A Note to Ehko

Hello Ehko! It’s Lydia! If you’re reading this, then your wonderful youth pastors, Eric and Jarrod, must have told you about a great opportunity that you have to bless the kids of Ethiopia!

When I was about your age, maybe a little older, God started teaching me about how blessed I was…to have two parents who loved me, to not have to worry about where my next meal would come from, to have a home to live in, a bed to sleep in, to get new clothes every year, to receive a good education, to be part of a church that taught the Word of God and encouraged students to be part of missions…and I could go on and on. At the time that God was teaching me about how blessed I was, He was also teaching me that because He has blessed me with so much, He expects me to be a blessing to others in return.

If I had to guess, I would say that you are blessed with most of the same things that I was blessed with. And so, I was wondering if you would think about doing something. Would you think about blessing the kids of Ethiopia?

Every day I work with the some of the best kids in the world (next to you all : )) These are kids who are just like you. They go to school. They wear school uniforms. The boys love to play sports. The girls love to talk, paint their nails, have their hair done. They have the same needs, hopes and dreams, and they love getting new things just like me and you.

But they live differently. Some are orphans. Some are blind. Many of them have only one or two shirts and pairs of pants to wear…clothing that is often torn or too small. They live with their families in one room on a compound with other families. They don’t have running water in their houses. Some don’t have electricity.  They only have one pair of shoes– shoes which are often old, broken, or too small. They are smaller than the average kids their age because they are malnourished. Though they are poor, they are incredibly joyful and their joy has blessed me immensely.

They don’t have the latest toys, computers, cell phones, etc., but they are thrilled when they get a new ball to play with, they love stickers, new pencils for school, hair clips, etc.

So, I’m asking you. In the way that God has blessed you, will you bless the kids here? In a couple of weeks, my Mom and Dad, my brother, and my sister Lily (who is in Ehko with you) are coming to Ethiopia. With all their extra luggage space, they are going to fill their suitcases with things to bless the kids of Ethiopia! I so badly want you to be a part of it, and I hope and pray you will. I know that the kids will be delighted to receive your gifts, and I can’t wait to take their pictures so you can see who you have blessed!

Eric and Jarrod will have a list of things you can give. If you have any questions, you can ask them or you ask me. I would love to hear from you! You can find me on Facebook or email me at lydiawalkley@yahoo.com. Thanks Ehko! I love you!

More

How many times have I looked up at the sky and marveled at its beauty? Whether sunrise or sunset, the noonday sun, or the nighttime stars the heavens are magnificent! Not until recently have I realized how limited my view of the heavens has been. But with this new revelation, God has started a new work in my heart!

By the word of His mouth light came into existence traveling at 186,000 miles/second. He spoke and a raging ball of fire, known as the sun, came flying out of His mouth…the sun, that though it is 93,000,000 from Earth, can still turn us into lobsters if we are exposed to it for too long! He breathed the billions of starry hosts into the nighttime sky…and He gave a name to each of them. He measures the span of the entire universe with His hand. This universe that He can measure by the width of His hand, He created to declare His glory and majesty! And declare it He does!

Can you imagine spreading apart your thumb and index finger and being able to see the entire universe? My mind cannot fathom God! He gave names to the billions of stars He flung into the sky, and yet He knows MY name, YOUR name. The Psalmist says, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?”

God…the star maker, light breather, Creator of this universe that is beyond my human understanding, is the same God who gave His only Son for the sins of all mankind…the greatest act of love. I’m not trying to be preachy, but I have just been so incredibly awed by how great God is, His unmatched power, how small I am, and the thought that He still loves me.

And yet, so often I take God’s power from Him by not believing Him…by not trusting Him for who He says He is, by not trusting Him to do BIG things. Things beyond what I could ever ask or imagine!  And so this is where I am. In His great goodness, grace, and mercy, God is revealing Himself to me, and it is giving me a great hunger for more. More of Him. More of His power. More of His love. More, but not just more for me.

I want more for these precious kids that I have the privilege of knowing. I want them to know the God who breathed the sun from His mouth, and the same God who passionately loves them and delights in them. I want more of what author and speaker Louie Giglio calls “astronomical grace” for me…for them…and for you.

So these are my prayers….and I would be grateful if you would join me in them…

—that I will be attuned to the Holy Spirit so that I can receive more of Him

—that I will believe God to do BIG things in the live of the kids we work with…at the youth center, the        blind school, the orphanage, the countryside schools, in the Bible studies…and that they will have a      desire to know God and His great love for them through Jesus Christ

You Know You’re in Africa When…

Just to let you in on the funny things about living in Ethiopia, I made this list. The first one was my inspiration for this entry : )

1. You have dead mosquitoes floating in your coffee and you still drink it anyway
2. Everyone thinks your name is “Money” because that’s what they yell to you when you walk down the street
3. There are donkeys and horses and other animals standing in the middle of the road
4. You can buy a cappuchino for 45 cents
5. You have to bleach your fruits and vegetables before you can eat them
6. You get really excited when you see another white person
7. Color coordinating your clothes is no longer important to you
8. You receive marriage proposals on a weekly basis
9. Instead of saying “How are you?” to other foreigners you say, “Are you fine?” because that’s what the Ethiopians say to you
10. When people send you chocolate you eat the whole thing in one sitting…and you don’t feel guilty
11. You worry that when you go home you will shake everyone’s hand as you walk down the street
12. You forgot what personal space is
13. You worry about getting diseases after you touch the children
14. You GET diseases after you touch the children
15. Going to post office is exhilarating if you have something
16. Going to the post office is depressing if you have nothing
17. People you have never seen in your entire life know your name
18. You use dial-up internet
19. You have an English class with 90 kids, and no Ethiopian teacher
20. You go to weddings of people you have never met
21. You thought saw a Starbuck’s, but it was really Starback’s
22. You organize a soccer game with 50 kids on each team…and it’s not a problem
23. You can eat as much as you want for $2
24. Washing in a bucket is normal
25. You know you’re in Africa when all these things are normal to you.