It is possible.

"It is possible." This is a phrase that we came to hear OFTEN while in Addis, and ultimately a phrase that brought a smile to our faces. Our kind & patient friend Debelle, who accompanied us on all of our Addis travels, used this phrase frequently. I wish you could hear it said with his accent. We learned that "it is possible" meant yes, maybe, and sometimes maybe not. We loved it, and quickly adapted the phrase as one our team used often as well (and usually with Debelle's accent).

The phrase makes me think of you all though. It IS possible. It is possible to follow a God-sized plan all the way to Africa. It is possible to get on an airplane and leave your jobs, your schoolwork, your small kids, your ailing parents, your western mentalities....and travel to the other side of the world to be a part of what God is doing there. It is possible to overcome doubts, fears, questions and just go. It is possible to deeply love people you have only known for 8 days. It is possible to see people living in extreme material poverty, but who have more spiritual wealth than most of us have ever seen. It is possible to see the world a little more like Jesus does.

We implore you to connect with someone from the Africa team to hear more about our experiences - not the 3 minute "It was amazing" description, but the hour long over coffee and maybe a few tears description. We implore you to learn about the places and people we visited, and the partnership that we are building with them. We emphasized to our new friends over and over and over that we are only the tip of the iceberg. The 14 people they saw standing in front of them were the visual piece of hundreds more at home who are praying, giving, caring....loving. These people are counting on YOU. Please learn their stories. Pray for them. Or starting planning on going. We're already excited to see the new team that God brings together to return to Africa. Just as it was when our team first started meeting, it may seem impossible from the outskirts of the adventure; however we believe you will come to see that it IS possible for you too.

Wow
You’re back
How was it?
Was it safe?
It’s really dangerous there right?
How was the food?
Seriously, how was it?
I smiled and I said
Awesome, really it was amazing
But what I wanted to say was
Let’s go get coffee
Can I show you the pictures
Here check this video
The smiles of the children are imprinted
on my mind like the tattoo on your arm
The smell of humanity mixed with earth and depravity
Lingers in my surroundings
When I close my eyes I see the dancers stomp
and through the rays of sun I see the dust rise from the floor
The sound of a drum beating and a tambourine shaking brings me to my knees for with these sounds my soul is pleased and my heart is teased
My hands don’t clap like theirs.
Really it’s beautiful let me show you
See I told you
Did I tell you about the HIV/AIDS association?
They learn to sew but while they sew they sow more hope into each other than any nation.
They have the meds but no food to join with it
So the cure becomes the killer
But
When you give them a needle they make a dress or a basket
When they sell a dress they make some cash
When they have the cash they buy some food
And when you give them food, you give them hope
Hope for a future free from want
Hope for a future where all men and women are equal
Hope for a future where these scars stop throbbing
But for now most of their scars remain
In plain sight
For some it’s on their face, others hidden beneath their sleeves and jeans
But there are those scars that remain for now unseen
And the Church, the capital C church
God’s Church
Oh it is good
I mean it
It is very well
Men and women shoulder to shoulder celebrating
Dancing
Sharing
Praying
Giving
Laughing
Singing
But not like we do
Like their lives depend on it
And at the helm are women and men
with more courage and faith than I have ever known
Aron, Eraste, Providence, Jean Claude,
Theophile, Simeon, Delphine, Janique,
Israel, Sam, Jean de Dieu
They lead the hope parade
With arms in the air
Smiles wider than Lake Kivu
Feet that have walked 10,000 miles for love’s sake
Eyes that have seen the unthinkable
They celebrate our God of Justice and Peace
And reconciliation and Peace
And joy and forgivineness and Peace
And people listen and they follow
They cannot be silent
They cannot be still
So I’m not sure what we have to offer them
For they have offered me more than I could ever ask or imagine
That’s pretty much all I wanted to say.

(excerpt from "What I Wanted to Say", by John Cassetto after returning from Rwanda earlier this year)

Rest. Re-entry. Remember. Respond.

(Jan's journal entry - Saturday, Oct. 17th)

Wow, am I missing you all. Your voices, your laughter, your smiles, walking down the streets of Addis arm-in-arm. Eating together crowded all around the table with Ghette’s delicious, lovingly-prepared cooking before us. Our morning Devos, our evening de-briefs. OK, yeah, now I’m crying.

Just woke up from a three-hour nap. Made myself get up so I can sleep tonight when it’s dark. I can’t wait to see each of you tomorrow morning at worship!!

I went to the grocery store this afternoon and saw John Duma from a distance…decided to just let him soak in strolling through the aisles of dizzying choices of every item imaginable at our fingertips. Cases of Diet Coke, Cold Milk, REFRIGERATED meat all wrapped up.

It’s OK to feel ‘unsettled’; about the food in your fridge and pantry. A toilet that flushes every time you push the handle and multiple rolls of soft TP at your fingertips. More square footage in our closets than many of the families of 5-9 or 12 live in in Merkato. it’s normal to feel grief and sadness. We are all looking through a new set of “spiritual eyes.” Life here in Johnson County probably won’t come as usual or as easy for us for awhile. I’m thinking that’s a good thing. I don’t want to forget. I’m feeling a huge responsibility to remember. It really helped me today to get on our blogsite and watch and LISTEN to the video clips Allyson posted a week ago. A WEEK AGO…. Wow it was a week ago we were at the Sheraton skyping back to Cedar Ridge. It is really helping me to sit down and write this to you all. You should probably keep writing in your journals also. Didn’t you miss having morning devotions together this morning? Doug and I jumped out of bed this morning and dashed off to two FREEZING soccer games!!!

I talked with Lana today and we scheduled our final de-brief for this next Friday evening, October 23rd at her house. (Julie and Holly, how about skyping in!?!?!) We are scheduled to present as a team to the church NEXT SUNDAY between services! Please let me know if any of you CAN’T be there Friday evening and/or Sunday morning between services. I’ll be getting back to you about what exactly our presentation will consist of Sunday morning. We will have 30 to 40 minutes. Allyson, I’m sure we could use many photos!!! Probably put to music!!!

Sitting here at my computer watching a most beautiful Fall Kansas sunset this evening. It’s almost 3 a.m. in Addis right now….. what would we be hearing if we were lying awake in our beds? Roosters crowing, dogs barking and birds “gaulking”…

Love you all in an amazing new way, God’s beloved Ethiopia team,
Amasiganallo,

Jan

What we learned in Ethiopia....

*Plan on the plans changing.
*NEVER flush the toilet paper (if you are lucky enough to have any).
*An umbrella is a necessity in Addis, rain or shine.
*"Five minutes" in Africa does not mean five minutes.
*saying "no thank you" to curious monkeys does not keep them at bay.
*In the words of our dear friend, Debelle, "It is possible."
*Ehtiopian traffic "laws" are a bit different than what we're used to at home (i.e. there are none).
*We have A LOT to learn from our friends in Ethiopia.
*You do not need much materially to be rich spiritually.
*God is doing incredible things all around us, if we will just take the time to notice and get involved.
*a lot of "things" that seem important to us here really don't matter at all.
*hope in and through Jesus Christ can stand up to any and all challenges.
*Ethiopians are very gentle and soft spoken people, until you get them in church - whoa!
*God's glory is being shown all over the earth, and where there is darkness his light shines even brighter.
*what is looks like to really humble yourself before God and submit to his will.
*A mother's heart in Ethiopia is the same as a mother's heart here in the States.
*Prayer is more powerful and effective than we often choose to acknowledge.
*As long as you keep drinking the coffee, our Ethiopian friends will keep filing it back up.
*A delicious macchiato in Addis is only $0.30.
*kids can have fun playing with sticks and rocks, and no one gets hurt!
*you can live a full life with out a lot of "stuff".
*An Ethiopian's idea of a "large, big man" is different than ours.
*We are all seven years younger in Ethiopia - really!
*African spiders are much larger than spiders in the U.S.
*Everything in Ethiopia can be repurposed, and usually is!
*No amount or quality of pictures can capture the beauty of Ethiopia (but we all tried anyways).
*Where "the joy of the Lord" is your strength, you can smile through the most desperate circumstances.
*When you encounter someone who doesn't speak English, talking LOUDER does not really help.
*Learning does happen even when the teacher/child ratio is 1:35, the floor is made of dirt, and there are 8-10 children squeezed on one bench - and the teachers are in total control.
*Real mean hold hands.
*A "call to prayer" has a whole new meaning for us.
*Don't let Lana hold your camera.
*If Amber laughs...you'll laugh too!
*It is possible to become a "medical expert" in Ethiopia - ask Bonnie!!
*The saying "ants in my pants" has a whole new meaning - ask Allyson!!
*If you need a spider killed, ask Julie!
*Hooked on phonics works, even for Amheric (right, Dustin??)
*Holly has the patience of a SAINT!!
*Leprosy will eat the flesh, but it doesn't have any power over the spirit.
*work brings dignity.
*Africa is not the only place Jesus wants us to see people like he does.

Half way home!

Hello once again!! Just a quick update....We have arrived a little bit early in Amsterdam, and are waiting for a cafe to open for breakfast. It is 7:00 a.m. here, and midnight back home. It is hard to believe we will be traveling for another 17 hours! We are all SO ready to see the faces of our family and friends!! Two of our team members (Holly and Julie) have already departed from us, as they are on a different flight back to Detroit. It was sad to see them go, and to realize that our time together is quickly coming to an end. We have depended on each other like family, and have come to know each other as "our Africa family". Speaking of family, there were several U.S. families (one from Wisconsin, one from Minnesota, and one from Iowa) bringing home new members of their family from Ethiopia. It was fun to watch all of the babies on the plane! And it made those of us with babies that much more excited to see our own!! We'll see you shortly...

Love from Amsterdam,

The Africa Team

Torn.

We have had a nice and relaxing day here in Addis. We have enjoyed the streets and a bit of shopping, and are now getting packed up to head to the airport. We are all SO eager to see our family and friends, but at the same time our hearts are saddened to be leaving the people that we so quickly and so deeply came to love. We have all expressed that there will forever be a piece of Ethiopia in our hearts - we have been changed by the time we have had here.

Yesterday afternoon was incredible. We started our afternoon back at the LIA Merkato Compound, where a few of the boys were playing table tennis and had already put up the new nets we had given them. We started our afternoon in prayer with the LIA Merkato Staff, and then divided into two groups to head out into the streets of the Merkato Community to observe more about the challenges this community faces, and to pray for the needs we encountered as we walked. Personally, I wasn't really sure about this outing... Any time we have gone out into the streets, we tend to draw a lot of attention. However, this was much different than I had expected. Again, God had something bigger and better in store. The group I was divided into only had four of our team members, plus three LIA Merkato staff. Perhaps because our group was smaller in size, and we weren't toting along our bus, bags or cameras, we were able to walk through the streets as someone who lives here. The people near us went about their daily business (children playing, women visiting and doing laundry, etc.) without so much as a nod in our direction. The street that Dereje walked us down was a long, sloping downhill that allowed us to look out over the Merkato slum and see its expanse. I began to feel overwhelmed with the amount of poverty around us. As far as the eye could see - to the left, to the right, in front, and behind - there was poverty. It struck me that we would be escaping this poverty as we stepped on the plane in a short amount of time, and I was overcome with sadness for the people who live here, many who will never see anything else. I was feeling a sense of hopelessness. But then, God brought to mind Psalm 139:6-12....

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depeths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you."

We looked up and saw in the distance the lush green mountains, where the golden sunshine was shining down through the clouds, and it was as if God was reassuring us that there is Hope amidst the darkness of Merkato - just as the people here have shown us with their smiles and their stories. I stepped around the corner when we returned to the Merkato compound to gather myself and my thoughts, and a dear woman who was popping popcorn over open coals saw me and motioned/asked why I was sad. I tried to explain to her that is was all just so overwhelming, and she quickly replied "Xabier..." (God...) and smiled and pointed towards the heavens. I know she was telling me that God is with them.

We then shared in a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony (very RICH and DELICIOUS) coffee. They roasted the coffee beans and prepared the coffee over the coals right in front of us, and then we shared in a time of coffee and fellowship with our new friends. They kept the coffee and laughter coming....it was wonderful.

Following coffee, we returned to the guest house for a brief meeting with Dr. Yared. He is so wise and godly. It is a privilege to listen to him. He shared his favorite scripture with us out of Titus 2, and then several thoughts as we prepare to depart. I will always remember him saying with a smile on his face "Do not be discouraged by what you have seen. God is with us. We are in a season of planting seed....the harvest is yet to come."

We ended our evening with an amazing dinner at an Ethiopian cultural restaurant. We shared injera and delicious food (really!!) as we sat and visited together with Dr. Yared, Debelle, and Ashagre. We also enjoyed some incredible Ethiopian tribal dancing. It was unbelievable!!! What a joy it will be when all of God's children go home to be with him and sing and dance together for eternity.

Thank you for your continued prayers for safe and smooth travel. If all goes according to plan, we will see many of you tomorrow evening around 5:00! We love you....

With full hearts from Africa,

The Africa Team

Live from the Merkato Compound.

As I type, there are approximately 50-75 women are gathered outside the window of the LIA Merkato Compound listening to the women of our team share basic health and hygiene information with them. Their faces of courage and hope spark an excitement within me that can only be described as love. It is amazing how much we all share in common, especially as mothers. We seem to share one heart. It is a joy to hear these women's stories and to play a small role in helping them have healthier futures. The men of our team have been in a back office sorting vitamins to give to the women at the end of our time together.

Yesterday was an incredibly powerful and moving day. As we shared yesterday, we were headed to the Merkato compound to have a morning of sharing and testimonies with the hard-core boys. The team was able to track down 43 Bibles (after visiting several book stores across town and spending a lot of time on our bus). At one point, we were about to throw in the towel on finding the Bibles prior to our visit. We were thinking it might be best to give the Bibles at a later time so as not to miss any fellowship time with the boys. However, God had different plans. Develle was determined to find enough Bibles for us to give to the boys, and ultimately he succeeded. We would discover later why God wanted us to have the Bible on hand....

Four of our team members humbly shared their testimonies and life struggles with the boys that were gathered (41 in total). The boys were absolutely GLUED to these stories. They were amazed to hear that many of us have had similar struggles in life - drugs, alcohol, doubts, money issues, family brokenness. They then spent several minutes asking challenging questions of our group about our country's faith, how to share Christ with friends, and more. Depth is definitely not lacking amongst this group of precious boys. After our time of sharing, the boys were called forward one at a time to receive their Bibles. I wish you could have seen first hand the way these boys handled these Bibles, and intently opened them and began thumbing through the pages. The Compound Director, Dereje, was tenderly showing the boys where to find the various books of the Bible. It was simply incredible. God's Word is so powerful, and to know that each of these boys was venturing home with their own copy was amazing. To cap it all off, three boys came forward saying they desired to accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. We were privileged to witness Develle pray over these boys as they invited Jesus into their hearts. This is empowerment at its core - being empowered with God's Word and His Spirit. So often as Americans, we believe our empowerment lies in our education, our jobs, our bank accounts, ourselves. However, these boys are finding that true empowerment begins with Christ. We were all so moved.

We were able to take individual pictures of each of the hard-core boys and wrote their names as we photographed so that YOU can "meet" these adopted children of ours and pray for them by name as well. We are betting that you fall in love too.

We returned to the guest house for lunch, and then came back to the compound to spend our afternoon with the Community Health Evangelists/Educators (CHE's). We were completely blown away by the stories of heartbreak, courage, and strength these beautiful women shared with us. Most of them are widowed or divorced, and are struggling to provide for and raise their children on their own. Many of them are unable to send children to school because they cannot afford the requird uniforms. Some shared of being denied access to basic healthcare. In addition to these burdens, they have taken on the role of educating their communities about health and personal care. They have not drowned themselves in self pity, but have resolved to courageously be the force of change. The mothers in our group were especially humbled to hear these stories. Their courage brings so much hope to me as a mother, for myself and for our children. We were mutually blessed. These women kept thanking US for all we are doing, but truly THEY are the hands and feet that are out in the community on a daily basis striving to make a difference and improve their communities. It would be so easy for them to give up, but they perservere. It was another powerful afternoon.

We were home a little earlier (5:30), and able to relax, eat dinner and debrief. Today is our last full day in Ethiopia. Our plans changed a little bit for this afternoon. Instead of painting, we will be doing a prayer walk through the streets of Merkato and having a traditional Ethiopian coffee & fellowship with the LIA Merkato Staff. I cannot think of a better way to wind up our time here. See you all soon!!

With full hearts from Addis,

The Africa Team

Good morning from Addis!

We woke up to a beeeaaautiful morning in Addis, which we are all so thankful for. Although rainy season has passed, it has been very soggy most of our time here. We have woken up most mornings to heavy skies, damp air, and cool temps. So, it was encouraging to wake up to blue skies and sunshine today! We are able to see all of the beautiful mountain peaks and hills that surround the city. Surely the sunshine is indicative of the beauty and light that God has in store for us today as we return to the Merkato Street Kid project to have a time of fellowship and sharing with the hard-core boys. We will be spending our morning encouraging the hard-core boys with our own testimonies, hopefully showing them that we are alike in more ways than we are different. The rest of the team is off purchasing Amheric Bibles for us to gift to the boys this morning, so they will each have their own personal copy of God's Word. So exciting!! We also plan on sharing injera (a traditional Ethiopian food) with the boys as we fellowship.

This afternoon we will be heading back to the Merkato Compound to fellowship and share with the Community Health Evangelists (CHE) from the community. These are leaders that have been trained and equipped to provide wholistic ministry to their communities. We are eager to get to know them more, and share in a time of encouragement with them. I am sure God has many blessings in store for us today!

Just to recap our day yesterday...We started off our day by joining the LIA staff for the weekly prayer time (they fast and pray every Monday morning as a group from 9-1). I have never seen people pray and worship with such humility and sincerity. When we entered the room everyone was either on their knees, covering their faces, or turned towards the wall in complete worship to our Savior. They intermingled prayers, singing and scripture as we all joined in worship together. Peggy had been asked to prepare a word of encouragement ahead of time, and she had been led to 1 John 3. "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has not pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence". Amazingly, right before Peggy shared this, Dr. Yared told us that their prayer focus for this month is "loving in action". It was incredible when Peggy shared this word of encouragement and scripture that went perfectly hand in hand with LIA's focus for the month. We see God working like this all over the place here!! What a blessing to be able to share in this time of fervent prayer and worship. There was laughter, tears, and a clear presence of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is truly at the core of LIA's ministry, and we were so glad to share in a piece of it. What is even better is that we can continue to participate in LIA's ministry through prayer all the way from the U.S!

Our afternoon was spent visiting the ALERT hospital, which specializes in treating/serving leper and tuberculosis patients. Aside from treating the patients physical conditions, they also provide a trade/craft for them to do (embroidery, loomwork, woodworking, etc.) We were able to witness several affected women and men (and a few children) joyfully crafting and creating beautiful pieces of art. They are given these trades as an alternative to begging. Their pieces of art are then sold in the ALERT giftshop, and all proceeds go back to the hospital and supporting its patients. It was so incredible to see the joy and sense of value these "cast-offs from society" have been given at ALERT. We serve such a creative God, and to see his creativity at work in these people was amazing. We could have stayed there much longer - such a special place!! We are looking forward to returning there on Thursday!

Following our ALERT visit, we went to LIA's WASH project, which focuses on water sanitation and personal hygiene. To hear the statitics of the number of people here who do not have access to clean water is staggering. This factor contributes to much disease and premature death (most often due to preventable diseases such as diarrhea, and most often amongst children under age 5). It was so encouraging to see the hope that is brought to the people through clean water supply and education! We visited the community that the WASH project is beginning with (it is in its very first stages, so the team that returns next year will be able to see how much this project has grown and impacted the community). They have built latrines, wash stations, and showers, and are also equipping people to be community educators regarding hygiene. So awesome!!

After our WASH visit, we headed back to the Merkato church to share in their Monday teaching service. We were able to join them in their time of song and worship, and then we were able to share some words of encouragement and worship with them. A few team members shared scripture and words of encouragement, and then we led them in two worship songs (Lord Reign In Me and Holy Is The Lord). What an incredible thing to share in worship that stretches across language and cultural barriers. We serve such an enormous and amazing God!!

We are in the home stretch of our visit here. We have learned so much. The next two days are really focused on the service element. Tomorrow we will be painting at the Merkato Church, and spending the afternoon providing health education and focus groups with the women of the community. Thursday we are doing a little shopping at ALERT, packing, and heading to the airport for our long journey home (we will be heading to the airport about 11:00 a.m. Central time on Thursday, and return home Friday around 5:00 p.m.). Please continue to pray for our health and strength as we finish up our time in Ethiopia. May God use us to the very last minute we are here!! We can't wait to see you all again, and share more stories and faces of Africa with you.

Much love,

The Africa Team

The Church.

Hello again!! I'm blogging as we are skyping with our Sunday morning service, so hopefully I can focus enough to type clearly!! =) We are SO excited to be able to "see" our Cedar Ridge church family via the internet!! It has been yet another amazing day here in Addis!! What a privilege it is to be a part of the capital "C" Church!!! We attended church in the Merkato area this morning at Sebatenga Emanuel United Church. We were able to worship with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in Ethiopia. Clearly, we had no idea what they were saying, but we knew it was praising our Lord and Savior!! Today happened to be family Sunday, and they called forward all of the little children to pray over them. Sound familiar?? =) We also took communion together with the church - such a BLESSING!!! We all smiled when the pastor got up to preach, and our LIA staffer and friend, Develle, turned around and told us that he was preaching out of Exodus chapter 8!! Isn't that crazy?! God is so cool! What are the chances that the message here would be out of the same book of the Bible that Cedar Ridge has been studying for the past few weeks?! Love it!! It is so amazing to get a picture of the global church, and to know that we are a part of it. We are part of something that is SO much bigger than just Cedar Ridge Christian Church. It is so awesome to be a part of the big "C" church family. Our Ethiopian brothers and sisters in Christ are so beautiful - we can't wait for you all to meet them someday!!

Here are a couple of video clips from the Merkato area.... It will give you a little glimpse of the joy and the heartache we are experiencing. It was a joy to be able to share with YOU all in worship today too, all the way from Africa.....

Much love,

The Africa Team

Quick update from "Eden".

Hello again! We are in Nazaret, about 160 kilometers south of Addis, and we stopped at a nice hotel for dinner. There was a computer in the lobby, so thought we'd give you a quick update while we wait for our food. We have had a really nice and relaxing day. It was much needed after the past few days on the streets of Addis. What a refreshing break to get out to the countryside and see more of Africa and its people!! We visited a hot spring area, hiked to a waterfall, then visited a local church and orphanage. The scenery is beyond words!!

The church visit was amazing. We met the pastor, and then were able to sit in on a portion of the youth group service that was going on. We heard more about the church's ministry and community outreach. They continually reach out to the community to assist and serve the poor and sick, and care for the orphans. It is an incredible picture of what the church is designed to look like. We are learning so much. The Cedar Ridge youth leaders on our team, Dustin and Hannah Padget, spoke to the youth briefly, and then we shared in a time of worship. We sang a song for them, and then they sang and danced for us. Amber recorded their worship so that you will be able to see it first hand. It was unbelievable!! We were reminded that one day every tribe, tongue and nation will worship Him for eternity together in heaven. This was a small glimpse of what that will be like. Can't wait to go experience that again tomorrow morning at the Merkato Church!! So much joyful praise and worship - clapping, dancing....awesome!!!

Then we made an impromptu visit to a local orphanage. It was divinely arranged, I'm certain. The organization is called Kingdom Vision, and is a Christian orphanage. The way these kids are being cared for physically, emotionally AND spiritually is wonderful. Our heart still went out to these children, as they clearly need permanent homes. However, it drove home the desperate situation of the street children we have been serving who do not have warm beds, three meals a day, loving parents (sometimes), and a spiritual foundation. The need is so great. I wish you could have seen the smiles and hope on the faces of these precious children. We were unable to take photos since we do not have an established relationship with the orphanage, but we were thankful for the visit nonetheless.

We are off to enjoy our dinner, and then make the two hour drive back to Addis (we have emphasized to the bus drive that he drive extra cautiously since it is dark and we can't see the goats/horses/cows in the road =)). Looking forward to our day of worship with our Ethiopian brothers and sisters tomorrow morning, and seeing more of Addis tomorrow afternoon.

Much love from Africa,

The Africa Team

Light.

"Jesus once again addressed them: "I am the world's Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in." - John 8:12

Light versus darkness seemed to be the running theme of the day today. We woke up to no power (which happens frequently in this area due to rolling power outages) and dark, rainy skies. It didn't seem to slow us down too much. We had a yummy oatmeal breakfast before heading over to LIA to pick up Develle (our LIA staffer that has been traveling with us), and then on over to Merkato. What a touching morning....we spent a couple of hours helping with the quarterly Merkato Street Project distribution. It was so humbling to see all of these people (representing 150 families) gathered to collect their supplies (and extra gifts from the church family at Cedar Ridge Christian Church). We were able to speak a word of encouragement (via a translator) to the entire group. Several of us took turns speaking and sharing our hearts. Then the giveaways began. It was a very orderly system. Mostly women and children came to collect their items, and they stood in pouring rain for an hour or more to receive it. Although it was very soggy outside (and has been the past couple of days), it did not seem to dampen the spirits of this joyful people. Smiles and gratitude abounded (there were a lot!). It was incredible to see the excitement and thankfulness for one spiral notebook, six pencils, a travel tube of toothpaste, and a bar of soap. Life is so different here....

The afternoon was spent split into two groups traveling to at-risk family homes and to the hard-core boys' homes. I was with the group that visited the hard-core boys' homes. We were able to visit 5, and the experience was incredible. Frankly, we were all kind of hitting a wall today....tired, emotionally drained, worn out. But spending a couple of hours with these boys seems to have re-energized our group. The third home we visited was the home where Abera lives (with three other boys). When the translator was telling us this boy's name, he happened to share the translation/meaning of his name (which he had not done with any of the other boys). I smiled when I learned his name means "to turn the light on". No coincidence. And this special boy is turning the light on indeed. He spent several minutes telling us (amidst his humble surroundings) how "my desire is not to be wealthy, but to do the will of God". He firmly believes that his purpose on this earth is to be God's servant amidst the poor. At the end of our time together, he asked if we would pray for him - that God would strengthen him and empower him to do His will. Of course, we said we'd love to pray for him, and he quickly bent down to his knees....then all the way down with his face on the floor. I cannot tell you how powerful it was to lay hands on this young servant of God (who has endured more in his 19 years than most of us will in our lifetimes) and pray for him in his humble home. I am certain that God will use Him as a tool to light the path for many.

We have so many photos to share (and video!), but the internet access makes it really difficult to upload. Be prepared for photo overload when we return home! Tomorrow we are headed to the countryside to enjoy a change of scenery, and see more of this beautiful country. Holly has likened it to Eden. Sounds pretty amazing to me! We will be visiting a church and a few other cultural spots. It is about a two hour drive, and we will be back by evening.

We love you and we love sharing our journey with you. We carry your hearts for this country and these people with us as well. A special shout out to Erin Wooodward - you are SO with us in spirit on this journey. We have decided that God must have needed you covering us in prayer from home because we know what a mighty prayer warrior you are. Your prayers are impacting this team and the people we encounter. Erin, you WILL meet Getty one day. You are two peas in the same pod, only an ocean away!

Probably no updates tomorrow, as we will be traveling. Hope to update again on Sunday.

Much love....

The Africa Team

Merkato Street Kids.

Greetings again!! We made an unexpected stop at the Sheraton in Addis on our way home from the Merkato Street Kids Project (more on that in a moment), and were able to access the internet via their business center. Let me just say, it is almost obscene to be here in this lavish five-star hotel after spending the day in some of the roughest slums in Addis. However, we are grateful for the internet connection, nice toilet facilities, and coffee!! =)

God granted us another amazing day in Addis. We had a delicious pancake breakfast with fresh fruit at the house this morning before heading out to the Merkato Street Kid Project compound, in the heart of the Merkato slum. We were privileged to meet the staff, hear their vision and goals, and then meet the "hard core" boys (boys that are a part of the program that have come off of the streets). What an incredible blessing to hear their stories first hand!!! There are 50 "hard core" boys ministered to by the LIA Merkato Street Kid project, and we were able to meet about 15. These boys have such unbelievable stories....loss of both parents, sleeping on the streets from age NINE with no family and no one to care for them, heartbreaking stories of theft in order to survive, hunger, drug abuse....and on and on. BUT...the amazing thing is that God is working in the lives of these boys. They are clearly changed just in the short time they have been in the program. To see the hope, joy and courage in their eyes in the face of their adversity was so inspiring. We spent a long time encouraging one another via a translator. It is a clearly a two way street....They think we have come to bless them (and we have), but indeed WE are the ones who are being blessed beyond measure. We were sure to share with the boys that we represent only a portion of the people back home who love and pray for them. They were so grateful to know of your support back home as well.

After lunch at the guest house (yes...amazing yet again), we headed back to the Merkato area, and split into two groups to do home visits of some of the project's beneficiaries. Stepping foot inside of these homes and hearing their stories was such a blessing. Such courage and hope. The children flock to us in the streets. They are so full of love, hugs, smiles, and laughter. By the time we left the streets, we had a large entourage of children laughing and following behind us. They are beautiful.

We are headed back to the guest house for dinner, then a debrief time. Tomorrow we will be helping with a mass giveaway at the Merkato Street Kid Project. They will be giving quarterly supplies to their project beneficiary families. They only do this quarterly, so we are excited to get to be a part (divine timing!). Tomorrow afternoon we will be doing more home visits, as well as visiting the peer homes (group homes assigned by the LIA Merkato project) of the hard core boys. This hardly seems the correct words to describe them. Their cores have definitely been soften by the love of Jesus Christ. They were a joy to be around.

We are all getting adjusted to the altitude (we are higher in elevation that Denver...Denver is at about 5000 feet, and Addis is around 8000 feet elevation). Everyone is feeling well, and is in good spirits. It is completely overwhelming to think of all we have seen and experienced in only two days here. The Lord is multiplying our time, it seems.

We miss you dearly, but know that God has you in His hands as He does us as well. Thank you for your continued prayers and for your encouraging comments. They are printed off and shared at our group debriefing in the evening. It means so much.

With full hearts from Africa...

The Africa Team

(by Allyson)

Salam from Africa!!

Hello dear friends and family!! We arrived safely and very smoothly into Addis last night around 8:45 p.m. Everyone was able to get their visa stamp without much waiting, and our luggage was already on the belt when we arrived. We were able to get all of our bags (including all of the donations, supplies, etc) through customs without having any bags taken. Our Life In Abundance friends were waiting for us with big smiles, and helped us load up and drive us to the guest house. Our accomdations are wonderful. When we arrived at the guest house, Getty had prepared an amazing chicken/vegetable stew that was hot and ready. We were all exhausted, and glad to stretch our legs, have home cooked food, and a comfy place to lay our heads!

We began our day today with a delicious breakfast by Getty at the guest house, then headed over to the LIA Ethiopia office to meet Dr. Yared (the country director) and other LIA staff. He shared first hand about the God-sized things that are going on through LIA here in Ethiopia, and beyond. It was helpful to hear and learn directly from someone on the front lines.

Following our de-brief with Dr. Yared, we enjoyed a caramel macchiato (the trick is to add LOTS of sugar!) and a little time to visit. Following our pick-me-up, we had about an hour long walk through Addis back to the guest house. The sights, sounds, and smells are incredible. Some heart-warming....some heart-wrenching. There is so much vivid color and beauty contrasted against deep poverty.

After yet another amaaazing lunch at the guest house, coutesy of Getty, we headed out to visit two local churchs and learn about the work they are doing. Both churchs are successfully implementing the Community Health Evangelism, and wholistic model that LIA promotes. The work they are doing is so inspiring. This is truly the church functioning as it was designed to. Both churches operate schools on the premises, so we were able to meet the precious children that are being taught there. We were able to share school supplies (donated by YOU!) with the children, listen to them sing, share hugs, and words of encouragment. It is hard to describe in a brief blog post. Hopefully the pictures will be able to communicate more of our experience (we are unable to post photos this evening....the internet connection is very ssssllloooowwww). We then were privileged to pray for the pastors of these churches, and the work that is going on there. One thing is certain: God's work is alive and active amidst the poverty. He is moving here. Changing lives. Bringing hope.

We were then able to visit a couple of homes, and here the stories of the women who lived there. Their stories of faith and hope are inspiring. Their faces, voices and homes will be forever burned in our hearts. We also were able to pray for these people, in their homes. Powerful.

Here is a brief rundown of what we will be doing in the next week...I share this not only so you know what we are doing, but also so you can pray specifically for our activities each day.

Thursday: Visit Merkato Street Children project and Peer house visits.
Friday: Home visit to families of at risk children. Work project activities like painting and home repair.
Saturday: Visit Nathreth/Sodore
Sunday: Back to Addis and Worship at Emmanuael Faith Baptist Church/rest.
Monday: Prayer time with staff. Home visit to families of at risk children.
Tuesday: Interview with some hard core children and families.
Wednesday: Medical screening for women and children at Merkato Project. Youth ministry (hard core and at risk children).
Thursday: Shopping, packing, and leaving Addis to head HOME!

We will try to update again soon...Thank you for your continued prayers and love. We feel them.

Peace....

The Africa Team

(by Allyson)

half way there!!

Quick update....we've arrived safely and smoothly into Amsterdam!! Praise God for great travel thus far!! We are waiting to board our plane to Addis (with a brief stop in Sudan - we do not get off the plane in Sudan). If all goes according to plan, we should be arriving in Addis around 1:00 p.m. Central Standard time (which will be 8:45 p.m. where we are in Addis)!!

Holly shared an amazing word with us when we arrived in Amsterdam. She was impressed on the flight here that some of us were already deeply missing our families. God laid this scripture on her heart....

Mark 10:29-30

"Jesus said 'I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age and in the age to come, eternal life'".

The words God laid on her heart to share with us...."Because you have showed your trust in me by laying what you love most in my hands I'm taking you to a new place, a deeper walk, a new adventure. I have them, and I have you. I give you my peace now. Go in my name, with my boldness. Fear not. I have called you. I've equipped you. You are my followers, my ambassadors."

Isn't that awesome?!!! We love you all, and are eager to see what God has in store for us and for you through this incredible journey!! More to come soon!!!

LIA "summary"

I am privileged-beyond-words to serve on the USA board of directors of a really innovative, unusual, and inspiring African organization, Life in Abundance International, www.liaint.org . LIA serves the poorest of the poor in Eastern Africa, now operating in seven countries. The organization is founded and led by a Kenyan doctor, Dr. Florence Muindi. LIA is distinctly founded by Africans, envisioned by Africans, led by Africans and staffed by Africans – all graciously serving under the ultimate and literal day-to-day leadership of one Palestinian Carpenter and Rabbi who lived about 2000 years ago! The top LIA leaders in each country are, generally speaking, physicians who are native-to and residing-in that country. The USA organization is organized for the purpose of raising funds to support LIA work.

What is unique about LIA is that it does very little direct work with individuals. It doesn’t do its work by establishing or operating a new aid station, medical center, or mission complex. Instead, it works directly with and through small churches that already exist in the slums and the poorest African communities to “empower” and train those churches to, in turn, “empower” and train the “poorest of the poor” individuals in those communities to pull themselves up “by their own bootstraps” and become healthy, self-reliant, productive, self-supporting and contributing members of the community; and bring “wholistic transformation” (intentionally misspelled to emphasized the ideas of “whole person and whole community -- physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wholeness) to the individual and the community. The motto of the organization is “Serving to Empower.”

To make a very long explanation as short as possible (and, of course, to completely oversimplify), LIA helps existing churches work with their immediately surrounding communities to identify and attack the most pressing and apparent need or needs in that community. These churches, which are themselves comprised of the poor, most often saw themselves – prior to involvement with LIA – as incapable and “too poor” to do anything about their community situation, and they subsist in a mode of awaiting someone else from the outside to come in and fix the problems of their communities. Often, the root problem for lot of African suffering is HIV/AIDS infection and a deeply-rooted stigma that goes with it. When the father learns of having HIV/AIDS, he often splits in shame, leaving the mother as the only means of support for herself and the children. She, in turn, continues to decline into poorer and poorer health and well-being, ultimately becoming completely unable to offer support to herself or her family. The result: orphaned and vulnerable children (referred to in relief-agency circles as “OVC”), often street kids.

In a typical LIA project, LIA will place a professional project manager alongside a local church for 3 years to facilitate, train and empower the local church (referred to in the world of relief agencies as an existing “community-based organization”) to do, for example, the following: 1) Administer AIDS drugs and teach mothers where and how to get medical treatment (that is available – the US provides the AIDS drugs to Africa, thanks to a Bush Administration initiative). 2) Within is fairly short time, the mother is up and physically able to function; and then the effort turns to teaching micro-enterprise to her and making a micro-loan to get her going with a self-reliant business (with some assistance for food as she gets the micro-enterprise off the ground. A micro enterprise may be a simple as a loan to obtain a large bag of grain that can be broken down into individual retail-size containers and re-sold on a retail door-to-door route; or a loan that buys a oven/griddle upon which a mother can begin to prepare the local bread (injera) for sale to her neighbors. 3) There is an element of the project that is like a micro-credit union where the beneficiaries contribute part of their earnings to create a self-sustaining cycle of micro-lending funds.

As I said, this is a gross oversimplification, but you can get the basic ideas: Africans solving African problems (and not depending upon the westerners to come in and “fix” or “westernize” Africa); Africans serving and empowering other Africans, self-reliance, sustainability, and true community “wholistic” transformation.

Our trip will be to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Our team will be working with the street children project in the Mercado district. Most of these kids are teens who have been living on the streets for more than 8 years with NO means of support; no family, no school, no shelter nor place to lay down except a sidewalk. Because they have been on the streets for so long they are referred to as “hard core.” As a result, these “hard core” street kids have been written off by the govt as being beyond help or hope. Similarly, there is literally no other international aid or relief agency who is working on behalf of the “hard core” street kids. LIA is literally trying to establish a small-scale, pilot model of “wholistic transformation” in these kids that can be held up to other “deep pockets” relief agencies to say “these kids can indeed be helped and transformed; they are not beyond hope.”

You can find out more about LIA, if you are interested, at www.Liaint.org If you are REALLY interested, there are three informational banquets being held over the next couple of weeks (Phoenix, Chicago, Louisville) where Dr. Muindi will be speaking and a documentary is being premiered that tells the story of the Mercado Street kids project and other work of LIA. She is one of the new generation of African leaders and one of the most inspirational speakers you will ever hear. Details are available at the website or I’d be more than happy to connect you with the right folks to get you to one of those banquets.

If you are interested in the specific details of our team and our trip, one of our team members has set up a blog: www.moved.africaedition.blogspot.com


Thanks for your interest. If you’ve read this far, you must either be very interested or you are very, very polite! I look forward to sharing some stories of our experiences when we return.

Best,
Doug Hansen