By Rachael Burnett: Salomno (Hello) from Addis Ababa! Tonight the blog is a little different…each team member has submitted their favorite “highlight(s)” from the trip so far, as well as a prayer request. If you would please take time to pray for each of the requests listed, we would appreciate it so much!
Before I get to those team thoughts, a blurp about our day: Although he was nervous about speaking, Ben did an excellent job teaching the first part of his lesson today on virtues using the acrostic “LEADERSHIP”.
Later, Pastor Ernie Frey and Taye (Onesimus staff & translator) worked beautifully together to share a clear and passionate message of the Gospel and how God can give us a new heart. It is so neat to see God cross language barriers and use two gifted men to capture the kids’ attention for Jesus.
Even though it was a hard day for multiple reasons, we are thankful God redeemed the day with an awesome debriefing time and then followed it with a wonderful dinner where we got to celebrate the birthdays of two amazing, Jesus-following, servant-hearted leaders: Nega and Ernie! It was a sweet time of fellowship with lots of laughs and cuddling of baby Benjamin (pics to come)!
Thank you in advance for praying for us!
Howard
Trip Highlight: Yesterday, seeing God use the message of his Bible lesson to move several of the kids to accept Christ!
Prayer Request: That he would fully recover from his sickness and have continued health through the trip.
Brittany
Trip Highlight: Playing with the kids and having a great time with the craft today even though she was initially apprehensive and nervous.
Prayer Request: That God would remove distractions from her mind and help her to focus better.
Candice
Trip Highlight: Playing soccer and games with the kids.
Prayer Request: The street kids who have come to Onesimus one day but have not come back.
Megan
Trip Highlight: The prayers and support of everyone. Seeing the kids playing soccer and having so much fun.
Prayer Request: That she would be the hands and feet of Christ and be led in the way He has prepared.
Liz
Trip Highlight: Seeing all of the kids again.
Prayer Request: That she would have the eyes to see and ears to hear what God wants to use to convict her of her responsibility to the Ethiopians and at home.
Ben
Trip Highlight: His special kid from last year, Bafkadu (aka “Shark Bite”) met us at the airport and ran a beeline to Ben when he saw him.
Prayer Request: That the health issues several of the team members have had would be resolved and we’d all be healthy and 100% through the rest of the week.
Kelly D.
Trip Highlight: Seeing Esayas and Ashenafi, all the Onesimus staff and baby Benjamin. Also, having an awesome team and making good friends.
Prayer Request: That the kids feel the love of Christ and accept Him eagerly and other street kids to come back.
Bree
Trip Highlight: Just getting to see the kid’s joy and beautiful faces again.
Prayer Request: For everyone’s health and experiences.
Nicci
Trip Highlight: Forming friendships that will last far beyond this life with both the Ethiopian children and adults and all of our team. She rejoices in knowing that one day our world will not be worlds apart!
Prayer Request: That we will always remember how God is stretching us here and that He will use all we are seeing and doing to change our hearts so that we continue to further His Kingdom.
Joyce
Trip Highlight: She has had so many unanswered questions since arriving in Ethiopia. Ernie Frey helped me enormously with some of the answers to these questions.
Prayer Request: That all she does and says will glorify God.
Kelly M.
Trip Highlight: Watching the “newbies” experience everything and seeing the Lord break their hearts for what breaks His.
Prayer Request: For strength and perseverance for Heather (aka Mrs. McGoo) as she has a very full plate with work, school, clinicals, and furbabies, handling it all without the Mr.
Rachael
Trip Highlight: Meeting all of the precious kids; watching them worship through singing and dancing with pure joy—eyes lit up, big smiles, no inhibitions; playing soccer, frisbee, and 4 Corners with the kids; watching Nega and the amazing staff of Onesimus be the hands and feet of Jesus; getting to know the Frey family.
Prayer Request: That I would be fully present each moment I am here and that God will continue to chisel away everything in me that doesn’t look like Him. And that I’ll know how He wants my time here in Ethiopia to change the way my life and relationships look in the States.
