dear you.

Dear friends and family,

As many, if not all, of you know, I will be traveling to Ethiopia this summer on a two-week missions trip.  The trip is less than two months away, and with each day comes more excitement about how God is going to use me and my team.

Originally our trip was supposed to take us to the capital city of Addis Abbaba.  Since that time, however, our itinerary has changed.  We will now be staying in the village of Ambo, which is approximately two hours west of the capital.

Mocha Club, alongside Compassion International, recently built a school in the village that serves about 250 students.  Much of our time in Ambo will be spent in the school – teaching, assisting, and helping to facilitate after-school programs and Vacation Bible School.  I am so excited to serve these children and to be able to show them the love of Christ.

We will also have the opportunity to serve the street boys of Ambo.  These children have no family and no home and essentially take care of one another.  While we still don’t have details, we will be ministering to these children in some way as well.

This is such an awesome opportunity to just love these kids.  It is my prayer that they would be able to see even a glimpse of the love that Jesus has for them, and that they would hold onto that.  I pray that seeds would be planted and decisions made to follow Jesus, and that those who are following Christ would draw nearer to Him.

On the other hand, these children have so much to teach me and my team.  They know what it’s like to have nothing.  Of course, when I say “nothing”, I mean possessions- “things”.  We can learn so much about them through their joy; through the smiles on their faces.  Amidst their struggles to eat, drink and provide themselves with what we in America consider basic necessities, they have joy.  Their joy is not based upon their possessions, but rather their hope.  They have a perspective so different from ours because the things that often distract us from our amazing, loving, and all-powerful Lord have been stripped away.  They know what it is to rely on God for all of their needs, just as He wishes for us to do.

As our departure date approaches, I ask that you would continue to lift our team up in prayer.  Pray for our individual relationships with the Lord and that we would rely on Him for all of our needs on this trip and beyond, that we would come together as a team and work for the glory of our Lord, that we would have safe travels to and from Ethiopia and that we all would come up with the necessary funds.  Also, please be praying for the organization, Mocha Club, as well as the projects they continue to work on.  Please continue to pray for the people in Ethiopia that their physical and spiritual needs would be met, and that they would “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

Lastly, I am still in the process of raising the last $600 out of $3,100.  I am confident that the Lord will provide, and if any of you feel led to give, you can find the necessary instructions under the “How Can I Help?” tab.  Please do not feel any obligation, but know that any amount, no matter how big or small, is so very much appreciated.  I can’t express my gratitude to all of you who have given donations, offered encouragement, and faithfully prayed for this trip!

Thank you all for your continued support.

Many blessings,

Brittany

conference calls.

I always have such a great time on the conference calls with my team!  What a fun group of people they are.  I can’t wait to share in this amazing experience with them.

growing.

I stepped outside my comfort zone last night and tried Ethiopian food for the first time!  Definitely different, but quite delicious.  My friend from church, Yodit, is Ethiopian, so she, Bob (her boyfriend), and I went to her favorite spot.  The whole evening was a blessing, from learning more about their food and culture, to just talking about the Lord and how He’s working in all of our lives.

I am so blessed every day by the support I am surrounded by in going on this trip.  Financial support, prayer, and encouragement have abounded in ways I never could have imagined.

I’m reading a book (Mack & Leann’s Guide To Short-Term Missions) that was required by my team leader.  I am so entralled in this book that I can’t put it down.  I am learning so much, and have been moved by their testimonies from various short-term trips they’ve taken and facilitated.

I know I am going to be challenged.  I know that I need to be open to what the Lord wants to do through me and in my life.  I am so encouraged in knowing that I serve a God who does not expect me to go on this trip in my own strength and my own ability.  I love the quote that says, “God does not call the equipped, He equips the called.”  It’s such a comfort to know that where I fall short, He endures.  And man, oh man, do I fall short.

Keep my team in prayer as we continue to prepare, read this book and have conference calls, that we might be open to hearing His voice, and heeding His instruction.  Pray for wisdom in any and all situations we may encounter.  Pray that we are culturally sensitive and that we would not hold onto pride in thinking that our ways are higher or better than those of the people in Ethiopia.  Pray that the Lord would humble us continually, and that we might take on the nature of servants, as Jesus did when He came to the earth.

Thank you all for your support.  His love is ever-present through each of you.