Ethiopian survival 101:

If you are in a traffic accident as a foreigner, it is always your fault.

You will get a ticket if you attempt a Chinese fire drill.

Single file lines are simply a figment of the imagination.

When you attend a soccer game, it is imperative you understand you will be sharing your seat with three other people.

If someone asks to touch your "eye bush" do not be concerned. They merely want to feel your eyelashes.

It is common for a 12-passenger-city transportation-van to hold 20.

It is common for a beggar to practice auctioneering skills with foreigners… "10 birr… Okay, 5 birr… Okay, 1 birr… Okay, coins." This continues until you invest.

It is common for foreigners to have mental and emotional breakdowns in the post office.

Copyright laws do not exist here. So do not fill yourself with false hope when you see "Sally Beauty Supply", "Home Depot", or "Burger Queen". Yes, Burger Queen.

Lanes and street signs are only small suggestions.

If you expect to receive e-mails in a timely manner, you are an idiot.

If you spend your time trying to make sense of things here, you will die ignorant. Therefore, it is crucial you avoid the question "why?"
at all times.

THANK YOU!

Yesterday I went to the post office and had 3 slips of paper for packages. I had to go back this morning and get them. So I walked up to the post office near my house, handed the clerk the 3 slips along with my ID (which I had to go make another copy of because of the whole "Sierra, Lauren"/"Lauren Sierra" fiasco last time). After I paid the women, she had me come around the corner to get my packages. They were huge. I looked like an idiot carrying them but felt like a kid at Christmas. I got to my house, laid the boxes out and tore into them. The first two were packages from my mom... she sent me some clothes and shoes. I planted my face into the clothes and inhaled deep. It smelled of home and that just made everything that was homesick in me disappear.
The 3rd package was from the Brown Family. Wow. 3 books, cheez-its, trail mix, 2 packs of twizzlers, an outrageous amount of koolaid, skittles, pasta sides (6 of them... cheddar broccoli with the small noodles are my favorite), a CD, and a singing card... when I opened the card it still worked!! I couldn't believe it! The words were so kind. I keep every card taped to the inside of my closet door and every morning look at them. So, Brown Family, your card is taped up and I think of you often.
I just wanted to say thank you to anyone who has sent me mail. It takes time, I know. Writing a letter to me from this far away or sending me a package means more to me than I can possibly explain. It's tangible. I can smell things and taste things and put cloth between my hands and read your handwriting with a card between my thumbs and pointer fingers.... it makes everything hard go away for a time and it's like I'm carrying you through the streets I live in. SO THANK YOU!

Ten things about my life in Ethio...

1) I went to a local soccer game and it was, by far, the craziest sporting event I have ever been to.
2) One of my students wrote a paper about her family. The last sentences say, "we have no father and mother. both are died. we love each other"... I keep it in my journal.
3) One of my co-workers has satellite and we watch "So You Think You Can Dance" every Tuesday night after cooking dinner with one another
(okay... I might not cook, but I bring stuff... I'm like my momma).
The season is from last year but it's new to all of us. It's our time as a team to really get away for a little bit. This Tuesday night is the season finale. Who will it be? Katie, Joshua, Kourtney, or Twitch??
4) I have an Ethio family here who takes very good care of me... and longs to someday meet my family.
5) My Ethio family is Dagi's family. Dagi is doing great and can't wait to meet some of my friends who might get to visit. She turned 18!
See picture.
6) I went to get a package the other day and they wouldn't give it to me because my drivers license says, "Sierra, Lauren" and my package said, "Lauren Sierra". They said the package wasn't addressed to me.
15 minutes of explanation and a photo copy later, I got my package.
7) My internet connection is awesome. See picture.
8) KIDS! See picture. One of my roommates guaranteed I could fit a couple in my check in for under 50 pounds... I know that's terrible but sometimes you just have to joke to get past the reality of it all some days.
9) Everything is done in community. You eat off the same plate and to do so is to commit to friendship. The food is so dang good, too...
despite its appearance. See picture.
10) One time, I accidently took money from a beggar. My roommates like to hold it against me.

Give us this day our daily bread.

If you have never read my blog but only look at pictures... please read this.

Today I walked to the post office to check the mail. I was walking back to my house one foot in front of the other staring at the ground in my own little world. I past a man who put his hand to his mouth and looked at me with tears in his eyes. "Dabo", he said. Bread. "Dabo yellenim.... coy." I don't have bread... wait. I went to the nearest place that sold bread, passing 2 other young boys along the way who were in need of food. Again I said wait. Then I past another woman in a full black burka... "salamalakum" (I have no idea how to spell that) I said and smiled. I'll pretend I saw her smile back through her covering. So I bought 4 big rolls of bread and headed back to the old man. I past the 2 young boys and gave each of them a roll. They smiled big and sat down immediately to dine together. The older man saw me in the distance and began limping toward me. I gave him the bag with the 2 rolls in it and he began to weep. "Semay mahno?" What is your name? "Berano", he mumbled.... I strained to hear him. "Lauren ibalahlo" I said, introducing myself. "Ena Xabier yeastaline". And may the Father provide for you." I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled at him as tears poured over his cheeks. I have given plenty of people bread before.... in the states and out of the states. I have never witnessed someone weeping from 2 rolls of bread. Weeping in gratitude for bread. "Give us this day our daily bread." I had to keep myself from losing it on the street with this man. The inside of me twisted in a way that it never has... and I can confidently say that I will never be the same after a short 5 minutes of my life with one person who had nothing, yet everything, to offer me.

What I do here

1) Every Monday, Wedneday, Thursday I teach class for an hour and a half. My class and I are reading the Chronicles of Narnia and discussing new vocabulary, tenses, and summaries of a chapter each class. There has been some great discussion on the story of Adam and Eve.... the corruption of man... and our inherit nature of depravity... my students call it "the disease of sin"...
2) I meet with my friend Dagi every Thursday at 4:30 to study the Word. We are going through the book of John.
3) We have a part of the city that is 100% Som. people. These people fled from Som. to Ethio and live in a particular part of the city that is extremely close to where I live. One of my teammates, Allison, and I are beginning to p-walk in the area that we call Little Mog (Mog. is the capital of Som.).
4) I hang out with my teammates and laugh a lot. We have House Ch every Friday and a women's group on Tuesdays. I enjoy the women's group the most probably. There are some incredible people here that are extremely knowledgeable and I love soaking it all in.
5) This Friday we are going to pick up our newest team member, Erin and another group. Erin and I will be roommates for the next however long until I leave. For 2 weeks I will also be roomies with three other 2-year folks until they move up to Bah. D (the place I spent 3 weeks in). Please pr for Erin and her transition. She is leaving the states today.

Random things I have been thinking about: Please read my heart. If salvation depended on loving God and loving people, would I live differently? If I would then I don't live to love Go d or people theway I was called to and perhaps have watered down and muddied the message of Jeuse for others and in my own life.There is this self-righteous side of me that pretends that I know whatch is "supposed" to look like. I have found myself complaining aboutthe dynamics of ch... and shame on me for thinking or judging the bodyof believers. Plus, if we complain about the body... and yeah sometimes we do need to take note of things that are wrong... but if we complain about the church we have to be apart of the change... if wearen't apart of the change, then why are we complaining???? We are just apart of the problem. That is something I have thought a lot about lately. If you are only critiquing the problem then that's aproblem in itself. I live in the mist of war. Something I have been contemplating is if I am ready to die for the gospel. I'm reminded of Stephen when he is being stoned (Acts 7:54-59). He is getting pounded and pounded with rocks until he dies and his last words, as blood is trickling down hisface and he is gasping for air, he speaks.... "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Am I willing to die for others to know that grace of Jesus?I hate the "M" word. It kinda makes me cringe. The "M" word entails some "saint" or something... like people that have their life so together that they can work on other people's. missionaries are "good people".Yeah... no freakin' way. Gah, I struggle so bad in sin. My intentions are jacked sometimes, my mind is messed up, I don't pray all of the time or read the Word as if it's bread for my hunger... no...I'm not there in any of those things. If "M" entails sharing the gspl... then I sure hope that people don't think I'm an missonary only sometimes. I hope people always see Jesus in me through my actions, love,and mess ups where His grace is provided infinitely. If you are afollower of Jeuse... you are an "M" (missionary).... or maybe none of us are missionaries...we are just people who love Jeuse and believe in His message... we do notneed the "M" label. I do not desire that label...

Monday- 10/6/08 I start classes tonight!!!
1) When I got back to Addis a package was waiting for me! My familysent me and the roomies a package of the best food... and I'm reallyexcited about it.
2) Mesfin is a brother in JC. He is one of the most lovable people.He is moving to Kansas City for the next few years. This is at hisgoing away party. He hates Chelsea so last year I always wore myjersey around him... then my name went from Lauren to Chelsea. So I thought to continue the trend to make him laugh at his going away shin-dig (and he stole my hat).
Please pr for him and his family. It will be a big transition for both.

10/3/08

Today (Friday) I'm leaving to go back to Addis (capital city whereI'll spend the remainder of my time for the most part). It isextremely bitter sweet. I loved being up in North Ethio for 3 weeks.It was wonderful and a completely different experience. Please pr forthat transition. I'm also starting a new job as the administrator ofthe Ed. Resource Center. Please pr that JC is evident in me in thatplace. PLEASE PR FOR MY STOMACH.I feel broken a lot. More than I ever did the two months I was herelast year. I'm learning to love people and it's hard and painful.Everyday I get asked for money... and I mean like at least 20-30 timesa day. It's hard dude... I can't provide for these people... money isnot what they need. This is a journal entry I wrote a week or so ago:I look out the window from the passengers seat and witness the poorparading. Their clothes are the same as yesterday and their feet arebare; they’re barren. I watch their eyes tear through my pockets, butI lock up and toss the key. My mouth spouts words that my actionsrefuse… “May Father provide for you.” I can’t give to the sum, butcertainly the one who holds their hand to their mouth. “No father, nomother, no money”. Their mouths move as guns and their words aresmall bullets that lay in my chest. Such discomfort. Only Father cannumber the times these words drip from these children's lips and sinkthemselves in me… echoing on as the day goes on. And Satan laughs attheir brittle bones or lack of limbs from leprosy. Angels move myhands to give and demons, accompanied by my depravity, clutch everycoin to keep.Father, clarify the times to pull the cloth from the inside of mypockets… to buy bread to break among the hungry. Move my heart toshatter over the brokenness of others. Compel me to pr for Yourpeople… these people. Do not let the repetition of begging rubnumbness in me. Compose a love in me that is not mistaken for anyoneelse’s but Yours. Be evident to others and myself during the minutestmoments of the day. Do not let my words depart from Your Word, enablemy actions to evidently follow the life of JC, and take my life andreshape the inside of it to be a disciple of the revolutionary Gspl. Let it be.

I'm moving back to Addis in a week. Addis is completely differentfrom where I have been living. They say there's Addis ("city-life")and then there's Ethio (countryside). They are two extremes. I havereally enjoyed my time up North but I am excited and ready to startback at the ERC (Educational Resource Center) in Addis where I am thenew administrator (I have no idea what I'm doing). Please be in prover the ERC. This is where I will spend the next 11 months of mylife. Pr that Father will draw people to the ERC that don't know Him.Pr that JC will be evident in me and that I will love people the wayHe has loved us.

North Ethio is what I imagined the first time I came to Africa. I landed on a concrete strip, walked down the steps of the plane onto the slab and through a house looking thing (the airport). Keep in mind this is after a flight where I was honestly in pr over my death and reconciliation with JC. Nonetheless, I landed.
I went for a walk listening to music and greeting children playing soccer out of sowed up pieces of cotton. I picked up a little girl and twirled her around and the other kids thought it was the funniest thing in the world. So I walked (they followed) while in pr with a huge smile. Hmm… I will tell you that walking around here gives new meaning to a lot of lyrics… “Oh my God shine your light on us that we might live”… “and we can see that God you’re moving a mighty river through the nations, where young and old will turn to Jesus”… “the orphan clings to your hand, singing the song of how he was found”. Yeah… wow. Seeing an 8-year-old carry a 50-pound bag over his head for miles gives you a new sense of words like… unfair. And these people… they greet me with kisses and hand shakes. They teach me what love is.
I am teaching English in an orphanage every MWF. They don’t have enough classrooms for kids, so they only learn half the day… so we (my partner for the next 3 weeks in North Ethio and myself) teach them in the mornings. They are pretty great kids… anywhere from 5-20.
Walking is a lot of my day. Pr-walking. I wish one of you could go on these walks with me… just to see. So feel free to please join me in pr… or feel free to physically get on a plane and come hang out in Africa… waahooo.
Feel free to e-mail as well… lksierra@yahoo.com

What will you have a sinner like me enter the riches of Your Kingdom for? Not because I am worthy or deserving… never. I am incapable of attaining salvation. My desires for the things of the world outweigh the truth, purity, and Holy nature of the Father. I am a thief. I am an adulteress. I am a murderer. Why have You redeemed me from myself?
You have identified me clean. You have called me pure. You have given me a new name and one no work can purchase. You have changed me. You have saved me from the depths of disparity and self-destruction. You roped me from the pit by the wood You died upon… that I might also raise up because death had no hold on You… proof by Your resurrection.
Thank you for setting me apart for Your renown, Your name’s sake, Your glory… that I may share in the joy brought by JC… that I may break the truth as bread for the hungry and share the unfathomable love that He has so drenched my soul in. And past the doubt, the damaged parts, the darkness, the deep abyss of such a dirty life as this… the King of eternity gets up from his seat, pulls a chair out for me inviting me to sit at His table so that I will live in such a way that exemplifies the goodness of His love and the life found in His grace.
May your life drowned itself to this abundant hope and may it overflow from the corners of your heart.

Today (which is Thursday) I finally got to meet up with my best friendfrom ethio, Dagi. It's Ethio's new year (it's 2001) and Dagi's familyhad my roomie and I over for lunch. I can't explain to you how theinside of me wept in joy when I saw her come out of her "house" togreet me. We hugged for the longest time... we just sat there withour arms around each other both thinking it was all a dream. As wesat down, we didn't say anything. We just stayed close... putting myhand on her shoulder or vice versa just to make sure it was real...that this reunion was finally non-fiction.I leave Saturday to go to North Ethio for the rest of the month andinto a little bit of October. Once I get back into the city, I willbegin to meet up with Dagi to read the Word together. We decided thatonce a week we will sit down over the Word and just hang outthroughout the week. PLEASE PR that Father will begin to mold her andshape her to be a daughter of Him. I cannot explain how deeply I careabout this girl... how good it was to put my arms around her and forher words to sink into me, "I have you back."Please pr for my family and close friends (which I guess if you'rereading this you are a part of these people). It has been hard toadjust from such wonderful love and community to the unknown... hardto balance people in the states and here... really hard. So if Idon't respond to you quickly, it's because I'm trying to live here...really be here... and bc the internet if just whack too, ha. I loveit here and I love people here, but I love it there and love peoplethere too... please be patient as it's a weird balance for me.I have a phone #, address and all that stuff. If you are interested ingiving me a call, it's 26 cents if you dwl skype and call me. Contacteither my parents, Kristen, Brooke, Tiff, Allison, Gonzo, orCourtney... if you know me, you are bound to know one of them.This is a picture of Dagi's family from last year when we had themover for dinner. They are wonderful people, feel free to come meet them.

It’s been hard, but it’s been good. I have been doing a lot of running around. This week I am out in the countryside. I get to cover… woohoo! So I purchased my first scarf and am ready. Oh yeah, and I get to wear a skirt everyday for the next month or so… bring it on because that is so my personality. When I get back (Sunday) I will be heading to a wonderful and beautiful place in North Ethio… more countryside. I have never been there, but I have seen spectacular pictures. I am pumped.
The city got a movie theatre??? And it got “wireless” Internet at few places… which of course doesn’t actually work.
The poverty is as I left… bad. Jenn (my roomie ) and I were talking about spending some time in the slums. No one goes there, but they are everywhere. By slums I mean in comparison to my other friends here who have practically nothing, these people have absolutely NOTHING. I want to spend time in these places because JC said to… they are the outcast… the lepers (really lepers, not metaphorically speaking). These are the people I really desire to know. They are the people who, honestly, are hard for me to look at it. They look like, in a sp sort of way, the way I did before I knew JC.
The question I continue to ask myself is…If I leave with more stuff than what I came with, would I be a thief ?

I'm writing to sift through goodbyes...

The day will always take care of itself despite the things we say and do.  The sun will set.  The moon will rise and take shape in the darkness as the stars accompany.  Then the dawn will interrupt it all over again.  The day will always take care of itself.  The dawn will always bring grace.  It is new every morning.

Let the day take care of itself and meanwhile bathe in the plan set before you.  He is sovereign over me, my friend.  My friend, He is sovereign over you.  He will take me to distant nations and He will do the same with you... He is sovereign.  We will meet on occasion in one land or another, to the west of certain borders... He is sovereign.  My life is not my own.  Your life is not your own.  He will do with us what He wishes like water on the course of it's stream... He is sovereign.  I will be there and you will be in a different there for a time, maybe longer... He is sovereign.  In hopes you will leave your different there to visit where and when I'll be there... He is sovereign.  May your cup overflow with water from the infinite oceans and your life be preserved from the salt inside... He is sovereign.  I love you from such depths that only few people know... He is sovereign.

The day will always take care of itself... He is sovereign.  

Not in the box..

I don't recommend watching this full screen... 

So the directions for all of this are not in the box.  I didn't expect it to be this difficult.  Although I am 100% excited, I am also 100% terrified.  The most common question I have received is, "are you ready for your trip?"  There are two things wrong with this question. The first one is that I have no idea what being ready for this trip is supposed to look like.  The second problem is that this doesn't seem like much of a trip... more of a move.     

But anyway... I pr for strength until I leave.  I pr for my family and my new ch and the other m's over in the great continent.  It's hard leaving the ch I've been apart of for so long (JF5... thank you for showing me what living looks like).  Thank you for accompanying me in this endeavor.  I leave in 5 days. I'm scared of this move.  I'm excited for this move. I am in the hands of the freakin' Sovereign King.  

I'll miss my boys down at the library who ask me if I'm cussing at them when I say "sir"... my boss-man and his wife along with the BHBC crew who taught me what living for JC looks like... the depth of d-ship with the few of you and certainly my wednesday girls (start a house ch)... my family.   Rock your life. Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead,

Lauren