Bertikan and Nesibu Sinishaw- Founders of YLM

During my time in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia I got to spend allot of time with these two wonderful individuals, Bertikan & Nesibu Sinishaw. They surrounded their lives around the core purpose of serving Christ and taking care of the orphaned. They are a true example of James 1:27.

Yezelalem Minch (meaning “The Everlasting Spring”) in 2002 as a legal, non-profit organization that reaches out to needy orphans and vulnerable children whose parents have died of AIDS, while providing support and meeting the needs of families who have taken in orphan children. Their vision aims to see those children become cared for, become emotionally stable, become productive citizens of their country, and serve their community. 

Mission:

To make a difference in the lives of orphans and vulnerable children through building the capacity of local community based organizations in partnership with the government, non-governmental organization and the private sector. 

Values:

Empowering the community to care for the most vulnerable children:

• No discrimination based on race, religion or class
• Health and well being of orphans
• Partnership with the government, NGOs and sponsors
• Accountability and transparency for benficiaries, community and sponsors
• Ethiopians serving Ethiopians

Beritkan and Nesibu work tirelessly to provide for the needs of children in their local community (400+), have a guest house for adoptive families and groups visiting Addis (Good Morning Guest House) and have four beautiful children. 

I feel honored to of been able to get to know them personally and believe in the work they are doing. 

Bertikan and three newly adopted children

Children at the local feeding program (which serves over 400+ children in the community)

So, to give you a glimpse of my last few days in Addis: they were quite eventful and filled with many unexpected events!

• The staff at Bethany threw me a surprise 25th birthday party on Saturday! They were all so kind in their thoughtfulness for me. They gave me two traditional dresses (one from northern ET and the other from southern ET)… and then I did a fashion show for them! They had a lot of fun taking pictures and dressing me up as a true “habesha” woman! There was also a coffee ceremony, cake and many treats ☺ I had such a wonderful birthday and felt so loved by them!

• On Sunday, I went to an Ethiopian church with Konjit (BCS staff) and was the only “farenjee” (foreigner) in the entire attendance of over 1,000 people. As we sat towards the back, I enjoyed the beautiful worship, as they sang in Amharic. However, suddenly I was VERY surprised when the pastor invited all the “English speakers” to the front of the congregation. As I hesitantly walked through the sea of people, sticking out with my blonde, curly hair I became more nervous when he told us to come on the stage. I walked up on stage, with about 15 other “English speakers” and was overwhelmed when he handed me the microphone and told me to lead the congregation in a song! (By the way… I’m not quite the singer!) So, I conquered my fears in that moment of singing in front of a large group and led the church in “Open the eyes of my heart Lord.” I stood there, looking out at the sea of 1,000+ people and laughed to myself at the randomness of this moment. God is funny in how he orchestrates events! Who knew that I would in one moment be sitting in the back of a crowded church and then next, leading worship for all ☺ (By the way… did I mention that the service was being videotaped?? I think I need to find that copy!)

• Later in the day, I got to see an Amharic movie with Konjit at the cinema. She translated the entire movie to me, whispering it into my ear. Quite the experience! (I am starting to learn more and more Amharic each day)

• On Monday, Mahlet and I (BCS staff) were commuting to work and took the HIGER bus together. This is a regular occurance, but today we were running a little late and had to cram onto this huge bus, which was definitely maxed out for its occupancy limit. Literally, Mahlet and I climbed in and she was squished up against the door and I was sandwiched between people in the aisles, with the only support around me from others holding me up. Everytime we hit a bump, the mass of people would sway and there would be a domino effect of people falling on one another. All we could do is laugh at the situation, as I had my face and body pressed up against random strangers on this bus for the entirety of our commute. Ethiopian transport is quite the experience ☺

• On Tuesday, I was on my way to work again (traveling alone) and decided to take a minibus (smaller buses that fit about 10-12 people). Again, I was squished in between four people sitting in the back seat and was talking to my neighbor, when suddenly we got hit from the side. It wasn’t a major accident, but it happened in the middle of a busy road (Bole) and both our doors of exit were smashed in. (Thank goodness that God protected everyone and no one got hurt.) As people began to collect themselves after the impact, we quickly found out that we couldn’t get out of the doors. We were trapped inside. Then, someone near the front had the idea to start opening the windows and climb out. So, I quickly found myself climbing over the seats and jumping out of the bus window, with the help of strangers who caught me as I jumped. I found myself standing in the middle of a busy street, as people started congregating around the accident scene, trying to decide the next move to make. Again, I thank the Lord that He protected us all!

• Wednesday, I had some last minute shopping to do and found myself feeling pretty sick as I was going in and out of shops. I soon decided it would be a good idea to head back home, and hopped on a minibus with Mahlet to get some rest. Somewhere in between all this, my cell phone got stolen- right from my pocket! When I realized what occurred, it was too late to try and trace where it was taken. Thankfully nothing else was taken, and I made it home safely to get some needed rest. (So, watch for pickpocketers… they are tricky!)

• The rest of the week was filled with other crazy mishaps like: Casey (one of my housemates) caught his shirt on fire in the kitchen, visits to the hospital from sickness, hail storms, car accidents, and other close calls! God definitely had His hand of protection on us this past week and I was reminded many times of how He protects and guides us, no matter what the situation! He has been proven faithful.

Even though all these crazy adventures happened this week, I was reminded as Bertikan (an amazing servant of the Lord and ultimate “Proverbs 31 woman”) would say “Satan is not happy about the Lord’s work going on here!” God has proven faithful and sovereign in all situations. There is so much that the Lord has been teaching me about trusting Him in all circumstances, which are out of our control.

It was a memorable way to end my last few days in Addis ☺ I am really going to miss this place and cherish the time that I have been given here!

Thank you for joining me in this adventure and supporting me with your prayers! (They have comforted me throughout this journey and I am very thankful)

My surprise birthday party!

I am an official "Habesha woman" doing a coffee ceremony! haa..

For my goodbye ceremony- they killed a goat for me!

poor goat....

Tendai, the BCS African Director has been here for my last few days. He is such an amazing man who I have felt blessed to get to know personally. Thank you, Tendai!

Mahlet and I have shared many crazy adventures on the minibuses and she has done a great job of teaching me all about Addis Love you, Mahlet!

Nesibu and Bertikan's family. I have been richly blessed by knowing these two servants of the Lord and their family:)

Bertikan and I... love her!

crazy hailstorms... the size of marbles!

I will miss these girls! (Senait, Helina, Blen & Mahlet and Hanna)

I can’t even begin to describe the emotions and relationships that run deep here. I have formed bonds with children, families and Bethany staff and experienced a side of the Lord’s heart, which I did not know before coming to Addis.  God’s hand of mercy and compassion is evident in the eyes of children who are joined with families, and even more than that- for those who continue to have joy and strength in the midst of insurmountable odds.

 I have seen the work and labor of many who serve internationally and those who have poured their time and hearts for “the least of these.” It is a humbling honor to work beside such people at Bethany and I couldn’t of asked for a better team of people to work with. I have cried and laughed over these past few months, and felt such peace about where I am and how God has placed me here. If I haven’t shared with you about how I came to work with Bethany, it was a pretty incredible story about how He placed me here for this summer. I did nothing to deserve this, at all. God literally shut all the doors for every opportunity I was pursuing and opened the door widely for Bethany. He has blown me away with how every detail was worked out regarding housing (at Cherokee House), placing the office nearby for me to commute to (Zenebwork-Tor Highloch), placing four new social workers at Bethany who are absolutely amazing (Blen, Mahlet, Hanna & Senait) and incredible families whom I have gotten to spend time with over the past few months, to witness this journey of meeting their children for the first time.  It has been such a joy.

The Lord is at work in Ethiopia and I am so glad to be sharing this opportunity with you. Thank you so much for your prayers and notes of encouragement. It has truly blessed my heart in ways I can’t even describe. I am so thankful for my time here and hope to return in the future. I pray the Lord has begun to spark a love for orphans in your life, as He has done so in mine. We are all adopted as His children, through the love of God and I thank you for joining me in this adventure of allowing orphans to experience that love firsthand, through the act of adoption.

Please continue to pray for those who are fatherless and orphaned, there are so many…

On our way to Gondar, Ethiopia!

Castles in Gondar

Our three-hour ride from Gondar to Bahi Dar

The Blue Nile Falls

content

crossing the river to get to the falls

 Oops!!   Too big….

The four of us girls took a Bajaj (small motorcycle revamped into a little car!) to the Blue Nile Falls

Blue Nile!

Hiking to the falls!

Macchiatos are unbelievably wonderful in Ethiopia!

So, if you are traveling to Addis anytime soon- I highly recommend their sweet macchiatos. I am not a big coffee drinker, but these coffee specialities are a “must” to try! Add some sugar and you are set. 

Yod Abyssinia Cultural Restaurant

Each week we take the families to experience some real traditional Ethiopia food and dance! We have had so much fun eating with our hands and tasting the traditional dishes of Ethiopia. I like the beef tibs and doro wot

Eating the traditional way in Ethiopia

Traditonal meal: Injera, Doro Wot, Shiro, Beef Tibs, Lentils, Kitfo (raw beef!) and lots more!

A coke is always a treat, no matter where you are!

These girls dance from all different regions of Ethiopia…pretty incredible!

I also recommend traveling to Awassa, if you have the opportunity. It’s a good two-day trip (definitely worth it!) that is about five hours south of Addis and the scenery is breathtaking. We had the opportunity to visit the orphanage that BCS is connected with and go to the fish market, feed monkeys and go on a boat ride to see hippos… quite the adventure!

Feeding monkeys in Awassa!

These hippos can be kinda scary if they get too close!

This picture pretty much sums it up

Arriving in Lalibela, Ethiopia!

This past weekend, a few of my friends and I had the wonderful opportunity to  travel to the northern parts of Ethiopia (Lalibela, Gondar and Bahir Dar). We had  such a wonderful time! The views of northern ET are very different from the southern areas and are covered with mountains, rifts, waterfalls and ancient areas that hold many historical sites. We were able to climb through the stone carved caves in Lalibela and witness a baptism in the ancient churches. In Gondar, we walked the stairs of  castles and were able to see waterfalls in Bahir Dar. Ethiopia is rich with history and lavished in scenic beauty. I felt to privileged to have this opportunity! I highly recommend these places, if you find yourself traveling to Ethiopia one day! It was quite the adventure with four “ferengee” girls and traveling through unknown areas… with the Lonely Planet as our guidebook! (Definitely set us in the right way!) I will update more, but for now- enjoy the pictures!

Ancient stone-carved church in Lalibela

Long tunnels of stone under the churches... pitch black and kinda scary!

Priests still hold services at the churches daily...

We had to remove our shoes every time we entered a church... we were walking on holy ground

Saint George's Church

Saint Georges church built by King Lalibela... interesting history behind this enormous stone church! (google it!)

Cherokee House girls!

 So, I just wanted to take a moment and brag on some of the amazing women that I get to live with in Addis this summer….

These girls have been such a gift to me the past few months, as we have grown deep in friendship and jumped into this adventure together. We are all staying at a volunteer house called “Cherokee House” in Addis and serving in various parts of the city. Some girls are working at Mother Teresa’s Home for HIV+ children (an orphanage with over 400 orphans), others are teaching at schools, serving special needs orphans and working with other adoption agencies.  Each morning, we all venture out to our different locations and come together again at the end of the day- just relaxing and debriefing in each other’s company. We have cried together, laughed together and made lasting memories with one another during our time in Addis. I am so thankful that God placed me in this house….I am encouraged and spurred on in my faith when I am around these people and I am so thankful for God’s hand of mercy on me. 

So, to the girls of Cherokee House ( and Mark, Casey and JT, too!)… You guys are amazing!

making posterboards for Blaire's 4th grade class!

writing emails to home!

making our own fun when we have no electricity and need to laugh after a long day

Our living room...good memories made here and amazing dinners at night, with long 4 hour conversations afterwards

All the girls + mark