Last night 5 min. before I turned 25, I kept saying (while laying bed in the dark) I'm still in my early 20's... I'm still in my early 20's... I'm still in my early 20's... I'm a youngin!... I'm not in my mid 20's!... I'm still in my early 20's. Christy kept affirming me saying Yep!, Yep!, Yeah you are!, You are a youngin!, No your not!, You are in your early 20's!.... Haha, right when the clock changed to 12 am everything changed. I'm in my mid 20's.... I am now in my mid 20's... I'm no longer in my early 20's. I pushed the switch above my bed, which gives off a door bell ring throughout the whole house.... I have no idea why it's there but there are several throughout the house. Anyways... I pressed it so that everyone knew it was officially my birthday.
This morning after I woke up I just chilled in bed and then wrote some notes to some of my teammates. We have these affirmation bags we all made for ourselves so that we can give each other encouragement throughout the month. Christy, Emily, Juila, Michael, and Danielle came into my room while I was writing... in my bed... in my pj's. They sang Happy Birthday and Michael video recorded the whole thing with Emily's camcorder. The day was already starting out pretty gooood.
Danielle and Michael made french toast and... wait for it!... Bacon! We finally found bacon here! It was the best breakfast by far since we've been here. But before breakfast I had gone in the shower to get a "shower" and get cleaned up. I hadn't showered in days. Then towards the "end" the water went out. No more water. The only thing I was able to do was wash my hair. I didn't even have all the suds out completely. I just pretended I did and dried off, completely ignoring the fact that my hair crunched with popping suds as I patted it dry with my towl. T.I.A. (This is Africa).
Devotional this morning was finishing up chapter 12 in Mark. It was the story about the poor woman that gave all she had to the church while the others who gave, only gave a tiny part of their income or belongings. I constantly have to remind myself to trust the Lord with my finances and provision. He always shows up every month teaching me that same lesson. So many times I doubt Him, but regardless He has always provided. Especially with this trip. I was debating on wether or not to come based on me not having the money for it. Then my friend Susan reminded me that if that was the only reason for me not going.... then that was the stupidest reason, because God always shows up. Sometimes I am discouraged by my lack of trust and faith in the Lord. When the Lord provides my trust and faith grows stronger sometimes. Especially when I give my money to Him when I feel as though my ends might not be met, and He provides for my needs to met in the end. Don't get me wrong though, I do make some unwise financial decisions and have to learn from them, and He allows that as well. But the Lord has always provided when He's needed to and even in times when I've been totally undeserving of it. He has shown me grace countless times... and that is what is so beautiful about WHO He is to me. He gives when I am undeserving. He gave his life when we were undeserving. He gave his life so that we may have eternal life. He gave to provide. He sacrificed so that He could provide even when we were undeserving. Oh, what love that is! Oh, how He loves us!
After devotional today we all got on the bus to go to Little AHOPE for an hour and then head to the factory to finish up the last little bit we had left to do. We went to Little AHOPE because we wanted to stop by there one last time before we left Addis Ababa. We are leaving for Nazaret tomorrow for our last week in Ethiopia..... that is so weird to say that I am in my last week here. Even though I have come here and seen how dirty and poverty stricken this place is, and gone through the emotions of "How the heck do people come and live here for years?", I have come to the point where that thought and the uncomfortability of it all doesn't even phase me. I noticed that it didn't really bother me that much earlier this week. God has really worked fast with me in the area of wether I could do this for long term or not. I think maybe I could. Wether or not that is His plan for me in the near future, I don't know. But what ever this thought change in me is for.... He is preparing me for something....
I'm not ready to go back home in the next week.
We went to Little AHOPE for about an hour and played with the kids there. It's Saturday, so I'm guessing these kids today are the kids that actually live there. Some kids come from home during the week and stay there each day to get their treatments (for HIV/AIDS). It's also a safe place for them because a lot of the communities here treat people with HIV/AIDS differently.
I saw Joseph (pronounced yoseph) today in the nursery. He's the 5 month old that probably go me sick the first time while I was holding him. He looked a lot worse since we've been there, which was about two weeks ago. He was having an even harder time breathing than when we were last there, looking much more frail and not as alert. I'm pretty sure Joseph was sick awhile before we got there the first time. I wonder how much of it is the HIV that is preventing him from healing or how much is it from lack of isolation from the other babies in order to get better? At what point do they take him to the hospital? Joseph is one of the only babies there that doesn't have an adopted family waiting to come get him. What do I do with that info?! And seeing how much a 5 month old is suffering?!
As we were leaving Danielle, Michael, and Julia went off in a taxi with Su. This is the point where I knew they were up to something. Something for my Birthday. I didn't know what yet. On the bus I heard that Michael went to go kill a lamb. Something he has been wanting to do for a long time. Michael can't kill a lamb and then we not eat it for dinner. So, I figured out that we weren't going out to dinner at the restaurant they made me pick. I kept my suspicions to myself though because I didn't want to ruin their surprise planning. I still didn't know where though.
So as they left, the rest of us went to the factory after searching and picking up a few more supplies. The mirror mosaic got finished as well as the rest of the painting. There were a few little bumps in the road towards the end but we managed, improvised, and executed the project perfectly. It looked amazing! I am so proud of it and everyone that contributed! Barrett came by to see us and the final product to what we have been working on all week. He brought his wife Rachel and daughter Howie with him. Howie's birthday was yesterday. She turned 7. Barrett loved how it turned out. I'm so proud of it and the fact he was pleased with it was icing on the cake.
After we got done with the factory, we headed to Kauldi's for lunch and to use the internet cafe. It was already 3 pm. We were starving. I got pancakes, some coffee, and a fruit drink.... oh yeah, and I ate a bunch of fries somebody ordered. Yep, another breakfast item of the day, and yep, I've been packing it away here and still loosing weight. What?! I don't get it.... but I'll take it. I used the internet as well, to check my email and messages from home. I also updated my blog... but I've only gotten to day 3. Haha.... oh well... some delayed updates. We were there for quite awhile.
We left Kauldi's and the internet cafe and went driving around town. Danielle was acting all sketch and I totally knew we were not going back to the house before dinner. So, ... we weren't going out to dinner because Michael went to kill a lamb with Danielle, Julia, and Su. And we weren't going back home to eat it because we weren't going back to the house before dinner. Michael never came back with Danielle and Julia at Kauldi's and was still with Su. We haven't seen Su's house yet... Ah HA! All the pieces are put together! They planned a birthday party at Su's house with cooked freshly killed lamb ethiopian style (injera and all). Best Birthday yet by far! I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my 25th. In Ethiopia, a feast from a killed lamb by a team member, awesome new friends and family, and wait for it!..... DANCE PARTY! Let me tell you...... It was a crazy night.... and I shall not go into detail of it. What Happens in Addis, stays in Addis.
These pics where taken after we finished the factory. The second one is one of me with part of the final product!
This is a typical coffee I get at Kauldi's. Cafe Latte.
Our translator Sammy and I at Su's house for my birthday. Su, Kat, and their gang gave me that scarf for my birthday. :) It's one of the Women at Risk scarves by fashionABLE.... You can get one on their website www.livefashionable.com . The stories behind them are amazing.
Su being Su.
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