Blessed Today...
This morning was a blessing. It was so encouraging to wake up to the following Facebook post by a fellow IMR PA who parted ways with us on Friday.
Growing up being a teenager is hard – at least it was for me. This past week, I worked with many kids who showed strength and maturity way beyond their years and who were true inspirations. Go Valor! – Deanna Shapiro, Physician Assistant IMR
I am so grateful we are now in a place with wifi, where this message could reach us as we continue here in Addis.
After breakfast at our hotel, we were able to attend International Evangelical Church. The students were elated with the diversity displayed amongst the congregation and the service in English was very comforting. They fell right into worship. Since leaving, we haven’t had an opportunity to worship collectively through song, and many of the students soon found it was something they had been craving. It was very powerful to see outstretched arms and tears in eyes as we sang familiar songs. The service was medicine for our homesick hearts as we were able to step back into a more familiar setting.
We were able to catch a few minutes of down time before leaving again for a youth service. This service was held in a make-shift building about 15’x45’ and entirely in Amharic! One of the young teens from the church led the group in a beautiful song. When it concluded, the pastor shared the lyric translation with us:
I am singing to You, Lord, because You deserve it. If I hold my tongue, the rivers and rocks will cry out Your praise. Because You deserve the praise, Lord, I am singing.
Although the sermon was also in Amharic, we had two translators help us understand what was being said.
Next we were instructed to arrange our chairs in one large circle. Individuals from our group and the Ethiopian congregations shared struggles that young people from their home culture are faced with and how truths from the Word can speak into our lives to combat those struggles. As we were sharing, one of the Ethiopian women began to set up a shared coffee ceremony. She roasted fresh coffee beans right there in the middle of our circle and we slowly broke out into smaller groups to fellowship. Some students found translators to interpret conversations while others communicated through music. Common ground was reached standing around a keyboard singing praises to God. Five or six of our students started singing “Good Good Father” and their keyboard player picked it up before they were able to finish the first verse. Song after song, praises were lifted in both English and Amharic.
We have prayed with students that they would be filled with the courage to lean into the emotions that have surfaced as a result of everything we have encountered so far. For some, emotions were raised by the reality of physical suffering and economic poverty. For others it’s identifying relational poverty in their own lives and struggling with identity. Each student is experiencing Ethiopia from a different perspective and each thing is touching hearts in different ways. Please join us in praying that both the leaders and students continue to have wisdom as we speak into each other’s lives.
Growing up being a teenager is hard – at least it was for me. This past week, I worked with many kids who showed strength and maturity way beyond their years and who were true inspirations. Go Valor! – Deanna Shapiro, Physician Assistant IMR
I am so grateful we are now in a place with wifi, where this message could reach us as we continue here in Addis.
After breakfast at our hotel, we were able to attend International Evangelical Church. The students were elated with the diversity displayed amongst the congregation and the service in English was very comforting. They fell right into worship. Since leaving, we haven’t had an opportunity to worship collectively through song, and many of the students soon found it was something they had been craving. It was very powerful to see outstretched arms and tears in eyes as we sang familiar songs. The service was medicine for our homesick hearts as we were able to step back into a more familiar setting.
We were able to catch a few minutes of down time before leaving again for a youth service. This service was held in a make-shift building about 15’x45’ and entirely in Amharic! One of the young teens from the church led the group in a beautiful song. When it concluded, the pastor shared the lyric translation with us:
I am singing to You, Lord, because You deserve it. If I hold my tongue, the rivers and rocks will cry out Your praise. Because You deserve the praise, Lord, I am singing.
Although the sermon was also in Amharic, we had two translators help us understand what was being said.
Next we were instructed to arrange our chairs in one large circle. Individuals from our group and the Ethiopian congregations shared struggles that young people from their home culture are faced with and how truths from the Word can speak into our lives to combat those struggles. As we were sharing, one of the Ethiopian women began to set up a shared coffee ceremony. She roasted fresh coffee beans right there in the middle of our circle and we slowly broke out into smaller groups to fellowship. Some students found translators to interpret conversations while others communicated through music. Common ground was reached standing around a keyboard singing praises to God. Five or six of our students started singing “Good Good Father” and their keyboard player picked it up before they were able to finish the first verse. Song after song, praises were lifted in both English and Amharic.
We have prayed with students that they would be filled with the courage to lean into the emotions that have surfaced as a result of everything we have encountered so far. For some, emotions were raised by the reality of physical suffering and economic poverty. For others it’s identifying relational poverty in their own lives and struggling with identity. Each student is experiencing Ethiopia from a different perspective and each thing is touching hearts in different ways. Please join us in praying that both the leaders and students continue to have wisdom as we speak into each other’s lives.
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