changed me.

ethiopia changed me.

god used my time in ethiopia to transform me.

I truly believe that I am coming home a different person.

as one of my besties jenna said, a new woman, a new wife, a new mommy and a new friend.

i’m a summer girl.  always have been.  I have loved every summer since I can remember.

going to camp(s), playing on the lake with friends & family, baseball games, disney world, concerts, road trips.

the 4th of july is my second favorite holiday behind christmas. 

I love the warm texas summer nights.  

I love the break from the normal go-go-go schedule that the rest of the year holds.

I love the sunshine.

so it’s funny if you think about it.

one of the best summers of my entire life was spent in a big-dirty-rainy city, hanging out next to the trash dump.

ethiopia changed me.

it changed my priorities, it changed the way I look at life and people.

it changed the way I define family. 

I asked god all summer (and so did Stephen) to give us a big vision for our future.

we want so desperatly to serve Him in a big way, and I wanted to use my time in Addis to figure out what that may be.

there were times I was frustrated, not feeling like I had a purpose.  

the enemy was really firing at me this time.

it really wasn’t until the past week that God revealed to me His vision for us.  and showed me why I was supposed to be in Ethiopia all summer.

and it’s summed up in one word: family. 

I’m a mom, a sister, and a wife.  

and being a mom & sister don’t look like you might naturally think here. 

god blessed me this summer with getting to spend time with my two babies, camp + asher.  to really bond with them.  and I am grateful every second for the time we had together in their home country.

god also allowed me to spend time & build deeper relationships with our two sponsor daughters.  tsion (10) and abenezer (12) - who call us mom & dad.  (who call camp + asher their brother and sister)

I became sister to many.... I can’t tell you how much joy it brings me when my boys call me sister.

and, my notes that read, “my beloved mom” and “dear my wonderful mamma Wynne” from my sons Eyob + Biligne brought serious tears to my eyes.  

we are family. 

and god is revealing more and more to me that THAT is what counts.  

whether you look alike or not.  

god can start a bond between two people that look nothing alike & don’t have the same blood running through their veins.  those things don’t matter.  love does.

and even if all I did this summer was be a mother and spend time with my big crazy ethiopian family, then my time served it’s purpose.

I will never look at family the same. 

it’s made me more appreciative of my natural family than ever.  the way my parents, in laws, sisters, grandparents, grandparents-in-law, cousins, aunts, uncles, sister-in-law have loved us and supported us has been amazing.

especially seeing and spending time with kids this summer who don’t have anything like the family I have. 

my parents dropped everything & came to Ethiopia to meet their 2 grandkids - what?  I love my family, and although we are somewhat dysfunctional (what family isn’t!), I love them and they love us.  we are family -- always. 

living in midland, away from natural family, we’ve built family here too.  a church family.  people who come to our house at midnight the night before a big trip to pray for us.  people who work their tails off while mommy is away to make sure everything is perfect for c+a.  people who cook us meals.  people who fight to protect us & love us the way we need to be loved in this season.  family.  

changed.

in more ways than I can count.  

my missionary summer.

Hi, my name is Wynne. 

 and this is my family.

God allowed me to stay in Ethiopia after our court date of these two precious babies (Camp + Asher) to do ministry and
 I spent the past two months living with this missionary family (the Yates) in Ethiopia. 

well, more exactly I lived in a house with all of these people.

working with Project 61.

in Kore (or Korah)

in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

where this group of guys help lead the charge as leaders of the church & Great Hope Ministries.

I partnered with this sweet family

the gibsons

to be "happy helpers" in Korah. 

We watched teams come in every week to serve the kids of Korah

We did VBS with them...

scripture memory, songs, crafts, games....

and most importantly sharing the gospel!!

{photo by Kari Gibson}

and at the end of every week, we celebrated what Jesus had done with a big MEAT lunch.

{photo by Kari Gibson}

The afternoons were often spent (with the teams) visiting Alert hospital & going on home visits.

during home visits you can always expect buna (ethiopian coffee), popcorn or traditional bread, and lots of good time hearing each other stories and praying together.

there was always a lot going on in Korah with Project 61, Hope for Korah (family program), and Mission Ethiopia (sustainable work for at risk women)!

that is a small glimpse into what we did as a part of the Project 61 team in Ethiopia, but it doesn't even begin to tell the stories of what we really did.  or rather what God did through us.

It wasn't necessarily through the programs, or events that we felt God at work - it was through the personal relationships we had with the people.

Mid summer I started going into the bible study that Roger Gibson & Kari started for some of the boys that live in the dorm in Korah during the summer (when they aren't in school).  Roger really felt like God told him to disciple these young men - and it was an honor and blessing to watch them grow this summer and to really just be a family with them.

Yes, we had bible study with them every week.

we prayed with them.

we gave them bibles.

we shared the gospel & our personal testimonies.

we took them to church each Sunday

but we also ate with them

took them to the zoo

celebrated birthdays with them

played soccer with them

watched movies & made cookies together

took them bowling

we did things FAMILIES do together.
and that is exactly what we became - a big crazy ethiopian family!

my last Sunday in Addis, I got to witness a beautiful baptism of my friend & brother, Kedir (Kedy).
it was an emotional day as I've seen this boy transform by the love of Jesus this past year.

THIS is what it's all about.

last days- part 5

8.28

I should have known that when God called me home, and I was obedient, that He would tremendously bless my last few days.

this past week was one of the best all summer.  

it wasn’t that we did anything extra special - we just spent a lot of time as a family.  sometimes, thats all it takes.  spending quality time together - and it doesn’t always matter what you do, just that you are together. 

this morning I said goodbye for now to camp + asher.  

I went alone & no other families were there.  I was actually super appreciative for the time to be with them alone.  times with just me + them have been the highlight of my summer.  

holding them, singing to them, praying over them, making them laugh and smile.  

and I’m so thankful my husband made me video me with them.  

I know we will look back on these times together one day & love watching it on film.  

thank you jesus for the time you gave me with c+a.  I pray that when we return they remember who we are & the bonding picks right up where we left off.

after the babies, I picked up Eyob so we could spend my last day together.  

and our time was a gift.

we took a walk down to my friend Emily’s house to check on her dogs (and walk them -- believe me, crazy fringe with a dog on a leash get crazy stares....) 

on our walk, just the two of us, he opened up more to me than ever.

sharing parts of his story he’s never shared.

I asked him lots of questions as he shared with me & I feel like we really turned a page.

It really is amazing that we are now able to have full on conversations in english. 

this is the boy that in January we would just look at each other & I would say “we have to learn the same language!”

his confidence has sky rocketed and I’m so proud of him.

I can’t imagine having the story that this one has, and I know it’s so hard for him to open up and talk about his past.

I’m grateful that he trusts me enough to let me all the way in. 

after packing up my room, saying goodbye to the Yates + boys, the family picked me up and we headed to Kaldis for a goodbye meal.  

I never thought when I got here that I would be escorted to the airport by my new family - the gibsons, my 2 sons eyob + biligne, and brothers david, sente, kedy, pastor t, kennedy, tolousa, sinte and babye.  I looked around the table in astonishment!  I told Kiki, I don’t know how everytime I come to this country my family gets bigger.  kids that I either hadn’t met, or didn’t know their names last trip are now my brothers.  and relationships that I started a year ago have only gotten stronger.  

their long goodbye hugs were followed by me gripping their faces in my hands and telling each of them that I loved them & I was proud of them & I would miss them.  

I will.  and I do.  

but their letters said it best, “until next time...”  

getting on that plane was hard, but I was 100% covered in prayer thanks to all of you.

it was supernatural.  

I wanted to lose it, but I couldn’t.

i feel peace.

your prayers were answered.  

thank you! 

last days - part 4

8.27

I think the best part of my day today was getting to spend quality time with Eyob.

I told him a few days ago that I wanted to spend as much time as possible with him these last few days & he took it seriously.

after home visits & bible study this morning in Korah, we headed to Kaldis.

the Gibsons had some things to do at the shopping center, so while we waited I got to give him the necklace I bought for him this week.

It was totally appropriate since he gave me (and Stephen!) a necklace yesterday!

now we can always think of each other when we wear our necklaces.

and then while waiting by the van, we decided to make a few videos.

a message for Yohannes, a message for Stephen, an amharic lesson (I really wanted to voice record all the words & phrases I know in Amharic so I don’t forget when I go home...) so Eyob translated for me!  

but my favorite video was the one that started off, “hey mom”.  

how did I get so lucky? 

I really do love this boy like he were my own child & when I pray for camp + asher, I pray for their big Ethiopian brother, Eyob too. 

we also had a farewell dinner at our favorite resturant -- Korean! -- with the Gibsons and crew.

mama kiki might have almost lost it, but I had god given peace today. 

i love dinners out with kiki, roggy, zoe zoe & hannie.  

we never run out of things to laugh or talk about. 

this family has taught me more than they will ever know.

we’ve become family as we’ve been a family to a bunch of teenage boys that otherwise wouldn’t have one. 

thank you jesus! 

the last days - part 3

8.26
today was one of my most favorite days this summer.

Sundays are usually Beza church days, but our sweet Kedy was getting baptised at the church in Korah this week & there was no way we were going to miss that.
the church in Korah was full of friends - women that work at mission ethiopia, precious little kids we see every day, most of the kids that live in the dorms (boys & girls), and both of my sponsor girls & their families.
it was a sweet time worshiping with them in their church.
although the entire service was in amharic, I still felt the presence of God.
I will never get the image out of my mind of a sweet woman in front of me who had obviously suffered from leprosy, wave her hands back and forth in the air to her God.
and Kedy....he was up in the front with all the other people who were to be baptised, and he was singing and dancing in worship to God,
I just smiled & thanked God for letting me witness such a scene.
the way these people pray to God, worship Him and call out to Him is beautiful -
I tried to pray and finally just asked God to speak to me.
and I felt like He told me that if He were still walking the earth - THIS is where He would be.
I just know it.

after a lengthy sermon in a language I couldn’t understand, it was finally time for baptism.
there was an excitement in the room as the women (dressed in robes) proceeded to the back of the church where the baptismal sat.
everyone gathered around, standing on the benches, smooshed in the back corner of the church ready to witness about 15 people get baptised.
I had my camera ready to go!
I wish I had my video camera - the scene was one of my favorite all summer.
it was TRULY a celebration.  a welcoming into the family of God.
all the members of the church - young and old, were dancing and shouting and clapping along with the keyboard music in celebration.

I was so surprised to see my sweet new friend (and the Chambers sponsor girl!) Anish getting baptised.  Her good friend (and a fellow VO team member) had just sent me a note telling me to talk to her about Jesus - she said something really beautiful too: that she couldn’t imagine praising Jesus in heaven for eternity without her.
tears filled my eyes when I saw she was getting baptised today!

and them Sammie - my Abenezers brother.  when he came up out of that water he had the biggest smile on his face - it was like his whole body was lit up with Jesus.

and kedy - I watched and couldn’t stop thinking about how just LAST SUMMER he was wondering the streets of Korah with no one to call family, and now!  He’s in school, he has a home, a spiritual family and he is baptised!
I was literally bawling crying and filled with so much joy when I watched that boy go into those baptismal waters.
I watched his friends watch on too - those who know Jesus, and those who don’t and I prayed that he would set an example to them all.

afterwards everyone was hugging and dancing and praising God.
it’s not anything that can be fully explained in words- but something that I’ll never forget.

after church we took 2 vans full of kids to lunch at Metro Pizza & then to entoto mountain for soccer.
I got to bring a few of my boys that I got to spend time with this summer: Jordan, Dawit and Teddy.  all friends of Eyob.  We rode with Don and his boy Daniel in their van all day so when we got to Entoto for soccer the boys in my van formed a team vs. the boys in the GIbsons van -- making, ‘team wynne” and “team kiki”.

Team Wynne

Team Kiki

it was so fun to watch them play!  they are some dang good soccer players.
kiki and I cheered from the sidelines & even got a little competitive ourselves.
my team ended up winning  :)  but all the boys were so amazing!

the view from entoto is breathtaking - from a certain point on the road down, you can see the whole city.
so we stopped for photographs.

this is when I’m so grateful for the gift God gave me - I love getting to take photos for our friends.  knowing that their book of pictures is their most prized possession.
you go to any ones home & they show you their picture book.
and it’s an honor when I get to see my pictures all over homes in korah.

it was a beautiful day.