London on the Run...Next Ethiopia

The Lord blessed us again.  We each got a couple of seats on the plane and got some rest to London.  Got to escape a couple of hours of our 9 hour layover to literally run through the city.  Boarding now for Ethiopia.

No Room at the Inn

Here is a more detailed update from Theresa regarding yesterday's events:

It's been a wild and crazy day. We had a traveler that had to go to the ER and will return home. Juli is such a trooper; she wants to continue on but can't. We had to divide and conquer to get Juli her back pack, collect luggage, and passports. Needless to say we missed our flight. We worked for hours to try and get our flights changed both in person and by phone. We were told numerous times our flights were canceled. After hours we had decided it would be too expensive to repurchase tickets and decided to fly back or rent a car because we've only made it to Vancouver. God showed off and 7 hours after we arrived we finally got tickets. We then began to look for a room as we are flying out tomorrow night (5/28/16). However, there is a convention and no rooms. so at midnight we are settling into some chairs for the night. 

Prayer update from Vancouver

Update from Theresa: After 7 hours of being told we could not fly, this very patient gentleman finally got us a flight out of Vancouver tomorrow.

Prayer

Please pray for one of our team members that got sick on the flight and had to go to the ER.  Prayer for healing for her and safe travels for her husband who will be flying to Vancouver.  Of lesser importance, please pray also that we can retrieve our luggage and make another flight.

Ethiopia here we come

Please pray for safe travels as we depart tomorrow.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

As Shakespeare wrote: parting is such sweet sorrow.  It came time to say good bye to our Kenyan Team who we've spent so much time with over the years.  This time was extra special.  We watch God grow them in the ministry.  We watched how the Lord molded together a team with different gifts and talents.  God has formed them into His Fifty5five team of Kenya.  I tear up for so many reasons.  Selfishly I tear up not knowing if I will see them again this side of Heaven but knowing our hearts are forever bonded in Him.  Also, because I see God unfolding a bigger work than I could have ever imagined.  He has equipped His Kenyan children to equip more of His Kenyan children.  Missionaries from America often go and serve in other parts of the world but are asked is is lasting?  Our goal at Fifty5five is always to train up teachers and to work ourselves out of a job in a country.  We want to train up the locals to train up the locals.  We want to teach them to fish not give them a fish.  We've seen it in India.  We are seeing it again in Kenya.  Thank you Lord for what you have done and what You continue to do!

A Spoantaneous Training

I had originally planned to do a second Teacher Training but the additional orgainization did not follow through with me on their contact.  We always go into this with a general plan but are totally open to the Spirits prompting.  Watch Him work!  On the flight out to Ethiopia Lavon was seated next to a very intoxicated man.  He kept the whisky shots coming.  It came to a point that she had to move.  She was seated next to an Ethiopian businessman.  They began to talk and she shared how why we were going to Ethiopia.  He had been on business in Dubai.  He had taken on a task from his church to seek cirriculum for the Sunday School teachers.  He came back empty handed.  LaVon game him our contact information and he contacted me while we were in Sendafa.  I went to Addis one day (you may have read the post from Patty explaining the treck to get there in a previous post) and met him for coffee to chat with him more.  I explained that we do not provide curiculumn but tools on delivery of teaching.  We agreed that he would set up a training within 3 days.  He delivered.  We spent 1 day in Addis and went to his small open air church.  When we arrived there were about 5 people but by the end it had multiplied to over 50.  They were delighted to receive a mini training in 4 hours and are eager for us to come back so they can connect for the full training.  They also video taped the whole session so that those who could not join could view it.  A few faces from Sendafa also came.  It is always such a joy to see God's plan roll out and us just being open to His prompting.  The Kenyan team also did some of the story telling.  They grew so much from this training.  We were so proud of them.  It brings tears to my eyes like a parent to watch them grow.