Love Does

As I sit in the lobby of the Z Addis Hotel trying to write this blog, what seems like a year’s worth of sights, sounds, and experiences flood my mind. Trying to summarize them is a difficult task – I expect it to be weeks before I’ve fully processed what we’ve seen in Addis Ababa so far, or maybe I never completely will.

Some of the sights have been somewhat comical (at least by American standards), such as three live goats tied to the roof of a sedan, a man standing on a cart being pulled by a horse down the middle of a busy street, or the grill at our hotel being cleaned by a mop that may or may not have just finished cleaning the floor.

Other sights have cut me with sadness, such as human beings living amongst massive vultures in the confines of the city’s massive dump, single mothers lining the streets and begging us for handouts whenever we step out of the car, or a disabled man lying on a mat in a crowd of people in near Biblical fashion.

These types of sights are so common in Addis, that I already feel myself starting to dismiss them, when only a week ago they captivated my full attention.

Amidst this chaotic setting, Bring Love In is attempting to break the cycles that have resulted in so much hurt and brokenness by giving orphaned children loving homes, constant support, and pointing them towards the Lord. Stepping onto their campus for the first time after 1.5 days of roaming Addis, I felt my soul almost sigh with relief as I was greeted by a wave of children that were smiling, laughing, and holding their arms out for big hugs.

Just as bright lights seem so much brighter when they shine in total darkness, the joy of Bring Love In seems so much greater in the midst of the city around it.

A word I’ve been pondering a lot this week is “deserve”. In the United States, we often operate with an underlying assumption that certain actions “deserve” certain results: Criminals deserve punishment. Workers deserve fair pay. Children deserve quality schooling.

When we experience things that go against what we believe we “deserve”, we often become upset or outright angry. However, after my time with both the children and staff of Bring Love In, I can say that I’ve never met a group of people that seems more deserving than they.

The little children live in tiny bedrooms with 3-4 other siblings. Their possessions fit in the boundaries of one closet drawer or suit case, and yet they beam with pride when showing you their things. The older kids care well for their younger siblings, and many now live out their Faith at the universities they are attending. The staff loves on the kids constantly and makes great personal sacrifice in order to support the vision of Bring Love In. We learned that one of the house mothers has children of her own that live in Canada. Still, she has chosen to stay in Addis raising the children of Bring Love In, because she sees it as more important than going to be with her own kids.

When I look at all these incredible examples of Faith, selflessness, and joy in the midst of trial, it’s hard to understand why these children have endured such difficult lives with so little, while I’ve lived in such comfort with so much. From an American standpoint, these wonderful kids seem like they “deserve the world”.

Rattling around in my head are questions like: Why do I have so many possessions, when these kids do not? Why do I have two loving parents, when these kids are without theirs? Why do I have a job that I love, when these kids may struggle to find work in a hurting economy?

Ephesians 2:3 tells us that naturally, none of us is deserving of any of the grace that we have been given. While I knew this theologically, I don’t ever think I’ve ever had to confront the idea of “deserving” as practically as I have this week.

Coming home from Ethiopia, it’s my sincere prayer that I learn to not take for granted the blessings I’ve been given and that I use them to honor God’s kingdom – not seek my own glory. I want to be a man who gives constant thanks for God’s grace in both the small things and the big things in life, because I’ve now experience the gratitude of a community who knows the true value of the Lord’s provision in times of need.

To close, I’m in awe that people of Bozeman, Montana and people of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia worship and have Faith in the same wonderful God, despite our drastic differences in environment and culture. Though half a world apart, we find ourselves headed toward the same eternal destination. What a beautiful thought that one day, we could see the children of Bring Love In again in Heaven.

– Alec

I have been in the country for just over 72 hours and it’s been a whirlwind of thoughts, and emotions. I’m struck with my inability to fully express myself, as I am usually very good with unpacking what is going on around me.

Today’s devotion focused on, the works God has prepared in advance for us to do and our ability to listen to him. “How does this play out in the real world?” was my question, and how do I know I’m not doing this for me but for the reasons God directed me to this place. As a social introvert it can take some time for my impact to be seen or felt. Although I know this, I always hope my impact will be revealed earlier so I can extend my time in those opportunities. I know I must be patient. James 1:19, so I wait.

Slowly but surely the impact of my presence began to take shape. As a group we challenged ourselves to listen to those “nudges” so often discussed at Journey. I had been nudged the prior day to engage one of the younger kids playing sports. Simple high fives and “good job” began a relationship. She began seeking me out when a play ended. We just completed an incredible game of American football which they have never seen before (That’s a hilarious and fun story for another day), and we’re riding the bus back to the center. I sat behind two girls and one of their friends was behind me. Matt began playing rock/paper/scissors/ with one, and it opened them up. Matt has an inviting and fun personality that brings others in. I am grateful for Matt’s engagement as it began a series of events.

Soon, one was sitting with me, and we were talking favorite animals, color, food and things. The ones in front were also involved and opening up. Then we began English lessons. She was pointing at eye lashes, “eye brow?”, no, eye lash, etc. She pointed at her feet and I said shoes, she said “Chama, in Amharic”. I said “my Chama are smelly” and she laughed with such enthusiasm and understanding, tapping her friends and retelling the story. The interaction grew and continued all the way back to the center. With this simple interaction, a relationship was born and now it will grow.

God has created me for subtle impacts, I’m not the loud one, I’m observant, I see emotions, I see feelings, but I must wait for those opportunities to arise. In a country so full of need, it’s easy to want to jump in and do something, anything, that may make a difference. One must stay true to how we were created though, for me, that means I must wait, I must be patient, I must trust the slow process of impact.

I believe the only answer to the myriad of issues confronting these lovely people will require the same process, one conversation about smelly shoes, one bright smile, one correction of eyebrow to eyelash at a time. The founders and staff at Bring Love In seem to know this. They are in it for the long game and their impact will be slow and steady but changing lives every step of the way.

The pain and suffering seen throughout my short time here is real and palpable. However, so is the love, the resilience, and the joy. There are no quick fixes in this world, so I will remain patient and observant and I will find those small moments and opportunities for impact. I thank God for the reminder and I am thankful for this opportunity.

– Dan

This blog post has felt difficult for me to write. How can you easily put words to an overwhelming experience like this?

I did research and heard many stories about Addis Ababa before I came, but none quite do it justice. Addis is a place unlike any I’ve ever been to – one that must be experienced personally. The sights are complex, the smells are strong, the hospitality is beautiful, the hurt is apparent, the joy is contagious, and the driving is beyond chaotic.

A recurring conversation among our team, has been about various types of poverty. Ethiopia lacks material possessions. Many people live with little or no money and limited access to healthcare or modern conveniences, but there’s something deeply rich about the way people live. Their strong faith, sense of community, and connection to tradition give their life great richness. In the U.S., it can appear to be the opposite. We’re surrounded by stuff: technology, comfort, and opportunity, yet many people feel lonely, anxious, or disconnected. It’s as though we’ve filled our lives with things, rather than with God Himself.

Two questions have been on my mind as I’ve been here:

Is my faith truly more important to me than my worldly standing and possessions?

Am I living in spiritual richness or in spiritual poverty?

I’ve been mulling over Matthew 25:31-46, which examines our faith and our heart’s posture. The things we do to love and serve one another, is also done for the Lord, for we are made in His image. Therefore, the things we fail to do to serve and love one another, is as if we are refusing to do them for God.

Loving your neighbor seems to be woven into Ethiopian culture, while seeking God first. They don’t ignore people to run off to the next appointment, they are slow and intentional.

The kids at Bring Love In show immense excitement and joy when you just sit with them and give them your attention. They desire to be seen and loved. Don’t we all desire that? I have felt convicted by my desire to hold my own schedule higher than those around me, and especially higher than God. I’m drawn to the intention by which Ethiopians live for God and express their love for each other.

God’s redemption in the kids at Bring Love In is noticeable and beautiful. They have been a gentle reminder to me of God’s sovereignty. I’m so thankful for the time I get here in Addis and for my new Ethiopian family.

– Anna

The start of our time in Addis was set up well for us by people who have been here before. We got here a couple days before we would start working with the kids and had a chance to get our feet under us and start to adjust to the Ethiopian culture. We could get a couple of nights sleep, adjust to jet lag, go to a local church on Sunday, and visit Korah (where several of the kids lived before coming to Bring Love In).

For me I’d say the first couple of days I oscillated between feeling like everything around me seemed surreal and then feeling very weak and inadequate (not feelings I enjoy very much). As I visited with our driver (who speaks excellent English) I realized how poor I am at understanding Ethiopian accents and how much I struggle to remove slang and words that make it hard for him and I to communicate. It took 5 minutes to understand each other in way that would take 30 seconds back home. I kept thinking how am I going to be able to understand the kids whose English is not nearly as strong as his. I feel weak and inadequate.

Later that day we went to Korah. A large community that literally lives in and around a huge dump. The sights, smells, feelings of hopelessness are beyond words. Experiencing it first hand was not what I expected. Everything felt almost not real – like I was watching it on TV but my brain knew it wasn’t as I smelt the smells and felt my stomach turn. It wasn’t until later that night, processing with the team, that my feelings started catching up to the experience and once again I felt so weak and inadequate.

If I’m honest I don’t feel this very often back home. There are so many ways to pivot and strategize and get back to a spot of at least perceived adequacy. But here that’s just not possible. We’ve gotten to meet with the kids the last couple days. There is so much hope, joy, and love in them that it is infectious and I am so thankful. The recognition of my weakness and inadequacy is still very much there but it’s mixed with all these little moments of: “Wow look at what God is doing there!”

One of the first boys I got to chat with explained to me that he wants to be a psychologist when he goes to university. As he unpacked why he calmly explained that he didn’t speak for 2 years when he first came to Bring Love In. He said he had all sorts of thoughts going on in his head but he didn’t want to tell anyone. Councilors and psychologists helped him learn he could start to speak again (even with just a couple words at a time). From there he continued to grow. He explained that there are so many kids like him around who people write off as either not mentally there or bad because they act out. I sat beside him slowly learning more and asking questions. Still feeling weak and inadequate but also in awe.

– Matt

Every time I visit, my perspective shifts. Each year I return home full of angst. In a posture of humility, I am reminded of the value we are in Christ. Not of the value of our possessions or how busy we are. Here, in Ethiopia relationships come first. To just sit and be with one another is the highest priority. 

My heart is full of anticipation. I am ready for my heart to swell again when I see my Ethiopian family. I am ready for the overwhelming joy, peace & love that I feel when I am in the presence of the Bring Love In staff and children. I am ready to be present in each moment, where time seems to not exist. Where relationships are more important than being “on time” to your next appointment.

As my year goes by, I allow myself to fall back into the comfort of living in a nation full consumerism, and busy living. I am embarrassed to say how easily I slip back into my world of comfort. I need my perspective changed again. A large dose of God’s clarity in my life. Why do I need to travel half way around the world to be reminded of what matters most? I grieve the days I have wasted, running around and not being present with the people God has put in my path to love, if just for a moment. The child made in His image. Matthew 25:34-40

I am ready for my perspective change… again. With a humble heart of anticipation. May you feel the Peace, joy and love that God has for you today and always.

Charity

As I reflect on 9 days in Addis Ababa, one lesson I’ve learned from the Ethiopian believers stands out:

A simple life benefits relationships.

One living a simple life has the time and energy to press into relationships. Relationships with people and with God. This was the Eden experience we see in Genesis.

When our time and energy are primarily concerned with relationships, the fruits of the Spirit – love-peace- patience- kindness- gentleness – fill our heart and the soul.

The orphans at Bring Live In lack materially from an American perspective. In one home visit I saw into one teenagers bedroom. Everything he owns is on a 1’ by 1’ shelf. But he doesn’t lack. He has a loving place to live, adopted brothers and sisters to laugh and play with. Food to eat. A great school to attend and medical care. What else does he need? Paul talks about his life in Jesus and it reminds me of these kids.

“known, yet regarded as unknown;
dying, and yet we live on;
beaten, and yet not killed;
sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;
poor, yet making many rich;
having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”
2 Cor 6:9-10 NIV

In the midst of a tiny fraction of our wealth, these people have a peace most Americans can only dream of. Frankly we ought to be jealous of the relationships that result from their way of life.

Think about your relationship with God. When is the last time you prayed, “Give me this day my daily bread” and you meant it? We don’t worry about daily food, so we don’t need God in that. We don’t worry for shelter or clothes or much of anything that actually matters. The result is often an attitude that we don’t really need God.

Those living the simple life in Addis need God every day. That dependence grows faith and is reflected by the fruits of the Spirit so evident among the believers here.

Think about your relationships with people. How often are you distracted by your phone? How often is the to do list (at work or home) prioritized over time with people?

Even as a team here in Ethiopia we have been somewhat forced to adopt this simple life. If we are not with the kids we are together with no agenda, no things to watch over – so our energies go into one another. The results are laughs, stories, conversations all of which give life. We seem to display the fruits of the Spirit a lot here… maybe more than we did when we left.

Just one example – patience. Back home we all hurry to and fro. We get angered by people cutting us off driving or stepping in front of us in line. Our focus is on what I want and what’s best for me.

In Addis, driving around is crazy. No lanes, no turn signals, seemingly no rules and yet just a wave or a smile moves people along. No angry scowls or clenched fists. People happily let someone in.

A few nights ago, we had a 90 minute drive to dinner, probably covering just a couple of miles, in brutal traffic. If we were at home we’d be out of our minds frustrated. Here, just conversation, laughter and enjoying being together.

The fruit of the Spirit of patience displayed because of a simpler life where relationships are paramount.

And that makes me wonder if the simple life can have that big of an impact in such a short time on the eight of us, can those of us here carry that back to life in the U.S.? Can people who haven’t experienced Addis live that simple life in our culture?

I hope so… but if I’m being honest I really don’t know.

In Christ,
Brian Priebe

PS – Happy 29th Anniversary Kristen! See you soon.

The smell of the rain, the incense, the coffee, and the diesel fumes are all familiar. They overwhelm my senses in the best way because they ARE Ethiopia. They warm my heart because all of these smells mean I get to spend time with some of my very favorite people. Every second I get to spend with the kids and staff at Bring Love In is so precious. The kids here have become great friends. It makes it hard to say goodbye, but I know that no matter the distance the love we have for each other will not fade.

The kids a part of Bring Love In (elevate orphan) embody the name and mission of this beautiful organization. Their intentionality, joy, laughter, generosity, and pursuit of Jesus are doing exactly that… bringing love in. They teach me how I can be a better listener, friend, sister, daughter, and disciple. When I’m in Ethiopia surrounded by people who emulate Jesus and the redemption that He brings it is easy to be intentional and generous and kind. But the real challenge is carrying these things thousands of miles back home. I pray that leaving Addis, my heart will be changed. That I will not leave what I learned here. Rather that I can love my friends, classmates, coworkers, and even strangers as if they are Christ Himself. I pray I can bring Ethiopia home with me. And I pray that as a church we can deepen our impact here in Ethiopia. That we have hearts of generosity that allow us to further the reach of elevate orphan so that more kids, more orphans, have the opportunity to experience the love of a family like Bring Love In and of a God who has created them perfectly in His image.

Love,
Sara

This is my second time in Addis. My senses are still overloaded, but they are familiar this time. I am able to focus a bit more this trip. Then be overwhelmed. We were greeted by Ishy & Thomas the first day, the love that I have for both of them was surprising to me. To have just met them last year and to have learned the true meaning of intentional conversation I feel known and loved here in Ethiopia. But what was really surprising was that the hotel staff even recognized me. The smiles and “I remember” were so incredibly heart felt. They have told me that it means so much when someone comes back.

Last year at Bring Love In they had just adopted 8 girls from the government orphanage just 3 days before we came. The girls were quiet and very observant, never smiling. But we’re not ready to engage in the Firenge (white people). This year has been completely opposite. They have been the first to run out and greet us as we arrive every morning. Smiles lighting up their faces. The love and confidence that they exude is beyond what I can describe. To have seen them last year, and the pain and trauma that they had to endure. To the complete reversal of healthy young girls this year, just shows how remarkable Bring Love In staff is. How they emulate Jesus to these orphans. They are truly God’s hands and feet.

I have been honored to talk with the director, Thomas a lot more this trip and to hear his heart for this ministry. He has said that funding is down and they have a home that will be empty coming up this fall because 8 students will be leaving for University. But they are not sure if they will be able to adopt more children to fill the home with where their funding is at currently. My heart breaks, knowing the lives that have been changed and children that have been loved back to health through Bring Love In. Most striking the 8 girls that have been transformed since last year. How can we not help?

I pray that we all can feel known and seen like the children at Bring Love In. Because they have been given a gift, and we can help more children feel unconditional love.

Charity (aka mom)