Back from Ethiopia and Changed Forever!

Hi Friends and Family,

Thank you so much for all your prayers for my mission trip to Ethiopia.  I am back safe and processing all that the Lord revealed to me during the 14 days I was gone.  The first week of my trip was rough with me feeling sick and fatigued most of the time.  I was still able to speak on the Lord's love and salvation every day that week and felt real spiritual opposition but the Lord always gets the victory.  I started to fell much better the second weak. During our mission we were able to host vacation bible school in four different villages.  The children are so precious.  They would hug me, kiss me and play with our my hair just wanting to be near me. They would laugh when I would try to speak Amharic and grin as we playing clapping games.  It was the best. Our lessons were even translated into their language so the kids could have the them to study.  We also provide solar powered audio bibles in Amharic to all four churches so bible study groups could be started for those who are illiterate or too sick to make it to church.  We distributed water filters to be used in areas that don't have a clean water supply.  We distributed food to needy families, prayed for church leaders and members, and built a room onto a church where people can come and get council and help. I saw poverty like I never thought existed.  I saw many people very sick with leprosy and other diseases that are treatable in the U.S.  I saw moldy food in houses that was scavenged out of the dump as their only food supply.  I saw houses the size of closets where multiple families live and where children sleep on the concrete piled on top of each other while the rain leaks through the tin roof.

Through all this the Lord opened my eyes and has given me such a heart for the poor and the lessons I learned throughout my trip are invaluable.  I know I will never be the same.  In Ethiopia I found some of the most beautiful people I have never encountered.  I found truly the poorest yet richest people.  Out of their generosity they will offer you the only food they have.  Where they lack even basic essentials like clean water they supersede in faith. I witnessed the poorest of poor children grinning from ear to ear, signing, dancing, just excited about life.  Material things come and go but Jesus lives forever and their simplistic live and love for the Lord drew me close to Him. Their neediest keeps them so dependent on God.  They have one option God or God. They taught me how to be flexible, how to trust the Lord for every need, what true generosity and thanksgiving look like and what it looks like to worship God with your whole being.  They worship God with every muscle in your body and with all that they are.  They worship the Lord for his love, generosity and His word, not for a new job, car or house but just for another day of life.  Amongst the filthy streets, starving children in tattered clothes and people dieing of preventable diseases their is Hope because God loves these people. 

Thank you for all your support and prayers and giving me an opportunity for the Lord to break my heart for what breaks His, renew my faith and passion and show me a piece of Him through Ethiopia.  I will never be the same.

Blessings,

Angela

The kids always want their pictures taken.

These men had never had their picture taken before and when I showed them their photo they both started laughing because  they had not seen themselves in many years. They were so precious. 

 This widow was so sweet.  After her husband died their was no will and her brother-in-law locked her out of her house, took her house and sent her to live in the chicken coop but she still has joy.

 This is Bole Bulbula.  This area of the city is a rural enclave behind the airport. It is pretty much no mans land where people set up homes and started a village but people have more land.

 This is Kore.  This is probably the poorest place in the world.  It is the size of Everett and the people walk over a mile to the dump to scavenge for food.

 Amazing that all their scaffolding on building are  built stick by stick.

 It was such a blessing to have my dear friend by my side the whole trip.

Update

Hey Family and Friends -

I am sorry I have not posted in a few days. I just got an update from Angela late last night. It was a quick conversation, but I am happy to report that she is doing good. She has made friends with a young boy who has no food and has to search for it in the trash heaps. Crazy that people have to live like that. It sounds like she is enjoying her time and trip and getting ready to come home. Thanks,

Taylor

Day 2 In Ethiopia - The Lord is so Good!

Today our team was blessed by the opportunity to minister to village called Mojo about 2 hours outside of Addis Ababa the capitol of Ethiopia.  The children don't see many white people and some of them had never heard the gospel.  I was able to share the message of creation and the gospel to the children.  It was my first time speaking with an interpreter but the Lord is good and it was so fun.   The children listened so intently to everything our team shared.  The village is ran much like biblical times.  You see many plowing the fields with oxen and planting seeds.  We were invited to Buna (coffee) to celebrate and receive a blessing.  The people are so generous and give out of what they don't have.  I am in love with the people and the children of course.  Our team is having a great time getting to know each other.  The Lord has unified our team and we are learning so much. 

Update #3

I just got off the phone with Angela. She is doing really good. The team has been supportive and are already bonding. Angela is making fast friends like normal and already meeting locals. Their plans to do the VBS for yesterday were postponed and are set for today. Angela will definitely speak. They are speaking to a town that has never had a VBS before. Her notes are getting translated and left behind for the children and church staff to refer back to. Pretty exciting. I could definitely hear in her voice how excited she was to be there and be in a new place - the new food, sights, traffic, smells - she loves all of it. So proud!!

For those curious about myself and the kids. We are doing just fine. We have been busy, checking out new parks, libraries, stores and a tee ball game. It is going great.

Taylor

Update #2

I just got a message from Angela. She arrived safely and the team is doing well. Sounds like she is still pretty exhausted from the long trip and didn't get much sleep on her first night there. They are off to do their first Vacation Bible Study today, where she most likely is speaking. Please pray for her physical strength to make the transition and for her to do a fantastic job with the VBS.

Taylor

Update

Hey Everyone. Taylor filling in with a quick update. Angela called this afternoon shortly before her flight to let me know things were going smoothly. She has been in the air for about seven hours so far and has quite a bit left before she can arrive in Addis Ababa. One prayer request would be for her to be rested physically and mentally while traveling (hard to do). She will be the first one in her group to teach at the Vacation Bible School. This will take place the morning after they get there. Basically, she will travel for about 22 hours, sleep in new surrounds and then speak to about 600 people. Wow. So proud of her.

I also wanted to include the organization website. With Internet being spotty there, these may be the only updates I hear as well. Check it out here

Less Than 24 hours to go!

I have been anticipating, praying and waiting for the day I would finally get to go to Africa, and in less than 24 hours I will get on an airplane to embark on my adventure to Ethiopia. For the last number of years when I have pictures myself in Africa I was never nervous about anything. I just pictured myself embracing precious children, praying for them, comforting them and this week as my dream has become a reality, I have never been more nervous. I have been nervous about everything I can possibly think of; from getting a disease to opening my mouth to teach and having nothing come out. But then yesterday it came, the peace of the Lord, the peace that really does surpass all understanding. 

I am leaving my own beautiful children for 14 days, going to place where I have had to get so many vaccines and take Malaria medication, and it will take me 19 hours of flight time to get there. I arrive at 8:20pm in Ethiopia and the next day will boldly share creation and proclaim the gospel to as many 500 or 600 kids and families staring at me with anticipation. I should be freaking out but I just know that the Lord has got this, and I am reminded that the Lord has been preparing me for this for a very long time. I know that the Lord will speak through me and the only expectation I leave with is that the Lord will do miracles however He wants to. The only thing I have to offer is the grace of Jesus and that is what the people really need.

So my bags consist of two 50 lb suitcases full of Vacation Bible School supplies, solar powered audio bibles in the Amharic language, candy, stickers, and t-shirts for the children. Then I have a carry-on and a backpack with my stuff which is about what I usually bring for a long weekend trip to Oregon.

I came upstairs today looking for Andrew and there he was in my suitcase. He had taken everything out of it and he looked at me with his sweet smile and said, “Mommy is this the suitcase you are taking me in to Africa.” And I said, “not this time but one day we will go to Africa and serve the children together.” and he said, “like when I am 5.” Maybe not that soon but I believe we are family called to serve and I am so thankful for Taylor and my children. We are all in this together. The kids and Tay have been praying for me and they are a big part of the trip and are excited about what the Lord is going to through me and in me. I can leave them for 2 weeks because I am teaching my children how to be like Jesus and that "for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" in whatever we do.

Can't wait,

Angela