You've just gotta read this email which came from Abby Lorenc (who is in Ethiopia right now) and see how God is working through this precious young woman ~ in ways she may continue to discover long after she returns home. Read her message below and be blessed by it! You may want to grab a tissue...*************************************
Hello from Ethiopia! Now that I finally have the chance to write you all, I find myself addicted to the backspace button. I so badly want to be eloquent and inspiring, but tired and honest will have to do. Well, God has answered so many prayers. First, I am here and safe and not sick! Second, for those of you who knew my bags got lost on the way, they finally made it here! For the most part, I was too tired and discombobulated to really mind not having my own things, but had I gone much longer, it would have been a bit difficult. We do not have consistent power here in the city, so I'd like to give a public thanks to my father and hero spent who knows how long on the phone to the airline company, convincing them (rather forcefully?) to get my bags to me. The city: Addis Abbaba smells of burning trash, diesel fuel, and dust. The colors of the city are muted- the sky a bit faded from pollution, trees that should be bright green slightly yellowed from the heat, and the clothes and building fronts covered by a thin layer of dirt. I find this to be true of many cities in many impoverished cities, and the contrast between this and the garden of eden heightens my sense of longing for heaven, and my awareness that we are not home yet. Dogs roam the streets (mostly not rabid ones!) and monkeys jump on our roof at night. Large vans called Wei- its zoom around, with "callers" hanging out the window yelling their destination. If we are lucky enough to understand the rapid Amharic, we jump on, (sometimes onto laps or the floor or wherever we fit), and hope we heard right until we arrive at our destination. The image: Now my favorite part- the people. These people, made in God's image, speak softly and smile easily. They smile at all the wrong times, like when they are in a traffic jam, or when they can't understand me, or when I accept their meals or generous hospitality, even though I feel as though I should be the one giving. They are humble people and honest, and already I am learning so much from them. Yesterday I made my first home vist to a bedridden woman. As we walked to her home (which was a 10x10 ft space, with a dirt floor, tin walls, and a bed she shared with her three children. As we sat with her and prayed with her, she would interrupt to ask if the flies were bothring us. My throat felt so swollen with tears- this woman who would some day die of HIV was concerned for our comfort. We held hands with her and kissed her and her precious children, and we spoke of the peace of God. She said she had Christ's peace, but did not know how to maintain it when she looked at her children- who would care for them when she died? Her children, barefoot and black as moonshine looked up at us with huge smiles, and I had no clue what to say. We prayed and left. I waited till I got home to cry. The days: My class started at the Ethiopian Seminary the day I here. Needless to say, with jetlag and no bags, I was not quite on my intellectual A-game, but I managed, and now I am enjoying the course so much, and learning a great deal from my Ethiopian classmates. The afternoons will be spent in class with them and working on homework for the next two weeks. In the mornings, we visit various ministries, offering to help, but mostly just learning from people who are joyfully giving their lives away. The home visits to HIV patients are one thing I'll be able to continue with. I'll also begin serving at the girls home next week. The prayers: I prayed two weeks ago- "Lord, show me ways to die to myself." Ugh. God has been so faithful to answer this prayer. Death, as it turns out, is quite painful. From the minute this trip started nothing has gone as planned, and oh, how gently my Lord pries my hands open from the tight grasp I want to have on my days, even here! Against my better judgment, I ask you to continue to pray this- pray that God would show me ways to become more like him, and to die to myself in service to Him and others. Also, ask God for grace for Amsalaganet. This woman has spent the last twenty years of her life with the poorest people in the world, teaching them that they are made in the image of God, that we share this thing called humanity. She serves at the International Church, developing programs to serve their needs, and because of God's grace through her, thousands have come to know the Lord. Just last month, a man with four children, no legs, and one arm wrote to thank her ministry, which had taught him a trade skill. He wrote that he had all he needed in Christ, and considered himself a blessed man. Pray for her, for grace and strength to continue in the work God has called her to, and for patience for her as I follow her around as much as time permits. I want to learn from this woman, to serve her, to become more like her. Also pray for Crystal (one of my teammates) and I as we teach a class this Sunday. At 2am your time, (Sunday Morning) we will be talking to women about what it means to be beautiful in God's eyes. I am so excited about this opportunity! We have had a blast planning for these women. The course is 5 weeks long. Okay! This email has reached the too long point, so I must bid goodbye. Please don't be offended if I haven't responded to your emails! Power outages are a daily occurance here (though they sometimes last two or three days, so I'm not sure they can be called "daily"), and internet access is sparse. Thank you for praying for me! Know that I am conscious of you, and need you and your prayers. If you see my family, please hug them for me. I miss hugging them. May God be glorified in Dallas, TX, Denver, Co, Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia, and to the ends of the earth!!! HE is WORTHY!
Love, Abby
