First Blog Entry from Ethiopia

This is the first chance I have gotten to blog since arriving in Ethiopia. Here I sit this morning, stunned by where I find myself. It still feels very surreal. I am sitting here having adequately recovered from jet lag just 3 days after arriving to have slept a full night and arisen in time to start a morning routine. I am sitting here in Ethiopia drinking a cup of Ethiopian coffee which I bought at an Ethiopian store and which I made with Ethiopian water. I am sitting in a room which is now a living area, but which 7 years ago was the sheep shed and slaughter house. I hear the chanting from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church 5 blocks away as if it was right around the corner and am reminded of how deeply The Lord loves them and longs to reveal Himself.

I am preparing for my day of journeying throughout the city first buying a cell phone and then going to the telecommunications center to buy the sim card for the phone and then going somewhere else to buy minutes for the phone. I am overwhelmed by the challenge of learning the language, but exhilarated by the hope of being able to adequately communicate with people. I am broken by the hundreds of children I see and filled with hope of the difference that could be made by those children coming to know Jesus - the only true hope that Ethiopia has. I am filled with joy in looking at our children and realizing how brave and patient they are to be entering into a lifestyle like this. They truly have given up more than Christy and I to do this. I am proud of how smart they are - they knew yesterday when I struggled to communicate with the woman selling vegetables on the street that in Amharic, the word for onion was “shincourt” and potato was “denich”. They just preferred to watch their dad struggle rather than help him out.

I am amazed at the time I got to spend last night with Woudineh and McBeb, our Vineyard friends here in Addis Ababa. I am thrilled at the opportunity to work alongside of them and was deeply moved to hear Woudineh share how he saw The Vineyard really being able to offer to people a place of true fellowship, worship and the opportunity for everyone to get to play. These are not common things in churches here in Ethiopia. I am excited to again get to spend time with McBeb tonight as he helps us navigate the cultural learning.

I am excited to know that we now have a better idea of where in the city to start looking for a house and that the process can begin.

Of course, I also am overwhelmed at the tasks at hand, the juggling of finances in a place very unknown to us, the uncertainties that each day brings, the responsibility of representing Jesus and not America to folks here and the persistent language barrier.

But, I must say, more then anything, I am thrilled to consider the opportunities to partner with The Lord that today bring. May we see today what The Father is already at work doing...and simply partner with Him.