TIA- This is Africa

Have you ever seen Blood Diamond? If so you may be familiar with TIA. There are things that just don’t make sense in our “world” but here you just know that This is Africa.

A couple of logistics for those who are interested.

There is only power every other day. It is across Ethiopia as far as I can tell. The only way to have power is if you have a generator and even if there is a generator you never really know. When you go some place to eat it is always interesting as to what they really have because of the power.

Food is not so good. I am being careful bec I don’t want to sick. Sometimes the smell of this place or a restaurant will just send a wave of nausea. We will probably be eating at the hotel the majority of the week. The things to stick with are going to be fries, soup, pasta, bread. You can’t get much healthier than that! We had pizza twice in two days bec that is a safe bet. Chicken is ok sometimes but I stay away from other meat. I tried a chicken sandwich today and it looked so rough I didn’t have more than a bite. When I looked at “the same” chicken sandwich at the other end of the table it was totally different. TIA.

Water has been consistent so far and we have been able to take showers everyday. Hot water however is a different story.

The hotel we are at this week has mosquito nets hanging from the ceiling. So it should be an interesting week. It is really hot so the question is take a risk with the windows open and trust the net will do its job or just roast at night. I will probably open the windows and hope the net works.

There is no toilet paper in any public bathroom.

It is really hard to breath here. There are no restrictions on omissions on cars and trucks. There is a lot of air pollution. The altitude is also really high so that makes it hard to breathe also.

The scaffolding on the buildings for construction are sticks. It is amazing how they actually get that to stay up.

Day 2 Kids Care Orphanage - Addis Ababa

Saturday morning we went to an orphanage called Kids Care. We visited this orphanage last year so I was anxious to return to see if the same kids would be there. I was desperately hoping that I wouldn’t see the same kids because if I did of course that meant they had gone another year without being adopted. The kids are divided into rooms according to age. We began at the first room with was called the Recovery Room. The Recovery Room was for newborns, sick newborns or babies who are under the weight. Last year there were triplets that were the tiniest things I had ever seen. This year there were 7 infants, 2 of which just arrived the day before. I didn’t make it past that room to even see the other kids… I was captured. I love babies anyway but these tiny babies were the most beautiful thing you have ever seen. As soon as one of the babies let out anything resembling a cry I jumped at the opportunity to pick her up. She was two months old and she couldn’t have been more than 10 lbs. She was tiny. I think she was scared of white people because she wouldn’t look at me no matter how I moved her little body. I tried and tried to get that baby to smile and I was never successful. The woman who takes care of these babies did not speak any English so it made it difficult and a bit awkward to try to communicate. We both tried a couple of times with no success to communicate. Finally another girl who worked at Kids Care came in and she spoke English. It was great bec I then could not only talk to her but she could translate for us as well. I began asking her about the babies…. How long they have been there, what were the circumstances that brought them there were, etc. Some of the children there were true orphans, their parents had died because of HIV/AIDS or other sickness. Other children had been dropped off by their family because they were too poor to be able to take care of them. Others were there as a result of the unthinkable - abandonment on the streets. There was one beautiful baby boy who just had arrived the day before and the police had found him laying in the street and brought him to Kids Care. There were many children who had no record of a birthday or name. Such a heartbreaking thing to comprehend.

It made me think of how God uses the analogy in scripture of being an orphan and becoming a son/daughter of His. Actually seeing these children helped me to have a new understanding and appreciation of the use of that analogy. Before coming to Africa I didn’t REALLY understand or think about what it meant in reality to be an orphan. The United States does not really have orphans or orphanages. I began to see that being an orphan means having absolutely NOTHING. No family. No reference point of who you are. No identity. No name. No birthday. No love. No belonging. Not known. Nobody to provide the necessities of life. Complete and utter abandonment and separation from everything and everyone. Nothing to offer society or to others. This is what scriptures calls us. We are orphans without Christ. I am in complete desperation of saving, being loved, being provided for, an identity, a name. I am incapable of providing these things to or by myself. I am a tiny frail, sick, infant who has been abandoned with no hope. However, praise the Lord that scripture does not stop there. I am no longer an orphan. I have been adopted. I not only someone’s daughter now but a daughter of the King. I have been given an identity, a name. I am known. I now have a father who provides not only everything that I could ever need but a Father who loves me so deeply that He provides more than I could ever imagine. I have been given the inheritance of the King. I now understand more fully when Christ says He will come to me, He will not leave me as an orphan.

Day 1- Finally here

Landing in Addis Ababa today was an emotional time for me. As I began to see ground my eyes filled with tears. Some of it may have been that I had only slept 6 hours in the past two nights but mostly it is was because I couldn’t believe that I had finally made it back. It had been a year of thinking, praying, fund raising, planning, second guessing, figuring out, etc. and I was finally here.

The team is great and I am so excited about the coming weeks. There is so much I remember about being in Africa but still many things I had forgotten. One major thing I had forgotten was the smell. I can’t explain it but the smell just is like someone just punched you in the stomach. However, one thing I had not forgotten is the way you feel when you see little eyes look at you and their whole face lights up. These kids are amazing. They jump up and run to hug you or shake your hand they just want to be near you.

Today was a hard transition to go from one of the wealthiest cities (Dubai) to one of the poorest countries in the world. The contrast is heart breaking and honestly sickening. God is always faithful to me but it has been even more evident this past week. My doubts have been removed and a complete peace about being exactly where He wants me to be. There is just something about this place. It is a hard and painful process when God strips you of everything that stands between you and Him but what a glorious thing…. To Glorify God and enjoy Him forever. I am thrilled that God has brought me on such an amazing journey to know Him more and make Him known

Dubai

I am in the airport from Dubai getting ready to board for Ethiopia. Just a few more short hours until we will be settled… at least for a few days. It is crazy here. We went to see the Atlantis hotel and just so happened to see the WEEKLY firework show before the weekend! We drove down the palm island, saw a 7 star hotel, walked into the Arabic Sea…. Once thing I didn’t think about was that it is a Desert here! Wow is it hot. I don’t think you can go outside without sweating. Next up will be 70 degrees in Ethiopia who knew it would be cooler in Africa than Columbia. It will be interesting and hard to have such a contract in what we experienced the past 12 hours in Dubai where a room at a 7 star hotel is $11,000 a NIGHT. Now in a couple of hours I will be in an orphanage where children don’t even know their birthday. I am thrilled to be headed to Ethiopia. The team is great and it will be great getting to know and serve along with them. God has already blessed us during these few hours…. It is going to be an amazing trip.

Women at Risk - Nazaret, Ethiopia

The following is a new project that we will be apart of while in Ethiopia. I am very excited about it. Please pray for my time with these women. I cannot imagine the pain that these circumstances have caused them. My heart aches for them even now before even without having a face and name to associate with these horrific stories. We will be in Nazaret Monday July 13- Friday July 17.

We wanted to introduce to you a new project that Mocha Club is excited about helping fund, thanks to YOU! You are now helping us rehabilitate 50 former prostitutes or “sex workers” in the town of Nazaret, Ethiopia. The face of prostitution in Ethiopia, in general, is linked with deep poverty. As a result, many think that prostitution is their only hope. Women also deal with various social issues, including different levels of trauma they have experienced as early as childhood. Most young women go into prostitution because of lack of family support and a lack of income. From our experience, the women are desperate to leave this occupation, but are trapped by the lack of opportunities and rehabilitative support. Many women come from rural areas, especially those working at the lowest level of prostitution. This is because they have no education and are not necessarily street smart. Many women are second and third generation into the life of prostitution. According to a latest data released by HIV/AIDS Secretariate, the rate of HIV infection among women in prostitution is expected to be as high as 74%.Our rehabilitation requires not only getting these women off the streets, but also counseling them through their heart issues and helping them find alternate vocations and income. These women will either make a start by setting up their own small business projects or they will submit their new qualifications to the attention of other employers. The example set by the mothers will obviously impact their children who will have new role models to follow, thus distancing themselves from the night-life of prostitution. The ultimate goal of our partner organization, “Ellita – Women At Risk” is helping these women so that they remain healthy and become productive members of the society, through behavioral change and skill training. The program, Ellilta, is literally a shout of joy, such as during worship, weddings, or a new birth.

http://blog.mochaclub.org/articles/2009/03/20/introducing-women-at-risk

Oh so weak

Satan has been relentless the past few weeks. Daily life has been hectic, stressful, overwhelming, hard and tiring. Guilt and second guessing has filled my thoughts and emotions. I continue to have a constant nagging voice telling me that I am selfish and irresponsible for going to Ethiopia for 4 weeks. I just started a new job. What will people think of me that I am leaving for 4 weeks when I have only had this job for a month? Yes, my work has been unbelievably supportive and generous in allowing me to go to Ethiopia. No, they have not done anything that has caused me to feel guilty or second guess their support in any way. My nephews and niece are staying with my parents for a couple of months. I feel selfish. I should be here to help out. I should have this time to spend time with the kids. Yes, my family has been supportive of me returning to Ethiopia (for the most part). No, they have not made me feel guilty about the fact I will not be here to help out with the kids. I have been feeling inadequate (which I am ). I am unprepared. When I had decided months ago that I would be returning to Ethiopia I quickly jumped ahead in my mind to now… a week before my departure. I thought I would be more prepared spiritually, emotionally and physically. However, I feel tired, weak and overwhelmed spiritually, emotionally and physically. I am unprepared.

Satan is the father of lies. A deceiver armed to steal, kill and destroy. Adversary. Accuser. Enemy.

Satan has been relentless BUT Christ is victorious.

Donations

Sorry it has taken me so long to get this list out. I have had many people ask about donations so I am sending it to a broad group. Please do not feel any pressure to contribute. However, if you would like to contribute I would great appreciate it. One concern of mine this year is space. We are only allowed two 50lb bags. That significantly less than last year. I am still looking at paying an additional fee for another bag but that may get too expensive so I just ask that you keep that in mind. While I can take and use almost anything there are suggestions below. If you venture off the list that is fine just keep a couple of things in mind. Water guns, water balloons, water games, etc are NOT good – they do not have access to water to be used for games. Language barrier can be an issue – I will try to stay away from games that are too complex or require a lot of explaining. Items that are heavy and bulky will probably be difficult to take. Many of these items can be found at the Dollar Store. Last year I had people prefer to give me a donation and I bought items. Whatever you feel most comfortable with is great. I am in charge of games so…

Soccer Balls
Kick Balls
Volley Balls
Balls that are already deflated or can be work the best
Hand pumps
Jump ropes
Side walk chalk
Face Paints
Duct Tape
(Black) Baby Dolls – last year I found black baby dolls with a soft body and hard head at the dollar store but haven’t seen them yet this year
Frisbee
Beach balls
Balloons
“punch” balls – these were a hit
Personal Hygiene Items – tooth brushes, deodorant, tooth paste, girl hair clips, Vaseline, etc.
Teenage boy socks and underwear/boxers
Packs of teenage boy undershirts – would be used for everyday shirts so preferably not white
Blindfolds/bandanna

These are just some thoughts. THANK YOU all so much for your help and encouragement. You all play a vital role in this trip. I will collect them from now until July 1.