Oceans...

Last week the Lord led us on a journey that had His fingerprints all over it. I thought I'd share some of His goodness.

Six children met their forever families in a little town in the northern part of Ethiopia. Some had waited years for this day.

Psalm 68:6

God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun scorched land.

John 14:18

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

 

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Kids who rarely get a cooked meal got a shower, new clothes, a traditional dinner served at a restaurant, fellowship with friends, and a good pick up match of soccer with an American family that sponsors them. They  also prayed for our American friends. Humbling. A beautiful picture of the Church.

 

Romans 12:3-5

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

 

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Hearts were broken for the poor. Eyes were opened.

 

 

 Job 30:25

Have I not wept for the those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor?

 

 

 Proverbs 22:2

Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.

Jeremiah 22:16

He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me declares the Lord.

Proverbs 21:13

If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.

 

 

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We received the blessing of hospitality.

 

 

Leviticus 19:34

You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

 

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Every day we were in Ethiopia(except for Palm Sunday), people were already up and working by the time we stepped outside. They literally worked from dawn to dusk.  In fact, some athletes from a local school were up and running every morning in the dark at 4am on the street below our balcony at our hotel in Mekele.  

 

Colossians 3:23

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not men.

 

 

 

 

 

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We saw a group of folks who don't own televisions(or houses or cars) crowding around a tv at a street vendor to watch The Passion during Holy Week. The Gospel is TRUTH and it brings HOPE.

 

Colossians 1:5

because of the hope laid up for you in Heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel.

 

Colossians 1:23

if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel what you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

 

 

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We witnessed the beauty and intricacy of His creation from the sky-through the workmanship of those He created, and from the ground.

 

Psalm 104:8-12 

The mountains rose; the valleys sank down to the place which You established for them. You set a boundary that they may not pass over, so that they will not return to cover the earth. He sends forth springs in the valleys; they flow between the mountains; they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of heaven dwell; they lift up their voices among the branches. 

 

 

John 1:3

All things came into being through Him, and without Him not one thing came in to being

 

 

 

 

 

 

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We were reminded that every day is a gift

James 4:14

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

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We were reminded of our purpose...to share the Good News of the Gospel...to live it out.  In His goodness He showed us examples of this calling in places we would have never imagined. We witnessed His mercy and grace in some of poorest places on Earth. We witnessed His joy in people you would never of thought could have joy. We witnessed His faithfulness. We experienced His peace. We saw Him move. He blessed us with new friends. He enlarged our family. Our God is good...in all the earth He is good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have news!

Well....we find ourselves relaxing(finally) after a whirlwind afternoon.  We got the news today that our court date has been scheduled.  The court date where we actually become the legal parents of our two children in Ethiopia is April 15th!!  This was fantastic news since we thought we would not be scheduled until some time after the 25th.

The best news is...for this momma who the Lord has been graciously teaching patience for the past year...is that we get to leave A WEEK FROM TODAY! I was only able to get our flights scheduled for Tuesday(not Wednesday as our agency recommended). Considering I am probably going to hold my breath until we leave...the earlier we leave the better!

Just so you know...the devil has been trying to get all up in my joy the past couple of days..I have been having computer problems...patience problems....sleep problems.....scheduling problems and car problems....but this sister ain't got any problems tonight! I really never had any to begin with-I just took my eye off the prize thinking I could handle all this myself.  I am basking in the love that my Redeemer has for me and my family tonight.  I am rejoicing in His faithfulness. We are shutting down that enemy scheme by praising our awesome God, giving Him all the glory, and remembering all the times He has carried us through this.


"Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass."

1 Thessalonians 5:24

No worries that we spent $1500.00 more on travel than we thought we would.  No worries that our den and carport are FULL(I mean F.U.L.L.)  of donations from over 20 families to sell at a fundraiser yard sale April 12 that we wont be here to have. Just pure and simple joy in the fact that He continues to carry us on this journey that we could never have even started if it weren't for Him.

We will arrive in Addis Ababa next Wednesday after connections in Houston and Frankfurt, Germany.  We were able to get 2 ten hour flights instead of one 20 hour one. This is a praise for this 6 foot momma who may not get an aisle seat. When we get to Addis a day ahead of the other 4 families from our agency...we hope to visit some American missionaries in the city that we have connected with on Facebook.  On Friday we will travel on another flight with the other families to meet our children at their orphanage in the northern part of the country. On Monday we will return to Addis WITH OUR KIDS for a court date of April 15. A major praise in this is that our kids will be coming to the transition house in Addis(where they will stay for the next month until we come back to get them)with a friend who has lived with them in the orphanage for the past year.  This friend will be moving to Texas...so our kids will be able to keep in touch and maintain a friendship with visits.  I cannot tell you how grateful I am for this connection they will be able to maintain. It is such a blessing for young lives who will be losing so many other connections.

After our court date we will travel back to the states(on two more 10 hour flights. YES). Over the next 3-5 weeks the kids get new birth certificates, passports, and visas which will allow them to come to the US as US citizens the second they step on US soil. When we get the call...we go and pick them up and bring them home! Hannah's graduation is May 17 so there may be some tweeking of dates for our second trip...but we have a little flexibility with scheduling that one...so NO WORRIES devil..no worries.

We are heading to Ethiopia folks.  The plane tickets are purchased. The guest house is booked. The kids know we are coming.  They know we are coming.

"Praise the Lord, everything He has created, everything in all His kingdom. Let all that I am praise the Lord."

 

Psalm 103:22