Two Weeks...And Change

It's Wednesday night. The house is quiet, the children are in bed, and I am left alone with my thoughts. To say this trip to Ethiopia has been a pretty constant thought in my head in the weeks leading up to the trip is an understatement. Ethiopia came alive in my home last week as our family hosted a group of boys from His Little Feet - orphans traveling across the country speaking life into communities about these very real issues worldwide.

They taught me some Amharic, how to bang a mango on the counter to get juice to come out, and how to show true gratitude in every life situation. Their laughter and smiles, their beautiful accents and sweet patience with my girls...the emotions I experienced last week made me even more anxious to visit this beautiful country.

Our team is in final preparations; we leave in just a little over two weeks from now. As you know, we're collecting donations to distribute to area orphanages and all I can say is WOW. Your love and generosity is overflowing, and we're all working to squeeze every ounce of space in our checked items to get everything over. I believe I speak for the team when I simply say 'thank you.' God gets the glory in every bit of this. And He will continue to when we arrive in country.

As you go throughout the next two weeks, would you consider lifting us up in prayer, by name? I've listed our team below. We've got two token guys traveling with this group of gals, so pray for them especially! I kid, I kid. But in all seriousness, I know we all covet your prayers. Pray for our health. For our families we leave behind. For our mental state as we spiritually prepare. Pray that we are able to recognize the need and respond accordingly.

I'm finishing up a book recommended to me by many friends (and by our adoption agency), titled "When Helping Hurts: how to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor...and yourself." It is a fascinating read and one I highly recommend to anyone considering a mission trip. It's made a world of difference to me as I prepare for this trip.

Above all else, lift up the children and the caregivers we are preparing to work with during this trip. At the heart of this are young, innocent lives and if we can simply be His hands and feet and humble ourselves before them, it will have been well worth it.

Ethiopia Team:
Jennifer
Russ
Brooke
Kristi
Courtney
Madison
Denise
Donna
Rachel
Kelly
Anna
Kate
Gini
Scott

Blessings,
Courtney