Aimlessness

The first full day in Addis was interesting. Noah was eager to begin the day—I think that was 1 a.m. When you’re three years old jet lag functions the same way as for other age groups, it’s just cuter. Who doesn’t want something to eat, chocolate milk to drink and fun pirate video to watch first thing even if it is the middle of the night?

Our accommodations were provided by the Ethiopian Guest House http://www.ethiopiaguesthome.com/. It is a lovely place located somewhere in Addis. The only way I would be able to find it would be to walk up and down the streets (more like alleys) and look for the tribute picture of Mother Teresa painted on the wall. I’m sure that could take days (maybe weeks). Coffee (the best) and breakfast were served starting at 7 am and since I decided to sleep when I got home that worked out great for me.

I took our trip leaders request to de-bling seriously but I think I was the only one. I was clean, but dressed for a camping trip, minimal make-up, t-shirt and jeans, only one ring, sans gem stones and a modest pair of earrings. Not my best look but then I didn’t feel so good either – jet lag.

After pulling the group together—no easy task—we departed for Win Souls for God http://www.hfc-ethiopia.org/ office compound. We were escorted into a meeting room on the compound where our interpreter Yohannes introduced Tariku Wondimu who gave us a general over-view of the work of Win Souls for God.

One of their areas of concentration is a home for former commercial sex workers and since some members in our group had met some prostitutes the night before they were committed to finding a safe place for them. Well, we were invited to return the next day and no answer was given that day for the needy women.

So all 24 of us piled in the two vans and we were on the road again. My observation from the back window of the van was the aimlessness that was pervasive in the city and on out to the outskirts of town. People were walking all the time, shops were open with product and produce to sell, but no was selling, no one was buying. No one seemed to get anywhere.

We were headed to some meeting arranged by Amanda and her group, Better Care Network's Faith to Action Initiative.

Well, we had 2 flat tires along the way and were unable to make the meeting. Lots of drama over this, but the part of the event that sticks in my mind is our attempt to be generous. We had lots of p and j sandwiches left over from our “picnic” lunch and one in the group took the stack of containers over to a group of men on the side of the road and handed the entire stack to one man. When another man attempted to grab a container a fight ensued. It was not a pretty sight. I guess when you are hungry, really hungry, sharing is not an option.

We turned around on this road to nowhere and returned to the guest house. Day One memories are filled with a strong sense of the beginning of the paradigm shifting of my world view.

Humbled

Just back from a trip to Addis Ababa, ET. I joined my daughter and her family for the purpose of meeting their daughter. The Young’s are adopting the most beautiful girl, Myra. She is small, 6 lbs. 8oz. (at 2 ¾ months). Also, she’s soft, delicate, content, and totally my granddaughter!!! There are no words for me to express the joy of seeing her. She is receiving GREAT care. The facility is big, bright, and clean. The staff ratio for care-giving is good. The staff is committed to the care and love of these little ones – not just a job but a service of mission.

The rest of the time spent in ET was for the purpose of learning about children’s services. Adoption is only a very small part of the solution to the extreme poverty experienced by the millions of needy children in Addis and ET. We visited drop in centers (no real comparable service here in the US, but similar to Head Start), a home for unwed mothers who were formerly making their living in prostitution, a training center for young men; teaching them to learn a trade while providing additional services including a meal, and pick-up soccer games with street children who joined us for a meal that evening to name a few of the highlights.

I will be posting over the next few days about the experience in a more detailed way, but to begin, Ethiopia humbled me. Here is a beautiful city, Addis Ababa, an ancient resort city for royalty, banded by mountains, canopied by blue, blue sky with the most gracious, humble, service-minded believers that I stand in awe of their commitment to our God. Young men who work all day and then serve the most needy, HIV+ children and women, abandoned and scorned children with little resource other than the Word of God and His sustaining strength.
Women who have endured the greatest humiliation and suffering at the hands of harsh men, open their home to guests and serve me. They receive our gift of donated formula, knowing that the nutrition for their babies is life giving. They will not let us leave their home without serving us coffee. Everywhere I turned the Ethiopians gave; they gave when by American standards they have nothing.

A land where there is no reason for hope or joy is embedded with profuse hope and abundant joy. God is in Addis Ababa.

All they asked is that we remember. We remember what we saw, what they need, and what we can give. I will remember.

Finally ...

Well, some things are just too much fun. Wack a Mole is a questionable toy in my mind -- seems like a training tool for serial killers, but it does require hand to eye coordination.

Then there's Pirate smack down ...

Personally I prefer the traditional ...

A long but lovely "weekend." Some say the youth is wasted on the young. I say the youth deserve the young. And I don't mean Noah Young.

1981

This is how I remember it.

Lots of fun today ...

It was raining today so I thought I would not have that much fun with Cody. Boy was I wrong. First we went out to lunch. Cody likes to dip his fries in catsup and some of it remains on his face. Maybe for a snack later.

Then there was playing with the trucks.

That kind of playing takes a lot out of a guy so he went down for a nap. That’s when his brother, Tyler came by for a visit. There was crying.

Since this was his worst day every (shots and all) I think that was okay. He sure is a strong little guy. Big too. I think PJ said 13 pounds.

There was practicing of names, too. This one's for you Andrew.

Wisdom is proved right by her actions. Matthew 11:18, 19

What really is wise?

Lots of things come to mind that require wisdom. There is always nuance. When we are planning to have children we have a lot of answers. When we have children we have lots of questions. Raising children, because there is no book that addresses your child in his or her specific circumstance. It’s no easy being cheesy, but God does say when we lack wisdom we need only ask Him. (James 1:5) He gives GENEROUSLY and without reproach.

This promise, of course, applies to other areas of our life, too. Like mental health. What a funny thing that we shy away from discussing our needs in the psychological and emotional realm. We seem to be able to grasp our intellectual capacity, performance standards, and productivity results. But emotions ... scary territory.

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let her show by her good behavior, her deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. James 3: 13

Wisdom is gentle. Hmmm. So can we be sure that when we are harsh, unkind, but truthful, abrasive or any other negative manifestation that we are NOT being wise? When I think about what corrects me, what motivates me it is almost always not the abrupt, stiff rebuke, but rather the firm, controlled, in-my-best-interest corrective comment.

I guess the content of what is being said is also important. Have you noticed that almost everyone knows how to give instruction on the other guy’s job? We seem to know how his/her job should be done and yet not much public comment is made to others about how I should do my own job.

Wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17, 18

Peace making seems to be a big deal to God.

Connecting

It’s funny how we stay connected. Sometimes in person – I like this best with really good friends – that’s when you see, hear nuances that can be missed when there is no visual contact. Other times it is electronically. Now this is truly modern. I think of my grandparents who communicated only by letter writing when they returned to their respective homes during their summer break from Berkley. Long times between words, but you could re-read those words over and over again.

I like email. I like blogs. It’s fun to read about details of others life, to see the images of my loved ones as they eagerly live out their days.

Sometimes connecting is doing something. I do that with Cody on my weekly visits to his house. My Mamaw came to visit once a week and she helped my mom get caught up on household chores and they would go shopping and have lunch out (during the school year I tried to be “sick” on that day so I could stay home and somehow when it was time to shop/eat I was feeling a whole lot better). She also brought chocolate donuts.

Cody likes chocolate donuts.

He’s coming to my house this Friday.