-our hearts home. Ethiopia//2016. Friday, February 12th. visit to boys home. Abune Basilios gov't school.-

A breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs & smoothies awaited us. (can you tell I enjoy the meals Tsige so lovingly prepares?!) After breakfast, we headed out to Jemo. On our agenda for the morning would be to organize & inventory supplies at the Jemo office, along with meeting Daniel at the gov't school across the street from Jemo for a morning visit..About 75 of our 250 Jemo kids attend this gov't school! The attendance at this school is roughly around 4,000 students, grades K-8 & most classes have anywhere from 60-75 students!!! whew!!! It was fun walking through the gates again & seeing even further improvement made to the grounds, bathrooms, water extension project..

                                                 the old water system..

                                          the kindergarten classrooms..

                                         About 60 kids in this kinder class!! As crowded, warm & stuffy these rooms must be...they are equally as clean, organized & set up as well as possible!!

                                       Daniel showing us the new bathroom facilities!!

                               the nap area for the littles of the bunch!! Again, a very clean space!!

                                The new water system!! When we visited last year, the tile surround hadn't been installed yet..

                                        The playground for the littles!!(which is now surrounded with this fence...again, that has been an addition since our last years visit!) So exciting to see these improvements!!

                                          The principal of the school!!

                                         They were very proud to show us this plaque!!

The building with the painting on it is where the cows reside;) The school has a partnership with a local group...Ethiopia Initiative. They provide about 10 cows, in which are being used for their dairy to supply the kinder kids with milk on a daily basis & fresh bread from the bakery, which is the metal building on the left of this pic.

                                          the kitchen/bakery!

                                         Very clean facility..

The kids enjoyed seeing the calves & learning more about this project!!

We were then able to stop in & visit the kiddos who were eating lunch! They were excited to see us, as we were to see them!! 

Our visit was complete & we headed back to the guesthouse for a bite of lunch & then packed up gifts to deliver to Dietrich's sponsor children & their families!! 

                                         School kids!!

Walked through the Jemo gate to these sweet faces!!

I was able to go along on a couple of home visits with Alicia & her girls, which is always a learning experience. It's a joy to see these children in their home environments(for the most part.) & to learn more about their lives & families. It's a privilege to be a part of. We were then so close to Biz & Fares home, so Tsige & I decided to surprise the boys!! As we walked up to their home, Tsige yelled out Biz' name...all of the sudden, the gate opened & Biz was standing there, so handsome in his little suit coat & welcomed us in until the rest of his family would return!

                                                   all smiles for this boy!!

                                                  So good to see him again!!

So much hope & love in this home. 

We visited for a bit & then Fares arrived home with their father, Mogas & their mother came shortly after & she insisted on treating us to a coffee ceremony!! How could we say no to this?!

                                        Tsige & their family.

                                         my heart is full.

                                                   Love this woman.

                                          Biz & Fares' aunt Hanna & cousin Netsanet.

                                        Once home visits were through, they all joined us at the boys' home for a sweet time of gathering over coffee & goodies!!

Time to head on our way! Always hard to leave them, but so thankful we still had time left to look forward to:)

A night at the guesthouse was sounding great...enjoying company, food, hair braiding & laughter. 

Went to bed with much to pray & dream about & so much to be thankful for.

Another good, great, beautiful day in Addis.

Kristen

-our hearts home. Ethiopia//2016. February 11th. out & about in Addis. to the market for teff.-

We woke up to the smell of freshly roasted Buna(coffee), along with a most delicious breakfast of homemade donuts, smoothies & eggs! I love being awakened in the morning to the roosters crowing, horns honking, call to prayer & the smell of breakfast brewing down the steps from me. For having traveled for 30 hours, we all got a good nights rest & were ready for a full day of stopping by a few of our favorite shops....Entoto Beth, Muya & Sabahar, followed by lunch at Sishu( a yummy burger place!). It was a fun day being back in the city...enjoying the constant & chaotic traffic, seeing familiar sights & enjoying the ones we were with. By mid afternoon, jet lag was definitely having its way, so we headed back for the guesthouse. Some rested, others visited & kids played cards. After a bit, we went on an excursion looking for the perfect gifts to deliver to the Dietrichs sponsor children' families. Tsige thought a wise, thoughtful, useful choice would be a bag of teff & oil! So, we walked out back to a mid size shop, directly behind the guesthouse where we saw bags & bags of teff & grains. It was a beautiful sight & the men working there were very helpful & friendly, which made for a very pleasant shopping/learning experience!! Tsige glanced around, asked many questions, peered through the bags of teff, sifting her hands through a few & finally found a perfectly colored teff!

After the teff was purchased, we walked up a little further to a small suk & bought oil to go along with the gifts of teff.

We all had a second wind, so we thought it'd be a perfect time to go grab a bajaj & head on over to Kaldis (Ethiopias Starbucks!) for a coffee & treat!! Taking a bajaj is an unforgettable experience...a very small, little blue, motorized vehicle( more like a big scooter!!) that zips in & out of traffic...think  people, horses & vehicles!! Ended up at Kaldis safely, enjoyed a coffee & made our way back to the guesthouse to help Tsige prepare dinner for our bunch!! Grant, Brenna & Sierra enjoyed helping Tsige in the kitchen, preparing some very delicious homemade tortilla chips, fresh salsa & pizza fresh from the injera stone!! Her meals always amaze me, as she uses only the freshest ingredients & always made from scratch....no boxes or artificial ingredients here!!! I love that! 

Once dinner was devoured, we visited for a bit & then lights were out!! We called it a day. A very full, beautiful, good day. 

Thankful.

Kristen

-our hearts home. Ethiopia. 2016.-

Wow! It's been forever ago that I posted here. A lot of catching up to do, but that will have to wait. For now, enjoy my ramblings from our last week in Addis. So much on my heart & mind. Hard to unravel all that we took in during this most recent trip back to Ethiopia. As always, what a privilege it was to step foot again in the place that is always calling. If you take anything away from this, I hope it's this....that you would prayerfully consider taking a trip to Ethiopia. Upon arriving in Ethiopia, February 10th @ 930 pm, we went through customs, luggage area & walked out into the ethiopian air & into our friends van, that would take us to the guesthouse. Tsige & Yilkal(our friend who drives for us while there.) were patiently waiting for the 5 of us to arrive...not even out of the airport parking lot, Tsige says..."Everyone that comes to Ethiopia loves it here!" While we know this to be true, our friend Brenna was about to experience her very first Ethiopian adventure!! So, whether it's your 1st or 10th trek to Ethiopia, you will experience beauty, hospitality, warm, welcoming arms & smiles, deep & lasting community, the best coffee you've ever had & an everlasting imprint on your heart. Truly & deeply. Sure, there will be a few modern day conveniences you may miss from back home, but the beauty far outweighs the small stuff..

                                                                 leaving the states.

                                                               arriving in Frankfurt.

                                                   happy boy to be back in Addis!!

                                         Tsiges precious daughter, Kalkidan (Promise)

Once at the guesthouse, Tsige prepared a meal for us, even though it was midnight:) We had the best injera, gomen & shiro. It was a welcomed & delicious meal after traveling for 30 hours!! We went to bed that night with full bellies & full, happy hearts, ready to conquer the next day!!

grateful. xo Kristen

Stepping out!

Good Morning!!!
As much as I'd like to be able to say we are fully funded & set to go financially...I can't quite say that yet..Oh, how we knew that this life that God has pressed upon our hearts would be not be easy or comfortable..Since saying "yes" to adoption 4 1/2 years ago, our lives have dramatically changed...and it hasn't been easy or comfortable at times!! Because we are human, there are days when I long, (I mean long!!!!) for normalcy, whatever normalcy looks/feels like! Right now, in the midst of raising funds for moving our family to Ethiopia...our normal has become living in our home that really doesn't look or feel like home anymore(thank God I know where our true home is!!) raising funds, which at times feels like we are begging for your support...and, please, please never hear or read it as begging...we know that this is just part of this process & its necessary, but God has most definitely been faithful with using friends & family in our life that have shown incredible support & love for us..we are truly thankful for you! And yes, we will continue listing our needs...if you feel led to support us financially, thank you!!! If you feel led to support us in another way, thank you!! You are a vital part to our ministry & we can't thank you enough!! We've had a few people express their concern as to how we are able to move while we aren't fully funded...great question!! We are in the process of securing our plane tickets to go to Ethiopia in March...we are just waiting on a few different prices..But, we GO trusting that God knows the needs & desires of His people & we've experienced His faithfulness time & time again!! Is it scary stepping out of the boat?? YES!! Id be lying if I told you that I have no concerns about going without being fully funded, but at the same time, we fully trust in our God & we know that He is able to do far more than we could ever imagine...so, we are stepping! Will YOU step with us??? Will YOU make the jump & prayerfully consider supporting 8:7 Africa & our family??? www.87africa.org

John 21:6
And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.

be blessed.