Tomorrow is a worry-wart

It's Sunday in Ethiopia and we were greeted again with the very early morning echoes of the call to prayer by the Muslim mosques followed by the groans of the Orthodox Church.  It's bad every morning but Sunday is brutal - nearly an hour and a half. So, I slept with earplugs - that is I slept until the chanting started and then I laid awake listening to muffled chanting. It was good prayer time for Ashley and me.  Thankfully, there were no middle of the night kills by hyaenas, at least, none that I heard.

Like last week, we went to church this morning at International Evangelical Church. It is fun to be in a church that is so culturally diverse. I met tons of people from Ethiopia plus Zimbabwe, Holland, Canada and Oklahoma. I was thinking this is what heaven will be like - people from every tribe, tongue, language and nation.  The message was from Luke 12 about our need to keep our lives free of greed but instead be generous with what we have. If he had preached that lesson last week, I would have thought how irrelevant to preach on this in such a poor city.  A private toilet (inside or outside) is a very rare luxury. Yet, after spending 8 days here I see the relevance. It's not that Ethiopians are greedy people as compared to Americans.  It's that we tend to plan for a future too near to today.  We don't plan and spend our money for treasure far enough into the future.  This is a problem only the Gospel solves.  The people of Addis need the same thing the people of Houston need - Jesus and He is seen through His Word. Praise God for faithful servants around the world who proclaim the whole counsel of His Word regardless of the economic condition of the people they shepherd.

After church, we visited Little E in the hospital again. It was the best time we've had with her all week. We nearly had the room to ourselves. We sat on her bed and talked and tried to play with her. We got to feed her a couple of times, change a dirty diaper and change her clothes. It is so good to get to care for some of her needs but it was hard to look at her body unclothed.  She is so small.  Thankfully, she was the best we've seen her all week. I pulled out my best 1 year old daddy trick and achieved a sustained smile and the weak sound of an initial giggle. She really warmed to us today. It is so hard to see child in this condition, especially your own daughter, but the improvement over yesterday was encouraging. Thank you God for a step of healing and a sweet time of bonding.  My favorite moment was when after holding her and letting her lay her head on my shoulder she cried when I tried to lay her down. She liked my embrace more than her bed. I guess former orphans love squeezes as much as orphans. 

Tomorrow is a big day, God willing.  We complete the medical tests in the early am and then have our Embassy appointment at 1pm. If we pass, we get their visas and we plan to hop on a late night flight home. This has been our prayer - God please help us get her home quickly.  We need God's favor on our little girl to pass the tests. I will fall asleep tonight praying that she passes.       

All week I have been attempting to take every anxious thought captive with Jesus' command in Matthew 6:34 "therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow."  Preceding this command, Jesus tells us to look at the birds and fields. The birds eat. The fields are not naked. Jesus says do not be anxious because we are of more value and our Father knows our needs. Right after the command, Jesus says tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Jesus says tomorrow is a worry-wart. I am a deeply loved adopted child of a Father who not only knows my every need but has the power to meet those needs. I am not a worry-wart.  We will try to sleep tonight like loved children and let tomorrow roll around all night in worry.

Thank you for the unrelenting encouragement and prayers. We have not responded to every email because it would be a full-time job. You love us so well. Thank you!

His,
jb