Hello! Long time, no blog!
My squad and I made it to Africa safely and we are currently living at a place called HopEthiopia, which is in the middle of nowhere, which means no cellphone service unless you want to ride a bus hours away. We are surrounded by mud huts, grasslands, and mountains. It’s absolutely incredible and I’m happy to be here. My squad and about 35 kids live here because not only is HopEthiopia a home for racers but it is also an orphanage for kids here in Ethiopia!
The majority of these kids come from harsh backgrounds but despite their circumstances- they are the most kind and loving. A lot of them speak English and they all have these crazy dreams that in Jesus name will come to pass. They love us well and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of them yelling “Kj! Hello!” through my bedroom window. Or chasing me down just to hang out and talk.
As for ministry, ministry here looks completely different then Guatemala. Things are not laid out completely for us and actually having to chose in. We don’t necessarily have ministry host with us at all times but there are three ministry tracks- kids ministry, woman’s ministry, and reforestation. I’m in kids ministry, so I’m one of the lucky ones who get to spend literally almost all day with these kids here at HopEthiopia.
Our days look different, and due to there school schedule the kids who come can be different as well. Some days it’s teaching bible stories (shout-out to my partner Mason) , some days we are making crafts (shout-out to Paige and Amber), we also teach life skills (Alexis and Alana) , or Chelsea is leading them in song, along with Val and Hannah teaching them about technology. And everyday is ended with some kind of sport that is lead by Chelsey and Blake.
Oof. What a paragraph full! The days here can be long but the weeks are short and as for me I’m soaking it all up.
And as for Squad W, we are tighter then ever. I mean for real- the first week here, half of us had an epidemic of diarrhea and all took a lovely trip to the clinic together (check out Mary’s blog for more detail)
Needless to say, here in Africa it has been kind, the most genuine and all things intentional. Jesus is evident here and Ethiopia is a place of overflow and kingdom dreams, and for that I’m beyond thankful.
Sorry for the delay but I mean ya know when in Africa… 😉
With Love,
Kj
Prayer Requests
- Ethiopia has its challenges such as not being able to communicate with anyone at home, so pray for my squad and homesickness
- Complete healing over my squad
- The kids here at HopEthiopia
- Our parents come so soon! Pray that PVT will be a time for intentionality and restoration!
