January 6

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

God did an amazing work in my life today. We pulled up to the Mother Teresa Aids Orphanage today where every single child (over 300) has HIV or full blown AIDS. Their parents died of AIDS or they were abandoned because of their “curse”. What we didn’t realize was that today is Christmas Eve in Ethiopia, the 28th day of the fourth month, and they had some major festivities planned. The kids were so excited. We brought soccer balls, play dough, crafts and face paint which added to their enthusiasm. The director gave us a tour around the surprisingly nice facilities which are situated on a hillside. The little boys sang songs for us, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “Jingle Bells” in their language, which was really quite funny since there will be no “dashing through the snow” here. When they finished, we sang some worship songs for them and gave out lots of hugs. Next, we saw the weaving room where there were 12 loom frames and several boys weaving. They make the most beautiful silk scarves that they sell for “75 Burr” which is about $7…as you might guess, I was a buyer. We were getting ready to walk up the hill to the children’s Christmas program when one of the nuns asked if some strong men could help carry food bags up the hill. Every Christmas, the nuns give out food supplies to the women who live in the slum surrounding the orphanage. So several of us headed that way. Dozens of women and small children were near the bottom of the hill and the nuns were giving them HUGE burlap sacks. We found out later they were filled with 110 pounds of bulgur, teff grain, fa-fa (corn), oil, sweets, biscuits and children’s clothes. There were NO men or boys around to help and these women, young and old, were expected to drag these sacks about 100 yards up this steep hill, through the gate, down the road to their homes and many had little babies on their backs. So Ben (Army commander and helicopter pilot who served in Iraq), Amy and I (average moms) were told to help this one old woman carry her stuff. The nun pulled two bags out of the big sack, handed them to me and Amy and Ben got the rest. We made the trek up the hill, with that smiling old woman and were told to leave the bags by the road and she would get it home. The nun’s comment was, “This is Africa. They will find a way.” I received a big hug and several kisses before heading back down the hill to help someone else. By the time I got back, Jesse (tall, big-hearted dad), Daniel (construction worker), Josh (triathlete and chiroprachter), Sheri (computer genius with strong arms), Jen (also a helicopter pilot from Irag and Ben’s wife) and several others were lugging bags up the hill. After the 5th trip carrying a 30 or 40 pound bag (there were separate bags inside the big bag), I was getting really tired but the Lord brought to my mind, Isaiah 40:31 so I just kept praying that over and over. And every time I would make it to the top, I would get big, grateful hugs and kisses…awesome. I quit counting after the 7th trip, but we did this for well over an hour. The guys estimated that the 12 of us (everyone else was still working with the kids) carried 10 tons of food. I detail all this only so you’ll understand what a work of the Lord this was for me. I am physically not fit enough to do what I did today. I have asthma, am at an elevation of 7500 feet, have a sore shoulder and have been breathing smoke and diesel fumes each day. I went to my respiratory doctor for a check-up two days before we left for this trip, failed my first breathing test, and left with a bunch of prescriptions just in case. Many on our team are sick with coughing and congestion, yet I have stayed remarkably healthy. I haven’t used my inhaler in days. How awesome is our God? That He would put together such a remarkable team of big strong guys, several tough girls and me. It was the most incredible blessing….to truly help orphans and widows in their DISTRESS. When we finished, we got to catch a few minutes of the children’s program which was adorable in an “I Dream of Genie” sort of way. ..children in lines performing ethnic dancing and singing. It was beautiful, yet as I looked around the room of hundreds of smiling children, it struck me that they ALL had a deadly disease. As we left, I heard strains of Paul McCartney’s Christmas song over their outside speakers ….“We wish you a Merry Christmas….and a happy new year…..I hope it’s a good one…..without any tears….”……I pray that is true for these people.