This week in Words. ( June 30-July 5)

I know I say this every time I start writing my bog but I really have no idea where or how to start. This week has been a whirlwind. So many things to talk about.  I think I left off on Sunday.
Church was awesome again. It was about how some people are sent to parts of the earth where they never thought they would to change lives. Ummmm yeah, that’s me. Africa God? Seriously? I look back on the events in my life and I see where God started preparing my heart for this season. It amazes me that sometimes I question why or how, but he always has it worked out. As I am here this summer I am trying not to question the why’s or hows or what the hecks. Sometimes I break down silently; sometimes I harden my heart, sometimes I walk around all day with a lump in my throat. Yeah sometimes I just let the tears flow. This week was a week like this.
Sunday started the emotions as I sat next to my daughters, my friends and my “African children” and worshipped Jesus. I get it a little more then I did when I left 2 weeks ago. I understand Gods plan more then I did a year ago. I am trying to go with it and stay strong. Even though the poverty is endless and the starvation is in my face daily, not just physical starvation but mental and spiritual starvation. I watched a team this week in Korah have an eye opening, life changing, emotional, angry, praise the Lord experience. So many will go home and never be the same. Some were not the same when they arrived. The ones that had been here before learned something about how We are the ones that go home blessed even though we think we are here to bless the people here.
Our week was pretty much Groundhog Day, everyday. Korah summer camp, home visits to NEW sponsor children. Home. Yeah everyday brought something new but our schedule was the same. Monday we visited 9 children’s houses. Watching their faces as we told them they were chosen, well you figure it out, was the most amazing thing ever. All of my days are running together so I might miss some details. When we arrived here they already had the children assessed for us. Well they handed us 59 profiles and told us to choose 50. OKAY??? Seriously their fate lies in our hands. God I am gonna need you here, Give me the 50 children that need it most. Not based on their living conditions but based on their spiritual should, based on their desire to better their lives, based on who you have already chosen. I sat down read EVERY SINGLE PROFILE. The details are sad. How many times a day they eat, how many pairs of clothes they have, the status of their parental situation, their rank in school now, if their parents want to give them for adoption. Uh huh, there were tears that night but I decided to just pray that God would give me the 50 without having to question my decision. So I put the “for sure” kids in a stack (there was 34) then I went to the “next in line” stack and there was 14. Not 15 Not 13 but 14. There I was with 50, exactly 50. Don’t get me wrong I questioned my decision a few times but how could it be exactly 50? God thing? I put the extra 8 in the “waiting list” stack and was done.
This week we met 46 or the 50. In person, at their house. To say the emotions have run high would be an understatement. Some parents cry when we tell them the good news, some parents kiss my knee ( an honor or respect), some children kiss our cheeks, some parents make us coffee ( we have laughed that we are going to say yes until we make sure the coffee is good. Ahahha) terrible I know but gotta have some humor here) But in the END every child is given an opportunity and a chance at a brand new life. The difference in the “neighborhood kids” and the “sponsor kids” is undeniable. The neighborhood kids feel hopeless, hungry and sad. The sponsor kids are joyful, happy and full. I wish we could take 5000 kids but right now for this moment God says 50. We have 50 new responsibilities, to me right now that seems like enough. I am peaceful about it; please don’t think that it doesn’t make me sad that so many are waiting. Hopefully we will grow to serve more.
The rest of our days consist of watching the P61 kids flourish. Summer camp was a hit. The teen boys were ministered to and the team even purchased bibles for the boys that didn’t have one. Project 61 has been around 3 years and they are changing lives. There are about 400 kids in the program and all of them are beautiful and flourishing. It has been an honor to serve with them this summer. I am also honored to be paralleling what they have already accomplished here in Korah. We share the same NGO (Ethiopian organization) here in Korah, we will have different staff as to not take away from the work they are doing but we are all family and all working here for the good of the people in Korah. So if anyone thinks we are competition, we are not. We are here to serve together to empower together.
There were a few things that really grabbed my heart this week. Wednesday I saw my first dead person. He died of starvation and had no one to bury him. The team that was in country purchased him and casket so he could have a proper burial. Can you imagine having nobody? Nobody? It was the icing on the cake for my emotions on Wednesday. Brad arrived that night and I promise he must have thought I was crazy. The tears flowed for at least an hour! I guess I needed his shoulder. Marla( our nanny) also arrived. She is amazing to say the least and the girls and I are so happy she is here!!! Jen (my friend from Kazakhstan) arrived also! So fun to serve here with her.  On Friday we visited a child that lives with grandparents both very very sick with leprosy. The reality hit me that he may be alone very soon, so we are working on renting a place for the “at risk” children to go if they end up orphaned (or whatever the word may be). They are all at risk really but the ones that are in a desperate situation. ON Friday we had a sheep feast. Holey cow. We fed Every person that was around but before we had system it was scary. The kids ( that are ALLLLLL hungry) were pushing there way in. It was UGLY and scary. We managed to make it thru but holy cow, what a sight.
On Friday we turned in our list of 50 names to the office here. It was a relief to have chosen the children and a burden to have so many waiting. God knows, I keep telling myself, he knows better then I do.
Last night we had a 4th of July party here at the Guest house. What a fun time, fireworks, hamburgers, watermelon, the whole nine yards. It’s like family. The people are amazing.
Today (Saturday) I have 2 teams that will arrive. Both mine, both here to serve P61, Hope for Korah and (I am not sure if we have announce our name yet) Out of the Ashes.
One medical team and one summer camp team. Fun times ahead. I am sure lots of tears and lots of joy.
Out of the Ashes was named by Lindsay (the co founder of our new sponsorship program) Someday when I have more time I will tell you all of the details of how it happened this way. Until then I will tell you that Lindsay is working hard on profiling the children that need sponsors and soon we will have them for you to look at!
Off to start my day. I am sure that I bounced around here and I am sure I have lost most of you by now. Just random thoughts so I don’t forget details. Love from Ethiopia.

Thursday 27, Friday 28, Saturday 29

I am not sure what day I left off on but I am going to start back on Thursday. It was an amazing day. Amazing. We started doing home visits on the new sponsorship kids. We visited 4 that day. The first one started with an amazing home visit where we met a beautiful 13 year old boy and his mother that is infected with HIV. Such a terrible disease that they are so uneducated about here. I feel like that is something we should focus on with these kids and their families.We moved on to another girl that was found wandering the streets 3 years ago and picked up by a random lady at the market and taken into her home in Korah. This lady has 5 children of her own to support on an income of $18 a month. Just to put it into perspective of how poor these people really are. We visited 2 more, one that's parents were diagnosed with Leprosy and one that has a mom with a mental illness.  Addison decided to stay at the clinic with Emily and Kayla in the afternoon because it was a little overwhelming going into these homes. Sometimes the smell of the Koshe ( trash dump) just gets you and for a 9 year old girl, well its just too much. For me, well sometimes its too much but its part of it and I love doing it.

After our home visits Addison and Karlee helped plaster the new medical clinic here in Korah. I laid down in the car because I had a headache terrible.

Friday was another busy day in Korah. We visited 6 sponsor kids ( complete with our 12 body guards- HA ) and another home in the afternoon. This day was probably the most overwhelming day for me yet. The desperation is crazy. As we are walking around Korah we have people begging to put their child in this program. Seriously choking back the tears all day. We visited kids that were parentless, kids that were living with there grandparents, kids that were working in the koshe, kids that promised they would be so good and follow all of the rules. Our last visit was actually in the trash. Yeah it was not good, especially since we were already overwhelmed. We had a few boys with us ( one of them my Habesha Son that I love so much)  that are in the p61 sponsorship program in the van as we drove to the next house and driving into the dump with them was definitely an experience I never want to have again. Most of them had lived there at one point and ALL of them hadn’t eaten and worked there. Let me tell you, It IS NOT RIGHT. It down right sucks, yeah I said it. Watching all of their eyes fill with tears, yeah well I can’t do it again. I won’t do it again. Just knowing that it hurts them this bad to think of themselves and the thousands that are still there is so sad to me. Seriously people I am talking about a trash dump. I can’t and won’t post pictures of it in the public eye because I respect These people too much and I do not want to jeopardize any program going on here but I have pictures lots of them. I have some burned into my brain forever.

As I sat here last night with Karlee entering profile information, I just started bawling. Tears falling. Karlee and I had a mini meltdown together. Cried about what we had seen and the love we have for these people and this place. The emotions have carried over into today but we are pushing thru and realizing that not everybody can do what we are doing this summer. We are on a mission to love big and change lives…. Forever. These sweet babies and children are just normal children that have been dealt a crappy hand in life. A hand that normal people like us can do something about.

Today ( Saturday ) karlee and I went to volunteer at an orphanage. It was the first time I have entered this particular orphanage and not had a meltdown. Yay for me! I guess I am numb today, maybe because I know most of the babies I held today already have a family. It was great but secretly I wanted to be in Korah loving on the babies in the alleys or at the trash dump praying over the people. Don’t get me wrong it was good, we got to feed babies, but yeah my heart is totally somewhere else right now. Not with the orphanage children, some of you will judge me for that but until you have seen what I have seen, please take it easy on me.

Afthe orphanage we took the kids to the bowling alley. It was a blast,  definitely some TIA ( this is Africa) Moments when the power went out every 15 minutes or the pins got stuck, but we had so much fun.

Tomorrow we will go back to Beza Church. Some of the Korah kids have asked to come again so we will sardine into the van and go with it! Loving it all. I am ready for my nanny to get here ( MARLA hurry, we are missing you!) And I am ready to see Brad. 3 days and counting. Can not wait to see him and cry on his shoulder.

Love to all Dehna Eder from Ethiopia.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday (23,24,25)

This is going to be short and sweet because I am not sure when the internet will quit on me. being without internet is frustrating but it has been so good for the mission we are trying to accomplish here. No distractions. ( well at least electronic ones).

 

Sunday we went to beza Church. Awesome service, the pastor was amazing and funny. Some of the Korah boys asked if they could come so we had a few tag alongs. After church we headed into Korah to meet the Shashamene kids that were coming home for the summer. Oh my heat was full. Standing in front of us was the mission that God laid before us. Sometimes I am not sure Karlee wasn't made to work here. Seriously she is amazing with these people. Everyone already loves her and she has talked already about not leaving until her visa expires ( which is in September). hahahhahah Joe and Julie do not fear I told her I would drag her home kicking and screaming if I had to :). after Korah we left to eat at Yeshi Buna. ( OH MY GOODNESS, amazing Chikena tibs- google it if you don't know that it is). Some of the kids came to the GH for a visit, just hearing them laugh and play makes a person heart melt. The normalcy, the opportunity these children have been given is amazing. It really has changed their lives.

 

Monday morning we headed out to Korah, Addison is up and ready to go before ANY of the rest of us. The kid is a natural here. I know I said it before but watching her serve the least of these makes a mamas heart melt. Karlee and I had a meeting with the director of the NGO here about the new sponsorship program. Everything is in place and we will start meeting kids Wednesday!!! There are 51 kids his year. We will visit and pick the school this week also! exciting things going on here. After our meeting we went to the compound to see the kids. Kind of a quiet day. We met some friends ( from LEBANON MO) here and they ate lunch with us and we headed back to Korah in the rain to do a medical home visit. It is amazing the things that really don't matter here like walking in ankle deep mud in the rain. yeah pretty sure I will never complain about the 1st world problems again. ( bop me in the head if I do).

That night an amazing couple invited us for dinner at their house. The have a ministry here called make your mark where they minister to street kids. BEAUTIFUL MEAL with BEAUTIFUL people and te kids got to ride skateboard, play in a tree house and play the Wii. If was fun and great conversation.

 

Tuesday I had a meeting in Korah early so Karlee hitched a ride with Kayla to Korah, they did hospice ministry together and then started in working on the new clinic area that they will have here. I had another meeting at lunch time with a boarding school kid that has let a person make some terrible decisions for his life. I am not sure if he will listen to me but I am praying that God will touch his heart and he will own up to the mistakes he made. 3 of us talked to him in depth about God and life. He feels like now he is already in deep so why turn back. Please pray for him. I hate to see them waste a huge opportunity they have been given. Life here is hard, very hard and sometimes they get confused.  After that meeting I headed to Mikiyas ( my son of my heart!!!) house to visit his grandparents. We had Buna ( Coffee). It was great. One more home visit finished off the day. Beautiful mother of 7 boys has one bed for 5 f them. (6 people could barely fit in the house)  made us popcorn ( i ate it like I had a hyena in my stomach- ahahha) and Buna ( yeah another night of no sleep-but its worth it to visit with these beautiful people!)

 

We are preparing for our first team Saturday ( life will be hectic after this!). Pray that we are doing Gods will in everything we do here, we have already seen how he is working and we want to be used for his glory!

 

 I am tired now and headed to bed. Early day Tomorrow, hopefully we can post pictures soon. Praying internet get here soon, I miss my husbands voice. Chow from Ethiopia!

Stacy Segebarth
www.twoheartsforhope.org

June 19

I wasn't planning on updating again so quick but I didn't want to miss anything here and this is a quite comical episode in Segebarth travel to Ethiopia.
The trip so far and we are only in Germany (HA). So far I have battled with a gate agent to keep my carryon that weighs exactly DOUBLE what it should. ( I WON- well maybe it was the tears). After he proceeded to tell me he should have checked it, he let me know that I was not very smart to have each kid pull their own bag! Thank you Mr. Gate agent. Apparently YOU have never traveled with small children that require 9000 things to keep themselves occupied for the next 26 hours ( that is not a lie-26 hours from start to finish). Next Haven asked a nice man with a turban and pointy shoes if he was a genie. Selah had a melt down ( like banging the door down screaming) in the airplane bathroom because she thought I left her and she could not get the door open.... I had a mini melt down when it settled in I was going to be away from my husband for 5 weeks ( he will be in Ethiopia for only a week of this trip). The lady next to me gave me a Kleenex and told me I was brave. ( I didn't feel brave at that point). One more tip.... Don't read "there is no me without you" enroute to Ethiopia.
Oh and we sat in the seats behind bulkhead and every bassinet was full. Just sayin.....
Just a little comedy to make you laugh. I am feeling brave now. :)
My girls are doing awesome! No sleep yet so praying next flight we all get some!
We should meet up with Karlee ( aka intern, college, sweet, beautiful missionary girl-talk about brave! ) shortly.
We are rolling with it. Ethiopia is worth it.

Beautiful Ethiopia ( 6/20-6/21)

So I have missed a few days here and I have posts on my Ipad that I can not publish because the Wifi is not current;y working at the Guest house so these blog posts may be out of order once we do get internet.

Yesterday we all slept until 7:30! We ate an awesome Breakfast and then headed to Korah to visit with a Sponsosrhip program called Hope in view. Very awesome to see so many ministries coming together to help the people in Korah! After that we headed over to Mission Ethiopia to see the Beautiful women there! I feel at home when I walk into that place. I love these ladies oh so very much. They all have such a special place in my heart. It was great reuniting with them! After Korah we headed to Kaldi's for lunch, Sambusas and fresh Strawberry juice ( Kaldi is the best coffee in town besides the freshly roasted brewed that you get on a home visit). After Kaldi we came back to the GH, sat outside in the rain, ate a beautiful dinner, played legos on the floor and told Ghost stories by flashlight during the power outage. This place, Ember Guest House, feels like home! The owners actually live here and are down on the ground playing legos and telling stories. It is amazing!

Today we headed out to Korah with an Amazing nurse that gives her precious time to serve the people. I headed off to a home visit at our sponsor girls house and Karlee and Addison stayed behind for a coffee ceremony from the mission Ethiopia Ladies. After this we walked a short ways in Korah to a ladies house that has been in bed for over 2 years. She has not gotten out of bed for 2 years, Did you read tha right? Yes, her spine is permanently curved and her legs are contracted and with every movement she I wasn't planning on updating again so quick but I didn't want to miss anything here and this is a quite comical episode in Segebarth travel to Ethiopia.
The trip so far and we are only in Germany (HA). So far I have battled with a gate agent to keep my carryon that weighs exactly DOUBLE what it should. ( I WON- well maybe it was the tears). After he proceeded to tell me he should have checked it, he let me know that I was not very smart to have each kid pull their own bag! Thank you Mr. Gate agent. Apparently YOU have never traveled with small children that require 9000 things to keep themselves occupied for the next 26 hours ( that is not a lie-26 hours from start to finish). Next Haven asked a nice man with a turban and pointy shoes if he was a genie. Selah had a melt down ( like banging the door down screaming) in the airplane bathroom because she thought I left her and she could not get the door open.... I had a mini melt down when it settled in I was going to be away from my husband for 5 weeks ( he will be in Ethiopia for only a week of this trip). The lady next to me gave me a Kleenex and told me I was brave. ( I didn't feel brave at that point). One more tip.... Don't read "there is no me without you" enroute to Ethiopia.
Oh and we sat in the seats behind bulkhead and every bassinet was full. Just sayin.....
Just a little comedy to make you laugh. I am feeling brave now. :)
My girls are doing awesome! No sleep yet so praying next flight we all get some!
We should meet up with Karlee ( aka intern, college, sweet, beautiful missionary girl-talk about brave! ) shortly.
We are rolling with it. Ethiopia is worth it.
 in pain.  She has bed sores so huge a festering, it took my breathe away. Karlee was right in there helping dress and clean the wound. ( go girl, because I could have gagged f I got any closer). In the end of the visit I asked if we could pray with here. She accepted and we prayed that God would either heal her or Take her. Talk about an eye opening experience and today was actually not even our first day of work. We start Monday. I know that God has huge plans for this trip and just the last 2 days have showed me so much more of what we are going to be involved in here. We left Korah and took some of the kids to lunch ( that was a blast!). After lunch Sami ( our driver that ROCKS!!!) took us to his house to see his son and have a coffee ceremony with his Beautiful wife. The hospitality is overwhelming and well lets just say that we won't be sleeping much today because we have both ( Karlee and I ) have had 2 coffee ceremonies today which consists of 3 cups of coffee each! ahahhahah

Addison has gone with us to Korah everyday. She loves it and she is a natural with the kids. It is amazing and makes my heart so happy to see her serving and loving big on the kids without being told to do so. She even went into the house on tat medical home visit. Yeah talk about brave. She had to go outside after we rolled the lady over but HEY she tried and that to me was huge. I have given her The option of whether to stay home or go everyday and she actually asks to go. For those of you that have never been here, let me just say Korah is a very overwhleming experience, not just in the poverty level but the smells and sounds and sights. I just have to say At 9 years old I was not the brave. I can not wait to see what God has in store for her life.

The other 2 have stayed home with an Ethiopian Nanny that they have already requested we bring back to America with us. It makes my heart happy to hear them screeching in joy while playing chase outside with the ladies. They wil venture to Korah eventually I am sure but for now they are perfectly content where they stay everyday.

I am loving it, of course this is home away from home to me. I do have to say I miss Brad already but he will be here soon enough and until thn we will just stay on course with Gods plan for our lives this summer. I am so honored to have been called to serve here, can't wait for the teams to come in so we can bless the kids in Korah. More tomorrow, off to take a shower in my steam shower. Just keeping it real.

Signed, Princess Missionaries :)

Here we go... 6/18

As I update this I'm sitting on the plane headed to Ethiopia.3 little girls sitting in the seats in front of me. It feels surreal. I can not believe we are actually doing it. We are all so excited. I have to say there was some tears. ( I won't name names. Lol) but we made it and we are off.

Just a little insight to what we are going to be doing in Ethiopia for those of you that don't know.  We are serving with Project 61 helping with the summer camp program for the school kids that will be home in Korah for the summer. Our days will consist of VBS and lots of love. P 61 has a special place in my heart. I love what they are doing to change lives in Korah!  :) We are also going to volunteer at an orphanage once a week. I am lucky enough to have a sweet college girl interning with me ( hahahahaha yes her parents trusted her with me! Kidding) all summer. It's amazing how God has worked out the plans of all of this happening. Little did I know one year ago when I arrived home from Ethiopia that the whole family and a beautiful intern ( and i mean her beauty is both inside and out) would be serving the people of Korah this summer. Well I kinda did know, in my heart, but never thought it would come to fruition! 

In addition to serving with Project 61 we have taken on a new family endeavor in Korah, we will also be working on profiles and details of another sponsorship program that we are in the process of starting.  We will work alongside of p61 and Hope for Korah with the Kids in Korah. Or main goal is to get more children out of the trash dump.  We will be choosing 50 kids ( need lots of prayers and discernment  on this because several hundred have in inquired!) that will go away to boarding school in the fall. This is life changing as most of the children would not be educated otherwise. We will choose the neediest first ( that's an oxymoron) and go from there.  Sooooo watch for updates on this. Soon enough there will be a chance to sponsor your very own child from Korah!

Our days are going to be FULL FULL. We would love for you to pray with us for health, rest, and mostly pray for us to show the love of Christ to these beautiful people!I can't explain the love I have for Korah. It's endless. Pray for God to move big thru us. Pray for the new sponsorship program, pray for the teams that will be coming to Korah. Pray for the p61 kids. 

I am overwhelmed with the support we have gotten already and we want to Thank you all already from the bottom of our hearts! 

Here we go....