HANNAH'S Video!  Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VZwOL_NKa-o#!

Women's Retreat - Day 2

Day 2 of the Women’s Retreat

Some pictures from the women’s retreat.

One woman who came asked for prayer.  She had a huge goiter.  When she returned the next day, she was a changed woman.  The goiter was barely visible and she could not stop thanking us for the time we took to pray with her.  This woman knew the power of prayer… the power of the one true God!  You could see her extraordinary faith and thanksgiving pour out!  Amazing!

As I left that day thinking about the healing, I was once again reminded of the healing we saw the day before.  I thought again about all the miracles of healing in the gospels and wonder why I have such a hard time believing what God is able to do!  I have heard stories and listened with much skepticism.  God knew my doubt and shared His mighty power with me on this trip.  I will never be the same.  I pray I will never again doubt who He is and what is able to do.

From the first moment we met the women to time we had to depart, chains were being broken.   Women participated in stations whereI pray that all who heard that day
will be changed by the power of Jesus.
I know I was. 

Don't forget to check out reach-point.com and the blog there.  On November 15th, Marybeth shares more details from the women's retreat.  She has watched these women for the past three years and seen the transformation of these women.  Simply beautiful to hear the story she shares!

Another video...

Hi, All.  I will be planning a sharing session about the trip on December 9th.  More information to come for those interested in hearing about the trip in person.

In the meantime, here is another video created by one of my teammates!  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhDaZUDK5Ks&feature=share

A Special Video...

One of the women in our group put together this video from our trip... enjoy!

http://animoto.com/play/Rb2qwud5Hlhqm0ctVqFzcw

Church and A Day With the Women

11/11/12

We started out the day with an African church service, which included a wedding.  What a treat for each of us!  I have a video I will try to share later.

While in this African church, I couldn’t help but look around and see the humility and total dependence on God in this place.  The simplicity of their lives and total reliance on the Lord is something I have never seen or felt myself in the states.  I don’t even think I can explain in words the emotion in the moments of watching the people worship… uninhibited and humble.  God is in His rightful place, and His hand appears to be all over!

Later that afternoon, we begun pouring into the women who used to work in prostitution.  When we first saw the women, I was reminded of the same look the children gave us.  Very serious, yet very hopeful and somewhat expectant.  The moment you looked into their deep dark eyes and offered a smile, you received in return the most joyful of smiles.  Beautiful, honest smiles!

Throughout our time together we talked about how we are free in Christ.    Like the chrysalis stage of a butterfly, sometimes we feel trapped.  We might be feeling shame or guilt, hurt, loss, or loneliness.  Maybe we are stuck at a place of not being able to forgive someone who has wronged us.  Whatever the situation, God doesn’t want us stuck here.  He wants us to emerge like a butterfly, becoming who He wants us to be, who He has created us to be… to fulfill the purpose He has planned for us.

We reminded the women they are royalty like Queen Esther.  They are daughters of the most high king.  So it was only fitting they should make crowns.  With some Burger King crowns, glue sticks, glitter, glitter glue pens, and gems, the women created their crowns.  Watching these women in excitement as they learned how to use glue sticks and squeeze the glitter pens was humbling.  I wonder if I would have shared the same excitement creating a Burger King crown with a couple of simple supplies.  When they finished, they wore their crowns like daughters of the king!

On this day we also left them with a gift.  My dear mother in law, Joyce, sewed 130 purple scarves and prayed for each of the women we would minister to.  What a glorious gift for these women to remind them of the royal daughters they are!  They wore them around their necks and wrapped them in various ways on their heads.  Here are some pictures of the beautiful women of Hosanna!

Meeting the Orphans and Some Home Visits

What an amazing morning!

11.09.12

We spent a couple of hours with the first 150 of 300 children we would be seeing here in Hosanna.  Greeted by the children saying, “Welcome. Welcome. Welcome.” was simply amazing.   I wish you could hear their sweet accents as they spoke the English words! We were all taken back with the love we received from all of these children. 

Words cannot express the awesomeness of God in that place.

Children singing praises to God, so happy and joyful with so little! 

Jesus Loves Me, This Little Light of Mine, and I Will Make You Fishers of Men were among the songs we taught them.

Here is one of the songs they sang and taught us.

 Download

Another amazing morning!

11.10.12

Back in August our church started a sponsorship program with Hope Chest and the children we have been spending time with.  Our family is sponsoring a young girl named Emebet.  And today, Hannah and I met her!!!  We tried not to overwhelm her with too many kisses, but it was difficult to keep from hugging her!  (We will send pictures when we get home.)

We were able to spend another morning with the children at the school.  They just look at you waiting for you to hold out your arms or offer a smile.  When you do, they joyfully accept!  They crawl into your arms excitedly and grin from ear to ear!  Even the older boys and girls LOVED being hugged and loved!  What a gift to be able to be with them!

Later that afternoon, we visited the pastor's sister.  She knows our team leader and had requested prayer from her and our group.  Days before she had fallen off the ladder.  She lifted her bandage to our discomfort to show us her wound.  Her head had a deep gash and eight stitches.   Our team was able to pray a healing prayer with her.  I have never been a part of something like this.  So powerful calling on the name of Jesus to heal this woman.  It was like an account from one of the gospels when the disciples went out healing people in Jesus' name.  

Three days later this woman visited us at our women's retreat.  The stitches gone.  The gash gone.  Barely visible was the scar.  I remember being in our group singing How Great is Our God and singing it with a whole new declaration.  I always thought I believed in miracles...  the power of God, but I am not sure I truly did.  I realized in that moment I have not truly surrendered my all to Him.  I have limited in my thoughts of what God does and His awesome and mighty power.  

I pray I will never forget what God has shown me on this journey!

We then met friends of our leader, Marybeth.  The family met us with such hospitality, humility, and a love for our Lord.  In this moment, I saw in the people of Ethiopia something I have not possessed.  A genuine faith that somehow seems different than my own.  Their faith is their life.  Their ways are simple.  They have so little as far as material possessions yet their ability to depend on God is overwhelming and inspiring!

And they share the love and joy of Jesus with everyone they encounter!

True lights in this world!

Addis Ababa...

Because of our long journey and delay, today (11/7) we rest and visit the city of Addis Ababa.

On 11/08/12 we visited families in Addis.  We talked and prayed with them and left them with a small bag of food which would feed their family for one month.

One room, dirt floors, and metal walls.  This is what the homes we visited consisted of.  Some had pictures of Jesus posted, others nothing.  No bathrooms inside.  A long walk to use the restroom in a hole in the ground.  Sadness.  Hopelessness.  Sickness.  Poverty.  And yet in the midst of this, you could see the joy in those who truly know Jesus.  

I met a young woman who captured my heart named Emebet.  She was sold to a man to be a housekeeper in Addis.  While she was there, he infected her with HIV.  He then passed away, and she was left on her own.  She lives on $2.50 per month selling beautifully embroidered cloth.  The space in which she lives is smaller than the other homes we visited.  In fact, it was smaller than most of our bathrooms.  When my group asked if we could pray with her, I reached out my hands to hers.  She hesitated as if she was protecting me from her disease.  

I wish I could go back to her.  Say more, do more.  Hug and love her more!  Tell her how beautiful she is.  I feel stronger now than I did on that day... I feel God has changed my faith and I would do things differently.   But I am comforted knowing Jesus can say and do more than I ever can.