Ethiopia

It has been one month since my trip to Ethiopia. Unpacking the emotions and thoughts from a trip like that takes some time. So, here we go...



Me and my travel buddy, Eve. This trip was the first of two trips in the DeGrie's journey of bringing home their sweet little lump of sugar. I will always be grateful for the opportunity that was given to me through this family.

We arrived in Addis around 9pm local time, which was noon at home. We had been traveling for twenty-four hours, so 'tired' doesn't even cut it. And can I just say how proud I am of us. We made our way from Nashville to Chicago, boarded a flight for Germany (just prior to them grounding all flights due to the snow storm moving in), navigated our way through the Frankfurt airport, and ended up at the final destination that was on our ticket.

So what that we got in the wrong line in Germany and were about the leave the airport? Go us!

Some of our activities over the next ten days included but were not limited too...
Killing a few of these. The size of these suckers was no joke.


And drinking A LOT of these. Bottled, of course.


This is the other couple that stayed at the guest home with us. Keith and Jessica were an awesome couple from Atlanta who were there to meet their two boys that will be joining their family soon. These two were a riot; we had a lot of fun with them. The guest house that we stayed in was fantastic. The staff was so kind and friendly and beyond accommodating for any requests that we had. After overhearing others talk, we are convinced we got the best guest house. God put us right where we needed to be and with great people too!


The man in the middle of this picture...were do I even begin. Probably one of the greatest people I have ever had the privilege of meeting. He came into the guest home while we were eating breakfast the first morning we were there. Through our conversation we learned that he and Eve had a mutual friend from home, so we had an instant connection. And bonus, he is an interpretor and works for the guest home. God send, I tell you!
His name is Bisrat, and this man has the love of Jesus coming out of his pores. We got to spend a good bit of time with him through the week, and I loved every minute of it. Hearing his story of where he came from, how he grew up, how he came to Jesus, and all with such a heart of gratitude and humility, it changed me. His heart for Jesus and for his people is undeniable. Inspiring. Convicting. I will be forever grateful that our paths crossed.



Next up, Ethiopia, the place...