Ethiopia 2013 Thank You!
First off, I'd like to say thank you for supporting my dad and I on our missions trip to Ethiopia- prayerfully, financially, or both. In Ethiopia I learned a lot about the depth of Gods character and the complete joy found in Him. Almost every day we were loving on the people in Korah- the outcasts of the outcasts. Their roads are dirt covering over the trash underneath. Driving down the bumpy road you see small children digging in the trash, leapers walking with their heads down low, young moms begging for food. We got to hang out at the Mission Ethiopia site in the heart of Korah. Our team was invited to sit in on their devotional. I walked in and saw women of all ages- teens to 70- on their knees bowing on the concrete floor, crying out to their Maker, praising Him with such over-flowing joy. When they started worshiping him in song, one lady was so desperate for Jesus, she literally feel over. Every person there praised Jesus with such abandoned, heart-throbbing, need for His presence. In that moment God whispered to me, “When's the last time you worshiped like that?”. I don't know if I ever have, but it made me desire to know Him like they do- they are so happy. These people have nothing, yet they have everything. I've never met people with such joy. They flipped my perspective on possessions. In America we are told having a family, a job, a car, a house, food, clothes, are important when in fact, I've found all of these things are worthless when compared to the infinite knowledge of knowing Christ Jesus, my Savor. Everything is empty compared to Jesus. He fulfills that thought in your heart of “there has to be something more to this life”. Jesus is the answer. This was the main thing God taught me while in Ethiopia. My heart is still in Ethiopia, I miss the people so much. Thank you for making this journey possible. I am grateful you helped me to accomplish my dream.
Love, Kirstin Beck
First off, I'd like to say thank you for supporting my dad and I on our missions trip to Ethiopia- prayerfully, financially, or both. In Ethiopia I learned a lot about the depth of Gods character and the complete joy found in Him. Almost every day we were loving on the people in Korah- the outcasts of the outcasts. Their roads are dirt covering over the trash underneath. Driving down the bumpy road you see small children digging in the trash, leapers walking with their heads down low, young moms begging for food. We got to hang out at the Mission Ethiopia site in the heart of Korah. Our team was invited to sit in on their devotional. I walked in and saw women of all ages- teens to 70- on their knees bowing on the concrete floor, crying out to their Maker, praising Him with such over-flowing joy. When they started worshiping him in song, one lady was so desperate for Jesus, she literally feel over. Every person there praised Jesus with such abandoned, heart-throbbing, need for His presence. In that moment God whispered to me, “When's the last time you worshiped like that?”. I don't know if I ever have, but it made me desire to know Him like they do- they are so happy. These people have nothing, yet they have everything. I've never met people with such joy. They flipped my perspective on possessions. In America we are told having a family, a job, a car, a house, food, clothes, are important when in fact, I've found all of these things are worthless when compared to the infinite knowledge of knowing Christ Jesus, my Savor. Everything is empty compared to Jesus. He fulfills that thought in your heart of “there has to be something more to this life”. Jesus is the answer. This was the main thing God taught me while in Ethiopia. My heart is still in Ethiopia, I miss the people so much. Thank you for making this journey possible. I am grateful you helped me to accomplish my dream.
Love, Kirstin Beck
Tigist
What do you do when this little girl hands you some of her popcorn to eat?
This beautiful girls name is Tigist. My friend Ann Rae feel in love with her last year. Tigist's parents both died. She is now living with her grandmother who happens to be disabled. Because of this, she doesn't have a job. No job, means no money, which means no food.
Tigist walks in Anguach's small closet size home, and sits on Corey's lap. You can not take the smile of this girls face. Her pants are so big, they are falling off her body. While the red shirt she is wearing she's worn for days. She grabs my hand to hold- a sign of friendship in there culture.
Anguach is a women who recently started working at Mission Ethiopia. We are her first home visit. She starts the coffee ceremony. Roasting the coffee beans, and preparing the popcorn. Once the popcorn is done, she gets up and passes it out to everyone. Tigist grabs a hand full. I wonder when the last time she ate. I wonder if this is all she will have today. All these thoughts enter my mind.
Tigist starts to eat a little, but is trying to feed Corey and myself with her popcorn. Her popcorn. This little girl, who probably doesn't know when her next "meal" will be, is feeding us well feed Americans. How many children her age are sharing their food? Especially in Africa.
I had this memory come to me again in a dream. I woke up like it was a nightmare- my heart sunk in my chest. It was probably guilt. How much food we have is sickening. But not just that, I can't tell you how many times I've seen people, at lunch time at school, refuse to give someone their food- because it's theirs, they own it. But now I see, we don't own food. Food owns us.
Tigist has had days were she's starved. She experienced hunger like we never can imagine. But food doesn't own her. This five year old, not knowing when the next meal will come, feed us Americans. Why? Well because I think she has a better understanding of what this life is all about. She wanted to feed us because she cared about us, she loved us. She saw past her need, and was looking out for ours.
Tigist need for food is so much larger than ours could ever be, but still she shared. I have so much to learn from this girl. Now, tomorrow I embark on a fast, from food.
Jesus,
Please show me my heart. Show me my need for You. Just like Tigist, help me look past my need for the people around me. Through this fast let me learn Your heart. Reveal to me Your Will for my life. Put inside me a passion. God you are a consuming fire, consume my inner thoughts, the depths of my heart, and consume my dreams. Father, Your Will be done. Open up a door for me to walk through, but don't open one if you don't want me to walk through it. Thank you for putting Tigist and this story on my heart. Thank you for showing me my poverty. Thank you for the example you set for me, Jesus. Your Will be done in everything. Prepare us for what you want to do in us this summer. I love you.
Kirstin.
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