I also received word that Judy on the team was getting sick. Prayers went up! The text also said they had no wifi. Bummer for those of us eagerly waiting to hear from our loved ones.
I don't know about the rest of you following, but for me, I awake in the middle of the night - count forward 8 hours and then sit and think about where they are. This morning, I awoke at 5:00 am wide awake. I knew they had arrived in Korah - a place that holds one of my greatest memories - the prayer time and healing of Mercy and a sweet encounter with her beautiful mother, Mulu. You can read about that here.
I then awoke this morning to a text from Doug that the team was having a great day and would be at the HopeChest offices this afternoon and would be able to skype (around 7:00 am our time.). We learned after their arrival that the guest house they are in, Providence Guest house, has no wifi services at all. Bummer - for the next few days, our updates will be minimal if any! But, Alex, the awesome HopeChest guide took the team over to the office today and that landed me - an online date with this man ...
So - here is the re-cap of the trip so far.
The team is feeling so much better today. They are rested and Judy is feeling well. Doug said the first day - after landing - was a rough one. Everyone was tired, but Doug knew he had to push them to the end of the day to get them on the right time zone for their body clocks. Judy began having some altitude sickness with a bad headache and nausea. Sue also had some nausea. But, those prayers worked and all are feeling much better. Keep them up!
The team had a great time learning and seeing the project of Bring Love In on the afternoon of the first day! Thank you, Levi and Jessie and your amazing in country leadership with Thomas, for getting a glimpse of all the amazing work you are doing. Make sure you go check out this ministry. This is one of the most beautiful pictures I have seen of living out James 1:27 - caring for orphans AND widows. This ministry is literally creating families with one widow to 6-7 orphaned children. Families - they are creating families!
The team then went and purchased their 5 goats for Korah the next day and delivered them out to the Project 61/Great Hope Ministry site. Doug said it was quite fun riding through town with goats (live) strapped to the top of the van. Emily Cornish went to dinner with the team and that was a sweet treat. Emily is a beautiful, American woman who married Barunah, an Ethiopian man who works with Great Hope Ministry and grew up in Korah. She works there in a clinic they have to care for the medical needs of the people. I think having that time with Emily helped give the team a little insight on what they would experience the next day.
So, today the team is in Korah. They got a mid morning start and a great one at that! Doug said Marie, Neda and Zachary are rock stars! Each of them slitting the throat of a goat - helping to get them ready for the feast they would serve the kids. I think the goat feast was a hit as any injera meal that includes meat is a sweet treat! Thank you to those who donated. Doug also said that Judy and Marie were enjoying learning to make beads and sitting with the woman in the shelter area. I can picture this perfectly! What a sweet time for them.
When sending Doug off on this trip, I sent him several assignments. HAHA. One of those was to find Mulu, the beautiful Mom of Mercy, that with great faith asked 5 of us woman on a Visiting Orphans trip in February of 2010 to come pray over her dying daughter, Mercy. We did! And the Lord answered her prayers. Before our eyes, we watched the Lord raise Mercy from her bed - and walk - and live! Today, Mercy is in the States on a Medical Visa, living with the team leaders from that trip. I had asked Doug to go find Mulu and let her know that that day taught me so much about being a mother and what courageous faith looks like. It was by her faith and obedience that she called us into her small home to pray. We didn't know what to expect on that day - but Mulu expected Him to heal Mercy and with faith sought us out! Doug, indeed, found Mercy making beads as she does with many of the other beautiful woman of Korah. He shared with her that he knew Mercy and "Mama Kiki" (my awesome team leader that has brought Mercy to the states for care). He shared with her that Mercy was doing well and that we had been following her progress through Kari's (Mama KiKi) updates. He said that she began to weep and her smile said it all ... a mother's heart at rest in knowing that the Lord is caring for her child. I can't imagine how much Mulu misses her daughter, but I can imagine how much it meant to hear her name spoken today and know that others carried her in their hearts too.
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| Mulu - Mercy's Mother - A woman of Courageous Faith! |
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| Mulu, her beautiful daughter Mercy and a few of us ladies who were honored to pray that day. |
I could hear the team in the background and got to see Sue a bit. They were headed back out to Korah after we spoke to finish their day with the kids.
So thankful for technology today and the awesome staff of Children's HopeChest that are taking great care of our loved ones AND made sure today that they could connect back home. I hope you find this update as encouraging as I found my "Date".
Until next update ... keep up your prayers for sweet divine appointments, health and HIS encounters!
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