"jesus, love"

Wow.  My friend Malia that I just posted about a few days ago, now has a confirmed flight to come home from Addis Ababa back to Oregon.  She is spending her last hours in Ethiopia and sent this update today.  It has left me with no words, so I will only share her's below.  If you would, please pray for her today.  And the sweet children she has fallen in love with.

Last week I felt sorry for children living at the dump, today I love these children. Last week I walked through houses of strangers and was horrified that people had to live this way, today I walked into the homes of the girls who have braided my hair, taught me to count in their language, made me laugh, taught me games, and stolen my heart. Today it was personal. I sat on the bench next to meseret and cried, "Malia, no cry" her and aster said together. they also said this to me multiple times at church this morning. I was trying to hold it together, believe me. but how do you? when you have spent the last 10 days getting to know someone and somehow not computed that they too live in these unimaginable circumstances. I cried off and on through the homes of aster, senet, fruit, askala, habtume, betty, and more. As the girls were trying to comfort me and telling me not to cry, Aster looked at me and said, "Malia, no cry" she then put her hand on her chest and said "Jesus, love". can you imagine? but Aster is right. I then tried to explain "i'm crying because i love you" "I love you too." they said. today my heart is beyond broken and beyond full, im so glad a volcano erupted in iceland and let me be in this moment...for such a time as this.

malia