Heading Back to Ethiopia, At Last!

I am so incredibly excited to be heading back to Ethiopia in May.  So. Incredibly. Excited!

 Just when I thought it could not get any better, CHAD decided to join the trip!  Above, he is signing the paperwork officially registering himself for the trip.  He was so funny that night!  When he came to tell me that he wanted to join the mission team he had the most nervous look on his face.  I teased him that he looked more nervous than if I had just told him I was having triplets.  He grinned and said, "Actually that would not phase me.  We could handle that!"

For the record, he is not scared of Ethiopia.  He is just worried about leaving his business for 10 days.  We have never done that.  Add to that the fact that we will have less contact with home than we usually have when we travel, and I totally understand his concern.

However, I am over the moon excited that he will be on this trip.  I am thrilled that there will be a project we are working on together.  I want him to smell, see, hear, taste - to totally experience the birth place of our littlest son.

I also want his expertise on a fence fixing project that is part of our itinerary.

More than anything, I look forward to processing the trip together.  It has been hard in the last years to explain to him some of what has happened in my heart since being in Ethiopia.  I am so thankful that this time we will experience it together.   As I have worked more and more outside our home, we have worked side by side less and less.  Where we once did most everything together, we now have very varied projects we are involved in.  I miss working with Chad.  I am so thrilled to share this with him, as it is my very heart. I am trusting that God will use this trip in beautiful ways.

The other exciting news is that Sierra will be traveling with us as well!  Just today, we brought her to apply for her passport.  She is so very thrilled!  She says she wants to move to Africa to do medical mission work when she is an adult.  I am so curious to see what she thinks of this trip.  I am so thankful I will be with her and will be able to witness her reactions first hand.

 Sierra has been working hard to pay for her trip!  She created these cute bracelets which she is selling to help cover her trip expenses.

We have also been doing some fund raising with the rest of our mission team.  Last weekend she spent some time each day selling parking spots.  The sign says $2, not $200!  $200 would pay for the trip a little faster than $2 per slot though!

While parking cars last weekend, she had quite a scare.  I left her for a few minutes to go check on the rest of the team.  While I was gone a car parked in the middle of the street and the driver hopped out.  Sierra was scared he was going to grab her, throw her into the car, and drive away.  Instead he told her, "You are really pretty.  Here is $20."  And drove away!

When I returned she was still (understandable) shaken up.  She told me that I could never leave her again. (DUH!) and that she would not be splitting that $20 with the team.  She earned it all by herself!

While it was scary, and I did not leave her side again, it has become a bit of a joke.  I don't know about you, but no one has ever given me even $1 for my looks.

Soon, I will share more about what we will be doing on this trip.  It is not a Dietrich only affair.  We will travel with 11 other members of our church - including my mom, some very dear friends, and some people who are soon to be my newest best friends!  It is a project I look forward to sharing!