FYI

We've had some fabulous days here lately. Seems like I'm only ever blogging on the weekends.. but between not having electricity every day and not getting blogspot in Ethiopia.. what can I say?? Sorry!

On Friday, we went to PaPa's.. best swimming place in the country! This time we brought two of our disciples, Selam and Beza.. and our little Naftali. Sam and I sent Mohammed and Sinabwa away for the night.. we were parents for 2 days. So fun!

Sam's perfect dive!

Naftali! With "big muscles"..

Saturday was Women's House church!! I'm so proud of my Selam.. she is such an incredible spiritual mom to our disciples. We've had some amazing times together lately..

Harar Church of Joy.. Sunday morning.. with Pr Ashagre was powerful! The church was packed for an anointed word about heaven, the resurrection of the dead and the second coming of Christ. I just love the Word of God!
Then we had a little birthday party for Fraizer!! She led our children's program amazingly this week too!

Fraizer's birthday celebration!

Monday came with it's little joys and surprises..

Samuel got the rest of his birthday candy in the mail.. actually he's been swimming in it!

We got THREE packages today! I think everything was backed up from the volcano ash in Europe.. but anyway.. Sam got candy and book from Sweden, I got a box of EVERYTHING from my big sis and we also got a new book and a few other things from my parents :) Christmas in May :)

In the afternoon we went around Harar and to some villages by motorbike. I love adventures with my pioneer, gorgeous man of God!

People shouted "Conjo Malata" (handsome bald guy) as we zoomed past... hahaha...


The shot is overlooking Jugal.. the old walled city with 99 mosques in just 1 sq km...

I'm anxiously anticipating all the new adventures and victories to be had this week... what a good God I get to colabor with! Less than 2 weeks for our festival in Tanzania.. getting ready to destroy some demons in the clinic!!!

Free day on the Horn

Hmm.. free days. Honestly, unless I’m on a beach or shopping mall, I’m pretty bad at them. I usually start off making the coffee, reading the Word(mmmm), maybe cleaning… and then it feels like I walk around aimlessly for a few hours and it’s time to start Tuesday again. Nonetheless, here are a few particularly insignificant experiences from my Monday...

Okay, yea.. best coffee on the planet. My daddy sends it in the mail (we're actually runnin low now.. *hint*)

Probably sportsbladet...

See.. they're growing!!

Believe it or not, I actually straightened this hair today! And NO I didn't dye it blonde.. African sunshine.

Love our blue shutters and window-seat.. the walls of the house are dark green and pink :)

Sam ate dorowat for lunch

These Oromo men had the cutest rain boots! Can I say that??

Then I started my roaming around the compound.. here are a few remodeling projects I've had..

New black dining room wall, black-covered chairs and photos of places and faces of Ethiopia .. it looks sweet with the red carpet

Our bedroom.. chocolate brown, black, white and cappuccino colors! Niceno..

Tomorrow is the first day of our third Bible school class... O how I'm longing for them! Isn't it beautiful when God transforms lives? The greatest gift I know is when I witness a person being molded in His hands. Warriors are being raised up in Ethiopia.. young men and women who are filled with Holy Spirit and pursuing nothing but a life of miracles among the unreached! That is the only reason I long to do what I do. They make me breathe and speak and walk and live..

Now the hyenas are yelping outside and wild dogs are answering back to them furiously.. my signal to drift away for the night..

Rainy Sunday

Picture of the day:
Me and my little brother.. so cute!

Random thoughts:

We've entered the mini rainy season here in Ethiopia.. feels cozy. We have a tin roof and I love thunderstorms, so it makes for a good match.

My grandma Diana called me yesterday! It was so unexpected.. but made my weekend!! O how I miss fikas with my grandmas...

Me and Sam are waiting for about 4 packages in the mail but I think the volcanoes in Iceland have stalled the shipping process.. and I have no patience! Feels like Christmas time!

I had the most incredible time with Selam and Tigist yesterday.. best friends! The hours pass so quickly and my stomach aches from laughing after I'm with them :)

Samuel is an incredible husband.. he's beyond everything I ever imagined..

The third Bibleschool class starts Tuesday! Can't wait to hear their warrior spirits rumbling through our compound!

My little brother Jeffrey will graduate from high school in June and then go to Marine boot camp to be shipped who knows where.. I still can't believe he's all grown up.

I'm in the mood to create somthing in the kitchen..

I wish I could get a Chai Latte with Soy right now...

Me and Sam built and painted a flower box a few weeks ago and are slowly, slowly watching our little plant babies come up. We're addicted to counting them atleast twice a day! Strange what small things bring you excitement sometimes..

I wonder when I'll actually be fluent in Swedish.. and not speaking this English-Swedish-Amerinja-Spanish mix..

Was meditating on Galations 5 this morning. Walkin by the Spirit...

I have a gorgeous Grand Piano keyboard with full length weighted keys sitting in America.. how and when will I ever be able to take it away with me??

The thunder is so soothing now.. Mohammed and Samuel are laying on the floor by me, snooring... it's making me tired too...

Be blessed wherever you are this Sunday afternoon....... :)

Life on the Horn!

Harar Church of Joy blew my mind on Sunday morning! What a powerful service we had!!!

It started with incredible worship led by our very own Meles, Selam and Henock. The church was clapping, dancing and shouting to the mesmor! There’s nothing like radical praise! Then Maja’s house church… the kids of HCOJ… did a worship dance/drama. Basically anything a kid does is precious. Everyone in the audience had their mobiles out recording..haha! Then Daniel, one of our Bible students got up to testify. The word of our testimony is one of the most powerful tools on the planet.. he was incredible. (This service was jam packed... just bear with me...) Then the students got up to preform a drama called "This Blood". Wow wow... then one of my favorite parts... we handed out diplomas for Bible school graduation!!!!!! GAH!! HALLELUJAH! Now the second class of fire preachers and warriors has been completed! (Sorry for all the !!!!!'s) After prayer and prophecy over the class, my hero and hubby got up to preach a powerful word about our VISION...

Harar Church of Joy

Among the people. For all people.

To liberate, transform and equip a generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ...

in Ethiopia, on the Horn of Africa and to the ends of the earth.

-for the sake of the unreached

Need I elaborate??? Thanks Jesus!

Sunday night was a beautiful celebration. We gathered our 8 students together on mats and pillows in our compound for a barbeque of goat meat and injera. Although we've entered our mini rainy season in Ethiopia, the lighting and pelting drops of water didn't stiffen the joy in our hearts. Fraizer played drums on a plastic barrel while we shouted worship to Jesus and danced in the rain around the bonfire. Hallelujah!

Second class graduates!

It's always fulfilling to see a battle won in the Kingdom. It's satisfying to glean spiritual fruit, sons and daughters. But the work never ends. God's kingdom is a kingdom of multiplication... it's constantly moving. It's alive, never on break or vacation. Now our vision just gleams brighter. Our pursuit of miracles and the supernatural just gets bolder. Only one week until the third class of Bible students gathers together again.. there's much to do! We also have 10 of our graduated students entering into an intense street evangelism training course... They will be strategically sent out to transform the entire region of Harar, house to house. MMM.. love this life!

Almost time to dive into another week. We're preparing for Tanzania(in just one month!), our beloved Katish will be leaving to Sweden on Wednesday, meeting with new saved disciples, dreaming with Holy Spirit, maybe a skype call from USA(??), walks and fikas with my MAN and the team, house churches, and I have a tremendous amount of writing to do... God's so good!

On another note.. Sam and I were looking up Bungalows in Zanzibar today! After our incredible time in the demon clinic at the festival in Tanzania next month, we will be going on a safari and then off to lay on the white beaches of the stunning island of Zanzibar. Hallelujah... mmm. The only African country I've been to is Ethiopia, so I'm loooonging to see these beautiful people groups on the coast of this stunning continent. I'm totally in love with the unreached.

Wish blogspot was working more often out here.. didn't get to write about Samuel's birthday! It was so fun!!! Love celebrating him! I've come to learn pretty early on in this marriage that in times like Christmas and birthdays... he's a little kid. Seriously. On "special days" I have to set my alarm near 3ish-am just to ensure I get up before him. Wrapping paper is usually torn open before the sun rises... there's no patience for those kind of things in our family! We had a wonderful lunch together.. made a delicious coffee/chocolate cake... HE'S THE BEST!! And now he's 26 years! Happy Birthday again, my love...

Daddy God

This afternoon my Sam and I ventured out for a road trip! African road trips are the best! We got caught in a passing storm cloud while up in the mountains... the pictures were spectacular...

Oromo woman.. most beautiful people group!

It's been quite an eventful week. I had the honor of teaching our Bible school students on Tuesday night. What a blast we had! The subject was WORSHIP -

The History of Worship

The Lifestyle of Worship

The Excellence of Worship

Me and Joelle with some of the students!

There was such a Holy Spirit flow when I began the lessons. I love seeing people's eyes light up when they get a revelation of the Word of God and their lives are inevitably transformed in that moment. Thanks Jesus.

Wednesday was great.. and sad. It was the day Joelle was flying home to Youngstown. We had a great morning taking fikas and hugging on our countless street kids.. then ate tibs, dorowat and injera with Maja for lunch. In the afternoon we were headed off to Dire Dawa by minibus, destination: USA via Ethiopian airlines. The flight was delayed twice.. I was secretly (or not so secretly) praying the airports would just mysteriously shut down for a few weeks. They didn't.

Thanks Joelle for spending your life with me in Harar this month! I loved every moment and cherish your sweet presence.. longing for you again soon!

Mohammed, Sinabwa and Naphtali

Our pastors and worship leaders, Mohammed and his beautiful wife Sinabwa have been preparing for the birth of their baby "Hallelujah" for the last seven months. The entire pregnancy has been quite difficult for different reasons... finally this weekend they found themselves at the hospital once again, and the doctors said that the baby had died and she still had to go through the long process of delivery. Samuel and I stayed at the hospital with them through the night while the team and many others were awake praying. On Friday morning, our little Hallelujah came. It's amazing what a gift she has already become to our base here on the Horn of Africa.. we have all wrapped her up inside our hearts these many weeks as she grew. Although it's been a tremendously sad and frustrating time, each of us here have found the beauty of God's faithfulness and goodness interwoven through our minds and spirits. He is always good and always in control. You can read more on my hubby's blog page.

What a diamond the Mohammed family is to me and Samuel. We love and treasure them with our lives! What an honor to stand and fight for Harar with them, to serve God's vision hand in hand... Batam Ewoodachuallo!

What a good Daddy God we have. Serving Him with our lives is unlike any other agenda we could try to put together on our own... I'm in love with this country and these people groups! Ethiopia is being saved!

Birthday love

Today began with "Happy Birthday to Joelle..." at 6am, quickly followed by a SOS tradition of throwing her high into the air. Yes, that'll wake you up...

The surprises continued throughout the day... while Joelle was off experiencing her first live football game(our very own soccer team, Harar "Beer" played Addis Ababa "Coffee"... Yay Harar - despite the name) I was making 2 cakes(with Swedish directions might I add??), almost burning the kitchen down, and hand grinding coffee all the way from Peaberrys in Youngstown USA!!

After some of the spiciest Ox and injera I've ever eaten.. we rushed home and set the night for a delightful birthday fika of safranskaka, carrot cake, bananas, popcorn, red, white & blue coffee, candles... delightful :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY JOELLE!

Next on the birthday list these 2 weeks is Filip.. then Katish.. then my beloved.....

Tomorrow it's just me and my hero...

Wild Appetite

"A worker's appetite works for him, for his hunger urges him on." Proverbs 16:26

Once our food pyramid is aligned with God in the biggest box, we can begin to feed off the other things that satisfy our souls or our mind, will and emotions. We do this through our many unique callings. We do it through giving and loving and living until our hearts are fat, happy and safe in the limitless confounds called dreaming. It is only in our dreams that boundaries are denied access and resources are found to be limitless.

Dreaming big dreams does not mean you’re prideful. A leader once told me, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less so that you can dwell on the dreams of God.” Pastor Kathie Thomas, a prophetic warrior who chases the heartbeat of the King said, “Humility is velvet-covered steel!”

Sometimes you don't know how hungry you are for the supernatural and adventurous kingdom of God until you take your first bite. Reading about the wonders in Acts and the pursuit of the apostles is astounding, but when you begin writing your own pages based upon the events of your day, you obtain an appetite that exceeds any amount of desire you've ever felt. This appetite, in turn, stirs up a roaring hunger so deep in your life that all you can do is look for some sort of satisfaction for the rumbling and that comes when people pray the prayer of salvation, are delivered from demons, begin to walk in joy and receive Holy Spirit.

A wild appetite settled securely in the hand of God has no limits.

Hunger is a natural and invisible anticipation that pulsates so vividly within your veins, making it hard to think. When you can’t give justice to the screaming adjectives of your heart through the jumbled vowels and consonants that are blurrily muttered in tangled chaos while you sit alone praying in your room, you’re hungry. When you feel fidgety even in the midst of success and opportunity, you’re really just hungry. God has created you with this burning desire for thrill and the adventurous journey that comes along. Will you let that desire be satisfied?

Hungry appetites usher in the kind of anticipation that steals away one’s oxygen just before Jack pops out of his box, the anticipation of an expected phone call just before your adrenalin launches you into the air at the sound of ringing. It’s like the burst of a balloon or the terrible sensation of slamming on brakes. It’s overwhelming and all consuming.

Hunger can strike at any age, any location. It strikes within transition periods between one season and the next, when you least expect it and when you’ve been waiting for it with opened arms. It calls to you with screaming whispers saying, “Is this all there is to life? God, there has to be more!” Short snacks in God’s presence will begin to make you sick, squirmy, unhappy and uncomfortable because your spirit man is crying out for intimacy with God. Your heart is longing for the deep-end of His Kingdom.

I believe this hunger hits all of us at one point in our lives, whether we learn to recognize and respond to it or not. God is a God of greatness and adventure and we are made in His image.

When it does hit you, you will automatically begin a search for fulfillment. Will you be fulfilled by the superficial food groups of life? True beauty and fulfillment comes not when you are looking into the eyes of your mirror but when you are looking into the eyes of the nations, the faces of the world.

It’s wonderful to pursue dreams and diverse successes but there is something really special about the pursuit of giving yourself away, pouring the substance of your existence into others. It’s simple. After all, this was the very core of Jesus’ life on earth.

Spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to the unreached world will fill even the deepest and most agonizing cravings you may encounter. Eating is simple yet profound.

Hunger brings expectancy for greatness, urgency for excellence. It screams for salvation, signs, wonders, miracles and revival. It is the Kingdom of Heaven bottled up inside of you, shaken and near the point of explosion!

Outreach to Jijiga with our Bible students!

Spectacular rock formations in East Ethiopia.. on our way to Somali region

We found watermelon! "'Habub"

Joelle looking EXTREMELY middle eastern and beautiful!

Me and my best in Somali region!

The Somali people are some of the most beautiful in the world!

After 4 salvtations and countless contacts established in such a thickly blanketed islamic area, the bus ride home was exploding with worship! Thanks Jesus!!

Joelle's in Ethiopia!

Ethiopia.. Ethiopia.. land that I love. And now my bestie is here too! It's been an amazing week with her. On her first night in Harar we took her on a hike to see the wildly ugly and famous hyenas of our city. She was brave though. Even fed them raw meat from an 8 inch long stick in her mouth!

We had a big gathering with our our disciples in our house on Friday evening, went to women's house church on Saturday and had a powerful Sunday morning meeting at Harar Church of Joy(where my amazing Samuel preached about the fruit of the Spirit, sooo anointed!) On Sunday afternoon we went to see lions.. what a mighty beast! Seriously, they're like royalty. Not friendly royalty though...

Monday was spent bathing in the golden African sun at our favorite pool in Dire Dawa. Now we have a nice summer glow and my hair is a bit more blonde... so refreshing. Spending this Tuesday with the love of my life until it's time to drive back to Harar for Bibleschool class this evening. Samuel will be teaching about the Trinity!

My mama and daddy called unexpectedly on Friday. What a glorious treat! I'm missing them so. Here are some photos for my mama...

Through the mountains on our way to Dire Dawa

Joelle with Selam... amazing disciple who is now leading the Women's house church!

Me and my man stayin out of the rain :)

Strawberry smoothies. Delightful.

My Naphtali eating mango in the morning sunshine.. my most favorite kid!

Filip taking good care of our guest ;) haha

The backseat of our '75 Peugeot in the mountains..

A missionary

A missionary isn’t a missionary because they have the ability to sacrifice more than the other Christians. Missionaries that become missionaries for the glam and the save the world ministries they think up on paper will quickly fade. Glam looks more like dust on the mission field. Agendas melt and mix with those preconceived notions into mud at your feet. A missionary is simply a missionary because they love Jesus. Maybe that’s cliché. I like cliché. Maybe it’s not complex enough for fundraisers and conferences. But it is what it is. Love. Pure, undefiled, radical love for Jesus that absolutely must touch someone else. A missionary has the ability to take their intimacy with God to the streets with power. They have the ability to be transformed in their minds to mold into any culture at anytime, no matter the speech, the food, the living conditions, the dress, the danger or the hard soil in which they have been called to sow.

Today in Ethiopia, I was in search of fresh bortocan or oranges if you don’t speak Amerinja. While thinking how strange it was that I had been searching for this typically common fruit for two days, I remembered that the city had also been out of gas for several weeks and back at home we had no electricity or water. When you’re a missionary, your entire life changes. The topics of a typical day in the western hemisphere become culture shock when you live in Africa. Despite my scattered thoughts though, I was walking next to Holy Spirit so I wasn’t surprised when my spirit-woman fluttered inside me. Before I knew it, I found myself sitting in the sand.

“Selamnacho..” I began with my typical Ethiopian cheeriness. To any other group of women, my cheeks would have been dripping with kisses and my lips stiff from smiling with such extroverted joy… but these women were different. They were the hardest women I’ve seen on this continent, sitting on the dirty ground beneath the fruit stands and the big walls leading to the old city. They were completely inebriated from the drug kat, which proved its power over them by the bright green stains still clinging to their teeth. Brutal scars outlined their faces like a map displaying the course of their lives. Most of the marks were still fresh. Their legs were fully exposed in the late afternoon glow of sunshine, a sight you never see when you live in the fourth holiest Islamic city in the world. A tabletop of torn cardboard centered itself between them as they played some unrecognizable card game and passed a cigarette between themselves. Only one woman responded to my greeting, the rest never even lifted their eyes.

I felt like I belonged. I longed so badly to pick up some spades and hearts and nestle my way between them. I didn’t need to say so many words, I just wanted to be close. They were the most beautiful women with all their flaws, bloodshot eyes and missing teeth. They must have been teenagers somewhere inside their aged exteriors. They had been through too much to merely be a group of young women. As I did my best to squeeze into their lives for just a moment, a small street boy took the mobile from my hand. He apparently belonged to this group of girls. Another woman with the biggest open wound of them all, just on the corner of her eye, explained emotionlessly that she also had a baby. I wondered where that sweet homeless infant must have been. She didn’t look so concerned though.

For a moment I fought back tears as I imagined where they would be in less than an hour when the sun disappeared. I wondered if their hearts filled with dread the way mine did or was it just “clock-in” for them. I felt like I was under water as I searched for words in their language but none of them held enough love in their definitions to speak out clearly. None of them gave me the ability to open my mouth. I was floating in a tank of desperation without oxygen enough to breathe. I wondered if they had ever heard the name of Jesus. Jesus the Son of God. The sinless Man. The One who would only love them, never take advantage of their souls and bodies. The One full of healing and restoration. The true Creator and Lover of the dreadful lives they sat in.

As I walked away, I let the tears flow freely. Many religious Muslim and Orthodox women stared at me, shocked that I had lowered myself to the “bad girls” level. I only continued with pride. I was overflowing with love and desperation all at once… like Romeo and Juliet must have felt, or a best friend who loses their only confinement. It was the love, desperation and heart of the Father for the unreached. For the ones who don’t care enough to even hide who they are or what they do… the ones who reek of sin, rage and pain.

LIFE!

Highlights from the last few weeks... blogspot hasn't been working in Ethiopia lately... please accept my sincere apology!

#1

(On our way home from America) Wednesday, February 3 -- 5:30am... we took off from Addis Ababa on a (usually) 9 hour journey home to Harar. On this day though, our incredible Katrine and Filip (electricians, plumbers, preachers, carpenters, chefs...) had driven our 1975 Peugeout to Addis to pick us up rather than taking Skybus which had left us with tragic nerves from 3 near-head-ons and reckless driving among the cliffs and mountains of Ethiopia two weeks earlier.

15 minutes into the journey.. before the sun...

We had 4 flat tires, died about 10 times, ran out of gas more times than I can remember, had no food, a poor sick Katrine, flat spare tire... gotta love African adventures! Maybe it was our excessively-overweight luggage, but we won't mention that to my husband...

#2

We completely remodeled our home!! We have 2 white walls and 2 deep chocolate brown walls. Plus a huge black and white canvas with photos pinned to it, new lighting, new bedding... it's magnificent! Still in search for shelves and a gigantic black and white photo above the bed!

#3

While Youngstown is daily being buried in white diamonds, we're working on our tans.... mmmm.... gotta love life! Missionary LIFE!

#4

Our second class of Bibleschool students led their first outreach under the city's mosque today. Sooo proud! The Ethiopians are becoming their own missionaries!

#5

I have the best husband in the universe! Yep, it's true. Woke up on valentine's day to the most gorgeous necklace... then surprised him with a secret night-for-two! The guys helped me by taking him out of the house for a while and the girls and I made preparations... then Katrine personally and silently escorted him through the city to where I was... it was amazing!

#6

Saturday night is my favorite night of the week. Why? Women's house church!!!! This morning I sat for a long fika with Selam... my dear friend and disciple. She has been my translator, bibleschool-graduate and leader in the group for several months but today she shared her vision for the house church with me... what a gem, mother and gift she is becoming to the people in this city. Tonight I officially made her the new house church leader!!! Sooo proud! Time to pioneer new things!!!

#7

As I type, my best friend is on her way to India for 2 weeks. Then she's coming to live in Harar with me for ONE MONTH!!! GAH!! I'm exploding inside and out!! Longing to share life with you among the unreached my Joelle! (And longing for you Lauren!)

#8

I'm grateful to live in the age of email and MAC. Completely in love with my family and hanging on every word from America!

#9

We bought our 4 tickets to Tanzania in May!! Me, Samuel and our Ethiopian pastors, Mohammed and Ashagre will join Mission SOS for their festival in Tanzania!! Demon clinic... here the Ethiopian base comes!!!!!!

I had amazing photos for each of these points but blogspot still isn't 100% Forgive me again. Maybe tomorrow...

Harar Church of Joy with Pastor Samuel at 9:30 tomorrow morning!!! Wohoo!! Come if you're around!!!

Goodbye

Yesterday was goodbye. I've been traveling the world for years... yet all the goodbyes have never gotten easier. I hate them. I wish I could just bring everyone with me. In my case, that's the most difficult part of pioneering. Of course my heart and life is in Harar, Ethiopia but I just wish my mama and daddy were there with me too. My brother Jeffrey is leaving for the Marines soon as well... don't know when I'll see him again. So proud though!!

Samuel and I have been so blessed and taken care of in Pittsburgh, NYC and Youngstown. Thanks EVERYONE! Wow wow. Our spirits are rejoicing and ready to run. There were so many incredible words spoken over us. Thanks Holy Spirit. Plus, it was amazing to simply eat subway, sit by the fire place, shop, wear skirts that went against missionary dress code -- yesterday at Church one of the MC girls came up to me and said, "You're stylish for a missionary".. haha.. I think that was a compliment;) -- celebrate Christmas again, kiss my grandma and wrestle with my baby brother(who is atleast double my size and quadruple my strength).

My mama... rockin the boots we got her in NYC! So cute!

Dad in his Oromo skirt.. getting ready for Harar!

My birthday was so fun. Mom gave me the gift of getting my hair done my first day in USA! After 3 hours it was not so sun-soaked blonde and long. But I love it. Also got the camera from Kristin, an adorable bag from Lauren. Dad filled our suitcases with tons of things for our home(longing to paint and remodel a bit!) and Samuel got me a stunning Fossil watch. Mmmm..

Yep.. that's my man...

My beauty...

Samuel and I are in Istanbul now.. boarding our plane to Addis Ababa in about an Hour. I can't remember what that burning African sun feels like. I've had too much burning frost stuck to the depths of my bones these two weeks!

Katrine and Filip are driving our baby blue Peugeout to Addis Ababa to get us! We have about 200lbs worth of luggage and that's just too difficult to bring by minibus. Spending Tuesday afternoon with our hero Daniel Elvelyck and then taking the long drive home to Harar... just in time for Bibleschool class!! I need to hug on those disciples!!!!

If you're living in Youngstown and reading this... hug and love on my family for me. Praying for lots of money to fall in their laps so they can fly to us!! Just one month until my Joelle comes to live with me for ONE MONTH!!

The Big Apple

Our trip to New York City was perfect. We stayed at the amazing Sheraton IN the middle of Manhattan.. just one block away from Time Square and a 5 minute walk to Central Park. When we checked in we told them that we were on our honeymoon, so they gave us free access to the business lounge as well :) ... which basically just means free unlimited Starbucks, breakfast and Horsdoeuvres -- all overlooking the sky scrapes of the city! Favor!

Monday evening was spent strolling through Time Square, exploring Macy's (the largest department store on the planet) and eating at TGIF in the heart of it all. On Tuesday we took an incredible on-off tour bus through downtown NYC, shopped at Urban Outfitters, H&M, strolled China Town and SOHO, ate lunch at Subway (we've been craving that in Ethiopia), searched for leather high-top Chucks (Through the entire city. Literally like 20 stores. They've been out in Europe and Asia for a while... America is always the last to get fashion. These Converse literally arrived in NYC the day we did!!) More favor!

Wednesday was my 22nd Birthday! It began with a sunshiny (yet freezing) carriage ride through Central Park. In the afternoon we took the "Uptown Loop" tour through Harlem and the Upper East Side. Amazing. Then we went to the top of the Empire State Building... it's incredible how many movies have been filmed there... romance, tragedy(Sleepless in Seattle, King Kong...)

In the evening, Samuel hailed me my first NY cab and took me to a Blues club in Time Square. So fun...

O Yea... and we finally found the converse(Black leather high-tops!) in the basement of a souvenir shop! They're hott!

My hero and I in Central Park!

Friday was lovely. I went out with my mama.. and then came home to find the men in my life fighting. Fencing actually. Hilarious. Samuel is addicted to a new sport... they were dripping with sweat when they finished and Samuel was even gushing blood. It's crazy what guys will do for the honor and pride of a victory...

This morning my Kristin came over with a Birthday gift for me. I looove photography but have been without a camera for a while now. She got me a new one!!! Thank you thank you thank you!! I love it! God truly does give us the desires of our hearts :)

My love..

It's our last full day here in the states. Soaking up my family, Joelle and Lauren. The team in Ethiopia is having an incredible festival with Daniel this weekend... longing for my African family!! Love you and am praying and believing for incredible things on Africa's Horn! Be there soon!!!