Tamales

These are instructions for celebrating Christmas in Ethiopia with a Southern California tradition: Tamales!

1. Tell people that you miss tortillas and Mexican food initiating the sending of Masa Harina packages
2. Wait 3-8 weeks for packages to arrive, celebrate
3. Ask for recipes from friends with experience.  When none come look up some on Internet.
4. Drive 5 hours north and procure Pork Fat and Pork meat from Addis Ababa
5. Render Lard from Pork fat for 2 days in crock pot through various power outages
6. Cook delicious pork
7. Look for Corn Husks and and find that they are unavailable in Soddo right now
8. Substitute banana leaves from tree outside
9. Make Chili Salsa from dried chili brought from America
10. Make Masa dough by mixing Masa and Lard
11. Realize the recipe you found is way way off on ratio
12. Panic
13. Find new recipe and do your best to salvage
14. Blanch banana leaves
15. Make Tamales
16. Wrap tamales in splitting banana leaves
17. Wrap banana leaves in foil because banana leaves aren't holding up
18. Steam tamales for 75 minutes
19. Taste and realize masa dough was likely not done correctly
20. Pressure cook longer to try to soften masa dough better
21. Embrace disappointment in quality of masa and salvage what you can

Sampling our Lard

So our first experiment in Tamales was only a mild failure, but it was a learning experience. So with those 21 easy steps we can have another try soon.

An afternoon

We are sitting outside in the beautiful sun studying Amharic while Cole joyfully plays in his bathtub on the porch. We are thankful for so many things here, and for the many blessings that we have. Language study is hard and tiring, but we are starting to figure out this language and speak in halting phrases to our neighbors and new friends.

We are blessed by so much love and support from you all our friends and family and thank you for reaching out to us.

Next comes more transitions, moving from Addis to Soddo into temporary housing, and changing language teachers. We will learn to live in a new place again while pursuing language study full time and overseeing the construction of our home in Soddo and engaging in relationship with our mission partners. The anticipation of transition is always difficult for us but often we do well through the changes. Please pray that all goes smoothly in this next season.

Homesick

It has been a while since we have updates our blog... Even though life feels simple, it also feels so full: full of daily life like washing and cleaning and food prep. But also full of emotions.

It's sort if funny how these things sort of hit you. Adam and I went out to celebrate his birthday tonight, and we went to the only ice cream shop in town (that we know of). As we sat there, everyone was speaking English, there were other Americans there and then over the speakers I heard the song With everything by hillsong. It is a passionate, beautiful song. In that moment I didn't feel frustrated or upset, I just felt an overwhelming sense of being homesick. It was a reminder that I don't really feel at home here. This song touched the deepest parts of my heart that I feel have been sort of dry and unattended. I missed feeling the music of home in my soul. I realized that I need to be intentional to tend that part of me, because it won't just happen naturally here.

And that's how life here has been... Your living and then suddenly overwhelmed my homesickness or emotion like a tidal wave. It comes sometimes when I'm expecting it, like talking on the phone to my mom or friends and family, but then others like tonight.

Then I get stuck about what to so with these emotions... And I guess I'm just thankful to have a place to miss. And praying that one day this will feel some what like home. 

"But will you do it for Me?"

"But will you do it for Me?"

This is the question I keep hearing in the still small voice of God. 

This time, our transition to Ethiopia has been full of some heartache for my young child, Asa. He has been crying to go "home" ever since we were on our first leg of the journey. I think He is feeling loss and slightly unstable as we have been jumping from one home to another since we moved out of our home last October and moved to Ethiopia for the first time in January. My heart aches for him and yet I know that God had a sweet plan for our lives and my kids lives in all of this transition and sacrifice. He is reminding me that He will use the loss and sacrifice that my kids are facing to mold and make them more into His image and to continue to develop their character, conform them into His image and prepare them for the work He has prepared in advance for them to do (Ephesians 2:10). He will use my kids to bring Him glory in Ethiopia just as we pray that we will bring Him glory here. 

As I struggle with these sacrifices and saying goodbye to the people I love and the things I enjoy, I sometimes (especially in the middle of the night, sleep deprived) have felt a desire to just "give up and go home". I wouldn't really do this because I am committed to obeying God's call in my life and I know that is where the greatest and most real joy abounds. But I still have thought it in the last few days. And each time, I think those thoughts, I hear God say sweetly in my ear "but, will you do it for me". So sweet of Him to remind me of why I am doing this to begin with. So, my answer is "yes, I will do it and anything else for you". 

Colossians 3:1-3

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above...For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

-Kavi

Our first day of language school

Today, Adam and Michelle started our first day of language school at the Joint Language School in Addis Ababa to attempt to learn Amharic. I was feeling a little bit nervous about starting this difficult language. There are letters (or fidels) in the language. I walk around and feel like I am looking at squiggles and hearing nonsensical noise.

But today was awesome! We will be learning via the GPA system. Growing Participator Approach:
http://growingparticipatorapproach.wordpress.com/the-growing-participator-approach-gpa-a-brief-state-of-the-art-and-some-practical-illustrations/

Like a baby, we start our language learning with listening and pointing only. This allows us to understand the language first. Later, we will start to talk and finally learn the alphabet and to read and write. Basically, what it looked like today is we heard words, pointed at objects and played with dolls.

I hope the rest of the schooling is just as fun!

And Cole had a great day with Wendy. She arrived safe and sound. They played, read books, heard words, pointed at pictures and played with dolls. It seems that Adam and I have regressed to toddlers ;)

Our first visitor

We already had our first visitor. What a sweet blessing.

On our 6th day in Addis, one of our good friends, James Appel, that lives most of the time in Chad, but we also know from Ventura, had an overnight lay over in Addis.

Adam picked him up from the airport, we brought him home to stay in Wendy's bed, before she arrived, and then left early in the morning to be on his way to Monrovia, Liberia to work at an Adventist hospital there. He is a champion in the faith and a courageous doctor. (http://www.amazon.com/Nasara-Dispatches-District-Hospital-Chad/dp/1461074975#)

It was a short, yet sweet visit. During the quiet of the morning he was able to pass on one of his missionary and life pearls to me. He encouraged me that when fears take hold of our mind, especially in the middle of the night, and our mind can race with ideas, fears, processing, perfecting, stressing, optimizing etc. It is in those instances, that we need to take every thought captive.

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ ESV)

Like a slave to the truth and the light, we take these thoughts and lies, especially of the night, and bring them to the light! I pray this over my next season of service in Ethiopia, but also in life.

Simpson's leaving on Tuesday!

We are looking forward to being with the Yates soon!!  After many years of praying about this together it will be thrilling to finally have us all there together!!  God is amazing!!

Our temporary home in Addis

We, the Yates, made it and are getting settled in to life in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. We have spent most of days getting to know the city, running errands, making food and hanging out in our home while our little precious Cole gets some sleep. It took him 7 days to get over jet lag. He was such a trooper, and is now passed that!

Our new apartment is great with lots of amenities, and a bright yellow wall (which is my favorite color for all that don't know), but is a tad on the small side. Well, I guess we will just get to know our neighbors really well and enjoy the communal space on the compound we are living.

One of the challenges of this past week is getting over my slight guilt that we are here and not really "doing" anything. We are living life, but not going to school or working. For some odd reason that is difficult for me. One of our neighbors told me to enjoy the "snow day" because life is going to get very busy after school and our service work begins. I am trying my best to take her advice!  We start language school on Monday, Wendy comes in Sunday afternoon and then the Simpsons arrive Thursday afternoon. This is going to be a busy week!

our kitchen and half of our living space

Adam, Michelle and Cole's room. (Wendy has another room in our apartment)

Our cute little porch, with some planted strawberries on the right. 

Of course with Cole's new favorite toy. A bright pink princess stroller that he can push around. 

The other part of our kitchen and our living space

En Route

The Yates family is on our way. After some good and tearful goodbyes we boarded our plane in LA and spent the next 16 hours in the air. We crossed over the north pole on route so even though the flight went "overnight" the sun never set.

Cole slept well for a solid 9 or 10 hours and we made it to Dubai with no trouble. We are now waiting for our flight to Addis.

Thanks for your prayers!

2 Corinthians 1:8-11

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

The apostle Paul was certainly suffering far mor hardship than the Yates family but with the moving day coming so soon we are starting to feel "utterly burdened beyond our strength". For indeed what we are trying to do is truly counter to our normal nature to keep life simple and restful. We are burdened by the work but more so we are burdened by the loss of leaving. The changing nature of relationships as we move away to the other half of the planet is felt as loss and hardship.

But we are reminded to rely not on our failing strength but on his strength. When we put our hope in what he can do instead of what we can get done we are free! And that through prayer our family and friends are connected to our struggle and can share in God's plan in this season.

Thank you for your prayers. We hope that you are also sharing in the blessing and thanking God for his strength for us.

Welcome Wendy Gray to our team

We, the Yates and the Simpsons, would like to welcome Wendy Gray to our team! As Many of you know we have been praying about having someone join us from the US for language school to help with child care during our classroom time from August until December. It would facilitate more family time, improve our language learning together and help ease the transition for our children to have someone familiar and consistent.

After over a month of emails, telephone calls, conversations and prayer, we have found someone to join us. We had all but decided that this was not God's plan. And then 3 weeks ago, during our introduction at Reality in Carpinteria, Wendy approached us after service saying she wanted to pray with us about joining our team for a few months. After a few conversations, prayers and God's leading, we were excited to invite her to come. Wendy is a recently retired preschool teacher and was teaching Spanish to her students. Since retirement she has been praying about what God would have for her in this next season of her life. She loves children and is excited about early childhood education. She has a passion for languages and is fluent in Spanish and conversational in ASL. She has traveled around the world and spent months at a time working at an orphanage in Colombia. She has 3 grown children and lives in Ojai California.

One of the sweetest parts of this process has been that after we invited Wendy to join our team, a friend of mine on our prayer team told me that Wendy had been her spiritual mentor when she was a young girl and was good friends with Wendy's youngest daughter. What confirmation!

We are so excited for her to join our team. Please keep her in your prayers as she enters a time of transition with all the struggles, logistics and good byes ahead.

RAFT

A friend posted this blog on her facebook page, thanks Christina Gabrysch!

This has really encouraged me to be extra intentional in our preparation for leaving. I would also ask that you, our friends and family do the same and help to hold us accountable. Sometimes it can be weird or awkward or hard to express our feelings or emotions, but it is really so much better!

This is one of the many recommendations about how to have a successful transition:

One of the simplest and most brilliant plans for transitioning well was developed by the late Dr. David Pollock.  It’s called building a RAFT (genius).  Paying attention to these four areas can mean the difference between success or failure, flopping or thriving,  great memories or horrible regrets.  Way too much for one blog post but you should Google it (Try “Pollock RAFT”).
Here’s the short version what goes into a RAFT:
Reconciliation:  Strained or broken relationships don’t go away when you do.  Make it right.
Affirmation:  People are dense.  Don’t assume they know how much impact they have had on your life.  Say it well.
Farewell:  Different people need different goodbyes.  Think beyond people (places, pets and possessions too).
Think Destination:  Even if you’re going “home”, much has changed.  Brace yourself.  Think forward.

Here is the link to the entire blog:
http://www.thecultureblend.com/?p=1383

God's confirmation

Welcome home to Kavi and Taylor. They will be having their third boy the end of June.

We the Yates family continue to prepare for our first departure. In this season of preparation, God has continually been reminding me of the ways he has confirmed our calling, as the preparation and the grief of "see you later" gets more difficult. It has been really good to remind ourselves (and I ask that others also remind us) of how we got to where we are!

In 2010, Adam and I started praying intentionally every week with two other couples from residency, the Simpsons and the Tinsleys about wisdom and discernment for the future and the possibility of serving the Lord together internationally. We felt God answered our prayers for the Simpsons and the Yates to serve together as God united our vision for ministry both in and around the hospital. Spring of 2011, we had a special bible study at the home of our friend and residency director's home where we learned about LifeWind International and the CHE model of ministry (Community Health Evangelism). Kavi and Taylor, our ministry partners, left the meeting that night saying "YES, this is EXACTLY what we want to do." It was almost the perfect example of what God had taught them and showed them during Kavi's Masters in Public Health. The more Adam and I learned, the more excited we became and thus our team was formed. We then began praying about the place God had for us where we could incorporate our new found passion for CHE while using our medical skills. The director of LifeWind International directed us to Soddo Christian Hospital.

In the winter of 2012, we received a word from a friend of ours while visiting our home church Pasadena Foursquare. Heather Richardson spoke boldly and said, "Michelle, I believe that God has already created a place for you to serve that stems our of relationship with your home church." At that time, we didn't know any international ministry at our home church and I, Michelle, sort of thought, well that sounds nice Heather, but yeah right? We then traveled to Chicago for the board meeting of Soddo Christian Hospital in March 2012. The board for SCH was still praying over the direction of the hospital, but they thought that a partnership with an organization called The Mossy Foot Project would be a great fit for our medical skills and our passion for CHE. In the middle of winter in Chicago, we googled this organization and found out that it's headquarters were less than a mile from our home.  As we returned home, we were then introduced to the Mossy Foot Project president, Sharon Daly, and found out that she goes to our church! Heather's prophetic words over our lives rung true. The more we prayed the more we felt confirmed that this was the place God had been preparing for us.

The rest of the journey to Soddo Christian Hospital has a lot of ups and downs, but mostly a lot of patience and waiting on the Lord. Thus, in the many seasons of waiting and in the challenges that will come while we are there, it is so good to remind ourselves of God's clear confirmation over our process and over our service. Praise God that we directs our path, that he uses us to speak in each other's lives, like Heather. And Praise God for Heather that she took the bold step to share those words with us.   They have been life giving and life changing.

House Progress

God has been so faithful during this building process. It has had its ups and downs and definitely started out later than we expected several times, but it is now in full swing. As we, specifically Taylor, is working hard on the physical aspects of the construction, we are also spiritually preparing the foundation and the construction to be our home. This home will see us through many years of life, including seasons of joy and seasons of sorrow.

We have individually and corporately been praying these scriptures over the home with the plans to write them on the walls of the building when the walls are above ground ;) Please join us in praying these verses over our future home and let us know if you there are any others you have been praying!

Psalm 90:16-17
Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Zechariah 4:6-10
So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.
 “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it! ’”  Then the word of the Lord came to me: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

 “Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?”

Psalm 69:13
But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.


Joshua 24:15
...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. "

Joshua 4:19-24
Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho. Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. He said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

Psalm 101: 1-3
I will sing of loving-kindness and justice,
To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.
I will give heed to the blameless way.
When will You come to me?
I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.
I will set no worthless thing before my eyes

Missionary Prep: the budget

As we, Adam and Michelle, continue in our preparation work, we have recently decided to conquer the ever challenging idea of living on a fixed budget. With that in mind, Adam and I have decided to start using a new app for our phone called "You need a budget" (http://www.youneedabudget.com). 

This has been life changing! And I think a must-have (at least in concept, not necessarily this app) for all international service workers. The function of the app is lay out a budget, that can only be "budgeted" as the money is in hand. Then, as you buy your groceries, fuel or pay your rent, you immediately place the expense in the app. This in theory (and has been very close) gives you the real time money in your account so you don't overspend money that you don't have. It synchs between devices, so Adam and I will also have each other's account information on our own devices. This has allowed us to be more proactive and prospective about our spending to guarantee that we are living within our means and within our budget, as opposed to looking at our spending at the end of the month (after we have already spent it).

It is all these small details that will be so important in the next season of life.

Down out of the Boat

Matthew 14:28-31

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Taylor and I had the blessing to attend a spiritual retreat this weekend. We were asked 'what is the state of your soul'. We have now been in Ethiopia for 2 months and I feel like we are adjusting and settling into a rhythm where we are starting to hear God more and watching for where He is working more than initially.

 However, I realized that the state of my soul is still restless. I could only describe it as anxious and not at rest. As I processed this with The Lord, I realized that my eyes were not remaining on Jesus. They would be there for a while, but then quickly they would waver to the "troubled waters" around me and I would start to sink into them.

My troubled waters currently are: our son Elias' struggles adjusting to life in Ethiopia, our family feeling unsettled without a physical home, feeling uncertain of what my work and ministry ultimately should look like. Interestingly, my greatest senses of unrest is because of the strange fear that I will miss out on the great things God desires to do here, that somehow I will miss out on this because I am not listening correctly or some other nebulous undefined reason.

As I processed these fears and the state of my soul with God, I realized that my eyes were wavering and so I was starting to sink. This was why my "troubles" were troubling my soul and allowed to cause this state of unrest. Troubles always exist, but they do not need to lead to us sinking or feeling unrest. We can walk through or on these waters when we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus (the author and perfected of my faith). Then I will not sink and the wind and troubled waters will not give me fear. My soul will be at rest and I can rest in The Lord- His delightful love for me, His sweetness and goodness.

My life is hidden in His and I am with Him safe and secure. He will make sure I live a life worthy of His calling and I don't miss the work He wants to accomplish. He loves my children more than I do and He will care for them and I don't need to worry about them. So Lord, please help me to fix my eyes on you and my thoughts on you!! Help me not be troubled by my troubled waters.

-Kavi

Colossians 3:1-3
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

Let the construction begin!

Thank you Taylor for all your hard work!  Let the construction begin.  The site preparation has just begun.

As we partner with the hospital, recently built in 2006, to expand physician housing for our arrival and many others after us, the construction of the newest duplex has started! All construction at the hospital is modern concrete construction for earthquake safety and longevity and health of the residence. The total cost of the duplex is $140,000.  Through many generous donations the construction project is 50% funded!  To complete the project we are looking for a number of new donors.

Longing for a Heavenly Country

We have been in Ethiopia for 4 weeks and there are times, I have really struggled with feeling lost and purposeless. Today God reminded me that by faith He calls people to step out and into His calling ( Hebrews 11) and they may not always see the promise or the fulfillment, but they are called to step out. We are choosing to step out in His calling whether we feel it or not right now!!

Hebrews 11:8-9
"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise."

Hebrews 11:13-16
" All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." 

Lord, I long for your heavenly country, more than my home country. I could return to my home country but instead I will look forward to the city you have prepared for me. And be happy that you are not ashamed of me. You are not ashamed- even though I waiver in my faith and sometimes want to leave this place and go live my easier life in ventura. A lie that I battle often right now, is that in ventura, I actually felt like I had more purpose than I do here. Here my purpose is so nebulous. The reason I know this is a lie is that we each have the most purpose when we are in the center of His will, walking in His calling, regardless of location. The reason my purpose here feels so confusing sometimes is because there are huge needs here and God has given us lots of vision and direction, but some of the details are still being worked out. It's hard to say "no" to some of the needs even if it's clearly not God's will for us. We have been called to community development and hospital/building work. We have vision for CHE ( community health education) but relationship building takes so long and in my heart sometimes this feels so lazy and slow and inefficient to me. However, I know in my mind that this isn't true and actually the slow process of community development is powerful and results in transformation! There is no way to shorten the amount of time it takes to build trust and relationships. It takes a LONG time to empower locals and give them skills and confidence instead of doing it all ourselves!! This is a hard reality for my personality that likes quick results. I knew this would be hard, but now I'm actually experiencing it.  The doctor and type A personality in me wants to have something to show for my time- something tangible. It's so easy for me to work in the hospital and have fun... It would be so easy to get caught there and never get out in the community. Hospital medicine is interesting, intellectually stimulating and the needs are never ending ( I enjoy it!!) However, in the end, I want to be a part of seeing long term community transformation, not just short term health. Lord help me. Help me to find my guidance and direction in You ALONE- Not in my own beliefs or work and Not in the beliefs and culture of the beautiful people surrounding me. But in YOU!!  By faith, He called us here, even though sometimes I didn't feel that excited.  He has work He wants to let us join here. By faith I choose to join it!! By faith, I choose to beg the Holy Spirit for filling that I might here and see where the Father is working and join Him. 
Lord help me to only do the work you are doing and nothing else. Show me where you are working in Soddo community, the hospital, the compound, my husband and my kids- and let me join you!! Make me sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Give us connections you want us to have. 
Help me (and my family including my kids) to abide in you (the vine) and bear much fruit!! 

John 5:19-20
Jesus gave them this answer:“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.

John 15:5
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

-Kavi

Soddo Christian Hospital Promo 2014

I wanted to share this great video that Soddo Christian Hospital prepared.  We are so excited to be partnering with SCH this year. The Simpsons are there now and the Yates will be there soon to take part in the great work of the hospital.

Sabbath

This is a funny season for our team.  

Kavi and Taylor have gone to Ethiopia, yet Adam and I are still in Ventura preparing to leave sometime this summer. Thus although our posts, may be slightly different in tone, I believe that God is still teaching us very similar things in these seasons of life, despite our distance. 

Here are some of my ponderings this morning, 

12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys and other livestock, and any foreigners living among you. All your male and female servants must rest as you do. 15 Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day.

This is the longest (most words) of the ten commandments. The fourth commandment, just after don't take the Lord's name in vain. And yet I often ignore it.  In times of significant studying, like in college and  medical school I fairly regularly took a sabbath, and in fact remember that the tests and the times in life when I did sabbath I earned high grades and higher board scores than when I didn't.  Somehow the stress of life or the business of home has allowed me to forget the purpose and meaning of sabbath.  I busy myself with laundry or dishes or email (not "work") with all the time I have off or on my day of rest.  It sort of defeats the purpose. Especially now that we have a baby and we preparing to move to Ethiopia, there is so much stuff "to do" at home that it easily pushes its way into every day and every moment of "productive" time I have, but then joy and rest in the Lord escape me.  And I trust in  myself and the work of my hands more than the Lord.  I would have thought I learned my lesson, but alas, I need to learn it again.  

I am just so thankful to God that we can get into this rhythm before we move overseas, when the intentional time of rest is going to be all the more important for our health, but also for God.  Ultimately, sabbath is an outward expression of our hearts, that we love and trust that God will provide, even more than my desire to exert control over all the details and days of my life.  And what a fundamental thing and tangible way to communicate this to our son, to those around us and a reminder to my own heart. It is sweet in Deuteronomy 5 that this is the only commandment in which God gives us a small part of the reason why we are to obey.  To Remember.  To Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. 

Now, I don't want to be legalistic about it (which I often have the tendency to do), but to stop and rest, just like the Lord, and ponder on his love and sit back enjoying creation to say "it is very good." (Gen 1:31) 

-Michelle

God encourages my heart through popcorn

Matthew 6:25-26

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

We had been in Addis Ababa for 5 days and I was starting to mourn for my Children the loss of easy snacks. I know they will grow in so many amazing ways living in this country and so I try to not mourn for them the small losses. But that day I couldn't help myself. Elias was begging for all his favorite snacks which we didn't have and then started begging for popcorn. Now... We can easily get popcorn in Ethiopia, but we didn't have any at that moment and wouldn't have time for an outing for a couple days. My kids have been chronically hungry (they will not starve:) but they never eat as much as they would want because they are not used to the food.) I was feeling in need of hope and joy, but not able to take a break to meet The Lord and I kept feeling slightly low. Then we received a knock at the door and it was one of the house cleaners holding a bowl of popcorn. Somehow this was God speaking straight to me. He was reminding me of how much He cares about all of our feelings and the small seemingly unimportant things. That He, God of the universe, delights in blessing His children!! That He will provide for all our needs- even our emotional needs. It may not always look like popcorn on our doorstep, but He will never fail to surprise us with His delight in us. Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness to give me hope and joy through a small bowl of popcorn.

-Kavi

A season of loss

Transitions are difficult.

The Simpsons made it successfully to Ethiopia in the face of influenza, some slight baggage problems and sickness. I will let them update you as they are able. 

For the Yates family, it has been a season of loss. Some of them silly things, some of them not, but all of them real.  Our sweet puppy, Domino, died last November, then Adam's stepmom Penny died of leukemia, then our very good friend Tim and Leona Okeefe moved to Nepal, and Mackenzie Slater moved to Honduras.  Finally, our partner, the Simpsons, moved to Ethiopia.  Although each loss is different, we have still been experiencing it as loss.  Instead of stuffing down all the yucky feelings of loss and grief, which I am very good at, recently we have been encouraged to grieve each loss as it is and ask God to meet us there, in our sadness, our loss and our emotions no matter how bad.

This morning I was encouraged by this passage
John 11:33

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews that had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in the spirit and greatly troubled.... Jesus wept.

It is sort of funny to think about Jesus greatly troubled.  He already knew that Lazarus was going to be raised from the dead.  He already knew that it was for "the glory of God, so the son may be glorified through it".  Yet he wept.  Jesus was a man of perfect faith, perfect knowledge of the future and perfect intimacy with God... Yet in spite of those things he was deeply troubled.  He has great compassion.  Lord, in this season of grief it is so encouraging to see that grief is not a sin, it is not unbelief, it is a human emotion and natural.  Jesus wept because he was sad, sad in the moment, sad about the loss for his dear friends despite the glory that would come from it.  Lord, please help me to encourage those around me and myself to experience the loss just as Jesus did... And then after a time of mourning to look to God's glory.

Simpsons Family send off

Off to Ethiopia.

Yesterday, January 17, 2014, the Simpson Family took off for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
They left from Los Angeles with an overnight lay over in Dubai to arrive in Addis. They will stay there for a week of orientation from the Gabrysch's (a fun couple living in Soddo already...http://jeremyandchristina.blogspot.com/) and then start their life in Soddo. 

Everything was on target to leave this past week, when Asa Simpson, the youngest, came down with a horrible fever... up to 104°F from Influenza.  With a week until their departure, it made plans and packing much more stressful. 

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    whose trust is the Lord.
8 He is like a tree planted by water,
    that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
    for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Jer 17:8.

Praise God, his fever broke the day before their travels and everyone else in their family remained free of illness. After some slight rearranging of bags, they left last night at 4pm. 

Taylor, Kavi, Elias and Asa, we will miss you! 

A Season of Goodbyes

This season has been filled with many goodbyes.  Being committed to this life of international work we will invariably have many more, but recently the goodbyes have been rough.

Our family is in the midst of saying goodbye to the Simpson family as they leave for Ethiopia this week. They of course are in a huge season of goodbyes to all their family and community here as they prepare for to start a new life in a new place.

Why are we saying goodbye to our partners? Well, the Yates and the Simpsons families are on slightly different timelines to get to Ethiopia. The Simpsons will be go ahead to prepare some very important work for our team: our house! Taylor will be starting his first construction project in Ethiopia, a Duplex that will house Missionary families at Soddo Christian Hospital. The project is really exciting and will be a valuable asset to the work of SCH for generations! We have the honor of being the first families that live in the Duplex, so we are particularly excited to see the project go smoothly. The Simpson family will be living in temporary housing while construction commences, delaying language school for a little while to make sure the project gets a good start. The Yates family will be coming soon behind them.

This goodbye is especially challenging because our plans before were to go together and support each other through the many transitions. God had different plans and we are blessed to see them unfold. Michelle and I have had a sweet time of preparing our hearts and our marriage to withstand the challenges of over seas life and ministry. God has been so sweet to bring us to a closer bond and deeper trust for the tasks ahead.

One sad, but ultimately blessed part of all this new schedule is that we were able to be focused on our family in the month of December. At the beginning of December, Adam's step mother, Penny, was diagnosed with Leukemia. After a short and brave fight against this disease, she died on January 1st. We were able to focus our energy and time on supporting his Dad and Penny through a challenging hospitalization and being their for his Dad after Penny passed.  Last week we gathered with our family to remember Penny. Even as I write this, I know there is so much more to be said about the past month, and about Penny and her love and support of our family. We are both so sad about this loss and my words seem like only a shadow of the whole story.

We thank God for his gracious plan to delay our leave date, so that we can face this family tragedy with our full attention. We thank you for your love and support and prayers as we go through this journey.

Penny and Mark loving their grandson Cole at Thanksgiving. Penny is already sorely missed.