Happy Fasika (Easter): O Glorious Day

Our agency, AGCI, sent us our usual Ethiopian Program update with a lesson in this weekend's holiday; Easter or "Fasika" in Ethiopia.

Here is what they sent:

"This year, Easter will be celebrated all around the world on Sunday, April 24th. In Ethiopia, this significant holiday, known as Fasika, is a very important festival in Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, or the “Tewahido faith. Many argue that Fasika is the most celebrated holiday in Ethiopia and is considered more significant than Christmas. According to Orthodox theology, Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday was for the purpose of fulfilling the word of God. It is believed that the near-sacrifice of Abraham’s son, Isaac, with the interruption from an angel and the sending of a Lamb for sacrifice instead (Genesis 22) was a prophetic foreshadowing of God sending his only beloved Son to be the world’s sacrifice and the fulfilling of Abraham’s promise.

Fasika is preceded by Lent (Hudade or Abye Tsome), 56 days of fasting where Ethiopians do not eat any meat or animal products, including dairy. On Easter eve, churches are filled with believers who prostrate themselves, bowing down and rising up 101 times. Candles are lit for the colorful but somber service that includes music and dancing. This service, known as Paschal Vigil, lasts into the early morning hours of Easter Day. Once the service ends, people return home to prepare for a fast-breaking feast, which includes the slaughtering of a chicken at midnight for the symbolic occasion. After resting, a sheep is slaughtered to commence the feasting of Easter Sunday, which includes injera and traditional drinks such as tella or tej."

Last evening, on Good Friday, we went to First Baptist Church of Orlando for an Easter presentation. We arrived at 7pm. Hard to imagine years ago at that very time what it must have been like for Jesus' people. At 3pm He was crucified and by 6pm He was placed in a tomb. Wow!

After reading about Fasika and then last night...I can't help but really ponder the significance of this holiday and how I just don't feel it gets the same reverence as Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I believe Christmas and the nativity story IS true and important, but Christ's sacrifice is what saved the world! To see our Savior hanging last night and imagining what that must have been like to personally and then what it must have been like to witness then...overwhelming. Tim and I came home talking about how we could stand to rethink how we choose to celebrate these two holidays in our home. 

I can't get enough of Casting Crown's song: Glorious Day

Happy Fasika this weekend

Lake Eola Corporate 5K in O-Town

Last night after work 14,000 people headed to Lake Eola for the Orlando Corporate 5K. 

Heidi, Tim's sister, lives in a high rise on the lake so we chilled at her place until race time. 

Tim, Heidi and Mom Reiner 

Hangin before the race. We were team AHS (Adventist Health System)

The backs of our shirts have REAL SCANNABLE BARCODES! How cool is that?!?! Use your cell barcode scanner and it'll take you to the AHS website. Nice!

Pre-game smiles (the guy in the green is THRILLED to be in our self portrait...LOL)

Finish Line

Pre-game...just wait till the mob hits.

And there you have it....the folks right in front of me...and thousands more I couldn't capture!!!

After the race. So beautiful! This course lead us through the super chic urban neighborhoods and restaurants around Lake Eola. Oh yea, the building standing on my head??? That's where Heidi lives on the 24th floor!!! So fun!

Love Home. Big enough to be a "city" and have a "downtown", but still small enough to make it easy to get around. Beautiful Florida evening...

What a great evening with hubs, friends and family!

XOXO

One Less

Happy Sabbath!

We've Been PRINTED

8 am down by the Orlando International Airport

We weren't allowed to take photos or cell phones into the building so this is exciting as it gets!

My OH SO HANDSOME hubs waiting in line for the doors to open. He got a new phone (aka...his other wife). LOL

I look so silly and weird in this pic, but hey...STOKED!!! I was sooo excited to have gotten our prints done!!! Oh my word!!! Final step to get our FDL allowing us to submit our Dossier.

Proud soon-to-be dad!

What a fun way to start our day. We're finishing our day up with a 5K in downtown Orlando..stay tuned!

XOXO

One Less

"We are the saints. We are the children. We've been redeemed. We've been forgiven. We are the sons and daughters of our God!"

Guess who sings that line??? Couldn't sing it louder this morning on my way to work!!!

EEEEEE....So Excited

8 am TOMORROW...

USCIS Fingerprint time!!!

Then all we need is our Favorable Determination Letter (FDL) and it's SUBMIT DOSSIER TIME!!!

Oh, I cannot wait!!!

Waiting Family numbers are just around the corner!!!

XOXO

One Less

Government Shutdown...Please No

Please Pray

We were disappointed our US Government could not come to a budget agreement, but really did not realize what the timing of this could potentially mean for us. 

Our fingerprints appointment for USCIS is next Thursday morning.

Could this appointment be cancelled because government businesses closing until budget approved?

Without our prints, USCIS cannot finalize our Favorable Determination Letter. This is the final missing puzzle piece we need in order for us to submit our Dossier.

Once again....

Let Go.

Let God.

xoxo

One Less

Junior Achievement Bowl-A-Thon

This past Sunday Adventist Health System hosted its Bowl-A-Thon to raise money for Junior Achievement. Tim's office had a team they affectionately named "Hair Nation"...I'm sure your mind is wandering now...LOL. Several Teams had fun themes and raised funds to support JA. This is a program near and dear to my husband's, dad's and father-in-law's as they go and teach students once a month. 

What is Junior Achievement?

4,286  Junior Achievement volunteers teach 4,876 classes to  94,911students in Central Florida

Junior Achievement is a partnership between the business community, educators and volunteers — all working together to inspire young people to dream big and reach their potential.  JA’s hands-on, experiential programs teach the key concepts of work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy to young people all over the world.   Junior Achievement of Central Florida, Inc. provides programming in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Volusia and Lake County classrooms.

JACF is a  member of Junior Achievement WorldWide that operates in 123 countries, reaching 9.7 million students in over 379,000 classrooms. which last year delivered 379,968 classes to 9,795,485 students.

Now for some hilarity!!! DRUM ROLL...............

HAIR NATION in Concert!!!

 Tim and a couple of his team members....HILARIOUS!

A few days before the event Tim asked if my co-worker and I would join his team since they were short. We also work for AHS but on the IT side. We agreed. Then I found out about "dressing up" and the theme. BAMBOOZLED!!! Tim told me not to worry because he had "ordered some things" for me.

OK, this did NOT put me at ease. Lord only knew what he could have ordered.....

Ahhh...a red Joan Jett wig and rad yellow mesh gloves!!!

We had a blast! Most importantly, the cause all the teams supported. YAY!

XOXO

April Fool's Day...No Joke!

My Grandma had a milestone birthday April 1st! She didn't want a big deal made and with everything that's gone on for her lately, we respected her wishes. I chose the speed limit photo because grandma has INSANE energy!!! I can barely keep up with her. I love that about her...so youthful. I hope I have as much energy too! 

(Pardon me...forgot the camera so this is from a finger print ridden cell phone camera)

We took Grandma to Cheesecake Factory for her birthday! She LOVES it there. 

Check out that photo, three generations of women! Pretty cool...The Harter Girls

(Again...blurry cell phone camera...UGH)

She had her favorite Key Lime Cheesecake! So fun to celebrate her birthday. Grandpa went to sleep a few weeks ago and it's been a tough road since. Just great to take her out and celebrate!

XOXO GRAMS!!!!

Your Pooh-Girl Loves You