Annual Review Meeting

Last week we held our annual review meeting with all of the local stake holders. This means that those from the community & government who are involved with our programs in Zeway came for a 2 day meeting of a review of the years activities and to give input for future growth. We had about 75 people present for the meeting. We received some good critique as well as helpful suggestions for the future.

Santa Claus??

In Zeway I went to a Christmas celebration at my neighbor's child's school. There I saw Santa Claus. Here is he called by his older name Father Christmas. Children sat on his knee and he gave them candy. Take a close look at his face- he's wearing a mask-- rather scary if you ask me.

Since I was the only foreigner there at the celebration I was asked to say something at the end of the program. The program included a fashion show (with girls strutting their stuff), drama, singing, and poetry. I spoke in Amharic, saying how wonderful the event was and I wished everyone a merry Christmas.

Thank You!!

A big thank you to all of you who sent me ornaments to put on my tree! I received gingerbread men, angels, animals, strings of buttons and other homemade creations. It added wonderful Christmas cheer to my house. Neighborhood children's jaws would drop when they saw my pretty tree. They had only seen something like that in pictures or maybe on TV. It was nearly impossible to keep them from touching every little tantalizing thing hanging from the tree. The great thing is that only 2 days ago was the Ethiopian Christmas... so I've been able to keep it up extra long! Thanks for your generosity & love!

A Sri Lankan Christmas

A Few highlights from our trip.... I went with my friends Tracy, Joe and Diane (who all live in Kenya),
The pretty beaches of Sri Lanka. Breathtaking and simply beautiful. We were able to spend about 2 1/2 days here resting and sunbathing. We spent Christmas on the beach and on Christmas Day we watched Joe rescue a man drowning in the ocean.


At Pinnewala (I have no idea how to spell it) there is a big elephant orphanage. Here about 65 elephants big and small live and take trips two times a day down to the river. We got to see them play, roll in the mud and even got to bathe them :).

This is a rock temple. We had to climb up maybe a 1,000 stone stairs in the pouring rain to reach this place. White and beautiful on the outside and beautiful paintings and more Buddah's than I could count inside.
This is an old castle of an king of Sri Lanka. This king LOVED water and he had small ponds, natural bubbling fountians, 4 large pools to watch all of his concubines bathe and up on top of that big rock was an impressive castle (now ruins) and even a swimming pool up there. We climbed rickety metal stairs poking out of the cliffs to get up to the top. The view was breathtaking and we felt like we could see all of Sri Lanka.



An ancient temple. It was a part of another old kingdom & and if I remember right some of it was from BC!! Although I can't exactly remember when this temple was built-- but it has a chamber of treasures in the middle, but no passageway to get to it-- it's solid through!


This is yet another part of the palace that is a part of the kingdom where that temple was. Ancient & beautiful. I had no idea that Sri Lanka had all of these ancient kingdoms and ruins to explore... I felt a bit like Indiana Jones.

For more pictures- click on my photos in the right column of my blog or Click Here.

What an Adventure

Quick overview:

1 miracle with my visa to India
1 miracle getting 4 people onto an overbooked plane from Kenya to India
3 Lost bags in India
3 Nights without baggage
1 Ancient Kingdom visited
1 Cave Temple
Endless rice patty fields
Tsunami torn buildings
Endless beaches
1 man rescued by my friend from the oceans on Christmas Day

.... I'll post pictures when I return to Ethiopia

Incredible!!!

All I can say is wow! I was shaking and laughing with joy as I left the Indian Embassy in Kenya. Despite not having a kenyan re-entry and not giving the consulate sufficient time to process my visa into India, by the Grace of God I have been granted a visa and told to return to the Embassy this afternoon! Which means that I get to go on my vacation. Just a few hours ago, I wasn't quite so sure if it would happen. After my experience with the Indian Embassy in Ethiopia, and the buraucracy and the harsh treatment I recieved for not being a good international traveler, I didn't think I would fare all that better in Kenya. We prayed on our way to the office & found that the assistant who processes applications was in a far better mood than my friends had seen him before. He was even joking and laughing with us. He already knew my story because my friends had seen him multiple times. And I contributed a little bit from my experiences with the Embassy in Ethiopia. He started processing my permit and said we would have to talk to his superior.

We found his office and he sent us out. A few minutes later the assistant came with another man and spoke with t the superior about his case. Then we were told to come in. Immediatly the man tried to send us out again, but the assistant stopped him and quickly said a 20 second version of the story. The superior asked us where we were going and he waved us out of the room. Just like that I was approved for a visa- something that should have taken 72 hours or a week to happen and it was approved with the nod of a head.

They even agreed to have it ready by the end of the day because tommorow is a holiday. Really and truly a miracle!!!

Lessons Learned

I rushed to Addis Thursday afternoon after I recieved an email from my friends in Kenya that I needed a visa for entry to India & that we were on a time limit. I'm leaving for Kenya on Monday and heading to India/Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Sri Lanka's no problem they issue a visa apon arrival but we all forgot that we were going through India. There is confusion about whether or not a visa is needed just to enter the airports of India. I spent all day friday traveling to various embassys and trying to get my plane tickets changed. But none of it worked. I ended up in the same position that I was in before I arrived in Addis.

Please pray that the Indian Embassy in Kenya will be reasonable and helpful. My friends there have been working with them and alerted them of my situation. The outlook seems fairly hopeful, but still a little worriesome given the bureacuracy of the Embassy's system and the time limit we're facing.

I have been nearly giddy these past few weeks about my vacation and can't even imagine not being able to go on it.

You could say this is yet another lesson learned in life.

Simply Amazing!!!

I take 2 minibus taxi's to reach my house when I stay in Addis Ababa. They're both pretty short with the first one being maybe 3 minutes (depending on traffic) and the other one being about 10. I have a small change purse that I use for quick access to money when I'm using public transportation. Well, yesterday it wasn't in the pocket I thought I put it in, it was at the bottom of my stuffed bag.

When I got on the first taxi, I realized the little change purse wasn't where I thought it was so I pulled out my wallet- I had one birr in there (for the fare of 65cents). Whew. Then I realized I needed to find some change for the next taxi. I started digging around- and put my wallet, phone and some other stuff on my lap (the taxi was nearly empty). I found some change in a pocket but a 50birr note flew out of my bag and went under the seat in front of me. So I climbed down and reached and reached and finally got the birr.

By the time I found it, we were at the bridge which was my stop. I quickly shoved all of my stuff back into my bag. By the time I my 2nd taxi arrived at our destination, I had this sinking feeling that I left my wallet on the other bus. After I got out I checked and I did forget it. I sped walked all the way home-- brewing over my stupidity, forgetfulness and my keen ability to do things too fast.

I shamefully told Mimo, Mulu, and Aynalem what happened. And was told I was careless. I agreed. I knew I would never see my wallet or money again. The bad thing was I had a credit card and my new debit card for an Ethiopian bank in the wallet. I prayed that the cards would be safe until I could report them missing.

This morning I recieved a phone call from my Ethiopian bank. They had recieved a call from a girl who had found my bank card. They gave me her number and told me to call her. She spoke only in Amharic, but I understood that she had my wallet and possibly everything that was in it. We agreed to meet in the afternoon. I traveled to an area called Arat Kilo- which is where the Universities are in town. She said to meet me at the post office there. I began to get worried that this was some sort of a set up or something, but it wasn't. I called her when I arrived and she was there the moment I hung up. She asked me for my passport, and I gave her my Ethiopian ID--so she could varify that I was who I said I was. And she handed me my wallet with EVERYTHING in it!!! I gave her some Thank-you money, took her to tea and she asked to be my friend. I thanked her and thanked her and thanked her.

Now just think to yourself how difficult it can be to find a lost wallet or purse in the US. You never know if you will get it back, or what will be there. Now, here lost stuff is simply that lost-- something that you will never see again. In fact in some ways once you've lost it, it is no longer considered yours but now belongs to the one who found it.... something only belongs to the person who has possession of it.

So many people here, have such a great need for money- my wallet was brand new and could have been sold as well as my cards. I had nearly 200birr (about $21) in the wallet- which would be a nice find for anyone. So really and truly, the fact that my wallet was returned "untouched" is an absolute miracle in itself. I am blessed beyond words.

Where Am I??

Yesterday, I was getting ready for church and was grabbing some last minute things off my bed and saw my recent package from my mom. It said my name and my address. I had this momentary flash in my brain... where in the world am I? Am I really in Ethiopia.... that is what the package says, isn't it? Life is normal here, not some big exotic thrill like is seems that it should be. In reality, for many people this life might seem surreal, but it is real. I walk outside and am greeted by the noise and hustle and bustle of the big city of Addis. I am in Africa, I am in Ethiopia, and it is normal.

Happy Turkey Day!!

Well, I didn't actually eat any turkey or meat on one of the best days of the year. But it really was a fabulous day. I made my way from Zeway yesterday afternoon by bus to Addis and found my way to my friend Corrie's by the evening. There we had somewhere around 18 people gathered for a meal of stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce and rice. it was great and the house was filled with some people I knew and some people I didn't. When you're in a room full of people from all over the US (and even other parts of the world) it's incredible what thing draw people to Ethiopia. Some people found official jobs, teaching at private schools, working in medical programs, veterinarian programs, research, teaching English or law. But there are also many people like me who could be termed "missionaries" doing all sorts of different types of work. it's really an adventure getting all those people together.

The finally of the evening though, was the key lime pie, chocolate pie, pumpkin pie, and apple pie. OOOOOh I think the visions of those yummy desserts are etched forever in my mind!!

(sorry no pictures of the pretty pies)

A Weekend Trip

It's incredible how just two nights away from anywhere can feel like a vacation. I went to Awassa, a lake about 2 hours from Zeway) 2 weekends ago and it was absolutely phenomenal. I went with an Kiwi friend and a Brit on this little adventure. This place was just simply relaxing. Lush and green, located on a hill at the edge of the lake. The first time I went to Awassa I didn't really think it was all that beautiful - I only saw the lake for maybe 30 minutes but it was brown and looked like thick mud. This time it was different. I don't know if it was simply a different perspective of the lake or what it was but I felt like I was back at lake Victoria- looking over a purple blue lake at sunset with hippos in the distance and birds filling the air with their chirping and hollering. Simply relaxing. We stayed at a retreat place owned my the Norwegian Lutheran Mission. Our cottage that we had a screened in porch. We sat on it for hours chatting, reading and simply gazing out at the incredible view.

We also went out to dinner and lunch every day. There are a few restarants in the place which have foreign type food. So I ate LOTS of pizza and had a rather disappointing lasagna. There was a supermarket there (which is smaller than the size of a US mini mart) that we went to at least 5 or 6 times. i think that the people who worked there must have thought that we were absolutely crazy. My friend Broni has a truck, so I was able to bring a box full of food home with me... so the remains of my trip will last for months. I now feel relaxed and ready for whatever will come my way over the next few weeks.

Future Pilot in Zeway

When leaving a school the other day, hundreds of children chased the truck and tried to hitch a ride. But I feel lucky to have captured this shot.... he looks like he's going to take off!

OH MY GOSH!!!

That was all that went through my mind at that moment! I was sitting on the curb waiting to see the doctor with one of my co-workers. We thought that I was exhibiting signs of malaria-- but it turned out just to be the flu. While I was sitting and waiting ever so patiently, I saw the strangest thing happen. A mother with her small child on her lap were sitting on a bench. This woman is Oromo (a tribe) and not from the town of Zeway. She is from the countryside which was evidenced by her clothing, hairstyle, and the belongings she had with her. A woman walked out of the clinic and when they saw eachother they began the traditional greetings of kissing each others cheeks multiple times. But in the middle of this the standing woman spit on the child's head and continued greeting. Now, this spit seemed like it just fell from her mouth like an accident... in fact I almost didn't see it happen.. but no it did! The mother smiled and happily smeared the spit into the child's head. Then the standing woman made noises and landed a huge loogie on the childs head. With that the mother was even happier as she rubbed this onto her baby's head.

My co-worker didn't see it happen and when I explained what I saw he laughed and almost couldn't believe it either as he had never seen something like that happen. He thought that it must be that she was spitting on the child because of the all seeing eye. It's a spiritual belief out in the countryside: neither Muslim or Orthodox-- just a belief. By spitting on the child she was saying that the had no part in the sickness and was showing good will toward the child getting better.

The ironic part is this happened in a doctor's office!

Been A While

Wow!! I'm so thankful for the great internet connection of Addis Ababa! I don't think that I ever thought that I'd say that (that it's great) but it really is true. I've been trying to access blogspot for the past few weeks but to no avail. I bet you thought that I didn't like writing. Well that's partly true, because I have a heck of a time coming up with things to write about-- but I do love to keep you connected and informed about life here.

Last Monday (10/29) we had another group of visitors come. Unfortunately, the day they arrived I began to feel a bit under the weather with a scratchy throat and a balloon head. I was able to get the last minute preparations in order. The team that came represented LifeLight- a wonderful Christian ministry based in South Dakota. Alan & Vicki Green (the founders of this ministry) were actually the first people that I went with to see Zeway over a year ago. It was great to see them and meet the other people of their team. It is always great to have new life and energy come through the placer.

Having Vicki and Alan return reminded me of how much has changed since I first went to Zeway as a stranger and a visitor. Simply put, it is now my home. I have seen so many changes in the project since that first visit. We have doubled the number of children involved in our child sponsorship program in Zeway to nearly 2,000 children. People from Lifelight are responsible for sponsoring over 850 of these children!

There are other changes as well. Our favor has increased with the government and as you know we were given a new building and grounds for our offices. Then over this last summer the government gave us the other half of the compound, even further expanding our offices (and allowing for me to have my own).

In July we began food support through the Canadian Food Bank for the families in the program who have the greatest need. Currently 800 children are receiving support and we are praying that it will increase to include even more children in the future.

We have started a savings group which is now its own entity outside of Food for the Hungry. Many people (primarily women) are now able to better provide for themselves through the small businesses they were able to start through these small loans.

The HIV/AIDS program was fazed out at the end of September. If you remember this program was the reason I came to Ethiopia in the first place. We are praying that the proposal for the next phase (focusing primarily on rural prevention) will be approved to begin in January.

There are simply so many changes that could be mentioned. It is simply through the grace of God and the faithfulness of those serving with Food for the Hungry which has allowed these changes to take place. Thank you for being a witness to it!!

UNO Bonanza

I decided to spice things up in my neighborhood with a little bit of UNO and boy has it been a blast. All of the card type games people know are pretty simple and all use a regular deck of cards. The other night when i brought out my deck of uno cards. Everyone's eyes lit up. The had never seen cards like that: so full of colors and designs. They even feel differently than regular cards because they're coated in a thicker layer of plastic. I almost didn't need to teach a new game because having new cards might have been enough. But then we started to play. I explained it in Amharic and surprisingly they got it after a number of rounds. And really once one person's light bulb went on- they were able to tell the rules to the others. So the first night we played, we played sitting in a circle on the dirt floor with adults and kids cheering and yelling until 11:30 at night. The next night another group of neighbors heard about the game. Our game started with three and by the end of the evening we had 9 people playing and I was begging to go home so I could go to bed (I had work the next day). So there you go. These cards are pretty popular. A new and fun game. Some people have even got it down to a science- perfectly peeking over people's shoulders or planning when their draw 4 can be most effective. I'd better watch out or else I'm gonna end up loosing all the time!

My First Visitor

My brother Josh is really my first visitor, but he helped me move in to my place and I wasn't really set up to host him. Saturday my girlfriend, Sara (who works for an NGO in Addis) came down for a one night visit. It was really great to be able to show her my house, my neighbors and life around Zeway. We walked down to the lake while being trailed by a bunch of kids asking for her water bottle and took a horse ride to the big outdoor market in town.

For me, it wonderful to have a friend who knows where I live and what it is like for me. When I got to Addis and tell my friends there about my day or about something that happened, its difficult for them to picture- just as you can only go off of what you've seen, experienced or imagine. So, it's a blessing for me to have yet another person who can understand a little bit of my life.

Peace & Joy

The other night I was visiting one of my neighbors houses. There I sat on the floor in their mud walled house singing songs and watching the children dance. Then one of the girls who is about 10 years old said she knew a song from school (she goes to the Catholic school in town). They were trying to sing all of the "Christian" songs they knew. If any of you know the song "I've got joy like a river, I've got joy like a river.... Peace like a fountain"

In all her earnest it went something like this:
I've got joy like a liver I've got joy like a liver, I've got joy like a liver in my soul.
I've got peace like a lotion, I've got peace like a lotion, I've got peace like a lotion in my soul.

let me tell you I tried my hardest not to laugh--- just gave her a great big smile & asked her to sing more.

Is it possible??

is it possible to be so full that you feel like you can't eat for days. It's a strange sensation when that feeling doesn't come from turkey and stuffing but from injera, coffee and doro wat (red chicken stew). I've just finished welcoming in the new year Ethiopian style. we are now officially 2 days into the year 2000 according to the Ethiopian calendar. I celebrated by doing what we do during holidays: eat and eat some more. Really, it's incredible how much our ever expanding stomachs can hold, when just keep eating more and more food.

The nice thing about this new year is that it was nice and warm. In the 80's maybe even into the 90's... I don't think that can be said of any new year I've experienced in the US.

So I'm back at work. Eagerly typing away at my computer. I'm supposed to be working, but the internet has decided to work today-- even so much as to let me use Blogger-- that i'm catching up on face book and checking out everyone's blogs. It's great to feel connected to people even though we're so far apart. So thanks to all of you for keeping me and the rest of the world updated.

OK I've gotta go and actually get some work done. We've got some visitors coming next week-- which means we've got a lot of planning and organizing to do. Here's to a great weekend!

from August 30: Child Celebration Days

This past week was exciting but also VERY exhausting. We held the first annual Child Celebration Days in each of our communities. Everyday of the last week we held one of these events. Sometimes it was outside under a cluster of trees or we packed into a government building or school. All of the children in our program and their parents or guardians were invited to attend. The purpose of the event was to celebrate the achievements of the supported children. Many of the children in the program did not have the opportunity to attend school until FHI came into their lives. It’s incredible how much potential was wasted by these children not being able to attend school. Now their lives are changed and many work extremely hard to gain high ranks in their classes. We had government officials attend each of the events. At each of the events we had between 500 and 1,500 people in attendance. Just picture 600 people packed into a room that should comfortably seat 200. At each of the celebration days we had different speakers from the government and FHI who spoke about the importance of school, health, HIV and many other topics. At a two of the celebrations everyone was given candles which were all lit from one central candle. It was a gleaming display of community and the influence one person can have on another as the flame spread from candle to candle. The highlight of the event was the awards of achievement. The children who ranked in the top 5 of their grade at their schools received new English or math exercise books. Those ranking first received big dictionaries. These children and their parents were beaming with pride. Following the award ceremonies the Food for the Hungry Drama team did comedy filled and touching dramas educating about HIV. Then came the mass distribution of bottled coke and cookies for everyone. At our biggest event it took over ½ an hour just to open up all of the coke bottles.

Each of the celebrations was a giant success. Nothing like this had ever taken place in any of the communities. People left feeling special and appreciated. It was a blessing to be able to participate.

Candles

At the Bulbula Celebration Day a government official lit a candle and the flame was passed throughout the whole room. Incredible.!