Letter from Ethiopia

Dearest Foldiers,
I want to write you a short note telling you of all the things we have seen and experienced in Ethiopia. I want be able to do justice in this short letter because the internet costs a fortune, but I do have lots of pictures and video footage of all the kids, sights and donkeys.

Tonight we ate dinner with three students who are now in college here in Ethiopia. Why is this such a big deal? These three students are Compassion Children just like Geomyra, Juan and Malini. The were tiny kids when someone in the states picked up their sponsor card and began to support them. 2 of them will be teachers and want to do so in a Compassion project and the other is finishing his degree to be a Water Engineer as well as a music minister in his church. This boy will save many lives as he seeks to figure out the water problems here in Africa.

I cried during the dinner because I was looking at 3 students who have received Christ as their Savior and have become servants to the poorest of the poor. They can't help but serve God for all He has done for them. In my 7 years at SACPC I have witnessed this same type of miracle.....and it brings me to tears every time.

This afternoon we went 100 Kilometers outside the city to visit a project and church in the middle of nowhere. I was the first white boy some of them have ever seen. We walked through many fields to a small grass hut to visit the family of a sponsored child. It had dirt on the floor and the area they cooked in was half kitchen and half stable for the 2 cows they had.....I loved that!! The family shared how God has changed their lives through Compassion. Their children have all been nurtured with incredible education, health training and spiritual nurture. I have some great pics!!

I got to jam on the cow drum thingy with the music class, got schooled in Ping Pong by a girl who had mad skills, stepped in two ant hills, got trampled by 70 Ethiopian children when I opened a bag of balloons and chased many goats and donkeys throughout the village. Oh yeah....I ate some serious cow stomach last night too..

My prayer is that every one of you takes the chance to see what God is doing on a Global level. I have sat with so many people who have AIDS and they continue to praise God for His goodness. I thank God for every student in the FOLD, my prayer is that all of us seek Jesus with everything we have and by the power of the Holy Spirit we will make a difference in our community and world, one soul at a time.

God is Good
nate