Levi Benkert - No Greater Love

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No Greater Love

Copyright 2012 by Levi Benkert and Candy Chand. All rights reserved.

Cover photographs copyright by Stephen Vosloo. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Designed by Stephen Vosloo

Edited by Susan Taylor

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Benkert, Levi.

No greater love / Levi Benkert and Candy Chand.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-4143-6308-0 (sc)

1. Church work with childrenEthiopia. 2. OrphanagesEthiopia. 3. MissionsEthiopia. 4. Benkert, Levi. I. Chand, Candy. II. Title.

BV2616.B46 2012

266.0092dc23

[B] 2012000818

For Jessie,

my best friend

Some of the names and identifying characteristics of individuals have been changed. Specifics of events, conversations, times, and dates are offered from the authors best recollection. In reality, people do not walk through life with a tape recorder just in case they someday write a book. Memories are not perfect and always include unique perceptions made by the observer.

Acknowledgments

Jessie, for your unwavering love, your fierce loyalty, and your adventurous spirit. I dont deserve you; I never have, and now that fact is written in a book so you cant tell me Im wrong anymore.

Nickoli, Luella, Ruth, and Everly (Edalawit), for being the coolest bunch of kids any man could call his own. I cant wait to see what we accomplish together.

Candy Chand, for the thousands of hours you poured into this book. Without you, none of this would have come together. You truly are a great writer. You inspire me.

Our families, who, despite thinking we were crazy, supported us.

Carol Traver, for allowing me the privilege of sharing my story and for the editorial talent you brought to the project.

Yabi, a true superhero. You worked countless hours behind the scenes from start to finish. You are an inspiration and trusted friend. We will forever be grateful for you.

Lale and Gido, for following your passion and helping your people. God has amazing things planned for you.

Rich and Melissa, Micah and Emily, and Joel and Adrienne, for everything you did along the way. You each gave until it hurt and then gave some more. This entire book could have been just about the selfless things you did for the tribes in Ethiopia. You are wonderful.

All the amazing people around the world who donated to the orphanage and helped rescue the kids who stole our hearts. Because of you, thirty-three wonderful children are alive and wellyou gave them a future. Know that your gifts were not in vain.

The Morrell family, for your unending commitment to orphans. Many times I was sure my e-mail updates would scare you away, but you have proven to be faithful. Thank you!

Steve and Stephanie Gregor, for the countless nights you stayed up late to hear us cry over a scratchy Skype connection. You are selfless givers and inspirations. Steve, without your pushing me out the door in the first place, I never would have gone to Ethiopia.

Chinua and Rachel Ford, you guys were the forerunners, the ones who showed us it was possible and stirred our hearts for more. Four kids? No problem! Bring on the airplanes!

Andy Stroud, for your generous assistance. We greatly appreciate your guidance.

Preston Naramore and Eric Dwyer, for pulling us through in a crisis. You are awesome.

The photographers at Pick a Pocket, for the early rescues. We will always remember your compassion.

The Rock of Roseville, for sticking with us and working through an accounting nightmare and never breaking a sweat. Kenny, you are the best!

Family Mission Center and all the wonderful people who opened their hearts and accepted us into the family.

I feel small compared to all of youeach one who made this book and journey a reality.

Levi Benkert

To Carol Traver, our awesome editor at Tyndale, for quickly catching the vision of this project and for your wise guidance every step of the way; to Susan Taylor, for your gentle editing and your patience, even when I made frantic calls to discuss the word tha t ; to Maria Ericksen, for your marketing expertise and enthusiasm; to Christine Showalter, for processing publishing contracts with a speed Ive never before encountered; to Andy Stroud, for your generous advice; to Janis Eckard and Heidy Kellison, for your insightful chapter-by-chapter feedback; to the Wahlbergs, for offering me a peek into Bales joyous, new life; to the Benkert familyLevi, Jessie, Nickoli, Luella, Ruth and Edalawit (Everly)for your sacrificial spirit serving orphans across the globe; to the One who persistently whispered, Abyssinian; and, of course, to Levi, for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to share such an amazing story. To each of you, I offer thanks.

Candy Chand

Introduction

This book does not end wellor rather, it ends just the way it should but not the way I planned. When I started writing, things were different, and then things changed. What I thought was going to be a book about past struggles and more-recent victories turned into a book about painful transitions and learning to understand the deep redeeming love of God, no matter what we face.

I am told by my editors that this is just the sort of story people love to read, yet good to read and fun to live are very different indeed. I doubt Ill ever stand around a fire pit with friends recounting many of these stories and saying, Good times. Instead, I am more likely to end up in a heap of tears while my marshmallow is eaten by the flames.

When I think back to this time in our familys lifethe drastic transitions, the mistakes, the frustrating unknownsI see only one constant: God. He was always therecovering mistakes, holding our hands, forgiving blunders, reaching deep into our hearts and healing. And for that, I am thankful.

This is not a book about someone who has it all together, or even someone who learned every lesson life had to teach him in a short time span and has now grown up and moved on. This is a book about a man who is a work in progressa work that will never be complete this side of heaven.

I hesitated many times while writing this memoir. I struggled with the fear that my book might not be well received but also that those who dared pick it up and leaf through its pages would view me as a failure, the man they have nightmares about their kids growing up to resemble.

The process of writing each chapter served to uncover more of my missteps, revealing in the perfect clarity of hindsight that I truly had done a heck of a job screwing things up. In the end, or at least for today, I rest in the conclusion that I would rather be known as the fool who told his own story, mistakes and all, in the hope that others might be encouraged when they hold me up as an example and say,

At least Im not as messed up as that guy!

Tomorrow, however, is certain to bring a tsunami of regret over having opened up so deeply in a book for all to read.

Such is life.

Yet the truth remains: God needs no heroes to work for Him. He chooses the broken, the weary, the torn apart, the weak. If our family accomplished good, it wasnt because of usit was because of Him.