After a long flight from Amsterdam, we arrived at 8:30 pm local time last night. There was a HUGE line for getting Visas, but once we were through the Visa office, things moved more quickly. One thing that helped us get out of the airport so fast was that our luggage didn't make it from Amsterdam!! Matt's didn't either, so instead of going to Adama at noon today, we have stayed in Addis with a driver, Optima, so we can go back to the airport at 7:00 pm to pick up whatever has made it through.
The Lord has been working in amazing, amazing ways since we left Billings, beginning with the man sitting directly behind us on the flight to Minneapolis! The gentleman, Jelawat, is from Addis and works with Compassion International. He was so kind and we enjoyed visiting with him on the flight. He introduced us to another man, Jayme Illiat, whose mother is a foreign adoption specialist, having adopted him off of a trash heap in Calcutta. He is in his 20's, and the Lord has blessed him with trememdous talent and financial resources to begin a foundation for orphaned and disadvantaged children. It was a God-appointment and one we will not soon forget.
On the flight from Amsterdam, we sat in front of a woman whose husband is in the US Army. They are stationed in Germany (they've been there for the past 10 years), and she was on her way to Addis to adopt their 3rd and 4th children - 12 year old best friends. She has such a compassionate heart! Those girls will join their 6 year-old birth son and their 3 year-old Ethiopian daughter. One of the girls is from Nazret, so we hope to see her there. If not, we will be on the same flight back to Amsterdam on Tuesday.
We are enjoying all of the guys on the Team we came with - such varied talents and all with a heart for the Lord. We are blessed to be serving with them.
Today, we met a wonderful man, Soloman, who works at the Selam Children's Village. It is an orphanage compound which serves 450 children here in Addis. The Village is about 25 years old and is serving a large population. There are extensive gardens, green houses, a dairy herd (they use the methane gas from the herd to fuel the kitchen!!), a large school, church and clinic. We had the privilege of touring the clinic and meeting the medical director, Dr. Seifu, who helped us with lots of medical information. He is well-trained and gave us so much good pediatric info.
Our driver, Optima, took us to a traditional Ethiopian lunch . . . Brian LOVED it!!! I ate rice and green beans :-) The food is SOOOOO hot! The pictures of the restaurant are incredible! I'll post them the next time I get a chance.
We then visited CURE Ethiopia Children's Hospital. It is run by a Christian organization that helps bring the gospel to people by simultaneously treating disabled and disfigured children and adults. Dr. Erik Gocken is an American Orthopedist who is doing a tremendous work treating mostly club-feet. There is another doc there who is a plastic surgeon specializing in cleft lip/palate repair. We got a tour of the facility, which is amazing.
Dr. Erik and his wife, Corinne, made us feel so welcome and gave us a big picture of the difficulties of practicing medicine in Ethiopia. There is so much red tape when it comes to importing medicines, that it stifles their ability to perform even routine surgeries. They warned us that our suitcase of meds may be confiscated from us when we reach the airport to pick it up tonight. We are praying for God's mercy in this situation.
It is 5:15 pm local time and we are going to start heading out the airport. When we are finished there, we will head down to Adama/Nazret. It is about 60 miles - but is a two hour journey. The traffic in Addis is unbelieveable!! No traffic lights or stop signs anywhere - and no yellow lines to segregate the vehicles. It is a wonder we haven't been smashed to smithereens!! All of the taxis are side-scraped and it's easy to tell why! There is the constant sound of horns blasting, but all of the drivers are happy-go-lucky, and miraculously, we haven't been in an accident!
We will post again as soon as we can - hopefully with pictures next time!!
Love to all!!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
These Are Our Sponsored Children
These are pictures of our Ethiopian children. We thought you might want to see these sweet faces so that you can keep them in your prayers.
We are getting close to the date of our departure - May 5th - and we ask that you continue to lift us up on prayer! Please pray for the entire team who will be travelling together this trip! Also, we'd like special prayer for all of those with whom we will interface all along our journey. May we be Christ's hands and feet to them. May they know the love of their Savior, Jesus Christ, by having been with us.
We are getting close to the date of our departure - May 5th - and we ask that you continue to lift us up on prayer! Please pray for the entire team who will be travelling together this trip! Also, we'd like special prayer for all of those with whom we will interface all along our journey. May we be Christ's hands and feet to them. May they know the love of their Savior, Jesus Christ, by having been with us.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
40 Days of Prayer Commitment
We are busy organizing and planning our clothes, meds, etc. for our trip since Ali likes to be prepared way ahead of time. We've got maps and travel guides and have our passports out of the file cabinet. But we don't have the thing that we MOST need for our trip . . .
It seems that 40 days is a significant time period in Scripture, and we would like to tap into that Divine timing. Here's what we would like you to do on our behalf:
~ Pray every day through May 12th for us and for the entire Look Development team
~ Pray for the orphans who have received sponsorship and for the sponsors
~ Pray for the remaining orphans who do not yet have sponsors
~ Pray for the safety of the team leaving on May 5 and returning May 12
~ Pray that the LORD would give us wisdom and discernment regarding the building of the orphanage compound and specifically for the building of the clinic and school
~ Pray for Yemeserach, the wonderful Ethiopian woman who began Look Development on her own with only her brother's help
~ Pray that the LORD would lay it upon the hearts of his followers to either sponsor or adopt one or more of these sweet children
This work is too big for humans to undertake - it will only be the power and grace of the LORD that will make this huge plan come together as we join Him in this work!! Our desire is to serve His children and to bring Him glory! Amen!
The Scripture the LORD has brought before our hearts is from Matthew, chapter 25:
34 Then shall the King (Jesus) say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
YOUR COMMITMENT TO PRAY FOR US FOR THESE 40 DAYS BEFORE WE LEAVE!!
It seems that 40 days is a significant time period in Scripture, and we would like to tap into that Divine timing. Here's what we would like you to do on our behalf:
~ Pray every day through May 12th for us and for the entire Look Development team
~ Pray for the orphans who have received sponsorship and for the sponsors
~ Pray for the remaining orphans who do not yet have sponsors
~ Pray for the safety of the team leaving on May 5 and returning May 12
~ Pray that the LORD would give us wisdom and discernment regarding the building of the orphanage compound and specifically for the building of the clinic and school
~ Pray for Yemeserach, the wonderful Ethiopian woman who began Look Development on her own with only her brother's help
~ Pray that the LORD would lay it upon the hearts of his followers to either sponsor or adopt one or more of these sweet children
This work is too big for humans to undertake - it will only be the power and grace of the LORD that will make this huge plan come together as we join Him in this work!! Our desire is to serve His children and to bring Him glory! Amen!
The Scripture the LORD has brought before our hearts is from Matthew, chapter 25:
34 Then shall the King (Jesus) say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Getting Ready for Ethiopia!!
We can hardly believe that we will be off to Africa on May 5th! Since learning about Look Development from the founders and our good friends, Matt and Amanda DeSarro, we have been waiting for the Lord to give us the "go ahead" to take a bigger part in this wonderful mission.
Two weeks ago, we got the "Divine nod" we were looking for, and we eagerly await what God has for us both here in the States and in Ethiopia.
We've checked into what we need medically before we go - no shots are required since we already have our Hepatitis vaccinations from previous trips to Mexico. Brian is planning his medical bag carefully - packing it with meds for the orphans, as well as for us if need be.
We hope to give each child a thorough medical examination and establish medical records for each of them. There are 55 orphans at present, but the prayer is that we might be able to house 80 once the orphanage is built. Brian is heading up the clinic building project, so we will be assessing the needs of the children in order to plan the clinic space accordingly. The overall project director, Mark P, says, Lord willing, we will break ground in June.
Please check out lookdevelopment.blogspot.com for more information about Look Development and the plans for the orphanage compound.
Two weeks ago, we got the "Divine nod" we were looking for, and we eagerly await what God has for us both here in the States and in Ethiopia.
We've checked into what we need medically before we go - no shots are required since we already have our Hepatitis vaccinations from previous trips to Mexico. Brian is planning his medical bag carefully - packing it with meds for the orphans, as well as for us if need be.
We hope to give each child a thorough medical examination and establish medical records for each of them. There are 55 orphans at present, but the prayer is that we might be able to house 80 once the orphanage is built. Brian is heading up the clinic building project, so we will be assessing the needs of the children in order to plan the clinic space accordingly. The overall project director, Mark P, says, Lord willing, we will break ground in June.
Please check out lookdevelopment.blogspot.com for more information about Look Development and the plans for the orphanage compound.
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