Before we touched down in Frankfurt, we were already hearing about the various World Cup matches being played on this day, July 1, 2006. Before the day would end, some of us would be watching the France/Brazil upset in the lobby of the Ghion Hotel eating sandwiches, French fries and drinking Pepsi.

We arrived in Addis Ababa, exhausted from nearly 20 hours on airplanes (including one hour on the ground in Khartoum, Sudan where our plane refueled). Yes we were tired and Katie Clarke, and Courtney and Wesley Arrington experienced some pretty consistent air-sickness on the last bit of our first flight and our entire second flight.

But once we arrived, everyone felt encouraged to be greeted at the airport by our friends on the HOPE staff (Zenebe, Tomaskin, and Pastor Matthews) as well as the two team leaders from the Teacher Training Team that is leaving tonight (on our plane). The chance to catch up with Steve Hammack and Jeff Zwier about Dessie, the teachers and some of the children was very exciting. Our team looks forward to a night of rest and, as I write this on Sunday morning, July 2nd, everyone is healthy and eager to head out on our 10-hour bus ride to Dessie.

Appropriately, our team verses for July 1st were the first 18 verses of Psalm 139. Read through them and know from where our confidence comes.

He is so very, very good!