On A Positive Note...

Wow, yesterday's post sounds so dismal and depressing. That's what happens when you are homesick and decide to write a blog. Haha! Yes, I have been homesick. But my time at Gimbie has been wonderful. Some of the highlights include, but are not limited to:

Incredible, American food!!! Helped bread and fry homemade gluten the other day, which was served alongside garlic mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. To DIE for!!! Thanks, again, Trudy!!

Other Farenjiis- Had not realized just how much I missed having an English conversation and being able to understand what's going on around me.

The GORGEOUS mountain view- It is insanely beautiful here! For real! Will try to post pictures in the next few weeks/months. It is an optical paradise here.

Spiritual Encouragement- Being able to understand spiritual discussions and hear testimonies of other missionaries has been a blessing.

INTERNET- Glad I don't have internet available every day at the orphanage, but have felt so blessed to be able to fill everyone in, catch up on the outside world a little, and talk to the Mom every day. :)

Those are just a few of the luxuries Sarah and I have enjoyed over the last few days. We're sad to leave this wonderful place, but eager to get back to our kiddos. While they are energetic and often exhausting, we love them dearly and are eager to be with them again. This break was just what we needed to remind us how blessed we are.

In closing, I want to share a miracle story that happened today. Sarah and I headed into Gimbie town to get something to eat. We walked in with two other volunteers, but after drinking a cup of coffee, they ran some errands and left us to head back after our food. Not a big deal. The trip back to the compound was on the main road, and Gimbie is a much easier town than most we've been through. We weren't worried at all. On our way back, however, we met with our first scare. A man started walking toward us and hollered something in Oromifa. We normally just avoid eye contact, walk confident, and are left alone for the most part. This guy's shout startled me and I jumped. We ignored him and kept walking, but he began to follow us. Every few seconds he'd let out another loud "command." The one time we accidentally made some sort of eye contact, we realized he is just a crazy man, probably with no intent of hurting us, just out of his mind. Still, we were less than thrilled to have a loco man following us and yelling at us. After several minutes of this (don't know why it took so long for us to think of it), Sarah said "Dear Jesus, please help this man to quit following us." "Yes, Lord, please make him go away and help us get to the hospital safely," I added. Immediately after this, we noticed that the shouts stopped. We waited several moments before one of us was brave enough to peek back and see if he was still there, but to our relief he was no where to be seen. We looked at each other, stunned. Both of us commented that we'd never seen an answer to prayer that tangible, that fast. God is so faithful. He gives us reminders each and every day that He is with us and at work in every aspect of our lives, if only we will tune in and receive them.

Well, friends, God is good and we were able to get a bus ticket back "home." We leave tomorrow morning-- one day late, but grateful to have gotten one at all so close to the Ethiopian New Year (yesterday). Won't be blogging for quite some time, probably, but feel free to keep the emails and snail mail flowing on in. Mom reads me the emails and the snail mail is the highlight of my week. I love and miss you all, and am eternally grateful for your prayers. Goodbye until I find another Internet connection and time to write! Blessings to you all!