Anticipation

Today was our first day here in Addis.  It was a welcomed (and much-needed) opportunity to recover from the 17 hours of flying time and 9 hour time difference here in Africa.  Returning here only 10 weeks after our trip in November has been surprisingly … nice.  Dave, Mary, and I each commented that our second trip here brings with it an odd sense of connectedness with the people, places, sights, and sounds of Addis.  Everything feels very familiar … not at all foreign.

Tomorrow we will travel to the transition home, a short distance away from our Guest Home, and bask in our long-awaited reunion with our Joseph and Samuel.  We spent much of our day talking about the boys and all that lies ahead.  Our time together with Joseph and Samuel in November provided wonderful glimpses into their sweet personalities, prayer lives, and the servant hearts of these special boys. This blessed time of bonding that we experienced in Mekele fuels our deep longing to bring them into our care and into our families.  There is a very real sense of  ‘incompleteness’ without Joseph and Samuel alongside us.  We await our reunion tomorrow with eager & joyful anticipation.  

I’ll leave you with some photographs of our day here in Addis.  We are so grateful for the love, support, and the felt prayers of so many family and friends.  God is working.  The words of Isaiah 46:8-11 continue to strengthen, sustain, and showcase His sovereignty in our story and in all of creation. With our visit to an ancient Orthodox Church and its rich imagery still fresh in my mind (see pictures below) – the passage in Hebrews 6:18-20 brings further encouragement as we close our first day here in Addis.  It reads, “…we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.  We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor for the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf ..”  He goes before us … He is the sure and steadfast anchor for our soul! Soli Deo Gloria!

Another beautiful Sunday morning sunrise outside our room in Addis.

The view from the back of our room at the Ethiopia Guest House

We visited St. Raphael Orthodox Church – built over 130 years ago high atop Mount Entoto (elevation 9,000 ft). 

The amazing hand paintings that surrounded the “Most Holy Place” shrouded by a curtain.  The octagonal shape symbolizes God and the seven arc angels.  The paintings depict the stories of the Scriptures, the heroes of the Orthodox Church, and the martyrs of the faith

We dined at an authentic Ethiopian restaurant (Yod Abyssinia). We enjoyed fine Ethiopian cuisine and lively dancing