We were so blessed by the people who worked for our adoption agency in Ethiopia. Each and every one of these people has made an impact on our lives, and is working for the cause of the fatherless, which pleases our Lord so much. I just want to take a moment to introduce many of them who I feel like I got to know very well. They are our brothers and sisters in the Spirit.

This beautiful lady is Miss Agitu, who is the adoption coordinator for Better Futures. She is a woman full of the Spirit of God and is a very determined and mission-oriented person. Agitu, you are a go-getter! She has a heart for the orphans and is working night and day on their behalf and the behalf of the adoptive families. We thank you, Agitu!

The gentle and lovely woman was employed as a nanny during the day to take care of the infants. We could not really communicate much, as she knew very little English, but our spirits connected, as she knows the Lord and lives for Him.

This amazing young woman was the housekeeper at our guesthouse. I could not pronounce her name well when she told it to me, so she said, "You can call me Amy!" I said, "Wow. That is my sister's name." Amy was such a joyful spirit fluttering about cleaning and working. She was like a little bee, and she kept our room spotless the entire time. I was so impressed by her pleasant smile and her contentment. She is also going to school to become a nurse. I said, "My sister is a nurse too!" She was so special and blessed by the Lord.

Next is Korsa, the gatekeeper that I mentioned in one of my previous posts. What a joy it was to talk with him and get to know him. He was such an intelligent young man. He even taught himself English by reading a dictionary on his own, and he was a very good speaker! His job was to be the security at the gatehouse. His room was a little space by the gate with nothing more than a bed. When I peeked in one morning, I saw an open Bible lying on his bed. What a blessing to see that! He was so content in his job and just a delight to know.

Faqada is an evangelist and outreach coordinator for Better Futures. He was a joy to be with. He and Nami really became close while we were there. They enjoyed hours just sitting and talking about the Bible and the Lord. They also enjoyed wrestling with each other on the compound parking lot. What boys! It was funny to watch! The Ethiopian men seem to be so much more touch-oriented than we Americans. Faqada would sit and listen to Nami very close with his hand on Nami's leg. It was hilarious to see Nami at first, but then he got used to it a bit! You would even see men holding hands on the streets while walking. This was just a cultural sign of friendship and comraderie in Ethiopia. Interesting!

Now here is Betty, the chef at our guesthouse. And what a wonderful chef she is! Each meal was a masterpiece to us. Nami even blurted, "I wish you could come stay at our house!" (He did get an evil look, mind you!) Anyway, Betty was super intelligent and attending school at night as well. I just loved her and miss her very much. She had such a quiet nature, but we became very close. In this picture, she is fixing the traditional Ethiopian coffee. The aroma was intoxicating!

Darare has joined Better Futures as the office administator/manager, and she is a wonderful and elegant woman whom I became friends with as well. She and her husband Sisay have planted many churches in the rural areas around Addis Ababa, and they also run a school to teach reading to the people and other skills. They are amazing and anointed people, and I am so glad to know them now.


Alabacho was a young man full of promise. He is very energetic and worked very hard a liason officer for Better Futures. We are so thankful for all the work he did on behalf of Elroi in order to get her passport, her medical, etc. He was such a blessing to us. Although, he could not speak much English, we enjoyed his company immensely and will never forget him.

Dr. Gitacho was another man we were so privileged to become acquainted with in Addis Ababa. He works diligently to help orphans find a family as well. He is a very educated man, with many degrees and has lived abroad. We learned so much about the country and culture from him and spent a lot of time with him. We will never forget his compassionate heart.

And last but not least were the wonderful, missionary couple Jim and Distay. Distay is Agitu's younger sister, and she and Jim met in America in college. They both were living in the U.S. when Jim felt a call to go to Ethiopia. So, they have been back for 4 years, and they are an amazing blessing there. We were so joyful to meet them, to spend time with them. Jim had such a wonderful and corny sense of humor, and Distay possessed such an inner peace and joy. They are such prayer warriors for Ethiopia and are truly led by the Spirit. We love you guys!

So, to wrap up this extensive post, I love all of you in Ethiopia! I just wanted to tell everyone what wonderful friends we made while we were there. We will never forget them and hope to see them again one day. They are all doing the will of God, each doing His part in the Kingdom. It is a glorious thing!