Dramatic Peace

God is always moving, continually hearing us and answering our prayers. Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like it. 

Other times, He moves in dramatic and obvious ways and all I can do is be in awe. That is how it’s been. Since arriving in Addis on Sunday morning, we got all our errands done and left for Injibara on Wednesday. 

Early morning start, prayed off by our teammates, Mark and Debbie.

The Ethiopian road is not my happy place. Usually my neck is so tight I get a migraine from the stress and anxiety of all the people, animals and vehicles. This time was different.

Views are breathtaking but I unfurrowed my brow, looked up and enjoyed them.

Rainy season was drier than many years and has some areas of the country in possible draught, but as we drove North, we saw a lot of green.

A lot of baboons at the bottom of the Blue Nile Gorge. You can’t see it well, but there is a baby baboon suckling her mother.

After a long, uneventful, peaceful trip (besides Jon and I briefly passionately disagreeing over if there was one or two “Fievel Goes West” movies. Ha! He was right.)

We were home. The place we call home. One of the places we call home. I didn’t know how it would feel, pulling in. We rejoiced and felt deep peace and contentment.

Our welcome has been warm. 

And we are glad to be back, all four of us, and I think that is nothing short of a miracle.

And this one, she is back to drinking black, strong coffee. 

We are back to school, thankful to find some routines.

And eating field corn, roasted over flames.

The peace and settledness we feel is unquestionably God’s provision, provided through your prayers, in our life. My anxiety has been replaced by deep peace and that is kind of a big deal.

I was blessed and convicted by this George Muller quote, “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith. The beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.” I am begging God that my anxiety is replaced by unwavering faith in Him and His provision.

The Trip

Travel went well. Thanks so much to those who prayed!

The day before our big trip to Ethiopia, we got back from a small flight where apparently no one checked luggage but us. :)

“Drinking the air” and singing songs into the air flow.

Yay!  We found that abandoned moving sidewalk and the girls probably ran close to a mile going the wrong way.

On the airplane for our long flight, A was in her seat with her buckle done, and headphone and mask on within 30 seconds of getting to her seat. Airplanes are the land in between for many TCKs. 

A slept about the whole flight, J said she was too “tight” and couldn’t sleep.

At a great airport with playgrounds, but the girls were too tired to enjoy and we could fully lay out, that felt pretty good.

All our luggage arrived and we were out, 1.5 hours after landing, which was amazing. We slept a few hours at a guest house and then dragged ourselves out of bed to meet friends and go to church. We are trying to beat jet lag by laughing in it’s face and jumping right onto Ethiopian time. So far, it’s working okay, not without dips. Last night, the girls slept for six hours and then were WIDE awake. Jon and I were annoyed for awhile but then we couldn’t sleep either and we watched “Beethoven” at midnight. 

Over the next few days, we will stock up on supplies, have a few meetings, set up our phones and hopefully drive back to Injibara on Thursday (I hope this isn’t wishful thinking). Overall, we are excited but also a bit nervous, wondering where we fit.  Our next few months we have a lot of obligations in Addis, so we will be back and forth between Addis and the highlands.  it will be into February before we are really able to “settle” in Injibara for more than a few weeks at a time. Day by day. 

Love to All!

 

 

An Understanding Beyond Pictures and Words

A picture is supposed to be worth a thousand words but all our words and pictures leave so many holes. This brief video offers a smidge more insight.

If you didn't get a chance to see this over the summer, here is a six minute glimpse into life in Injibara. 

It makes us excited for the faces we get to soon see!

We are also in transition and it's enough to make even the most steady, wobble. 

Our flight leaves on Friday and we are praying for that sense of humor, baggage that arrives with us and a deep identity in Christ alone for our Rock.

The Greats

I don’t remember interaction with any great-grandparents and we are so thankful that J and A get to spend time with four of the best.

The older I get, the more sentimental and deeply appreciative of tradition and legacy.

(Yes, these were all different events, we just well used our clothes this summer.) 

Riding ponies with Grandpa

Spending time with Grandpa and Grandma B.

We popped into Grandma Mimi’s when we could.

Our time living with Grandma F was sweet and so appreciated.

Grandmas and Grandpa, Thanks for letting us spend time with you, thanks for making us feels so loved.

 

Twinning

When A started complaining that her tooth seemed funny, we had her brush but she returned, so I examined it closely and was shocked to see it’s loose. The dentist said they had a few more years and I was worried she had bumped it on something.

Out of curiosity, I felt the same tooth in J’s mouth and the exact tooth was loose. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since they had the same first tooth pop through during the same night. 

In other twin sightings,

On our last Sunday in our home church, instead of twinning, the girls were “tripletting”.

 

Breathing Grace

As I read the definition of grace today, I was overwhelmed by the grace God shows us, daily and how He has used so many of you to be vessels of grace. 

You’ve breathed grace to our family, undeserved favor, unable to repay goodness.

(Photo cred to Pam Agler)

Thank you. Thank you for loving us, even when we were glazed over and grumpy. Thanks for your prayers. We felt them in big ways as we said goodbyes and now look forward to this week of family time. Lordwilling, we will fly to Ethiopia on October 16th. 

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

We leave on Thursday (the 8th) morning, bright and early. We will have goodbyes wrapped up and then go on a trip, just the four of us for a time to process, grieve, connect and “think destination” and not while we are jet lagged and in the hustle and bustle of Addis. 

Lordwilling, we will fly to Ethiopia on October 16th. Your prayers are appreciated.

The goodbyes continue and it hurts but we are all gonna be okay.