A Few Things I Learned In Ethiopia

I should be happy for Joe when he sleeps during a 17 hour flight, but I am not.  The driving is crazy, the people are beautiful, and being around other believers is an immediate connection.

The most heartbreaking thing is hearing there are atleast 5 million orphans in Ethiopia alone. That's as many as the population in Addis Ababa, the capital. When the children are not in orphanages many are on the street begging for money and food or walking around because they are not in school. Their clothes are torn and tattered, yet they still have beautiful smiles on their faces.

Hearing about orphans and actually seeing them are two completely different things. It has been almost 3 years since we have done paperwork, hours of training, completed a dossier, emptied our savings, done and redone our homestudy; yet in the moment that we met our daughter it was all worth it. She is real and holding her showed us how many orphans out there need a mom and dad. They need a family who will tell them about Jesus and feed them, clothe them, and love them. They need a home, hugs, and kisses.

They may never have your eyes or your hair, but does that matter in light of eternity? Blessed is he who has regard for the weak - Ps. 41. Let your heart break for the fatherless!  We are so spoiled here in the US. Even when we struggle financially we are so rich compared to others in poverty, not only in Ethiopia but all over the world. It's easier to not think about it, but maybe it's time for a change.