Friends

Outside of Raleigh Times on Saturday night! Thanks for taking the picture JT!

Purpose Statement

We believe that Jesus can use us to change the course of history. Our purpose is to:

• Enjoy a life-giving relationship with Jesus 
• Love each other 
• Build bridges that encourage community 
• Invite others to rest, pray, heal, grow, play, give thanks, create and celebrate with us

God's Dream

I love that our home can be a place of growth for young people!

More at Jerrie's House

A taste of Ethiopia in Durham

Here is a video from our time with with Tashale, Jerrie, Hewiti and Adoni. They live about 3 minutes away from Triangle Dance Studio, so it was great to visit after dancing. 

Sharing the Stories

WOW! We had such a large turn out on Tuesday Night! Everyone showed up to learn
more about Youth Impact in Addis. We are so thankful for these friendships, for the
diversity of this group and being able to use our home to bring people together.
Thanks Antje for taking this picture!

What a beautiful memory :) 

Dinner after Dancing

First round of JAR participants sticking their fingers into some yummy Habesha food.

Enjoying the wonderful meal Jerrie prepared after a fun night of Salsa dancing at TDS.

After Church

At El Dorado after church on Sunday, November 20. It was awesome to have Koni,
Yodit and Nebiyu share what God is up to in Ethiopia with our family at COKCC.
There were many beautiful connections, and clear that God is moving in fun ways.
I am so glad we get to be a part of it! 

jars of clay

From 2 Corinthians 4: 

⁵ For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 

 ⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 

I love the honesty in this passage. As a jar of clay, I may not be much to brag about...BUT, at the same time, God is changing me and molding me into who he wants me to be. This journey will demonstrate His power! 

 ¹³ It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. ¹⁵ All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 

 ¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

While taking public transportation to the Mother Teresa Orphanage each morning, I read and reread verses 16-18. I experienced these verses come alive in wonderful ways in Addis, Ethiopia. I am so thankful to be hosting Koni, Yodit and Nebiyu this week. I feel like a lot of experiences are connecting together. 


Lord, give us vision. Help Antje and I see our purpose. Give us clarity. Lord, use us! Here we are! Send us. Help us to blossom where you have planted us! Give us mentors who can teach us and guide us. Who can pray for us and with us. We want to be in your will. We want to be kingdom focused. Teach us how to rest, how to love, how to live in our limits. Lord, I crave intimacy with you! 

Bridge Building

I've been enjoying Pan Am on Hulu. It's set in the 1960s, and shares stories from young Pan Am employees as they grow, learn and explore the world together. Below is a quote about the new series. 

“I felt it was important in many ways to further what Won Trip, the founder of Pan Am, had in mind when he thought ‘the more we understand each other, the more opportunities we have for world peace.’  And I felt that we’ve become so divided, and if I could help the audience vicariously experience other places and other peoples and other cultures, that it might ease the tension and create more understanding and appreciation.” 

-Nancy Ganis, Executive producer and former Pan Am Stewardess 

JAR inspiration

Jruss and Antje share the inspiration and background information about the JAR program. 

First day of the JAR Program