when it comes to the blogging world.  I may try to import a picture into this post...we'll see if it actually shows up!

I love that my kids are learning all the time.  They come home from school and show me how they taught themselves to use a yo-yo, how to paint, sing, learn a new game, or a card trick.  Kids amaze me in that respect.  As an adult, it feels so much harder to push yourself to learn something new.  But the reward from doing it is just as great!  That feeling of accomplishment is just as sweet when you're an adult.  The thrill you get when you can share a new talent is priceless.

Here are some pics of my littles perpetually learning:

Gabe putting a puzzle together at the Children's Museum in Atlanta.

Nat getting ready to sing at her Kindergarten concert where she sang 1st Grade, 1st Grade to the tune of "New York, New York" (so cute!):

And Nat painting our basement walls this past winter day...

And finally, Audrey learning to ride her bike:

God is with each of us when we learn something new, and he is so pleased when we do it to benefit his greater good.  So, if you want to learn to sew, perhaps you can use it to sew clothing for children in Africa.  Or, if you learn to paint, you could use your talent to paint a mural on a local shelter's wall to brighten someone's day.  There are so many different ways you can use the talents that God gave you to serve others.  Enjoy learning along the way!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!
jen

PS - tonight is our Wii MarioKart Tournament fundraiser at the Breakaway Cafe.  It should be fun!

Why go?

Thought I would share a longer version of the testimonial that I wrote for my church bulletin to share with you my my reasons for going on the trip to Ethiopia...

Are you open to the will of God on your life?  This was a question that I was confronted by while reading Richard Stearns’ A Hole in Our Gospel.  In this book, we are challenged with helping those who live in extreme poverty.  As I poured through the book, my  heart was broken when I read the statistics regarding those living in extreme poverty who struggled daily to eat even just one meal, locate safe and clean water, attend school and have access to health care.  I began to question whether or not I was neglecting God’s desires by not serving our “neighbors” who just happened to live at a different latitude.

As I continued to read, research and contemplate the circumstances in countries with extreme poverty, I felt a gentle nudge to begin exploring mission trips.  What an intimidating thing to consider as a mom of 3 young children.  I tried to talk myself out of it, but there it was, everyday in my heart and on my mind.  So I began to learn about the available trips, and over the course of a few months I contacted several potential groups organizing trips to visit orphanages in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  The first trip I contacted was already full, so they added me to their waitlist and told me they would call if a spot opened up.  Two groups told me that they were only accepting members of their church for the trip.  And I didn’t receive a call back for the other three.  My prayers throughout this process were for patience and guidance because I certainly didn’t know which trip God wanted me to go on, or if this is something that I should even do.  And as each of these doors closed, I realized that I could be disappointed, or I could be thankful that God was guiding me.  I chose the latter and kept praying and listening. 

Then one day while at church, I was encouraged to talk to another member whose daughter had gone on a mission trip to Ethiopia.  As I introduced myself to her, I realized that there was an instant connection.  After listening to me share what had been put on my heart, she offered to set up a meeting between me and her daughter.  I met with her daughter a week later and she shared with me about her experiences in mission work in Ethiopia, and how she had been working with an orphanage called Lola Children’s Home in Mekele, which is a village north of Addis.  The Director, Abebe, had been orphaned as a child while living in Mekele, but had moved to Addis and had lived in an orphanage there until he “graduated”.  After leaving the orphanage, Abebe had persevered and had obtained a college degree in social work.  His mission in life was to set up an orphanage in Mekele so that HIV⁺ orphans in his hometown would have a place to live and receive the appropriate medications to treat their disease.  This dream came to fruition last year, and my new friend had been there to help him establish the orphanage.  I felt compelled to partner with Abebe and his vision, but I felt constrained by the fact that ALL of the available mission trips only went to Addis.  I thought that this was not an option, but of course, God’s plans are always greater than what I can even consider!

My new friend also shared that she was going back to Mekele two weeks later to visit Abebe and to bring medical supplies to the orphanage.  I asked if she would be able to inquire about recommended mission trip organizations while there.  So, I waited (somewhat patiently) for the 14 days that she was gone, and when I received an e-mail from her I was very excited.  She shared that her trip went well, and that she did inquire about reputable organizations and was told that I should look into All God’s Children International (AGCI).  When I first read this my heart sank.  I knew that I had already been on their website and that it was marked as CLOSED.  I thought that this door had already been closed on me.  But, I decided that if God was putting this in front of me again, that the least that I could do was to call AGCI. 

So I called AGCI, and spoke with Rebekah, the Ethiopia mission coordinator.  I inquired about the trip and whether it was possible to still register.  Her response was an uplifting, “YES!!!”  Then she proceeded to explain the trip was included 5 days in Mekele at Lola Children’s Home.  I was completely overwhelmed and in disbelief when I realized that she was saying that I had an opportunity to go and serve God at an orphanage that I felt I already knew through my new friend!  I shared with Rebekah the unlikely coincidence (which, I know was all part of God’s plan) and how I knew of Abebe and she shared her excitement with me.  I KNEW, without a doubt, that this was the trip that God wanted me to go on!

As I booked a 10 days mission trip as a mom of 3 children, I realized that I felt no anxiety—only peace knowing that God is walking with me.  I also understand now that there is no perfect time for serving others.  At every stage in life there will always be challenges to overcome and barriers to cross.  No matter what you current situation, God can make a way for you.  It is not about doing things for God, but being with God: living in His presence, hearing His voice and direction, and being available to serve him — through His strengths and gifts, not your own.   

On this mission trip I will:

·         Fly from Washington DC to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on May 20^th and return on May 30^th.

·         Spend 2 days at Hannah’s Hope Orphanage, loving on the children there and doing crafts and games with them.

·         We then fly up to Mekele, and spend 5 days at Lola Children’s Home. 

·         We will also be working with an organization called Rachel’s Faith, which empowers women by teaching them vocational skills (like basket weaving, embroidery, salon skills) so that they can take these skills back to their village and make a living.

My hopes for this trip are to:

·         build, clean, and serve as much as I can while I am there visiting the orphanages.

·         love on the orphaned children (this is my favorite part!).

·         listen to the needs and prayers of the orphanages, and see if there is some way to support them in the future.

·         worship God in a new community with new “neighbors”.

I know that God will be directing me while I am there.  I know that my life will be changed after this experience and I am looking forward to sharing  this experience with others so that we can continue to foster these relationships with our “neighbors”.

And so I leave you with a closing question that I continue to ponder.  Bono, from the band U2, states “We can be the generation that no longer accepts that an accident of latitude determines whether a child lives or dies. But will we be that generation?” (Foreword to The End of Poverty (2005) by Jeffrey Sachs).

Are you open to the will of God on your life?

Happy Thursday,
jen