MISSION ETHIOPIA

A BRIEF BUT PRODUCTIVE MISSION TO ETHIOPIA

2012-01-18T08:55:00.002-06:00

Above is how Gabriel looked when I first met him.

2012-01-18T08:52:00.002-06:00

Above is Gabriel the day I left him a year and a half ago, below you see him in 2012 a strong and healthy boy of nearly two years.

2012-01-18T08:50:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone, where to begin??? First of all thank you very much to each and every person who supported this return mission to Ethiopia, whether you gave financially or supported me through prayer, a very huge thank you!!!
For what you are about to read would not have happened any other way, except through your support. If anyone reading this has ever doubted the existence of a great, mighty and awesome God I pray you will never doubt again.

I really want to tell the last story first but I will keep this chronological so it will make sense. So I had a total of just about forty hours from the time my feet hit Ethiopian soil until I had to board my flight home. Not much time so I knew I had to remain focused but allow for African timing which also turned out to be God's timing!!! I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish but two were top priority, seeing Gabriel and finding out what the future holds for him and looking for Mulugojamsehi (Mulu) and Ademechsehi (the two street girls who crawled into my heart when I was last there)

So first morning, I headed off to Kidane, they did not know I was coming so it was a huge surprise to everyone!!! There is one worker who I have a special bond with and the timing for my arrival was perfect. There was a truck blocking the walkway up as they are getting ready to pave the parking area so I had to walk around one side of the building and through another to exit on the other side to go into the care home. While on this walk around I found her sitting outside sorting food. She was all on her own!!! I tapped the glass and if I could show you her expression upon seeing me you would just smile. The first thing that crossed her face was disbelief, almost like she thought she was seeing something that was not real. Then an ear to ear smile as she jumped and came around and proceeded to hug me for a very long time. My friend with whom I stayed, thank you again, was able to translate for me things that I had wanted to say to her when I was here last time. I then saw Sister Lutgarda and spoke with her briefly, she looked more frail then I remember her being and also tired. I found out from her that since Gabriel has no papers, and unless the government changes he will not, so he will remain at Kidane. This was very disappointing news to say the least. I proceeded to head upstairs to see Gabriel who is now in the toddler room which is the first room as you round the corner. I walked in and he was sitting on the changing table. I looked him in the eye and the worker saw me and came over to hug me then she put Gabriel down and encouraged him to come to me. I was not prepared for my emotional reaction to this moment. Tears just ran down my face. The emaciate sickly baby was now a walking, talking, mischievous toddler. I held him in my arms and he pointed to the door so I took him for a walk down to the baby room. I then was greeted so warmly by all the workers in there, lots of hugs and shock that I was there. Gabriel was sleepy so after a few minutes he put his head on my chest and fell asleep, a lot like old times. I held him for quite a while before I laid him down. I needed to lay him down because I had a small window of time to give the workers donations from us. I was able to give them nearly half a years salary, they were so grateful as their salaries barely put a roof over their heads and provide food for them. There were two workers from the second shift I wanted to see in person and I knew I would not have time to go back the next day so it was arranged through some of the workers this day that they would meet me out front. One of them no longer works at Kidane and she took two shared taxis to come see me, bless. She had gotten sick several months ago and looked like she had aged quite a bit, she did not look like a 24 year old at all. I found out she had been to the doctor and was getting better. She also told me she is in cosmetology school which suits her so much more. I had a driver for my two days there so we drove her home and had quite a bit of time to talk. With our donation to her she is now able to pay the remainder of her tuition as well as have quite a bit left over.

2012-01-18T08:48:00.002-06:00

Above is the girls two years ago and below is them now!!!

2012-01-18T08:46:00.001-06:00

Once we dropped her off I went to see a woman I met last time around and we caught up on each others lives before I headed off to search for the girls. I was praying along the way and felt the prayers of each and every person who lifted this trip up, I was excited to be looking for them and prayed I would find them. For you see since I left about a year and half ago I have had several people looking for them so I could continue to give them money in my absence, no one was ever able to find them. There had been a huge "clean up" of the city where street children were being taken off the streets and put into care homes. My plan was to search care homes in the area but I wanted to give it a try by searching where I always saw them before. My driver took a street that was headed to the church they begged in front of, I decided to take a photo of one of the houses and as I was snapping the photo out of the corner of my eye I saw three little girls. I shouted Mulu and she looked over and began running to the car, I told Tarekegun (the driver) to pull over (I should say I shouted for him to pull over because there they were, my girls!!!!) They approached the car and Mulu had the biggest smile on her face. We had to drive over the road before we could attempt to pull over and I directed them to cross over, which they did. In the meantime I had pulled out the photos I printed of them with me so in case they did not remember me I had proof of who I was. When they saw these photos their eyes become saucers. They got so excited and began to call me friend in Amharic. I took them to the local pizza place along with their friend. Interesting note because they were about ten paces ahead of me and when they began to cross the threshold of the pizza place a worker there began to shoo them out, I walked between them, took them by the hand and told her the were with me. Suddenly everyone become very interested in what was going on, why was this woman taking these children out to eat and holding a conversation with them? I found a man who spoke both English and Amharic and hired him to interpret for us. Their friend goes to school and does not beg on the streets but both Mulu and Ademech still beg on the streets every day. They each earn 10 birr a day which is about 58 cents. They are out from early morning until about ten or eleven at night, neither of them have shoes. They are happy girls in spite of this life. The amazing news is they are not without a family!!! They not only have parents but also three siblings!!! An older sister and two younger brothers. Once our pizza was finished it was onto the ice cream shop. I told the girls after ice cream I would take them to buy shoes and then I wanted to meet their family. I watched the three girls sitting on the swing and I tried to digest what was happening. I prayed for wisdom and guidance because what I thought to be true was not. They were not homeless and sleeping on the streets but I was not 100% prepared for what lay ahead either. They were so excited to get shoes you would have thought I gave each of them their very own i pad. We then headed off to meet the family. Tarekegan advised me to stay in the car as it was dark and this area is full of thieves. I listened and the interpreter got out and stood next to my door while we waited to meet the family. A huge crowd gathered around and from the back came a very small man but Mulu was his mirror image, there was no doubt this was her father but I wanted to make sure. I had asked the girls his name earlier and so then asked him and he gave the same name. He pulled out his id card to prove it to me. The mom, sister and brothers were off at the market so I was not going to meet them this night. So through a serious of conversations we agreed to meet at a certain place the next day and I wanted to meet the whole family. I inquired of his wife's health as the girls said she was sick. He told me she has bad lungs. I then told him, as I wept, how very much his daughters have remained in my heart and that I was here for a brief time and it was to find and help them. Since there were so many people gathered around I folded some birr in my hand and when we shook hands good bye it disappeared into his hand. He kissed my hands in thanks. As we drove off I prayed this man would show up the next day.

There were several things on my list for Saturday but I was feeling so energized with all that had transpired on that first day, God truly orchestrated our reunion so surely the rest was going to be orchestrated by Him as well. On Saturday I got up with such an excitement. I still had not really digested all that had happened but we were about to meet once again. My original goal was to get them off the streets and into school but that was when there were two children with no family. I found an amazing man to be the interpreter this day, well truly God found him as that is the only way Eyob entered this picture. They arrived as we had arranged, the whole family plus another gentleman who turned out to be the dad's brother. We went to the pizza place for some injera and I asked first to know who this man was. I was told he was the brother, I asked why he was there, to listen I was told, I asked if he had a family to which he responded that he has three children. I then looked at Eyob and said I cannot save the world. He told this to them and for the remainder of the day when I was approached for money he would tell them "she cannot save the world" He truly enjoyed that phrase. The father, whose name is Dangew, handed me a piece of paper that told me they liked me and to please help them. I was touched that he went out of his way to produce this note and you will soon understand why paper, pen, even the writing of this note was a big deal. So began a few hours worth of conversation. I began with the mom, Genete. I wanted to know about her health. She is having lungs problems and has typhoid as well. She said the lung medication,which she finished a few days ago had helped a bit. Dangew produced her current medications and I wrote down the names so I can research what she is taking. I paused here as I wondered should we just get up and go to the hospital, is that what I am meant to do with this money? I felt led to carry on with them. I then turned to Dangew and inquired of his work. He is a day laborer and makes about 30 birr per day (1.73) and works a maximum of 20 days per month. A usual month is more like 10 - 15 hours. So best case scenario he is make under 35 dollars a month. That is for a family of 7!!!! Worst case scenario he is making just over 17 dollars per month. I asked what types of things he does as a day laborer and he replied that he mostly works with the roads. His hands showed he is a hard worker. I inquired as to why his daughters are out on the street, I tried to be cautious and not judgmental, I was truly interested in their story. He said they go out so they can have food. The rent for their house is half of his salary for a good month. During a month where he works only 10 days his entire salary goes for rent!!!! I asked how many rooms they had, one. I asked if they had beds, no. Do you have mattresses on the ground? No. Do you have electricity? No. Do you have running water? No. I asked how much each girl brings in and he gave the same amounts they had given to me the night before the only exception is Aleteseb (15 years) she makes 15 birr a day. That is just under a dollar. I asked if he ever went to school. No, he explained that they are from Gojam, which is in the countryside, there he was a farmer. I asked how long they had been in Addis, 6 years. Why did they come to Addis? To have a better life? Did they have a better life? No. Would he like to go back to Gojam? No, he wanted to keep working because as a farmer he made less. I asked if they were happy? Yes, they are a happy family. You could see how very much they loved each other. At one point the one year old, Anemut, bumped his head and Dangew was so tender with him. He cradled him in his arms, rubbed his head and kissed him several times. The baby calmed down quickly by the affections of his daddy. I then focused on the girls, beginning with Aleteseb, I asked if she was happy being on the streets? No. Would she like to go to school? YES!!! Would she study hard? YES !!! Was there love in her house? YES!!! I then moved onto the other two girls asking the same questions. I then explained that school would not be easy, that they would be in classrooms with much younger children as they are just beginning. I told them that they would now have rules to follow, have to sit still and do work. The running around in the streets would be for play not work but that during school hours they would be in school. I then looked at each one and asked one more time, do you want to go to school? They answered emphatically - YES!!! Then the three year old said "What about me? I want to go to school." I told him his time was coming. I then did some math and as I did I was praying and thinking of the best way to go about this. I asked Eyob about finding them a better home but with the schedule I had and the inability at this time to sustain this it was unfair to move them and make them move back. So I then looked Dangew straight in the eye and told him I am not a woman of great means but I have a big heart and many friends who support the visions I have in Ethiopia. I told him I work 24 hours 6 days a week to earn what I put into this so that if he decides to use the money in a way that is not what it is intended for I would put an end to this just as quickly as it is being offered to him. He has the opportunity right now to change the history of his family. He asked me to tell him how to use the money and he will do exactly what I tell him to do. We found out how much it costs for all three girls to go to school for one year including books and uniforms. We could not enroll them on a Saturday nor are we 100% sure they can join mid term so Eyob will be taking them to enroll tomorrow as well as get all the needed supplies. If for some reason they have to wait until next year the money will be added to the rest I was going to be offering him and used next year for the school year. He agreed. I then told him I was buying his daughters off of the street. I calculated what they make in a year and told him that was going into a joint bank account that both he and his wife were to be on so that neither can withdraw money without the other one knowing. I told him I would have internet access to this account to keep track of the goings on as well as be able to add money when the time came just in case I was not in Ethiopia before that time. I also told him I could shut it down as well if he was mismanaging this account. I told him the streets were not a safe place for little girls to spend so much time, they could get raped, stolen or killed. This money was for one years worth of food for his family. He understood and agreed. I then asked how many mattresses would fit in his home, he said two. I asked if they had any blankets and he said they had one old one. I asked if Aleteseb had shoes, she did not. So I said we did not need the children for a while, we were going to the bank to sort out the account, then to buy mattresses and shoes and socks for Aleteseb. I asked if when we returned with the mattresses could I come to their home, he said yes. So off we went, this meek man who I wish I knew what was running through his mind. Both Tarekegun and Eyob at different times would begin talking harshly to Dangew and I would ask what was being said and they were telling him that he better do what I am asking him to do, this is not something that happens every day nor will it happen again. Ejob told him he needed to stop having children as five was more then enough. Tarekegun at one point told him if he misused the money he would come beat him up. I sat next to Dangew in the car and wanted to be able to speak to him without an interpreter, just he and I but at this time that is not possible. After about an hour and a half Dangew and Genete had a bank account with money for food for a family of seven for one year. Aleteseb, Adenech and Mulugojamsehi were no longer street girls!!!!! When I handed the bank book to Dangew he kissed my hands and thanked me and prayed that God would bless me. I thanked him and told Him God does bless me just as He is right now but what is transpiring between us.

2012-01-18T08:43:00.001-06:00

We spent about an hour bartering at different shops for mattresses and blankets.Then got some shoes and socks for Aleteseb. Then we headed home. There was a crowd gathering around as the mattresses were carried into this area. I do not know if I can put into words what I saw and I did not feel right photographing what I was seeing, I will do my best. We walked down a dirt path which had a center channel that had human waste and garbage running down it. I had to step over this so we could go down an even narrower rock and dirt path. We passed many shanties until we arrived at their front door. It was corrugated metal and about two feet wide. The roof was sticks and hay with a portion having a tarp. The walls were wooden poles with tarps tied to them with openings on the top on either side which meant there is no privacy from your neighbors. One of the openings had a dangling lightbulb which served as the light for two families. The room they lived in was about the size of a queen sized mattress, remember there are seven of them. When you entered, on either side, was what would act as couches. They were four wooden poles tied together about two and half feet long by a foot deep and maybe eight inches off the ground, the part you sat on was a tied on piece of tarp. Just behind the front door and next to one of the couches was a small pile of clothes on the other side of this couch was a cupboard for their dishes. Behind this cupboard on the floor was a tarp, the family bed. I was offered to take a seat which I happily did, this shanty that served as their house was truly a home, you could feel the love within those tarp walls. I was proud to be welcomed into their lives no matter how brief this appointment was to last, I was honored to be there. We began to talk about various things, it was nice to just relax and enjoy them as a family. To watch them interact was lovely. Then we asked the few people that were hanging around to leave and Aleteseb was asked to close the door. I told Eyob to tell Dangew and Genete what I was about to tell them verbatim. I went on to say that children are a blessing from God and that he was blessed five times. I began to cry as I told him I cannot have children but that the children of the world are my children. Two years ago his daughters crawled into my heart and that is why I am here today. Many people in America know about his daughters and want to help but he cannot mess this up or his children will pay for his mistake. This could be the beginning of something big if he would just follow what he is being told to do. I told him short of finances running out or them messing up I will do whatever I can to raise support to help his family for as long as we can. If his daughters go to school because he has followed through, in time his sons will go to school but start when they are supposed to. He listened and agreed to do what was being asked of him. He thanked me by getting down and kissing my feet, my knees, my hands, my checks and the top of my head. I was silenced by this mans humility in front of his wife and children. Then he looked at Eyob and asked "when is she coming back?" I told him that I did not know when I would be back but would love it to be within the year but I was making no guarantees or promises. That is why I can access the bank account, in case the time arrives to add money and I am not there. Then what happened next was about to be the hardest "no" I have ever had to utter in my life. He looked directly at me and said when you return, Mulu is yours, you may have my daughter as your daughter and take her with you. I was weeping as I told him that she belonged with her family, there is love here and to take her from that would be wrong, I want to help them as a family and keep them together. He told me he is promising me Mulu and I must think about it so that when I return she is mine. I would love a daughter but this little girl has parents and siblings, to take her from that would be gut wrenching for her and I do not want to be the cause of pain to her. Perhaps I will take her away from the lifestyle she leads and be able to offer her more things then she has there but I cannot give her what exists in that home. We then all hugged over and over and took a few photos. I did not feel comfortable taking photos of there home but told him I wanted photos of me with them so when I return they have proof it is me just like this time when I showed the girls the photos of us they knew I was who I was saying I was. So we took a few photos. They then all walked me to the car where we had our final good byes. As Dangew kissed my hands one last time he reminded me that Mulu was now my daughter. We waved as long as we could see each other. I was not sad as I know I will be back and I pray that Dangew makes wise chooses for his family.

So what are the next courses of action? I have sent an email to Eyob so he can messages me as to whether they were able to enroll in school or have to wait until next year. I need to reach out to some people in Addis about helping me find affordable housing for this family that has water and electricity and is in a safer area. I need to find a better doctor to look at Genete so she can get healthy and take care of her children better. Please pray that the right doors will open for this family and that God will guide me to whom I need to speak to on their behalf so this cycle can be broken and in turn they will give back one day.

To all the people who so generously donated to Mission Ethiopia I say a huge thank you or as we say in Ethiopia Betam Ahmesegenalew!!!! Dangew, Genete, Aleteseb, Ademech, Mulugojamsehi, Mandaferoo and Anemut send many ahmesegenalew's to all of you as well. This is the beginning of a story for a family, the rest of the chapters are up to them. I pray they are wise so we can continue to help them, I will keep you posted as I am updated. Have a lovely rest of your day and God bless all of you for catching the vision of Mission Ethiopia...

2012-01-18T08:40:00.001-06:00

As for the future of Mission Ethiopia, I will continue to raise funds to help this family and possibly other families in the future. As I was walking out of their neighborhood I passed many families in similar circumstances and could not help but be reminded of the story of the young boy and the starfish. The story goes that a young boy was walking along the shore where countless starfish had been washed up upon. Concerned with them dying, he began to throw them back into the sea, one by one. An older gentleman approached him and told him he was not making a difference. He quietly looked down at the starfish in his hand and as he tossed it into the sea he said I just made a difference to that one. We have begun to make a difference in the lives of seven people and will continue to do so. Please note Mission Ethiopia no longer has a P.O. box but donations can still be made via paypal by clicking on the donate button on the upper right hand corner of the blog. If you prefer to send in a donation please contact me for a mailing address. Please feel free to pass this message on to anyone you feel may be interested in reading it or helping. We can and will make a difference for this family!!!! Thank you very much!!!!

Gabriel

2011-03-19T14:54:00.002-05:00

It has been quite a while since I have posted but please know I am laying the ground work for what is to come. Prayers are appreciated for guidance, direction and favor in every area I am working on. I will inform you as soon as things are progressing forward.

This past week I was sent both photos and an update on my Gabriel. He turned one in February so he is beginning to walk, he uses the wall or someones hand to assist him. He has four teeth on top and four on the bottom. He is happy and good natured although will hit or bite when others take things from him. You will be amazed to see his photo ( I wept when I saw him) , I still have a hard time comprehending that he is the same boy who a year ago was curled up in my shirt at deaths door. God truly does still perform miracles. I look forward to the day when his purpose for survival is revealed as I know he will do amazing things with his life.

NON PROFIT

2011-01-03T18:02:00.005-06:00

Happy new year from Mission Ethiopia. I just wanted to update you on what is going on in the world of becoming a non profit. I have met with a couple of individuals who help people like me navigate this journey. I am blessed to have met these people as this is all new to me. I have been shown the steps to becoming a non profit and let me tell you it is not for the faint of heart. I have also been informed that a better way to go may be to find an existing non profit that does similar work in Ethiopia to take me under them. They would act as my umbrella allowing donations to be made so they can be tax exempt to you the donors!! For those of you who have shared with me that your company would match your donation it would double your donation!! I have spoken with several such existing non profits as well as reached out to numerous others. Right now there is a lot of networking involved but I will press forward and know soon there will be a break through in this area. Thank you for your patience and I will keep you posted.

A bit about me

2010-12-14T20:40:00.001-06:00

I would like to take a few minutes to do something I do not usually do, at least not en masse. I would like to share my heart as well as some struggles. These past few weeks have been up and down for me and I am working on keeping more even keeled. I am in a current nanny position until the beginning of January and I would love to be heading back to Ethiopia at that point but short of a miracle (which I am 100% open to) I will not be. I have been interviewing for my next position and had it narrowed down to two families. Making this decision to commit to a family was, to say the least, very difficult. It felt like failure and defeat, not to me personally (well maybe a little) but to all of the hopes and dreams of helping the people in Ethiopia sooner rather than later. At a dinner with three amazing woman last week they were able to encourage me to see how short a year is and to be wise and use this time to stay focused on the goals. So that is what I am doing. I have accepted a job and will continue to fund raise and educate myself on how to generate sustainable income for the homeless mothers in Ethiopia. Currently it looks as if jewelry making will be the way to go. I have a few people willing to teach me skills they posses and a woman who runs a fair trade business is helping me understand all of that. It is no accident who is being brought into my life!!! I have so many great ideas and even greater intentions but I must have the wisdom and knowledge to execute them or none of it will work. I do not want to go back and create a system that fails or relies upon me in any way. I must be able to walk away and let them stand on their own. I want to teach the teachable, give them skills so they can provide for their families. I know not every homeless woman will be on board because there are many people all over the world with a poverty mentality, this is not for them but rather for those who wish to pull themselves up and reach down and give a hand to pull the next one up. Woman who want to earn money to feed and educate their children so the cycle is broken!!! So this year (or less I pray, I am a fast learner) will be a huge time of learning for me; learning skills I currently do not posses, learning about business (pray for me!!) and trying to get non profit statues (more prayer please) I want this done right and while I am going to make mistakes I do not want them to be at the expense of the people I am trying to help. So things to think about are do I have the jewelry sold there in local markets or here through fair trade shops? Either way I will pay the woman up front for their work, a fair wage, and use the additional income from the pieces selling to purchase supplies, pay rent on a space etc...

Another thing I have learned is faith is not faith when life is going how I want it to but rather when it all looks so bleak that I must trust God and you know what? It all works out as it should – the old saying “let go and let God” is so true!!! Yes, I am still learning. I went through such a huge personal journey while in Ethiopia and I am putting it into practice each and every day. I thank God for the people who have been on this journey with me, those who held my hand through the process and those who have accepted me at the other end. Life is a journey, one I wish to live to its fullest!!! Please continue to pray for this mission as well as for me during this learning period and beyond. I look forward to sharing updates on the progress with you and know I will get back there as soon as I can, equipped to make a difference not only in the lives of the children at the orphanage but to the homeless mothers and their children.

Thank you so much for your continued interest and support on this project that is in the hands of God.

CRAFT FAIR RESULTS AND OTHER THINGS!!!

2010-12-12T18:51:00.001-06:00

There are so many amazing things going on with Mission Ethiopia and I want to share some with you. First I was able to get a last minute space at a holiday craft show on Saturday but the most wonderful thing happened. First I must back up and tell you that one of the things I am working on is figuring out ways to incorporate sustainable income for woman in Ethiopia. I would like there to be a way for the homeless moms who are interested to be able to generate income for them and their children. One of the ideas is to create jewelry. I have met a couple of different people who are willing to share their skills with me. During all of this I recalled a woman whom I met during my first round of fund raising. She does fair trade jewelry in Uganda and Kenya but I had no way of getting touch with her. Well guess who was in the booth next to me yesterday!!!! Yes, this very woman. God is so awesome!!!!! About an hour after set up the woman in charge came around and told us she did not plan to put us together because we are both working for Africa but we quickly told her we were happy next to each other. Throughout the day she shared the ways she does this and we exchanged information so we can stay in touch. Mission Ethiopia also raised just over four hundred dollars!!! I did have some people who want to make donations and they informed me that their companies will match if I am non for profit. So I will begin to head down that path, if any of you know how to go about this or know someone who has and would be willing to help me please let me know as this is an area I have not one idea of how to navigate.

GOD IS IN CONTROL!!!

2010-12-05T22:40:00.002-06:00

It never ceases to amaze me how much God is in control of my life and the direction He has called me to follow. There are many small details that He does not overlook and at times I do not see them right away but they are there. The past few weeks have been great examples of God's divine hand on mission Ethiopia. I have had numerous people cross my path who I have had the opportunity to share part or all of the vision of mission Ethiopia with, some of these people you would know by name and they have the ability to help get me back to Ethiopia sooner rather than later so that I can continue to help many children in Ethiopia. Please pray that these people will have an open heart to help get me back to do the work my Father has asked me to do!!!

2010-12-05T21:29:00.001-06:00

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Upcoming Fund Raiser

2010-11-28T19:42:00.001-06:00

Mission Ethiopia will be participating in a fund raising event this coming weekend. I will have a table set up at the Brand Name Consignment Resale Event. For those of you not familiar with this event it is a children’s resale event with brand name clothes, shoes etc and they also allow vendors to set up tables to sell their wares. I will have my socks, mah jong necklaces and some donated bracelets. I met a lovely woman at the fund raiser last week who has donated some of her amazing jewelry to me to sell to raise money for Ethiopia. I will be posting photos soon so you can see these amazing bracelets. She also makes necklaces that you can order.

The event is Friday, December 3rd, 10 am – 5 pm
Saturday, December 4th, 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday, December 5th, 10am – 5 pm (50% off all clothes, shoes and other items)

I will only be participating on Friday and Saturday due to a previous engagement on Sunday. If you need brand name clothes or other items for your children stop by and have a look. Make sure to stop by Mission Ethiopia’s table to show your support.

The sale is at 5330 Grand Ave, Gurnee, IL (in the Northern Lights Crossing Shopping Center, across from Six Flags)

Hope to see you there!!!

Kimberly Holst
www.mission-ethiopia.com

COONLEY HOLIDAY MARKET RESULTS

2010-11-28T19:40:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was the holiday market at Coonley school. Mission Ethiopia was able to raise $300 selling necklaces and socks. The best part was meeting so many wonderful people and telling them about my past mission and future goals to help Ethiopia. Mission Ethiopia also received $372 in donations!!!

There will be so exciting upcoming things to share in the next couple of weeks so stay tuned!!!

I am also looking for other markets to showcase at so if you know of any in the area please contact me. Thank you.

PRECIOUS BABY DOLL FUND RAISER

2010-11-16T21:33:00.001-06:00

I am thrilled to tell you about the precious baby doll fund raiser. Mary Beth Wells, who interviewed me on the radio last week, has a doll company where you can adopt a baby doll from around the world. She has generously offered to create a coupon code which will allow you to save $5.00 on each doll and she will also be donating $10.00 per doll to Mission Ethiopia. These are beautiful dolls and would make a great gift for the upcoming holidays. In order to receive the "Kimberly Holst Discount" you need to plug in the coupon code for the doll(s) you purchase. First go to the site www. preciousbabydolls.com and the codes are listed here next to the name of the doll;
Katya 5000
Sophia 5500
Kimberly 6000
LiMing 6500
She also told me the clothing has been marked down for the holidays.

Thank you for your continued support!!!

MISSION ETHIOPIA TO BE ON RADIO!!!!

2010-11-05T10:22:00.001-05:00

I have been contacted by a woman who does a national radio program on adoption and she found my blog and was very touched by what I did in Ethiopia and has asked me to be a guest on her show this Monday. It airs 9 am - 10 am EST and I will be the first guest for half an hour so I am on the air from 8 am - 8:30 am our time!!! This is such an amazing opportunity for me to get the word out about the continued work I would like to do in Ethiopia - God is opening so many amazing doors, I cannot wait to see what else I get to do to be able to do His work!!! To hear the show I am attaching a link to her site and all you do is go there and in the upper right hand corner there is a box that says "listen live" Thank you very much for your continued support and prayers.

http://toginet.com/shows/adoptionjourneytomotherhood

ONE YEAR LATER!!!

2010-11-01T14:03:00.002-05:00

It was one year ago today (November 1st) I embarked on a journey that not only changed the lives of many children in Ethiopia but also my own. I was not looking forward to the arrival of today as I long to be back in Ethiopia, but it is here, and because I am so focused on the plans God has birthed inside of me I am at peace. I am still in the process of sending out my sponsorship packets so keep an eye out (if you are on my mailing list, if you would like to receive one e mail your address to me and I would be happy to send one your way)
I have such an urgency to return but also know God's timing is always perfect, not that that is always easy to accept but it is the truth. I know the little children I long to help on the streets are being looked out for by God, for His words states that He cares for the birds of the field how much more He cares for us (His children) Times are tough right now but image being a five year old living on the streets of Ethiopia, relying on begging to provide you with food each and every day. We are a blessed nation and many of us do not realize how blessed we are. Nothing here can compare with what a child watching countless other children walk to school in front of her and she knowing her day will be spent begging and not learning. There is no free education or truant guard to make sure they are educated. To go to school there you have to be able to afford the school fees, books and uniform otherwise no school. I am trusting that others are compelled to help these and others in Ethiopia and once I return I will do whatever I can to make many things happen. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

UPCOMING FUND RAISER

2010-10-31T14:25:00.003-05:00

Mission Ethiopia will have a table at the holiday bazaar at Coonley school in Chicago on the weekend of November 20th and 21st. I will be selling the Mah Jong necklaces I have made as well as the beaded socks left from my fund raising efforts last time around. Coonley school is located at 4046 N Leavitt. The hours on Saturday are 10- 4 and Sunday 11 - 3. Would love to see some of you all there!!! Pray everything sells!!!

DONATIONS

2010-10-31T14:23:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to give a quick update, I sent out the sponsorhip packets about two weeks ago and $2100 in donations have come in so far, that is nearly 10%!!!!! Thank you to all who have donated, the work I am setting out to do will not be accomplished without generous people like yourselves. You will be blessed for your gifts.

2010-10-15T14:19:00.000-05:00

OUTLINE OF 2010-2011 GOALS

2010-10-15T14:08:00.004-05:00

I have recently begun to send out packets with stories from my recent mission to Ethiopia. It was while I was on this mission I rediscovered my calling - missions. My first trip was to volunteer in an orphanage, which I did, but I came home and now have clear goals for my return. I want you to see the photo above, this is Mulu and her sister. They live on the streets of Addis and we became friends. I was able to help them in many ways but I would like the opportunity to go back and get them off of the streets and into school. If these two girls are educated it will change the future generations in their family. I realize I cannot help everyone but for the few I can it will mean the world to them. I would also like to go back in a voluntary capacity at the orphanage I was at last time not only to volunteer with the children but finish a child care program I created for the workers. It took me quite a while to write it, get it translated, typed out and put together. I finished it just before I left so I will teach it upon my return. I will also be learning the ins and outs of running an orphanage from the woman who has run Kidane for over fifty years. I want this education so I will be able to help with an orphanage project begin in the near future. I cannot do this on my own and so am seeking help. I am looking for fund raising ideas that do not require a huge investment, prayers and donations. I am aiming to raise $25,000 to be able to go back for one year of what I pray is the beginning of a life of service. This money will get me over there, cover daily living expenses and help all of the people I aim to help. If I can raise more that would be great as the more I raise the more I can help. Please pass this blog onto anyone you feel may be interested or able to help, every dollar counts. Thank you and God bless.

THE ANGEL GABRIEL

2010-10-15T13:57:00.001-05:00

This is my Gabriel. He came to Kidane Mehret Care Home (the home where I volunteered) on Valentine’s Day weekend (February 2010). He was a full term baby who was very malnourished. He could not regulate his body temperature nor could he keep food in. I was determined that this baby would live, so each day I would arrive and unwrap him from the water bottles that were my substitute during the night. By the time I finished unwrapping him he was freezing cold. I would then tuck him inside of my shirt for “kangaroo care”. At first, the workers were not sure of what I was doing, but they eventually caught on and their respect level for me grew by leaps and bounds. Gabriel was inside of my shirt all day unless he was eating or being changed. He started out at 2 kilos (4.4 lbs) and day by day grew and developed and maintained his body temperature. It is because of situations such as this I feel called back to Ethiopia; to be the voice of the voiceless. The photo below shows him last week as a friend is sending me updated photos.
He is a true living miracle.

2010-10-15T13:55:00.000-05:00

MORE EXCITING NEWS

2010-10-15T13:46:00.002-05:00

I now have a temp nanny job for the next couple of months that will help me get sorted for getting back to Ethiopia. I also will be speaking at an upcoming adoption support group in Gurnee, IL to talk about my experience as well as my journey back. Today I was gifted with a much shorter domain name so it makes it easier to get here now you just type mission-ethiopia.com and you are here, what a great gift to receive. God is so good and does amazing things when we get out of His way and let Him!!!

THE MOST AMAZING NEWS

2010-10-13T15:50:00.002-05:00

Several weeks ago I contacted the sister in charge of the orphanage that I volunteered at in Ethiopia. I had some questions for her; I asked her when I return would I be allowed to stay in one of the guest rooms at Kidane and would she be willing to teach me what she knows about running an orphanage. I knew it would take a while to hear back from her and today was that day!!! It was very timely as several more work doors have closed so right now things are looking great for my return to Africa. She told me I am most welcome in their home and that she has learned what she knows from experience and she would be happy to share that with me. Since part of why I long to go back is to help the church I attended start an orphanage who better to learn from than someone who has been doing this for over 50 years. I feel honored and blessed that she is willing to impart her wisdom upon me. Now I just must get there, God is in control!!!

MISSION ETHIOPIA SPONSORSHIP PACKETS

2010-10-10T11:22:00.001-05:00

I have spent the past couple of weeks writing out some of the stories from my first mission to Ethiopia so that people will be able to see what has become my heart. Some of them were very hard to share but I want everyone to see what lies ahead for my next mission to Ethiopia. It will take me a few weeks to get all of them out so please be patient. If I do not have your mailing information and you are interested in one please contact me through here and I will be happy to send you one. Please feel free to show these to your family, friends, place of worship, co workers, anyone you feel may be interested in the stories or able to offer any type of support. Thank you very much.

NECKLACE FUND RAISER

2010-10-10T11:17:00.002-05:00

I am selling necklaces that I am making. I was going to sell my antique mah jong set however a friend recommended I create necklaces out of the tiles and so I have. If you are interested in purchasing any they are $30.00 plus shipping. Please contact me and I will get them straight to you. I have sold 11 so far!!! They turned out beautiful and I am very proud of them.

A BIT ABOUT ME

2010-09-13T20:56:00.002-05:00

For those of you who do not have facebook I am going to copy the bio I filled out on there to here for you to see, maybe smile have a laugh:-) Enjoy getting to know me a bit more;
Having recently returned from Ethiopia and learning many things about myself I will now fill this in: I have always enjoyed the simple things in life and taken time to be awed by small things. Helping others is a passion for me, caring for children, giving to those in need, listening to others. Having pure love and acceptance bestowed upon you allows you to bestow these gifts to yourself. I love to cook and bake for others, the moment when they start eating and there is silence is pure bliss for me. I can iron a mean shirt and a nice one too :-) Getting lost is an art form, wandering around and not caring where you will end up - joy!!! I want to travel more and be inspired by what I see. I want to taste, touch, see, hear and feel things people in other parts of the world do because it will expand who I am. I love to study other religions and learn about other people's faith. I am a happy person but sometimes things get me down. I get frustrated, upset, disappointed and that is okay, I am human after all. I must make choices and not always consider the outcome because a lot of the time the things I feared happening never did. (f.e.a.r. = false evidence appearing real) I am amazed when I watch a child learn a new skill, each one has a unique approach as each child is a unique person and their uniqueness MUST be respected. I am quiet in a crowd but once you get to know me I can talk your ear off. I do need time to recharge and value my privacy. I do not have tons of friends but the ones I have I would die for. I am a voracious reader and love to write. Music fuels my soul. I have gumption. I love fire, especially in a fireplace. I do not shout (except when I am excited then it is shouts of joy). I have tons of patience and am overflowing with compassion. I am a journey person so love to hear about peoples lives. How others are navigating their world intrigues me. I am learning to dance and found out I love jewelry. Candles - wonderful. Flip flops are the best kind of shoes and if I could spend a day in a hammock I would have the biggest joy bubble. I love museums, live theater and parks. My favorite place to be is by water, it is where I feel closest to God. Flowers are one of God's best masterpieces; I always take time to enjoy them. I have moved around in my life and Africa is home; it is where I am the best version of myself. I am happy to say that my heart is now cracked open and ready to be loved. I am enough, who I am today is perfect. My imperfections are part of me and it is all good. I am one of the most loyal people you will meet. I am opinionated but will always listen to anothers point of view, agreeing to disagree is so freeing. When I am wrong I will apologize. Numbers amaze me. I wish I could fly. I love photography; to capture a moment on film is amazing. Chocolate is one of the best ideas EVER!!! Letting go is good. Crying is not a sign of weakness or defeat it just shows you have emotions and that is alright. I love to take nature walks. I am grateful for so many things. I enjoy puzzles of any kind - jigsaw, crossword, you name it. I love when people laugh. I am not a good singer but love to sing. When it comes to organization my mind is like a game of tetris. Babies are like holding a piece of heaven in your arms. I am competitive and love both card and board games. I think holding hands is a lost art. Chivalry and manners do matter. Pajamas were a great invention. I love to sail and swim. Walking in the rain is a blast. Walking with someone in the rain is even better. Chicago has the best Pizza!!! Roller coasters - amazing. I want to skydive and hang glide. I want to learn French. I play with my hair. I like to take a few ingredients and turn them into something delicious. I marveled at the Great Wall of China and want to marvel at other things. There is beauty everywhere if you look for it. I must pray and meditate; it is food for my soul. I cannot kill a spider they are magnificent to me. The Great Rift Valley took my breath away. I value the time my friends bless me with. The color of some ones heart is what matters. Stepping out of the box is rewarding. The world is not black and white. I am creative and love to make things. Beauty is in everyone. I do not believe everything I think. Life is full of choices make good ones and make some wrong ones too (those may turn out to best your best decisions ever). Everyone comes into our lives for a reason. I will not let others define me. Treasure those around you. Tell the people you love that you love them. Life is short so if you need to sort things out do it before it is too late. One of the most beautiful sounds are the calls to prayer in Ethiopia. Hugs and kisses are wonderful. I need my sleep. I appreciate a great pillow. I like the weight of blankets on me. Naps are pure joy. Having a meaningful conversation with me when I first wake up is not the best choice. I love thunderstorms; especially at night. I must have ice cream now and then. Most of what I know I have learned from the books I get from the library and from living life. I have climbed a waterfall. I am awed by the beauty in nature. Young children are the most honest people. True friends are a gift and a blessing. The eyes are the window to the soul. I love my feet. Massages are amazing to give and receive. I enjoy a delicious breeze. Fall is my favorite season, why is it that we only get to see the leaves true colors just before they die? I have many goals and getting braver every day, look out world here I am!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2010-09-13T20:38:00.003-05:00

For those of you who do not know September 11th is the Ethiopian New Year. They have just entered 2003 as they are on a different calender than we are. The calender there is made up of 13 months. So Happy New Year to all my Ethiopian friends or Melkam Addis Amet to my habesha gewadegnas!!!

IT KEEPS GOING.......

2010-09-13T20:34:00.002-05:00

I must say how thankful I am for facebook. Not only have I been able to keep in touch with far away friends as well as many of the adoptive families but I have met many families who will be going to Ethiopia in the future to adopt. Some of these people are adopting children I knew and I have been able to send them photos of their children while they wait to go pick them up. I feel so blessed as it must be very hard waiting and to see more than one photo is truly amazing. As hard as it will be if Gabriel ever gets adopted I will be honored to pass the numerous photos on of his journey thus far. I pray that I will get to see him at least one more time and would love for it to be in Ethiopia. I miss him so much. Kisses and hugs to Gabriel.

LETTING GO OF ONE DREAM TO BIRTH ANOTHER ONE!!!

2010-09-13T20:20:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I spent the weekend in prayer and meditation over what is to come for me. One of the things I felt led to do was sell off all of the items I have accumulated over the years for the children I had hoped would one day be mine. I am human so I questioned God a bit, so glad He is patient with me. I asked for confirmation and a few days later while speaking with a dear friend with whom I have not spoken to since I arrived home she asked me whatever became of my adoption plans. I explained I had not done my home study before going and returning home to that nursery was very painful so I dismantled it and put it into storage. She then went on to say things verbatim to what I felt God had shared with me. The next day another friend said something similar so off I went to storage to bring back some of the items to list. It took a few days for me to be able to do this but list I have. Most of the items are selling and for good prices as well. Some of the items are harder than others but I have such a peace about this. The day I met the woman at storage to pick my changing table up was very hard. Once I pulled away I wept all the way home, not over the piece of furniture but the end of a dream. I am back on track and still going strong. I am almost done selling off the clothes and shoes. There are still many things to list but I keep at it every day.
The interesting thing is I do not even know what the future holds. For those of you who know me this is so not like me as I am a planner by nature but that is one of the gifts I have brought back from Africa. I do not have to always know what is coming but I want to be prepared for whatever it is. For you see luck is opportunity and preparation meeting so I am doing my part which is the preparation part and God will provide the opportunity. I would like part of that plan to take me back to Africa and God knows the desires of my heart and He has not failed me yet.

GETTING ON WITH LIFE

2010-07-21T11:59:00.002-05:00

It has been a while since my last post. I am currently looking for work and know God will open the door soon. I have had a couple of job offers but in my field it has to be a fit and so far that has not happened. It will, I have faith and know God has amazing plans for my future and I will continue to trust Him. He has always been there for me and even though things are not always in my timing they are in His. I feel blessed to have so many supportive family members and friends on this journey. It has been fun keeping in touch with the adoptive families I met in Ethiopia and I have even had contact from some I did not meet but have been given my information from others. I have been able to send some photos of there children and council some that are heading out to meet their children in the weeks to come. God is amazing and I cannot wait to see what the next chapters of my life hold for me.

LIFE IN AMERICA

2010-06-13T17:13:00.003-05:00

My life here will never be the same, Ethiopia changed me on so many levels. One thing I really struggle with here is grocery stores. Now do not get me wrong Ethiopia has grocery stores and if you want to cook a meal you better love to cook and be committed to your menu because it will take hours to get all of the items needed.
Here are some of my struggles, one there is so much choice here. I never thought having a choice could be so negative. Let's use mozzarella cheese as an example. When I needed imported mozzarella, the kind you grate, I would have to go to a number of stores to find it. I never found it in the same store twice so it was not a matter of remembering where you bought it the last time. I would leave early in the morning with my list and set out to anywhere from four to seven shops to find all of the supplies needed to prepare one meal. I happen to love to cook and never dreaded doing this because at the end were great people to sit around a table and enjoy a great meal. Here when I go to the cheese section not only do I always find mozzarella but there are numerous brands to choose from, you could stand there all day trying to decide which brand is best. In Ethiopia once I saw the item I needed there was not usually a choice involved you just grabbed it and were thankful you were one step closer to your menu being complete.
My biggest challenge is the produce department. For me to choose my bananas, apples, lettuce etc is very hard. No I am not an indecisive person but in Ethiopia you go up to a fruit stall and tell the person running it what you want and they bag it up for you. At the same time he is usually asking you about your day, what you are cooking, how to make it. So while I now have choice I have traded it for a relationship. I miss that so much. I had people all over town who I frequented their stores, stalls, roadside sales tarp etc and we took time to learn about each other. America used to be that way, I remember the corner stores but we have lost something and I miss it so very much.

2010-05-18T12:49:00.000-05:00

Free photo slideshow personalized with Smilebox

GOING BACK

2010-05-18T06:46:00.003-05:00

Many of you already know this but some do not. I will be working very hard to get back to Ethiopia. I fell in love with this magical place and her people. It is my hearts desire to go back soon to help this country and the people I have come to love. I walked all over Addis and felt like I was home. I have such a longing to be back there and would like to help in other parts of Africa as well. I do not know what the future holds or what doors God will open up but know I will go back. There are many personal things I am choosing not to write on here but the journey I went on was difficult and rewarding at the same time. I am a better person today than I ever was and want to continue to be the best me that I can. I am looking for work so that I can begin to take care of some responsibilities here as well as save to go back to Ethiopia. Thank you for all of your support in the past and in the future because this journey has just begun and I pray you will all continue along for the ride. I will maintain this site to finish the story that has only just begun. God bless you.

THE REUNION

2010-05-13T04:09:00.002-05:00

It was so wonderful to see the other volunteers and hear how they are moving forwards in their lives since leaving Addis. Some of them on working on futures in Africa, which brought me so much joy. We had so much fun together and were hosted by Louise, thank you again. We went into London a couple of times and walked around, of course I took hundreds of photos. Pile that on top of my thousands from Ethiopia and I have a huge job ahead of me when I get home, organizing my photos. We went to see We Will Rock You, it was great. In general it was just great to be around these amazing woman who knew what I was feeling and going through. I miss you all again and we will have to have another reunion again some day soon. Thanks for the great memories in Ethiopia and in England and do not forget to mind the gap!!!

A NOTE ON ADOPTION

2010-04-30T09:44:00.002-05:00

I was disappointed that I had not sorted my paperwork before coming, but as always God is in control. I would love to adopt in the future but only God knows how it will all play out. I do know I want to be a mom but no longer want to do it alone. Please pray that I will be obedient and follow the path God has for me in these areas. I learned a lot about myself here and am blessed that God truly does care for me. I know He will be faithful, as He always is, I just must do my part.

ENGLAND SO FAR

2010-04-30T09:38:00.002-05:00

I know this has nothing to do with Ethiopia, unless you are interested in culture shock. I have not seen one black person :-( the sheep graze peacefully in fields, they are not running down the road, I had to bag my own groceries and it is so cold I was shivering last night. It is wonderful to see my friend and I will be having an Ethiopian reunion in London next week so lots to look forward to.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU

2010-04-30T09:12:00.002-05:00

God truly blessed me with some great friends in Ethiopia but one stands heads above the others. You know who you are but I wanted to let everyone know that you were here for me during some very difficult times in Addis and made my time here much better than it would have been otherwise. When I think back to how disappointed I was, not being able to come last year, I laugh as I now feel blessed I did not because we would never have met. I do not need to say anymore as it has all been said to this person. Once more thank you and merci!!!

MY LAST DAY IN ADDIS

2010-04-30T09:11:00.002-05:00

The day I hoped for when I first got here and dreaded from just before month three has finally arrived. My last day. I got up and packed (shocking I only did this the morning I was leaving) I then went around town saying good bye to all of my local friends. I was unable to find the homeless sisters, how sad. I also was not able to say good bye to Ababa because he was not working when I got to his bus terminal. Everyone was so sweet and are praying for my return.

I was being taken to the airport by two very special friends so one of them came by to get my suitcases so I did not have to think about them anymore - thank you!!! In the evening I was taken to an amazing restaurant - the best food in Addis - thank you dear!!! Then we went back to the house and played cards until it was time to go the airport. Of course what I knew what happened did, I was a puddle. It had started raining so while the gentleman from the airport loaded my luggage onto a cart I was prayed for. I was crying which I did all the way into the airport and for a while inside - hopeless. My suitcases were 7 kilos over so one of the men helped me move 2 kilos around and then they let me go without a fee - God bless them. My flights were uneventful and I am safely in England. Thank you all for following this amazing journey these past six months.

GOOD BYE DINNER WITH FAMILY

2010-04-30T08:58:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday night I had my final dinner with my host family. I had it a night early as I decided some of the friends I made here were my family and wanted to spend my last night with them. They also came to this dinner as did my host family, the host mothers two sisters and their families, Tole and Chaltu, the director of Projects Abroad and two new volunteers (yes we got new volunteers on Monday, not impressed) Dinner was an interesting feast. We had some Ethiopian food including tibs, my favorite, mashed potatoes mixed with corn and topped with strawberries (yes you read that correctly), pasta, rice, pancakes, bread, green beans, carrots, avocado/tomato salad and some other things.

After dinner we had a coffee ceremony. I gave gifts to all of the family and cried when I was presented with my dress. Each volunteer is given a traditional dress when they leave. Mine has purple!!! I also received gifts from the other two families, scarves and jewelry. It was a nice evening but tomorrow will be the hardest.

LAST DAYS AT KIDANE

2010-04-30T08:57:00.001-05:00

My last two days at Kidane were so bitter sweet. There are two staffs so I had to go through my good-byes twice. On Monday the day was going along fine. I brought in cake for the workers as well as their cards full of money. I had to wait until sister went to lunch to give them their cards. They did not open them in front of me but I would loved to have been there when they did. They were full of hugs and kisses for me. When I hugged Maria I started crying, I will miss her a lot. They were so sweet to me as I left. On Tuesday I had the same with me, cake and cards. During naptime one of the workers from the day before arrived and they all had pitched in and got me a traditional dress with scarves to match. I was so touched as this was huge from them. I put the dress on and many photos were taken.

Sister took me down to her office. I was given some gifts and she thanked me for all I did especially for Gabriel. I was speechless as I sat there because I was not expecting any of this from her.

Saying good bye today was harder because it was not just to the workers but also the children. When I laid Gabriel down for the last time I wept. The workers were all crying, we were a mess. I pray that I will see them all again one day soon.

RIP ASTER

2010-04-30T08:51:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend Aster passed away, I was so sad to find this out, she was going to be Simon's sister. She lived for almost five weeks.

LEAVING EARLY

2010-04-30T08:48:00.002-05:00

When I heard about the ash problem I was a bit happy, I thought I would have some extra time in Addis. When I went to the airline to confirm my flight I was not surprised to find out my flight had been cancelled. I was however horrified when they told me I was put on a flight the day before I was meant to leave!!! I even cried later.

A BIG THANK YOU

2010-04-30T08:45:00.002-05:00

Thank you so much to those of you who donated to the workers. I had a previous volunteer send a large donation and what is left will go to the workers, there were a few people from home who sent money and a couple of local friends. Unless you have been here you will never understand what a differnce this money will make in these womans lives. So thank you very much from the workers as well as me.

NEW BABIES

2010-04-30T08:41:00.002-05:00

When I returned to Kidane, after my ankle had some time to heal, I was pleasantly surprised to see we have three new babies. Aster is three weeks old, Miriam is just under three months and Benium is about six months. Aster is the only adoptable one because she has papers. This is also great news as the one baby boy that has been here since I came is not being picked up as they want to adopt a baby boy and a baby girl (I will keep my opion to myself on this) so now he has a sister!!!!!

This does not change the fact that workers have lost their jobs.

MY GIRLS

2010-04-30T08:39:00.003-05:00

There are two little street girls, they are sisters, that I adore. I go visit them whenever I can and take food and treats to them. When they see me they run, with their arms open and yell "gwadanya" which is friend in Amharic. When you see their photos your hearts will melt. They are so sweet and I will miss them terribly when I leave.

MY ANKLE

2010-04-30T08:31:00.002-05:00

There was one place I really wanted to see when I came here and that was Kenya. I had the opportunity to go for Easter weekend and it was amazing. The best was spending Easter Sunday on a safari in all of God's creation. I was so beautiful and I saw some amazing animals, I cannot wait to show the photos. When we got to the airport that evening my leg had fallen asleep in the car. I had a bottle of Ribena on my lap to bring back to Addis. Liquids here are in glass bottles. When I stood up I had dead leg and fell. I hit my face and knees on the ground and my other leg got caught on the edge of the car and stayed behind and got twisted. The funny thing is the bottle broke and the purple liquid looked like blood. My friend thought I was bleeding but I was not, at least not that bad. I did end up getting an x-ray the next day because when I stood up I got nauseous so I knew it was hurting more than I felt. Turns out I sprain it on both sides and missed two weeks of work to let it heal. There are 54 stairs at Kidane so I was stuck not being able to go, I did not want to let it get worse because in a few weeks I have to go back to work.

GOOD-BYE GEMMA

2010-04-30T08:30:00.000-05:00

Gemma has now left Ethiopia but I was fine as I will also see her in London, so happy for this reunion. Ethiopia cried for days when she left. I am now the only volunteer left at the Bole house. Gemma you are missed.

"WILL YOU MARRY ME?"

2010-04-30T08:28:00.001-05:00

I had a very serious marriage proposal the other day. I needed a taxi to take me around for a couple of hours to run some errands. It took three tries to get one to agree to my price but I was patient. He had driven me to a few places and we were at a grocery store. When I got back to the taxi I told him we were waiting for a friend of mine to join us. He told me to get into the taxi, I declined saying my friend needed to see me. He said he did not want anyone to take me. I was puzzled but he said he did not want any other men to see me. I got it to sit down and he insisted on closing the door. He then told me that he wanted to marry me, I laughed. He looked sad, I told him he needs to understand I have been proposed to numerous times and nobody knows me, I am just a ticket to America. He insisted he was different that he wanted me to meet his family and take me for coffee, so I could check him out, we would then go out to dinner then we would get married. Oh the funny part is when he found out my age, he told me we need to get married and have a baby right away so we do not miss my time. Imagine his face when my friend turned out to be a man. He did give me his number because I would not give him mine, bless.

THE TOPIC OF RAIN

2010-04-30T08:23:00.002-05:00

We have had a lot of rain here lately which usually happens when a volunteer leaves, Ethiopia cries.

When it rains here it really rains!!! Up until a few weeks ago, when the road by Kidane was finished, it was a mudslide over there.

You MUST bring an umbrella if you come to Ethiopia or be prepared to get wet. I usually have my umbrella with me but sometimes I did not carry it and have gotten soaked through. If you are wearing flip flops the backs of your legs will be speckled with mud but a mud bath never hurt anyone :-)

If you put your laundry out in the morning and are out for the day just think of the rain as an extra rinse cycle.

The family I lived with collected rain water which does concern me as the "bottled water" they use to cook our food with may not be what it appears. Numerous times I have caught Tole filling the bottles from the collected water container and wondered how much of my food will be prepared with it.

UPDATE ON GABRIEL

2010-04-30T08:22:00.000-05:00

Gabriel is doing so well, he smiles and coos all the time now. When I arrive in the morning he is usually sleeping but as soon as he hears my voice he wakes up and greets me with a smile. He is so sweet but has no papers so will spend his life at Kidane. I wish I could bring him home with me.

WORKERS AT KIDANE

2010-04-30T08:21:00.002-05:00

The woman at Kidane have been told some sad news, ten of them will be losing their jobs as of April 30th. There are so many children being adopted, which is great but the government is making it so hard to get children into the orphanages the Kidane is quite empty right now. Please pray these woman find work or more children come to Kidane. I am trying to raise enough money to give them two months salary to help them pay for their childrens eduaction and feed them until school lets out. Most of the woman are widowed and have children in school. It is so sad. We are a little family at Kidane and I really want to ensure things are sorted before I go.

GOOD BYE ANNE

2010-04-30T08:21:00.001-05:00

The time came for Anne to go home, funny I was a bit scared to meet her. She was a bit older than me and I was not sure how I felt about that. It turned out we got along famously. We both were doing orphanage work although at different places so we talked about our work. We soon became each others confidants and I have missed her since she left. She was a lot of fun but the good news is she is heading to London while I am there so I will be seeing her soon!!!

HAPPY NEWS FOR ME

2010-03-21T05:25:00.002-05:00

There have been many volunteers come and go during my time here and I am finished. Is may sound bad but I struggle with new people and I did not want new people here when I leave as I know I will be a puddle. I want to be able to express my emotions without new people around so last night I asked my host mother when the next volunteer would be arriving. I was thrilled when she said May, after you leave. That means for the last week and a half I will be alone, not sure how much I will love that but at least on my last night I am free to express who I am.

TIME IS TICKING

2010-03-21T05:22:00.002-05:00

As my time is closing in on coming home I have such mixed emotions. I have really come to love Ethiopia and think of Africa as my home. I have learned a lot about myself here and feel I have changed my outlook on some things. I do not count the days until I come home any longer but live each day enjoying what it uniquely has to offer me. I came here for many reasons and am surprised at some of the things I have learned and uncovered about myself here. I have embraced these new aspects of my life and look forward to sharing some of them with you when I return.

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

2010-03-21T05:18:00.002-05:00

Can I tell you how much I love this meal ticket program!!! Thanks to so many donations I am able to purchase hundreds of tickets and hand them out. Yesterday I was in the area and handed out not one ticket to each person but a full book!! It is amazing and so humbling to see so many people who want these tickets, knowing they will be given a hot meal. I will be going back very soon!!!

GIFTS TO WORKERS

2010-03-21T05:15:00.002-05:00

It has been very hard on the workers as they are having to take forced time off due to the lack of babies and children. They work nine days and get nine days off which means their already small salaries are even smaller. I have been trying to help by bringing things into them. I cannot give them anything in front of sister so usually at lunch time I hand things out. I have given them fruit, tea, coffee and plan on buying them each tef (local grain used to make injera) and other necessities for their homes. Most of them are single and still have children at home and work for the equivalent of thirty dollars a month!!!

SHOPPING IN ADDIS

2010-03-21T05:14:00.002-05:00

Shopping in Addis is quite interesting, especially when you are ferenj!!! I have lost so much weight I have been pinning my clothes so I decided to see if I could find a few items to fit me. I did but what you have to go through to get a fair price is so amusing. I got a fair price for a skirt but at the next shop he wanted 90 birr more!!! I told him what I paid elsewhere and was shocked that he accepted that offer so quickly. Usually I have to go back and forth for quite a while and it is a lot of fun, the trick is be willing to walk, most times they come after you and accept your price.

A COMPLIMENT FROM SISTER

2010-03-21T05:14:00.001-05:00

This may not sound like much but last week when sister was giving a tour she told the group if it were not for my care and love Gabriel would already be in the soil. I was very touched, not only that she said it but in front of so many people.

THE CRIBS ARE PAINTED

2010-03-21T05:13:00.002-05:00

All of the cribs that are is great shape got painted last week. There is a group of high school students here from Canada and they are doing odd jobs all around town. At Kidane they painted the cribs - hooray. Trying to sort out replacing the ones that are broken. Sister stuggles with allowing someone in person to give stuff but she is getting better.

COOKING

2010-03-21T05:13:00.001-05:00

Last weekend was so yummy, chicken kiev, twice baked potatoes, broccoli, corn, baked beans and garlic bread, for dessert peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. This weekend is a taco party, so exciting.

DONATIONS ABOUND

2010-03-21T05:12:00.002-05:00

I have recieved some donations in the past two weeks and am putting it all to great use. I have bought some needed items for Kidane, the plastic to cover cloth diapers, diaper cream and shampoo. I have spoken to sister about getting Baby a special chair instead of sitting in a jogging stroller, she is not really open to it, but I am working on it. I have given money to street people and to the project at my church that helps the street children. I will continue to look for opportunities to help the amazing people of Ethiopia.

GABRIEL IS THRIVING

2010-03-21T05:12:00.001-05:00

Gabriel is amazing, he is growing stronger each and every day. On Tuesday he smiled for the first time!!!! Today he smiled a ton and I even got to lay him in the sun. I think he is part cat, he loved it. He got all cozy and went to sleep, ah the life of Gabriel :-) Please pray he gains some more weight. One other great thing is he is now able to regulate his own body temperature, praise the Lord.

RIP HOPTOMU

2010-03-21T05:10:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday I got to Kidane and found out Hoptomu passed away. He was just three weeks old. I was so sad not only because he passed away but also because he had no family. I asked about his burial and was told he will be in a mass grave at the hospital, so sad, I offered to pay for a proper burial but was told they did not want to start that. I cried a lot that day and when I told a friend he has no one to grieve his death he told me I was grieving him. Hoptomu will be greatly missed.

GOOD BYE LOUISE

2010-03-02T02:41:00.002-06:00

It was such a sad day when Louise left. She and I were together for three and a half months and had been through a lot together. We had her good bye dinner at the house with other volunteers and some friends. As the evening wore on both she and I were crying. I am not a fan of saying good-bye to so many people especially those I have come to love. Louise is an amazing young lady with a great future ahead of her. I wish her all the best and hope to see her when I get to England on my way home. She had a day flight which was nice and she and I got to go out to breakfast. I also accompanied her to the airport. It took me the rest of the week to get used to her not being here and at times I still expect her to walk into the house. Louise you are missed. Love you!

FUNNY HAPPENINGS

2010-03-02T02:34:00.002-06:00

I will fill you in on more funny things that are said to me. The other day I was walking home and a shared taxi conducter was shouting hello. I finally looked up and said hello. Usually they then ask where I am going in case I want to get in the taxi but he said I have found my wife. I said good for you and then he said it is you!!! To funny.
One of the workers invited me to her house for lunch but ended up taking me to her friends to meet her three week old baby. It turns out they want to set me up with her brother. They phoned him and tried to get me to talk to him but I said if you want to introduce me to someone I want to meet them in person not over the phone. After three phone calls they gave up trying to get me to speak to him, I have been invited back:)
Since caring for Gabriel one of the babies who I used to pamper. He loves foot massages and head rubs to fall asleep, he just left with his family yesterday. Anyways one day he was in the bumbo while I was feeding Gabriel and he looked up and stuck his tongue out at me. He is teething so I think he can feel his teeth but the wokers had a hoot because they said he does it because he is jealous. We had such a good laugh every time his tongue came out.

CHANGES

2010-03-02T02:32:00.001-06:00

I will not give to many details but will tell you I have changed quite a bit here. I have fallen in love with many aspects of Ethiopian life and have embraced this country. I will miss it when I leave and pray I can return sooner rather than later. I have learned a lot about myself since being here and pray I continue to do so.

KIDANE NEWS

2010-03-02T02:24:00.002-06:00

There is so much going on at Kidane I will put it all in one post. First of all so many children have been adopted. We have only three babies and one toddler left. Sister is trying to get children from an orphanage in the countryside so please pray this happens. For more then one reason, first so they are in an adoptable orphanage and so the workers here who are on forced vacation can come back to work. Two of the babies are under three weeks old. They are both boys - Gabriel is quite malnourished and spends most of his time under my shirt for skin to skin contact. It has really helped he has gone from spitting up everything (it even came out of his nose) to eating and keeping it all in. Hoptomu is feeding better and they are both around two kilos - just over four pounds.
Sister and I have been getting along very well, just the other day while we were having a chat and walking she held my hand the whole way. It is Ethiopian culture to hold same gendered hands as you walk. I was quite impressed. I have turned in my child development program and she is evaluating it. She has read some and told me she is impressed with my work and knowledge.
The bumbo chairs are great we just need some more babies to fill them. The workers are so greatful as are the children.
While there have been less children the cupboards have been able to be reorganized which is great.
I was able to attend a service at the church at Kidane last week and it was beautiful. During the procession we looked up and there was a ring around the sun, I have amazing photos of it.
Please continue to pray for Kidane and that I will do my best.

DONOWIT HAS LEFT

2010-03-02T02:18:00.002-06:00

It turned out the day her mom arrived was not the hardest day but rather the day she left. It was nice in the fact that when I arrived she was in the baby room so she spent the morning with me. She went upstairs just after lunch. When I finished my lunch her mom asked if I wanted to spend some time alone with her. Of course I did so we played, blew bubbles, chatted and just sat in silence at times. She ended up falling asleep in my arms, which I will miss terribly. Her mom asked if I wanted to dress her one last time which I did. I was happy she was asleep as I thought it may be an easier break but when her mom put her jacket on she woke up. I was so not ready to hand her over but had to so I started crying and gave her a few kisses and handed her to her mom. She began crying but I had to just walk away. I know God has a plan for children for me but Donowit got into my heart and it was so hard to let her go. I really wanted to walk around to think and process this change but it was pouring out so I came home and crawled into bed and cried for over an hour. I then decided I needed to get out because all of my housemates were out of town I went out to dinner. A friend asked if I wanted to go to a movie that evening so I did we walked home afterwards and I was able to talk about a lot, thank you my friend I could not have gotten through this without you. The next day we went out of town for the day and we ended up at a church where I wept and left some things I no longer wish to carry with me up there. Good bye Donowit you will be missed at Kidane and by me always, I love you!!!

THE COOKING CONTINUES

2010-02-21T09:00:00.001-06:00

I have been cooking for the past few weekends and am so happy to be able to have some tastes of home while here. Thank you to my dear friend for opening up his house to all of us. I have made; roast chicken with broccoli, mashed potatoes, green beans almondine, corn and cauliflower. Manicotti, garlic bread and salad. Chicken with mango salsa and rice with broccoli. Tacos, need I say more. For desserts I have made banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles and strawberry shortcake. It truly is a blessing to have a kitchen available, I have always loved to host and cook but did not realize how much I loved it until I could no longer do it, so thank you my friend for your generous hospitality!

SO MANY DONATIONS

2010-02-21T08:40:00.001-06:00

I have received many items for Kidane and will write about it in one post as I am having so much trouble posting lately.

So far 19 bumbo chairs have arrived. I have been able to donate to two different orphanages and they are all well used each and every day.

A mobile arrived for Baby and it now hangs over his bed so he has something to look at.

I received a box of much needed medical items, tylenol and vicks, for the children.

I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends who have caught the vision of helping Kidane and children in Ethiopia who do not have access to the things we do in the States. God bless each and everyone of you for your continued support.

ONE OF THE HARDEST DAYS OF MY LIFE

2010-02-16T07:01:00.000-06:00

The day I was dreading finally arrived a few weeks ago, the day Donowit's adoptive mom would arrive. It was a Monday morning and I was heading upstairs to put my bags away when I passed two woman on the stairs. I knew one of them was her mom. They were headed to court and had let the two children up in the family room. I decided to spend the morning with her so we had breakfast, went outside to play and had just come in for water when her mom arrived. She stood in the doorway and called her by her new name, Donowit did not respond so she asked if she had forgotten her already. At that time one of the woman adopting a baby brought her daughter over and said here you are going to need someone to cuddle. When Donowit was picked up by her mom and started screaming I could not hold back my tears. I handed the baby back and headed to the bathroom, leaving the room made her scream louder. I cried for a while and composed myself. When I came back into the room I sat there like I was in shock. A few moments later they came back and I began crying again so headed to the bathrooma and of course she started screaming. Then I wept like never before. Once composed again I went back into the room and the other mom asked if I had Donowit as they had explain our relationship and she was looking for me. When she found me she handed her to me, she snuggled in and fell right to sleep. Her mom and I began a conversation that went on for a couple of hours. I also downloaded my photos onto her laptop (over 150). The past few weeks have been up and down. I am thrilled she has a home and a family but I will miss her like nothing else. She is my heart running around Kidane. I am not sure how she crept into my heart so quickly but I am blessed for the time I was given to get to know this amazing little girl. Last week when her mom ran out I heard her down the hall screaming as she was being dropped of in the playroom. One of the nuns brought her to me and she got quite and crawled into my lap. She ended up helping me build a mobile and having lunch together. I then got to rock her to sleep, I will miss this so much because it was the begining of our connection. Today I also got to spend a bit of time with her as her mom went out again. She is an amazing little girl and I pray I keep in contact with her throughout the years.

BUMBO CHAIRS

2010-02-16T06:51:00.000-06:00

Kidane has been so blessed with all of the donations of Bumbo chairs. Since the arrival of the original four another one came in from a family I nannied for. Marion, who donated the first four, went a step further. She phoned the company, which thrilled me as they had not responded to my e mails, and they donated fifteen more chairs. Six of these have arrived. I sent one to another local orphanage with one of the volunteers in my home and they loved it so I will send more with her when the next shipment arrives. Thank you very much for your generosity it will last well beyond my time here.

MY MOST BITTERSWEET DAY TO DATE

2010-01-24T07:24:00.003-06:00

As you know from reading this blog one little girl has stolen my heart. I would do about anything to be able to adopt her but she was already assigned a family plus I did not want her to be at the orphanage until everything was organized for me to come get her. Her name is Donowit. She is amazing, she reminds me so much of myself at her age. Well her parents arrived today, I will not meet them until tomorrow and pray they are nice and willing to stay in contact. Mehret the baby I adored has amazing parents who let me hold and cuddle her during my lunch break and are going to keep me posted on her. They have also invited me to Ireland one day!!!

Friday was very difficult. I went in while Donowit got her bath and spent a while cuddling her. I told her it was time for me to go but she was not the same I think she is sensing the change. Usually when I tell her something she listens but today when I had to leave she did not just cry she screamed. I could hear her the whole way down to the road. Please pray that this transition is easy for her and she gets on well with her new family. The good thing is they will be here for one to three weeks and they are staying at Kidane so I will see her a bit.

I forgot to share this story when I wrote about meeting her birth mom. I asked about her cross as Donowit wears a adult sized cross, her mom smiled and pulled the string around her neck up to show me she had a baby cross on and said "Donowits" my heart broke at the thought of her giving her up. It must be so hard to do please pray for everyone in this situation that the best for Donowit happens.

A SECOND COOKING NIGHT

2010-01-24T07:20:00.002-06:00

I was so excited to be allowed to cook again this past Saturday. For lunch I made brushetta and the menu for dinner was; roast chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans almondine and corn. For dessert we had carrot cake. It was so yummy and Louise was my sous chef, thank you Louise!!! I am hoping to make tacos next but am waiting for the taco seasoning my mom sent two weeks ago to arrive. One of the families adopting from Ireland asked me if I needed anything as the dad was going home for two weeks so I asked for tortillas. He came back on Friday and will bring them tomorrow. It is good to have connections to get impossible to find ingredients sent or brought to me. Thank you everyone for the hook ups:)

A TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL

2010-01-24T07:15:00.002-06:00

On Thursday sister Ludgarda asked if I could take her place going to an appointment for three of the children on Friday. She was going to be out of town and did not want this appointment missed. I consider it a great honor that she trusted me to do this for her. The three children, Baby, Jafar and Kurbay are all physically challenged and she wanted to find out if there is any hope for them making progression in the future. We waited for nearly three hours in the waiting room, Baby loved listening to my music while we waited. The news was quite grim. Neither Baby or Kurbay will ever get any more use of their limbs then they already have (which is not much) there is a slim chance Jafar will as he is still a toddler and getting a bit of an early intervention (for here anyways) please keep these boys in your prayers and that the best is done for them.

THREE ON THEIR WAY TO SPAIN

2010-01-24T07:10:00.001-06:00

On Wednesday I was asked to bathe three of the children as their parents were arriving that afternoon. It was not until later that I was informed that they were being picked up for good that day. It was my first experience with adoptive families from Spain. Most have been from Ireland and the families are here for six to eight weeks. I was shocked to say the least. When the time came the babies were bathed and dressed in brand new clothes. We then took them upstairs to the family room to meet their families. Tamum, Antony and Yapsara are going to Spain. Since the families did not stay long I did not get to know them. I did get their e mail addresses so I can send the photos of their children I have to them. Tamum will now be called Tony Tamum, Antony will now be Danial and Yapsara will probably be keeping her name. They will all be missed in the nursery but will do so much better in a family.

THREE BATHS IN ONE WEEK

2010-01-24T07:08:00.002-06:00

It has been an amazing week in the bath department. I did not end up giving a bath everyday because of the two sifts one is not very cooperative. I do not wish to cause stress which is then passed on to the children so bath when the one staff is here and not when the other is, even so they are so much cleaner then they have ever been - hooray!!!

AN UNFORGETTABLE DAY

2010-01-24T06:52:00.002-06:00

Brace yourselves for these stories. This all happened on Monday, January 18, 2010. First Emma went home, bye Emma. We left a little last for work as we waited to tell Emma good-bye. We were on the third and final taxi of the morning approaching a stop when our driver crashed with another taxi. You need to picture the inside of these taxis. They are vans that seat two people in addition to the driver in the front. There is a sliding door on the side and in the back there are three rows that seat two each (although they try to squeeze in three sometimes) and the back row seats three but always has four. I was in the back row and it seats more because it goes across the back of the van. I was on the seat with the aisle in front of me so you can imagine what happened when they crashed. I FLEW out of my seat to the front of the van landing on my left knee. It was quite sore but I am so happy I have arnica gel with me it works wonders (as do the angels that are prayed over me daily) The day was progressing along fine but we were to meet Projects Abroad at 2:00 to go to Timkut. This is the Epiphany celebration and it sounded fun. We all showed up on time only to find out it does not start until 3:30 so we went to a cafe for drinks. We then proceeded to see the parade. It was colorful and lots of singing and dancing. There were a lot of priests and we also saw the archbishop. The first half an hour was great. We then fell in line with everyone else, once the barricades were removed (a human chain) and headed to Jan Meda. This is where the tablets of the Ark were being carried. It was very hot and crowded and I had enough but we were with a group so I carried on. We finally came to fork in the road and I suggested we go the way the crowd was not I also said this is not fun. I was then told it is a religious event and not meant to be fun. I thought this was interesting since it was called a social event, oh well. We moved on and at many points were not moving. The priests that were at the front with very colorful umbrellas were so far away. I noticed it was raining up on Entoto mountain and asked what happens if it rains (Ethiopians do not like to be rained on) no real answer was given. Well we were trapped so I said, rather loudly, "chaf woraj ala" which is what you say on the taxi when you want off at the next junction. I got a huge laugh but was told "no chaf" to which I said "waraj ala" which is stop!!! As the rain came closer the crowd decided to turn and head back but there were still a lot of dedicated people heading to the field. We were trapped in the middle of this which was not funny at all. We were heading to the wall to gather as a group but I got pinned between a metal post and a lot of people afraid of rain. At one point I could not catch my breath so I just pushed as hard as I could to get out of this crazy crowd. It was not easy but since I am writing this you know I survived. Our group did not join the others in going out to dinner that night instead Louise and I went for pizza.

MR. 50 CENTS

2010-01-24T06:49:00.002-06:00

So there is a man who stands on a corner in Arat Kilo. He is dressed very nicely and each and every day he holds out his hand to me and says "50 cents." I have never given him money as he seems able bodied and dresses very well. The other day as I was approaching this corner I noticed his back was to me, so I came up and walked around him, held out my hand and said "50 cents" At first he looked a bit puzzled but then he burst out laughing, he has not asked me for money again, matter of fact I did not see him the last couple days this week. You have got to have fun with some of the stuff you see here and that day was hysterical!!!

MR. TELE/BOLE

2010-01-24T06:45:00.002-06:00

I must tell you about this wonderful man, Ababa, he is at my last shared taxi stop on my way home. On my first trip home from Kidane I noticed some men wearing blue and white vests. I observed that they were directing people into the appropriate taxis. I went up to one and asked for Atlas ( I get off near the Atlas hotel) he has since, almost every day, met me as I get off of the taxi or within seconds of doing so to direct me to the right place. He has also had empty taxis that were going other places change to where I need to go. He is so nice, he now stops to chat and shake my hand. I really want to get a photo of him before I go. A couple of weeks ago he has a baseball cap on that said "I love Jesus", I want a photo with him wearing that hat!!!

PLAYING OUTSIDE

2010-01-16T08:30:00.002-06:00

This is out of order but I must write about it; last week the children of Kidane did a nativity program the day before Christmas. We took the toddlers down to see it and when it was over we snuck them outside to play. When it was time to go in I took Donowit and she cried like I have never seen her cry. I had to take her into the playroom to calm her down and was upset myself. Sister Veronica came by and I told her it was wrong to keep them cooped up all the time. After our conversation she told me we could take them out each day, weather permitting and in the morning before it gets to hot. So each day we take them out and after two days of crying Donowit now gets that going in does not mean forever!!! I finally feel like progress is coming to Kidane. I am not sure if I put on my blog yet that I have photographed each baby and toddler and put their name and photo above their crib so that volunteers and parents can learn each ones name. This went over very well as have all of the changes I have mentioned. It is slow to make change so I am very pleased with what I have been able to accomplish. I just pray it does not stop when I go home.

RUB A DUB DUB

2010-01-16T08:24:00.002-06:00

Bath time in the baby room was amazing. The two times they have been bathed while I have been her it has taken about forty minutes and lots of screaming. It took me about an hour and a half but only a couple of them cried. We had an assembly line going. I would bathe a baby, Kimarny would take the clean baby and dry them off and the workers would lotion and dress the babies. The room smelled so lovely and for the rest of the day so did the babies. On Monday it will be the other team of workers but I plan on bath time again. There is nothing like a clean baby:)

VISITING AAI

2010-01-16T08:15:00.002-06:00

On Thursday I went to another orphanage, AAI. It is an amazing place. I went there to deliver some photos I brought for a friend of her adoptive children to one of the workers there. I first went to "Opportunities" this home is for autistic and downs children. There are 17 children living there and 7 more who come on a daily basis for daycare and therapy. After spending some time there I was taken down the road to Layla House. On the way two very small street children ran up and held my hands all the way there. Once inside I was pleasantly surprised. I met one of the ladies in charge and she gave me and some new volunteers a tour. We started in the baby house, it is so much more organized than Kidane. The babies take a bath each and every morning then they spend time outside in the fresh air and sun. Their bottles are never propped but always arm fed. They had sand and water tables, bikes, ball and numerous other activities going on. I was told I could come here but again I want to help at Kidane as long as they will let me. The section with the older children was amazing as well lots of laughter and playing. It is a well oiled machine and I knew I needed to meet with sister Ludgarda first thing on Friday. The great thing was that the other two bumbos arrived (thank you Marion) so I came with those in hand and headed to see sister. She saw me coming and came and gave me a huge hug and thank you. I then asked her if we could talk. We sat down and I told her I needed to understand what came from her and what the workers were controlling. I asked her why the children are not bathed more often. She said the Ethiopian custom is to bathe once a week but she has encouraged them to give baths twice a week. I told her they have had two baths in the time I have been here. I asked if I could give the baths and she said I could bathe them every day if I wanted!!!! I then asked about going outside and was told when the two sick infants are better they will be allowed outside. Not sure if this is true or a stall tactic but I am going to try to get them out next week!!!! Prayers are being answered - change is coming to Kidane!!!

TRYING TO GET USED TO ADOPTION

2010-01-16T08:10:00.002-06:00

One of the down sides to this whole thing is watching children leave. There are a few that I have grown really attached to and would have loved to adopted but two of their parents are here right now and the other will be here next week. That one will be the hardest for Donowit has stolen my heart. She is two years old and reminds me a lot of myself as a child. Her parents are coming on the 23rd and will be here for about a week before she heads to Malta. I got to meet her birth mom yesterday (I was originally told she had passed away) She is 23 and also has a four year old daughter who is living with Grandma. The mom is HIV positive and can no longer take care of the girls. It was sad because Donowit did not want to go to her mom and kept coming to me. I left the room but in a few minutes she had found me and wanted to be with me. Once her mom left I tried to get her to eat lunch but all she wanted was to cuddle. She fell asleep in my arms and when she woke up she came to the baby room to sit in my lap again. I do not know what I will do when her adoptive parents get here. I would give up everything I have to be her mom. I know in the future there will be other children but for now she is the one. Please pray for me this week and that the parents are willing to exchange information so I can keep in touch with her in the future.

COOKING IN ETHIOPIA

2010-01-16T08:03:00.003-06:00

As I wrote before a very kind man from church has offered to let me cook in his kitchen. Let me tell you cooking here is very different from home. First of all I cannot tell you how many stores and stalls I went to to find all of the ingredients for a decent brunch, but I did it. My house mates went with me to the first store and then they went home. I carried on to another store but knew I needed to wait until the next morning to get fresh items and refrigerator items (Buster is taking all of the space at home) I got up early Saturday morning (January 9) and went to quite a few stores and stalls. We were to meet our host at a bridge by his house at 10:30 and walk the rest of the way. I was so excited. First I made chocolate chip cookie dough so it could set in the refrigerator for a while. I then made fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, french toast and fruit salad. It was so delicious I thought I would not be able to eat for days. We were not hungry until very late that evening. We watched some movies and ate the cookies - yummy!!! At 9:30 we headed out to get pizza but we had to go to three places before we found one open. We all crashed at his house, thank goodness he has three bedrooms and a living room. In the morning I made fruit salad and crepes - yummy!!!! I am excited to cook again. I am having taco seasoning sent from the states and an adoptive dad who went back to Ireland for two weeks is bringing me tortillas - taco night will be great!!!

ETHIOPIAN CHRISTMAS

2010-01-16T07:53:00.002-06:00

I got to celebrate two Christmas's this year and neither were like at home but since I am not at home that is the point. The day before when I arrived home from work there was a sheep tied to the tree in the garden. That evening we went out for pizza and to a club to listen to music and talk. When we got home that evening there was a rooster perched on the windowsill outside of the room we eat breakfast in, this is just next to my room. He was named Dave and the sheep Buster. They were very sweet and we were not to excited that they would become our dinner but at four in the morning when Dave decided to start waking everyone up, it did not take long for me to wish he had already met his maker. He let out his final squawk at 7:30 in the morning. We were told to be home from work at one for lunch. We were all surprised to find out just the four of us would be dining together (we have a new volunteer from Australia - Kimarny) We then met a friend for coffee and cards until we had to be home for dinner. We were told there would be a surprise at dinner. The surprise turned out to be Peter, he is the founder of Projects Abroad. After listening to all of the things that go on at Kidane he asked the Ethiopian director what he would have to do to take the orphanage over, apparently he did this in Cambodia. When I said over throw the Catholic church he decided to maybe open one of his own. He then came to Kidane the next day and had a meeting with sister Ludgarda but I have not heard the outcome of that meeting yet. Dinner turned out well and Buster was especially tasty. We will be eating him for a while as the rest of him sits unwrapped all over the refrigerator. After dinner there was a coffee ceremony and we were each given a traditional scarf, very nice. There were some lovely sweets as well. Ethiopian Christmas was different but very nice.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2010-01-16T07:38:00.002-06:00

New years in Ethiopia turned out to be great. I had been sick the night before with a fever of 102.8 so stayed home on New Years Eve (there are HIV children and I do not want to get them sick) We had planned to go to the Sheraton for a party that was serving barbecue. It turned out to be stir fry but the vegetables were nice and crunchy!!! There was a DJ there and dancing. The best part was if you attended the party you could stay in the hotel for one hundred dollars. After a long time making a decision Emma and I decided to stay and let me tell you it was the best fifty dollars I have spent here. Not only did we get to stay in clean white linens and have a large flat screen television there was a bathtub!!!! We took a taxi home to get our stuff and by the time we got back it was about three in the morning. We went straight to sleep, after eating the chocolate on our pillows. In the morning I took an amazing bubble bath. The water was so filthy I could not see my hand after about half an inch. I must have shed a layer of skin as well. I then took a long hot shower - bliss!!!! We then had a great breakfast and headed home in the afternoon. All in all a great way to start the new year.

On new year day we went with Projects Abroad to a traditional restaurant and saw the dancing again, it is amazing to watch but I think the two times I have gone is enough for me:)

BRIAN - THE TEA KETTLE

2009-12-28T07:56:00.002-06:00

Last Saturday, while shopping in the grocery store, I found a tea kettle. I was so excited you would have thought I won the lottery. I came home and immediately filled it up and plugged it in - hot shower!!!!! You have no idea how much joy this tea kettle has brought to our house (well at least for the volunteers) Not only do we have hot showers now but Tole has made it so funny. While I was taking my first shower I filled it up and turned it on to refill for Louise. I added the first one and while getting dressed had left it running again. Tole came knocking on my door to tell me it was bubbling and I should turn it off. I explained to her that it turns itself off and her response was "himself" thus the tea kettle was gendered and Louise named it "Brian" Since then we have had a lot of fun. I came home from work one day to find her staring at it and I said "Brian" and she said "kettle" I then introduced them to each other (Tole, Brian, Brain, Tole) and she started cracking up but she nearly wet her pants when I pointed to the white kettle and said "farenj" (foreinger in amharic) she ran down the hall and shut the door and laughed her head off. Later she had a thermos of milk and I asked her its name and she said "permoose" and after quite a while of me repeating and asking was it an amharic name it dawned on me she was saying thermos. We love Tole!!!!

ONE LONG UPDATE

2009-12-26T08:49:00.002-06:00

I have been trying to post and it is taking a long time for it to post so I am going to do one long one again.

We have a new volunteer at our house, her name is Emma and she is a physiotherapsist from England. She will be here for one month and she fits in great in the Bole house. She is enjoying her work and all of the craziness of Ethiopia, we are happy she is here!!!

Last Monday was a bittersweet day for me. I knew that Meheret's parents were coming so I went into the nursery to hold her before they got there. When they arrived I got to hand her to them, she is such a sweet baby and I will miss her. She is going to Ireland and her parents are lovely, as much as I do not want to see her go I am so happy she has a home at such a young age. About ten minutes after they arrived Yidig's parents came and yes I was holding him and got to hand him over. So hard, not sure how the workers do it. He is also go to Ireland as well as Salamovit. They will be here for about five more weeks so I will enjoy them while I can.

I have a lot more flea bites, the other night while in bed being eaten alive it dawned on me that I needed to change my flea band early as I had been home sick so it was not effective sooner than I thought. We also have a mouse in our house and it hangs out in the bathroom and both Louise and my bedrooms - ugh.

Christmas turned out to be quite good, better than I thought. Christmas Eve morning I went to Mother Theresa's for a few hours and got a tour and to see some of the sickest people here. It makes me very thankful for how things are handled at home. Then we had lunch with our organization. We went to Christmas Eve service which was a concert in between the story of Christ's birth, it was amazing. The music was wonderful and lots of dancing as well. Afterwards we went to the Hilton for dinner and I got a bit sick because my body had not had so many vegetables for a while but it was worth it. All of the adoptive parents were there and were excited to see me.

Christmas day we were invited to a couple house from church. It was so much fun, there were proper tables under tents that were laid with beautiful linens and place settings. The food was amazing but the fun came later. I had told one of my friends from church about the insta snow I had brought and he wanted to see it so I brought some. I made some for my table and within seconds they were throwing it and it became an Ethiopian snowball fight. It was so much fun, I got some photos but spent most of the time making batch after batch of snow. I also found a man from church who has offered to let me use his oven to cook and bake - hallelujah, I will sort out the details at church tomorrow.

My friends are ready to leave so I will add more when I come next.

RAIN IN ETHIOPIA

2009-12-26T08:24:00.002-06:00

Rain comes out of nowhere here and it pours buckets. We have had a few rain spells since I have been here and let me tell you some of the streets turn to running mud, no fun at all. I do pray extra hard for the homeless during the rain because it is messy and quite cold.

TUTORING CLASS HAS GROWN

2009-12-26T08:18:00.000-06:00

I started out tutoring one girl but my "class" has grown to six. We have a lot of fun together and have been working on words that are pronounced the same but spelled differently and have different meanings (threw, through etc) they get very confused. We are also working on compound words. One of our funniest moments was when I had to teach them about eyebrows. They raise their eyebrows to say yes so I had to tell them if they do that in America it looks like they are flirting, they thought this was hysterical. They also like the concept of dessert which is not a thing here. We have so much fun together. I found out Elsa's parents are coming this week and three more are coming next week, it will be sad to see them go but I am so happy for them, pray for them as they embark on this new chapter in their lives.

UPDATE FOR THE WEEK

2009-12-19T01:55:00.002-06:00

The power has been quite a problem lately. I was at the internet cafe last night for about an hour and the power went out five times, it has already gone out once today. For this reason I am going to do one long update today and not break it up into sections.
My tutoring sessions are going well, I now have five children who I tutor. Elsa was very excited that I e mailed her mom and found out some details about when they are coming, which will most likely be the beginning of January. Two of the children are 13 year old twins whose mom is here now and they head to New York on January 1st. The other two are sisters whose parents are set to arrive December 28. It is because they are leaving soon I am helping them, for some reason they feel the need to pull them out of school and they have been doing this for years and know court dates etc change all the time. Most of them are quite behind in reading and really should have tutors once they get home, I will speak with their parents once they are here.
Two sets of parents arrived from Ireland yesterday and I was so excited that two more children get to go home.
I am feeling much better and am on my last day of antibiotics and pray I do not need them again. I am being careful with what I eat and where I eat.
I have finished my child development program and am awaiting the translation. I hope it is received well when I turn it in.
I was very disappointed when I got to Kidane on Thursday and it was a mess it makes me think they do things because I am here and it will all go back once I leave. I will keep pressing forward.
The new sink is installed although there is a slight leak. The babies all had baths again yesterday, two in two weeks time that is a record.
We are working on Christmas plans and I will keep you posted:)

FEELING BETTER

2009-12-18T08:05:00.000-06:00

So I ended up staying home Monday through Wednesday being sick!!! It is no fun being sick here but it happens to all of us. I did end up on an antibiotic again but my doctor said if I keep getting sick I need to get my butt home. Pray I stay healthy:) Thank you for your prayers to get better. The good news is while I was laying in bed I worked on my child development program and it is finished. It is currently being translated into Amharic!!!

MY STOMACH IS NOT HAPPY AGAIN

2009-12-13T03:58:00.001-06:00

Please pray for me my stomach is very unhappy again, I am not sure if it something I ate or what but I have been sick since Friday night. I have not slept much or been able to eat very much either. I do have an antibiotic I could take to see if it is bacterial but I just finished taking it for my last issue three weeks ago so I am going to wait a day or so. Please keep me in your prayers, thank you.

GOOD - BYE SARAH

2009-12-13T03:49:00.004-06:00

Last night was another good bye to a house guest. Sarah went home, it is not getting any easier to say good bye. So far three house guests have left and numerous other friends have left (three this past week alone)
We had a lot of fun together and spent the afternoon of her last day listening to music and playing games, it was so much fun.
Sarah was always singing and full of laughter we will miss you and your ready songs. Keep well my friend and stay in touch.

THE WOMAN OF KIDANE

2009-12-11T08:44:00.004-06:00

As much as I feel the workers do things backwards here and I cannot really communicate with them they are here for there shift every day for 24 hours. It is because of them the babies and children eat (even if they are given too many bottles) and are cared for at the most basic level. I am grateful for their faithfulness but pray they can change a bit.

HELPING ELSA

2009-12-11T08:38:00.002-06:00

On Wednesday sister Ludgarda asked me if I would work on some English with Elsa. She is a fourteen year old girl who has been adopted to New York. Her adoptive family have already adopted her brother and sister a year ago but she did not go at the time because there was a problem with her visa. She is no longer in school because they were supposed to be coming this week but there is another paperwork problem. She and I meet in the library for an hour a day and we have become fast friends. I have had her read to me and write but I am also teaching her about what is to come in the states. She is very curious about the food she will eat and how far some of her friends will be from her. We have worked a lot with an atlas. She has also confided in me some of the problems that she has had here since her mom died. She showed me a photo album today and it was lovely. She also gave me her adoptive mom and her e mail but told me not to tell the nuns or she will be in trouble. Please pray it all gets sorted out asap for Elsa I will miss her but want her out of her as soon as possible.