The team has now been home for over a week. A few doctor appointments/hospital visits and I think our bodies are all beginning to heal. But what about our hearts? What do we do with what we experienced and fell in love with? For 10 days we were removed from our comforts, friends and family, and
anything we have ever known. We were with 13 other people we did not
know and we were experiencing raw, hard, real life for people in a 3rd
world country. So what does that do to the human heart? For each one of our team members, well, it will look totally different.
And that is what is so great about short term missions.
God will take each persons experience and use it in totally different ways!
God will take each persons experience and use it in totally different ways!
We were on a mission to show love. The groups name was "Project Presence". I believe that name was lived up to. We were there in Kechene rain or shine...mostly rain. We were in the mud hugging, holding and loving (materially speaking) "the least of these." We learned new Ethiopian songs and games and a few phrases. But mostly we loved. But what was so amazing was how loved we were in return. I (Jolene) upon returning home found a note in my luggage written by one of the girls. It say's...
This sweet girl's story is only for her and me to know. But she is in the program that picks the most vulnerable children from Kechene to support and educate. So when she says she has nothing to give me but love, well that is true. And honestly I would never want anything more out of our friendship. To love her and to have her love me back...It is amazing to be loved and looked up to by such a precious child of God is more then I am worthy of.
This sweet girl has my heart as do many of the precious children in Kechene. My prayer is for them to know they are loved. Many of then are orphans. But they are loved by Our Father and we hope and pray they know and feel that.
Half my heart is in Ethiopia,
Jolene
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