Shortly after becoming a Christian and moving into our home in 2000, I remember clearly a prayer that God would place "a" good Christian Friend in my life. You know, someone to share life's sweetness and struggles with, someone to pray with, to encourage and be encouraged by, "A Friend". Long story short, I got a call from Cindy explaining that she would like to start a women's small prayer group and asked me if I would be interested and asked me to pray about it for a week and she would call me back. I tried to tell her then that I had already been praying for this and the answer was yes! She insisted that I pray for a week and she would call me back. Now ten years later it is evident that in our friendship she tends to be the planner and I continue to be the more spontaneous. But what is AWESOME was that God heard my prayers, answered in a mighty way and has walked in our friendship to help us learn from each other, support/lift up each other in prayer, laugh and cry together, share happy times and times of great sorrow. He has truly blessed me with such a friend.
His blessings of friends didn't stop there. God has brought so many friends into my families life. Friends that we can call on at any time and know that they will just not mind, but they freely come alongside of us in so many ways that I can't even list them. We work together, play together, encourage one another's children, you know share life as it is happening.
Recently, as we are preparing and waiting to go back to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to pick up our son, these same Friends that God has blessed our lives so richly with have gone Above and Beyond anything we could have ever imagined. But isn't that how God works? He can, will and does provide for His family in such a mighty way.
Let me share:
June 2009 Tella Casey and I had the unbelievable opportunity to travel with Pastor Don, Cindy and Hope to bring home their three children. The intricate detail of how this worked out was nothing but God! His fingerprints were covering this trip and the details that He showed us of how He was working this out even years before. It is kind of like opening a huge, beautiful Christmas gift only to find more beautifully wrapped gifts! We just keep unwrapping them in awe at the beauty of the gift and the gift itself only to find that there are more and they are getting more beautiful and exquisite.
While we were in Ethiopia in 2009 we learned of a particularly vulnerable group of kids. Yes, it is a 3rd World Country and poverty is such that I had never experienced. A yound man, Robel, who is in his mid 20's had "taken these kids in". By that, I am not saying into a house, shelter, etc. These children ages ranging from 5-15 years old are living on the streets of Ethiopia.
How is Robel taking them in? The kids have to be willing to do two things. Work and go to school. He is trying to teach them how to care for themselves without begging, which is so prominent in Addis. To do this the children work. Some shine shoes, sell packs of gum, toothbrushes, etc for 1/2 the day. The other half they go to school. Robel works three jobs to pay for their education. These kids stole our hearts. They are not to be pittied. They need Friends to come alongside them and guide, direct, help educate, keep them fed and clothed. While we were there we bought their products and had our shoes cleaned. They were thrilled to get the work. In July 2010 Tim and I had an opportunity to spend some time with them again. They are wonderful. One young boy, Samuel, asked me if I was coming back. When I told him yes, he asked me to bring him a pair shoes. See, we think Africa and we think hot and dry temperatures. Right now it is 50 degrees in the day and raining. These children are cold! So when we came back and started talking to our friends and family about this they did what good friends do. They began helping to put things together for us to take back. We have decided to make a "survival bag" for each of the "street kids". Each backpack will include: fleece tie blanket, Tshirt, Jeans, tennis shoes, rain poncho, toothbrush and paste. In addition we have had donations for the kids at the orphanage, including blankets, clothes, school supplies, and balls.
God knew it was going to take each of us to working together to do the works He has had planned for years. Some to go, some to pray, some to provide, some to encourage and support.....
I have been Amazed the past two weeks at how God has shown His plan and so many intricate details that I am just in AWE!
In James 1:27 God tells us: "Religion that God accepts as pure and without fault is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help, and keeping yourself free from the world's evil influence." I am so thankful to be part of this plan and am so thankful to each person who has worked as the "Body of Christ" in this endevour.
