Ditch the Bags!

The air was so much thicker than I remembered it being. The roads completely disorganized with animals, cars, and people all moving like bubbles on oil floating atop a shallow pan of water. Our driver introduced himself as Bicky (though he spells it with an "e" rather than an "i"). He was a man slightly younger in age than myself. His hair cut short, and his premature receeding hairline, and two of the brightest most honest eyes one could imagine. His accent was first hard to understand. Everything, the accent, the air, the streets... it all seemed new at first though I had been there only 6 months prior. It was as though the big, little things had somehow faded to the back of my memory. They were all now pushing their way to the front.

Bicky explained that we were going to our guest house. As he drove, I could see that we were in an all too familiar part of town. "Where did you say we are going"... "To the guest house, the Z house, " he replied. "No, no... that is not where I am staying this time. I do want to go there to see my friends, but we need to drop our bags." I was confused. He assured me that guy from Z's had contacted him and we were supposed to go there. The familiar shops, the river, the curve in the road and YES, the LOUD church... we took a left and the church and followed along the same road I had walked with Kim and Nettie so many times last year. This time, it was mounded with dirt along the side and a narrow, fairly steep trench. We pulled up to the garage that faces the street and we rang the bell. My good friend, Kabrom was there to greet me with a warm hug. His father greeted me in the same fashion and smiles were pasting among all faces. I felt like I was home.

Kabrom told me that the tenants in the family sweet had decided to leave early so the room was available for MY FAMILY! God had worked another miracle and I would get to stay with them. I was overjoyed. I was praising God for paving the path and the following news was also great... they had invested in a water pump to get more water and pressure to the family sweet. The only days we would miss out on showers should be because of the power, not the water! What a treat. I was delighted to show our room to J, Nana, and Celia. They seemed pleased with our accomodations. We dropped our personal belongings, as well as the Bible school supplied in our room and immediately headed to the Drop In Center to meet up with Fekadu and the amazing children. Any bit of exhaustion we had to this point was gone and replaced with pure excitement and adreneline. We were REALLY in Africa. We were really about to take on this adventure and we were so excited to see how God would use us for His glory in this trip.