Yes, I should be packing, but...

So excited about this...

Kristelle just drew a picture of our family...

LOVE this...

Left to right...

John, Tamara, Emnatu, Kyle, Mezgebu, Maskarem, Kristelle

Praying that the boys I will be able hand deliver this

to Maskarem next week before she leaves for school.

This made me smile today...  Fendisha (Popcorn)

The boys all love to tease me about fendisha.

Everyone over there knows how much I love

popcorn, and just about every time we skype,

 someone will shout out several times,

"FENDISHA!!!!"

They know this makes me laugh... can't explain it,

other than to say... they are silly,

and this one word makes me join in on the silliness!

Today, after another graduation ceremony

where they obviously had fendisha,

they posted this photo on my fb.

 - - - - - - - -

Now, on to the prayer requests...

Meet my partners in crime love... Cherrie and Emily

Cherrie (left) lives in Oregon.

Hence, the extra leg of my trip to get to Portland.

She and I have sponsor kids at Korah.

She loves Korah the way I love Kolfe...

We understand each other very well...

Emily (right) is her daughter,

and we will pick her up on our

12 HOUR LAYOVER in Amsterdam.

From there we fly to Nairobi,

(where sadly, I will miss Ermias, because

he has class 250 miles away.)

change planes, and then head for...

ADDIS ABABA,

where Cherrie and I agree

half of our heart resides.

Please pray for these two as they work

at Korah for the next two weeks.

There is SO much to be done to help

these people live a better life.

Pray also for our health and safety as we travel. 

Meet Fekadu... my Ethiopian Angel.

Fekadu has cleared his schedule and will be with me

each day of my trip. He is not a Kolfe boy,

but rather a doctor of Veterinary Medicine who currently

is working contract work for Compassion International.

Such a great guy! 

He will act as my guide, translator, protector...

and sweet friend!

Pray that we get along as well

in person as we do by chat, that we would do

some great things together for Christ,

and that he would be blessed

by his time with me and the Kolfe boys.

This sweet guy is Genanaw.

His mom is a dear friend, and fellow Kolfe mom.

Genanaw needs to get registered in some type

of college next week!!!  If this doesn't happen,

he will have to leave Kolfe.  Neither his mom, nor I

can stand the thought of this, so Fekadu and I have

some work to do, to be her hands and feet over there.

What a blessing that he has a mom in the states who is willing

to do whatever it takes to make sure he can get into school.

Please pray that we are able to accomplish this

while we are there, and send word back to

her that her precious son will not be

out on the street, but remain safe at Kolfe.

 - - - -

While your at it... there are 11 others who will be out

on the streets in a matter of days/weeks. 

Finding a job is so difficult.  (more on that in a later post)

Pray for these young men who are frightened and discouraged.

..In this photo: Tesfa Bekele, Sintayehu Smelley, our Emnatu, and Mohammed Yimer

Meet Mohammed... (red tie)

I have only met him once via Skype,
but this kid has a special spot in my heart.

You see, we sent Emnatu a Bible back in April.

It was the first one he had ever owned and it was precious to him...

that is until we sent 3 more this summer.

(1 for Mezgebu, and 1 for each boy to give to a friend)

Emnatu chose to keep the new Bible and give his first one to...

you guessed it... to Mohammed.
 - - - - -

I met Mohammed for the first time this week.

He was shy, and sweet,

and getting ready to graduate today.

He needs a job.  He doesn't have a mom, as far as I can tell.

 He graduated with a degree in Medical Lab.

That's all I know, but I have a candy bar with his name on it.

Not quite as good of a gift as the Bible,
but well... he's already got that... :O)