Last update!!

Soooo…it has been a minute since the last time I have updated! Wow so much has happened!!

The beginning of last week Keara, Kait, Gretchen and I returned from a trip where we piled in a van with the Fehl’s along with Kayla (our trusty coordinator) and ventured 6 hours west for the bumpiest ride of our lives down country to a town called Nikempt. We had the opportunity to fellowship with another missionary family (the Lamayres) where we did a prayer walk around the city, meeting some of the locals and learning more about the college ministry they chose to move there for. 

It was absolutely gorgeous out there. Nikempt is about 7 hours west of Addis Ababa (more country with a little bit of city).

Tropical plants and flowers everywhere, dirt roads, mud huts, donkeys, sheep, goat, cows and horses constantly roaming the streets, women carrying water or bundles of sticks on their back for several miles each day, veggie and fruits sold right off of the road, etc. The typical sights that you see here are completely opposite of anything in America....so it has been really neat to travel away from the city. Not gonna lie, we went on a hike and I tried reenacting sound of music on the hill because that’s pretty much what it looked like.

We had the opportunity to eat at the Lamayres families guards home (typically every home as a serintanya (house worker) and a guard). This gives locals jobs. Anyways we went to the guards house (who is also a decon at the church here) and his family served us lunch. Completely different from anything I've ever experienced. They are completely hospitable here. If they invite you over, they do not eat with you...they serve you the whole time. They decorated their mud house (do not have running water or electricity) for us to enjoy. So we entered their main room where we left the door open the entire time for light.

They live in this mud house surrounded by these large sticks that serve as their gate, huge garden and a hole in the ground that is their chintibate (toilet). So we all came over for lunch and they made this huge platter of bread with chick peas and other spices on the surface with spicy butter poured over it. Mit mita is a spice that we also ate with this (butter is very expensive here and this family does not have very much…so for them to buy butter is a very hospitable thing to do). They made SO much! So we were forcing ourselves to eat as much as we could (not gonna lie…I will never look at butter the same way) – SO much butter. It brings the family blessing to eat everything that they have prepared for you. Afterwards we had coffee or tea. Remember…everything is made by fire, wood and water has to be gathered and carried for miles so the process that this family had to go through to serve all of us was quite an event. It’s just amazing how giving and respectful these people are, and how far they would be willing to go to serve you. Later we found out that their guard makes 500 birr a month which is equivalent to 25 American dollars…supporting a family. Crazy right? It’s amazing that people learn to live off of so little. 

While we were visiting we learned a lot about the desperate need for hands in Nikempt for college ministry with so many students in the area. Sunday we went to church in a mud house (about the size of a living room in an average home) where somehow 150+ people managed to fit in there (some sitting outside listening). About 85% of the kids there were college students. Such amazing worship and passion…many who walk miles to get to church. Later on that evening the four of us led a Bible study on Matthew 5:1-13 (the righteousness of God, what does it mean to be made righteous?) for college students in the area (about 25 showed up for the afternoon study). We all picked verses out of the text and applied it while sharing our different testimonies. Later we had the men leave so that the women wouldn’t be too shy to ask questions (women are lower class then men here so some are very shy are too embarrassed to speak). Such beautiful people with beautiful hearts. Steve Lamayre’s  goal is to disciple these college kids so that they will raise up and lead…begin doing “community health evangelism” in their own community and help them get plugged into small groups so that they are running their own. Gods hand is SO evident as these college students are on fire for Christ. 

The last few weeks have been busy as far as getting into a routine with our different ministries every week. Kait and I have began serving at Strong Hearts Academy (Kait has been teaching English and I have been leading craft that goes along with the Bible story for the day as well as leading games). Keara and Gretchen have been doing Hospice ministry and we have all helped teach English at Addis Cedon as well as VBS at “women at risk.” Doing the same thing for the last few weeks has allowed us all to build so many different relationships with the kids, the translators, the missionaries, etc. 

I am beginning to realize how hard it is going to be to leave here after finally getting familiar with the culture, the people and little with the language. Two months just doesn’t seem long enough. I am so thankful to have learned of the faith that these people have for God and what He is doing over here. He is SO good and it is evident that His hand is all around. 

Praying for direction in all of this…after have been overseas God has closed and opened doors that have led me to this point. I am not sure where God has me when I get home but I know He is calling me to ministry. Being away has stretched my faith in so many different angles. I truly understand that all we need is Jesus to grow to long for Him more and more each day. As I was talking to our neighbors in the compound (this sweet missionary family that we have grown close to), she shared with me that another missionary who had been in the field for 12 years shared with her – “just love – it covers everything. Love and love and love…and when you begin to lack love then you shouldn’t be here.” So simple, yet isn’t that what Jesus taught us? Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself” – the first and the second greatest commandment.