Woohoo! We've got water folks! Somebody, please cue the shouting music *doing my happy dance* I am about to make today's blog post short and sweet because, I plan on taking a much needed shower an going to bed pretty early. So here are the main points:
-Delivered bibles to two families and conducted bible study with them. We covered the John 3:16 and John 14.
Writing messages in the cover of bible. Proudly wearing my grandfather, Rev. John L. Edwards, Jr's, hat.
-Started one in home church plant
Starting a church in his home with 15 members today.
-Villagers thanked us for coming to do bible study with them.
Although they are Christians, no one has ever come to share the gospel
with them. They have never had access to bibles. My prayer is that we
will be able to get more bibles to them.
-Caden showed his new friend, Gideon how to play a few games on the iPad
New friends
A quick silly selfie with Gideon
This is where THE best coffee come from!!!
You have to have transportation around here. No one has cars. Only taxis, buses or donkeys. Solomon is the best and coolest driver ever!
The bank!
THANKS AGAIN to the 80 plus of YOU who donated to support this very important mission to Ethiopia. We would not have been able to do any work here without YOU!
How we are greeted when the vans arrive! They love us!
*Tiny wormy disclaimer---This post has and will not be edited. It’s from the heart and right off of the top of the dome. **Feel free to comment and add some words of encouragement, comment and/or ask questions
Day 4: We went back up to the mountain to meet with more families. The first home that I entered had several women and a few men. They declared themselves Christians, but admitted that they do not own bibles and have not read it. I did a bible study with them focusing on Matthew 28:16-20, The Great CommissionI am looking forward to returning to this home tomorrow to deliver bibles. written in Amharic. We also prayed and they offered to do a Buna or coffee ceremony with us. We accepted. We were first given a plate of Kolo, an Ethiopian roasted barley snack. It was actually pretty good. The coffee was so good. It was the absolute BEST coffee I have ever had. I found out that they grow their own coffee in the back yard and that Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. They hand roast the beans until they are dark brown/black. They also grind the beans by hand and place the grounds in a Jebena, Ethiopian coffee pot and allow it to settle for 5-10 minutes. All of this is done without any electricity in the area. I ended our time with Priceless cube. You could see the expressions on their faces change to concerned and frustrated looks. One of the ladies said that one of her daughters left with some foreigners and she felt that she couldn't do anything about it.
Kolo
Coffee Ceremony
Gideon and Caden. They are both 8 years old :)
The group after we completed bible study
The remainder of the day was spent going to different homes. Some ran away or hid from us. The majority of the people in the village are Ethiopian Orthodox and they are warned by their pastors to not listen to anything Christians have to say. Outside of some of the homes, up to 30-40 people gathered to hear the Priceless Cube message. Some even asked questions. After we completed the Priceless Cube, we did the Evangicube. More questions were asked regarding clarification of the beliefs, how to get to heaven etc. I was glad that they were interested in what I had to say.
Listening to one of the translators translate for me.
While walking to other homes, I remembered that I had bubbles in my backpack. The sound of the kids laughter was priceless!
My translator Girma blowing bubbles
I enjoyed having lunch with my translator, Girma. We discussed race relations, politics etc. I invited him to try some of my lunch and snacks. They don't really have potato chips like we do in the states. Their chips are actually french fries. He really enjoyed the Flaming Hot Cheetos and Salt and Vinegar Chips :)
Walking through the village
Caden posing with hotel security. It's real out here in these Ethiopian streets
*Tiny wormy disclaimer---This post has and will not be edited. It’s from the heart and right off of the top of the dome. **Feel free to comment and add some words of encouragement, comment and/or ask questions
Day 3 without water and I feel like a millions bucks! We were promised that we would have the water back working tomorrow. Every now and then I have a moment where I pause and look around and say to myself, "Kem, you are in Ethiopia. You are REALLY in Africa. Wow! Wow! Wow!
Oh and by the way, it is 2006 here and not 2014, since they follow a different calendar, based on the phases of the moon. I think that is pretty cool!
On ministry days, the women in the group dress in over the knee skirts and loose fitting tops to respect the older traditions in the villages. The men wear pants. None of this trip has been about fashion and I absolutely love being in comfortable clothes, no make-up etc.
After breakfast this morning, we loaded into vans with our translators and took a two hour bumpy ride up the mountain to Segen. It was so bumpy that I started to feel car sick. However, the views were breath taking and the air here is nothing like I've experienced before. It was so fresh and... pure. I couldn't help but to to stick my face out of the window to take it all in.
Along the way, we passed through many villages. I even managed to give some Skittles and Starbursts to some of the kids as we were passing by. Many of them starting dancing when they saw us. Often times, they repeatedly yell, "You, you, you, you," to get our attention. It works. If there aren't too many around, we will give usually them some candy.
My favorite part of the day was arriving at the school that e3Partners has funded. We were able to see the work that had been completed so far and to meet with the Governor. I love that they train, employ and pay the locals to do the work to help stimulate their own economy etc. versus sending outsiders to do the labor.
There were so many kids greeting us when we arrived. I couldn't stop smiling. Have you ever smiled so much that your face began to hurt? I shook so many hands and looked into so many eyes that I couldn't keep count. Pure joy!
They kept getting in trouble by the school master for not staying back. That made us feel bad. Even Caden felt that he was blending in too much and might get hit with the stick too.
Caden on the other hand was overwhelmed by all of the attention he was receiving.
Everywhere he went, they kept walking up to him starring. He said, "Mom they are getting too close." I told him to relax, say hello and to extend his hand for a handshake. He did, but he was still uneasy about it. They starred at him more than anyone else and I still can't figure out why. As far the white-American girls in our group, the kids loved to pull on and touch their hair. Most of them are used to it, so they try to wear it pulled-up if possible.
Kids waving good-bye
After we left the school, we traveled a little more up the mountain to a church to meet with our "Discipleship makers." They are from the local villages and speak the tribal tongue. In other words, another translator. We speak, the translator translates to Amharic and the discipleship maker translates to the native tongue. It's amazing to watch. We were split into groups to go and speak with the Burji tribe about Priceless Cube (a cube to educate about human trafficking) and share the EvangiCube (another cube used to tell the story of Jesus). According to the Joshua Project, the Burji tribe are among some of the ones that have been "unreached."
But how can they
call on
him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in
Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him
unless someone tells them? ~Romans 10:14
After this I looked, and there before me was a
great multitude that no one could count, from EVERY nation, tribe,
people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb...
~Revelation 7:9
Can you believe that almost 30 people decided to give their live to Christ today? OMG! And many are now aware of human trafficking.
And I'm still having "WTH are you doing here moments?"...smh! For those of you that really know me are probably wondering what in the world is Kem doing. My answer: I have no idea! I am just allowing God to lead me and use me. I'm still the same witty person. I love to give back and experience life. It's just that simple.
Tomorrow we will head back up the mountain to Segen. We will leave the hotel bright and early to arrive by 8am to minister with the menof the Burji tribe before they leave to work the fields.
*Tiny wormy disclaimer---This post has and will not be edited. It’s from the heart and right off of the top of the dome. **Feel free to comment and add some words of encouragement…
I swear when I went to bed last night, I wasn't really feeling being
here. I felt dirty...The accommodations aren't the best, all that nice
and definitely aren't up to date. We haven't had running water since we've been here, so we have made use of baby wipes, hand sanitizer, bottled water and just the basic necessities. I
had already started to count down the days until we returned home, especially when I was awaken at 3am by Ethiopian Orthodox church service with singing and chanting in Amharic over loud speaker. WTF Geez! This went on until about 9am and will go on every day. Jesus be some deep sleep and some ear plugs! Caden slept through all of it. I
prayed about it. I know that God has a reason for me being here. We
still don't have running water, but somehow God has really moved quickly within me to shift my mindset... and for that I am truly grateful.
By the way, Caden is really enjoying this experience more that I thought he would. He said he feel like he is camping, something that he's always wanted to do. Me on the other hand...when I looked up at at the ceiling and the top of the mosquito net covering my bed last night, I recalled all of those times that I wished that I was a princess and could sleep under a canopy. God really does have a sense of humor. My "canopy" is really a mosquito net...lol!
During
our meal times, we have been discussing the miracles of Jesus. This
morning over breakfast, we discussed John 2. Tomorrow morning we'll
discuss John 4 before taking a 2.5 hour drive up the mountain to work
in a few of the villages.
After lunch, we had some time to walk the streets outside of the gates of the hotel. It was when we were walking and interacting with the people and especially the children that I realized I was actually very happy to be here and that I do in fact have a purpose to serve while I am here. All of that can become a bit cloudy when you are distracted by feeling dirty, don't have running water and aren't in your preferred swanky type of hotel. Mind you we are at the number two hotel in the area :) It could always be worse, huh. The kids just start following you and the people wave and smile. Most speak and stare. Some of the kids start holding your hand, hoping
that you have something to give them. I was warned to be discreet in
giving because you will be swarmed and taken over by them.
Hotel entrance
Walking the streets of Arba Minch
We met a few gentlemen who approached us, spoke great English and were Christians. They were so open and detailed about their love for Jesus. It made me question whether or not I really needed to be here to share the gospel at all...lol. We met Neal, Muhjanek and Miju.
Caden and I with Muhjanek
Some of the group with Miju and "Frio"
I feel in love with this little girl in the red shirt, "Frio". She is deaf and lives on the streets. Her parents are deceased, but she would not let us out of our sight. After taking her picture, she wanted to see it. We also went through about 100 of my pictures on my phone. It was amazing how much we were able to communicate without language or sound. Everytime she saw Caden or I in a picture, she pointed at us. I spent about 30-45 minutes "talking" to her. She gave us the biggest hugs when we departed. I already can't wait to find her again.
Before dinner, we completed Priceless Cube training and met our translators for the first time. My translator's name is Girma and even Caden has his own translator, Elizabeth.We spent time getting to know eachother and preparing for the work we'll be doing starting tomorrow. They both stated that they were surprised that we (Caden and I) were black like them. 99% of the time they work with white-Americans. Interesting.
Girma, Caden and Elizabeth (our translators)
Here's a snippet of our group leader, Katie going through the Priceless Cube training.
While on the plane, I began reading this book. "Revolution in World Missions"It's free to download or they will even mail you a copy. So far it's a great read!
Revolution in World Missions book
We eat breakfast at 6:30am and get ready to get on road. I can't wait to update you all tomorrow on our first day in the field. Please pray that what we have to share does not fall on death ears and that we are able to also lead people to Christ.
Here are some more pics below....
Ethiopian money= Birr. I love the picture on the money
Normal scenery while walking the streets of Arba Minch
Caden with some of the ladies in our group
Connor and Muhjanek discussing the Gospel
Guards outside of the hotel. They use those sticks to keep animals and the "poor" outside of the gates :(
My lunch: Doro Wat (Chicken Stew with boiled egg) and an apple soda. Yum!
*Tiny wormy disclaimer---This post has and will not be edited. It’s from the heart and right off of the top of the dome. **Feel free to comment and add some words of encouragement…
Caden and I are finally settled into our hotel for the duration of our stay. Our flights were great! I enjoyed the views, especially when we were leaving DC... we saw this beautiful rainbow.
Rainbow over DC
View over Istanbul, Turkey
We also experienced some great views flying into Istanbul, Turkey for our layover. We met up with our group E3partners in Istanbul. They all flew in from California. I know you all are wondering how did I get connected with them. The short answer: On the internet. For the longest, I felt like the girl on this State Farm Commercial . Prior to meeting up, we did have several conference calls etc. which eased my fears some. Our group leaders are Katie and Pastor J.T. Katie has been to Ethiopia 13 times. The others in our group range from ages 13-22 and for most of them, this is their 2nd or 3rd time coming to Ethiopia. It's amazing to me the love that they have for the people here and their desire to do God's work. When I was 13-22, Ethiopia was no where on my mind.
We arrived to our hotel in Addis Ababa around 2am and left early for our 6-9 hour bumpy drive to Arba Minch. We all piled in three vans with our luggage strapped to the top. Our hosts/drivers, Pastor Samuel and Solomon are amazing! On another note, I've never seen so many goats, chickens, cows, donkeys on "main roads" ever in my life. Very interesting. Caden was definitely in awe. There were so many people smiling, waving and dancing as we passed by. They seem to labor continuously. Caden and I rode in the van with Pastor Samuel, Kevin (20), Jonathan (19), Sidney (19) and Pastor Samuel. During our ride, we all shared our testimonies of how we came to know Christ. That was truly something special and allowed Caden and I to get to know some of the group a little better. It was also great to hear about their previous missions in Ethiopia and Honduras.
The hotel we stayed in in Addis Ababa was very nice! I had high hopes for our Arba Minch hotel :( I have to keep reminding myself of why I'm here. God has definitely removed me from my comfort zone. Caden has adjusted much better than I have. Kids are so resilient. As I type this message, I am sitting on my twin sized bed covered with a mosquito net and Caden is snoring away in his bed. We've been trying new foods. Caden is a picky eater and he's been doing very well. We eat breakfast and dinner at the hotel everyday, but we had to bring things over to pack our lunches. My proudest accomplishments so far are these two loaves of bread that were tucked into a shoe box in my luggage. If nothing else, Caden and I will be able to enjoy us some yummy PBJ sandwiches.
Tomorrow, we will meet with our translators and complete some Priceless Cube training and go over some do's/don'ts etc.
Ministry starts on Monday!
Thanks again to everyone who has donated and is praying with us!
It's been almost three whole years since I've written a blog post, but there is no better time than right now to do so. In a little less than 48 hours, Caden and I will be headed to Arba Minch, Ethiopia Read more about why here...
Thanks to everyone who has donated and who are praying with us. We are excited, nervous etc. Please keep us and the 25+ others that will be traveling with us in your prayers. Also, please subscribe/follow our blog by adding your email address at the top of the page or click here to keep updated on our work there. Feel free to comment as well. We look forward to keeping you all updated and hearing from you all during this mission.
Until the whole world hears... Peace, love and blessings...
Kem and Caden
*Tiny wormy disclaimer---This post has and will not be edited. It’s from the heart and right off of the top of the dome. **Feel free to comment and add some words of encouragement…
I started this blog with the intent to keep it updated regularly. FAIL!
My thoughts:
-If I have time to blog, I have time to do more editing on my dissertation… *sigh*
-If I have time to blog, I have time to catch up on some “leisure” reading
-If I have time to blog, I have time to teach my son to ride his bike…. Done! #happy face
-If I have time to blog, I have time to …uhhh?…yeah, you get the point.
I’m reflecting on this past year and I can definitely say that it hasn’t been the worse, but I can be real and transparent enough to admit that I’m not happy and I’m not where I’d thought I’d be at 30. Hard on myself? Totally! I’m ok with accepting God’s plan and staying within His will and all….I’ve tried boxing with God and my arms are waaaaay too short. So I really don’t have a choice. Lately, I have had some very low moments, but who would know that? I don’t really talk about that stuff. I admit, I put on a great game face. I mean, it’s really good! I need a SAG card. However, during these “low” times, I mediate/pray …(I wonder if God ever gets tired of me talking to Him…) I’m starting to understand and see that God is getting me ready for greatness, and the greater my upcoming blessings, the more I must be tested in preparation for them. I’m human! I DO NOT like the tests, but I LOVE the BLESSINGS!
Things I’m reflecting on:
I have to admit, having faith and conquering fear are by biggest obstacles. I keep asking myself why I do I constantly struggle with those two so much. Let me introduce you the third “F” word, *gasp* failure! (and the fourth “F” word…F*%& it! *gasp..again*) I have to constantly remind myself that I’ve already failed when I haven’t properly exercised my faith and given in to fear. I’m great at supporting and encouraging everyone else to go after their dreams, but I reallysuck at taking my own advice. Where in the hell are my mentors and advisors? Sheesh! Anyway…I won’t start my birthday by complaining, because I do have so much to be thankful for. I’m thankful for the intangible blessings and for being able to release all of the “crap” that I’ve been through up until this point…
On my very first day of working as the Acting Head of School of a private Jewish school, I was introduced to the Asher yasher benediction. I have posted the Hebrew and English translation below:
Blessed are You, HaShem,
our God, King of the Universe,
who sanctifies us through His commandments
and commanded us
concerning the elevation of the hands.
Blessed are You, HaShem,
Our God, Sovereign of Space-Time,
Who formed Adam with wisdom
and created within him
many openings
and many cavities. It is obvious and known
before Your Throne of Glory
that if one of them were to be ruptured
or if one them were to be blocked
it would be impossible to survive
and to stand before You
[for even one hour].
Blessed are You, HaShem,
Who heals all flesh
and acts wondrously.
The wisdom that lay behind this blessing that was composed by Abayei, a fourth-century Babylonian rabbi. Abayei's blessing is contained in the Talmud, an encyclopedic work of Jewish law and lore that was written over the first five centuries of the common era. The Jewish religion is chock-full of these blessings, or brachot, as they are called in Hebrew…
In all of this rambling. This asher yasher benediction reminds me to:
1)Obey God’s commandments
2)Worship Him
3)Thank God for my “openings” and “cavities” (including my eyes, ears, mouth, rectum, etc)
4)Thank God that there are “thorns”, but no blockage, for blockage in some areas would cause me to “die”.
To me, fear is a form of blockage….faith is an opening.
I’m thankful for ALL of my “cavities” and “openings”. I’m releasing my past failures, hurts, illnesses, failure, depression, fear, discouragement, defeat, any and everything that is not of God’s will over my life…. Do you smell that??? *flushes toilet*
Ready to FULLY exercise my faith and allow God to use me as He sees fit… Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
*Tiny wormy disclaimer---This post has and will not be edited. It’s from the heart and right off of the top of the dome. **Feel free to comment and add some words of encouragement…
