Language Learning

Denanachoo?Denaniῆ, exabieryemescan!  (How are you (plural)?  I’m fine, praise be to God!)

I’ve been taking some language classes and learning some of the basics.  I do not know much yet, but I’m slowly but surely picking it up.  Learning the language of a culture you are living in is much different than learning the language in a high school or college classroom. First, you learn the phrases that you are going to use most often (survival phrases).  Often when you are learning the language in the classroom, you learn verbs that you would never use.  Secondly, you actually get to use the language that you are learning in authentic experiences!

One of the most important things to know about the Ethiopian culture is that greetings are important.  If you walk past someone you work with or know just by acquaintance, and you do not greet them, they might take it personally.  To not greet someone, often implies that you are angry with that person.  So learning the greetings has been first and most important, because I work with many Ethiopians at Bingham.

After greetings, the next important thing to learn is phrases that you use when going out shopping or eating.  Phrases such as “Where is the bathroom?” “How much does it cost?”  “I want x# of those.”  The other day after spending 2 hours in language class, I went to the chimakeebait (juice house).  The juice here is AMAZING.  Many of the little outside shops that sell fruit, also make very yummy juice.  I had just learned the fruits, so I got to use my Amharic.  I got to order my fruit juice, and purchase pineapples with my Amharic.  It was a lot of fun!

From my traveling experiences, I have noticed something to be true in both China and Ethiopia.  The local people LOVE when you try to speak their language.  Their faces light up when you say hello to them in their mother language; they joyfully try to talk to you back.  You only have to know a couple of words and they are happy.  Here in Ethiopia they might say amarinagobez (goodamharic)!

It’s not necessarily like that in the United States.  We tend to lose our patience with people who do not speak our language.  We do not get excited that people have learned a little bit of English; we expect that of them.  Take it from someone who is having to learn a new language while living in a foreign country, it’s not easy!  I make mistakes, I forget how to say something, and then I refer back to my native language.  Thankfully many Ethiopians have learned enough English to communicate with foreigners, but I should not expect that of them.

I want to learn the language; it is fun to go to the market and speak Amharic.  I enjoy communicating with the local people because they are so loving and welcoming.  I also really want to learn the language so that I can get involved in ministry here in Addis.  There are so many ministry opportunities.  I visited one ministry that my friend works with last Saturday.  It was a children’s ministry for some local children.  I wanted so badly to communicate with them, but other than, ‘how are you?’, I could not say very much.  I listened while they had Bible study, and I was only able to understand 2 words: exabier (God) and lala (another).  I can survive with knowing basic Amharic, but that is not good enough for me.

 I want to make the most of my time here.  I want to love on some children who need someone to care for them.  I want to get to know the local people and their customs.  I want to be challenged and stretched.

Driving in Addis and Your Relationship with God

When I landed in Addis, I thought the journey was over.  I had made it to my destination!  Well that was my thought before I got into the vehicle and had my first experience with the rules and regulations of Addis drivers.  I’ve never seen anything like it!  My eyes were the size of half dollars until I reached Bingham.  There were cars driving all over the road, people walking out in front of you, horns being blown from every direction.  It was chaos!

For a week, I was convinced that I was just going to be a passenger here in Ethiopia.  I felt that I did not need to drive; I can just ride with others.  I truly was afraid to drive.  Well that was my mindset for a week.  It quickly changed when I had my first experience with the taxi buses.  I went to the movies with a friend, and we had to take 6 separate taxis to get to our destination.  It took us an hour and a half, when if we were driving, it would have only taken 20 minutes!  I knew from that moment that I would not be satisfied until I had the option of driving.

To drive a Bingham vehicle you have to pass a driving test on the road in Addis.  The thought of driving in Addis alone is daunting; however, when you add the idea that you have to drive a manual, it seems impossible (at least for me).  I’ve driven a straight shift a handful of times, but I am in no way a professional.  After practicing a couple of days on the compound at the school, in which I might add I never moved the car from first to second gear, I took my driving test on the road!

I get in the car, and I look at the driving instructor, and I ask, ‘Can we pray?’  He looks at me and says, ‘yes’ in his British accent.  I then prayed for our safety and wisdom as I set out on this journey, and if it was God’s will, that I pass the test.  Before starting my instructor said, “Now what do you think is the most important thing to remember when driving in Addis?”  I looked at him and said, “Paying attention to everything….”  He said, “Well yes, paying attention, but what I was referring to is using your horn.”  Horn?  I never use my horn when driving!  Even when I am overwhelmed with rage at other drivers, I still refuse to use my horn.  It’s offensive!  But here in Addis, it’s necessity.  You should not worry about offending anyone, and you should not take offense when someone honks at you.

Needless to say, I passed the test!  Everything went pretty smoothly.  I used my horn a total of 10-12 times in this 20 minute journey.  The driving instructor would firmly remind me to use my horn when a car was trying to get in front of me, and when people were walking in the road.  Then he reprimanded me for using my horn when someone was walking in the crosswalk.  He said, “Why are you honking at them, they are in the crosswalk?”  How was I supposed to know, this whole using your horn business was new to me.

It’s strange when something that has been second nature to you becomes overwhelming and unfamiliar.  At home, there were many times when I reached my destination, and I thought ‘how did I get here?’  Driving at times seems so mindless.  Depending on the time of day and your familiarity of the route, you can get to where you are going without even thinking about it.  Isn’t that scary?  It took coming to a new country for me to be reminded of the dangers of getting behind the wheel. 

I have to consciously be on guard when I am driving here.  The roads are always busy with cars, taxis, buses, or people. If I’m not watching where I am going, it could mean life or death for me or someone else. 

The same is true about our spiritual walks.  It often becomes mindless and routine.  Your walk with the Lord can easily become passionless and ritualistic or even non-existent.  Sometimes you make it through a church service, and you can’t even tell your friends or family what the message was about.  Does that worry you?  It should. 

When it comes to your relationship with God, you might not think of it as a life or death matter.  However, it is.  It was life or death for Jesus Christ.  He could have chosen His own life and given us death, but instead He chose death so that we might have life.  He did this so you could have a relationship with God.  The veil was torn, so we could have an open door to God.  There is nothing passionless about that, and the opportunity to be in relationship with Him should be cherished, not burdensome. 

Sometimes it takes circumstances or a change of scenery for you to realize the implications of your choices and daily activities.  It took moving to Addis for me to learn to be on guard when driving.  Sometimes it takes loosing someone you love or getting badly injured to realize the dangers of driving at home. 

Many times it takes circumstances and changes of scenery for you to get serious about your relationship with God, it did me, but it doesn’t have to! 

Deuteronomy 31:19 “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.  Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.  For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years…”  So choose life!  Listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him!

Thankfulness

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Of course everyone back home has just finished celebrating Thanksgiving.  I’m sure your stomachs are full from the amount of food you ingested and your hearts are light because of the praise and acknowledgement you have given to the Lord for the things He has blessed you with.

Although I am not in America, I still had the opportunity to celebrate the wonderfully cherished holiday with my fellow Americans here in Ethiopia.  In fact, I had three separate occasions to fill my stomach!  I definitely was not disappointed in the food or the company.  It was great!

Being in the spirit of thanksgiving was rejuvenating, and honestly I am thankful for the time to reflect on the things I am thankful for and the acknowledgement of God’s faithfulness over this past year.  I even had the opportunity to strategically teach the best part of Thanksgiving in my class.   Grade one was in charge of the prayer time in chapel last Friday.  This entails coming up with some creative prayer element for my students to lead/participate in.  I thought and thought about what we could do, and then it hit me!  Let the students draw and write a prayer to God about something they can thank Him for; a Thank you God for….prayer. 

Before we started the project, I had the students go around the room and share the things they are thankful for.  The responses were humorous, wonderful, and honest.  Among the responses were: thank you God for my house, my friends, my family, my school, my baby (baby sister), my cat, my hair (cute), and my all-time favorite ‘that Miss Cawood is not an only child!’  Yes, this was one of my student’s prayers, and she drew a wonderful picture of me and my siblings.

However, the best response was ‘that Jesus died for my sins.”  I did not even have to promote that one.  One of my 6 year old students came up with that on his own.  After this student said that, of course many of them felt compelled to draw or at least write that in the caption of their picture.  When my students got up to share in chapel, I had a handful of students share their beautiful pictures and wonderful prayers with their peers; they also shared the gospel!

My students got it right!  The most precious gift we have to be grateful/thankful for is the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  We would be lost and unable to enjoy the many other things we have to be thankful for without this gift.  But then God also gives us the gift of choosing.  We have the choice to accept His gift or reject it.  Family and friends, I so hope you choose the former!  But not only choose His gift of salvation, but also draw from the benefits of His gift this side of Heaven; His riches, His faithfulness, and His peace.

I’m thankful for so many things; I would have to be callous not to acknowledge how lucky I am when I look around my surroundings here in Ethiopia.  There is poverty, sickness, and despair all around me.  I am grateful for the provisional blessings God has given me: my cozy apartment with a nice warm bed, my wonderful bathtub, my closet full of clothing, the food in my refrigerator, the money in my bank account, etc. 

However, I am even more grateful for the intangible gifts and support God has given me.  The love from and for my beautiful family, amazing friends at home that I miss dearly and wonderful new friends I am making here, the peace that I am living in the center of God’s will, and the intimate relationship I get to share with my Heavenly Father!

I’m thankful for Bingham and the unbelievable support I am receiving as a first year teacher.  I’m so lucky to be supported by an encouraging staff, a supportive administration, and parents who truly are committed to their student’s educational success.

Lastly, I am thankful for my class of Grade one students!  I thought I never wanted to teach the lower elementary grades.  However, I am honestly enjoying my time as a first grade teacher.  The students have such a zeal for learning.  They soak in everything that I teach them.  And my class of students in particular, loves to sing, and they have the sweetest angelic voices! 

My list could go on, but instead of exhausting you with my list, I want to encourage you to continue to count your blessings.  Let’s not just make it a Thanksgiving tradition.  For God’s word says to give thanks in all circumstances!

Community Life

One of the things I cherish most about Ethiopia is the community life that I experience daily.  For those of you who don’t know, I live on the compound of the school that I am teaching.  Thirteen teachers and their families along with twelve single teachers live here on the compound as well.  It is a situation in which you actually know the neighbors that live next door.  And not just know them, share life with them.

During the month that I have lived here in Addis, I have only eaten dinner by myself 4 nights, and all of those were by choice.  There is almost always a dinner invitation at someone’s apartment or a group of teachers that make a plan to go out for dinner.  As you share a meal with these people and their families, you get to know their stories- how they got here.  It’s wonderful to be surrounded by people who have shared interests, but very unique experiences. 

I’m surrounded by men and women my age that have too, left everything behind to come here by themselves.  They have come to answer a calling that God has placed on their lives whether it be for a year or a lifetime.  I’m also surrounded by couples and families that have submitted to a life dedicated to the mission of God.  The wisdom and life many of them have lived is amazing and inspiring. 

Not only do you share meals with the people that live here, but you share your heart and your love for God, people, tea and pastries.  Every morning, we start the day by having a devotion and prayer time before school.  Each teacher is assigned a week during the school year, and he or she prepares a 5-10 minute devotion to start the day.  Then we share prayer requests, and break into small groups to lift up the day, our students, and the burdens on our colleagues’ hearts.  It’s hard not to be reminded daily why you are here, and what you are called to do:  invest in the lives of these children.

One of my absolute favorite parts of the day that I look forward to is 10:20am, morning tea!  Every day, the faculty meets together for morning tea from 10:20-10:45 for a spot of tea or coffee and a really yummy treat!  It’s a break from the morning, and time to re-energize and check in with others to see how their day is going.  The students also get a break for a snack and morning recess.  It’s good for both the students and their teacher!!

Every Monday night, I meet with a group of single female teachers for a Bible study.  It’s the perfect way to start our week.  It is a time where we get into God’s word and talk about the struggles that we face as singles, women, teaching, and living in a foreign country.  We go into detail about the burdens that are weighing us down, and we individually lift each other up in prayer.

You also never have to sit at home on the weekend, unless you want to, which is treasured at times.  However, there is always something to do with others.  The group of single teachers that live here are always getting into some kind of mischief.  From Nacho Libre Mexican dinner night, to the Harry Potter premier, birthday bowling, movie night in the staff lounge (almost always a chick flick, poor guys, we out number them), dinner either Ethiopian style or at an American food restaurant, and almost always by tradition, ending the night with a cup of coffee at Kaldi’s.  I can’t think of a better way to spend my first year teaching!

I’m truly having the time of my life.  That is not to say that I don’t miss others at home, because I do, but living in a community is the best medicine, in my opinion, to treat the hardest obstacle of leaving home, missing others.  That and surprise letters and care packages from loved ones!

;-)

I miss you all, but know that I am being taken care of, and living my life to the fullest.

First Week of Teaching

The Early Childhood Education program I graduated from at Dalton State’s mission was to create Caring, Collaborative, Competent, and Reflective educators.  When graduation time came, I swore I NEVER wanted to reflect upon a reflection again.  However, Dalton State’s ECE Program was successful; I naturally feel compelled to record and reflect on my first week of teaching.

Most people would view my first week as a huge success.  First and foremost, I survived along with my 23 students!  No one was physically hurt in my classroom.  There were a few hurt feelings, and unloving things said and done, but I addressed those in a very calm and professional matter, with the Christian perspective of, “Now did that decision express to your classmate that you love them?  Remember we are supposed to love God first, and then love your neighbor, and be kind to them.”  I feel that it set a positive tone for our classroom environment.

I knew all of the students names before 9:00am on Monday morning; which as any teacher knows gives you an inevitable sense of control and authority you could not have otherwise.  Saying, “kid in the red shirt, quit talking to your neighbor,” isn’t quite as effective as calling on the student by name.

We often had fun, while learning, by playing new games.  The students look forward to playing Miss Cawood vs. the Students at the end of the day, which also provides me an opportunity to verbally assess if the students learned the objectives of the day.

I decided to have a show-and-tell time with my students that provided the students an opportunity to personally relate to the thematic social studies unit we started called, “Traveling Around the World”.  Show-and-tell is a huge success, and the students look forward to it every day!  In most school settings, you would not have the opportunity to have a show-and-tell time for students to bring things they have gotten from places they have traveled in another country.  In most schools, several students have never traveled outside of the city they live in.  However, all of my students have traveled outside of the country multiple times.  Many of them have traveled to countries I have only dreamed about.  The classroom dynamics are amazing.  Not only is it a great way for the students to personally relate to our unit on continents, but I am able to get a snapshot of the students personalities and interests!  The items they choose to bring are adorable: a toy airplane from the airport in California, seashells from the beach in Dubai, a euro from Finland, a children’s song book from Switzerland, and safari animals from Kenya.  It’s wonderful! 

There were many other things I could look back on and be happy about.  However, at the end of the week, my thoughts were more focused on the things I should have done, or the things that did not go as planned, or the things that were totally unexpected.

I had the bright idea to implement Literacy Centers into the classroom.  The students have not been exposed to Literacy Centers, so this was a whole new world.  After spending the first 2 days, explicitly going over each of the centers, and what they should do while in each center, we started the literacy rotations.  It was chaos!  It was like the students had no idea what we had spent the last 2 days doing.  They looked lost, with no direction.  I was unable to be in 6 places at once, so students were coming up to me while I was with another center asking what they were supposed to be doing.  The students in the listening center could not agree on a book to listen to.  The students in the sight word center were fighting over who was going to be the person that kept the time for the flash card challenge.  I was putting out fires left and right!  And don’t even get me started on the groups’ inability to line up in order to rotate to the next center.  Kids were fighting over who was in the front of the line.  “Miss Cawood, I was here first, and so and so came and got in front of me.”  I felt as if I was going to lose my mind, and I asked myself, “What were you thinking?”

Thankfully, by Friday, the center rotations were a little better.  Now all of the groups have successfully rotated through all 6 centers.  So hopefully, on Monday, the students will at least have some idea of what they are supposed to be doing.  If not, I will have to re-evaluate!

I learned that 1^st graders have a MUCH shorter attention span than 5^th graders (the grade in which I did my student teaching).  I have to continually remind them that, “we raise our hand before speaking out,” or “how are we supposed to be sitting on the floor, that’s right, criss cross applesauce, on your bottoms,” or “are we supposed to be talking to our neighbors when someone else is talking?”  I feel like I am a broken record!  In 5^th grade, you can expect to give them one verbal warning before they have to experience the consequences of their decisions.  However, if I only gave my students one verbal warning, many of them would be on red part of the Ethiopian flag before 10:00am!

Those were a few of my frustrations.  Not to mention I forgot to turn in my 2 students’ names that would receive character awards in chapel on time.  So I had to make my own certificates just to ensure that my class would not be the only one without awards.  I also forgot to check on something for a parent, in which I told them I would check on.  Great first impression of Miss Cawood!

Haha….I can laugh about some of these things today, but last week, it was trying to say the least.  Welcome to the world of teaching!  I feel that this is just the beginning.  However, when it is all said and done, I can’t think of anything I would rather be doing!  So cheers to week one being completed, and best of luck for week two!

Never Say Never

You’ve always heard the phrase, ‘never say never.’  I think it is a very wise and applicable saying for anyone to consider.  The person that coined that phrase obviously said never to something that turned out being a reality for him.  Have you ever said, “I will never…,” to something?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot because I am surrounded by realities of something I either thought or actually said, “I will never do…”  Sometimes I said these statements out of fear, others ignorance, and still others indifference.  But I believe my God is a God that requires you to take on the tasks that you would NEVER do otherwise.  I say ‘my God’ because I can provide multiple examples of this nature in my own life.

I have meditated on this thought for a while now.  Why do we often say we do not want to do this or that, and this or that is actually what we are meant to do?  Is it because the enemy knows what we are called to do, and he tries his hardest to prevent us from following the path?  Does he introduce irrational fears into our minds to cause us to run from our God given destinies? 

Or is it a part of our human nature to strive for only the things the world sees as successful, promising, or right?  Is it our nature that sees anything that would not fit in these categories as unappealing?

No matter what is ‘in’ us causing us to withdraw from these things, God uses it for His glory.  God is glorified when you submit a desire to His will or agree to an unwanted desire for Him.  He is glorified when you face an irrational fear with the peace that transcends all understanding.  He is glorified when you acknowledge that the thing you feared, turned out to be exactly what you were created for.  It pleases Him for you to admit that He knows you better than you know yourself.  He is after all your Creator, Father, Savior, and Lord.

So what did I say ‘never’ to that has caused me to think about these things?  Well where should I start?  I remember a scared teenage girl in 2006 saying to God, “I don’t want to be a foreign missionary, please don’t call me to be a missionary.  Anything but that!”  I was so afraid God would ask me to leave my country, my people, and my family to live in a 3^rd world country.  It took months of wrestling with that fear before I gave it to God. I can still remember the exact moment I submitted myself to that calling if it was His will.  Do you know what I experienced after? PEACE.  Of course it wasn’t until about 8 months ago that I knew for sure that was what God was calling me to.

You can also ask all of my colleagues and even some of my professors, I said multiple times, “I do not want to teach the younger elementary grades.”  I prefer 4^th-8^th grade students.  However, I am the Grade 1 teacher at this school.  I am surrounded by 6 & 7 year olds every day, and I am thankful and humbled.  Have you ever heard the prayers of a 6 year old?  They are so innocent and full of faith.  You can’t help but smile when you see them raising their hand high to pray for their friend who has a broken arm.  Their prayers are filled with requests we would never think of.  “God please let her surgery be fun,” or “when they bring the baby home, please God don’t let her cry on the plane.”

Or how about the time I said I would never work in a private Christian school.  I could not think of a more encouraging atmosphere than a Christian school, made up of faculty whose priority is providing “quality, culturally sensitive education in a Christian environment which encourages the students to impact the world for God’s glory.”  Our school is going through an accreditation process through the Association of Christian Schools International.  The representative for Africa visited the school this week, and facilitated a couple of professional development sessions.  He spoke of the movement going on in Africa through Christian schools.  The leaders in African countries realize the significance of quality Christian education, and the fact that the most effective way to attack some of the problems in Africa, is to raise up a competent generation of children who have the compassionate heart of Jesus Christ, to reach the world and make a difference.  Wow, what an honor, to be a part of a movement such as this!

I bet God chuckled when I made these, “I will never…” statements!  I’m sure He was thinking, “Sweet Malisa, if only you knew what I have in store for you.  It is immeasurably more than you could ever ask or imagine.”  Of course it was more than I could imagine!  I was closed off to it, and I was thinking in the ways of man, not in the ways of God. 

In Isaiah 55, God says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

My word of encouragement to you is to think about the things that you will never do!  Why won’t you do them?  Are you afraid?  Is it not wise?  Is it not financially appealing?  Maybe you are closed off to the ways of God, and are at a risk of missing what He has in store for you.  Take it from someone who is thankful that she did not close herself off to the plans of God. You too will be blessed “immeasurably more than you could ever ask or imagine.”

A New Way of Life

I never thought of myself as privileged until moving to Addis Ababa.  There are many thoughts and emotions that have crossed my mind since landing in Ethiopia, but one that seems most prevalent is, why me?

After being here for 5 days, I am starting to settle in quite nicely.  It is a completely different way of life here at Bingham Academy (the school where I am teaching and living).  We usually eat dinner early in the evening, and you very rarely eat alone.  You are living in a community and you get to take advantage of dining with other staff members and their families.  Everyone leaves their doors unlocked, even the classroom doors.  No one is allowed inside of Bingham without permission.  We have guards that regulate who comes in and out, so you don’t have to worry about your belongings being taken.  I have been given my own apartment, and I will have a house helper assigned to me.  She will help with my cleaning, laundry, and cooking on the days she comes to help.  This is normal for foreigners in the city.  Foreigners pay their house helper a very small wage, but it provides much more than many of the other jobs.  Having a house helper, is a way to help support a family here.

These are the things about Ethiopia that I have come to love in my short time here.  When I describe all of these things, I’m sure it makes some of you envious of the life I am living.  It is pretty great!  I start to like it more and more each day I spend here, but it does not come without its trials.  If I did not have Bingham, I’m not sure how I would be feeling on day 5.

I’ve never seen anything quite like Ethiopia.  I’ve experienced culture shock since the beginning of the ride home from the airport.  The city is huge, and there are millions of people who live here.  The driving is CRAZY!  There seems to be no method to the madness.  People pull out in front of each other, people drive on the wrong side of the road.  There seems to be no rules, but yet I am told that somehow it works.  The roads are crowded and they are often shut down. But what is even more shocking than the driving, is the number of people that are walking.  I come from a city that doesn’t even have public transportation.  I never see anyone walking unless it’s for exercise.  However, here in Addis, there are more people walking than driving or riding in the crowded streets.  Women, men, and children, walking to their destinations, often times carrying very heavy loads or herding sheep or goats.

The power in most third world countries is either non-existent or unreliable, and the same goes for Ethiopia.  Since I have been here, there have been 3 power outages.  The power goes out unannounced, and you don’t know when it will come back on.  It has typically been coming back on 3-4 hours later.  This has become normal for the people living here.  They have candles placed around their houses in every room, and they have activities that they do to keep them busy in the dark.  It doesn’t seem to faze them; it’s just a part of life.

The food here in the stores is very cheap from our American perspectives.  I bought a whole carton of strawberries for less than $.20 USD.  I got more vegetables than I would normally buy on a grocery trip for $2.00 USD.  It is unreal, how inexpensive things are here.  But that is from my ignorant perspective.  I read a statistic in my community manual that said the average American consumes as much as 520 Ethiopians in a year.  The groceries that I bought for myself yesterday, would probably be enough to feed dozens over the next couple of weeks.  The prices have to be cheap or the local people would not eat.

I really don’t know what to do with everything I am seeing and taking in while I observe the culture and customs of the local people.  There is no way I could leave this experience unchanged.  I will never go back to America with the same mindset.  My prayer to God is why me?  Why am I the privileged foreigner who doesn’t have to worry about where my next meal will come from?  Why have I been so materially blessed while others go without?  What am I supposed to do with the knowledge of this world around me, and how can I help the people?

Lasts

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you”….So Abram left, as the Lord told him.” Genesis 12:1,4a.  God laid this same request on my heart, and I waited patiently for the Lord to show me the land He was sending me.  He had me wait so long, that when He finally revealed where He was leading, I didn’t care where I was going just that I finally knew!

The days leading up to the time for me to depart to Ethiopia were bittersweet.  This whole process has been a whirlwind; I’ve had assurance, peace, and joy about this decision, but it was not until the few days before I left that I had the opportunity to fully realize the implications of the sacrifices I would be making. 

God was asking me to leave my country; its customs, my way of life, my people; my closest friends, the people I surround myself with, and my father’s household; my family, my parents, grandparents, and siblings. The reality of leaving became real during my last few days of being in America.

It was when I started thinking about all of the “lasts” that reality starting to sink in my heart and mind.  The last time I would go to Bible study on Tuesday nights and get to spend time with the girls that I have become very close with.  The last time I would go to see a chick-flick with my “chick-flick” friends.  The last time I would play catch phrase at an RA staff meeting.  The last time I would walk the campus of DSC, my favorite place in the world!  The last time I would go to a Rock Bridge church service.  The last time I would have lunch with my friends and coworkers.  The last time I would spend with my closest friends, talking into the night about God, love, and life.  The last times I would spend with my family...  The last football game I would watch of my little brother.  The last family dinner we would have together.  The last time my mother and I would fight over her chair in the living room.  The last time I would feel the hugs of the people I love most.  The list could go on…..

Of course this is not the last time I will ever experience these things; just the last time for a while.  At first, I did not let myself dwell on the sacrifices.  Sometimes it is easiest to ignore the deepest longings and parts of our heart.  If we ignore the true and deep feelings we have inside, we do not have to experience the reality of their pain.  However, ignoring these feelings would also cause me to cheapen my relationships and the customs I have come to cherish here at home.

When Jesus called the disciples, He asked them to “drop their nets” and follow Him.  They were so honored by this request of the Rabbi, Messiah, Son of God that they did not even stop to calculate their losses.  That is exactly how I felt from the moment God called me to go to Ethiopia.  I do feel HONORED to be chosen by God.  I’ve been sheltered by His provision, lavished by His favor, and enthralled by His love.  I’ve watched Him work out all things in His timing.  Every little road block I came against, He challenged with a divine alternate route.  It has been simply amazing!

The disciples were honored to be chosen by Jesus; I’m sure they acknowledged that in their hearts many times.  I’m also sure though, when they lay their heads down at night, that they sometimes had a hard time falling asleep.  They probably thought about the people they loved and missed at home and maybe even shed a few tears. 

However, they were never overcome by their sorrow because of the presence of Jesus; Jesus sleeping near them.  To all of my family and friends, I honor you by dedicating this post to you.  I will truly miss each and every one of you! I have shed many tears at the thought of leaving you behind; I have stayed up at night thinking about you and the times I am going to miss spending with you.  But I have not been overcome with sorrow because of the presence of my Savior.

He knows the sacrifices we all have to make to follow Him, but His promise is that He will never leave us or forsake us.  Isaiah 64:4 says, “No ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.”  1 Corinthians 2:9 says it like this, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.”  I step forward into faith believing those promises.  I believe them because He has always been faithful before. 

Fear...

Fear is a funny thing.  I've been pondering the purpose and reality of fear over the past couple of weeks.  Many of the wonderful people I have in my life have expressed a concern about my safety in Ethiopia.  Many people have commented on the location of Ethiopia in relation to its surrounding countries, others have mentioned the possible sicknesses I could come in contact with, one good friend jokingly mentions the idea of pirates being close by.  Others wonder about the fact that I won't know anyone, or the conditions of the city I will live in.  Many of these things have crossed my mind, but that still hasn't caused me a bit of hesitation.  Some people might think that I am making a blind or unwise decision.  Should I let the fear of what could happen to me stop me from going?


Is fear a bad thing?  I think that many times it can be, but others times it can be an asset.  I guess what determines consequence of fear is what we do with it.  FDR said in his first inaugural speech about fear, "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself."  Fear causes many people to shy away from adversity.  Fear causes others to give up instead of pushing on, and realizing the dream to which they are called.  To others, fear brings out courage.  Mark Twain wrote, "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.  Except a creature be part coward it is not a compliment to say it is brave."  One can not be brave without the presence of fear.


Now I will attempt to honestly answer the question, 'are you afraid?'  I would use the word fear to describe my overriding emotion.  However, it is not the fear that I will be in danger, or the fear that I will be lonely, or the fear that I might get sick.  Instead, it is the fear that if I don't go, I will miss out on what God has waiting for me there.  I fear many things in this world; I fear many things in accordance to my relationship with God.  I sometimes fear that He won't provide.  I sometimes fear that He will not come through for me.  I sometimes fear that I will lose someone or something I love.  But the one thing I fear the most, is missing out on God's best.  I wholeheartedly believe the scripture in Jeremiah 29:11 that says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"  


There is another part to that scripture that many people leave out.  The scripture says in verse 12-14, "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.  I will be found by you."  Five years ago the Lord brought me to that scripture, and it became a life verse for me.  My prayer was that I would be able to seek God with all of my heart so that I could truly find Him.  That is still something that I strive to do to this day.  What I have come to realize is this, when you seek God, you sometimes have to go where He goes.  And for me to continue to seek God, I have to go where He is sending me, and that is Ethiopia.


So nothing that I may face there will compare to the joy I have in seeking and following the Lord.  So to reiterate the statement, am I making this decision blindly?  No.  I realize the dangers and I'm not afraid.  For if my God is for me, who or what can be against me?

Ethiopia!?!

I've been in a state of euphoria for the past week!  My mind has been predominately set on one thing and one thing only, and that is Ethiopia.  A country that before last Sunday, I never gave much thought about, and now, I'm going to be living there!  I am still reflecting on the series of events that have taken place since last Monday, and I'm so amazed at how I have literally seen circumstantial mountains disappear before my eyes.

Since the possibility of teaching at Bingham Academy has been presented to me, I have shared with many that I've applied for a job overseas. I inevitability get two responses or questions in response to that remark.  The first is "Where?" and I respond with Ethiopia!  My answer is almost always accompanied by an image of wide eyes and, "Really?"  And I respond, "Yeah, can you believe it!  I think this is it; this might be where God is leading me."  The next question is, "How much does it pay?"  And I respond, "It doesn't pay a salary.  I will have accommodations and utilities paid for, but I will have to raise support for my other living expenses."

Am I crazy?  Is it strange for me to be so excited about accepting a position that is half-way across the world, in an emerging third world country, that doesn't pay?  I think most of you would respond with a resounding "YES!"  However, I don't know if I have had more peace and joy about a decision that I have made in my life.

When I received a phone call and e-mail from my former campus minister informing me about an urgent need to fill a position at a Christian International School in Ethiopia, I was obviously curious.  It seemed like exactly what I had been wanting to do.  When I searched the website and discovered that it did not pay a salary and that I would have to have support from churches and individuals, my sudden excitement turned to hesitancy.  However, after pondering and praying about it all day, I felt a peace about applying.  There were a lot of details that would have to be worked out; it was by far a long shot.  However, I told the Lord, "If its your will, then make it happen."

Make it happen, He did!  As of today, I accepted a first grade teaching position at Bingham Academy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Every fear of a possible obstacle has been diminished.  I will have the opportunity to pursue this opportunity because of my church's willingness to support me financially.  I have the encouragement to chase my dreams because of the support of my loving family and friends.  And most importantly I have God's blessing with a side of joyful anticipation of what He has in store!

I can't wait to start this journey with you!  I have no idea what I will encounter, but I can't wait to experience it and share it with you.

God is good, all the time!