ADDIS ABABA.....TO SHENDI......AND BACK

Connie here and I am updating the girls' blog from UPBC, where I am attending prayer camp today and tomorrow. This morning Don VanRyn shared some verses from Psalm 46: ......though the waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging (erupting volcanoes).....BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD. Shortly after that I received an email from the girls and am reminded that this trip isn't all about their plans. It is all about what God wants to do with them in HIS plan. Even if it meant getting there a day or so later.
They finally arrived in Addis Ababa around 3 a.m.Thursday to find Abel, our friend from our last trip to adopt Tem and Tessa, waiting for them with his huge smile and I can only imagine how wonderful it was to see a familiar face! He had been waiting since midnight!! He brought them to the guesthouse where they showered and rested and received their itinerary for the next week and a half.
Tomorrow they will be traveling all day to meet Ayehu (biological mom of Tem and Tessa). Tem and Tessa decided they wanted to give their mom a Bible (which we had purchased last year in Ethiopia) in Amharic with their pictures in it and they each wrote her a little note. Also, the girls made a book with pictures of the kids during this past year which they will leave with Ayehu. Please pray for all of them tomorrow, as this will be a very emotional day for all. Also, pray for Mahi,, their translator from Bethany, and the driver. It is our hope that Ayehu will know how great God's love is for her and will have peace about her dear little ones being placed in our family.
After returning to Addis Ababa on Sunday, the girls plan to work in an orphanage Monday through Friday for half of the day and the rest of each day will be spent helping adoptive families on their outings. They have brought suitcases full of shoes as well as other items to donate and will need wisdom in knowing where the greatest needs are and how to distribute these gifts.
Pray for continued strength and good health for the girls and that they will continue to be open to HIS agenda, rather than their own.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support for Julie, Kate, and Abby!!

FINALLY??!!

Just heard from Kate that they are on flight #598 to Addis Ababa. However, I have checked the status of this flight and they keep delaying it for some reason......we'll just trust that God will keep that volcano from erupting any more!! Pray for the girls to be encouraged and well rested when they arrive in Ethiopia.

- Connie

so here we are in Frankfurt

Our first flight from Chicago to Frankfurt was wonderful (including being able to check bags with donations for free and finding a free Starbucks drink certificate).

We're currently at a Ramada in Hofheim, Germany because all flights to Ethiopia were cancelled due to an ash cloud from a volcanic eruption in Eritrea. Lufthansa paid for our hotels and meals for the night and we're on stand-by for tomorrow.

Please pray that the ash could would miraculously disappear, that flights to Ethiopia could take place tomorrow, and that we'll all be able to get on the flight at 1:15 tomorrow afternoon (that would be 7:15 am Michigan time).

We're not discouraged, but we would love to get to Ethiopia tomorrow if possible. We've been especially thankful for exceptionally helpful Germans (at the ticket counter, at the passport booth, at the hotel, etc.).

We're confident that God is guiding and directing each step of our journey to Ethiopia. Please continue to pray that we'll be sensitive to His leading.

NEXT STOP......FRANKFURT......THEN ADDIS ABABA!!

this morning

We received confirmation this morning that someone from the Bethany Christian Services office will be picking us up at the airport on Tuesday evening. Thanks for praying!

We're so excited and expectant of great things that God is going to do and show us in the next 2 weeks.

And we're off

Thanks for your prayers and support. We made it safely to Chicago this evening. We'll head to O'hare in the late morning and our flight leaves for Frankfurt, Germany at 3:40 p.m. After, we have a nearly 8 hour layover in Germany, we'll leave for Ethiopia. We're scheduled to land in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at 9 p.m. on Tuesday (2 p.m. MI time). Please pray for...

safe and smooth travels

ease in checking in bags

someone to meet us at the airport when we arrive in Ethiopia (we've contacted them, but haven't received confirmation yet)

for the Holy Spirit to go before us and for us to be sensitive to His leading

We're not sure how much internet we'll have in Ethiopia, but we hope to post to the blog as we're able.

Kate, Abby, and Julie

What will it be like to meet the woman who gave birth to these two?