Ethiopia!!

Why Ethiopia? Well for me, I had always had a heart for Africa, since I was a little girl I had always been drawn there. I rented movies about them, bought books, and I was always studying about Africa. I just always have loved them, their cultures, their music, their dances, but most of all the people. (That didn't change once I actually got to Africa, it only increased.) After God opened my heart up to the orphan, I had to get to Africa. So now it was just a matter of choosing where in Africa.

When I looked Ethiopia up on google I saw a lot of sights and pictures depicting Ethiopia as forgotten. I saw them described as not important enough. And people who lived in Korah (a village or slum in Ethiopia) were labeled "the untouchables or cursed." My heart was drawn to Ethiopia because I knew first of how Jesus sees them, totally worth it! And second because I knew what it was like to be deemed as worthless and to be forgotten about.

Carrie and I land in Ethiopia...... how can I describe to you the people I met there?! It's funny what the world likes to describe as not important enough. I have never met people so undeserving of that title. They are amazing. Their faith blew me away, and their caring hearts humbled me.

 The Christ Followers of Ethiopia will give you everything they have just because you shook their hand or entered into their home. They taught me what it means to be thankful, we in America don't even understands what gratitude is. But they did, they got what Jesus had done for them so much more than we do! They showed me what it is to value Jesus more than life. I'll give you a little example.

In one of the orphanages we visited they told us the story of a little boy who had been there. His mother came back with all the papers and said I can now take care of my son.(That never happens; most never come back.) They say okay let us go talk to him. So they tell him your mother has come back for you but he said "But my mother is a muslim and I serve Jesus now. I cannot go with her." They said alright can you tell your mother that, and he went and told his mother that...... Wow! To look at everything you have, and every child's dream there and say I'd rather have Jesus! What faith, He truly knew that Jesus is the richest treasure you can have. We honestly don't know what we have in Christ, we have no idea how valuable He is.

As we praised Jesus with them, I saw their brokeness before God and I recognized it. I realized that there really isn't that much of a difference between us. You know those war movies where all the people come from all over, from all different kind of backgrounds and cultures to stand against the present evil in front of them. The beautiful sense of unity that happens and in no other circumstances would that unity occur, except for this enemy coming against them. They are united in their fight for good. Its my favorite part of the movie. Well here I found there was this unity that rivaled any amazing war movie, all human beings are tied together in this, our need for Jesus. Our unity is so special and unbreakable because it is held together by Jesus.

One of the church elders we met on this trip told me something beauitful. We are all one body, held together by the same Spirit, and we are here for the same mission, to glorify His name. We are no different, we are all one. I saw a brief glimpse of heaven where we all cry out: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, as we all cried out together: God, You've lifted me out and I'll tell the whole world!

We saw many hard things, the poverty and living conditions were heartbreaking. We saw many who were without Christ and in desperate need of Him. There was such a deep need for love. But everywhere we went His light was shining somehow, and though, it may have come from our mouths- we only testified to the True Light. The beauty of it was we all came to share with those who were broken, lonely, and thirsty of when we had been broken, lonely, and thristy and the One who gave us everlasting water.

You see, all followers of Christ have at some point been so broken and helpless that they relized their hopelessness. You didn't have to be in a bad situation or have a horrific story. That darkness we all were in is our own sin. But when God steps in and pulls you out of the pit of your own sin, you know how undeserving you are and you feel the weight of this gift of grace being given to you.

In Luke 7:36-50, the pharisees have invited Jesus into their home and when a sinful woman hears that Jesus is in that house,she comes to Him. She brings with her ointment and starts weeping at His feet and washing them with her tears and her hair. When the pharisees saw this they were angered, "Jesus don't you know that she is a filthy sinner? And Jesus said.....

 “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”  And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

He who is forgiven much, loves much. That's all of us broken sinners. That's how grace overflows from our lives, and we cannot stop rejoicing and declaring His love to everyone. Because we have been forgiven much, we love much. That's why I love the orphan, because I was one and He adopted me. That's why I love, because He first loved me. We are all united in this grace He has given, and we will not stop shouting it to the world.

All the orphans I met could not contain their joy when you spent time with them and loved them. They did not act as if it were something they were owed, they acted as if it was something they did not deserve and it was the most precious gift they had ever received. That's is the exact picture of what we ought to look like when we see what Jesus has done for us. I have been forgiven much, so I will love much. I cannot contain my joy, or keep my heart from overflowing.