Saturday, January 14, 2012
LANDED!!!
The whole team has arrived in Addis Ababa safe and sound!! Everyone is resting up to get ready for church tomorrow and the big week ahead! Quick update, we will try to have more soon!
Landing is in Sight!!
Well, everyone, nearly 25 hours later, the team should be close to landing in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!! They arrived safely in Amsterdam about 1 am (Indiana time) last night, so they should be close to landing for good now.
Be sure to say some serious prayers for the team as they go through Ethiopian customs, a process that can be daunting and a huge challenge, especially with the language barrier. Often, a large group of people coming into Ethiopia in this way can draw special attention to the workers at the airport. At times, this can be a huge help, but it can also make the process challenging, depending on who is working and making the decisions about how the process will go. Please be praying as they go through this process so that they can safely get to the guest house and be rested up before church in the morning!
I received an email from Cindy Schrier, one of the members on the team, on Thursday discussing some of her fears and worries, but also her overwhelming excitement about the trip! As they get ready to land and start working for the Lord, I wanted to share her thoughts with you guys!!
**********************************************************************************
As we've prepared for this trip, we've been told that things in Africa aren't like they are in the USA. The physical conditions - the "creature comforts" maybe considered somewhat different than what we are used to. Some things I've heard (which may or may not be true):
• there might not be hot water for a shower,
• the toliets may not always flush or there may be a hole in the ground that is the toliet,
• there are bugs,
• there may or may not be power,
• no consistent internet access,
• be sure to take hand sanitizer,
• the food is different - take some protein sources with you,
• you might get dehydrated because of the altitude,
• its very dirty and smelly there
And because of all the things I heard, my mind began to think about the other negatives:
• what if one of my loved ones gets very sick or dies while I'm half way around the world,
• what if I have a reaction to all those shots that I have to have to go there,
• what if our plane crashes,
• what if I don't like the food,
• what if I get sick while I'm there,
• what if a wild band of terrorists kidnap us,
• what if . . . . .
. . . . you can see where this is going. All kinds of doubts and fears can crop up if we dwell on them. So I had to get a grip! I confessed my doubts to God and asked Him to help me. I asked some close friends to pray for me. I knew that I had to begin to think and talk about the positives of this trip:
• what an adventure to travel to Africa,
• what an incredible opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus,
• what an eye opening experience to see how other people live every day,
• what a blessing to understand how good God has been to me to allow me to live where I do,
• what a joy to give His love to an orphaned, abandoned, or impoverished child,
• what a privilege to encourage those who minister daily to these children,
• what an honor to be able to give new socks & shoes, blankets, sheets, vitamins, books, and other gifts to these children,
• what a thrill to serve with this team of ordinary people, like me, who are holding onto Jesus to guide us in this great journey,
• what a . . . . . .
So as I finish packing our bug spray, beef jerky, peanut butter, etc. I am meditating on Philippians 2:5 - 8:
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!"
If Jesus could leave the glory of heaven to come to earth as a man and die on a cross for me and my sin, then the least I can do is gladly leave the comfort of my home for a few days to share His love with His children in Ethiopia.
Be sure to say some serious prayers for the team as they go through Ethiopian customs, a process that can be daunting and a huge challenge, especially with the language barrier. Often, a large group of people coming into Ethiopia in this way can draw special attention to the workers at the airport. At times, this can be a huge help, but it can also make the process challenging, depending on who is working and making the decisions about how the process will go. Please be praying as they go through this process so that they can safely get to the guest house and be rested up before church in the morning!
I received an email from Cindy Schrier, one of the members on the team, on Thursday discussing some of her fears and worries, but also her overwhelming excitement about the trip! As they get ready to land and start working for the Lord, I wanted to share her thoughts with you guys!!
**********************************************************************************
As we've prepared for this trip, we've been told that things in Africa aren't like they are in the USA. The physical conditions - the "creature comforts" maybe considered somewhat different than what we are used to. Some things I've heard (which may or may not be true):
• there might not be hot water for a shower,
• the toliets may not always flush or there may be a hole in the ground that is the toliet,
• there are bugs,
• there may or may not be power,
• no consistent internet access,
• be sure to take hand sanitizer,
• the food is different - take some protein sources with you,
• you might get dehydrated because of the altitude,
• its very dirty and smelly there
And because of all the things I heard, my mind began to think about the other negatives:
• what if one of my loved ones gets very sick or dies while I'm half way around the world,
• what if I have a reaction to all those shots that I have to have to go there,
• what if our plane crashes,
• what if I don't like the food,
• what if I get sick while I'm there,
• what if a wild band of terrorists kidnap us,
• what if . . . . .
. . . . you can see where this is going. All kinds of doubts and fears can crop up if we dwell on them. So I had to get a grip! I confessed my doubts to God and asked Him to help me. I asked some close friends to pray for me. I knew that I had to begin to think and talk about the positives of this trip:
• what an adventure to travel to Africa,
• what an incredible opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus,
• what an eye opening experience to see how other people live every day,
• what a blessing to understand how good God has been to me to allow me to live where I do,
• what a joy to give His love to an orphaned, abandoned, or impoverished child,
• what a privilege to encourage those who minister daily to these children,
• what an honor to be able to give new socks & shoes, blankets, sheets, vitamins, books, and other gifts to these children,
• what a thrill to serve with this team of ordinary people, like me, who are holding onto Jesus to guide us in this great journey,
• what a . . . . . .
So as I finish packing our bug spray, beef jerky, peanut butter, etc. I am meditating on Philippians 2:5 - 8:
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!"
If Jesus could leave the glory of heaven to come to earth as a man and die on a cross for me and my sin, then the least I can do is gladly leave the comfort of my home for a few days to share His love with His children in Ethiopia.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Off we go!
We are boarded on the plane for Amsterdam! Thank you for all the messages of encouragement and prayer!
God is so good...and we are so privileged to be sharing Jesus in Ethiopia!
Off we go!!
:) michelle
...And They're Off!
As of now, the team is at the airport getting everything checked in!! The flight from Indianapolis will be taking off at 12:07 today, and will be landing in Minneapolis around 1:03. Forgive me for being horrible at time differences while flying. Just be praying for the team throughout the whole next 24 hours before they land in Addis Ababa!
They will be traveling through Minneapolis, headed to Amsterdam, and then finally to Ethiopia. Overall travel time will be around 25 hours, so they need a lot of prayers!
A few things to pray for today...
Don't forget to check in with the blog every night to hear how everyone is doing!
They will be traveling through Minneapolis, headed to Amsterdam, and then finally to Ethiopia. Overall travel time will be around 25 hours, so they need a lot of prayers!
A few things to pray for today...
- Safe travels throughout the world
- Patience in layovers and boarding
- Easy passage through customs at all ports
- Comfort on the planes
- Safe and easy arrival at the guest house
Don't forget to check in with the blog every night to hear how everyone is doing!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Help From Here!
Well readers, the awesome team that God has pulled together will be leaving in less than 24 hours!!
We at Hope For His Children want to give you a chance to support the organizations that will be visited throughout the trip. At the left of this post, you'll see a "Donate" button. By clicking this button, you will have the opportunity to donate whatever amount God has put on your heart and the money will be directed toward the projects that this group is working with in the next week!
Also, I wanted to point something out about the commenting feature of this blog. It has been brought to my attention that there is no longer an "anonymous" option for commenting on this website anymore. If you would like to leave a comment, you will be asked to choose an account to post from. If you do not have one of these accounts but would like to post, I would encourage you to sign up for one (Google is very easy to sign up for) so that you can leave messages to your loved ones. These accounts are free. I'm incredibly sorry for the confusion and difficulty! I'm sure that your family and friends would still love to hear from you, though!
Let's all say prayers tonight for the trip as they leave tomorrow bright and early! Tomorrow, guys! Let's get to talking to God! :)
We at Hope For His Children want to give you a chance to support the organizations that will be visited throughout the trip. At the left of this post, you'll see a "Donate" button. By clicking this button, you will have the opportunity to donate whatever amount God has put on your heart and the money will be directed toward the projects that this group is working with in the next week!
Also, I wanted to point something out about the commenting feature of this blog. It has been brought to my attention that there is no longer an "anonymous" option for commenting on this website anymore. If you would like to leave a comment, you will be asked to choose an account to post from. If you do not have one of these accounts but would like to post, I would encourage you to sign up for one (Google is very easy to sign up for) so that you can leave messages to your loved ones. These accounts are free. I'm incredibly sorry for the confusion and difficulty! I'm sure that your family and friends would still love to hear from you, though!
Let's all say prayers tonight for the trip as they leave tomorrow bright and early! Tomorrow, guys! Let's get to talking to God! :)
Monday, January 9, 2012
Four Days 'Til Takeoff!
Hello readers!!
My name is Olivia, and I will be the "stateside correspondent" for those traveling to Ethiopia next week (January 13-22). I am a board member for Hope For His Children (Director of Media Relations), and I am so excited to be the middleman between you and your loved one(s) on the trip!
I am going to be writing on this blog every day with updates from the team! If by chance their activities keep them so busy that they don't get to send me an update or some situation like that happens, I'll be updating you on what was on the itinerary for the day! Plans often change quickly in Ethiopia, but hopefully, the plans work out perfectly! A lot of work has been poured into the schedule, and so we're all praying that the plans pan out! If not, however, we know God has a definite purpose in the mix-up!
If you have any messages that you would like to send back to the team, please leave a comment on the blog so that I can get it back to the travelers! You don't have to have a Blogger account to do so, just choose the "anonymous" option and be sure to sign your name! I will do my best to be able to contact them, although I know that sometimes technology falters when we need it most! If you do leave a comment, please be sure to let me know who your traveler(s) is/are so that I know who it's directed to! They will love to hear from you!
I can't wait to hear the stories from Ethiopia and to share them with all of you! Thank you for taking the time to check in and see how everyone is doing!! It's going to be an amazing and blessed week for those traveling, and your prayers and support will mean the world to them!
I'll be back with more information soon!! :)
My name is Olivia, and I will be the "stateside correspondent" for those traveling to Ethiopia next week (January 13-22). I am a board member for Hope For His Children (Director of Media Relations), and I am so excited to be the middleman between you and your loved one(s) on the trip!
I am going to be writing on this blog every day with updates from the team! If by chance their activities keep them so busy that they don't get to send me an update or some situation like that happens, I'll be updating you on what was on the itinerary for the day! Plans often change quickly in Ethiopia, but hopefully, the plans work out perfectly! A lot of work has been poured into the schedule, and so we're all praying that the plans pan out! If not, however, we know God has a definite purpose in the mix-up!
If you have any messages that you would like to send back to the team, please leave a comment on the blog so that I can get it back to the travelers! You don't have to have a Blogger account to do so, just choose the "anonymous" option and be sure to sign your name! I will do my best to be able to contact them, although I know that sometimes technology falters when we need it most! If you do leave a comment, please be sure to let me know who your traveler(s) is/are so that I know who it's directed to! They will love to hear from you!
I can't wait to hear the stories from Ethiopia and to share them with all of you! Thank you for taking the time to check in and see how everyone is doing!! It's going to be an amazing and blessed week for those traveling, and your prayers and support will mean the world to them!
I'll be back with more information soon!! :)
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Ethiopia - January 13-22, 2012
We will be departing from Indianapolis airport on Friday, January 13, 2012.
Check back often to follow our progress!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)