Yates Family In Soddo

Transitions are difficult. The Simpsons made it successfully to Ethiopia in the face of influenza, some slight baggage problems and sickness. I will let them update you as they are able.  For the Yates family, it has been a season of loss. Some of them silly things, some of them not, but all of them real.  Our sweet puppy, Domino, died last November, then Adam's stepmom Penny died of leukemia, then our very good friend Tim and Leona Okeefe moved to Nepal, and Mackenzie Slater moved to Honduras.  Finally, our partner, the Simpsons, moved to Ethiopia.  Although each loss is different, we have still been experiencing it as loss.  Instead of stuffing down all the yucky feelings of loss and grief, which I am very good at, recently we have been encouraged to grieve each loss as it is and ask God to meet us there, in our sadness, our loss and our emotions no matter how bad. This morning I was encouraged by this passage John 11:33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jew...

Off to Ethiopia. Yesterday, January 17, 2014, the Simpson Family took off for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They left from Los Angeles with an overnight lay over in Dubai to arrive in Addis. They will stay there for a week of orientation from the Gabrysch's (a fun couple living in Soddo already... http://jeremyandchristina.blogspot.com/ ) and then start their life in Soddo.  Everything was on target to leave this past week, when Asa Simpson, the youngest, came down with a horrible fever... up to 104°F from Influenza.  With a week until their departure, it made plans and packing much more stressful.  “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,     whose trust is the Lord. 8 He is like a tree planted by water,     that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes,     for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought,     for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jer 17:8. Praise God, his fever broke ...

This season has been filled with many goodbyes.  Being committed to this life of international work we will invariably have many more, but recently the goodbyes have been rough. Our family is in the midst of saying goodbye to the Simpson family as they leave for Ethiopia this week. They of course are in a huge season of goodbyes to all their family and community here as they prepare for to start a new life in a new place. Why are we saying goodbye to our partners? Well, the Yates and the Simpsons families are on slightly different timelines to get to Ethiopia. The Simpsons will be go ahead to prepare some very important work for our team: our house! Taylor will be starting his first construction project in Ethiopia, a Duplex that will house Missionary families at Soddo Christian Hospital. The project is really exciting and will be a valuable asset to the work of SCH for generations! We have the honor of being the first families that live in the Duplex, so we are particularly excite...