Here Comes the Bride,... A Busy but Blessed Beginning to 2019...

Landing back in Ethiopia in early January, I knew it was going to be a busy month.

I had my shoe laces tied and whispered a prayer on landing... knowing it was to going to be a sprint through January

God would have to help in a big way....

And guess what, He DID!

Day before leaving USA ... in the gym, preparing to jump

Looking back, it's only with God's help that I'm still breathing and smiling this early February weekend.

Here are some highlights from a busy but blessed January...

First came Ethiopia's Christmas on January 7th. On my return, this wonderful holiday arrived, but I was hit almost immediately with a bad cold and just overall not feeling well.  I did travel to the home of the Kenna family and had a wonderful time with them as always.  But I fought big illness the first ten days or so back in Ethiopia...  so difficult.

I almost immediately also was overwhelmed with work. I had my semester at Hope to finish. Which included not just collecting huge stacks of homework and working through them...but also final exams...and grading through those exam stacks as well and final grading... At Hope it was about 120 students that I had to do grading for. I was literally buried in admin. But finally, this past week, I turned in those grades. God helped me!

Then I did teach an Intensive two week class at ETC (the Evangelical Theological College) in January. This class was 26 students and I had class every evening for three hours for two weeks. Intensives are so hard but God helped as I taught Intro to Youth Ministry. I was blessed by these students and their eagerness to reach youth through their churches.

I also started three new classes at ETC in the past two weeks. One being Cross Cultural Communication. Another- Communicating the Gospel to Adolescents (Teens). And a new course I've never taught before- Health and Sports in the Church. I was super excited to teach the Health Sports course because I can use my background in sports and as a personal trainer. The class is between 50-60 students. Please keep these new classes in prayer... may God make us strong as His body and His church in the world!

Class One... stretching... :-)

And a huge and much anticipated event happened in January also. A big beautiful wedding occurred for Hilina Hailu, one of my former students, who was also a long time Bible study/family member and friend, ...she married Peniel Yohannes, an outstanding guy.

I remember when Hilina first met Peniel, we call him "P", her now husband. I remember the dating years and all the ups and downs through that. And I was there when he proposed to her... one of the most touching events I've ever seen...

Then came the events before and after the wedding and the wedding itself.... no words for the overall experience!  It was an honor for me to be a bridesmaid and to help usher my beautiful sister into this new season of her life.  Here in Ethiopia, a wedding program is not fast and the events before and after... also very cultural and very long, from a western perspective.

First came the meeting of the elders. This was last year... when the elders of both families.. met. And a formal proposal of marriage was asked and made by one family to the other. I was there. And what a day :)

Hilina and P's Dads agreeing

Then came the months of dress shopping and the detail planning prior to the wedding. I had some of my best girls to experience that with... Shali, Hidi, Tihut, and Redi.

Then came the bridal shower the week before the wedding. Some of the lovely ladies in Hilina's life gathered and we ate food and laughed at memories of Hilina and celebrated her with congratulation wishes and prayers.

Then came the actual wedding event. That started the night before and into the day of .

Most of you who know me know I'm not typically a girlie girl... hair, makeup, nails... have never been too much a part of what I think through. So for me, to get long nails of various colors painted and put on, to get eyelashes added and eyebrows waxed, etc, to wear a long pink dress for a very long day, for me it was almost comical. And at the same time uncomfortable. Ha ha. But God helped me.

The day of the wedding, after an early trip to the salon....we were at Hilina's house for hours to take pictures.  It seemed the whole community came to her house to get pictures with the bride.

Then Peniel came and the groomsmen arrived and more pictures were taken.

Then came the church program ... where vows were repeated and rings exchanged. That was beautiful.

Then came the reception program, which was dancing and cake and dancing and food, for hours. The wedding party was center stage as we participated with the bride and groom as everyone watched and cheered. It felt like an entire gym workout, except in a long form-fitting dress, ha ha ha.

Then we were there at a hotel later when Hilina received a new family name from P's family... another cultural part of Ethiopian wedding ceremonies.

Then... we weren't done. Two more events followed. A few days after the wedding came Meles... where Hilina's family hosted a party for the new couple. Hilina and P came wearing traditional clothes, they looked like a king and queen. We were also in traditional clothes. Songs and prayers and food were shared. Then one week later, P's family hosted Kelekel .. where the families gathered again and got to know each other and parents said a final blessing over the new couple.

What a huge cultural experience for me and a blessing to be part of! I was so honored again to be part of the story of these two lives and families joining. May God continue to bless Hilina and Peniel as they continue their life together...

God also in the midst of all the busyness, helped my new work permit and residence visa process... not an easy thing here, so I thank God for that as well!

And we celebrated my great, handsome, amazing Dad's b-day on January 23 as well. So so thankful for my Dad.... his life, his example, his love

So now, as  I sit here on this early February morning, I'm exhaling and saying a big big thanks to God for helping with all the activities of this past month.

I feel like I can now focus on the new year and new goals. I will share more in the coming days.

How was your January? Maybe you were busy, like me. Maybe life held transitions and you didn't do good in those or maybe you did. Maybe God is asking you to still hold in a position of hardship.

Wherever you are, remember God is with you. He has a plan. And He can hold you, lead you, and even yet- help you become all He's made you to be.

May this new year honor Him!

I think with sickness this past month and all these big life events, it's made me realize even more the need to maximize days and time. To embrace life and the seasons were given. Life is short and it speeds by. May we live well, love well, and learn well for our God. What an honor it is to be part of His family, His work, and His plan.

May we enjoy our life with Him and keep perspective and keep hopeful.. as the kids here in Ethiopia often remind me when they smile.

Blessings from here. Thank you so much for your prayers! and please let me know how I can pray for you as well!

We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed... but who believe and are saved...
Hebrews 10:39

BACK TO THE FIELDS ... Thoughts for a New Year... 2019

A new year, a new chapter.

We look ahead with big plans. What can we do better? How can we be more healthy? What changes can we make? What do we finally finish? What do we finally start?

A new year is a blank page, the beginning.

What will you allow God to do in you and through in the new year? What will be written this year about your life? About mine?

God's thoughts for us and His plans for us are beyond what we can imagine. Our willingness, our obedience, our trust is needed.  May God be with us!

My holiday time in Ohio was short but sweet. I love my family so much and I love Christmas time. Thanks so much for those of you who helped me get home and for your continued love and prayers for me and my family.

 

My return to Ethiopia in early January was for many reasons. I still had classes going on at one of my schools. My work permit-residence visa was expiring and I had to get back before the expiration date. And January was overloaded with weddings and an intensive class and others starting... so I had to come back quickly.

As my plane circled to land in Addis, I thought am I ready for this return?  And my stomach churned a bit and I thought... I'm not ready. I was excited to be with my students and the people I love here so much. But at the same time I thought ... there's too much to do.  January is too busy. How will I make it? God be my strength...

Well my first week back I felt like I had a rough landing. In the first few days- it felt like all of the dust in Addis went into my body and for several days I felt sick- with a cold and just overall I didn't feel well. The sun was hot and it was very windy. The mornings and nights were cold. My body struggled to figure out what day it was, what time, and what year. (it's only 2011 here... ha ha). So, it was hard. And homework collected from my students in two days ... was jaw dropping and almost laughable at the size. I laughed at it all at times... then sometimes just stared at the piles ... overwhelmed. I don't have time to grade those.

I'm not sure what your "new year" has been like so far.  Maybe you're in a new place. A new job. A new home. Maybe you're in a new relationship. Maybe you've already hit your new year plan and have had success- maybe in the gym or in spending with family, or getting in church.

Or maybe you've returned to a hard place. A place where a door hasn't opened for your exit. Maybe it's a desert place. Or a mountain. Or a valley. A weird place. A dark place. A place of struggle. And maybe you already have a headache.

Maybe like me, the "return" to work has already held challenges. Maybe illness or co-workers have already rattled your new perspective.  Maybe you've already eaten a gallon of icecream because of stress, breaking a new diet plan.

Life has all those kinds of moments. Ups and downs. Ins and outs. Valleys and Mountaintops.

What God has been reminding me so far is ... it's a blessing to RETURN, to have a part at all in God's family and God's story. He continues to be with us. And thanks to Jesus- we can overcome. We can persevere. When we fall down, we can get up. When we go down wrong roads, He can still get us back to the right path. He can restore us. He can make all things new. He can use us in big ways. In our weakness, He proves strong.

Wherever you are, whether a new place, a good place. Or an old place, a hard place. If God has answered your prayers or not, it doesn't change the fact that God is good. He is for us, not against us. He's given us His best, His only Son, Jesus. To help us, to give us a friend who sticks closer than a brother. A merciful high priest. A good shepherd. We have God's Spirit and His Word to guide us, to back us. Our past doesn't define the future. Our setbacks can be setups for incredible comebacks... (Mike Bowie- former Ginghamsburg Pastor... I think these were his words). God has our back. Our forward, our lives. We can enjoy the journey. This world is not our home, we're only passing through. But we can honor God with how we live, what we do.

May this new year be one of HOPE. JOY. PEACE for you. IMPACT for God. GROWTH-MATURITY in Jesus. May our struggles make us stronger. May our pain help us to help others. May we TRUST God in bigger ways and do bigger things for Him.

Life is a gift. To return to a place, a position, a family, a team, a church, a job, ... are gifts and opportunities for God to still use us in these places for Him, to grow us in His plan and family. What a blessing!

Let's make this new year, 2019, our best year yet for God. Praying that for you and please pray that for me as well.

Onward for our Great God!
Blessings from Ethiopia
Happy New Year- 2019!

Prayer Requests
-Those piles of homework in the pics above- I still need to grade those and we will have final exams soon at Hope. Pray for a good end to the semester and that I can get everything done.
-This coming Monday- I will begin a two week intensive class at ETC- Intro to Youth Ministry. Pray for this Monday-Saturday class, that God will bless the students to have passion for the youth in this country and in their churches.
-Please pray for three classes I have starting at the end of this month at ETC- Cross Cultural Communication; Communicating the Gospel to Youth; and Church and Sport- that God will use me in these courses to help equip the church here.
-Please pray for my new work permit - residence visa that is processing now... that the process will be smooth.
-Please pray blessed weddings for some of my key students this month
-Please pray for good health and big impact for God. May He be honored by my life!

Thanks so Much! Again, please let me know how I can pray for you as well!