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)