Fall in love

Come fall in love with me.... no not with me... come with me to fall in love with the little man of my dreams. That sounds better. NAFTALI MOHAMMED. O how I love you so dearly. I would buy my own plane and get a pilot license just to see you every other day! (I am looking into that by the way...)

Naftali's mango face... enjoying a messy breakfast in the morning sun...

I'm sharing this mostly because I'm in a state of crazy longing for my family on the Horn of Africa. But - I also want to challenge whoever you are - to GIVE YOURSELF away. Get rid of it! Throw it out the door! Cast yourself --- onto someone else. The best life to live is the life you give away. You will loose YOU and gain a plethora and a multitude of PEOPLE that will always dance in the corners of your heart. They will be the reason you live. It may be children. It may be disciples. It may be a person that's totally passed by and unnoticed and then, BAM! Your little life knocks them down! The only way to see the world meet Jesus is when we throw our lives on others. My friend, your life has nothing to do with you. Honestly. Jesus' life had nothing to do with Him(well, it had everything to do with Him, but try to stay with me)... God said that He loved the WORLD so much that He GAVE His Son! Love the world so much that you GIVE YOURSELF! It's a mad, wonderful, powerful circle! Do you get it??

I'm not a pro at this... but hopefully you'll continue to come with me to fall in love with a boy... and see your own heart begin to fall in love with idea of changing the world one person at a time by throwing yourself on someone too.

Plus, pictures speak a thousand words... I'm a big picture gal...

Naftali and I met each other in 2008. He was a chubby little toothless guy back then (technically he didn't become tooth-full until about one month ago - strange, I know)... but nonetheless, I loved that little face! He is one of the sons of our assistant pastors Mohammed and Zinabwa at the Harar Church of Joy in Harar, Ethiopia. We lived together, played together, prayed together, had sleepovers together... we did it all...

Driving through the dessert...

Naftali's 6th Birthday party... I think that face was a result of eating almost the whole cake - solo...

O dear... perfection...

Our traditional Ethiopian clothes on the way to church...

Samuel and Nafto on Christmas day 2010...

He's quite the photographer... loves to steal camera's... and candy...

Sleepovers with Gabby and Samuel entitle jumping on beds. Wearing Gab's glasses however, is not entitled.

Learning to tie shoes...

No caption necessary...

Samuel and Nafto...

Naftali and Coubod... they help lead the kid's church... seriously. And they're really good at it!

Christmas 2008...

Nafto preached to us one day at lunch... in Amerinja AND English... from Genesis to Revelation! It was so powerful. I had tears streaming down my cheeks. He even LED us in a salvation prayer, taught on the Holy Spirit and told us about baptism in water! He is a Bible lover, prayer lover, worship lover and he's going to grow up to "preach and be a mini bus driver"...

This was Nafto showing us how to baptize - after he led us to salvation... (Ashagre - the senior pastor - was his volunteer) He has some incredible parents training him up in the ways of the Lord...

Naftali learned English so perfectly over the last two years we spent together... so he rose to the top of his kindergarten class AND he was my personal translator on the streets... stunning... no joke!

He was mad here because he thought he could just decide when he wanted his birthday to be... and it obviously wasn't that day...

This was the last time we were together... What an incredible team was left behind to lead the work there in Ethiopia... but I can assure you heroes... your lives and testimonies make up the foundations of mine and Samuel's hearts!!! We are only full of love and pride over you!!!! Mohammed, Ashagre, Zinabwa, Naftali and Zebulun!!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!