I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane!

Hey everyone! I hope your summers are still going awesome! I can't believe this six weeks has already come and gone. The good-byes have begun, which is difficult, but I am so thankful for the relationships I have made here. I will definitely miss everyone as well as Ethiopia.

I want to continue to thank all of you for the prayers during my time here. It means so much to me! I know God is doing amazing work here and will continue to do so. I am just so humbled He trusted me to do His will here.

We have been really busy the last week, which really isn't a big change, to try to finish everything up. The trip last Friday to Meki was great and we got a lot accomplished. The place is really starting to come together. We worked with the workers there and finished installing concrete on the porch. We also laid the remaining PVC piping for the toilets/shower. We also completed filling in previously dug trenches and dug a small foundation for the wheel-chair ramp to the toilets which they began pouring shortly after we left. God has really blessed us there. We have been praying to be able to contact various doctors/nurses which is difficult because Meki is kind of out in the middle of nowhere. But while we were working a girl came onto the compound and asked for a job. She is a nurse who has practiced for nine years! What a blessing! So Melaku has her contact info and will contact her when the clinic is finished! We also begun planting some trees around the grounds. The place will look really amazing when it is finished.

The weekend was great as well! On Sunday Teddy, Elias, and I went hiking. Addis is surrounded by many large hills/mountains and they wanted to take me hiking before I left. It was amazing and the view was beautiful from the top. We could see the whole city.

On Monday and on Tuesday we met with the families we chose to sponsor their children to begin with. There are nine total. We are really praying this program will kick off. It was amazing to talk to these families. Melaku and I explained the program (he translated) and why we wanted to start it. The families were very surprised and VERY thankful. They just kept saying "Thank you, God bless you". My heart breaks for some of these families. Some of them are just unable to provide schooling for their children due to circumstances they are in no control over. Anyways the kids were amazing and it was so good to meet them.

Yesterday the people at Hollis Language School had their official good-bye to me. They bought me coffee and it was really awesome. It has been such a blessing spending the last six weeks with them.

Also last night Melaku and his family took me to a cultural place for dinner. There was a live band playing traditional Ethiopian instruments and they have live dancers. It is so awesome because Ethiopia has almost 80 different, distinct cultures within it, each with their own dancing/music style. So we got to see some of them. They said the only more diverse African nation is Nigeria, with over 90 different cultures/tribes.

Anyways Teddy and I are about to head to Mercato, Africa's largest open-area market. There are always a ton of people there. I am excited to go.

God has truly blessed my time here. It is amazing how easy it is for us (talking about myself) fall into the same routine at home, mainly because it is so comfortable and what we're used to. Many times I totally miss the point of a relationship with Christ and focus on a 'religion' or being a 'good guy'. He wants to be present in every aspect about our lives and moreover He deserves that. It has been awesome learning from a guy like Melaku and the others here. Thankfully God never loses His faith in us and will wait for us to wake up! He is good!

Anyways I am in kind of a rush.

I leave tomorrow in the morning and head to Dubai. I then leave at night and have a 14-hour flight to Atlanta, where then I will finally head to Texas. Please pray for safe and smooth travels!

I love you all!

Grace and Peace!