Like a Missionary

I wanted to write a quick little note here for all of my lovely supporters!

Kait and I head out on Tuesday. Yes. This Tuesday. December 17th.

A lot of people want to know how I'm feeling about it. So, here is an attempt at it. I have things that I am looking forward to about being back, such as spending time with family and friends, eating American food, and having a snowy Christmas.

However, I will be leaving behind a piece of my heart. The people that I work with, live with, and see on a daily basis will forever remain in my memories. They will be cherished and missed. As for the Ethiopian people and culture: there will be many times that bring me to tears either from laughing at something that had happened, or because I miss it that much.  The beauty of Ethiopia is something that I'll remember, as well. It isn't northwest Montana, but it's still beautiful. I love looking out across the valleys, seeing acacia trees, donkeys, cows, and skinny horses.

Although there are many differences in Ethiopian culture and American culture, God is at work in both places. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His people are working to spread the Gospel in both places. Although I am leaving this mission field, I am going back to another mission field. How do I feel about that?

Like a missionary.

Filling Buckets

Today I was at Bingham Academy helping out in the 1^st grade class. I have been assigned the task of helping the students with words. The teacher calls it Working with Words. When I walked into the classroom today, she had all of the kids sitting in the ‘library’ and she was reading to them – always a precious site. Then in walks another dude. This man does a character trait activity with the kids once a month. Today he talked about fillings people’s buckets.

He also read a book to them. The book told the children that everyone has an invisible bucket. Everyone needs to have their buckets filled by someone. We need to have our buckets filled by someone. We also need to fill other peoples’ buckets. The opposite of a bucket filler is a bucket dipper. A bucket dipper is someone who says mean things, does mean things, or ignores people. We don’t want people dipping out of our buckets; and we shouldn't dip out of other people’s buckets.

After talking about ways we can fill other people’s buckets, the man says something that was so profound. This is the part I really need to you to hear; the part that needs to sink in. He told them that often times we think nice things about people, but we never tell them. We need to tell people the nice thoughts we have about them.

In the American culture, people get so awkward when you compliment another person, particularly if they are the opposite gender. Why? I have zero idea. We need to kick that to the curb and start complimenting (within reason, of course. People don’t need to go crazy with it.). Why should we suppress a thought if it’s going to fill someone else up?

What are you: a bucket filler, a bucket dipper, or a compliment keeper?

I challenge you to be more of a bucket filler. Watch what happens. Filling people’s buckets fills your bucket in return. 

[Lack of] Freedom of Education

“I don’t want to go to school!” We hear these words, we say these words, we think these words. Why? Because in America we have to go to school. We have to. The government tells us we have to go to school or be homeschooled. There are states that if we aren’t sending our kids to school, we can get in trouble with the law. Students are unmotivated. Students fake sick, slack on their homework, joke around too much, deliberately just skip class - they just don’t care. Don’t get me wrong, I know there are students who do take school seriously, and sometimes even a little “too seriously” by some peoples standards. Kids all across the globe dread going to school….

Actually they don’t.

This isn’t a bashing on America post. Well, it isn’t intended to be one, so hopefully I don’t do that. Time and time again I am reminded of how little we Americans, especially those who are in middle school and high school, appreciate the fact that we are ‘forced’ to go to school. When did becoming educated become a bad thing in America?

That is not how it is everywhere. Here in Ethiopia, students are lucky to get passed the 8^th grade. Let me stop you right there. It is not, and I repeat not, because they are undereducated or unable to do school. It is because there is an extremely hard test that every student must take in order to pass 8^th grade. What happens if they don’t pass? Their education is stopped. So they study. Night and day. More than I have ever studied throughout high school and college. And they are in 8^th grade. For those that pass the test, they have  one year to study more, and more, and more, because they have to take another test in order to get to 10^th grade. Finally when they make it to grade 12 there is even more pressure to study their brains out because if they don’t score well enough on this one test, the chances of them getting into college goes down severely. Why? Because they can’t afford to go to a good University. Let me make it a little more personal.

My friend, Gilany, from Nekempte is a good student. She studied, and made it to 9^th grade. Then she studied, and studied, and praise God she made it to 10^th grade. Her entire high school career she devoted to educating herself, absorbing as much knowledge as she possibly could. Why? Because senior year she has to take a test that will determine the course of her life.  She took the test. We eagerly awaited the results, prayed, and waited, and prayed, and waited. Finally the day came that she got her results. She came to Bible Study. She spoke in afan Oromoo to Doretha. On the way home Doretha told us the results: she didn’t score high enough.

She doesn’t know where her life will go. She doesn’t know what she’ll do. All she knows is she failed.

For those that pass the test and are able to go onto University, they don’t hold much weight in the decision of their career path. You get to put down 7 choices of majors, starting from the one you want most. The school can, and often does, deny the major you want. They’ll tell you what you are going to study. Let me make this a little more personal. 

One of our workers, Zenbaba, has four kids, two of which are in school. Her eldest daughter wanted to be in medicine. The school put her in computer science. Her second daughter had a similar outcome. Neither were even close to what they hoped and dreamed for.  It doesn’t matter what their passions are. It doesn’t matter what they want. What matters is what the people in charge say. They don’t drop out because they need an education to get a good job. If they stopped going to school what could they become? A nanny? A house worker? A driver? I’m not talking down on these jobs, because these are important and good jobs here. People are honored to have these jobs. What I am saying is if they have the opportunity to get a good education, regardless it’s the field they want or not, they almost have to do what they are told.

What I want you to take from this is that the education system in America gives us freedom. We don’t have to put on more stress than should be allowed as a 13 year old. We don’t have to study ourselves sick just to make it to 10^th grade. We don’t have to worry ourselves to death that we won’t be able to get into a college. For those of us that go to college, we have the freedom to choose our major. We get to decide the course of our life. We all need to stop taking our education for granted. We all need to own our education. We all need to start taking our education a little more seriously. We all need to take a step back and realize how privileged we really are to be “forced” to go to school.  

Overseas Missionary

What is the purpose of a missionary? To evangelize to the broken. To share the Gospel with the needy. To introduce the Savior to the unsaved.

I can go on and on and on about being “overseas”, living as a missionary, having a part in God’s plan with the African people. But I’m not going to. I had a revelation yesterday that I think you need to hear.

I was talking to a dear friend yesterday via Facebook messaging (praise God for FB messaging!).  This friend is having some issues with a family member. One snippet that is sticking in my mind from what Friend said is this, “If you put me and (family member) overseas with a common purpose it wouldn’t make us get along.” It kind of made me stop and think for a minute before I made my reply.

First of all, you are overseas. In my eyes, you are overseas; from African’s eyes, you are overseas, from anybody who isn’t currently in North America, you are overseas.

The second thing I realized was this: if you are a Christian you do have a common purpose: making disciples. When you don’t get along with someone, when you don’t really care for someone, when someone rubs you the wrong way – you still have the common goal of making disciples. You do not need to be in Ethiopia, in Chile, in Ukraine to be doing what the Lord has commanded of those who love Him. Make disciples.

There are a lot of people with the mindset, “Oh, I could never live in another country to share the Gospel.” I have two things to say to that. 1.) If it’s the Lord’s will, you’ll go. 2.) GOOD! That means you have a heart for the people around you. Make disciples of them. They need the Gospel just as much as the unreached Gumuz people in Ethiopia.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you’ve heard this kind of talk before. Talk of reaching out to those who don’t know Christ that are in your neighborhood. But I’ll bet (not literally bet) that you have not had someone who is sitting in Africa as a missionary telling you that it is EQUALLY important to share the Savior with those around you.

Get out of the mindset that you are not a missionary. You are. Missionaries are people that are on a ‘religious mission, especially one to promote Christianity’ (from Googling missionary).  There are people all around you are not living their lives for Jesus. Notice I did not say “are Christians?” Many people will claim Christianity, but they aren’t living it out. If that’s you, I’m calling you out as well – if you are going to claim to be a follower of Jesus, be a follower of Jesus. If you are truly following Jesus then  you are missionary where ever you are. 

Teaching Update

I wanted to take a few minutes and update everyone on how I’m liking (or disliking…dun dun duuuun. Just kidding) homeschooling! So here ya go.

Things have been going quite well! Ethan and I have a pretty good understanding of how the other works. It makes things a lot easier! He knows what I expect of him as a student, and I have a good idea of what he expects of me as a teacher. We have a pretty good system down which makes our days go a lot smoother.

Homeschooling is hard for the both of us in ways that being in a classroom isn’t. The biggest reason it’s hard, I think, is the fact that there aren’t other students. This actually affects both of us. It affects Ethan because he has no other 4^th grade boys to talk to, or play with at recess, or to joke around with. It affects me because the transitions are extremely different. Students feed off of each other’s energy, which is actually a positive thing sometimes! I’m not really sure how to explain it better, so hopefully you can try to imagine it, haha.

There is a new update!

One of our teammates is having back surgery (pray for him!) and his wife flew to America to help. Two of their kids, Ezra and Anna, will be staying with us on the compound, and I’ll be teaching Ezra! He’s also in 4^th grade, and best friends with Ethan. I am very excited to have another student; Ethan is very excited to have a friend!

Pray for Ezra and Anna to not be too homesick. Pray that as we teach them we have a good time. Pray for Craig as he gets back surgery. Pray for Allison as she is away from her kids and helping her husband recover from back surgery. And pray for the rest of my time here. I’ll be back in the States in less than two months. I love home, but I also love Ethiopia.

Thank you for your prayers and your support! I would love to hear from you, either on here, Facebook, e-mail, or by you sending me a card or letter. I love cards and letters. J Let me know if you need my address!

Waqaauu si ha ebesu!

Ciao!

Soddo Homeschool Trip

Hey, y’all!

I was able to go on a little trip downcountry! We visited the town of Soddo, which is about 5-6 hours from Addis. It was beautiful – I have a lot of pictures to share when I get back! The compound we stayed on was at Soddo Christian Hospital. (They have Wi-Fi!!!!!) The purpose of the trip was for us to observe, help, and encourage the moms who homeschool their kids.

Homeschool moms (or dads) are incredible. These women not only have the roles of mom (which is huge in itself) and wife, but now teacher as well. Teaching is hard work when you teach one level, throw on two, three, four levels and it just blows my mind. A lot of the homeschool moms here do not have a teaching background, they are figuring it out as they go along. When they finish teaching, they continue being mom and wife (wives to doctors: ER docs, pediatricians, surgeons, and more). Incredible.

Since we were on the same compound as one of the best hospitals in Ethiopia, we took a little tour with Dr. Dave Ayer, one of the homeschool families’ dads. One thing that’s a little different than America is we were able to check out all kinds of things. So we started in the ER. We walked in to where the patients were. One person had been in a bad car accident, so we didn’t see him – it didn’t sound too pretty, though. We saw two other kids who had been in car accidents: one must have had his leg broken because it was all bandaged up with blood seeping through the bandages.

We continued on.

We went to the surgery part. We walked into an operating room and Dave told us all about the different equipment and how it is good for Ethiopia, but still sub-par for America. There was an operation going on in the next OR, so we poked our heads in. There was a pregnant lady having a C-section. There was blood everywhere. (Pretty much all I saw was a big belly, blood, and then I shut the door. Dave told me there was blood everywhere-like on the wall everywhere. Praise God I didn’t see that!)

We continued on.

Since this hospital is small and cramped the ICU and Recovery is in the same room, which is where we went next. As soon as we got in there everyone prayed together; not just the forengie’s, but the African people, too. The first boy we saw was about 4 years old. He was in the ICU part, not the recovery part. This boy is suffering from a type of paralysis that starts in your feet and works its way up. It happens quite rapidly. He has been in there for one week and the paralysis has taken over his body leaving his neck and head the only non-paralyzed parts. I prayed over him, then looked into the most scared child eyes I’ve ever seen. If he can make it past the next two weeks he should be fine. Pray that God heals his little body and he is able to grow in faith and spread the Gospel.

The next patient we saw was the smallest baby I have ever seen in my life. She was born four weeks early, which wouldn’t be a big deal if we were in America. We prayed over her little life and for her family. She was hooked up to this little machine with a small mask covering her nose and mouth pumping oxygen into her lungs. Pray that God strengthens her physically and mentally so she can grow to love Him and spread the Gospel.

We also saw a patient who had his jaw wired shut. Something started bleeding internally and he couldn’t get it out through his mouth because his jaw was wired shut. We looked over and blood was gushing from his nose. Doctors surrounded him trying to clear the blood and his airway. By the time we left he was back to his state of stability.

We continued on.

The rest of the hospital tour was less gruesome and heart-breaking. We saw one baby girl that was in an incubator. Her story is tragic, but her life is a miracle. While her mom was pregnant with her they were in a tragic car accident. They traveled a long time in order to reach Soddo Christian Hospital. They reached the hospital, got into emergency surgery, and began the C-Section. The next morning the mom lost her life. However, she gave life to this beautiful little baby girl. Pray that she will not blame God for what happened, but instead find the life that she has been given my Him.

Before we went Soddo there was a Measles outbreak. People, kids, were dying from this outbreak. Thankfully these doctors were able to administer the medicine that would save many. The end of our tour included seeing the last two Measles patients: two boys under the age of 2. They were healed from this outbreak – praise God. These babies were not granted the opportunity of a longer life, but they also now have the opportunity to be adopted by loving, supportive families. Upon leaving the hospital they will be taken to Italy, waiting, hoping, and wanting to be adopted.

Soddo Christian Hospital is a beacon of light for African’s all around. Many people from Ethiopia, Sudan, and probably other countries travel hours –days—to reach them. The doctors are knowledgeable and excellent at what they do. More important than that, they are compassionate. Their compassion reaches beyond the medical needs to the spiritual needs. Many of the doctors pray for their patients-which is so cool. What is even cooler, though, is the fact that their patients are open and willing to prayer. People come to know Jesus Christ because of the light that literally shines in a dark place.

Pray that the Lord will continue to work through this hospital, and through the doctors. Pray that the Christians are constantly seeking the Lord, allowing Him to take the hurts and worries and burdens of all that comes with being a doctor. Pray for the mom's and the children to be filled with love, joy, patience, and knowledgeable. Pray for the moms that are homeschooling to be filled with patience and encouragement. Pray that the people of Soddo see this difference in the Christian community and be changed because of the amazing grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. 

The Orphanage

After two months of praying and asking, I was finally able to visit an orphanage! I was able to go with the 6^th grade class from Bingham Academy. It was a great experience and I hope to go back!

When we got into the orphanage the first room we went into was the babies’ room. There were 20-25 cribs crammed in this little room. Thankfully there were only 7 or 8 babies. I say thankfully because the babies keep getting adopted! Praise God for that! There was one baby who didn’t have a name that I happened to pick up. I couldn’t tell if this baby was a boy or girl, but I think he was boy – therefore I will refer to that baby as a boy. He had a really hard time focusing on my face, which I think is a combination between being so young and having very limited attention. I held this little baby for about half an hour before we saw the rest of the orphanage.

The second room we went into had 5 disabled kids. Let me tell you: they are precious. I mostly talked to Baby K and Jafar. Baby K could not move his legs more than -10 degrees, had limited movement with his arms, and could move his head back in forth, like when you shake your head no. When I talked to him he would stare at me with his big brown eyes, occasionally smiling back. He loved holding my hand, too. Baby K loved having attention and being touched.

Jafar had the biggest, prettiest eyes with the longest, best curled eyelashes I have ever seen. I have never seen a child more excited to be talked to in my life. It didn’t matter what I told him for two reasons: 1.) getting healthy attention is more important than talking about insignificant things and, 2.) he couldn’t understand me since I was speaking in English. I sat between Jafar and Baby K, taking turns looking at them, talking to them, rubbing their hands. Whenever I would turn my head to talk to the other then look back the first would have lost his smile and looked sad and forgotten again. Until our eyes met and I smiled, then he would smile, his eyes shiningly brightly. I told both of these kiddos what it was like outside, the conversation I had with someone earlier that morning, and about Darby who sat with me for a few minutes. It didn’t matter; they loved it.

After hanging out with them for a while I went back to the babies’ room.  There is a little girl in there named Elsa Bett. Little Else is around ten years old, can’t walk, and confined to bed. She can’t speak, can’t move her legs, and has limited movement with her arms – I saw no movement in her wrists or hands. She is suffering from hydro syphilis. Little Elsa Bett. She stole my heart. I talked, she listened. She looked at me when she could get control of her eyes. She smiled twice, made some gurgling sounds once, and cried once. We put some music on and she loved it. I danced for her, she loved it. When I started dancing she started moving her arms and trying to move her head, she smiled so big that it seemed like all of her problems disappeared.

After a while I decided to hold the little baby boy again. I picked him up and we talked for a while. After a couple of minutes he was able to focus his eyes on mine! It was a great feat for the day. After he figured out how to focus on my face he couldn’t stop. I help him, walked around with him, speaking softly to him. Then he fell asleep. More like he fell into a trance. We placed all of the babies on mats on the floor in the sunshine so they could get some sun on their little legs. I help my little sleeping boy for a while before deciding to lay him next to the other babies. He didn’t stir. We unbuttoned his almost too little onesie to let his skin be exposed to the sun, hopefully soaking up some Vitamin D. He still didn’t stir. There was crying, laughing, and talking going on – he didn’t stir. He was out; it was kind of funny. Since he was sleeping I decided to go tour the Catholic church next to the orphanage, so I did. When I came back he was awake and ready to be held again!!

I split up the rest of my time between the babies, Elsa, and Baby K and Jafar. These kiddos are precious. They are children of God. They are hanging out in this orphanage hoping and wanting and waiting to be adopted. Thankfully this orphanage was a decent orphanage. But an orphanage is not an ideal place to grow up. The babies, the toddlers, the older kids – disabled and non-disabled alike – they all need parents, families, homes to grow up in love, faith, and support. They need to hear and see the love of Jesus.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.” –James 1:27a 

A Drive to Town

Opening the front door of my apartment, I step out into the cool, rainy air. I look across the helicopter landing pad in the center of our compound, over the high wall with wire twisted in loops on top, to the green fields filled with crops, donkeys, cattle, and goats, and the green hills that are hidden behind a thick fog. I look to the sky to see if there is any chance of sunshine. All to my left I see clouds and fog. I look to my right and see a patch of blue sky with the sun poking through.

I step into the open, onto the wet grass, rain gently sprinkling my face body. The short walk between my apartment and the missionary’s white 12-passenger van is just enough to get a little chilled. Letting my teammate sit in the front seat, I hop in the back with six kids, ages five to sixteen. The van starts backing out of its parking place and soon we are waving at our guard as he lets us pass through our metal gate doors.

The semi-paved road is bumpy. As I look out my window there is a boy around age 12 wearing ragged clothes and lime green rubber boots with an opened red umbrella and a stick walking nonchalantly behind a flock of goats, every now and then gently motioning the stick to the right of the flock so they knew not to get any closer to the road. As we pass the boy with his goats we see a group of three girls wrapped in their beautiful white fabric covering their hair, shoulders, arms, and torsos. The van rumbles on the now broken, half paved, half gravel road forcing the van to tilt almost uncomfortably to the right. In the middle of the road there is a light brown dog lying on its stomach, scratching behind its right ear. It must not hear the van advancing towards because it continues to lay there. A gentle honk tells the dog we are coming. Casually it stands up and trots off to the side. By now there are many Ethiopian people walking along the road to go to work, or to school, or to the market. The kids see us coming and they excitedly wave their hands at us, flashing their biggest and brightest smiles at us, yelling, “Forenji! Forenji! How are you? Forenji!” in their best English. We smile and wave back as we pass them. Splashing through puddles, driving over rocks, passing a large cement building, we have reached the main road. We see a blue and white taxi van racing in our direction; he flashes his lights to let us know he is coming. After he passes we leave the bumpy half paved, half gravel road and get on the smooth, fully paved main road.

As we gain speed, I look out the window and see a new site. There is a large pile of something covered in white with little blue lines. I immediately realize it is a large pile of guts, covered in white slime with the veins running through it. I quickly look to the right and see the body of a large animal with the head still attached; it is a cow. “Ew! Did you see that?!” exclaimed one of the kids, half giggling. Chuckling to myself at her comment, I see yet another cow that has come to the same fate. There must be a holiday tomorrow, we concluded. As we continue on passing huts, little shops, vegetable stands, elderly women carrying large sacks on their back, other people carrying stacks of the round bread, injera, on their head, we see ahead of us a large dump truck is slowing down traffic. It is a ‘no passing’ zone. Everyone knows those laws only apply when there is a cop visible, so we, along with the other vehicles, scoot right along past the dump truck. We follow the road, now on a gentle grade, with two green hills on either side and a few goats sprinkled among the dewy grass, around a corner, around another corner, and to a bridge with the dirty brown water below, the beautiful green hillside sprinkled with different colored clothes and linens laid out to dry in the sun that is now forcing its way through the clouds.

We pull into the city limits, weaving through the people, the animals, and the other cars, and come to the first roundabout. Traffic is heavy, the most cars I’ve ever seen. Blue and white taxi vans are trying to shove their way in, a little black car is sick of waiting and honks twice, up ahead there is a long red city bus waiting to enter the roundabout. Slowly, we inch our way forward and finally make it to the front of the line. We see a large puddle of water that no one will drive through. We enter the circle, head straight to the puddle, drive through it, and exit the roundabout. Watching out for the random teenage boy that ran in the road not paying attention, we see vegetable stands, clothes shops, people roasting corn, taxi drivers laughing while they wait for their vans to fill, soldiers casually carrying M-16’s joking and laughing with their fellow soldiers.

After ten more minutes of driving along the highway passing cars and pedestrians, we pull up to the large, brown gate of Bingham Academy. As the guard opens the gate door he smiles warmly and excitedly waves to us as we pass him. We go up the hill, pass the guard house, down the hill, and find a parking spot. The van backs into its new spot and turns off. Everyone unbuckles, opens their doors, and files out. We go to our different places for the day until we are reunited once again at the white, 12-passenger van. 

Languages of Love

Some of you may know, and some of you may not, what I mean by “love language”. For those who haven’t heard it before it’s pretty easy to figure out by breaking up the phrase and looking at what each word means. Love. Language. Cool. Now everyone is pretty much on the same page.

There is a book written on the five love languages called The Five Love Languages. The five are: quality time, receiving gifts, words of affirmation, physical touch, and acts of service. (You can find all of this at 5lovelanguages.com, so go there, check it out, and take the little quiz. I just did it in like 5 minutes.)

These are true. Think about it. When do you feel most appreciated, most loved, least depressed, etc.? Is it spending time with someone? When someone gives you a gift? When someone encourages you through words? When someone shows love or appreciation through physical touch? When someone does something for you?

For me, quality time is my top love language, with words of affirmation second. When I think about times when I know my friends love or appreciate me, it is almost always because they have hung out with me or given me an encouraging note (or some other type of word of encouragement). I know that quality time is my primary love language because when my best friends do not make time to hang out or spend time with me I am hurt and begin to think that we really weren’t that good of friends to begin with. I know that words of affirmation are my second because I cherish the encouraging notes friends give me, or the encouraging words from people; and because I get hurt by some things that people say, or when people are not encouraging me. Which reminds of something I read: “Better is open rebuke than hidden love” Proverbs 27:5.

Now, I know that I have family and friends all over the place. So the ‘quality time’ has to change a little bit. It is not possible for me to spend time with each friend or family member in Virginia, Kentucky, Kansas, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Washington. Especially while I’m in Africa! This is where I say Praise God for technology. Phone calls, text messages, emails, Facebook, and Skype are all ways that I can get my ‘quality time’ with my peeps. Sure, it means going out of our way to sit on the phone, sit at the computer, etc. But it is so worth it.

Think of how you feel most loved. What happens when you aren’t getting that quality time, or that word of encouragement, or that (you fill in the blank)? You start feeling sad. You start being hard on yourself. You think to yourself, “I just want one person to ….”. Now do you see what I’m getting at?

Pick a person or two that you are really close to: boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, best friend, sister, brother, etc. Think of what their love language might be. Now start showing them love in that way, even when it means going out of your way. When you show them love with their love language it will make your relationship better. They will feel loved, and you will love knowing that you made them feel that way! And, I’ll bet that they will go out of their way to speak your love language.

Oooh. But what happens when you score a 2 on physical touch and your person scored a million on physical touch? (I scored a 2, and people are very, very touchy. Especially in Ethiopia.) Let me tell you what you do: you get over it. Chances are, someone is getting over themselves and going out of their way to love you how you receive it best. If the other person knows you are not a physical touch (or whatever else) person and you do go out of your way to do it, they will appreciate it all the more.

My challenge to you is to not only find out what your love language(s) is/are, but to find out the love languages of those you love or care for; and do something about it. Relationships are two way streets. It’s not all about you, and it’s not all about them. Going out of your way to show someone you love/care for/appreciate them is a good thing. It will not always be reciprocated, but that does not matter. Keep doing it. Persevere through those times. “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

I would love to hear stories from you guys! Whether it’s with a person of the same love language, or different. 

Back in Addis Ababa

We came back to Addis Ababa last Sunday! Addis Ababa is different than where we were in a few ways. For example, Addis is a lot bigger than Nekempte. We are also with a different family. We actually are living with two families on the compound.  There are no godees (horses pulling wooden carts). The taxis are a little different. And we are not in the heart of Addis, we are a little bit out of the city.

Just so you can kind of get an idea of what our living situation looks like, here’s a brief description. The compound is a piece of land, but I don’t know how much. I’m not even going guess because I don’t even know how big an acre is. Therefore, the compound is one some land. The compound is surrounded by a gate. We have guards at the doors of the gate. We have a small storage unit. There are a couple sheds, two houses, and an apartment building. The apartment building has 4 apartments and a conference room. Kait and I are staying in one of the apartments. On either side of the building are the two houses.

The two families we are living with are great; the Fehl’s and the Giles’. The Fehl’s have four kids: Addison (16), Mallory (13), Darby (11), and Ethan (9). The Gile’s have three boys: Danny (7), Ryan (4 I think), and Casey (3). The adults names are Adrian and Jen Fehl and Marshall and Rachel Giles.

Ethan is my new student. He is finishing up 3^rd grade and starting 4^th grade. He is a lot of fun! Full of energy, but it’s never a dull moment with him. We take a couple breaks throughout our day to have a snack and play a game. We have completed our first week of school, and have many more to come!

Prayer requests:

-Our time here in Addis

-Ethan and I have a fun time together

-Kait as she starts teaching at Bingham Academy soon

-We have a homeschool conference coming up and Kait and I are in charge of like 45 kids! Pray for no injuries, no lost kids (just kidding, we won’t lose any; but seriously), but that we would have a lot of energy and have a blast with the kiddos!

-We have a team meeting in a few weeks. That means all of our teammate from Ethiopia will be traveling to Addis. Pray for safe travels, productivity, and lots of fun. I think I’ll be watching the kids, so for that, too!

I think that about sums up what I wanted to say! I would love to hear about your summers and how God is moving in your lives. Please let me know how I can be praying for you!

Blessings!!

Breaking Cultural Norms

I was privileged to teach at our last Girls Time in Nekempte. About a week and half before I taught God laid it on my heart to teach them about when Jesus washed His disciples feet (found in John 13:1-17). Along with this teaching would be Kait and I putting into action Jesus’ teaching. But I knew that us touching their feet was probably not culturally acceptable. When I tried painting their toenails they were very adamant against it. (After persisting and telling them it’s what we do in America, they let me!) So I knew that we would be breaking cultural norms and possibly even be rejected.

I talked to my awesome host missionaries, Steve and Doretha, about whether or not it would be okay to give it a shot. They both told me to go ahead. So I continued to pray about it. A lot.

I felt strongly I should do it. So I started to study. And I prayed. Kait and I talked about the meaning of some passages. With the Lord’s help, I was able to get everything in order and written down. Finally Friday came. It was the day to wash the girls feet.

As usual Doretha, Rowan, Kait, and I loaded up and started the walk/bajaj (taxi) ride to the church. We had a bucket, a pitcher and some good smelling body wash from Bath and Body Works. Of course I forgot a towel, but no matter. We walked into the beautiful new church building to see our girls excited to see us; quite the blessing. We sit down, pray together, talk about our blessings from the day, then get started with the lesson.

I was shaking from being so nervous. I have taught these girls multiple times throughout the month, teaching them was not the problem. We read the Scripture; the girls said they had heard it before. I asked them if it would be okay if Kait and I served them by washing their feet.

Silence.

I reminded them of Peter’s reaction. I told them the disciples feet were probably way dirtier than their feet. I told them it would bless Kait and me if they would allow us to serve them in that way. I asked again, “Would it be okay if we washed your feet?”

Finally one girl responded. She timidly nodded her head and whispered, “Yes.” Excitedly I said, “Yes?!” A few more of the girls nodded and smiled. I asked for a volunteer to go first. No one volunteered. Doretha suggested the girl who had shown great leadership qualities. I said, “Adamay! You can go first!” She got up, came over, took off her shoes, and put her feet in the cold water. Kait and I washed her feet. We finished, and the next girl came. Then the next, and the next, and the next. None of our girls rejected the invitation.

We finished and Kait sat down. Doretha came over and we started washing Kait’s feet. We were almost finished when all of our girls got up and walked over to us. They said, “Kayla. Ta’e.” Which means, “Kayla. Sit down.” So I sat on the bench. They washed my feet. Then Kait’s. Then Doretha’s.

God was definitely moving. Moving in a bigger way than I could ever have imagined. They even dried our feet with their skirts.

After we were all finished we sat down together again and I asked them what they thought and felt about that teaching. Their responses left me speechless.

“I am blessed.”

“No one has ever done this before.”

“I have never seen this kind of humbleness in the church before.”

“I will never forget this.”

“We will always remember this, and do it with others.”

God doesn’t just answer prayer. He goes beyond what you are asking. When you obey Him, He will bless you immensely. Praise God for His faithfulness, His wisdom, and His love. This day will be a day I won’t forget (unless I suffer from memory loss). But in all seriousness, my faith in God just went one step deeper. I have never loved the Lord more. He is good. He is faithful. His love endures forever. 

*All praise goes to God. I was just doing what I was told! He worked through me, and opened the girls hearts and minds. Without His work, this would have been a disaster.

Abigail's Wisdom

Here is something I taught at our Ladies Bible study. It was written for the intent of being translated from English to Oromo verbally. 

Do you ever think you are too unimportant to do something important?

This is the story of Abigail. Abigail was not a queen; she did not have an important career. But she loved the Lord, and she had wisdom. This is her story:

Abigail was married to a man named Nabal. Nabal means ‘fool’, and he was a fool. He was also very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing at Carmel.

A man named David was in the desert at Carmel as well. David and about 600 men were camping around Nabal’s goats and sheep, but they never stole from him and they never treated his shepherds badly. David was told Nabal was at Carmel, so he sent ten men to go greet Nabal. They asked Nabal to feed David and his men. Nabal was very wealthy so he could afford to do it. But Nabal was known to be rude and mean in his dealings. He rudely refused to feed David and his men. When the ten men told David what happened, he became angry because they had been protecting Nabel’s flocks. David told his men, “Put on your swords!” They were going to kill every male in his family.

We can read what happened next: read 1 Samuel 25: 14-17. It says: 

  "One of the servants told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them. Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. Night and day they were a wall around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them. Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.”

Immediately Abigail took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, 37 liters of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. She did not tell her husband what she was doing. As she rode her donkey into the ravine, she met David and 400 of his men coming off the mountain. We can read what happened in 1 Samuel 25:21-25.

 Abigail was very wise with her words. She knew that if David killed Nabal and the men in her family, he would no longer be righteous. Not only was she protecting her family, but also the soon to be king and ancestor of Jesus. Abigail continued talking to David in verses 26-31. It says:

 "And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal. And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you. “Please forgive your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles, and no wrongdoing will be found in you as long as you live. Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler over Israel, my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember your servant.”

David’s response is in the next few verses. Read verses 32-35: "David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.” Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request.”

David listened to Abigail because of her wisdom. He was very thankful for the wisdom of Abigail.

Abigail returned home to Nabal having a huge party, and he was very drunk. Being wise, Abigail waited to tell Nabal of what happened until he was sober. In the morning, when he was sober, Abigail told him how she saved his life, and the lives of every male in their family because of his foolish ways. Then his heart failed him and became like stone. About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.

When David heard Nabal died he asked Abigail to marry him. And so she did.

Even though she was not a queen or someone important she played a very important role. We see great wisdom in her story. It is important to have wisdom.

Can you think of a time when you made a wise decision? How often do you seek wisdom from loved ones, the Bible, from the Lord?

Scripture is filled with gaining wisdom. All kinds of different people had wisdom. Many people strove for wisdom. People today strive for wisdom. Wisdom is not always easy to gain, but so important to have. Proverbs continually teaches on how important it is to gain wisdom. Here are two passages on wisdom from Proverbs:

Proverbs 8:17-21 (Wisdom is speaking)

   "I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full." 

Proverbs 8:32-36 (Wisdom is still speaking)

“Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it. Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord. But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death.”

As situations arise, it is important to seek wisdom. Ask God to fill you with his wisdom. Constantly seek to find wisdom; you will find it when you seek wisdom in the Lord. 

Blessings.

Language Learning

Akum oltay!

The language I am learning is Oromo. Like Spanish, they switch their sentence structure. Unlike Spanish, I am unfamiliar with certain sounds the language makes.

I have been having a blast learning a new language. We have hour long lessons every morning, Monday-Friday. At least 5 minutes of this time is used for laughing, unintentionally. Sometimes you just really mess up what you are trying to say. Here's an example:

We were learning how to invite someone over for tea. I said: "Would you like to come over to drink my house?" The kicker is this: I was talking in English, not Oromo.

Let me tell you, learning a new language is something else. You forget how to speak your own language. And it can be quite hilarious.

Here are some words, spelled how they sound, that I have learned and can think of right now (and I think they are right, buuut....you know, I could be wrong):

Akum oltay: greeting for after noon
akum bultay: greeting for before noon
akum oltan: greeting an older person, or multiple people for after noon
akum bultan: greeting an older person, or multiple for before noon
akakayou: grandpa
ako: grandma
hida dhu: mother
abuh: father
inteluh: daugher
mucha: baby
ray tea: goat
coh fee ya: hat
con colata: car
con colata fay um sa: truck
boyay: pig
kay-lo: yellow
cho co leesa: blue
gurracha: black
deema: red
magadisa: green

Okay, that's enough. I know a lot more than that! And!! I can follow a few commands, like stand up, sit down, put the red marker on/under/beside the table. Oh ya, we are learning a lot of Oromo.

Pray that we all continue to learn at a great pace. Pray that we are accurate, patient, and continue to find the joy in our mistakes. Finally, pray that our language tutor, Kalbessa, sees Jesus in each of us (Kait, the family, and I) and we are an encouragement to him in his faith.

Nagan olee! (Good bye for after noon to multiple people, I think.) :) 

Week 1: Complete (Holla!)

Week 1: Complete

What happened in the last week:
-I arrived in Ethiopia.
-My bags did not (of course). :)
-Then they did.
-4th of July, which Ethiopians do not celebrate. (It's an American holiday...July 4th, 1776 we declared our independence. No one else really has a reason to celebrate that.) We had a party with some American friends. Jen made an American flag cake. We put it on top of a British flag. Hahaha. The girls and Kait made a couple of signs. We lit off a firework (yes, just one). And we each got a sparkler.
-Kait and I traveled the 300-ish kilometers to Nekempte, which is where we are now.
-Since it was the weekend when we got here we were able to have a lot of bonding time with our host family. The parents are Steve and Doretha, the kids are Caeden, Reaghan, Andwynne, and Rowan. I probably spelled all of the kids' names wrong except Caeden. Because he is my student. :)
-We started language school. The language we are learning is Oromo.
-I started teaching Caeden. He is in first grade. And it's a blast.
-Kait and I started a college-aged Bible study for ladies only. It's called Girls Time. And it is awesome. We have a translator!
-I was almost hit my a bjiaj (taxi) today. I didn't hear him coming from behind, so it was probably my fault.
-I have had lots of yummy food.
-I accidentally handed something to a native using my left hand, which is bad, bad, bad. You are supposed to use your right hand. Always. But I forgot twice. Oopsi! I apologized in English. And then laughed. A lot. Because I did the wrong thing, then tried to apologize in a language they don't understand. Hahaha.

Contrary to popular though, I am not sun burned. It is actually mostly chilly here, because it is rainy season. I haven't eaten anything crazy. I haven't seen any crazy food. We have hot, running water (when the power is on). The power doesn't typically go out for days. But our first couple of days in Addis it did. Flashlights and candles are where it's at.

The people are (typically) pretty friendly, at least the people I have encountered. On our language route Kait and I stop at four (afur in Oromo) shops: OMG Business Center (a copy center), a stationary center, a vegetable stand, and a coffee/tea shop. Two of them can speak like 4 words of English, which means we get to figure out what words mean by repetition and actions. Sometimes it's a major fail and we do the whole smile and nod. But sometimes it is a success! Today Kait and I had a blast learning some different words with a couple of ladies and about 6 college-aged guys. They laughed at us a lot, but so did we. It was pretty fun. And the chai is awesome. Today I tried to tell a lady "gala tomee" (phonetically spelled) which is "thank you" in Oromo, but instead it came out "gracias". Yep. Not even the right language.

God is good. Actually, He's pretty great. It awesome to see the ministry that Steve and Doretha have here in Nekempte. Speaking of them, they are awesome. Their hearts of gold beat solely for the Lord. They are doing great things here. Apart from ministry, Doretha has one of the best laughs I have ever heard. The other night we were playing charades and Kait was acting like a bull and Doretha lost it. Hahaha. I am still laughing about it. Steve has one of the best senses of humor ever. Probably because mine is similar. I think he's hilarious. The kids are some of the most precious kids in the world. They each have their own personalities, and each make me laugh a lot. God has definitely blessed the Limiero family. They are very encouraging with my faith, as well. They pray together all the time; we pray together all the time. I am very, very blessed to be a part of this family.

That just skims the surface. Know that my time here has been awesome. Thank you for your prayers. Keep 'em comin'. Please pray for Steve and Doretha as well. Things to keep in prayer:

-Steve is doing a small group leader training
-Kait is teaching English to Oromo speaking students every day at 1:30-ish a.m. Montana time
-Steve, Kait, and I have a college Bible study/hang out time on Saturday's from 2-4 our time, so like 4-6 a.m. Montana time
-Kait and I have a Bible Study with a group of ladies ages 15-25 MWF from 4-6 our time, so 6-8 Montana time
-Doretha stays home with 4 kids and manages the house. She does a wicked awesome job at it. So praise for her hard work, and prayer for continued joy and energy.
-For all of us to be effective in our communications and relationships with the Ethiopian people
-For our language teacher, Kalbessa. He has been a great teacher so far!!

This is long enough! Hope you have enjoyed getting to see what I'm doing now!! If you  have any questions or comments, feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to hear what you have to say!!

Chow!

*Disclaimer: if anything is spelled wrong or sounds funny, I blame the jet lag and learning a new language. :)

The Bags are Packed

It’s the final countdown!

The bags are packed and stacked and ready to roll. What is keeping me from this journey to Afrika is a (hopefully) good night sleep, one last church service, breakfast with Gram , Pop, and my little brother Christopher, gasin’ up the truck, and a huckleberry milkshake.

Right now I am freaking out. But a good freaking out. I am a little nervous my bags are over the weight limit, but I think I’ll be fine!

It’s just about midnight. I’m trying to stop being hyper. First of all it’s my personality to be really hyper about things. Secondly I AM GOING TO AFRIKA!! Why wouldn’t or shouldn’t I be hyper?! (Because I have to sleep, that's why!)

The next time I blog I’ll be in…you know where…Afrika!

Becky's Wedding Day

My longest friendship is with a pretty gal named Becky. She recently got married. It was awesome.

Something happened the day of the wedding that neither I nor anyone else will forget. You know those things that happen only in movies? Well, it happened in real life at this wedding. Here's the story:

Saturday morning: wedding day. I woke up early (like 7:45) and headed to the salon to sit with one of the bridesmaids (and my new friend), Kristen, as she got her hair done. After she was finished and lookin' SO good, I had to run a couple of errands -- mainly taking a shower. I finished everything I needed, went to the salon just as the beautiful bride was getting her hair done, and we all hung out and had a good time. Following along the order of a wedding morning, we headed to the house to get changed into our dresses. We finished putting the last few touches on and headed to the ceremony site.

It was almost time.

Everything was going well. The wedding started a little later, as to be expected. Everyone looked good. Everyone was ready. It came time for the best man and I to precede Becky. As I took my place I looked over at the groom, Justin. I asked him if he was ready, if he was nervous, and told him he'd be fine. We hear the audience laughing, look up, and see the little boys coming up with these awesome signs and a shot gun:

Finally we see the flower girl, and not too far behind her the bride. She looks like a princess straight out of a fairy tale. It's magical. She makes her way to the front, I take her bouquet and fix her dress. Everything is going so smoothly. Half way through it hits me. I forgot the ring.

I immediately go into panic mode. In a span of about 5 seconds I think: "Who forgets the ring? What kind of maid of honor forgets the ring? I am the worst maid of honor ever. Heck, I'm the worst friend ever. Becky is going to hate me. The wedding is ruined." Then I have an idea: tell the bridesmaid next to me. So I lean over to my new friend, Kristen, and say, "Kristen, I forgot the ring!" Her response: "Oooh." Thinking quickly I ask her if I should use my spoon ring instead, to which she agrees. Then I get the perfect opportunity to temporarily fix my problem. Justin's dad, John, was praying over the couple. I lean over to the guy doing the ceremony, Dave, and in a very panicky 'whisper' I say, "Dave. Dave! DAVE! I forgot the ring!" He stares at me and starts smiling. I say, "Can I borrow yours?!" He starts taking it off, only to realize he can't. So he starts panicking because his ring is stuck. The prayer finishes and now we have two panicky people.

Dave, the awesome guy that he is, continues on without missing a beat. I start thinking to myself, "It's okay. It's only a ring. What's a ring, anyways? It's just symbolic for their marriage. They will still be married. At the end of the day the will still be married. We can totally pull this off." Justin gets the wedding band from the best man, says what he's supposed to, and slips it on Becky's finger. Becky, all smiles, turns to me, expecting the manly gold band they had picked out. Instead, I give her this silver spoon ring that fits a young lady's small hand and whisper, "Just pretend." She stares at me for a split second and mouths, "What?" I smile nervously and say, "I forgot his ring. Just use this one." I step back into my place. All is well. We can totally make this work.

Dave continues on with Becky saying, "Now, I have something to tell all of you." My thought: He wouldn't dare. Dave: "This is a fake ring.... We forgot the real one."

He dared. He told everyone. And everyone laughed. It was perfect.

They continued on with the ceremony. Dave tells Becky, "Repeat after me: 'With this ring.'" Becky says, "Well, not this ring, but the other ring!" Perfect impromptu. Never have I been so proud.

The ceremony finished out. Many people told me how beautifully perfect the wedding was. It was a beautiful day, along a beautifully scenic river, with beautiful Montanan decorations, and a perfect-for-each-other couple. And at the end of the day they were married.

Ten Days

Two words keep entering my mind: ten days.

Obviously the number changes, but today it's ten. Ten days until what? Ten days until this little lady heads to Spokane, Washington to catch the first flight on an awesome journey to Ethiopia. I just got butterflies.

I wanted to take a minute to let everyone know my thoughts and feelings as of right now.

-I am excited.

-I am nervous.

-I am really, really excited.

Knowing that I am about to be out of the country, out of the continent, for 6 months is kind of crazy. You’d think you can only realize something once. Nope. I have realized this about 8 times, and every time it blows my mind. Every time I realize I am going to Africa for 6 months I think, “What did I get myself into?” Then I think, “This is going to be awesome!”

I find a lot of comfort in the fact that our great God will be with me on the journey and every second during my stay in Ethiopia just as much as He is with me here in my favorite place, Libby, Montana. With each day that passes by I know that I am leaving everything I know, everything I am comfortable with, everything. But then I realize that I am not leaving everything. I am not leaving God; God is not leaving me. He is going with me. Someone that I am familiar with, Someone that I am very comfortable with, and Someone who knows me better than all of us combined will be right by my side, always.

As of now I am only a little nervous, but only a little. I know that as this next week and a half flies by and the day comes for me to be standing in that giant airport, checking in my luggage, praying everything goes smoothly, I will be one large bundle of nerves. Thankfully I can find comfort in the Lord. Thankfully I know that this is His will for my life, and it is my dream come true. Knowing that makes me more excited than anything. 

Ask, Seek, Knock

Do you ever read something and think, “Man, I wish that would happen in real life!” Have you ever heard a story and just knew they were exaggerating in some way because there is no way that stuff happens in real life? How about when you read things in the Bible? Jesus was born of a virgin, lived, was crucified, died, and rose again – that is the basis for the New Testament. It’s pretty easy to accept that, I think. What about when we read passages like the one found in Matthew 7:7-8, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

What does that mean? That’s a nice passage. It gives hope. But…ya, it doesn’t really work like that.

Those may have been some of my thoughts. They may be some of your thoughts.

Then I learned. I learned that this passage is true; it actually happens. I prayed and prayed, and prayed some more for an opportunity to serve in Africa. And now I am going in 11 days. “Knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Jesus wasn’t kidding. I was pursuing Him, and all the while He knew my heart. “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart.” –Psalm 37:4.

We serve a great God who cares about our desires and passions. What doors has He opened to give you the desire of your heart?

Dreams Do Come True

What are your dreams? What is something that the mere thought of it brings a smile to your face and joy to your heart?

Then what happens when 'reality' hits and you come to the realization that can never happen; only in your dreams it will happen?

It's heart breaking. In your mind you imagine these really great things. Maybe you have the picture of the perfect husband or wife, the perfect job, the perfect family, perfect looks. Maybe you envision being the best chef, musician, teacher, mechanic, athlete. Maybe when you think of your future you see yourself being the CEO of a company, impacting hundreds or maybe thousands of people, or being a world traveler. Then you look at your bank account, your talents, reality. You slip back into the mindset that it won't, it can't, happen.

One of my dreams is to go to Africa. Hearing just the name of the continent makes me smile. When I think of the things I want to do in my life, places I want to go, going to Africa is definitely at the top. I have dreamed about this, looked into it a little bit, then 'realized' it will never happen. But then I remember that God doesn't give us these visions and passions just for the heck of it; there is a purpose.

My dream to go to Africa is coming true before my eyes. I cannot express my excitement and enthusiasm as I watch this happen. It's almost too good to be true. But God's love for me, and for you, sounds too good to  be true. One of my favorite things about God is that even though He sounds too good to be true, He is true. His love is true. And He lavishes* His love on us.

Whatever your dreams are, whatever your passions are, ask God to make them become reality. Don't hold back. God is bigger than anything you can ask for. Don't be scared of rejection from Him. The worst that will happen is your trust in Him will grow deeper, your love for Him will be bigger, and your dreams will come true. Great things will happen when you are living for Him.

Ask Him to make your dreams come true. I have been asking for the perfect opportunity to go to Africa for two and a half years. He is blessing me beyond what I imagined. And I know that He will bless me while I'm there beyond what I can imagine.

With God, dreams do come true.

*lavish (verb)- to expend or give in great amounts, or without limit

Junior Year

Junior year.

In high school it's said to be the hardest year. In college...well, I don't know what the hardest year is said to be. All I know is that this year has been haaard. 

My year started off with two of my closest friends not here. One moved to Kentucky, one moved to Wichita. So that sucked. I had my very first apartment! Which was exciting and new, and, frankly, a little scary. I was about to start my first semester at K-State. I had been waiting for that to happen for quite a while. Everything (except my two friends not being in the same town as me) made it look like it would be a great year. My classes were great, my friends were great, my apartment was great, my housemates were great.

Then school started. 

Like clock work stuff with my FAFSA got messed up. K-State tried charging me an extra ten grand for some reason. Nothin' like a little bill for $10,000! It took a while to get that straightened up. What it came down to is...I still had a big bill to pay (not 10 grand, thankfully), no job, and no car. 

So I needed a job. Easy peasy, right?

Wrong.

I turned in application after application after application. Nada. I had (have) no car, so I was (am) limited to a certain area. Week after week went by. Then I realize: I am going to die. 

Just kidding. I didn't know how to handle anything. Then it clicked: Trust God. Duh. He owns everything. He'll provide. Either that or I'll die. Well, I had nothing else to do but to trust Him. 

Allowing the Holy Spirit to work through other people to bless me is one of the hardest things I learned this semester. With no job, no car, and no money I had no choice. I had school, an apartment, and had to eat somehow. The only way to survive is to let others help me. It was awful. My family, Will and Dev, Kirsten, and Shannon all helped me out. It was embarrassing and hard for me to accept. 

But God takes care of His children. How could I have ever doubted that He would provide for me? I learned that I am a little prideful. I learned that in order for God to work in me, I had to allow other people to help me financially. I was stuck in a place that I had to do everything myself, and I could do everything myself. Sure, I knew God would provide. However, I wouldn't let Him. Opening myself and my plans and, ultimately, my heart to God with my finances has been the hardest, but best challenge, for me this year. 

Now junior year is half way over (praise God). I have a job, I have some money, I have no car and am (usually) fine with it. I know that God has some pretty great things for me in the near future. I trust Him with my finances. But I know there will be something else this semester that I have to learn. It'll probably suck a little bit. 

But it's all worth it. 

A Prince and a Peasant

Once upon a time there were two people in love. The man was a prince; the woman--a peasant. No one understood why this prince loved the peasant. She wasn't beautiful, she wasn't always nice or happy. But they loved each other very much. The prince would visit the peasant girl every day. One day the prince went to the peasant girls house, knelt down, and asked her to marry him. The angels in the heavens leaned in close to hear the peasant girl whisper her answer, "yes." They were engaged and as happy as can be! The prince told his bride-to-be he needed to go away for a little while (kingly duties and such). One would think the bride-to-be would be glowing, planning the wedding, always talking about the wedding. But instead, after just three days, she was back to herself. She didn't make wedding plans. In fact she never even talked about the wedding. It was as if she forgot the prince was even coming back....

**Disclaimer: I did not make this up, I heard it. This is just my rendition. It was too good not to share. :)

(I hope you caught the allegory!)