Hello friends!
We are headed to Rwanda! As I lay here by a electrical outlet on the floor of the Kenyan airport, I want to give you a little update! Being in Africa is literally a dream come true. And it does not disappoint.
Mostly though, God does not disappoint. He kept demonstrating His love to me in little ways. A few examples: a kid yelling my name and running to give me a hug, a shooting star in the clear Ethiopian night sky, kisses from a big eyed 2 year old boy, laughs with my squad mates and His Word coming alive in me.
I am finding words to be inadequate to capture the friends I met here in Ethiopia. But I will try to give you a glimpse.
One little boy that melts my heart is Kebete. He lives with his sister and 2 other siblings in town and walks to HopEthiopia compound each morning. He has 2 younger siblings who live in HopEthiopia as well. He is 9 years old. He is the sweetest!
One morning, I helped him in reading and writing English. After class, he held my hand and walked me back to the guesthouse. I asked him if he wanted to play something and we decided to play dominoes. Lol He ended up winning even though I am not sure he fully understood the game…but he definitely showed off his mathematic skills! When I told him he won, he just smiled his big beautiful smile.
Another boy (this month, God showed me my heart for boys!) introduced himself to me as Dave. His name is Dawit. And one day we were coloring pictures. He traces my hand and his. After finishing, he insists we hang it up on the wall in the guesthouse. It was still there when we left. He was one that often yelled my name just to wave or run at me for a hug.
There were so many other little moments with many more children that lived in HopEthiopia. I think through these kids, God impressed on me the importance of each little moment. Sometimes, I get impatient wanting big miracles or movements from God when He is in every little detail. I look for the great when He wants my obedience in the small. Each little moment and obedience, God uses for His great purpose and my good.
Side note: this month I got to room with my Squad Leaders, Kyndal and Kaitlin, and 3 other girls. It just made me love these women so much more. There were so many laughs and scares. Lol I still think Kynie and Kait mess arounds should stay in Ethiopia! 😉 lol
With two months left, our squad has been starting to prepare, pray and plan for the next step. (To be honest, I still don’t have exact plans but am trusting My Father knows already and has greater in store for me.) But with people talking and thinking about the future, it has made me even more grateful for the present. Friends, I have been SO blessed to be on P-squad. These men and women pursue Our Father wholeheartedly. I’ve never been so surrounded by so many who constantly shift my eyes to Jesus. We continue to push each other to dream big for the glory of our Father. It is amazing to see God work in a squad. This whole race, each host we encountered would tell us that we were special and different from other squads. It was hard to believe, but more and more I am just so frickin thankful for these beautiful people.
Thank you for reading this ramble! Lol I want to encourage you to look for our Good Father in every little moment. He loves to delight you and fill you with joy.
Also, keep praying for us. With a countdown, staying present can be hard. But i know, I don’t want to waste these months. I want to be even more bold and mission focused!
Love you! And send me your own prayer requests! I’d love to pray for you.
