thank you, again and again

August prayer letter:

Dear family and friends,                                                                August 2011

Just last week I returned from my 10 day trip to far away Ethiopia, Africa. What an amazing time I had with my team from Cornerstone Chapel. I’ve written several pages and uploaded photos on my Facebook page and Blog site. Please visit and take a look!   www.myalongtheway.blogspot.com

Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support. The Lord blessed our team in many ways throughout our trip.

• God kept us safe-no one or no luggage was lost or damaged
• God kept us healthy-we had plenty of water bottles and good food, and I was the only one to get sick.
• God bound us together-our 20 person team’s abilities and unique personalities were stretched and flexible to minister in multiple ways throughout our sunny and dry weather activities.
• God is at work-we were blessed to see how God is already working in Ethiopia. The Care Centers we visited spread the love of Jesus by providing spiritual and physical nourishment to not only the orphans who attend, but also to their family and friends.

As I adjust back into my usual routine of American society living I’m still sifting through everything I saw and heard and was a part of in Ethiopia. I’m not exactly sure how I’ve changed or how I’m going to live my life any differently because of this experience. My view of the world has been realistically altered; my amazement of God’s love and provision has deepened; and I’m truly grateful I had the time, money, and opportunity to go. I saw how people on the other side of the world worship and serve the same Jesus I know-awesome!

Thank you again for your support and prayers,

Alicia Behrens

1 John 4:7-8 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

etc.

So after all my journal pages, photos, and piles of laundry are done…what have I enjoyed and learned from this experience? Several things…

God works in the details! We had several extra bags of luggage checked through free of charge, each plane ride a few of our team members were upgraded to first class, we had no problems going through customs, our luggage was never lost or damaged, We had a minor car collision and a car violation, yet were harassed or hurt in any way.

God provides! Everyone on the team was financially able to go. Besides our team visiting these Care Centers our church was able to give a large financial donation to each of these ministries!

God answers prayer! Though I was sick a couple different days God surrounded me with praying and comforting friends, he restored my health quickly.

God is still at work! Upon returning to Virginia and getting back into my routine I’m still sifting through everything I saw and heard and was a part of in Ethiopia.

I’m not exactly sure how I’ve changed or how I’m going to live my life any differently because of this experience. My view of the world has been realistically altered. My amazement of God’s love and provision has deepened. I’m truly grateful I had the time, money, and opportunity to go. I saw how people on the other side of the world worship the same Jesus I know-awesome!

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

walkin' an' talkin'

One of the afternoons we were in Adama, we went on Prayer Walk. We split our team into three groups and literally walked through their community praying for the people. I thought we would walk and quietly pray. Instead we were guided by one of our translators up and down these narrow and sometimes rocky dirt paths. As we walked we were silently in awe of the homes and lifestyle we saw. Tiny mud room homes behind fences and gates of metal, trees, or brick walls. We would stop and talk with anyone who came down the path. Several of the children from the Care Center recognized us and would come greet us and bring us to their home and proudly introduce us to any relatives at home.

We circled around the child, their relatives, and prayed with our eyes open! Before a few of us were even finished praying several others from the community would join around our circle hoping to be included in this blessing. Thankfully with our translator guide, the people of this community were able to hear and understand our prayers for them.

The most touching moment for me was when our group came down the path only to be greeted by on of the little boys from the Care Center. He was so glad we had come down his road! He invited us to come see his home and brought out his grandmother to introduce us. She was much older than we expected, yet so grateful to see and hear our ministry of prayers. She asked us to pray only for her grandson-his health, his growth in the Lord, and protection of his life as he grew. Right before we prayed one of our group members read a portion of scripture aloud that brought our whole trip into perspective. “...Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

Tears of emotion sprang from my eyes as we prayed and I held the hand of a little one leaning beside me. I was overcome with joy to be here, obeying God’s commandment-visiting, encouraging, and praying for these Ethiopian people, yet I was utterly humbled by God’s blessing and provisions on my own life. Why was I born and privileged to grow up in America-in a Christian home? Why were these people here, with barely any shelter or food? Through my tears I thanked the Lord for this realistic picture of his sovereignty. God is a God to all and knows each one of his children intimately. He not only knows my life, my struggles, my friendships, each hair on my head, but He knows these same details of every person living on this Earthly globe. Even these people standing in our circle, an orphan boy and his widowed grandmother in far away Africa! God knows them and provides for them intimately too.

This moment will probably be cemented in my mind for years and years to come. I saw and experienced first hand the meaning of this scripture passage. 

James 1:20 “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

sick in bed

Unfortunately, even though I had seven different shot vaccinations before I left, have a months prescription of Malaria pills, and was being very cautious to only drink bottled water…I got sick. Two different days I had to go back early and rest my body. I needed time to let my body pass the sickness and get some extra sleep hoping to regain my strength. I was not happy about this! Here I was on the other side of the world, counting each day as an investment, and I was sick in bed! Not only did I want to be curled up in my own bed back in Virginia, I wanted answers! What did I eat or drink or do to get sick? Why would God allow only me to be sick-and why now? I felt like the weakest link in our team and emotionally defeated. I thought I had taken every precaution.

But God had other plans. Maybe God was trying to teach me…

- To slow down, relax and take in everything that’s going on around me rather than be such a busybody.

- He alone has ultimate control of my body; even though I mentally prepared and took significant financial precautions, God is my creator.

-To open up and share more, rather than remain self-sufficient and independent, maybe God wanted me to ask for help…something I have a hard time doing.

The second day I was sick I was upset and angry why this would happen. I went ahead and read the Psalm of the day hoping for some comfort. Why should I be surprised God’s Word would still speak to me, straight to my need? These verses greatly encouraged my heart that day.

Psalm 9

1-“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

2-I will be glad and exult you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

9-The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

10-And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

11-Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!”

Prayers were answered-I was healed! God used my weakness to draw the team close in prayer, not only for healing of my body, but for protection of the whole team. While resting alone, I was reminded how easy I have it in America to see a doctor, get medicine and feel relief relatively quickly. In Ethiopia that simplicity would be a dream. Hospitals are overcrowded, doctors are scarce and medicine is extremely expensive if you can find it and have money to afford it. 

Down South

We loaded up our luggage and crates into the vans again, and drove South for two hours to Adama. We visited a Look Development Care Center for three days, again providing activity stations for all the children who came. 

As soon as we climbed out of the vans, we could tell a relaxed difference in these children. They rushed to greet us with big hugs and smiles and joyous “Shalom” greetings!

Almost all of the children at this Care Center have sponsors, so these children are fed better, have more than one pair of clothes, and have experienced American visitors previously. Thankfully, communication wasn’t as big an obstacle because these children could understand and speak a little English. After our activity time each day we had extra time to just hang out, so we painted finger nails and played lots of soccer!

Q-What is a Sponsor? A-someone who gives financially each month and builds a relationship with the child and their family through letters and gifts!

Through just the short time we were there, a couple children grew close to my heart. I asked about their family history and wondered if there was a way I could help. I was told that one of the children had just started and was in need of a sponsor-she hadn’t even been added to the program list. Amazing!

building bridges

The next few days we spent our time at a new site for Hope Chest. We were the first group to ever visit. Tucked behind some busy streets and some construction site materials, near a rushing river is the small community of Jemo. Each day children young and old come to the church building to be given food and fellowship. The building is just one large room, cement walls and floors, a few windows, with benches scattered around facing the two-step stage in the front of the room. The pastor and his family live next door in a small, couple roomed home. They, and a handful of others, coordinate the fellowship of children in this community. This is a very low income/poverty area. A lot of parents come and just stand around as well, because they don’t have jobs or school to go to themselves. 

One of our days here we took time to walk around the neighborhood. It was sad and hard to see. There is no sidewalks or pavement, everything is small rocks covered with mud or just dirt paths with puddles. Their homes were merely shacks and rooms made of tin, metal, mud, wood or whatever one could find.

The pastor took us to the end of the road where a bridge spans across the river. It looks like its made out of toothpicks! A couple of large tree branches connect the sides of the river bank, yet only small branches make the foot path. No sides or hand rails. The pastor told us children have to use this bridge in order to attend the government school on the other side, and every year several children fall from the bridge, some are even killed. Hearing how often it rains, watching the water rush by below, and thinking how slippery those tree parts could be-I fully understand-I didn’t even want to get on it!

During our time at Jemo we led the children in activity stations both inside while it rained and outside in the thick mud when it was sunny! We made paper crowns, bead bracelets, twisted balloon hats, and played with parachutes and soccer in the muddy field besides singing silly songs. One of our team members taught about God’s love and peace and we taught the children several Bible songs like Jesus Loves Me, I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, and Allelu-allelu! We loved to hear them sing and smile. They loved to see and hear white American people!

Each day we went the children wore the same clothes and the same shoes, yet they became more and more fond of us and less shy. Later we were told that most of these children hadn’t seen white people or heard English before we arrived! We were hoping to show God’s love to these little ones, yet what we found was the light of Jesus already shining in this poor community of people. On our last day the people surprised our team with gifts. They hand painted a banner/quilt with all our names and decorative pictures besides giving each of us beautiful scarves and bracelets. We were not only in awe of their generous hearts, but the time it took and the money they sacrificed in their giving. We were blessed by these people!

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 “You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

Eyes Wide Open

Upon arriving in far away Ethiopia, Africa we were greeted by some morning rain showers, and three Hope Chest co-ordinators, Halaina, Alex, and Fickra, whom we would come to know and love very well. Our team found and loaded all our luggage, crates, and backpacks on board two vans and then were chauffeured through Addis Ababa to our hotel, a giant 3 story stately home called the Guest House. Because of the size of our team, we had the whole place to ourselves. After settling in our bunk-bed filled rooms and washrooms, we were served a spaghetti and meatball lunch. Yes, we were visitors in a 3^rd world country. We felt safe behind the high cement walls and metal gate topped with barbed wire.

Soon enough we were ready to visit our first Care Center at a small community center called Kechene. We were led into what seemed like a one room school house where all the children (60 or so) were sitting in groups behind little desks in three straight rows. Their big eyes, happy smiles and polite manners greeted us as our group filed in and stood around the room. A couple teachers and our guides helped with translation as we sang and taught them silly songs and played a couple of group games. After our last song of “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed,” we served them fresh little bananas we had picked up from a nearby market on our way through town. This community center room was small, had a couple windows, a large black chalkboard sitting on the floor, and a few map posters on the wall. When the rain let up we followed the children outside to their playground filled with mud and rain puddles. They were so proud to have us with them jumping and dancing in their circle song games. Sliding and hanging from their rusty play-set and watching them play checkers with glass soda tops. 

We ended our time by listening and singing to each other’s countries national anthem. It was inspiring and beautiful to hear. Then, what I never expected to be hard, happened for the first time. Saying goodbye to children I had just met, enjoyed for a few hours, and probably won’t meet again till heaven. You could tell, these children loved to be hugged, held, and cherished-better yet-these children were the generous ones…happy to share all their love through hugs, smiles and kisses on us-American strangers! A half hour later we finally loaded the vans with tearful eyes and drove slowly down the steep, cobblestone muddy one lane path as the children followed with waves behind us.

As soon as we made it to the main road the thick smog of the polluted air greeted us and our other van was pulling into a tire shop with a flat tire! We were worried we’d be waiting awhile as the shop was full of cars and the streets were becoming busier as rush hour was nearing. Our van full just watched out the windows as semi-sized trucks, rickshaw cars and taxi vans scurried by…besides all the people walking beside, in front and in between cars. We were grateful for how close a tire shop was located, and within 5 minutes the other van had a new tire and was pulling out in-front of us! God provides, and fast, doesn’t He? Driving-even riding-through town is quite an eye experience! Watch out for darting people, aggressively yielding cars at every corner’s roundabouts, or stray horses, goats, and mules walking through the streets…there would be no time for talking or texting on your cell phone! I was very grateful to only be a passenger with all the swerving, horn beeping, and jostling of motion on the busy streets. Amazingly enough, I only saw 2 traffic lights the entire time in Ethiopia, and one was just a flashing yellow light. 

Our eyes rested quickly after our first day in Ethiopia. It had seemed like an exuberantly long day since most of us hadn’t slept well on our 15 hour flight and then we’d made it through a whole day without much down time. What would our eyes behold for another week in Ethiopia? We could only imagine…

“The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed so that man who is of the Earth may strike terror no more.”

Psalm 10:16-18