Thanks to a convenient sinus infection and Strict orders from Dr. Ulla to take some rest I have time to write an update! Something I’ve been meaning to do for quite a few weeks now! YAY!
We’ve been pretty busy the last month since I got back from Christmas break, painting, renovating, along with teaching and cooking for the girls everyday, but it’s been a great time! Our house is starting to look more and more like a home every day. So despite some difficulties we are still very encouraged and excited for what God is doing now with the projects and in Ethiopia!
We have been extremely blessed by a team from Herrnhut that came a few weeks ago and helped by doing a ton of practical work for the house, we painted, put in flooring and lamps and they fixed the toilet which was huge help!!! There are also 3 girls that stayed from the team to work with the project and help us with lessons and cooking which is a huge help and we are able to do a lot of things that we have always thought of doing but never had enough people! So they are a big help and encouragement for us! We are so thankful for the donations we received already from different supporters and our base for renovating and buying furniture it’s a huge answer to prayer! The next thing we have to do is to buy beds, mattresses, a couch and hopefully a fridge! It’s so funny to move and buy things for the house here because ever piece of furniture that we buy we have to carry to the house ourselves or some how find someone with a car to help us haha! I think it’s a funny sight for the people here to see two white girls carrying a shelf down the street with paint splattered all over themselves. Most of the foreigners (or ferengi’s as they call us) have nice fancy cars and hire people to do everything for them!
We can tell that this is a really special time for the projects and that God is really doing something here. We have been spending time praying for the projects and feel that things are getting better everyday! Our prayer is that God would really grow these projects into the best that they can be and that his will would be done in all of it! We would really appreciate it if you would pray for us in this time!
This past weekend we attended a conference at the international church that we go to here. It was called Africa Arise and it was so incredible! I was so inspired by the speakers and their perspective on what it will take to change Africa. They preached that Africa needs leaders to rise up that will have integrity and that will keep their distance from corruption and that the people in Ethiopia are called to be the leaders that they wish to have! Not to wait for someone else to change things or for white people to come and give them money but to stand up and change their own lives and their own countries! It was so encouraging to hear this because so often we find in our ministry that we absolutely need local people in order to accomplish anything in this country and even though we try to help people as much as we can, in order for people to get out of poverty the main effort needs to come from their part otherwise we can’t help them! We invited all of the girls that are a part of the project to come with us and the ones that came really enjoyed the conference!
I am so honored to be a part of this project and to be able to invest in these 14 girls! I really believe that they will grow up to become leaders and spokespersons in their communities, schools, cities and then the world! That is really our prayer for them! It’s so exciting to talk to them about the dreams that they have when a year ago they didn’t even dream! They only thought about surviving as best they could! But now they dream of becoming dancers, lawyers, doctors, journalists and artists! Even just seeing one of their lives changed or one of them being able to dream again makes any difficulty we may face here worth enduring!
Ulla and I are still doing research and praying about The Rahab in Jinka and hoping that we can go south soon but I don’t know when that will be and we feel like God wants us to stay in Addis for now and until there are more people for the girls project! Please pray for more people here in Addis that have a long-term vision for the projects here and while your at it ask God if it’s you he wants to send ☺!
Well that’s all I have for now!
Love
-Melody
Friday, February 4, 2011
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Newsletter!
I just sent out a Newsletter so check your inboxes!
If you don't see it, it might be in your spam folder.
or just click here!
a very basic summary for those of you who don't read...
I am getting ready to go to ethiopia in about two weeks! DahhhhH!! Ulla and I are getting so excited to finally just be there!
Please pray that we get all the finances, visas, and everything that we need before we go we don't have our plane tickets yet! But we know God is Going to provide so we're not too worried!
kthxbai!
-Melody
P.S. Check out the new features on the side bar ->>>>
(sign up for my newsletter list, donation button)
If you don't see it, it might be in your spam folder.
or just click here!
a very basic summary for those of you who don't read...
I am getting ready to go to ethiopia in about two weeks! DahhhhH!! Ulla and I are getting so excited to finally just be there!
Please pray that we get all the finances, visas, and everything that we need before we go we don't have our plane tickets yet! But we know God is Going to provide so we're not too worried!
kthxbai!
-Melody
P.S. Check out the new features on the side bar ->>>>
(sign up for my newsletter list, donation button)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Fall is here!
Another wonderful weekend in Herrnhut! I love weekends...
Last weekend I had a great time with my parents, they came to visit! We had a Birthday party, went to prague, and had awesome vegetarian food! Yea it was a great time, I love them! Getting back to Herrnhut monday morning was not so much fun, my bus was late, the taxi broke down, it was raining, it was pretty miserable, But I made it home and my super sweet flat-mates had left me birthday presents, cookies, and a beautiful little note on the table which made up for it all!! I love my friends!
The past two weeks have been pretty crazy! but really cool with all the new Marriage of the Arts students! God is doing and is going to do even more awesome things in this school! 100+ Crazy talented Artists working together, making art that is going to change lives! yea it's awesome to be here right now!
Ulla is also back this week and we've been talking and praying a lot about ethiopia, and when we are going to go! We are talking about going in the end of october, and planning to stay until around may! Which is a little scary, since that's only a month away and there is still so much to prepare! But I am really excited, and I know that God is going to provide, and lead us in this! Next week we will probably figure out a budget for the trip, to see how much we will need to fund raise. We are both really looking forward to the time and anxious to get there already and get started. I especially can't wait to see the Garbage City Girls again, and to go to the south and see all of our friends there, that I haven't seen in over a year! The south feels like my third home. :-)
I am really inspired for this time and I plan on continuing to work on my art while I'm there!! I have recently been getting into more painting and mixed media stuff! This is something I really want to practice and get better at! I want to be re-inspired by Ethiopia and the people there and see what kind of art will come out of that inspiration!
Yea we have a lot of ideas for this time and I think Ulla, Corey, Anna, and I, will make a great team! Plus whoever else decides to join us!! (that could be you!*hint*). Ulla and I really desire to focus on empowering local Ethiopians to get more involved in helping their own people. Not having this role of the 'Westerners coming in to save the day' But rather partnering with, and encouraging Ethiopians to save Ethiopia! Because, I believe that is when real change will begin to take place in this country! There are tons of awesome NGO's and organizations out there but I think there is so much more that can be done! They are really a unique and beautiful people.
We also want to learn Amharic so that we can better communicate with them, especially in the south as less people can speak English there! So we'll see how that goes!
Stephanie just left two days ago for ethiopia So keep her in your prays as well! She will be there for 40 days working with the different projects! Check out her blog for more info! Liz, David and Angie are also hoping to go down next week as well!
Yea that's pretty much all I've got for now!
I'm planning to send out a newsletter soon!
And in case you haven't seen it yet, you can sign up to get my newsletters right over there in the side column -->
Thanks for reading!!
<3 sMelody
So Yesterday I edited some photos from cornerstone and hamburg! for your viewing pleasure! (see more on my flickr!)
Last weekend I had a great time with my parents, they came to visit! We had a Birthday party, went to prague, and had awesome vegetarian food! Yea it was a great time, I love them! Getting back to Herrnhut monday morning was not so much fun, my bus was late, the taxi broke down, it was raining, it was pretty miserable, But I made it home and my super sweet flat-mates had left me birthday presents, cookies, and a beautiful little note on the table which made up for it all!! I love my friends!
The past two weeks have been pretty crazy! but really cool with all the new Marriage of the Arts students! God is doing and is going to do even more awesome things in this school! 100+ Crazy talented Artists working together, making art that is going to change lives! yea it's awesome to be here right now!
Ulla is also back this week and we've been talking and praying a lot about ethiopia, and when we are going to go! We are talking about going in the end of october, and planning to stay until around may! Which is a little scary, since that's only a month away and there is still so much to prepare! But I am really excited, and I know that God is going to provide, and lead us in this! Next week we will probably figure out a budget for the trip, to see how much we will need to fund raise. We are both really looking forward to the time and anxious to get there already and get started. I especially can't wait to see the Garbage City Girls again, and to go to the south and see all of our friends there, that I haven't seen in over a year! The south feels like my third home. :-)
I am really inspired for this time and I plan on continuing to work on my art while I'm there!! I have recently been getting into more painting and mixed media stuff! This is something I really want to practice and get better at! I want to be re-inspired by Ethiopia and the people there and see what kind of art will come out of that inspiration!
Yea we have a lot of ideas for this time and I think Ulla, Corey, Anna, and I, will make a great team! Plus whoever else decides to join us!! (that could be you!*hint*). Ulla and I really desire to focus on empowering local Ethiopians to get more involved in helping their own people. Not having this role of the 'Westerners coming in to save the day' But rather partnering with, and encouraging Ethiopians to save Ethiopia! Because, I believe that is when real change will begin to take place in this country! There are tons of awesome NGO's and organizations out there but I think there is so much more that can be done! They are really a unique and beautiful people.
We also want to learn Amharic so that we can better communicate with them, especially in the south as less people can speak English there! So we'll see how that goes!
Stephanie just left two days ago for ethiopia So keep her in your prays as well! She will be there for 40 days working with the different projects! Check out her blog for more info! Liz, David and Angie are also hoping to go down next week as well!
Yea that's pretty much all I've got for now!
I'm planning to send out a newsletter soon!
And in case you haven't seen it yet, you can sign up to get my newsletters right over there in the side column -->
Thanks for reading!!
<3 sMelody
So Yesterday I edited some photos from cornerstone and hamburg! for your viewing pleasure! (see more on my flickr!)
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