Amesegenallehu!

Amesegenallehu! Amesegenallehu! Amesegenallehu!

The national language of Ethiopia is Amharic and the word “amesegenallehu” means “thank you!” As I begin my re-entry to life in the US, my first words of reflection are simply thank you! Thank you for your prayers, not only for Barb and myself, but for our families. I know my wife Patty faced a number of challenges while I was away and your prayers helped sustain her. Thank you for your encouragement for this journey and for the open arms of welcome upon our return.

Most of all I want to say amesegenalluhu to our God because He indeed filled our venti cups with blessing. 10 flights (on 5 different airlines) in 12 days and everyone of them was right on time (I even landed back in Pittsburgh with plenty of time to get to the wedding rehearsal I needed to conduct on Friday evening)! God watched over our bodies and kept us healthy and strong, even as we struggled with short nights of sleep, jet lag, a new diet (of delicious and healthy food I might add) and high altitude (around 9000 feet above sea level in Guraghe, Ethiopia). We were throw together with a team of people from across the US (Seattle, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, and Indiana) and we almost immediately clicked and connected with one another. And we were priviliged to live with and learn from some of the finest Christ followers in the world - our African sisters and brothers!

Amesegenallehu, Lord Jesus!