He is Faithful

This blog was written August 31. It is the most recent blog I've written, but I'm hoping to write one more while here at Gimbie. Praise God for Internet!!!

“Enough,” the bus driver said to me, as he patted my leg, motioning for Sarah and I to get off. We’d been told to stay on the bus until the last bus stop, and then call Julia upon our arrival. When the bus only made one stop and the minibus emptied, we were unsure of what to do. The bus driver’s insistence helped us make up our minds quickly. As our feet hit the sidewalk, we were instantly caught up in a sea of people, bustling to and fro. Where were we supposed to go? What should we do? I called Julia, our incredible new farengii friend, only to discover that she’d just gotten on a bus. “I’ll be there in 5 minutes,” she informed me. “Just step inside a café or something and wait for me. It’s better if you wait inside.” As we were hanging up, we had our first hopeful rush up to us. “Money, money,” he insisted. “Baka (enough),” I replied as we pushed past him and into the first restaurant-looking building we saw. You’d think our smelly, travel-worn persons would give him a hint as to how much money we had on us, but our skin color automatically labels us as good donors. After plopping down into two chairs and motioning to the waitress that we didn’t want anything, we realized we were sitting in some kind of a bar instead of a café. We discussed leaving and finding a better place to wait, but the thought of facing the swarms of people again was more than I could handle, and Julia had told us not to go too far because she knew where we were. “It’s only for 5 minutes,” I reasoned out loud. Thankfully, it was morning, hardly anyone was there, and we were stationed close to the door. Five minutes turned into twenty and we began to wonder if we should relocate. Come to find out, a fight about bus fare had broken out on Julia’s bus and she’d had to find another bus. After nearly 40 minutes, she finally made it to Mercado, where we were waiting. I quickly realized that I am no fan of Mercado. Julia said no one is. The rest of our day was much better. Although everything took hours to accomplish, by the time we left Addis we’d picked up a package from Mom (the reason for our trip) which was extremely exciting, eaten incredible Italian food at a nice restaurant, and gotten on the Internet (a major, special treat!). Julia helped us catch a bus back. By the time we got back to Ambo, it was dark outside. Not the best of ideas, but thankfully Suliman is amazing and had taken care of us. One of his friends, a taxi driver, was waiting for us by the hotel we have visited several times, and took us back to the orphanage. If we ever do Addis again we will either leave earlier or spend the night. Things just take longer in Addis than you think they will. I am so grateful for Suliman and his kindness, connections, and generosity. And I’m thankful for Julia, who has roughed things on her own, figured out the ropes, and was willing to show us around so we’d feel less overwhelmed. Walking through the doors of our little orphanage was a breath of fresh air. To top of our adventure-filled day, we plopped down onto my bed to open the prized package from home. Mom, you are the greatest! We are eager to dig into the veggie meat (once we find a can opener), will savor the cookies and candy, are oh so grateful for the hand sanitizer, can always devour more pasta, and are thrilled to use the stickers with our precious kiddos.
The main reason I chose to blog about this particular experience was to give my friends and family back in the good ‘ol US of A a picture of the adventures God has been guiding Sarah and I through. My first week here was super rough. I love the kids, no question about that, but the culture shock has been pretty tough to swallow. We have continually been put into circumstances that force us to step out of our comfort zones. I realized very quickly that I am a spoiled-rotten, American brat, used to being take care of and avoiding situations that make me uncomfortable. All of that has been stripped away from me here. Like I said, the first week was pretty miserable. I was overwhelmed, homesick, and frustrated. Over the past week, however, God has been teaching me how to lean only on Him and filling me with a true sense of joy. Sure, I still get overwhelmed (yesterday morning in Addis) and homesickness isn’t gone for good, but I am learning to take one day at a time and let Jesus lead me through. No, I’m not alone here. I have been blessed with Sarah, 40 precious children, a wonderful house mother, a very kind, helpful boss, and a wonderful farengii friend, Julia. But I’m no longer depending on my parents or friends for everything (although I don’t mind the daily phone calls from home!!). One of my favorite quotes that I’ve been living by since we landed in Ethiopia is from a talk given by Pat Gustin at our Student Missions Exit Retreat. “As an SM, you are out of your comfort zone—away from all that is familiar. You have two choices: it can be you alone, or you and God.” I realized right away that I cannot handle this 9-month adventure by myself, and am comforted to know that as long as I ask Him, God wants to lead me on this journey. The Bible passage that I have said under my breath countless times every day comes from James (yes, Bible memorization group, those verses do come back when you need them most!).
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4
For the first time in my life, I have been put into situations that are truly trials for me. I’ve wanted to throw a fit, give up, and go home. But by choosing to lean on Jesus, I have found that I’m already learning to go with the flow and take one day at a time. I have a long way to go and am nervous about the character growth to come, but I find peace and comfort knowing that my God is a surgeon, not a butcher. He cuts to heal, not to kill.
Thanks so much to all of you around the world who are praying for Sarah and I. We are so blessed. I wish each of you could come visit our little haven. Standing in the field by the school today, I paused to once again take in the splendor of our mountain view. I am attempting to savor every aspect of this experience: the rambunctious children, the mud of rainy season, the breathtaking view, and best of all, the hilarious situations Sarah and I find ourselves in. You know, the ones that are fairly miserable while they’re happening, but hilarious when you can sit in your room and laugh about them. Plenty of those!
Well, this post has been fairly hodge-podge, but it encapsulates what has been happening in my life, on my journey to become the woman God wants me to be. Hugs, blessings, and laughter to each and every one of you!

PS- Thanks to all of you who have emailed, sent snail mail, contributed to my "Homesick Letters" project, and lifted Sarah and I in prayer. News from home has carried me through this adjustment period. I love you all! And I promise a snail-mail response to anyone who writes me a snail-mail letter!! :D