Part 2 in Axum

Throughout the town of Axum you could hear the chanting of the priests. All night long it went on, as if everyone was eagerly awaiting the Hosanna. I couldn't wait to go out and find the place where they keep the Ark of the Covenant guarded, but by now it's almost midnight ... I look at Jeff and ask, "Are you game to go out?" Yep! He's game, so we're off. We start walking toward the Church of Saint Mary, or so we hoped; it was then that I had the bright idea of, "Honey, let's just follow the ones walking in white robes, they have to be going towards the church," so we follow the stream of white garments, weaving our way through the narrow streets of Axum,towards something? I have to say it reminded me of something that would come out of a Steve Martin movie. A young girl decides to latch on to me, and she begins asking questions as we walk. She tells me her need for a school uniform and how she would like to have this and that; I know she wants money, but I know God has other plans. I ask her if she knows Christ and tell her that He loves her like a daughter -- her earthly father is dead. Others are listening as we're walking and begin asking me questions; before long we find ourselves sharing spiritual truths with a group gathered around us. We were the only white foreigners around that night, and I sure didn't want to unknowingly do something offensive to them on their Holy Day. We kept asking, "Where is the place where the Ark of the Covenant is?" Blank looks rebound back -- obviously no understanding ... why doesn't anyone understand, surely the words 'Ark' or 'Covenant' would get some response? This is just too weird, we are soooo close to this Sacred Ark, yet we cannot find the place where it is! All of a sudden we come upon this scene ... a Holy scene, in the ground is a cave-like dwelling. I gaze down to behold a sea of white, as hundreds of men lie prostrate in prayer. A cloud of white mist was hanging over them in a most Holy atmosphere; I have to say it took my breath away. I saw women sitting outside the entry as only men can enter. So, I plopped myself down on the dirt next to a blind woman who hadn't bathed in some time and began praying, while I watched (with "holy" envy) my Jeff go into this Holy Place. The young girl, who was still hanging on my arm joined me,and I told her of the day when men and women will worship together in spirit and in truth. TRANSITION - This is what Jeff saw when he went into this special place (written by him). I had 3 little boys at my side, expecting money from this apparently wealthy white man, but it didn't seem like the time for giving Birr to beggars. I took two by the hand and descended, praying, down into the gateway where a fire was burning in a pot. I watched to make sure that going further wasn't just for the many priests in that place (or for adults only), but in a bit it seemed OK to proceed through the doorways into a football field-sized sunken courtyard with men (mostly prostrate/praying) and a few boys all around it. The boys with me began to beg less as time went on, maybe becoming fascinated along with me at the experience we were entering into. After sitting along the side for a few minutes it seemed OK to head across the courtyard to where stairs covered with worshippers ascended up to a chapel of some sort. As we tiptoed through the barefoot men covering the stairs, I started to come to grips with my own unworthiness and removed the sandals from my feet. Now we were in a throng of men moving to and from the chapel ahead, and as only a very few looked at me curiously if not chagrined, I suddenly realized how totally strange I looked -- in this sea of white tops and turbans -- wearing a black fleece jacket and toting 3 little street-boys who didn't fit the dress code either! Then I realized that I had a solid white shirt on underneath, so I removed my jacket and tied it around my waist. We proceeded slowly towards the huge side-door off the front corner of the chapel, where a barely-moving stream of men wound in/out up the the stairway through the door from which drum beats and chanting emanated. [The only hurried or pushy ones were a pair hurrying a very large drum in through the doorway.] When we finally got inside, it was standing-room-only surrounding 3 or 4 large drums in the wide front vestibule where the ceremony was taking place. The Chief Priest was leading the song-chants and waving the smoking incense decanter while the drummers pounded a slow, steady beat on their drum heads. We soaked in a large dose of that atmosphere, then retreated the same way as we had come, rejoining Cindy and her growing posse maybe an hour later -- it was hard to tell! Cindy writing now: On our way back we stop at a shop of a basket-maker named Haftom,(Axum is known for their beautiful baskets)and we end up buying 3 baskets from her. She reminded me of Lydia in the Bible--a seller of purple. We think we're there to buy baskets, but something greater is about to happen. She is a basket artist, her dad is an paint artist(the painting she stands next to is his, and her little brother is a sculpture artist; she also needs healing. I began praying for her and I could feel the Lord's divine Love over her. She tells me she has been sick for some time, and she's just starting to feel better. Her spirit is sweet, she's beautiful inside and out; in sheer delight she says,"You are Christian?!" "Yes! I am!" Her little brother gives us each a necklace that he made, and chiseled out our names on them. "Every time you see this necklace remember me and pray for me," she says. Yet another group starts to gather, and we pray a blessing over her business, her dad, her brother who's 11, and her other sister who was there, too. It's truly wonderful to walk in God's plans. Their openness to allow us to minister His Love to them was powerful. Her little brother offers to take us back to our room, so we get even more God-time with this precious little sponge. I told him to keep watch over the gift he has been given by God. Walking down the dimly lit street, we pass a prostitute--her piercing eyes met mine. It was then, I began seeing young people partying it up through-out the town,and I knew they were looking for something tangible. I felt a boldness to warn him of keeping himself Holy, how God has plans for his life that are good, and how special he is to God. He just soaked it all in, and I knew destiny had been released. That night I had drank from the cup of life, and that night I fell asleep in the arms of My Lord ... and it was so amazing!

Video: Prayer with Basket Artist in Axum

Our pilgrimage to Axum (Part 1)

After leaving the home of my daughters I felt empowered. It was a strange sort of thing but I felt like a changing of the guards had taken place, now they were in my court yard. I felt connected to them as I saw their roots and how the family interacted. I felt connected to their mom and now I was a part of their family. I can't express the release that came over me, God had done something in this meeting and I am soooo very Thank-ful that I got the gift to meet her.
Thank-you Jim in IAG for saying yes to my request:)
Now we head to Axum and on my finger is a Palm leaf ring made by a girl at the hotel in Mekele. I found that many people were making them or wearing them,in preparation for the Holy Day ("Hosannah" to them) of Palm Sunday. So we drive an hour or so on rough roads and we began seeing more and more people journeying to Axum on foot as the evening services were to began. When we got to Axum there was like a sheet of white covering the ground as all the people where wearing white cloths. I bought a long white scarf in the US, unknowingly God had prepared me for this moment and now I really fit in!!!

We stopped at a couple of places to lodge and were told that every place was full,no doubt, as we saw streams of people pouring in. I saw people getting ready to bed down outside on the ground; and I thought it really looks like that could be us tonite (gulp!), except we had no blankets. It was like we were experiencing what Mary and Joseph felt going to Bethlehem -- with no room at the Inn.
I pictured us sleeping in the van-like truck we were riding in and I knew that was going to be a rough night of sleeping. This could be an interesting night, it was then that our guide said,"Wait I have a friend who owns a room and I'll call him and see if he will let us stay their for the night." I held all thoughts captive as my mind was starting to run,and said to myself, "Cindy, whatever happens,happens; you've just gotta go with the flow, it will be alright!" I was doing this calm, healthy Jesus-talk to myself, which works, fairly well. He called, off we go, we get out, walk through a trellis and there were small like apartments. Ours didn't have a bed but it had two couches a big table, no hot water, but it was clean.
The same friend got a room for the driver, driver's brother and the guide, as they refused to stay with us, telling us not to worry about them however we did wonder if someone got dumped out of a room that night. As they brought our bags, rapid cleaning began, and we were told to wait in the court yard as they were getting the room ready. "What's to get ready?" I dumbly thought! Well, as were sitting there waiting, the only white guy we have seen starts to talk to us and you know how you automatically think we must be on the page because we are after all kinda the same, but the more you talk the more you realize that you're worlds apart from each other. We prayed for him and asked God to reveal His love to him.
When we got back to our room and opened the French-like door, voila!! they had created a bedroom where there wasn't one, and it looked beautiful. They had put in a full-sized bed that had a headboard and footboard made of rich, red wood. For a moment I thought, "Where in the world did they get this bed, and is someone sleeping on the floor because of us??" I guess I'll never know the answer to that question.
I'll share more about our midnight walk alone to the Holy place where thousands of people gathered.

She kissed my feet......

There are good reasons why we choose to go to Mekele first, but the biggest reason of all was the opportunity to meet the mom of my three girls Kidan,Gerima,and Mizan. She lives by Adwa on a steep hill near a beautiful mountainous valley which centers around a man-made lake. I couldn't help but think of the movie Heidi,
as we were trudging up the steep bank to their house. We were given the most wonderful gift of meeting their mom, which in itself is an answer to prayer. The dad had died from a mosquito-borne illness far from home where he had gone to find work, and they buried him there. I believe none of his family were present as it was too far away and expensive to travel there. The mom was left with 5 daughters to feed and care for, so she decided to keep the oldest and youngest daughters and adopt out the middle 3.
The grandfather and grandmother, the aunts and cousins, along with the mom and daughters treated us with the up most respect and kindness. As we came to the top of the hill, the grandfather greeted us, who unbeknownst to me is a priest,he carried a cross and waved the sign of the crucifix in front of us. We then did the traditional kissing-which is cheek to cheek, saying something I can't understand. We then proceeded on toward the stone/mud house, walking through a trellis where big thorns graced the sides of the path. I wondered if flowers bloomed there in the summer, looking at the thorns I thought of the crown my Lord wore, and the bittersweet love of the cross. We then walked through an arched door that was hand made with rocks, which entered into several dwelling places. The mother came running up to us and fell down at our feet kissing them; I was so taken back by her extravagant humility and love that I began to cry, I wanted to kiss her feet and I wished so badly that I would have.
As I hugged the older sister, I could feel deep sorrow, and my heart broke for her. The grandmother kept smiling at me, with a twinkle in her eye. They had covered a table, set with food along with the traditional coffee ceremony,
I slowly began to realize that they had planned this special event just for us. The grandmother gave me a basket she had made and grandfather gave Jeff an obelisk statuette from Axum.

I gave a picture album of her 3 daughters,pictures that I had from the orphanage and some pictures of our family; she was very happy to have gotten them. I told her about my sister and how she had placed a baby for adoption. I gave her something that was my sister's and the father of their adopted baby as a remembrance of the two adoptions -- hers and my sisters. She said she would never take it off and always remember us by it. I felt it was like a covenant that I was making with her, that I understood just a "little bit" of what she felt only because of my sister's experience.
She began to cry as she told me that she had prayed for her daughters every night, and she was so happy that we are their new family. This was such a confirmation to me, because God spoke that to my heart as I was seeking His will concerning this adoption. I just knew she was praying and I was answering her prayers by my obedience to God. Kidan's name means promise, Gerima's name means Bible and Mizan means fair. What glorious names they have been given!!! What a glorious God I serve!!!

Our trip beginnings

I wish I could tell you that it was a picture some day as we flew off to Africa to pick up our little darlings, but it was not. First of all I had one hour of sleep the night before as I packed weighted luggage and repacked and reweighed, the process of getting the six pieces of luggage (including carry-ons) the right weight was likened to the Rubik's cube for me. And to you older night owls out there, you know the later it gets the more dementia sets in. As we drove away from our lovely home, we had asked our 20 year old soon to be 21 year old son to be in charge. I hoped he would keep everything running smoothly, but I had my doubts, he is after all a 20 year old and he just doesn't think like mom?:0 We get to Chicago and I decided to ask Jeff then, "Did you do the math on how much money we need for the trip?" He informs me that he has plenty of time to double check,and thinks we are fine. Thinks we are fine???? I suggest he better start double checking now, too late... time to get on plane to head to DC. When we get to DC he and I eat supper as he rechecks the math, he slowly begins to realize that he has not multiplied some things by 4 (for 4 children) and did not add some other things in and now it looks like we are short a couple thousand dollars. What?! You've got to be kidding me? It's now almost 9:00P.M. and no banks are open, and we have no way to get that much money. Can I be really honest here? I was soooo upset with my husband, I was tired, stressed about leaving our family,going to pick up children we have never met, going to a country where you really can't use a credit card, and not enough money to pay for things. I wished I could have passed this test and said, "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God", but I did not pass the test. It took several hours, and my sister praying for me to let go of my husband's mistake. I still had this lingering fear that we might not have enough, every time we needed money for something. It's strange now that I look back, because that's how most of the people live in Africa. But I didn't want to live like that, but why didn't I? Fear .... why does it always come back to that stinkin fear thing? It's always the thing that keeps me from trusting in my Heavenly Father.

Cindy

What a trip! What an experience! What was I thinkin?

We made it!!! My, my, my, my what a Big world we live in. We are such a small part of this whole Big world God calls His. I have to say that I feel like a mom who just gave birth and has the up and downs of adjustment going on in the inside of me and the outside of our family. When we brought that new-born baby in our home, the first month was so hard and scary, yet there was the beauty of this new little life in our home--so fresh and small (today he turned 21!) Well it's kinda like that with adoption; we have to adjust to the new little lives in our home, and it's a process. They like to try everything out and see how it works, and everything is new to them. So it's fun to do this and try that, and it's amazing how they delight in everything! After the tenth time of grabbing at this and that, I find myself saying "no,no,no!" and the cuteness starts wearing off real fast. I find myself hiding the toys that are battery charged (with a few exceptions.)

Believe me they do not need action exhilarating toys! They have this little language thing going on between them; it's so funny to hear them chattering back and forth to each other, and me not understand a word they're saying. However I can tell if they are upset or happy about something because they are pretty good about sharing their emotions as they speak. One moment they may be happy, the next they may not be, telling me "No,No!!" (Not so cute.) They absolutely love to play outside especially with the bikes, and run as fast as they can with no wired gates to stop them. Tonite they liked supper, and I've been praying for God to give me direction on how to feed them. I wonder what they think about us and how they feel about their new home in Iowa. I wonder how the adjustments will work out for all of us and how long it will take before it becomes more relaxed for me. Jeff (my husband) keeps telling me, "Cindy, you've got to leave it in God's hands and stop making it your responsibility; you can't possibly do this without God leading it." I agree, I can't do this! Man is this hard!!! It's hard to leave it alone, and trust God, why is that? I guess there's more flesh to be stripped off and I'm lacking -- boy, am I lacking !!! in trusting my Father-papa God. Each step in the unknown leads us to places that we have no idea how and what will take place. It's where we meet God in this unknown place where we have never been before and have no idea what's around the corner. Yep it's scary, and you have no control over the results.

Why do I trust in the arm of My flesh, or the wisdom of My mind, why is it so hard to just sit back and say, "God, what is it that you would have me do?"

I look at their little faces of need; they are needy, and I can't possibly fill all their needs. Only God can fill that empty place, I can be the hands and heart of Jesus, and ask Him to give me His presence so that the glory of the Lord will abound. This is a time of great sifting and change. I am back in the classroom of learning, and this old dog has to learn some new tricks.

Ruff, Ruff! Cindy