BreAnna's Journal from Sunday, Jan. 16:
-We arrived in Addis Ababa at around 10:30 PM and went through 1 ½ hours of waiting in 
lines. We were welcomed by Peter and Elza (leaders of Compassion Family International) and a bunch of other drivers. Beautiful, welcoming people! Stepping outside of the airport and into the fresh air of the cool night was incredible. The city was peaceful and beautiful. I fell in love with Ethiopia instantly. We packed all our stuff into 4 vans and headed up to The Ethiopian Guest Home about 20 minutes away. The staff is wonderful. Last night, at midnight, they even prepared a lovely dinner for us.
Sunday January 16th…continued
-12:00 PM: I think everyone has a time when they experience an awe-striking connection spiritually to a place or a specific group of people. This morning at church was like that for
me. (It was an international service and was in English) The further along in the service we got, the more I understood that all that I’ve sensed in the past month or so was becoming clear. I have sensed that God has something to show me here, a specific calling or direction on my life. I have never felt so instantly connected to a country and its people like I have Ethiopia. I can’t even describe the worship…it wasn’t emotional worship as much as it was genuinely spirit-filled worship. It is extremely hard to describe the presence of the Holy Spirit…I’m not even going to try. The pastor was passionate and had an incredible vision to be used by God in all of Africa. I felt this pull in my heart that God was showing me a first glimpse of what He has for this trip. I know for a fact that my future holds Ethiopia. I don’t know what that will look like, but I know I am coming back here.
-11 PM Sunday:
-We got to go along to pick up the basketball hoops for the orphanages this afternoon. It was 
good to see a bit more of the city. After dinner we hiked out to Peter and Elza’s house, which wasn’t too far but it felt like a bit more with the elevation making me lightheaded and out of breath. Peter shared his testimony; he is a Godly, passionate man who God is using greatly. As much as I enjoyed hearing his story, I was even more inspired by his American wife, Elza’s unspoken testimony. She is just like me, yet she left everything (literally) to marry Peter and serve in Ethiopia. Talking with her was a great reality check that serving in Ethiopia long-term would be super hard. After church this morning I had rose-tinted glasses on, but I would definitely need God’s direct calling to embrace that. Oh God, I will come here if you call me here…I love you more than life!
No comments:
Post a Comment