hi dear friends & readers. i know that i haven't been the world's best blogger, but i'm hoping that my blogger status will soon be improving. because this blogging website is blocked by the ethiopian government, i have found one that is not and that hopefully i will be able to (provided there is electricity and working internet connection) update, more frequently. so for now, this is the end of this current blog and the beginning of a new blogging life for this ethiopian.
so check it out: www.mustardseeddiaries.wordpress.com
BIG love.
laura
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
well, its not snowing in ethiopia...
while the weather has been quite unusual the past week, still no snow yet to be seen on the ethiopian forecast. its been a cloudy week, and i'm quite ready for the sun to reveal itself once again. regardless of the ugly weather, the Lord's faithfulness continues and life in ethiopia is good.
i've been having a really wonderful time with the kids as always, soaking up every precious moment of laughter and fun.
had the awesome experience of going to my first habasha wedding, two sweet friends from bingham got married last weekend, what an experience. great energy. and a beautiful bride.
this week, me and two friends from bingham started teaching english at a local ethiopian school. we will be doing some lessons with them one day a week, after school. our first lesson went so well and it was so great to get to spend the afternoon getting to know the kids a little, they are all really excited to strengthen their english. you can definitely pray over this time, that we can really build relationships with these kids and the Lord would be glorified, and that they would see Him in us.
things are busy. and i'm pretty exhausted. but the Lord never ceases to provide.
so thankful that the Lord has given me the privilege of being in this beautiful country amongst these beautiful people.
i am so full of joy.
lots of ethiopian love, from this girl.
happy valentine's day.
i've been having a really wonderful time with the kids as always, soaking up every precious moment of laughter and fun.
had the awesome experience of going to my first habasha wedding, two sweet friends from bingham got married last weekend, what an experience. great energy. and a beautiful bride.
this week, me and two friends from bingham started teaching english at a local ethiopian school. we will be doing some lessons with them one day a week, after school. our first lesson went so well and it was so great to get to spend the afternoon getting to know the kids a little, they are all really excited to strengthen their english. you can definitely pray over this time, that we can really build relationships with these kids and the Lord would be glorified, and that they would see Him in us.
things are busy. and i'm pretty exhausted. but the Lord never ceases to provide.
so thankful that the Lord has given me the privilege of being in this beautiful country amongst these beautiful people.
i am so full of joy.
lots of ethiopian love, from this girl.
happy valentine's day.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
penny for my thoughts.
Jan 24 2010
"blessed be your name,
when the sun's shining down on me,
when the world's all as it should be,
blessed be your name"
that is where i am right now.
God is so good & i am so full of joy.
& i just wanted to acknowledge his faithfulness & goodness in a time when everything is going great.
and if we look at the very next verse of the song,
"blessed be your name,
on the road marked with suffering,
though there's pain in the offering,
blessed be your name"
knowing that the difficult days and opposition will come.
& he will continue to be faithful.
the Lord has been doing so much in me lately & i can see the evidence of all of your prayers and love & i am beyond thankful.
exabihir yemesgin.
"blessed be your name,
when the sun's shining down on me,
when the world's all as it should be,
blessed be your name"
that is where i am right now.
God is so good & i am so full of joy.
& i just wanted to acknowledge his faithfulness & goodness in a time when everything is going great.
and if we look at the very next verse of the song,
"blessed be your name,
on the road marked with suffering,
though there's pain in the offering,
blessed be your name"
knowing that the difficult days and opposition will come.
& he will continue to be faithful.
the Lord has been doing so much in me lately & i can see the evidence of all of your prayers and love & i am beyond thankful.
exabihir yemesgin.
He's the GOD of this city.
January 19
hello dear family & friends. it has been quite a while since my last update, but i will try to keep the words to a minimum.
what a busy several weeks it has been.
I successfully finished my first semester teaching and it was absolutely wonderful. The kids and I had a blast celebrating Christmas and it was really nice to have a week of fellowshipping and enjoying this special season together. Although the sunny warm weather wasn’t exactly conducive to the Christmas mood.
But the Christmas spirit was easy for me to catch when I arrived back home for a two-week vacation. It was so wonderful to be home with my family and see so many people who mean so much to me. It was refreshing to hear all that God is doing back home and to share all that He is and has been doing in my life. Of course those two weeks flew by and I headed off for the second part of my break to England. I was able to spend time with great friends, seeing the beautiful sights of England.
And then, before I knew it, I was back home in Ethiopia. And quite happy to see the sunshine again. The semester has gotten off to a great start and I am so glad to be back with my kids. I have two new kids in my class and they are both adjusting well.
Today is the Orthodox holiday Timket, celebrating the baptism of Jesus. It’s a beautiful celebration going on all across the city, I just posted some pictures so be sure to check it out.
This morning, I expected to be woken by the music and celebration of timket, but instead I was awoken by quite different sights and sounds. A large multi-story building across the street from our compound was on fire and the streets were filled with horrified onlookers. The building housed many local businesses and the community was overwhelmed and unprepared to handle this type of crisis. There were only a few people inside the building, but those few did jump from the building and it was a very difficult thing for onlookers to experience and process. Please join me in praying for the families of those who died in the fire and for the neighborhood as they recover from this traumatic event. It is so hard to see the people go through something like this.
God knows.
So full of joy. So thankful for your love, prayers and encouragement.
This is one very blessed and happy girl.
lb
hello dear family & friends. it has been quite a while since my last update, but i will try to keep the words to a minimum.
what a busy several weeks it has been.
I successfully finished my first semester teaching and it was absolutely wonderful. The kids and I had a blast celebrating Christmas and it was really nice to have a week of fellowshipping and enjoying this special season together. Although the sunny warm weather wasn’t exactly conducive to the Christmas mood.
But the Christmas spirit was easy for me to catch when I arrived back home for a two-week vacation. It was so wonderful to be home with my family and see so many people who mean so much to me. It was refreshing to hear all that God is doing back home and to share all that He is and has been doing in my life. Of course those two weeks flew by and I headed off for the second part of my break to England. I was able to spend time with great friends, seeing the beautiful sights of England.
And then, before I knew it, I was back home in Ethiopia. And quite happy to see the sunshine again. The semester has gotten off to a great start and I am so glad to be back with my kids. I have two new kids in my class and they are both adjusting well.
Today is the Orthodox holiday Timket, celebrating the baptism of Jesus. It’s a beautiful celebration going on all across the city, I just posted some pictures so be sure to check it out.
This morning, I expected to be woken by the music and celebration of timket, but instead I was awoken by quite different sights and sounds. A large multi-story building across the street from our compound was on fire and the streets were filled with horrified onlookers. The building housed many local businesses and the community was overwhelmed and unprepared to handle this type of crisis. There were only a few people inside the building, but those few did jump from the building and it was a very difficult thing for onlookers to experience and process. Please join me in praying for the families of those who died in the fire and for the neighborhood as they recover from this traumatic event. It is so hard to see the people go through something like this.
God knows.
So full of joy. So thankful for your love, prayers and encouragement.
This is one very blessed and happy girl.
lb
giving thanks.
November 22, 2009
its unbelievable that it is already thanksgiving week. one, because time is going by so quickly & i'm doing my best to hold on to each precious day here. two, because the sunny 75 degree weather in ethiopia doesn't exactly feel like the holiday season.
while we will still be in school all week and unable to have a proper thanksgiving, i have been thinking about all that i am thankful for, and this year i have been overwhelmed by blessings and have SO MUCH to be thankful for. i am thankful that the Lord has brought me to this beautiful place & given me this incredible opportunity. i am thankful for his faithfulness in my life & for the mighty works he is doing in my heart. i am thankful for the precious children i get to spend each day with. for new friends. for healthy days. for Bingham academy. for this country. I am thankful for you. for the people who have supported me financially, emotionally & prayerfully. i am one blessed girl. the Lord has been too good to me.
things are great here. its been really busy lately. had my first experience bowling in ethiopia last weekend. it was... unique. my tennis team had their big tournament on friday which went really great, the kids played really well & we had a good time. i had the pleasure of spending most of my week with the african funny tummy, one of the precious joys of living here, but am doing much better now. this morning we did the Great Ethiopian Run. it was a 10k around Addis with 30,000 participants & we had an absolute blast.
i've just posted some new pictures in my "life in addis" album, so be sure to check them out.
things to be praying for:
-pray for me & my fourth graders as we lead elementary school chapel on friday. for my kids as they sing & say some memory verses and me as i teach on Jesus' death on the cross, that it would be meaningful and real in their hearts.
-pray for endurance as the semester winds down & there is much still to be done.
-pray for sick & struggling people of Addis.
-pray for Bingham Academy, as they recruit new staff & make plans for Bingham's future.
-pray for my language learning.
salam-neow.
lb
ps.
i'm coming home for a few weeks over christmas.
fly out dec 18th. :)
its unbelievable that it is already thanksgiving week. one, because time is going by so quickly & i'm doing my best to hold on to each precious day here. two, because the sunny 75 degree weather in ethiopia doesn't exactly feel like the holiday season.
while we will still be in school all week and unable to have a proper thanksgiving, i have been thinking about all that i am thankful for, and this year i have been overwhelmed by blessings and have SO MUCH to be thankful for. i am thankful that the Lord has brought me to this beautiful place & given me this incredible opportunity. i am thankful for his faithfulness in my life & for the mighty works he is doing in my heart. i am thankful for the precious children i get to spend each day with. for new friends. for healthy days. for Bingham academy. for this country. I am thankful for you. for the people who have supported me financially, emotionally & prayerfully. i am one blessed girl. the Lord has been too good to me.
things are great here. its been really busy lately. had my first experience bowling in ethiopia last weekend. it was... unique. my tennis team had their big tournament on friday which went really great, the kids played really well & we had a good time. i had the pleasure of spending most of my week with the african funny tummy, one of the precious joys of living here, but am doing much better now. this morning we did the Great Ethiopian Run. it was a 10k around Addis with 30,000 participants & we had an absolute blast.
i've just posted some new pictures in my "life in addis" album, so be sure to check them out.
things to be praying for:
-pray for me & my fourth graders as we lead elementary school chapel on friday. for my kids as they sing & say some memory verses and me as i teach on Jesus' death on the cross, that it would be meaningful and real in their hearts.
-pray for endurance as the semester winds down & there is much still to be done.
-pray for sick & struggling people of Addis.
-pray for Bingham Academy, as they recruit new staff & make plans for Bingham's future.
-pray for my language learning.
salam-neow.
lb
ps.
i'm coming home for a few weeks over christmas.
fly out dec 18th. :)
now THIS is africa.
Oct 31 2009
it is hot. the sun is out and the beautiful ethiopian weather i've heard so much about is here. and IT IS beautiful.
time continues just to fly by. and the Lord continues to overwhelm me with blessings.
we had a week off of school and i was able to join the CMF team in kiramu. its a remote village about 10 hours west of addis. the drive itself was an experience, getting to go through blue nile gorge and see the countryside of ethiopia. it was beautiful. i was able to spend time getting to know my team better, relax, read, pray, and enjoy the sun. it was really wonderful to hear about all of the work the other members of the cmf team are doing and to hear about the Lord's great movement in this country.
pray for the cmf team.. www.cmfi.org/ethiopia
then, back to school this week. as always great week. great kids. lots of fun. 80's day on friday. the kids had a blast dressing up (and i think the teachers may have enjoyed it more than the kids). friday my basketball team had a game, and we won! they've been working really hard and it was great to see them so encouraged. things are getting busier and sometimes the pressures of school, teaching, coaching, and being in ethiopia get heavy, but the Lord continues to provide good friends, fun, and His sweet love.
i love this place.
and these people.
and so thankful to be here, experiencing the beauty.
it is hot. the sun is out and the beautiful ethiopian weather i've heard so much about is here. and IT IS beautiful.
time continues just to fly by. and the Lord continues to overwhelm me with blessings.
we had a week off of school and i was able to join the CMF team in kiramu. its a remote village about 10 hours west of addis. the drive itself was an experience, getting to go through blue nile gorge and see the countryside of ethiopia. it was beautiful. i was able to spend time getting to know my team better, relax, read, pray, and enjoy the sun. it was really wonderful to hear about all of the work the other members of the cmf team are doing and to hear about the Lord's great movement in this country.
pray for the cmf team.. www.cmfi.org/ethiopia
then, back to school this week. as always great week. great kids. lots of fun. 80's day on friday. the kids had a blast dressing up (and i think the teachers may have enjoyed it more than the kids). friday my basketball team had a game, and we won! they've been working really hard and it was great to see them so encouraged. things are getting busier and sometimes the pressures of school, teaching, coaching, and being in ethiopia get heavy, but the Lord continues to provide good friends, fun, and His sweet love.
i love this place.
and these people.
and so thankful to be here, experiencing the beauty.
just gets sweeter with time.
October 16 2009
i'm alive & WELL. fully recovered from the mystery illness, renewed appreciation for my health, and broken hearted for the people in the streets of addis who don't have a bed to rest in, water, medicine, or loving & compassionate friends surrounding them and taking care of them. i find myself waking up each morning now, thanking God for life, rest, health and for the warm bed I am blessed to sleep in each night.
its been an awesome couple of weeks. brief recap:
-returned to school after being ill, welcomed by 29 kids running towards me with open arms, talk about feeling loved.
-had more cooking lessons & my first trip to the cinema here in addis
-my basketball team had their first game, and even though we lost, they played so hard and came back & were only a few points behind in the end
-had a viking celebration/feast with the kiddos
-was the damsel in distress for our midevil themed "memory verse prize day"
-survived my first ever parent-teacher conferences
-and now have completed the first term of the school year!
we are now on our mid-semester break and have a week off from school. i'm going to be traveling to Kiramu to see more of this beautiful country. we've had gorgeous sunny weather and the Lord continues to overwhelm me each day with his love.
at church on sunday we had a musician from india come & play his guitar and he shared a really awesome thought i want to leave you with...
"great things don't happen because of great people, but because of the GREAT GOD that lives in them".
salam.
i'm alive & WELL. fully recovered from the mystery illness, renewed appreciation for my health, and broken hearted for the people in the streets of addis who don't have a bed to rest in, water, medicine, or loving & compassionate friends surrounding them and taking care of them. i find myself waking up each morning now, thanking God for life, rest, health and for the warm bed I am blessed to sleep in each night.
its been an awesome couple of weeks. brief recap:
-returned to school after being ill, welcomed by 29 kids running towards me with open arms, talk about feeling loved.
-had more cooking lessons & my first trip to the cinema here in addis
-my basketball team had their first game, and even though we lost, they played so hard and came back & were only a few points behind in the end
-had a viking celebration/feast with the kiddos
-was the damsel in distress for our midevil themed "memory verse prize day"
-survived my first ever parent-teacher conferences
-and now have completed the first term of the school year!
we are now on our mid-semester break and have a week off from school. i'm going to be traveling to Kiramu to see more of this beautiful country. we've had gorgeous sunny weather and the Lord continues to overwhelm me each day with his love.
at church on sunday we had a musician from india come & play his guitar and he shared a really awesome thought i want to leave you with...
"great things don't happen because of great people, but because of the GREAT GOD that lives in them".
salam.
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