Ethiopia Update 1.......

Hello Friends and Fam! I am trying to hold my eyes open long enough to say hello. We had a great day today, our first day of visiting orphanages. I had a million emotions. The first of my emotions was one of TOTAL devistation. The babies all had this HORRIBLE croopy cough. Some of them were extremely wet (yes like with pee), malnourished, and sickly, yet others were thriving. One thing I have learned is that most of these children's parents have died of HIV so they are very well mannered because most of them have not been abused, just orphaned. Regardless it is heart breaking all the way around. I also thought the "bigcity" was going to be much less poor, but I was wrong.

On a good note, our leader has a one track mind,"how can we bless their socks off" so we bought that orphanage a washer today and they were beyond thrilled. We have plans to provide something similar to each group and for once in my life, I can't even fatham spending a penny on myself. I had a few bites of a protein bar today and I couldn't finish it. A girl walked up and put her arm out and I could hardly get it in her hand fast enough.

The hardest part for me is in any situation that feels hopeless, I want to run. I wanted to run home today, forget all that I had seen, and go back to my fam, my electricity, and my nice cozy life and never look back. I wanted everything to be fixed from underground sewage to the meds this one baby needed so desperately just to survive. The little baby I am holding in one of the pictures is 5 MONTHS OLD. She looks no more than 1 month old. I wanted to scream and then I found out that she was being adopted, she and her twin sister who was super healthy, they are going home sweet home soon. That changed everything. I no longer felt so hopeless. I knew that although there was a world of work to do, just in this one city even, there WAS HOPE! Really there is hope because there IS Jesus!

Our leader's organization is called "Ordinary Hero", what a perfect phrase. We can't fix it all, we can't change the city, avoid any and all corruption in the adoption process, or even make sure the kids keep having warm meals, but we can do something. I ask you to ask yourself, in whatever way, are you being an ordinary hero? My friend's ministry just helps with whatever need that comes across their lap. It's that simple. They know they can't change the world, but they also avoid my normal reaction of doing nothing. So this week, I am going to push through and try to be an ordinary hero. I am going to get over the fact that my shower is like ice, that I am only a non-picky eater in the US, and that I can't go in and change the whole entire system. I am going to do something, somehow, someway to make a difference in this city, even if it is just for one. I thought that often today, "if we all just took one", "if we all just did our part", PROBLEM SOLVED. But the only thing I can control is ME.

I love you guys! I thank you and COVET your prayers. You have no idea how thankful I am that I know I am being prayed through. So, until next time, we are in Ethiopia! I am going to a dump tomorrow to work with 400 kids so pray lots. My heart break today will not compare to what we will experience tomorrow. Thankfully someone who came on one of these trips a few months back has moved here to help those children specifically so there will be hope and I may be able to share some ways that we can specifically help them tomorrow. I'll let you know. I am seeing first hand what the heck a missionary does. Sometimes they just see a need and hop on board with Jesus and start meeting it! Jesus use us, forgive us, help us try! We love you so and we are so thankful you thought we were worth paying it all!
K