Hall Histories

We've Moved!!

2011-09-23T11:39:00.001-07:00

Check out all our summer news and follow us from now on at:

www.brianandlaurahall.wordpress.com

Seems like this will be a better place to work with from Ethiopia....

Lalibela

2011-05-12T06:17:00.000-07:00

So, our trip to Lalibela- It was great! Last week was SUCH a busy week- Jen and her fiance Mark were here, stayed with us at the beginning of their trip (had to move to HQ because our next door church was threatening their sanity- so loud at night!). For some reason our nice quiet evenings got eaten up and Brian and I were both feeling the stress of it. So we were jumping from a busy week to a busy weekend- and the third weekend out of town in a row!- but in the end it ended up being very relaxing- much more than I would have guessed. The guards loved flying- they just stared out the plane window the whole time, and loved the idea of us being above the clouds.

Since they are Orthodox Christians the old Orthodox churches in Lalibela are very significant for them. We are charged 350 birr entrance fee (that is a little over $20) but they can all visit for free! I am so glad they didn't have to pay- they went on the tour one day, and we stayed at the hotel because we have been through the churches (that is when I joined Brian on the 8th grade trip right after Vicky's wedding). So we had this very nice veranda area at our hotel to just have a coffee and lounge and relax together. The boys were great- they went back every day to the churches, back through the tunnels/etc. (these are rock-hewn churches) and they all took empty water bottles to bring back "holy water"- very important to them! Anyways, they were so energetic and really took advantage of being there.

One evening Brian gave a little talk- told each of the guys what he especially appreciated about them- Brian was so choked up! I had a few things of appreciation I wanted to say myself, but mostly I just sat back and was impressed- Brian has a really good thing going- he has treated these guys very well- been maybe more flexible or generous than my nature would be, but that has created amazing relationships with them and they KNOW he is a man of integrity, and they think the absolute world of him. I was proud of him! Later one guard told us, "It was because of you I got sick. I couldn't sleep at all that night." He meant because he was emotionally overwhelmed by what Brian said. It is not neccesarily their culture to give verbal appreciation like that, but I think they all really really liked it!

We flew home Sunday, rushed home, put on our fancy clothes, and went to a wedding- Danny and Betty are two project managers from the HIV project, and we missed the ceremony because our flight was late but the reception was cool.

Well, I better go put on the croque mosieurs for dinner now that Brian's home.

Fwd: Hall News

2011-04-26T09:54:00.001-07:00

TB work the last few weeks has been... tough! We have worked so hard to keep people from stopping their TB medicines, but it seems no matter how frequently we visit them, they stop when they feel like it! One woman said to us last week, "I have noone to watch my house while I'm away getting my medicine, and I'm afraid of a break-in, so I stopped going to the health center." But the last few times we have dropped by she has been out doing other things! Also, many of our patients have material interest- they are hoping to get food aid or money from our TB project, but our goal is to get them healthy. They are much less concerned with their physical health than they are with "getting something," and even less interested in their spiritual health.

We took a list of our patients into the district health office where the government's community health workers are working. We are working together with this local government health office and our relations have been good, so we took this list in to ask for their help with tracking down those patients who aren't staying on their medications. They were grateful to us and eager to help, so we hope to continue working together with the structures that are already on the ground.

Brian's work at Bingham continues without slowing down. He is coaching high school volleyball for boys, and when I dropped in last week it was fun seeing him playing with the boys during practice and enjoying the game. Seems like each week has its own "adventure" for him: last week a challenging student that he had to respond to, and before that helping with a big multi-school international track meet that included schools from Kenya, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and of course Ethiopia.

The power of prayer has been incredible for him to witness over the last few years as certain students have been placed on his heart. Currently there is a girl in his 8th grade Bible class that he has been challenged to pray for. She constantly takes the side that not being a believer is far more beneficial than being one. She states that she believes there is a god but has no desire to have a relationship with him and if she were to die today she would go to hell with a 0% chance of getting into heaven. It breaks our heart to see how hardened she is to understanding the love that our Savior has for her. This week she had to serve an in school suspension for a chain of behavioral events and on Monday he had a meeting with the director, this student and her mom that lasted for an hour and a half. Lately, other teachers have had it placed on their heart to fervently pray for her and another staff member has decided to start mentoring her. He feels so blessed to be able to entertain her questions each day in Bible class and attempt to steer her towards the truth in such a wonderful Christian environment as Bingham. Please take time to pray for this girl, her relationship with her parents, friends, teachers and most of all that she would have a life changing event that would break her down so she can realize what Christ has done for her.

Some of you in Paradise and Chico may remember the fundraising and garage sale Brian had a couple of years ago for his guards. He is pleased to announce that one of the guards has used the money to start a barber shop! We love seeing Meaza at work just outside our house where he is serving his clients. He is all smiles when we visit and it is great to know that this is because of your help with fundraising a few years ago.

Our weekends are also fuller these months with frequent trips to Langano. We have been loading down our Land Cruiser with furniture and household items to parallel that of the grinch's sled as we make the 4-5 hour trek through the Rift Valley to our soon to be home where we will be working starting in October. This weekend we took down the crib Brian made, our kitchen table and some chairs, and lots of boxes and little things. We are emptying out our house here in Addis slowly between now and the middle of June when we fly home to California. We recommend moving every couple of years in order to de-clutter and shake out the cob webs! Our weekends in Langano are a nice mix of working on home improvements like hanging lights and building shelves, a swim at the end of the day in the lake, and time with our future teammates who are living in Langano now.

The baby is growing and I'm into maternity jeans now which are so comfy. Overall my energy is good, and I don't have much to complain about- God has blessed us with an easy baby and pregnancy- so far!!

Langano and pregnancy

2011-03-09T01:09:00.001-08:00

We made a visit to Langano this weekend. We took down our kayak,
Christmas decorations, and some garage type shelving- won't be needing
those things in Addis anymore! We have gotten approval to move back
into my old house- we are so happy about that! We put some stuff in
our storeroom there. Being back in the house, with its smell and
feel, brought back all the feelings of last year- anticipation of
being married to Brian, and sensing how nice and clean cut our lives
would be once we are in the same place, so this weekend I looked at
Brian and said: we're there! We made it through that long distance
engagement and don't have to worry about separate places to sleep at
night, etc., and I get to keep you! We are a happy couple.

Allyson did an ultrasound on Sunday morning before we drove back: the
Langano clinic has a little laptop style ultrasound machine. We were
amazed!! (18 weeks). The little baby was stretching [their] legs and
turned and look at us- wow!! Brian kept saying he can't believe it is
a little human in there! When the baby was moving around I kept
straining to see if I could feel it- no chance! It was so fun.

Update on Work

2010-12-02T00:13:00.001-08:00

Our work, especially out doing surveys, has slowed down as we are out of names/referrals to pursue for interviewing. We've taken this time to focus on health education: both raising awareness regarding our surveying, as well as increasing knowledge about lung disease in the community. There are many misconceptions about lung disease- even the terminology does not match up very well- everyone uses a different word for TB, or pneumonia, etc. Some people "have the lung," and others say they "were touched by the cold" and thus are sick. Our education is along these lines: We have taught two education sessions that are hosted by the government health extension workers, and we have another one this week. This week we are also spending time doing education within our own support groups. (I, of course, can't help throwing in a one man drama involving lots of coughing...)

One problem is "false" referrals- we are pushing for people to give us names to survey, but many of the names we are now getting are people assuming they will gain something for other health complaints from our project. Once we sit down to interview them they may say something like, "Well, I cough sometimes, but my ears have been pussing since I was a child" or something like that. Sammy is screening carefully before surveying.

We are, however, now up to 15 TB patients. They are all taking their medication well- Sammy went to the health center this morning to verify that none of them have defaulted. They are also all improving well and we try to visit each of them every week or two. Some of course need more visiting/support than others.

My next project is to use the GPS data we have: I would like to map out Kebele 09, with borders, and plot where we have surveyed, where we have TB positive cases, and where we have done education sessions. How broad have our activities been when compared with the borders of the kebeles? Are there pockets we haven't touched yet? This would inform how to proceed.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T20:00:00.001-08:00

I am thankful it is rainy in Addis today- makes it feel more like the holidays at home. I am thankful to live in a old cozy Italian house with a fireplace, big veranda doors, and stone steps. I am thankful that I know the holiday table at home is one of happiness and peace, and is going to be beautiful and full of good food. I am thankful for friends here is Addis that become like family, because we are, and can share tables of peace and beauty tonight. I am thankful for my husband, who is my home, and has made my home Ethiopia. I am thankful that my palate doesn't really notice chicken in place of turkey, and that food coloring can make the yams look just right. I am thankful for the strength and pioneer courage of the people who founded my home country. And for our God, who loves us and challenges us today to be strong and courageous for His name and His kingdom.

It is a happy Thanksgiving!!

The Great Ethiopian Run

2010-11-23T20:10:00.000-08:00

Brian and I, the guards, and 35,000 other people ran Sunday morning in the Great Run! It is so fun being out on the streets with so many other runners. I felt SO hot and tired- I should have carried water- that I wasn't too happy with my time, but it was really fun to be out there. Our guards were limping the next and claiming, "My legs won't obey me!" Not sure they are used to running that far!!

Bingham Races, and Visiting

2010-11-23T20:06:00.001-08:00

Things are going well- Brian has same long days but good days with lots of after school activities. Last Thursday was a Bingham only cross country event, and this Saturday there will be about 7 schools at Bingham for the big meet: the Greek school, Italian school, American school, French school, etc.! Seeing the little kids run last Thursday was just so cute- they make the 1 km loop and when they come through the finish line, their faces look like they are in so much pain! Sweet little things! I always see a lot of my gal-friends when I am at Bingham so it is really fun chat time.

I had lunch with a nurse friend Becky yesterday. She is doing some community work somewhat similar to mine, but she has started lots of small group Bible studies- she says the only thing she uses is just the Bible stories. It was really inspiring- could that ever work in our neighborhood? Maybe I could get the ladies together around Yiftu's house and tell them a story? I know our project has a spiritual arm that I don't feel connected with- I want to talk to the spiritual relations man.

We went to visit the house of another of our guard friends- I would like to visit each of their houses sometime. We were tired (from the Great Ethiopian Run 10k) that we ran on Sunday morning and I was looking forward to a nap in the afternoon when he invited us, but then I started thinking and realized how much these visits connect us- we went and had a good time.

Community Education.... Drama involving a cough!

2010-11-11T03:19:00.001-08:00

Visiting...Typical home scene

2010-11-11T03:08:00.001-08:00

Weekly update

2010-11-03T23:10:00.001-07:00

We've been visiting Yiftu almost every day this week! She is perky and cheerful, even though she is so thin she looks wasted away. We're trying to encourage her to drink more, but she eats and drinks as little as she can because she doesn't have anyone to get her up to the bathroom. I took a physical therapist yesterday to see her who suggested a chair/bucket modification to be a potty chair! Brian is the one with all the wood tools, so I'm asking him if he'll help me make something! I think she could get herself there if we did that. We prayed for her in her house last week, too.

Otherwise, Brian is taking his 9th and 10th graders on a camping trip this weekend- it is part of their curiculum! They have to pack their own food and, to some extent, find their own way. He got permission for me to come along- I'm excited to use my new pack I got for a wedding present, and share a tent with my favorite person!! The forest/park we're going to is just an hour outside of Addis.

After we visited the north of Ethiopia, I was thinking of all the "legends" that the tour guides talk about, and how skeptical all of us/the kids are. "The legend is that angels helped King Lalibela build the churches, that's why they were built so fast". Lots of vague statements like that.

So how about our Bible? Maybe it all sounds just like a bunch of "legends." So I wanted to talk to Brian's 8th graders about the reliability of the Bible, the manuscripts, the historical records, etc. I think they would love hearing some of the interesting archaeology! So Brian and I are going to team-teach some Bible classes in the next few weeks. I hope that gives them the desire to know their Bibles more! Lots of the kids come from non-Christian homes.

Images from married life

2010-10-31T05:26:00.001-07:00

Peace on the streets...

2010-10-31T04:22:00.000-07:00

The quiet of a Sunday morning.... sitting at our new desk... we can see the gorge from our windows, and our compound speaks of peace and happiness- a new marriage and a new home.

Then we're out on the streets as we run an errand together... People yell at us as we drive by, and when we stop to buy hay, we gain a crowd- five young boys and five more teenage boys stop within a foot of me just to stare, a drunk unkept man decides I am interesting and starts commenting, one of the hay loader announces to an old woman that I am his wife, and every passerby stares.

Where was that peaceful feeling I just had this morning? The Bible sure is refreshing when I watch the sun rise and read a Psalm, but what about when it comes to putting the teachings of Jesus into reality when I am on the street and getting lots of verbal harrassment? My thoughts and attitudes toward the starers are far from benevolent.

As I am walking out into Kebele ("neighborhood") 09 almost every day now for our TB project, we are walking through small streets without cars where life happens outside. Everyone finds the white person interesting, and often their comments are rude. I am often angry and loose my love for the people.

I recognized that this week and said to Brian, "When Jesus said 'pray for those who persecute you' do you think He also meant 'pray for those who harrass you?" I think I might know the answer.

Tim Keller's book on the ministries of mercy (thus titled) has been a great read for me at this point. He talks about what motivates Christians toward mercy and love. He says, "...the person who knows that he received mercy while an undeserving enemy of God will have a heart of love for even (and especially!) the most ungrateful and difficult persons." (pg. 60).

I am somewhere on that path to such an internalization of God's grace that I see every sinner differently. What is it in my flesh that lashes out in anger when the kids call out "give me money," or when I'm driving and there is no drivers etiqutte? How do I change it?

I want the calm I feel here in my home, but I want it out there, too.

Fixing a meal in the village

2010-10-12T23:42:00.000-07:00

Tuberculosis Active Case Finding

2010-10-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

Public health is so interesting- so different from treating people on a case by case basis!! Here you are dealing with an entire community- and a community problem.

So we are surveying for undiagnosed TB cases. Funny thing is, we have found less than we thought- after 160 surveys, we found 5 active cases. Are the numbers lower than we thought? Are the diagnostics bad? Are people honest about their HIV status? Is the health system working? We are always asking questions.

Our five patients: Alem, Bekelech, Berhanu, Habtam, and Mesfin.

Alem found out she had TB the same time she found out she has HIV. Funny, she's on treatment now and we walk by her house all the time- she beams when she sees us! I think she didn't know why she was sick and must feel a lot better now.

Bekelech is old and really cute. When she got on the scale at the health center, she weighed 40 kg, which is under 90 pounds. She was exTREMEly dramatic about how thin she is, waving her hands around and saying, "I'm not even 50 kg???" Only confirmed in my mind that she really did have TB- consumption- and her body was being consumed away!! She is on treatment now, and has a huge smile every time we come around.

Berhanu has been treated so many times for TB, when he realized he was getting same intensive treatment at the health center instead of going to the TB specialist hospital (the health center ruled out MDR based on his history of meds and negative smears) he was SO disappointed. Amazing to see him- sad, discouraged, pushed around by the health care system so much. He's convinced this round of treatment won't cure him- we've got to keep him encouraged enough not to default off his medications....

Habtam makes her living begging at Mexico, big intersection in Addis. She said, if the people I live with know I have TB, they will kick me out. She also suspects her baby has TB because he is sick, too, so we are getting him checked out. We said we would visit her somewhere else, not at her house, because we don't want to cause problems.

And Mesfin.... came in so sick laying down on the benches outside our office, brought in by his mom. And his mom is crazy, strong personality, with NO desire for anyone from a Christian project to come visit her, just wants her son better. In fact, she has always had a negative view of her HIV positive neighbors, and spreads rumors about them and talks bad about them. How strange that she would come through the gates of our HIV/TB project herself for her son's sake!!

2010-09-16T02:55:00.001-07:00

Progress....

2010-08-17T04:03:00.001-07:00

Things move along... We have a clinic to send our patients for x-ray, talked to the radiologist yesterday. We visited a couple patients this morning that haven't improved though it looks like they are TB negative.... Hard to guess what these patients need.

Being in their homes is so insightful- helps put together their social situation influencing their health.

Seems- as we heard yesterday- that one positive AFB (TB) result out of 40 is not so unusual or rare. Many people can have negative AFB smears even if they have TB for a number of reasons including their status. The chest x-rays should be a bit more telling. We had a good talk with the lab yesterday that is doing the AFB tests- the man we talked to seemed very sharp!!

Brian and I have been married one month today! Amazing. Was is just a month ago we were at that beautiful ranch all dressed up staring at each other? And we've been to Mexico, back to California, to Egypt, and then on to Ethiopia in the meantime??? With a trip to Langano in there are well???

We love our place in the Augusta neighborhood of Addis. It is so big and roomy! Its been fun thinking of having people over, or just having a fire and a cup of tea the two of us.

Settling in to life and a new job

2010-08-11T00:21:00.001-07:00

Cool to read Mark this morning, along with a commentary David recommended- he spoke for a long time about the first line, "The beginning of the gospel..." Commentary said, "From here [the end of the book of Mark] he carries out his messianic task through the Spirit until his final appearance to establish once and for all the rule of God. That is the core of "the gospel.""

So I saw this cool continuum from the beginning of the gospel of Jesus ("how it all started") described in the book of Mark, to what Jesus is doing in the lives of the HIV patients that I am going to try to help with this project. He is still doing it- establishing God's rule in their life and mine.

My intro to the TB project yesterday was first overwhelming then quite interesting, and I feel it will be a lot more of the latter. The guys have done a great job getting it off the ground this summer: made up a survey looking for signs of TB, and surveyed 108 people- both HIV positive beneficiaries and other people referred by our beneficiairies. Thirty one seemed (from the survey) to have indications of maybe having TB. Those were sent for AFB smears at the lab. Great, moving along.

Well, all 31 came back negative. OK, so what's up- bad lab? really not as much TB as we thought? HIV+ people showing up smear negative? (that happens a lot...)

So it's something to apply our brains to, and I hope we can create some change, get some sick people onto treatment.

Brian is good- we are so happy in our house. He hung bedroom curtains this morning around 6:30 while I made strawberry pancakes.

We made it back to Ethiopia!!

2010-08-08T02:16:00.001-07:00

It was so great getting home and unpacking everything in its final resting place! I think Brian was especially excited- he loved seeing his guards (I did, too!) We got home around 5:30 and just started unpacking! I had to crash around 8 but he stayed up all day! Got my bike put together and inflated the kayak!!!! It is sitting in one of our spare rooms, looking good.

The guards made us a celebration lunch- so cute of them! Doro Wot is the fancy meal in Ethiopia, so they made us that and a few other things. Guys usually don't cook much here but they did great! It was the perfect structure to the day- get up to have lunch, but no other obligations. We were in bed by about 7:45 and I was zonked so maybe this is a good transition to the "new schedule."

Brian starts tomorrow, and I will probably head in to work tomorrow afternoon or something. I think I am a little apprehensive just not having any idea what the job will be like. My American good friends in Addis are still in the states and will be
back in a few weeks, so I haven't had people to rush and call.

Anyways, we are both having such a good time settling in, and together. Took me an hour and a half to make our simple lunch of hummus, carrot sticks, and grilled cheese sandwiches because I wanted to get the hummus exactly right. (It didn't turn our exactly right,but oh well...) Brian has been drilling/hanging a pot holder hook, a robe hook, connecting the washer, and now working on a wine glass rack. He sat down to lunch and said, "It is SO great to have a wife to cook for me!" and I said, "It is so great to have a husband that has power tools!" He is using them right away.

COLD!!! It is chilly chilly here, quite a change. Driving home from the airport in the taxi, looking at dark Addis in the middle of the night, it was so great knowing I was going to a cozy home with a fireplace that my husband would make fires for me in, and warmth and love in it! We keep thinking, Wow!! I don't have to get up from sitting on the couch and drive home to dark, dank HQ!! I LIVE here with my husband!! It's great.

The Beginning of the End

2010-08-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

Things feel different today- packing instead of the party mood. We have until Thursday morning here in California, so it will be here soon.

What an amazing summer!! We really, in no way, could have asked for any better- we got everything we wished for and MORE than I imagined in terms of God's blessings.

A few main ones that stand out....

A great time of speaking in various church and Sunday school clasees- especially being able to instroduce each other. The warmth of these amazing classes like the Women's Alliance, Koinonia, and Joyful Rebounders will stay with us and encourage us.

WAY too much generosity from so, so, so many people as we were overwhelmed with wedding gifts. We are speachless and thankful!!

An amazing camping trip when our families met in Feather River Canyon in California. Watching our brothers and sisters all interact with each other and get along so well was SUCH a pleasure for me. Bringing these two sides together was such a joy to do in the beauty of the mountains, rivers, and sunshine.

a PERFECT wedding day!! I kept waiting for the crisis, or wondering when I would start loosing my mind. It just never happened! We prayed for warm weather so people wouldn't be cold at our outdoor reception (San Jose evenings can be quite cool even in the summer) and our wedding weekend was one of the warmest of the year- it was a perfect evening! The beauty of the ranch, the fluidity of the schedule, and the warmth of being surrounded by so many people pitching in and helping us out of kindness was amazing. The beauty of gospel truth ringing out in our ceremony, and the Presence of One who makes every equation more than the sum of its parts, fileed us with awe.

An amazing honeymoon, at a place SO fancy for us simple folk! We loved it! It instilled in us a realization of how much we have been given, and how we want to learn to give back.

A highly thematic, super-fun reception in Paradise with SO much love and help from Don and Pam. They worked so hard, and it came off, as my mother said, magical. We had a beautiful helicopter ride in over the fields just north of Chico, then a landing- what an entrance!!- then a great evening in so much country beauty of hay, cowboy boots, chili dogs, and sunset colors.

The best of all: a marriage. My man shows me his true colors of kindness and a servants heart every day- and I see the deep happiness I feel in his eyes. I'm sure this phase won't last forever, but I know our love will. God showed us His love by giving us each other, and the amazing summer was like the frosting....

Quick Addis trip...

2010-05-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

Ahh, Sunday afternoon, nice to have a break- I'm on call today but haven't had any emergencies which is a great gift of rest.

So the summer keeps getting closer. I am really pretty busy with things in Langano- we've had so many teams! Anyways, I'm working away on getting my latrines finished, taking these team members out of home visits (which is really fun), I was in a wedding last weekend as a bridesmaid ("protocol"- see blog), and then I went out to another wedding on Tuesday night- the night I slept with the bride!! Ha! I can't remember if I blogged about that or not.

With all these details this summer- flights, we still don't have ours yet, schedules of when to be where, parents with interesting comments about travel :) etc., I had a day last week where I just admitted- didn't ask, but admitted to God- GOSH I wish I could just have a face to face conversation with Brian!

Well Thursday afternoon I got a call from SIM's government relations department saying that I absolutely had to come to Addis the next day to appear in person in a government office so my work permit could get renewed! I would not have chosen that as a time to go to Addis because Allyson's team was there and I was helping out, but when you have to go you have to go, and of course I knew I would get to see Brian, so it was a great little break.

I caught a ride with Kim, then a ride with a stranger to Mojo, then a minibus in to Addis the next day and made great time. We went to the office that very afternoon, and the man was very cooperative Generally those offices can be very hard to deal with and hard to get anything done, but this man said, "I see you have left your countries to come here and serve. I wonder if I would have the same courage you have. Here is my phone number, if you ever have any problems, call me because I know many people." It was a really pleasant exchange.

Then, I got my wish! Face to face with Brian, over Korean food at the new Korean restaurant, none the less! We went on a date that night, it was so fun packing "date" clothes the night before in Langano knowing I'd get to go out with him. It was fun just relaxing and telling him about all the wedding adventures down here, then I pulled out my calendar and we kicked around dates and ideas for the summer. It felt great!

This week, until Wednesday, I am alone- no other nurses here. I'm just praying that nothing beyond my own clinical capability comes in! Also we have no car here so if someone needed urgently to go to the hospital we would just have to send them on using their own donkey cart!

I'm planning on moving out of Langano on the weekend of May 15. So these next few weeks will have a lot of wrapping up in them.

Weddings, weddings.

2010-04-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

"Don't you know what a Protocol is?" Adanech asked me this a few months ago. She used the English word "protocol" -which I know- but she was talking about her wedding, and I don't associate the word with weddings.

Well, I learned. A protocol is like the bride's "maid"- sort of like a maid of honor, but a little separate from the bridesmaids. I was Adanech's protocol, and her wedding was yesterday! That means I am checking on her, bringing her water, pretending to fix her makeup or fix her dress, helping her move from here to there.

The setting was amazing. We stayed overnight at her brothers house in a town called Karsa up in the mountains. His compound is muddy, muddy, muddy with all the rain, with an outdoor outhouse that had filled since it was raining (not pleasant), and it was something trying to imagine us in (rented) bridesmaid dresses and heels walking through the mud, fixing our hair and makeup and such with only cold water in buckets! Allyson and her girls (who were flower girls) did great! So we spent the night, four of us in one bed lying crossways, and when I woke up in the morning to the rain, I thought, wow, do we have it easy in the US! Don't have to walk through the rain to wash our face, or take a shower, or anything! Wow!

We had so much fun getting her fancy. She is so beautiful she didn't need much makeup, and when the dress and the veil were added in it was an amazing sight. Then we waited- the bride and her family and bridesmaids wait for the groom to come receive her. They were delayed with one broken down vehicle, two getting stuck in the mud, all of the cars getting stopped and having to pay to cross a deep trench, and one car hitting a donkey (more challenges than expected....) so it was glorious and fun to hear the honking, singing, and drumming outside her house as they pulled up. The grooms party entered dancing and singing as she sat- on the couch with the dress spread out behind her- waiting for his entrance. When he arrived he walked her out to the seat of honor (the protocol behind holding her dress up of of the mud but accidentally stepping on it three times) at the little ceremony place that had been set up in the "front yard." We ate a meal, and the crowd (of 100 people) was also served. After being in the house for a traditional time of blessing with Adanech's parents (they were given gifts from Abera and then the bride and groom kissed the knees of the parents. The bridal party followed suit and we kissed their knees as well), we got in the cars and headed back to Langano. I was happy to be heading for home- we were all tired.

We had a short program then an amazing feast that Yeshi had fixed in our camp dining hall right here on our compound, then cake time, then a big campfire with singing and games at night. It was a long weekend, but I was so fulfilled at the end of it- wow, I don't feel like an outsider! My white skin doesn't go away, but I was able to be close to my good good friend (one of my best Ethiopian friends for sure) during her wedding day and she told me I did a good job being her protocol! Ethiopians do weddings in an amazing and beautiful way.

Langano Scenes

2010-04-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

Labor and delivery...

2010-04-12T03:38:00.000-07:00

"WE ARE TRYING TO HELP YOU. YOU HAVE TO COOPERATE!" I am close to her face and my voice is raised. She waves me away and closes her eyes. I know labor is hard, and a woman's first delivery must be scary, but she is pushing us away, clamping her legs together, and won't let us touch her!! Allyson and I exchange frustrated looks- we are all tired. As we seek to make our labor and delivery care more culturally sensitive, its always hard to know how to give the best care. These women are extremely modest and don't ever want to be uncovered, which means an old blanket is always draped on her- what about keeping clean, though?

And at what point do we say we cannot treat her when she tells us over and over, "Don't touch me!"? My own frustration levels are high, and as we sit and wait, we discuss and try to understand. I think it is a group decision to bring a woman in labor into our clinic, I don't think the woman herself is usually the one requesting the clinic. The family may be in favor of it, but to the woman herself it may be an unknown environment during a frightening time. Who knows the layers of social history she carries? Does her husband hit her? Most husbands do here. He is attempting to tell her to cooperate but she pays no attention. She is from a town some miles away- does she get along with her in-laws? They have thrown their hands up in frustration as well.

"THIS IS OUR DAY OFF and we are helping you!" I am loud again as she swats my hand away. FINE lets leave the room, she can have that baby her own way. We are exasperated at her attitude and here we are trying to give her good care!

It wasn't until a few hours (and a healthy baby boy!) later, as I took my Sunday afternoon swim at the lake and sat on the beach listening to a sermon, that I had any perspective on her. Romans 5: before we took any steps towards God, He extended grace to us. Before we deserved anything, He reached out when we would slap His hand away.

So what right do I have to think I am the "good guy" treated our uncooperative patient? Am I any better than her, and do I understand grace extended to everyone? It is easy to see myself as the good person- here from my rich country to help these poor people. God must cringe to see those attitudes in our hearts. None of us made any move towards Him until He came to us, and spoke to us with His Word.

Deliveries and latrines and such...

2010-04-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

Langano is really fun. It is hard thinking about leaving it! I told Brian (who I saw this last weekend) that all the things I do during a work day are things he would love to do- work that is really fun for him. He is better equipped for community health than I am!

I am working a lot on keeping our latrine project moving. We have 12 to build, and we're almost finished with #5, the hole is dug for #6, we chose a spot for #7, and we're discussing possible placement for #8. I'm learning about how we can demand more community participation (getting them to dig the hole) than I demanded last fall when we started this project. Things are moving faster now that we're demanding more. We chose the spot for #8, told them to dig, and we said we'd be out in one week, if they hadn't finished digging, we'd dump the dirt back in and fill it up! I like the young man, Ganamo, that is working for us so that makes it easy to interact with him and check up on him.

We've had lots of teams come out! We had a team from Baylor University/nursing school a few weeks ago and we have another one from a church in New York here now. NOT to mention the constant stream of visitors- it is a great place to have visitors because it has the camp facility and (usually) a cook for meals, so it is really fun! With the medical teams my job has mostly been to take the nurses out for community visits. I love watching their reactions- I took two nice ladies out today, and they were just amazed and loved the experience so much! We just sat in a smoky hut, and the women made us coffee over the fire and we drank it, what is it about those visits that are so amazing? They leave me feeling good to, I think because its one of my favorite things to do in the whole world! Brian will be down this weekend so I'm going to try to take him out to visit.

We had a labor patient in on Monday. It was complicated because she was the village leaders' sister in law, so that puts a different kind of pressure on us to make sure things work out ok. There was a lady from our area that died in the clinic over Christmas so it makes us a little leary- we're more tempted to transfer her out sooner. Her clinical picture was a little weird- the baby seemed (from her stomach size) to be premature, but we couldn't tell for sure because she had more fat on her than most Ethiopian women, and the woman tried telling us she was full term. Anyways, about 3 we felt uneasy and told the family to pay for a tranport to a hospital- I was going to drive her. We didn't want a bad situation on our hands in the evenings because we do not as an SIM rule drive after dark.

So I went to get the car, feeling tired from just having arrived from Addis and just so many people and languages around, drove down to the clinic to pick her up and they said, "check on her she may deliver." So I watched her moaning and groaning, stepped out the door to have the guard call Allyson (I wanted her to be there for the delivery) and when I got back in the room, barely got gloves on and THERE was this little baby all goopy and green from meconium not breathing but big eyes open looking at me!! I called for Kim and we had to work a while with the bag and mask and the suction to get the baby breathing, but he perked right up after a few minutes. He was 1.7 kilos! (About 3.7 pounds!?) She stayed overnight so we could watch the baby, but he looked good as gold today. He's so cute! We were so glad she didn't deliver on the road, I don't think the baby would have lived.

Beginnings and Endings

2010-03-11T10:42:00.000-08:00

Ahhh.... the spice and beauty of living in another culture- If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then we see the beauty of culture when we look for it to find it, right? The Arsi Oromo way of life: intense and decisively meaningful. Today we celebrated beginnings and an end.

Ganamo's wife had a baby about a month ago, and I wanted to visit- pay my celebratory respects. Ganamo is a great guy- an amazing Christian man working in our clinic that I think will have a hand in changing his community. We drove across beautiful green fields (it has been raining so much at night!) and had a great visit at his house- they were obviously well prepared for us, and served us lunch (!!) and coffee right away. Ganamo is determined and stubborn in his hospitality- no matter how new the visitor or how regular, each person is getting a plate of food. He instructs his kids sternly to refill our plates in timely manners. And the newborn baby is bright eyed, fat, and full of life.

Then we heard, Fayissa's mother died this morning in Awassa, so we visited the funeral on the way home. Its about four o'clock now, the sun stretches the shadows... they brought her body back to Langano and we passed a group of men finishing the burial at the cemetary on the way to his father's compound. There was a large crowd gathered- it is the first day, so most people show up then. We are seated in the women's area. It is understandable that an older woman would become sick and die. What is hard to accept is what lengths- financially crushing lengths for people with limited assets- her family has gone to get her good medical care, only to loose her. "They have finished everything they have for her" the staff tell me.

Because she was a believer, we are encouraged to share a message of gospel hope with the women-crowd. Kim stood up and did an amazing job of it- giving everyone the hope beyond death that the gospel offers. Ganamo translated.

I see my friends in the crowd. Can I say hi to these ladies? Can I get out of my chair and move around a little? How much do I need to look sad? I'm trying to catch Adanech's eye and take her cultural cues.

We are then ushured into a tent and served food- gunfo porridge that seems to be so common in our visits these days. I feel bad- the son of the woman who died is serving us, shouldn't he be sitting? Being consoled? He seems worried that there aren't enough plates to go around for all these visitors from SIM. Does he realized the Americans don't mind not eating? Doesn't he know this food is so unfamiliar and strange to them? Their sense of hospitality overrules any such sensitivity, and he demands that our plates are refilled and refilled. The interplay between servers, guests, Ethiopians, Americans, village types and city folk always fascinates me.

I see lots of faces coming in and out of the tent that I know- this is the heart of Dawe community, with all the village leaders present, many of our own staff, women I know, etc. It makes me happy to be right in the middle of them. They support each other well, and I want to be part of that system.

Post Partum Visiting

2010-02-19T10:58:00.001-08:00

Have I ever been proud of a latrine sandplat before??

2010-02-19T10:32:00.001-08:00

Me and Kuwati

The Village Health Meeting

2010-02-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

So, as part of our government contract, we are supposed to be setting up village health committee meetings. I had had conversations with Melkato, the village chairman, who said, yes, anytime you want to have a meeting we can, just send a letter and I will call all the people- easy enough! So I did- for this Wednesday.

The guys in the clinic told me on Monday- Melkato is wondering who you want to come, because the health committee involves 90 people!" Whoa, I didn't expect 90. I told Ganamo to tell him I was thinking eight to ten people. And it was scheduled for 1 pm. I thought we could serve tea and popcorn.

The more I thought about it, though, the more I wondered if the 1 pm time would cause them to expect lunch... I didn't want them disappointed! So I rushed up (Wednesday morning!) and asked Yeshi our cook if she could handle another 10 people for lunch, and she seemed fine with the change in plans. I was thankful that she said that was ok.... She said she was going to serve a meat sauce and that made me nervous- will the Muslims eat our meat?? The other guys said, "OH, no problem they will eat it don't worry."

One o'clock came and went, we had the dining hall all ready, and I had looked over my agenda. I had asked Ganamo Sewarro from the clinic staff to be at the meeting- he is a member of the Dawe community (whose health committee I had called), and he has a heart for the area, is a Christian, and can explain things I don't understand. I also wanted Ganamo ("the other Ganamo") the latrine worker that we have been paying to be there, since the latrines were on the agenda. I wanted to talk about where they wanted the next two latrines (we're building twelve ventilation-improved pit latrines and just finished our initial four) and discuss how to keep the latrines clean once they are built. I also wanted to talk about our sandplat construction plans, and teach a little bit about family planning. So I was ready.

One thirty....two....two thirty... Yeshi, with her Ethiopian sense of time told me she didn't think they were coming. I thought, well, here I have thought and prayed about this meeting, I want it to be the right kind of community connection, and now they just aren't going to show up? The kebele (village) office is a 20 minute walk- I knew that was about how far they needed to come. So are they coming? Ganamo and Ganamo told me "they just didn't know if they were going to come or not."

I think it was 3:15- here they are, coming up the road into our compound, Melkato leading the group in his little jean jacket looking modern, with an assortment of not-so-modern others behind him- ten people, just right. So they came in and had the meeting. I would guess the highlight of the meeting was... lunch! I was nervous about these people using spoons to eat their rice, but they seemed to do fine. They are so used to eating with their hands. I think serving coffee and tea after lunch, and having Workenesh and Yeshi serve while I felt totally comfortable and could chat with them, was great.

We talked about the latrine locations, and they decided to discuss the locations, but sent us out of the room for it. (!!) It took them a while but they called us back in and told us: the "second" mosque, and the new school.

It wasn't long after this that they seemed antsy for the meeting to end- we talked a little bit about family planning, and Melkato said, "You can call a meeting of the women and teach about those things. We are happy for you to teach." I don't think he wanted me to go in depth right there and then, which was ok with me. We do want to call a women's meeting.

So we ended with prayer, some of the Muslims went outside to pray, and we all drifted out as I walked them to the gate... Yes, I suppose it accomplished what I hoped for! I liked it. I like these people. I like this area.

Return to Langano

2010-01-14T04:34:00.000-08:00

Coming back this time to Langano was not discouraging like last time was: I felt refreshed by Addis and quite ready to be in my own house. It is fun having our team together- we all ate spagetti in the dining room.

Today was the way I like it- off the compound, in the community. Of our two kebele (townships), Dawe and Kalibo, I spent today mostly in Kalibo. I met with the kebele leader this morning just to check in, and he continued to mention the food shortage situation and ask if SIM was going to help. Gosh, food aid is so complicated, and the last thing I want to do is hurt the area with just a "handout" mentality, but then... I'm in the meeting... the people are hungry... will they die?? It is also hard to know the gravity of the situation: seems like everyone says things like "this is worse than the famine in the 80's" but I know those can't be true.

Actually the whole point in going out was to give immunizations, but as it turns out some community health workers are giving vaccinations right across the road from our usual site- great!! That's taken care of, the women are being provided with the opportunity but we don't have to be the ones doing it. We ate lunch in Alem Bada then we went to visit a new pharmacy that opened. I heard two new pharmacy/clinics have opened in Alem Bada, one was closed, but we went to see the other one. Mohammed, the nurse running it, was very friendly, open about the fact that it is an illegal clinic, said he had applied at our clinic in the past, showed us around, showed us all the meds he distributes and told us the prices, and treated us to a soda! I liked it, and I would love to take any staff education we do here, and duplicate it there!

I have quite a few home visit ideas/places I need to go, so that's my plan tomorrow since it is my regular home visit day. Its hard to know how to focus and sometimes feels like I'm not "working" when I get up in the morning and head out to visit.

So, at the school where our second latrine was just finished (we also went to visit that today) we asked about when we could do an education session. It is nice, however, instead of scheduling our own session, to choose a time when there is already an existing meeting. He said a week from... Sunday! Sunday is NOT an ideal day for me to be out, but it would be perfect to catch everyone together. When do I stick to my day of rest because I want the rest, and when should I be willing to do things their way, not my way?? It would be a great chance to teach without the logistics of gathering people or wondering if they'll show up......

The week's news...

2010-01-10T10:08:00.001-08:00

Monday and Tuesday were bad- I told Brian I have never been so tempted to impulsively say, "I quit this job as of right now!" as I was on those days! Wednesday was better- I did remember that for so long I have wanted to be a missionary, and here I am- doing it. I love this life and wouldn't choose anything else!

Thursday was Ethiopian Christmas and Brian came down on the motorcycle to pick me up. After working in the clinic on three days that I had wished I was in Addis, it was a little bit sad to leave when the Langano church was getting a program ready, asking me if I was going to be there, etc. I do love holidays with Ethiopians. Brian came on his bike and I had made "Potatoes Anna" from the cooking light cookbook- it was a yummy breakfast on the veranda with him: the potatoes and strawberry smoothies and the goat cheese, too!! We've been really enjoying that.

We planned to leave Langano at 1 pm, but we got a flat on the way out which was a MAJOR delay! We had to drive the tire in a car out to town (45 minutes each way) to get it patched and reinflated, then back to Langano to put the tire back on, then headed out to Addis around 4:30 pm!! We had good talks on the way there about where to work: Brian is so open to the farm idea, he's had more communication with Mike and it seems clear that they could very feasibly work together well.

It has been so fun to be with him. I love riding on the back of his bike, and as we stop and have a drink and discuss things, we have so little tension between us right now- it is amazing and fun. With all my frustrations and bad moods about Langano he has been just so nice and understand, asking questions, not wanting extra stress in marriage, great. And when we talk about Bingham, he is just as concerned about how to not work 13 hour days as I am, like we share the same concerns instead of one and not the other. I do love being with him, and I'm tired of leaving Addis without him! At least that won't be for too much longer.

Back in San Jose

2009-12-18T11:25:00.000-08:00

Dress: check. Venue: check. I guess those are the main things I needed to get done but there sure are a lot of other little details! It is a little complicated to register for gifts by sending Brian emailed pictures of plates, duvet, towels, etc...!!! I think we're making alot of progress but it will still be a very busy couple weeks before we get home!

Time away from Langano has been mostly full of family and wedding thoughts, but I want to take time to evaluate what is going on with my job/ministry, and get some New Year's perspective. My thoughts:

1. Use the systems already in place- show up at the community meetings instead of creating my own, work through the women's association (I had no idea until recently there was such a thing!), work along side the government paid agriculture guys, and health girls.

2. I don't want to do community health alone. The support staff at the clinic are people that live in the community- that means THEY can be the agents for community based change! So I don't want to show up at the meetings alone, they should be with me! I think they are happy to get out of the clinic and go to meetings where there own interests are at stake and where they get to hang out with their friends.

3. Spiritual work: This is a wide open door that I want to walk through. The wife of the evangelist is eager to start some kind of woman's ministry, but she needs encouragement and someone working alongside of her, at least at the beginning. People have done this before, why hasn't it lasted? How can I get her to really own it? I think we can work together really well in this area.

So, here and there I am thinking, between bridesmaid dresses and fine china.... how does God want to use me in this next little chapter??

Post-engagement news...

2009-11-08T11:12:00.001-08:00

This weekend I'm up in Addis with Brian. Man, the two weeks since we got engaged were so hard! Not in terms of being engaged, but wow, the Langano Health Project is a monster, Kim has been out of town, and the week I was in charge made me realize I don't ever want to be in charge. That is not what I came out to do: manage a clinic. It is a hard job, and better done by an Ethiopian.

Ethiopia can be a tough country in some ways: the government is the only internet provider (!!) and its slow, and the cell phone network is patchy outside of Addis. I am so thankful for texting!

Anyways, we had a really encouraging meeting last week about the Health project, and it was encouraging because we all realize we need to get Ethiopians into these upper level management positions or the project will never last. I hope we can pull through and get those changes into place!

I mentioned some kind of a seed project- that was just my off-the-wall idea of a way to help out in this time of hunger- backyard gardens growing things like spinach, potatoes, and carrots, that we could water with some kind of drip irrigation system and have a bit of agricultural education happening at the same time. Well, we have picked two sample gardens so far, one man is digging up his land and is allowing us to use it, the other man has already dug it up and prepared the land. We have a boy raising seedlings for us, then we'll transplant to those plots. I hope it can help in some way...

Now I'm in Addis for a few days-- being with Brian is great! I haven't had time to catch up with many others, but I'll take my time with him. It is a new world talking about combining~ fun!! Today we tried to talk through wedding plans.

So now he's back to school tomorrow and I'm off to run errands before heading back to Langano on Tuesday. Its been a great time up here!!

The Long Version (engaged...)

2009-10-28T10:43:00.001-07:00

Well, I guess I should have/ started to see it coming. Brian and I have found our groove this fall, and we have so much fun down here in Langano. He comes down usually on his motorcycle and stays for the weekend (in a tent in the middle of all the houses). We even "checked out" a baby from Mana Abdii the orphan house to practice for the day!

This last week was his fall break so he came down to Langano for it. He brought his car (old Land Cruiser from the 70's fixed up) down with a trailer on the back with three motorcycles. When I asked who was going to ride the third one, he said, "when we want to go somewhere together!" So he got here on Monday, and Tuesday our task was for me to learn to ride a motorcycle. He brought a "Yamaha 250" down for me, explained the gears and all that, and I started riding around the compound a little. On the long stretch of road I was feeling good and he was walking behind me so I just sped off and then of course fell and the motorcycle fell over and was reving and smoking really loud and I was calling for him while the compound guard wandered over to see what was happening! Ha! Then we went outside the compound and he told me to drive though these (TRICKY!) puddles which I did, but then the last puddle I lost control, fell, and hit an old man on the side of the road! I said "Excuse me." When I fell I couldn't pick up the bike or restart it so he was very nice and patient about restarting.

That was fun. Then Wednesday he warned me we were going to have a scavenger hunt, so he pulled out this "packet" of papers and showed me page by page my clues. It was called, "10 Reasons why I love you" scavenger hunt, and at each spot he named a different reason. He had put so much thought into it, and funny clues, and funny places, it was great. One was a little soda shop in town that we went to before we went to the mosque on the Eid, so we rode our bikes out (6 kilometers, on my second day!!) there, then to Wenney lodge for lunch, then the last clue was "a place to waterski," so that was his friends house on the other side of the lake. So we rode the two seater Honda there, and the clue said, "Your prize is in the pocket of the life jacket." We chatted with our friends for a while, then (it was later than he thought I guessed: about 6 or so, and chilly and the water was really choppy) he said, "Let's go find your last clue!" So there was a lifejacket floating out in the water maybe 20 feet out so we got in the water both freezing!! (He said later that helped him not look nervous). When we got close to the life jacket I saw there was a bottle tucked inside of it and I said, "Oh, its a message in a bottle!" So I was dancing around from being cold, and he opened the bottle (which took a long time because it was taped so securely) and out came a little jewelry bag. Then I knew for sure! He pulled it out, and dutifully knelt down (putting his face up to his eyes underwater) and asked me to marry him. I said yes!

When we turned around to get out, everyone on the beach was taking pictures! Christina had towels and a fire ready for us, and then we had a celebratory cake and champagne. There were a few Ethiopians gathered around and when we were still in the water they were doing their wave sticks/dance/chant happyness thing and I loved that there was a bit of Ethiopian culture there for us.

So we enjoyed our lake beach scene with the fire at sunset- it was so beautiful! Then Brian said he was taking me out to dinner to a lodge nearby, so we got changed and when we pulled into the parking lot I saw plate number 00943 and said, "hey, isn't that the Langano clinic car?" And when we got there the Langano station was there to meet us! Brian had invited them out. So my brain was just swimming, and they were loving it!

Since then (Wednesday) Brian has been making all kinds of funny comments now that we can talk about life together. "I better go see where I'm going to put my horse coral." "What size bed do you want, king or queen? I'm going to make it" "I wonder which [Langano] project I should work on" "How about making a deck that wraps around that tree over there and stringing Christmas lights around it?" "What baby names do you like?" "We're going to have to take that picture down because I want this room to be African themed." All kinds of things, it is so funny. We are thinking mostly about living here in Langano but that sort of depends on what he would do- he has options to think about down here that could be great. We need to pray that God will show him what is best, whether or not it is in Langano.

He left this morning, and I am sad without him! I told him I like his boots on my veranda. We have quite a challenge these next eight months between trying to seeing each other, communicating with our families, planning a wedding, figuring out how to blend our worlds that are so separate now, language and culture stress, and all our radically different opinions! I do love him, and I am excited to see things unfold.

On Being out Here

2009-10-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

Let's see, for me being a missionary involves being far from my family and not having hot showers or fruit stands. No nectarines, and no itunes downloading. But I buy strawberries at the strawberry stand in on the side of the highway in my rural Ethiopia for 60 cents, and I live on the edge of a lake with Egyptian geese flying low through the sunset, and hippos in the reeds. No Thanksgiving dinner tables, but feasted royally on roasted corn and milk last night with my friends in a grass roofed hut. I'm not sure what is better, but I think life out here is.

The conversation over the corn and milk was about the rain. There isn't any, and these men are wondering how they will feed their families. I am community health nurse in Langano in the West Arsi Zone of Ethiopia, so these communities we serve with our clinic are seeking our assistance. "Below God's hand, we are looking to you for help!" I hear the statement several times a week

My job out here is health and peace- physical and spiritual. It involves lots and lots of crossing cultures, so sometimes I even start thinking their culture is more normal than my own. You mean we don't go visit each others' homes when our relatives die? And we buy our chickens with no heads and no feathers wrapped up in plastic??

It can be hard in any culture to find the right opening for the truth of the gospel. I wonder as I am sitting on low stools in dark huts, how do I explain Jesus? And why He is important for their eternal salvation? Where is the open door- their sense of spiritual need? I am new and haven't answered those questions yet.

Another side to my work is growing the Christians around me. The clinic staff consists of ten people who have all professed to be Christians. They have the great challenge of caring for and loving over 100 people a day that come through our clinic doors, and these staff are a great gift to our ministry. I want them to grow in their sense of ministry and purpose. Tomorrow at our staff meeting I am giving them each a copy of "The Purpose Driven Life" which is available in Amharic, and my prayer is that God gives each of them a magnificent sense of His purpose in their life and work.

It is new, I'm fresh out of language school on the ground. I'm learning as I go, but I do know this: this is the life for me, a life of adventure, challenge, green fields, land cruisers, dirty feet, roasted corn and new languages around me. A life full of amazing potential to see God build His church in one of His great world's far corners

Our House of Hope

2009-09-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

There is an old woman walking through the mountains carrying a baby on her back. She has been sent by her extended family, seeking something for this little baby who needs help. She is walking to SIM on the edge of Lake Langano.

It isn't just one woman: we have found many of these older women on the veranda of our clinic. Their stories are often similar- she is a great aunt, or a grandmother, or a great grandmother. The mother of the baby is said to have died in childbirth, and these women are hoping we can help feed the baby in the critical early months of life.

So we discuss whether these babies should be admitted to our House of Hope- "Mana Abdii" in the local Oromo language. This house is a place babies can live for the first nine months of their life, be well cared for, and receive the nutrition they need. Once they are eating table food they are returned to their families and communities.

To gather information regarding the children's families and communities, we recently decided to make a visit to the home of each baby that came to us. Which is how, on that Thursday morning, I found myself riding a horse through the barley fields..

Have you seen barely growing? The green is so bright and beautiful. "Here up in the mountains, teff does not grow, and we can't grow corn. So it is barley here." Our guide explains their farming practices, so different here a few hours' drive into the mountains than our lakeside scenery. I'm wearing a jacket as it is cool, and enjoying the look of the clouds hanging low over the rolling fields. Surely Ethiopia is beautiful.

People come from this distance to our clinic and for our House of Hope? I am amazed, as even with a car we are still left with a couple hours of horseback travel through country impassible in our Land Cruiser.

And I sit in the saddle and marvel- surely I am at the ends of the earth, am I not traveling further than I have ever been into these mountains, away from all I know? New roads, new territory, to see the family of this baby seeking help and assess the environment

but wait, why am I traveling new roads, riding into these far reaching hills? Not just for some milk powder, or someone's nutrition. Have my feet not been shod with the gospel of Peace? Did I not leave my country to share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ?

My mind wanders as we move through the hills, arriving at last at the village's central meeting place. The village elders have gathered to hear what we have to say. Adanech explains to them after we sit down, "We have a house that can help this baby whose mother has died. We have come to meet you and learn about your community." She continued to explain that because of the expense and energy of raising one child to nine months of age, we seek to gather information carefully before admitting the baby to our House of Hope. The elders listened, nodded, and spoke very cooperatively and warmly to us.

"Also," I added, as we finished our business, "we are not here only to help a child. We are able to help these children because people in our countries want to show you God's love. Just like this little baby who is helpless to help himself, we are helpless before God. He gives us the gift of His grace and favor when we did not deserve it."

Our House of Hope is made to show God's love to anyone it contacts. Those listening understood and agreed with our cause, stating they were only grateful we had come and that we were willing to help this family from their community now in need after the death of this baby's mother.

So this little baby was admitted to Mana Abdii. We are grateful to have a relationship with the community in which he will grow up when he leaves us, and grateful that they heard and understand why we exist. We have been able to lift a great burden from this family at a critical time.

The Eid

2009-09-20T05:46:00.000-07:00

Another Week...

2009-09-19T02:25:00.000-07:00

Things out here are good. In some ways it is SO nice-weird to finally be settling into the "life/ministry" long-term wise that I've always been preparing for- I really hope God uses me out here! I'm grooving on the nurses- a few Ethiopians who are young, single, live here on the compound, and cool Christians. I think I will have lots of "discipleship/encouragement" type chances with Adanech. This afternoon at 3 I'm going down to "drink coffee and work on reports" at her house. Even when there's not that many firenges I don't feel lonely when they're around.

Tomorrow is the end of Ramadan (Muslim fasting month). This morning Joan just told me that she and I were invited to the Alem Bada mosque to "party." (Be part of the ceremony or whatever). I'm SO into that, partying with Muslims I think is my favorite thing on the planet. Doesn't that sound groovy to just join the festivities?? :) So we'll see.

Weekend Highs and Lows

2009-09-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

So there I was sitting on my veranda on Sunday afternoon, in my bathing suit and a sarong, having jumped in the lake for a swim and now feeling the afternoon breeze, sitting with my friends from Addis eating lunch. We bought a catfish- at least 8 pounds- for less than one US dollar, and now we were eating it fried, with pasta and salad. Whoa, this IS the life! Beachside living in the bush in Ethiopia, wow!

Brian brought 25 people down over the weekend, some of them new to Ethiopia, some who had never been down to the shores of Lake Langano where I'm working. Over the weekend they got to see a teeny glimpse of the clinic when we had a delivery on Friday (4 lb. 4 oz teeny little boy!), and got to get a feel for the compound and the lake. They all seemed to think I was living the greatest life ever, in this quiet relaxing place away from Addis smog and traffic, and I think I believed it by the time we had eaten our catfish and they had left. I love it out here!!

Well, then I walked over to Allyson's because she said she'd cut my hair. That's when it all changed, because when I sat down and she started looking at my hair she had to inform me that I had LICE all over my hair and she even pulled a few out to show me that they were alive and crawling on her fingers!!! NOOOO!!!!!

Well, now here I am in the bush, no washer, no warm shower, and I have to wash EVERYTHING, and no hot water, so how do I wash it all hot?? And my whole body is itching now and I feel creepy crawly feelings EVERYWHERE and................. I'm dying for the city and forget the catfish... :)

In the end, Workenesh showed up Monday morning so I gave her a huge mound of laundry to wash, and thank goodness Allyson had lice killing shampoo to lend me, and I washed and combed them out. So, all that to say, with clean hair, I think I still do love it out here....

Visits

2009-09-06T12:52:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting in the guest room!! Ha! We had a lovely time at this house.

Home Visit

2009-09-06T12:48:00.001-07:00

VIP Latrine Construction

2009-09-06T12:43:00.001-07:00

And this is my project?? I thought I was a labor nurse!! But I do
love being out in the community.

Home Visiting

2009-09-06T12:40:00.001-07:00

I transported the lady on the left to the hospital during labor where she delivered a healthy baby. When I visited her I held her(diaperless) baby who promptly "messed" my shirt. These ladies asked me for my shirt, which I took off and gave them (!!) to wash, so here in the picture I'm wrapped in one of their shawls- (the baby's next diaper....) I had a great time, though, and then returned my clean-but-wet shirt before I went home!

Me as an Oromo?????

2009-09-06T12:37:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure....

Can you see Ethiopia behind us?

2009-09-06T12:36:00.001-07:00

Can you tell she is beautiful? (the country....)

Horses in the fields

2009-09-06T12:31:00.001-07:00

Have you seen barley grow? It is so amazing and bright green.

Going home visiting on horses!

2009-09-06T12:27:00.001-07:00

The ups and downs of the week...

2009-09-02T09:36:00.000-07:00

I can't quite figure my schedule out. How much do I get into the community? How much do I help in the clinic? How can I prance in and out of the clinic and leave the nurses with all those patients sitting on the veranda and getting impatient?? Oh, I see Usman as I walk down our little dirt road, how is his baby anyways, that had such bad malaria with seizures? I need to go see him. When do I do that?

I hope I can help arrange for Negesso to get his drivers' license. He does a great job in the clinic as a translator and general "assistant," and we need someone else that can help with the driving. So I came down to the clinic yesterday to get information from him about the driving school he wants to go to and was just writing down numbers when they called me saying there was a labor patient. Somehow they figure us L&D girls want to be in on the deliverys, and I suppose they are right! It was a beautiful delivery, before lunch even, a bright eyed looking baby boy. Nothing like feeling the shoulders slide right on out, past all your fears, and seeing a little boy with his face squinted up and arms stretched out with good muscle tone!!

The day continued... my afternoon taken by the clinic, but that is ok, I do so much like being with the staff and want to build into them. Ganamo is the boy I hired to help build our latrines- my first community health project! He comes by and says the community is refusing to help him pour the cement and he wants SIM to hire another person or two. Wait, I think I am supposed to give the community more ownership than this, right?? Why don't we go visit the kebele leader (village mayor) and ask him to help us? Plus, I want to start dialoguing more with him, anyways. Hey, that's the kind of thing I really came for!

We admitted a little three year old to the inpatient room with severe malaria- again, seizing, that is the cerebral kind- and just as we were finishing our patients, she died. Wow, malaria, we said to each other. We hate it. It takes too many these days.

And its the end of the day now, and I turn from the chaos of the clinic to see the lake- just right there behind me, with a few achacia trees in between, and the sun setting through the clouds behind. Its Africa, and another sunset. And I'm thirty now, when am I going to stop and think about that? I'm glad I don't need to, I have arrived. This is exactly where I am supposed to be.

Clinic Stories

2009-08-13T04:20:00.000-07:00

The other night a girl came in that had poisoned herself -- a newlywed married for 2 months! Tons of people came with her, and I was asking around, and apparently that's what the girls do when they have "domestic issues." We tried to give her an alkaline IV solution because she seemed acidotic, gave her glucose, aspirated her stomach, etc.

The next morning she was conscious and better. I had everyone leave the room and then asked her, "Did you drink the bad stuff?" She said yes. When I asked her why, she said, "My husband and I were mad at each other." I was fascinated. I asked her if he hit her and she said yes. I was just TRIPPING out that in the states that is mandated reporting, but oh, no, that is the answer I expected, and the answer everyone around me knew. Whoa. But there were lots of people around, and this one man I could tell was sharp, understanding my questions, and answering them, following my train of thought. I said so to Allyson. I found out a few minutes later he is the kebele chairman -- basically the mayor for this area, a man I have been wanting to meet and that I will be working closely with. I was excited to see he was sharp, and now after this experience, I can ask him questions about it, and it will be a great lead in to psycho/spiritu-o/wholistic health care.

Weekend Call

2009-08-09T03:54:00.000-07:00

So I guess its us- Allyson and I- on call this weekend. The nurse that was supposed to do it had a family emergency. I hope I hear them if they knock on my door at night....this new house has such nice doors and windows, they seem pretty sound-proof!

Well Friday night I was in bed reading- 11 pm, and they knocked. This better be a real emergency, I thought. People that live close to the clinic just show up for any old thing, they're abusing us, and we're going to get burned out, and then we'll leave and close the clinic, then what will they do?? Thus the uglyness of my own thoughts as I pad out to the veranda to greet the guards.

"There is an emergency. A baby. Diarrhea." He's being nice, he knows I don't want to be bothered. "Should I tell them to come back tomorrow?" Aaahhh, long sigh, I wish I could get out of this, hmm, ok, I'm coming. The moon is full and its a bright night, I notice the acachia tree outside my veranda window against the sky. Allyson and I agreed that we would go together if they called us at night, but I'm sure she's sleeping, and I know how to treat diarrhea, I can't bring myself to call her. And the night is bright and friendly, I don't mind being out alone.

The woman is sitting on the clinic veranda holding a girl. I'm still muttering to myself that if its not a true emergency, I will send her home without treating her and she can come back in the morning- if we turn them away once or twice, word will spread that they can't take advantage of us like that...

My thoughts are interrupted by my own voice greeting her, and she is friendly and greets back. How old is her baby? When did the diarrhea start? Let's see it- ok, yes, watery, right on her mom's dress. I feel the girl, and she is hot, and her pulse feels fast. She hands me the little girl's clinic card and I unlock the door and let them in- she is sick enough to be seen. I am not being taken advantage of, I am being called to help a girl who is quite sick. It is more of an inconvenience for them to walk her from home to the clinic than for me to drive half a kilometer to the clinic to see her......

The girls mother carrys her in, accompanied by another woman. They answer my questions articulately, and I have the subconscious gratification of language working- they understand me, I understand them, we are communicating- connecting. I check her pulse, temp, lungs, she is sick, but we have the meds she needs. I give her a phenergan injection and instruct them to give her her first dose of Bactrim when they get home with her. They nod and understand, they are following me. They pay and take the medicine and I'm closing the clinic. The guard, Teneshu (pronouned Tennis Shoe), is kind and says to me, "You are tired. You went to the funeral today and now you have to work at night." He had seen me in the community earlier that day. I appreciate his words. I lock the door and notice again the moonlight, and there is an amazing view of the lake from the clinic. My moody thoughts are gone, and I am reminded again that I love these people.

Langano Life

2009-07-30T16:02:00.001-07:00

Hmmmm............. Let's see............. I had a very nice weekend- relaxing without much being asked of me, and that's what I needed. We had a delivery Friday night that ended up delivering Saturday morning around 6:30. Otherwise I just puttered around - hoping to be able to move into my new house, but still the plumber is trying to fix leaks, no kitchen, someone's working on some closet shelves for me, etc. Jake said he wants to put some guests in my (current/temporary) house so he wants me to go ahead and move, but Shane said, "No, don't worry about it. Don't move, those people were warned they would have to tent camp." So I need to talk to Jake and decide what the right thing is.

Today the cook came to me early (before 8) moaning about her pay. I had helped Shane translate when she signed her contract last Friday and I asked her then if she had any questions, and I said, "If you have a question, you have to bring it up before you sign!" She didn't have any questions at the time, but that evening she brought up her unhappiness to me, and this morning again. It caught me off guard and made me sad. Shane has been happy with her and thinks she is happy, and he increased her salary from what was originally agreed, so he thought she would be happy with it. I don't want to have to break it to him that she is grumbling to me! (I already did). It is hard being pulled into things to translate when I don't want to be involved, and I let my opinion get involved, and this week I am going to be more careful to stay out of most things and only help as I am asked, you know, I don't mind helping translate, but not jumping into it and trying to solve it myself. What a funny thought I keep having, "Is knowledge of the language a blessing or a curse??" Of course I know the answer to that! I am really so glad I can be equipped to help.

Shane was talking about the concept of "redundancy" in the camp. When the generator breaks, (once a week at least it seems), the dining hall goes dark and there's no backup. When the head cook gets malaria, she basically still has to work because she doesn't have an assistant. Most essential staff members don't have backup!

There has been rabies scare around. A woman died with the disease last week, and a rabid dog was running around the camp. Shane told the guards, "We can't take the chance of a camper (or short termer from the US!) getting rabies, so we need to kill all the dogs running around on the compound." (We've had problems with lots of stray dogs). The guards agreed, but later one of the nurses said, "We have to go through the Zonal head office and the woreda by submitting letters because the community could get mad at us and it could cause conflict if we just kill them." Whoa! We feel like we don't have time for that, plus Shane already said the word!

Ah, the sunset over the lake was beautiful yesterday. I went to pick up two of the nurses from the road - me who hates driving - and had a lovely time chatting with them and catching up with them after not seeing them over the weekend. Now that it has rained, the landscape on the way in here is unspeakably beautiful. I do like it. I am settling.

(The picture is of me with a young girl wearing an eye patch. A wonderful team from my home church, Venture Christian in Los Gatos, California, came to Ethiopia in early July, and I worked with them for a week in Heerara, a village near Langano. This girl had a "lazy eye", and so did I when I was younger, so we were able to connect as I explained to her and her family how to use the patch.)

The Delivery

2009-07-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon found us in the inpatient room with a woman in labor. I'm new so I'm just asking around and practicing my Oromo. "Are there midwives in this area?" I asked. My hope is to be able to provide some training to local midwives in the future. "No! None," says one old woman. "Our midwife is this clinic!" Hmm. So I asked around - who are these women with her? One is her mother, and one is her "co-wife" - sharing a husband. Interesting that I suppose English has never needed a word for that relationship, but Oromo has one.

So the woman is uncomfortable, but the baby's heartbeat and her progress are all reassuring. Her mother squats next to her and says over and over again, "Ya Rabbi, Naa hikki, Ya Rabbi, Naa hikki..." Hmm... I am thinking about the Oromo I know - Why is she saying, "Oh, God, untie me?" Untie...loosen... ahh, deliver. She is asking God for deliverance - help for her daughter's sake, as best as I can understand. We chatted and had a nice time.

And about 7 that night - a little girl! Over three kilos, healthy looking, no complications. I went to visit her yesterday and was greeted warmly by her family. They served me "gunfo" - some sort of porridge served at post partum times/visit, and a fish. We had a nice time chatting. It is the beginning of the visiting and relationships!

Catherine Hamlin's 50th year in Ethiopia

2009-05-31T00:30:00.001-07:00

Yesterday there was a program out at Desta Mender- that is the village that was added on to the fistula hospital to provide a place for long term patients to live. It is a beautiful place, I love it everytime I'm there, feels almost like a campground with a little pond/lake and tall trees.

There was a big program for the 50th anniversary of Catherine and Reg Hamlin's arrival in Ethiopia. The hospital itself has been open for 30 something years. It was neat being a part of it, maybe the speeches were a bit long, but the neat thing is that their intention when the first came was to build a midwifery school, and instead they were taken up with this big problem of obstetric fistula, and now after all this time we also celebrated yesterday the official opening of the college! It was fun to be a little part of that as I'm teaching the sociology class there at that college. The students were so cute in their matching uniforms. I will be sad to say goodbye to them.

All that to say, it was a nice day but made for a long one. I am glad I was there.

My weekend adventure....

2009-03-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

"They've moved, that's the news." My friend is leaning out of the Land Cruiser, greeting a friend of a friend as we drive through a market area. I am sure we are almost to the end of the world

We are heading out to visit a clan that has great spiritual interest- part of an unreached nomadic group in the eastern basin of the country. When this clan told my friends that one of their biggest problems was women dying in childbirth, my friends wanted to bring someone along who could teach a bit on the subject, so I joined them for a weekend trip. But now the news is the clan is not where expected- we'll have to drive a lot further, and maybe cross some water.

I'm not the driver, so it all sounds fun and adventurous to me. I don't generally turn down chances to see a new part of the country. I could tell we were quite a bit lower than the Ethiopian highlands from the mosquitos and stuffy, hot air at the hotel the night before. But now in the car it was not uncomfortable, and I was enjoying the stark desert scenery.

We cross a river over a big bridge, and then came to a big muddy looking area- not really a river, maybe a place where a riverbed hadn't dried? Camel watering hole? They did, I will say, get out, get wet, walk around in it, and try to figure if we could cross. We thought we could.

Butwe were wrong. The car got stuck right at the far end of the watering hole- really stuck, sideways/tilted and wedged in this mucky looking water.

The story is long, but I will make it short. We waited 8 long hours in that hole- us gals staying at the car and the men walking to look/ask for help. In the end, at the end of the day, a tractor came and, for 87 birr an hour, pulled us out of the "miry clay." We had an amazing sense of unity with all the community standing around when the car was finally pulled out.

We never made it to see our friends and teach! Why did God orchestrate our weekend that way?? I don't doubt that God has His reasons and I am eager to visit again.

And my Tuesday........

2009-03-10T11:34:00.001-07:00

My Weekend..........

2009-03-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

Why is it that I love those blue and white taxis??

2009-02-20T11:20:00.001-08:00

Addis Abeba's public transportation system consists largely of minivan-style taxis. There are also larger, tightly packed "Higer Buses" (ask Becky), motorcycle taxis that carry 6 people counting the driver, and bigger buses, but the blue and white minivans are the most common......... and I love them. I have been wondering this week why I love them instead of driving myself around in a nice big firenge (foreigner) land cruiser.

1. Nobody in the taxis begs money from me, or asks me for a pen, or says "You, Firenge!" They only say, "You're learning Amharic! You're gobez"

2. You can watch Addis pass you by from the window- sheltered inside the vehicle, but watching the street go by is like watching a movie.

3. I understand most of the brief comments the little caller/helper says: "Move closer together" (when an extra person is getting on) or "Do you have 15 cents change?" or "Let her get on" (the passive tense in Amharic...)

4. You can get anywhere in Addis for less than 50 US cents- most standard routes are between 7 and 20 US cents.

5. I can put my ipod in if I want, and enjoy the ride.

6. Anything funny in the van is funny to everyone. You don't just share a joke with the person next to you. When I was on the taxi yesterday I said hi to the little boy on his mother's lap next to me, and he burst out crying, afraid of me!! The whole taxi burst out laughing and I asked, "Has he ever seen a firenge before?" His mother said no. We all had a good laugh until they got off.

7. The seats- back seats especially- are always a good opportunity for humor, if not danger. Seats come loose. The other day when the driver hit the breaks, I slid forward, and so did my seat cushion! I couldn't help snickering to myself and the other man in the back seat shared a smirk with me.

8. I do not think about anyone cutting me off, taxis pulling in front of me, pedestrians running in front of my car, or potholes that might ruin my car. Its not my car, not my stress, not my responsibility.

9. The drivers drive fast when they can!

10. My pedestal is gone- I am making sure I get my 20 cents change back, I am paying like the rest of the city, moving like the rest of the city, less foreign, less different, less wealthy. I am one of them.

So the main issue with the taxis is time- it can take double the time to get around. I am glad that at this point in my life and ministry, I have the time to spare. When I am going out alone I do not take a car (I do have one at my disposal for now) but I am enjoying the taxis. Surely ministry will take more of me later, but for now, I am watching Addis from out my window and I do love it.

Life in Ethiopia....

2009-02-15T21:24:00.001-08:00

So a variety of things keep me entertained and busy......... I had such a nice Valentine's Day with Brian- I made him his favorite dessert and dropped it off at his house, then he took me to a Hararian Arabic restaurant- the food was great- a big pile of meat and rice with all kinds of wots and flavors. They had a sheesha lounge too, which was fun.

Yesterday I went to an Amharic speaking church with Mekedis- it was good! I thought the pastor (from what I understood) emphasized each person reading their Bible, very good.

So last night when Lid got home she thought Cubby (the dog we are dogsitting together) looked worse. She has been sick, not eating, but still moving around the yard and somewhat social. But last night she was barely lifting her head.

When I got home, Barry was in the backyard getting ready to put an IV in her, Dan and Lid and Allyson and I stood around and helped and it was kindof neat comradary, not in the best circumstance, but still good communion as we worked towards the task together.

She slept inside by the dining room table and when I got up this morning Lid (who slept on the couch) said Cubby had been throwing up since 5:30 and Lid was up cleaning things up!! I sure hope she turns the corner soon......

And language school goes on- we have a late start this morning which is good. I am trying to move through the material quickly but still really learning it. I am into the object suffix chapter.......... Saying things like, "Look for it for me!"

And that's life..

Only if you live in Ethiopia....

2009-01-23T11:29:00.001-08:00

So there I was walking across the street. Well actually its the ring road- sort of like a freeway- and I was walking across near a
roundabout that has a crosswalk painted on the ground, but I wasn't using it. Yea, we call that "jaywalking" at home.... So these 2 policemen are standing in the median and they beckon me over. (I wasn't too nervous about getting a jaywalking ticket seeing as I didn't have any ID on me and I knew they couldn't track me down. How can jaywalking be illegal in Ethiopia??? People are flooding everywhere!!) Here's our conversation:

Them: Yes Hello, how are you? (In English)
Me: Hello! How are you? (In Amharic)
Them: Oh! You speak Amharic! (now all in Amharic)
Me: Yes, I learned it.
Them: Why didn't you cross at the crosswalk? It is painted.
Me: I didn't want to trouble the cars.
Them: How long have you lived here?
Me: I have lived here 2 years.
Them: Oh, we need to write you a ticket since you didn't cross at the crosswalk.
Me: I drive. And when I drive, people always run in front of the car and I have to slam on my brakes. (Slamming of brakes was communicated with drama)
Them: Where is your country?
Me: US.
Them: Obama! (No kidding, very typical one word response.)
Me: Yes, I don't know, but he is a nice man.
Them: We want to buy you coffee or tea, let's go!
Me: (!!) No, I need to go home now.
Them: Oh, since you're a guest in our country we want to treat you to something, at least a soft drink.
Me: No, I have guests tonight for dinner, I need to go. (Partially true- I was a guest for dinner but said I'd help with the guacamole..........)
Them: Do you have a cell phone?
Me: No (No partially true, all false....)
Them: We love you!!
Me: OK. (How do you respond?)
Them: The thing we want to learn in English so we want to practice with you. We need to speak English for when we pull over firenges.
Me: [As if I am going to further that cause...] I come by this road a lot so we will see each other.
Them: Don't you have a phone at your house? Where do you live?
Me: Up that road (vague arm motion). I live in someone else's house so it is not my phone. Why don't you give me your number, I will call you?
Them: (They write their number down). Are you afraid of us? We are _____ (something along the lines of being educated or upright kinds of people)
Me: OK, I have to go home now.
Them (one of them): Find me a friend [female friend].....

Might sound creepy, I was neither scared nor creeped out nor about to have coffee with them! People in this culture warm up so fast if you attempt Amharic!!

The Trip to Langano

2009-01-03T22:29:00.001-08:00

So there I was.... sitting on the bus next to Becky yesterday thinking to myself, what kind of girl puts her little sister through this kind of experience in Ethiopia? Becky was feeling a little off/sick on Friday and was feeling dizzy when she stood up so she spent most of the day in bed. So then on Saturday we are standing on the main road to Addis at the Langano turn off, in the middle of nowhere, crowd of Ethiopians around us, trying to catch a bus, running and waving in front of any large vehicle flying down the road (then running back off to road so as not to get hit!!) and it took longer than I thought! We were standing there for at least 30 minutes, Becky just sort of standing by her luggage with everyone crowding around. I kept asking her if she was ok, and she was perky and kept saying she was fine, but still!! What kind of sister does that?? So then we finally catch a bus to Mojo (about half way to Addis) and are rushed on trying to keep track of our bags (!!). That's when we finally sat down (very back seat with 6 people packed onto the bench) and I wondered what I was doing.

Just then she says to me, "This is a pretty cool experience." She was certainly getting the adventure of it all! She was perky and agreeable the whole time. It was easier to catch an Addis bus in Mojo than I thought. On the second bus I ended up moving was up to the middle/front of the bus while she was in the back (see photo below) and I was telling everyone around me, "Ethiopia is amazing to my sister. She was amazed when she saw goats walking down the road in Addis." Of course Becky can't really hear me or understand me anyways, so imagine her surprise when a man sitting next to her (who must have heard the story??) says to her in English, "Do you know what a goat is?" She realized I had been telling stories and entertaining Ethiopians at her expense!! (!)

It sure felt good to get to Addis- we were a little pressed for time as we were having dinner with some friends in town, so we needed to rush home, get showered, then head out for dinner. So we are SO, SO, SO incredibly dirty from basically only bathing in the brown Langano lake water, limited shower possibilities during our week in Langano, plus the bus always just makes you feel dusty and grimy so as we rush home for showers there is no water at my place in Addis!! I rushed outside to turn the city water off and the tank on, but still no water pressure! We tried to be cheerful but it was depressing to have to just change clothes and brush your tangled hair and head out for dinner!! What are the chances?? When we got home from dinner (which was great to have a nice American meal with good conversation!) we had great water pressure and hot water, but no electricity! We both took candlelight showers. What a wild time.

See anyone you know???

2009-01-03T22:00:00.001-08:00

This was yesterday on the bus.

Becky's First Day

2008-12-23T21:33:00.001-08:00

So there we were: tucked into the back of the minivan, knees up against the seat in front of us, and Becky asks me, "Is this how the bus to Langano is going to be?" Hmm, yea, that would be a yes! We headed up to Tora Hailuge- Becky is commenting on the herd of goats on the side of the road and I am thinking, "wait, aren't there goats in California?" So we get out to meet my shoeshine boy friend Mamoosh, but before we run our errand (he is going to help me buy a cell phone for a friend) he wants to shine her shoes, please.

Well, she's wearing Converse. I said "they are cloth, they shouldn't get wet" so he agrees, sits her down, and starts cleaning the outside white rubber part, then polishing THAT up with white shoe polish. The laces are out right away and dumped into (dirty looking) water as he tells me, "Every night you need to teach her Amharic with a dictionary so she learns."

Thus begins her adventure..... we got the cell phone and stopped for lunch at a meat house with a huge cow leg just hanging outside right by the door on the way in. It is good for me to see this country with new eyes.

The Great Ethiopian Race

2008-11-24T10:07:00.001-08:00

Well, you wouldn't expect a 10K in Addis, this is a developing country and all, but after all, we all know Ethiopians can run, right?? This race is held every year, starting at Meskel Square, which is the largest intersection in Africa -- 14 lanes across -- and winds around the downtown area of Addis. While there are lots and lots of Ethiopians that can really run, there are plenty that come out to walk it. I came back from Langano on Saturday so I could run the race on Sunday. It was great!! The American Embassy sent out a warning "advising" Americans not to run it because of the potential of problems with such a large group of runners -- 36,000 is the number I heard. The SIM leadership that I talked to did not have a strong opinion about running it, so our little group headed down to Meskel early Sunday morning. In the huge swarm of people, we ended up pretty far back among mostly walkers, so it was impossible to run. It reminded me of Bay to Breakers in San Franciso -- unless you register early, don't even think about running! We walked the first 5 kilometers of the race, running and weaving here and there. It didn't bother me not to run, as I hadn't done too much training and I get tired so fast- of COURSE blaming the altitude of around 8,000 feet here in Addis. We did run a few kilometers towards the end of the race, but slowed down to a walk before crossing the finish line. Isn't that a little anticlimactic??) It was great seeing such a great spirit in the crowd without the sense of getting jostled around in a huge mob. It was so fun!

Langano- Third Trip

2008-11-23T23:41:00.001-08:00

So I headed down to Langano on Tuesday. It was a nice trip down with Jake and Sarah -- they are a couple that have been out here for a few years and they are working with the Langano Camp project. I stayed with them in their little teeny house. It was great.

This trip was more work oriented -- I was down to get a feel for things at the clinic before Kim, my American co-worker, goes home for Christmas for 2 months. So I worked Wednesday in the clinic, Thursday out in the community doing vaccinations, and Friday in the clinic as well.

It was good to get a feel for things.... maybe a little overwhelming in some ways. I have to adjust to down country living again. Things like hot water and refrigeration are harder to come by- - in fact, we are having discussions about what I should I buy. A solar fridge? Well, I better order one now if it comes in from outside Ethiopia. Then there's the rumor that the camp may be getting electricity. So do I wait on the fridge? Or order it now? And is solar the best bet, or should I go for butagas? And if I buy the solar fridge, I have to get lots of solar panels to fuel it. How do I do that? Transfer Nancy's from her old house to my new house? Buy new ones? Where do I get those?....... How do I figure all this out????

Kim is fun to work with in the clinic. I told her that as long as you keep your sense of humor, you do ok, I suppose. It is a very busy clinic: Wednesday is prenatal day, and I listened for fetal heart tones on maybe 30 women's stomachs, and did some measuring and such.

There is a "baby house" right next to the clinic that is part of SIM's
service in Langano. It is not an orphanage -- not for kids to stay in -- but for severely malnourished babies up to 9 months old, just to help them get back to health. Most of the babies' mothers have died, but when they reach 9 months they are returned to their family for raising. The babies are all SO cute, and once they have been in for a bit, they are all healthy looking.

Friday Kim wanted to show me how the reporting process works, (monthly reports required by the government) and it was overwhelming!! There are probably 20 pieces of paper hand filled in to turn in asking all kinds of questions: how many patients with each disease were treated, how many kids under 5 with diarrhea, then further broken down into age brackets, separate form for how many kids with respiratory infection, prenatal exams, nutritional help, vaccinations given by vaccine and age group, on and on!!

We had a bonfire on the lakefront Friday night with homemade marshmellows (?? never heard of such a thing) and some "biscuits" that were supposed to be graham crackers for smores. We invited a couple of the Ethiopian nurses down and were trying to explain, "This is something in our culture. We only eat these when we have a fire. They are very sweet." I figured they must think we are so weird, smores is kind of a weird idea, anyways! :) We kept hearing the hippos in the lake but didn't get to see them.

Saturday I took the bus up to Addis, which is always its own adventure. This time I was taking a nurse with me, as well as a boy with a cleft palate who was being sponsered by SIM and his mother. Strange to have this mix of cultures -- they are unfamiliar with Addis since they are from the bush, and I am an outsider from the US but I am showing them around!! How is it that I know more Amharic than they do???

Conversation on the bus was very animated for a while -- the entire front of the bus was all laughing and chatting with me asking the standard questions: How long have you been here? Are you married? Why don't you marry an Ethiopian? What are the differences between your culture and ours? It is fun trying to get my meaning across, and people are just genuinely friendly and seem to find most everything I say so funny!!

So we made it up, I got the boy and his mother situated in a hotel with some help, and headed home. I'm glad I left all my bags in Langano to come up with someone else- public transport is SO much nicer when you are traveling light!!

That was my week in Langano. I missed four days of language school including the jussive/third person command and a test, so I have a bit of catch-up.

My Halloween costume with my Halloween friends.

2008-11-14T09:36:00.000-08:00

Making Good Use of Public Transportation..........

2008-11-13T09:55:00.000-08:00

The Langano Beach!

2008-11-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

The Fistula Hospital

2008-11-13T01:09:00.001-08:00

Today is the day I visit the fistula hospital. It is so groovy. A couple girls right outside greeted me really warmly- I must have met them before- I see faces I recognize but don't always remember anything more distinct. An old lady was sitting on the step- she only spoke Oromo, and told me she was going home the next day. May God be with you, I said.

As I walked into the main ward, a woman was standing in the doorway, looking much more reserved than warm. I said hi to her in Amharic and Oromo, and she responded in Oromo. Her hand came out from under her knitted blanket and she said quietly, I came yesterday and I am sick. She had the look of someone burdened by her problem. She said it had taken her one day to arrive from her home. I told her, the people here will help you. They want to help you. I only come sometimes, but we will see each other. I look forward to seeing her again.

Tomorrow I will go back and tell a Bible story to those women. Last week my Abraham story went ok, but I wished it was a bit more dramatic and I wished the pictures in my "Tiny Tots Bible Story Book" didn't show people ALL looking like white people!

So that is fun. I could have stayed there a bit longer….

Langano, the Second Trip

2008-11-10T10:41:00.001-08:00

Well, I somehow worked it out to go back down to Langano this last weekend. I went with two gals, Susan and Jenna, who hadn't been too much out of Addis. Strange being the one who knows the way to go!! Susan is staying with an American family who have a driver, so they graciously lent us their car and their chauffeur.

We made it down fine- took us a while to get out of Addis with trying to find gas- we went to 5 different gas stations and finally found some on Bole near the airport. We got to Langano in the dark (we had hoped not to) and Mike met us at the road to take us the last 6 km. When I heard we were taking a Toyota Corolla to Langano I wondered a bit if that car would make it in on the road, but when I saw the end of the road (in Mike's Land Cruiser) I knew for SURE we would not have made it in the Corolla- especially with all the muddy lakes across the path from the untimely rains.

The team there is great, and I am so glad I am joining it. We had a nice time, Genet was our lovely Ethiopian cook who specializes in strawberry pancakes and does everything well!

The way home, however, wasn't quite as peaceful and was a bit more eventful. The main road back to Addis is a good one, and we can go quite fast. I was dozing off in the back seat and woke up to Alazar (our driver) slamming on his brakes. I looked up just in time to see a little boy get hit by our car and fly forward, landing on the road 10 or 15 feet in front of our car.

We jumped out to pick the boy up- he was crying and whimpering, and he looked about 6 years old- and here, on this deserted stretch of highway, people came suddenly pouring from nowhere, swarming the car, trying to get in, yelling. Our driver helped the boy and one adult into the car and drove off saying he was going to take him to seek medical treatment. Everyone had tried pushing their way into the car claiming they were relative/mother/father, etc.

Eventually we made it to Mojo and the boy was taken to a clinic. Alazar had business to do with the police in regards to the legal implications of the accident- the three of us went into a little restaurant compound and had coffees and waited. He finally came back to say since it was a Sunday afternoon the police were not available and he was being required to stay in Mojo overnight, with the car. So we had to leave our driver in Mojo (about 2 hours south of Addis) and we caught a bus home. We saw the child after he was assessed, they said all his tests came back normal, and he was walking and talking and seemed calm but ok.

Today Alazar is still in Mojo but should be able to come back to Addis tomorrow. There is no way he could have avoided hitting the child, and he handled the whole situation very well.

Am I really ready to drive here? It would have been pandominium if I had been the driver myself. It was good to know that he knew exactly what to do and we could stand back and let that happen.

And we are safely arrived here! Now, can I get a trip in to Langano next week?? :)

The Fistula Hospital

2008-11-06T01:43:00.001-08:00

Well, so yesterday I made it to the fistula hospital for my first "teaching appointment." I had worked hard during my language helper time to get the story of Abraham ready- translating simple English sentences from a picture story Bible. But there was a little misunderstanding in regards to when I was going to show up, so I didn't teach- I will teach my Abraham story this afternoon at 2 pm.

However, I saw the same girls I had seen the day before and they greeted me warmly saying, "Where have you been?" One girl walked me around to the whole hospital and I said hi to just about all the patients. Some are so sweet and shy, some reserved and uncomfortable, but most very friendly and eager to interact. I had a long conversation with a couple of them that were in bed in rows (always reminds me of Madeline) and we talked about Oromo culture, salt in the coffee, planting, plowing, and everything I had seen from before. I realized, wow, I can bathe in Amharic and Oromo all I want!! This is for me. Talking to girls, telling them dramatic stories like how an egg cracked in my backpack, and making them laugh.

This morning I learned how to say, "God sent you here to this hospital." And this afternoon, Abraham.

The Trip to Langano

2008-10-26T12:28:00.001-07:00

So we made it down to Langano midmorning on Monday. Now Lake Langano is a big lake and a lot of resorts have come along and made nice little places to stay around the edge of it. SIM has a station about 45 minutes drive off the main road. It was great being with the team- my future team- and getting a feel for the compound. They all eat an injera lunch together that this great Ethiopian cook makes and it was fun seeing the Rodgers kids and feeling welcomed by everyone. Nancy had left alot of stuff that she said I could have so we borrowed her tents and got ourselves set up down by the lake with our tents. It is so pictureque by the lake- green reeds, glassy smooth water, acachia trees, etc. The compound surprises me because it is so BIG!- so much bigger than Awanno. I guess SIM has 100 acres. So I went to see my new house (see pic) that they are building- it is probably a kilometer away from the lake, seems like a ways up there. It is nestled into all kinds of greenery and seems like it will be nice.

There are lot of other familes down camping at other places around the lake- it was fun being with them, and we even got to waterski with one family who fixes boats up and such.

There are hippos in the lake, no kidding, we saw three or four at a time, they hang out right in front of SIM's compound. They make these weird noises in the reeds at night and one night I thought I heard breathing outside my tent (!!). I hear at night they climb up on the land! One of them opened his mouth really wide and did a little jump/flip in the water by the beach we were standing on, it was great to see!! We saw the reeds matted down in lots of places where they had been.

Seemed like between waterskiing and spending a day across the lake on a different beach and the travel days, that the week went too fast!! I wanted more time to get out, maybe visit, introduce myself to more people as the nurse that is coming down. I suppose the time for that will come.

The Scooter Breaks Down

2008-10-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

This is between Zoway and Mojo, just before Mojo. We hitchhiked in a flatbed to get it back to Mojo then another flatbed to get it in to Addis.

My House in Langano!! (under construction)

2008-10-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

I am standing in the kitchen.

Guess what I did at Lake Langano??

2008-10-26T06:24:00.000-07:00

This is what happens to your hair after braids and camping for the week..........WILD!!

2008-10-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

and again.....

2008-10-19T03:40:00.000-07:00

Takes some getting used to!! This will make for low maintenance hair while I'm camping at Langano next week! We leave tomorrow morning early to drive down.

The New Me!!

2008-10-19T03:39:00.000-07:00

....and down country last weekend at a resort in Wolisso with some friends from Bingham Academy

2008-10-18T01:28:00.000-07:00

Hiking on a language school field trip

2008-10-18T01:26:00.000-07:00

Me and My Amharic Primer!

2008-10-18T01:24:00.000-07:00

I am reading this book and it is getting easier with practice. Feels like kindergarten again!!

Language School Continues

2008-10-15T10:43:00.001-07:00

Now we are getting further into Amharic grammar. We are talking about a language that always puts verbs at the end of the sentence, that inserts direct objects into the MIDDLE of the verb, that is written in a very foreign script, that speaks more in the perfect past that simple past, and that has four forms of "you."

Enough said! The speakers of Amharic are friendly and so warm to language learners. They tell you you are "gobez" (smart or clever) all the time. It is easy to get off the compound and walk around using it anytime. Today I ducked into a little juice shop and sat and had a pineapple/mango smoothie-thing for 60 US cents! The woman who ran it told me not to forget her name, and to come back soon. I told her, "I am your neighbor now."

So next week we have a break from language school. I am hoping to get out of the city, maybe to Langano to see my team and my station- and my house they are building!!

Language School

2008-10-07T07:05:00.001-07:00

Language school continues. So far it is not too much for new
information for me, but next week the "short course" (one month
course I took before) ends and the long course begins. The teaching will be all in fidel (Amharic script) and only the serious students are left. That will be a change.

Otherwise I am trying to figure out how to balance my other time. I am going to the Fistula Hospital to tell the girls Bible stories on
Thursday afternoons. I would like to leave town on the weekends. There are people to catch up with- both Ethiopian and foreigners. There are lots of projects in Addis I could get involved with.

Strange to think I have been here only one week! Life begins to assume the routine...

So I am signing off and hope I can get a bus to "Zenebework": that is my stop.

Fistula Hospital

2008-10-04T00:21:00.001-07:00

I have been to the Fistula hospital a number of times before, but it doesn't get old. We went a few days ago, and I was impressed again. We also went out to visit Desta Mender ("Village of Joy") where the girls who cannot be cured can live. It is like its own little community. The girls living there cannot be cured and need colostomies and such, so they need to be close to medical care for the stomas and UTI's and such. While they are on this compound they can learn things like literacy and business so they can find a way to support themselves. In this picture (if it loads) I am in front of the new midwivery school they are opening on the Desta Mender compound with a goal to decrease fistula rates with education.

Otherwise life goes on, Amharic language school is good though still a bit boring, I am making connections and in some ways feel like I never left. Now onto getting some groceries shopped for, getting my cell phone turned on, and making some granola.

Adjusting to a new life

2008-10-01T07:04:00.001-07:00

All 8 boxes made it without problems. I got some Ethiopian "helpers" to help me in the airport, and we made it through customs without trouble-they weren't too concerned about trying to figure out what was in all those boxes. My ride was there to meet me just as planned, and I got settled into a cute little apartment on the SIM press compound.

Yesterday was the Eid- end of the fast. I took a taxi into town with some other gals from language school (heading into SIM headquarters) but the streets are under so much construction, and there were so many people out, that the taxi was just stopped, so we got out and walked.

So there we were, walking upstream a flood of jubilant Muslims carrying prayer mats and kids on their shoulders, celebrating the end of the fast. I decided that if I hadn't been to Ethiopia before, it would have been an overwhelming cultural experience: new smell everytime you inhale, new walking strategy with every step to avoid the bus in front of you, the kids yelling at you, the unmarked potholes, and lots and lots of people.

But I suppose it isn't too wild or weird for me. The new life of adventure.

Language school was good today. Tomorrow we are going on a "field trip" to the Fistula Hospital and Desta Mender.

I have survived days one and two of Africa!!

The little gift

2008-09-27T12:42:00.001-07:00

Christopher dropped off his gift- he sautered the whole thing himself! Complete with LED lights and all.

The Final Packing

2008-09-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day in San Jose. It feels nice. We had blueberry syrup-and-whipped-cream waffles this morning, sat around and enjoyed it all.

The Packing

2008-09-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

I keep calling United and Luftansa to ask different agents the same set of questions. How much money to check 8 bags? Do you need to flag my reservation? What is the maximum weight? The stories are starting to be consistent.....:)

So on to packing, alot of donated pills, some educational materials, some housewares, my french press, lots of books, maybe a duvet (can't decide), some Ikea prints, and lots more. It is coming together. Good thing my sister Amy is handy to help me pack, write down what is going in what box, and make me an Americano when the afternoon is dragging.

Sunday morning will come quickly! I am excited and ready. Its just that my boxes aren't.

A hard, deep call to obedience

2008-09-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

You are the God who makes extravagant promises.
We relish your great promises
of fidelity
and presence
and solidarity,
and we exude in them.
Only to find out, always too late,
that your promise always comes
in the midst of a hard, deep call to obedience.
You are the God who calls people like us,
and the long list of mothers and fathers before us,
who trusted the promise enough to keep the call.
So we give you thanks that you are a calling God,
who calls always to dangerous new places.
We pray enough of your grace and mercy among us
that we may be those
who believe your promises enough
to respond to your call.
We pray in the one who embodied your promise
and enacted your call, even Jesus. Amen.

In anticipation of reading Jeremiah 1-2
Walter Bruggemann

Madeleine L'Engle

2008-09-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

I know too well now that I cannot live without poetry. Sometimes the power of words put together in poetry overwhelms me, often it draws me close to God in a new fresh way, it is always refreshing to me.

And Madeline L'Engle took me off guard with some of her poems. I think it is the element of emotion that comes at you like a surprise when you don't see where she's going, but she throws you into the center of human feeling.

From "When I pushed through the crowd." (See Mark 5:24-34)

No, it wasn't the leper,
or the man cured of palsy,
or any of the other stories of miracles,
or at any rate that was the least of it;
I had been promised miracles too often.
I saw him ahead of me in the crowd
and there was something in his glance
and in the way his hand rested briefly
on the matted head of a small boy
who was getting in everybody's way,
and I knew that if only I could get to him,
not to bother him, you understand,
not to interrupt, or to ask him for anything,
not even his attention,
just to get to him and touch him.....

The Size of the Task

2008-09-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

I realized something yesterday. I was explaining to someone what I wanted to do in Ethiopia: develop a community health program in Langano. Help Ethiopian health care workers catch a vision for reaching their own villagers with holistic health care. Create a new model for health care that doesn't need lots of Westerners. Make a system that will spread itself, and take it to different parts of the country. I realized, whoa, this job is way, way too big for me. It is easy for me to think of all the reasons I am not equipped or right for the job: I am a labor nurse, never worked in community health, I am white, I draw attention, I need hot showers and Western food. And who says I know more about my faith than Ethiopian Christians living in the bush? I don't have enough experience, or knowledge, or the right degrees...

So, it must be the right job if it is too big. Why take a job that is a reasonable size? Is there no room for God to use me if I am willing to trust Him to help me? Didn't He lead to this point, exactly where I am standing right now? I am trusting Him and, strangely, I feel this job is just the right size.

Journals....

2008-08-30T17:01:00.000-07:00

I am working my way through all my stuff and boxes and such, and there is a box full of journals. I was flipping through them and reading some of them to Gina and laughing at my own comments. Some entries are filled with devotion and hunger for God that almost shames me now and makes me ask, have I lost that? Others chronicle problems that sure seemed big at the time, but now are almost lost in memory.

But all have a flavor that slowly builds. Almost all these journals are from after my personal commitment to love and serve God when I was 18, and since then the slow crescendo has continued: missions. God's work around the world. There is the "evangelism" student leadership team when Miles was the pastor, applying to work in Ecuador with HCJB (that never really worked out), Guatemala and all its thoughts and meditations, meeting Claire, nursing school, reading the biography about Mercy Ships, on and on.

And here I stand on the edge of where I have been heading: about to step into another culture, but this time, it is as a career. The end of an era.

But really, isn't it the beginning? A new trajectory where building God's kingdom can be my main focus, whatever that looks like.

The Banquet Table

2008-08-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

We had quite a feast last night- Granddad's 91st birthday, and Amy's sweet 16! It is good with everyone together, Jonathan down from San Francisco, David still in town. Reminds me how much Granddad has lived through as he talked about how he and his friends reacted to the news about Pearl Harbor (they were in town seeing a movie when they heard). They responded by enlisting. He was on the golf course when he heard Kennedy had been assasinated.

I think he liked his new hummingbird feeder and the rasberry wine I got him to drizzle over ice cream....

Cute Baby!!

2008-07-30T23:59:00.001-07:00

From Jami's place

2008-07-30T23:44:00.000-07:00

From St. Louis, Missouri

2008-07-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

I am in St. Louis visiting my good friends David and Jami Dalton. We went to see the Arch yesterday- considered the "Gateway of the West." It reminded me of the pioneering spirit that existed in our country and how similar they must have felt to my own situation- venturing off into the unknown.

I am excited to get to Ethiopia. I will be there by the middle of September.

2008-06-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

I was looking at the Poetry and Psalms class offered this summer by Western and getting pretty excited about it, and when I told David about it I was reminded of another poem I wrote for my Old Testament class at Western back in 2004.

Its about Quiksilver County Park- I used to run there more, and there was always this dichotomy between leaving my walkman at home and running in Quiksilver, or taking the walkman, listening to very shallow pop music, and running around the streets near here. That's where the music themes come from. Here's the poem.

Quiksilver

This place is holy
There’s moisture on the grass
The trail is muddy and it smells good here.

Far from the maddening crowd
There’s sunlight on the oak tree
The picnic table is empty and alluring.

In this quiet place I hear praise
There’s bugs humming in the air
The shrubs are close and thick.

My temporal life is now below me
There’s only the splendid deep sky
And the broad hill scape painted with setting sun.

You walk with me in the cool of the day
The air tastes good on the way down
And the path is smooth and wide now.

I want more Everlasting and less fleeting
The hills are stacked with different shades
The lake is deep and quiet, the air still and full.

Why do I ever choose noise over this silence?
What else restores me like this communion?
Who have I in heaven but Thee?

Now I’m far away from all the other voices
I worked my way up this hill to hear Yours
You speak in the vast, rich speech of Your glory.

Can I stay here? Must I go back?
How can I bring this stillness back down?
I want no song but the one I hear now.

Batter my heart and open my eyes
Loosen my grip on that which is passing
Prepare me for Your courts of praise.

Isn't there a more efficient way?

2008-04-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

Cornelius. The story struck me when I heard it referred to in one of my missions lectures. God tells an angel to appear to Cornelius in Caeserea. That is, He sends an angelic messenger all the way from heaven down to earth to give a message to this man. The angel is going to scare Cornelius and certainly get his attention.

Why wouldn't the angel just tell him the gospel right then and there??

For all that "mileage" in coming down from heaven, the angel just lets him know who to look up. Seems like as the church is preparing for this pivotal juncture in missions (the gospel becomes the message for the whole world), God illustrates how He likes to work.

Gosh, it would be quicker and foolproof to send angels. They don't get sick with the food, or mess up the grammer, or miss their families, or get scared of going by themselves, do they? They never disagree with their Team Leader or have to worry about Land Rovers to get them around or have to get shots and take pills to stay healthy.

Angels to my friends in Awanno. Angels to my friends-to-be in Langano. Dazzling robes, maybe with hair that is white like wool or something catchy like that. Then all those people would listen and understand, wouldn't they?

But its us! He showed us in Acts and commanded us in Matthew: He is using us. Not us alone, but He is using us. With all our conflict, misgivings (even Peter in Acts 10 has misgivings), and fear of the unknown mission field experience that lays before us. Good thing we aren't alone.

2008-04-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

I have found so much comfort in recently in Revelation 1:17-18. "Do not fear. I am the first and the last...." Why would that make me not afraid? Because He is on my side, and He is holding the keys to death and Hades. He is the beginning and the end, and the winner of everything, and He is telling me not to be afraid.

That is good, in light of the path ahead of me. I can't see the muddle in the middle, but He is the first and the last.

2008-04-10T23:26:00.000-07:00

I suppose all along the way in terms of preparing for heading back into missions, there have been a lot of things I could not imagine happening. As some of those unimaginable things come to pass, I suppose it is a concrete sign that God is working in my life, not just me moving forward on my own willpower.

Last year I couldn't really imagine any concrete planning to be a long term missionary at all. More recently, this fall, I couldn't imagine actually sitting down to write another prayer letter- sort of feels like, "Hey, everybody, its me again, feels like I am always asking for money." That was in the fall before I made my January trip over, and I figured if it was really His leading, somehow I would convince myself to sit down and write it.

I did not have to convince myself, but I sure wrote it. And as I wrote it, I cried thinking about how much I DO believe in what God is doing in the world, and the ultimate supremacy of Jesus Christ and the truth of His words to us. Even sitting down to write it at the kitchen table with the morning sun coming in... putting my hands on the keys... I had imagined it would be harder than it was.

That is evidence of God.

And now I see more ahead of me that I can't imagine and genuinely don't want. Good bye parties, oh, gosh, that doesn't sound fun. Or moreso- saying goodbye to my family- my parents and my sisters here whose lives are so intertwined with mine. What in the world is going to replace that element of my life in Ethiopia? I can't get excited about the HQ dynamics....

But I have the evidence, right here fresh in my mind and memory- He leads us forward right through whatever it is we dread or fear or just plain old don't look forward to- and He makes it good and worth it all.

Even when we can't quite imagine how it is going to work out.

Missions

2008-04-09T00:21:00.000-07:00

I am listening to these lectures from the Ockenga Institute Online (through Gordon-Conwell) and the lectures are so good.

I can't quite describe the feel they give me, but its the same feeling I felt sitting in my Perspectives on the World Christian Movement back in... 2003 I guess? A long time ago.

Its that feeling of a whole lot of smart talented people pouring their lives into missions, this amazing labor force enabled with the much more amazing Holy Spirit of God, and they are coupled together to complete this joyful task and bring the End, and the End will be ultimate Joy as we see Jesus on His throne. And all that labor force, and all the people that have loved Him and died, and all those buried in that missionary graveyard outside Nairobi, Kenya, and all those Africans that sing so loud and well, and all the quiet worship types, we'll all be there and there will be no more pain, and it will be worth it.

That's kindof the feeling, and it reconfirms and reconfirms and reconfirms every day to me that I would not want to be anywhere else but working in Christian Missions, promoting the only Message that really came to help all the problems in the world, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So it is getting me ready...