Sweet Mesilu

When visiting Shone, we fell in love with a little girl named Mesilich (pronounce Mesilu I believe).  She had an incredibly infectious smile.  Even before receiving the gifts we brought for her, she radiated pure joy.  As we watched her and got to know her that day in Shone, we watched her dance, sing, laugh, smile and completely melt our hearts. 

Mesilich was one of 24 sponsored children in Shone.  Covenant Church selected 24 families, and from each family 1 child could be sponsored.  So, on the day we visited, 24 children accompanied by a parent or grandparent came to the Covenant "compound" in Shone.  We had a new outfit and a small toy or hat for each of them.  Their families also received flour, cooking oil, and some money as part of their Christmas gift from Covenant. 

Mesilich was accompanied by her grandmother.  This elderly woman, blind and desperately poor, was raising Mesilich and her brothers.  Mesilich and her grandmother both stood out to us that day but for completely different reasons.   While Mesilich sang and danced, her grandmother sat quietly, blind and barefoot.  Her feet were deformed, missing parts of toes, presumably due to the elements and a rough life.  They were dirty and bare and desperately needed shoes. 

Later that afternoon, we were able to visit several of the sponsored families in their homes.  What an incredible opportunity to be welcomed into their houses and hearts this way.  They seemed so honored by our presence.  They prayed blessings upon us.  They moved furniture, lit lanterns if they had them, and honored us with whatever they had to offer.  It was an incredibly amazing, yet humbling experience.

Mesilich's house was last.  By the time we got there it was dark and we were drenched from an unexpected downpour while on our walk through Shone.  We entered Mesilich's home and entered a world of darkness.  No lights.  No lanterns.  No stools to sit on or tables to eat at.  No mats or beds to sleep on and no blankets to cover with.  With the flashlights on our phones, we watched Mesilich prancing around her house.  She changed from her new outfit into a new pair of pajamas she had also received.  We met her brothers.  And we gave her grandma a pair of shoes.

This gift was probably the most awesome gift I have ever been a part of giving in my entire life.  The way that her family responded to this pair of shoes, you would have thought they had won the lottery.  The boys grabbed the only thing they could find, a piece of a flour bag, and started wiping Grandma's feet.  Just as Jesus showed his disciples how much he cared for them by washing their feet, Grandma's feet were washed, the best they could with what they had.  Grandma sat there quietly as a brand new pair of socks were gently slipped on, followed by her new pair of shoes. 

I don't know if Grandma is still wearing those shoes.  If she is, it is because someone is helping her get them on every day.  Not only that, but I wonder how much she needed her feet to be her eyes for her?  Maybe we needed Grandma to have those shoes more than she actually needed them?  I'm not sure.

All I know is that we witnessed something absolutely beautiful that day. 

We left Mesilich's house and Shone with a desire to do more for Mesilich and her grandma.  We felt called to help this family receive straw mattresses and blankets so they no longer have to sleep on the hard, cold, dirt floor in their house. 

And at night, when tucking my own girls into their nice warm beds, with more blankets than we know what to do with, I say a silent prayer for Mesilich and her family.  There is still so much they need and yet they showed us that in some ways, they have more than we will ever have. 

 

Mesilich (in pink/black) and her friend showing their new gifts.
(Grandma pictured on the far left)

Grandma's feet. 

Helping prepare Grandma for her new shoes.

Quite possibly my favorite picture from the entire trip.
God bless you, Grandma of Mesilich!  We love you!

New shoes for grandma.  <3

We are waiting for information on how to help sponsor entire families in Shone!  This would provide for more of the daily needs for the families and would allow all of the children in the family to go to school.  For anyone looking for a way to help . . . this would be an incredible gift.

Mark 10:14

"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God...And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them."

                                               (Mark 10:14,16)                                                               

We didn't visit very many places more than once . . . Ok, except for 1 shopping district, there was only 1 place we visited more than once.  Two afternoons were spent with "the boys".  "The boys", 10 of them, most of them not even 16, were some of the strongest, determined individuals I have ever met.

Each of them had their own story of how they ended up at the shelter.  Run aways.  Orphans.  Abused.  Addicted.  Alone.  Only a miracle from above could save this select group of boys from the street.  Once strangers, these boys are now family.  They have shelter, food to eat, and they are getting an education.  Most of all, they are learning about Jesus's love for them. 

These boys made quite an impact.  We ate 2 meals together.  We drank coffee.  We played games.  We shared pictures.  (They loved seeing pictures of SNOW!)  We sang.  We prayed. 

Our group felt strongly about helping these boys.  In addition to the clothes and shoes we were able to bring them, we also were able to leave money to help buy shoes for several of the boys who needed them. 

Their needs are great.  But their potential is incredible.  Dreams to become engineers.  Prophets.  Ministers.  Dreams to be reunited with their families.  Dreams to share the word of Jesus with the world. 

They need our prayers.  The people working with them, guiding them, and caring for them need our prayers.  Their families, who they hope to return to, need our prayers. 

Habamu sharing his story. 
How brave to stand in front of a room full of strangers and share details of your darkest days. 

Each of the boys prayed for a bible verse to be given to each of us. 
10 boys.  10 in our group.
This was the verse I received from Habtamu. 
These words are from Hebrews 6:10  (not 6:7 as written)

Our first meal together.

All of us at the shelter. 

The alley to their gate. 

If you would like to learn more about how you can help these young men, please visit the website below.  We learned that you can sponsor one of these young men with a monthly gift.  The shelter recently received permission to open for 8 more boys which means there will be 8 more boys to sponsor.  Some of our money will go to buying items needed for this transition and growth.  But the needs are great! 

We also learned that the ultimate goal of the shelter is to find and reunite each boy with his family, if possible.  This is costly process, which can also be supported through sponsorship. 

http://www.duttonfoundation.org/project_mark.php

Covenant Sisters

 

While in Holeta, a small village west (I think) or Addis, we got to visit the Covenant Sisters.  This was a group of 10 women who made beaded necklaces using hand-made beads made out of magazine paper and clay.  Their necklaces were absolutely beautiful.  But the work that went into these pieces of jewelry was incredible.  Tedious.  Time consuming.  And in the end, although their products were beautiful, they were mainly marketed to tourists, as locals would not have the money to spend on such an item. 

 

Although these women were able to make enough money to send their children to school, they did not make enough money to make any kind of profit in order to improve their quality of life. 

 

Before we met these women, we had heard of a proposed business plan that involved purchasing looms for the women.  Looms would generate clothing and blankets that could be used by the local people and would potentially create a larger profit because they would be able to sell their products to a larger market.  We knew that they ultimately wanted 10 looms (1 for each of the women), however they were hoping to be able to start with at least 6.  We were told the looms cost approximately $100 dollars a piece depending on the model. 

 

This was something many of our group felt very passionate about.  This was more than providing a new outfit or a gallon of cooking oil.  This was providing a means to help these women afford these items on their own! 

 

Cumulatively, our group left enough money for these women to get 10 looms, depending on the type of loom they chose to purchase.  We know that once these looms are purchased there will be months of training on order for them to be up and running on their own.  But we also learned that this kind of operation could employ more people, as they need people to set up the looms, work with the yarn, etc. 

 

These women need our prayers.  They are working hard for their families.  They are motivated to make a better life for their children.  They value education.  They are willing to learn. 

 

I bought several necklaces.  After meeting these women, I wished I could have purchased them all!!!  Our next trip, I hope to purchase a scarf (or 2 or 3) and maybe a blanket!   

 

 

 

 

1 bead was made from 4 layers of magazine, cut into long triangular strips,
rolled carefully, secured with glue, and then dipped in lacquer before stringing.   

I made this bead.

I wonder where it will end up....

 

 

Polished and ready to be strung on a necklace. 

 

If you are interested in purchasing products that help support women and their children, please visit the following website:
http://www.projecttesfa.org/

Itinerary

Well, we are getting a later start than anticipated, but if all goes as re-planned, we will be heading out tomorrow morning!!! 

We've had to revise our itinerary, but this is a guess at what we will be doing each day:

January 7:  Depart Fargo  Melkam Gena - Christmas in Ethiopia


January 8: Arrival

January 9 & 10: Shone/Awassa?-  This will be a bus ride south of the capital approximately 120-150 miles, but we are told it could take 5-6 hours.  We'll be visiting an orphanage and doing some sight seeing in the country . . . We are hoping to see hippos in the wild!!!!

 

January 11:  Jimmy & Rachel- No Ordinary Love/  Maybe Kebebe Tsehai

 

January 12:  Sunday- Worship- Covenant Church:  Dinner with Mark 10:14

January 13:  Holeta/Ambo - Our original plan was to serve a Christmas meal and deliver Christmas presents.  I am hoping our plans will stay the same, just be a little belated.   

January 14:  Addis- Delivering supplies
   

January 15:  Addis- Delivering supplies
     Mark 10:14 Shelter
     Kebebe Tsehai Orphanage
     other Addis stops
 

January 16: Holeta/Ambo? This may move.

January 17:  Addis Day

 

January 18: Addis day/ Departure


January 19:  Arrive in Fargo

 

Here are some of the websites for a few of the places we will be visiting:
Several orphanages and street children's shelter http://www.duttonfoundation.org/

Awake and Alive Kindergarten Center http://www.noordinarylove.org/

Project Tesfa training program http://www.projecttesfa.org/

 

I am hopeful I will be able to post a couple of updates with pictures while there.  Stay tuned!

 

For now, please pray that we are able to get out of Fargo safely tomorrow and that we reach our destination with all of our supplies!  We may have missed Christmas, but that doesn't mean we can't share our gifts and the good news of Jesus's birth! 

 

Life Lessons

In a less than 48 hours I will be getting on a plane with my mom and sister and 7 others. 

Our destination:  Ethiopia

Our mission:  to share the love and truth about Jesus, delivering supplies for women and children in need, including gifts for Christmas, which they celebrate on January 7th.

This trip has been a bit difficult to explain to Pinky.  How much do you tell a 3 year old? 
It's hard to explain to anyone what we are really going to be doing, since I don't exactly know myself.  We've been talking a lot about helping the people in Ethiopia because they don't have the money they need to have a home or beds or clothes.  That some of the kids don't have mommies and daddies to take care of them.

She has a lot of questions and ideas to help them:
"Can't daddy build them beds?"
"Can't we buy them a house?"
"Where are their mommies and daddies?"
"Why didn't Santa bring them any Christmas presents?"

After Christmas, we counted Bella's new stuffed animals and blankets.  We counted 8.  Then, I picked out a handful of stuffed animals that she doesn't play with often and that were small enough to fit in my suitcase, and she picked out 8.  8 stuffed animals to send for Christmas gifts to children around the world that she'll never meet.

This was not an easy task for our stuffed animal collector.  The decisions were not easy and she did change her mind a couple of times.  Then we picked one from her sister's basket, and one from her dad, and not to be left out, one of mine. 

Together with our furry friends and bags and boxes of donations, the 2 of us met up with the rest of my team of travelers and we packed our supplies into 15ish giant duffle bags.  Pinky's jobs were to help find matches for shoes and to count out the number of stuffed animals that needed to go in each bag.  She saw pictures of some of the kids we will be visiting.  We talked about the animal some of them might like to receive. 

I don't know if or when Pinky will understand why we are going.  I'm not sure what she will think when she realizes I won't be home on her birthday.  I hope she knows that I don't have to be with her to love her.  But more than that, I hope she is inspired to want to make a difference.  To want to help those less fortunate than her.  I want her to understand just how blessed we are to live where we live and have what we have.  And I want her to know that sometimes we have to make sacrifices in order to do what is right.

We had Chinese tonight for dinner.  I just so happened to have 3 fortune cookies in the cupboard for dessert.  My husband's read something like this:  "Decisions are easier when your values are known." 

An important lesson to learn.  An important lesson to teach. 

One of our chosen friends who will be flying with me to Ethiopia.

Donations zipped up and ready to go. 

7 months

Miss Rosie Girl is 7 months . . . And oh what a honey.  She's full of smiles and giggles.  And don't let that sweet face fool you.  You wouldn't believe to volume of shrieking and babbling!  Who would have guessed she'd be the loudest child in our house at times.  Usually happy chatter, but she'll also let you know if things aren't going her way.

Since my last post she has learned to:
roll over in every direction
scoot across the floor
get up on all 4s (she'll be crawling soon!)
sit up independently
put just about anything within arm's reach in her mouth
squeal
chatter (her favorite "dadadadadada")

She has also had her first:
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Ride in the sled
Christmas tree
Trip to see Santa
Christmas Eve on the farm
Candlelight service
Christmas Day in Ray
New Years

And her first bites of:
whipped cream
ice cream
rice cereal
peas
green beans
carrots
(And whatever daddy, grandmas, and aunties have slipped past me!)

She's a pure delight.  I can't hold her or kiss her or squeeze her or look at her enough.  Her dimples melt my heart.  Her smile makes my heart sing.  The twinkle in her eyes light up the room.  She completes our family in such a delightful way.  What a blessing! 

October

October

Halloween

November (yes, we put the tree up early)



Christmas Eve with my girls. 

1st trip to see Santa

4

In a few short days, my Pinky Pie will be 4!  I can still remember waiting for her arrival 4 years ago.  We were so excited we could hardly stand ourselves.  We spent much of the holidays that year close to home thinking any minute she would be here.  And when she finally arrived, we met the most beautiful little girl we had ever seen in our whole lives. 

Today, that little bundle of cuteness is a firecracker.  Here’s what we know and love about our girl:

·         She loves to share food.  We think she gets it from her Great-Grandma J.  She is pretty persistent when she thinks you should try something.

·         She loves to sing.  If she isn’t talking (which is rare), she is usually singing.  Sometimes a new tune she has learned, but often a little jingle she is making up as she goes.  Often a narration of what is happening in our house or what she sees out the car window. 

·         Everyone she meets is her friend.  Truly.  She has a knack for remembering names and people and calls every new person she meets her friend.  And she means it. 

·         She is kind and compassionate.  You can almost see the hurt in her eyes when she sees someone else hurting.  She is quick to respond to someone in distress. 

·         The things that come out of her mouth are completely entertaining, for the most part.  Her daddy’s favorite story to tell on her these days goes something like this:

                Mom:  “Stop picking your nose!”

                Pinky:  “Did you see me picking my nose?”

                Mom:  “Yes, I did.”

                Pinky:  “Did you see me eating my boogers?”

                Mom:  “No.”

                Pinky:  “Then you should have been looking!”

·         She loves stuffed animals, cozy blankets, Mickey Mouse and the Clubhouse “crew”, sweatpants and t-shirts, shredded cheddar cheese, cheese quesadillas, chocolate, music, and dancing. 

·         She loves animals, all animals.  And bugs.  And dirt.  And rocks. 

·         This year she has learned to recognize and name numbers to 10, and most of her upper and lower-case letters.  She can write her name independently and loves writing other words with the least amount of help possible.

Some events we will remember from this year:

·         She got to visit the coast for the first time and dipped her toes in the Gulf of Mexico.

·         She was a flower girl in 2 weddings.

·         She started preschool and Sunday school.

·         She took swimming lessons.

·         She stayed a couple of nights at the farm without mom or dad.

·         She got a flu shot and DIDN’T cry.

·         She had pneumonia for the first time.  (And hopefully the last time!) 

·         She became a big sister!

 

I wouldn’t say age 3 is my favorite age . . . let’s be honest.  She spent lots of time in the corner for disobeying, breaking rules, or being sassy.  She’s had many mouth-fulls of vinegar for being sassy, being disrespectful, or telling lies (which she is incredibly good at by the way).  We’ve had to leave the park and play dates due to potty accidents.  And the number of tantrums we have witnessed this year would be impossible to count.  And then she reminds me that “Jesus loves her even when she is being naughty.” 

Yes, sweet girl, He does, and so do I.

We look forward to the adventures that age 4 has in store. 

Happy Early Birthday, Pinky Pie!  I love you more than cupcakes!  And Ice cream!  And Minnie Mouse.  You light up my world! 

 

3rd birthday party

Our little sunshine

 

 

Big girl in her flower girl debut!!!

Her cute new haircut and her 1 of her new friends from Christmas.