Last month was spent in Ethiopia – month 9 of the Race and month 4 in Africa.
What an amazing month!
We arrived in Addis Ababa and jumped into debrief, four days of teachings and worship as a squad. After that, half the squad left to meet their parents at HOPEthiopia for PVT, the Parent Vision Trip. My parents sadly weren’t able to come. Those of us who didn’t have parents coming (we joking referred to ourselves as the “orphans”) stayed in Addis and found our own ministry for the week. This is something that Adventure in Missions calls ATL, Ask the Lord. Basically we all meet in the morning for a time of reflection and prayer, asking the Lord what he wants us to do for the day. Then, based on what is heard, we go out and find people to minister to. People in our group distributed blankets in the mountains, taught at a girls’ camp, visited families living in a garbage dump, and much more.
Unfortunately, I was sick for about 10 days during debrief and ATL. I went to several different clinics and hospitals in Kenya and Ethiopia and was diagnosed with an amoeba, bacterial infections, and even typhoid and typhus (though apparently those are over-diagnosed in Ethiopia). I was absolutely drained mentally and physically during this time, barely able to get out of bed. My health improved immensely after getting to our ministry site.
After ATL and PVT, we traveled to our ministry sites for the last two weeks of the month. My team and three other teams were assigned to HOPEthiopia, which is about a three-hour drive from Addis. There was also a World Race Semesters team at Hope; they are college-aged and will be there for three months.
The mission of HOPEthiopia is to bring restoration to the people and land of Ethiopia through four project initiatives: community, agriculture, reforestation, and peace gardens.
My favorite part of being at Hope was loving on the children. They were on holiday from school, so we were able to spend time with them every day. In the morning, a team would go to their home buildings and plan activities like songs, stories, etc. A different group would play with the preschool kids. In the afternoon, all the kids would come to the guesthouse (the building where all the teams sleep, eat, and hang out). We would play games with them, color, make crafts, and just have fun. One day a week we put on a movie for them after dinner.
We also did practical work around the property: cutting grass, painting inside the new training center, varnishing the children’s homes to seal out moisture, and more.
Some teams helped with Hope’s reforestation project. About a 20-minute walk from HOPEthiopia is a property where they have planted millions of trees in an effort to bring biodiversity back to the region.
We planned a Beauty for Ashes event for the women on staff at Hope and other women in the community. It was a beautiful event focused on the topic of worth and included testimonies, devotionals, games, crafts, snacks, and a gospel presentation. Val and I picked armfuls of wildflowers to decorate for the event.
The annual Run of Hope took place while we were there. The kids (and adults) were divided into age groups and raced each other, winning medals and trophies. They were absolutely beaming the whole day.
Something else we did was write scripture on popsicle sticks, which are planted with the trees, on the walls, and in the foundation of the buildings at Hope. It is truly a place covered with the word of God.
September was a great month. It felt very restorative — my word for the month. I would love to return to Hope.
It was also the last month of team Deepa. This month the girls on team Deepa joined the girls on the other co-ed team while all the guys on the squad serve together for man-istry month. It’s weird being on an all-girls team again, and I miss Michael, Nate, and Ben, but I love my new teammates Jen, Anna, and Katy!
I am in Pestere, Romania, for month 10, and I LOVE it here. Stay tuned for updates 🙂
