Team Building Times

Each Friday or Saturday, we get together as a team and share a meal and prayer time together.  Last month, we enjoyed a fireside with prayer time. We roasted wieners and marshmallows (specialty items in this part of the world as wieners are imported to Addis and marshmallows were brought from home).  

Another week, we had a movie/pizza night to celebrate the children’s successful reading program.  It was followed by a sleepover for Kalia and Emily. 

Pets for a Day and Pets to Love

Our children have many opportunities each day and week to explore the creation around them.  Some days they catch grasshoppers and frogs, other days butterflies, chameleons, praying mantis’, leaf bugs, etc. 

Goats and lambs are numerous and we presently own a goat named Snowflake and a rabbit named Fluffy or Vixen depending on who you ask.   We cared for two lambs for a week named Ginger and Cocoa.  They have now joined the flock and get some milk supplements by the guards.   

I do love seeing the children take on different responsibilities and learn what it takes to care for things.   I am also quite glad that the majority of the animals are either returned to nature or cared for by others.

Now if only the bush babies above our ceiling would find a new home.  We can hear them chasing each other and they make quite a racket.  There are several holes in the screen that need to be fixed to keep out rats and other creatures.  Sorry no pictures since they only seem to come out at night.

The 3 Youngest Girls

Ariana showing off one of her pictures.   She loves to draw and color.   

Ariana and Jonas spend a lot of time outdoors together especially when school ends early for them.  Some days they have school from 8:30-12 and other days they end at 11 am.  Before lunch, hand and face washing is a must.

Nadia cheesing it and Sonia playing in the homeschool room.  I have been trying to take a picture of Sonia standing and taking her first steps but it is hard to get the timing right.

                

Making Ice Cream & Injera

There is always something to make or do and one has to learn to be creative to enjoy the most basic things.  Making ice cream is something I learned several years ago and last month, I made a double batch.  It was enjoyed on a hot sunny afternoon.   

The kids also asked if they could make injera.  So one morning we joined Mesalech and she filled a small gourd with the batter.  You have to pour it in a circular motion starting on the outside and pouring around and around until the pancake is filled.  You end in the middle.  The injera pancake is covered with a grass lid and baked for a minute or two and then picked up with bare hands.  The children made small injera but they are usually about 2.5 feet in diameter.

And here Sonia is enjoying eating the injera that the children made.

Learning to bead Gumuz style

Several weeks ago, I invited my friend Yeans to teach me to bead.  She came with several children and we sat on our back porch.  Kalia, Emily and Joel wanted to learn as well so they sat at a table inside.  As I learned how to bead, I would show them and they caught on quickly. 

It got a little crazy though as several more children joined the fun (since school was cancelled for the day).  Our kids also had no school that morning and so we nearly completed the bracelets we were working on.

A Swimming hole

While the Colemans were visiting Gesses, they took us to a swimming area they used to wade in.  Much of the sand has been dug out leaving a fairly large hole (about chest deep on Kalia).  The kids enjoyed an hour of swimming.  The water was running into the hole from a flowing creek and then down into several smaller swimming holes. 

We may not return for another swimming experience as the water will soon stop running and become stagnant.  It was however a beautiful spot and a place the children will be sure to enjoy exploring again sometime.

Gumuz archery practice

Joel had one glance at the Gumuz boy’s bows and he was set on getting one.  A friend of ours offered to make one and another friend made the arrows.  Our children own their own bows but Joel has had to relearn how to shoot since the method is slightly different.

You pinch the arrow and pull the string back holding the arrow.  The arrow has no fletching..  The arrows are long and heavy.  They are hunting arrows with barbs on them.  The arrow tips are made by hammering a nail.  Rolf has put a large grass filled sack up in a tree since Gumuz boy mostly use their bows for hunting birds.  They stick a short corncob on the end so that the arrow doesn’t get stuck in the tree when they miss.

It is presently a hobby Joel enjoys a few minutes most days just before supper (especially since it is time he gets with his dad).

Monday, November 28th: Isn’t it Sonia’s birthday?

We have been making plans to celebrate Sonia’s first birthday for a few days already.  It was a full weekend and I was struggling with what is called “Berd”.  We would call it the flu ... general achiness and a mild fever.   Because of “Berd” and because life here is not run by calendar and time, I seemed to have missed the fact that today was Sonia’s birthday.

At lunchtime, Kalia came into the house from school and asked, “Isn’t it Sonia’s birthday today?”  To which I replied.  “No it is tomorrow.”  She answered, “But today is the 28^th of November.”

I was shocked.  “Really?”  I had to check the calendar on my computer and sure enough, it was staring me in the face.  Monday, November 28^th.   “Kalia, you are right.  Today is Sonia’s birthday.”  Since I had told the Schwenks and my family that we were celebrating Sonia’s birthday on Tuesday, an argument began in the classroom about Sonia’s real birthdate.

We immediately began celebrating Sonia’s birthday and she seemed to understand.  She has already taken her first steps several days ago, but this day, we saw a few more.   We sang to her, I made some cupcakes and she enjoyed her first taste of icing.  The real party was still going to take place on Tuesday.  

The afternoon was taken up by preparing doro wat (chicken stew) and white bean stew for the lunch meal we would serve.  In the evening, I baked a cake and cupcakes and icing.    Rolf was unable to find icing sugar in Addis and so making icing was truly “from scratch”.   We get unrefined sugar here which takes a lot of mixing to even partially dissolve.   I took this sugar and used my coffee blender to grind it into powder.  I used a new recipe that called for margarine.  We get “Holland” made margarine that has a lengthy shelf life.  It works well for cookies but not so well for icing.  Even my children rejected the first batch of icing that I made.  So I had to start over with a new recipe (that used a lot less margarine).

Rolf spent the evening decorating the iced cake with a huge butterfly and Sonia’s name.   Why do we go to all this work?  It seems rather strange in this environment.  But we decided it was to show our love to our kids, a way to remember their special day in the future and help them to be part of our western culture.  And of course, we couldn’t stop making cakes for our 5^th child since she is just as special as the others.  So we stayed up late and hoped it would be enjoyed by all.   

And it was a record low temperature in Gesses of 14 C last night.  I realize this may not seem cold to many of you but with our open windows and plywood walls, it is actually chilly.

Tuesday, November 29th: Sonia’s 1st birthday bash

We were woken at 3 am by the sound of drunken singing, flute playing and a large crowd walking past our house.  Apparently this was the night to bring the bride and groom together (several days ago, we heard gunshots and more music which began the celebration).  Not sure why it had to happen at 3 am but that was the chosen time. 

Mesalech made injera early in the morning but everything else was ready for lunch, so we resumed our normal activities.  At noon, the kids were fed and at 1pm, the first guests arrived ... all women and children.  I had invited Mesalech’s sister (who is a teacher here in Gesses), Adesay (Schwenks’ houseworker), and our Gumuz neighbours Demis, Yashoko and family.   We assumed there would be others dropping by (guards, Wotak, etc) and they would be fed as well.

The ladies and children enjoyed the food and just as we finished, the men arrived.  Barry, Rolf, Demis and one guard ate together while the ladies began drinking coffee and the children enjoyed cake.

The kids played some pin the antennae on the butterfly (that they had drawn) and then the party was over.  I was so pleased with how it turned out.  There was plenty of food and it was enjoyed by all.  Lots of conversation in Gumuz and Amharic and Sonia thoroughly enjoyed her cake.   Right after everyone left, Sonia fell asleep and had a good long afternoon nap.

Pictures will be shared at a later date.  Our baby is one!  What a blessing it is to raise our children here.  We miss our friends and family but are thankful for the friendships the Lord has given us.

And to end the day ... it seems Kalia might now have “Berd” as she is experiencing general achiness and a churning stomach.  Either that or she ate too much rich food today.

When a mother dies

The same day that we celebrated Sonia’s first birthday,  several men and a baby came to our door.  The mother died a week ago and this baby needed milk.  The Schwenks started a project where a goat is lent to a family to feed a baby whose mother had died.  This has been used for some families but many seem to reject this.  It is too much work to milk a goat to feed a baby. 

This father came asking for milk powder.  We encouraged them to consider borrowing a goat.  They didn’t seem interested.  We provided them with a small jar of milk powder for the 4 month old baby but urged them to consider the goat.  They were welcome to come back.  The baby also had an eye infection and I gave some medication for this.  (This morning, a different child was brought with an eye infection as well).

Will this child live?  It is unlikely.  I wanted to just scoop this baby in my arms and keep it with us.   How can I send them away knowing that they don’t really have a will to care for this child?  They don’t have other options in their culture.  And this young father has another young child to care for as well.

Pray that God would transform this culture so that when tragedy strikes a family, there are loving arms to care for them.  Pray too that we would be filled with compassion and wisdom in knowing how to demonstrate Christ’s love and not be overcome by all the needs around us. 

Enjoying stocked shelves and goodies from home

It is great to have Rolf back again.  The kids were still up when he pulled in at 8:15pm.  Their eyes were heavy with sleep  while I was reading to them but at the first sound of the landcruiser they were out the door.  Sleep didn’t come too quickly after that.

We have been blessed again and are truly thankful for all the extras we are presently enjoying.  We are stocked up on fruit and vegetables (thanks to Rolf’s super shopping), our cupboards are full of dry goods which we were running low on – flour, sugar, tomato paste, pasta, rice,  oatmeal, etc and then we got treats from home.

A big thank you to Cynthia who received word that someone was travelling from Toronto to Addis Ababa the day Rolf arrived in town.   She only had about 48 hours to put it together. 

There was 30lbs of free space and she did a fantastic job of shopping and blessing us with treats!   Things that are commonplace in the west are highly valued here because of their unavailability.  Rolf enjoyed his thanksgiving dinner at 9pm last night and we slept well.

This afternoon, the children and I had a quick dress rehearsal and then they performed for the 3 adult audience.  It was thoroughly enjoyed, videoed and documented.   The children performed 4 songs and 2 jazz chants with actions and instruments.  Lots of fun.  Somebody’s knocking at my door, Slowly walks my granddad, Clap your hands, The Horse March, Fleas love Dogs and The Dinosaur Chant.

We ended the performance with a chocolate bar, a cold pop and “magic” tricks by Uncle Barry.  A great ending to the week!  And now it is once again time for rest. 

Thursday, Day 5: Happy American Thanksgiving

Praise the Lord for a good night. Joel was asleep by 7pm, the others followed at 7:30 and I went to bed at 8:30pm. Thankfully the night went well. I was up at 5:30 and the children were up at 6am so it has been a long day already. Everyone is on the mend though. 

Rolf had some delays but was finally leaving Addis at 11:15am and he should pull in about 8:15pm tonight. 

The only drama today (besides the usual music class) was Joel's screaming before lunch. I imagined blood pouring from his face or a scorpion hanging off of him. Thankfully it was only a minor incident. While climbing a tree, his exposed tummy brushed against a "poisonous" caterpillar. It is like being brushed by fiberglass, I am told. I applied some hydrocortisone cream and within minutes the pain had subsided. 

We just finished a delicious chicken meal with mashed potatoes, etc, and it is time for dessert. Rolf will be welcomed back with a plateful of leftovers. 

Thank you all for praying him back to us once again!!!

8 kids and 2 lambs

On Friday, the Coleman family arrived and we had our weekly supper and prayer time together with the Schwenks. The children discoverd that our orphan lamb has an orphan sibling which was being rejected by all the female sheep. It was looking very scrawny so we ended up “adopting” it as well. 

I am not an animal lover but my children are and so we decided to care for these baby lambs for a few days until they were stronger. Two baby lambs are actually very cute. Once you have fed it once, it follows you everywhere. Since Kalia was the primary caregiver, the two lambs attached themselves to her. But for most of the day, Emily, Amy & Abby were over playing with the lambs. It was a busy back porch!

Sunday, Day 1: Easier than last time

Well here I am again. Single parenting 5 kids in Gesses but it was a better option than travelling 12 hours to Addis. Rolf left 5:30am Sunday morning and all the kids woke up and said goodbye. We went back to bed and then ended up sleeping in (7:30). I decided we wouldn't go to church since the bell rang at 8am just as we were sitting down for breakfast.  

The Coleman family was in Gesses for a few days with their twin girls Amy and Abby. Nicole and I did Sunday school for the kids – all 10 were in attendance. 

I felt really wiped so decided to take a nap while Sonia napped from 10:30-12. The afternoon was really relaxed as well. I had hoped to have some ladies over for coffee but just didn't feel I had the energy for it.  

Rolf made the trip in 9 hours and arrived at 3pm. He was able to get some downtime before a busy week.

Monday, Day 2: A swimming hole!

Sunday night went quite well other than a 6am wake up to feed the lambs. Everyone was up early as a result. The day went well and the children enjoyed school with 2 extra children. At 4pm, John Coleman, Phyllis, Nicole and I took the children to a nearby swimming hole. I didn't even know it existed. We drove about 5 minutes down the road and then walked another 5 minutes down a path with tall dry grass on each side.  

We arrived to find a really nice size swimming hole. Kalia tested it out since she was the best swimmer of the bunch. It was chest deep in the deepest part and there were shallow areas as well and then some wading areas. The kids loved it! Kalia and Joel practiced their swimming and Ariana did some wading and exploring. Nadia just played in the sand. 

Apparently, it used to be a sandbar but a truck has come and hauled away several loads of sand and so it is now a swimming hole. 

We will see what happens in the dry season...it may still have water in the months to come or it may dry up. It was a great little adventure for the day! 

We got back just before supper and I invited Amy & Abby to join us since their parents had been invited to a Gumuz home. So I had 7 children and 2 lambs for the evening:) They all watched a Blue planet video after supper. Yes even the lambs who were cradled in children's arms. 

And Rolf was able to transfer the title of the landcruiser today (it took nearly the full day). No updates from him since internet isn't working well in Addis.

Tuesday, Day 3: Strep throat and visitors

It was a fitful night. I was up 4 times for children – Joel had a fever and a very sore throat. I suspected strep throat and so did Joel since we all had it last year. The lambs woke up each time that the kids did so that made it a rather challenging night. The lambs are now very active and cute. They actually leap in to the air! So we will find a new home for them. 

In the morning, Joel still had a fever and swollen lymph nodes, so I decided to treat for strep throat. There are too many children living in close quarters and it would most certainly spread. Joel stayed home from school. 

The Colemans left at 7am and the Maclachlan's arrived before lunch. They are our team leaders and live in Injebara (about 3 hours towards Addis). They have recently arrived back from their home assignment. It was good to see them again. I have known them since I first came to Ethiopia in 1995. 

Debbie, Nicole and I had tea and prayer time together which was nice. Barry managed to find a mother sheep which will hopefully adopt our two lambs. 

Rolf was busy all day and we were able to talk at lunch and briefly at supper before the network failed. Somehow it is easier being separated this time (part of the reason is that we know he will be home sooner than last time). Unfortunately Rolf hasn't been able to get the internet connection working. There is a prayer letter and pictures waiting to be sent from Addis. But I am definitely more tired so I cancelled my language learning time and am just doing some self study. 

The kids and I are also getting a musical program ready for Thursday – American Thanksgiving! 

Wednesday, Day Four: Our Great Shepherd knows my needs

Well, the Lord has graciously given me joy this morning. I believe there are many praying for me and you need to know that your prayers are sustaining us and even encouraging us. Thank you. Last night, I did manage to get a few hours of sleep but I had several ill children. Joel spiked a fever and had a severe headache and so I treated him for malaria again. It is quite possible that when his immunity is down (ie with strep throat) that malaria hits him quickly. (It is quite likely that this is recurring malaria since once it is in your blood, it can keep coming back). 

Ariana, Nadia and Sonia were all dealing with earaches and children needed to get up to go to the bathroom. Once everyone was settled for the night (4:30am), I lay awake listening to the scurrying feet on our ceiling and wondered what mischief the rats or bush babies were getting into. But thankfully, I did not have the lambs on my back porch. 

This morning however, Mesalech was distressed as the lambs were no longer thriving as the mother they had been given to nurse from is all dried up. The kids and Mesalech will supplement the lambs but they will live near the mother sheep. The children are busy with their chores (feeding the lambs and the chickens) before and after school.  

And I wish you could see how beautifully these lambs follow Kalia EVERYWHERE she goes. In fact they are right on her heels nearly tripping over each other to be close to her. They know that she will care for them and feed them...especially if they start calling her. She may not respond to them immediately (especially now that they have moved up to the sheep pen) but she knows what they need. And when she calls their names: Ginger. Cocoa. They know their names and they come running!  

It has been a good way to understand more fully how great our Good Shepherd is. Can we trust Him so fully? Can we follow Him so closely? When He calls us, will we run to Him? “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not be in want.” I might be tired but I am cared for.

How important is the death of a Gumuz baby

This morning, I heard that the Tb baby died. I knew it was only a matter of time before this would happen and I mourned this baby's death when they did not receive Tb medication.

Two things really gripped me this morning. First, this baby's death was not worth mourning by the community. There are of course reasons for this. Most families will lose at least one child if not more before the age of 2. If the community mourned every death, they wouldn't have enough food to sustain them (because they need to feed all the guests) and emotionally they wouldn't be able to function in society. 

I was told this morning that the baby died on Saturday. Interestingly, I heard crying in the night and I wondered: Has the baby died? But since no one told me, I assumed it was something else. This baby died without any official mourning and no one was invited (though I hope some neighbours went to visit). When Rolf returns, I plan to go as well. I trust the Lord will provide me with words of comfort. 

Second, the family went to the gafiya (female witchdoctor) two days before the baby died. They gave the gafiya a sheep for payment. Payment for her to perform traditional medicine that is deceptive and harmful. This family does not understand illness in the way that we do. They are willing to try whatever might work. They didn't know what was needed for their child and they didn't receive the correct medication. Or maybe it wasn't worth giving Tb medication to a baby? 

In order to live in this context, I have learned to partially disengage myself emotionally or I would not last. But there are times that I weep over needless suffering. Seeing the Gumuz deceived by those in power and without basic knowledge in how to care for their children grips me. They are like sheep without a shepherd. My hope is that they will soon call on the name of the Lord and be saved. 

Permanent refugee camp?

This morning, I also learned that the UN is setting up a permanent refugee camp in Doro for the Uduks that have fled the Blue Nile state. Permanent. That is what this has come to. 20 years in an Ethiopian refugee camp and 5 years rebuilding and now it is unlikely they will ever return home. 

Will the Mabaan people in Doro graciously allow the Uduks to stay? We pray that they will. Will the Uduks ever prosper again? We pray that they will. Will there be peace in the South? We pray that they will. 

Blue Nile state may officially be in the hands of the North but it has been homes to thousands of believers and thousands who have never heard the good news of Jesus. Pray that as the Uduks, Mabaan, Jum jum, Funj and Ingessena (and many other) people settle in refugee camps, that they will turn to the Lord.

“If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 

We pray that through this, God's people will continue to call on Him. We also pray that many more will turn to Him. Our hope is not in this earthly dwelling but in our future home.

Hopeful

Joel is doing well. It is good to see him bouncing around again and we are hopeful that the night will go well. Rolf has managed to do a lot in his short time in Addis and we are hopeful that he will arrive back in time for American Thanksgiving tomorrow and the kids first musical performance! Yes the kids and I have been practicing a wide selection of musical numbers and jazz chants. They are hoping daddy will be back in time. Otherwise, we will have to do a second performance.

Rolf is hopeful that he will get the last business tasks done this afternoon and leave in the morning. Thank you for your prayers for safety during his travels back to us.

Cocoa joins the family

After hearing another lamb bleating all night, the kids went to check out the sheep pen.  They found that Ginger has a sibling and he has in desperation been trying to feed from every sheep in the pen the last couple of days.  So he has joined our family and the children are happily feeding 2 little lambs ... they are very cute.  Pictures coming soon!

The Coleman family is with us this weekend and so there are 2 more girls to play with (maybe another reason Joel would like to go to Addis with his dad).  Our team leaders who live about 4 hours in Injebara will come on Tuesday.    Always something to look forward to.

Weather forecast

Every day for the past 2 weeks, the weather has been sunny.  Basically we can expect clear skies and sun for the next 4-5 months with temperatures rising from the present 30C (mid 80F) to 40C (100F+).  Thankfully in this present month, the nights cool off to mid 20C (77F). 

And guess what?  The word for day and sun is the same in the Gumuz language.   There is good reason for this!!  Today there is sun.  Oka oka dawit.

Intentional family separation....again

Here we go again.  I think I am in denial that Rolf is leaving for Addis tomorrow morning, but he is.  He needs to transfer the title into his name and also register the vehicle (an annual event).  In the meantime, his list of things to do and purchase is fairly lengthy.  He is hoping to get everything done in 4 days or less and return to Gesses on Friday.

Joel has been begging to go along but sadly it is not the right time for a boys week together.  It is business only.  We appreciate extra prayer for patience, joy and health/safety for this week.

Last week, Barry Schwenk was in Addis all week and returned last night so it was a challenge for Nicole to teach and be the one parent to her children.  We are able to function but life is so much easier with another supporting family next door.

A typical week; 1st attempt

I have been waiting to write what a typical day is like for Rolf, the kids and I but I am not sure I can actually do that.  So instead I have attempted to write a typical week.  Here is my first attempt.

6-7:15am get up, devos, kids feed goat, Rolf and kids check on chickens and collect eggs while Travis is away, make breakfast  (Rolf usually up earlier)

7:15-7:45  breakfast and family devos....enjoying the 24 Family Ways material

7:45-8:30am  get ready for school/activities.  Kids go and play for 20 minutes outside before school starts.

Note:  No one is supposed to come to our door before 8am but it is a rare day when this doesn’t happen.

8-9am  Rolf and I “available” to meet the needs at our door.   This is done while getting kids ready for school, cleaning up breakfast, and preparing for the rest of the day.

Note:  this sometimes means a complete change in plans for the day because Rolf is meeting an urgent need

8:30-12 Kids have school with Nicole,  I teach 3 times a week for 30-45 minutes (music and language class)

9:30-12 I meets with Wohis for language acquisition or preparation for kids’ language class or preparation for future mother tongue literacy training or translating health materials.

9:30-12 Rolf meets with Demis (head church elder).  Solve issues, language acquisition, relationship building, bee hive making, etc.

OR builds with Barry (ie that took place all last week)

8:30-12  Mesalech does dishes, hangs laundry, helps with childcare when I am teaching and makes lunch.

10-10:30  the importance snack and recess time for the kids.  I prepare snacks for the kids each day which is not so easy as in the west.  No prepackaged food....so lots of baking banana or pumpkin cake or cookies.  

12-12:30 kids have a break, I do final prep on lunch

Lunch is usually injera (Ethiopian bread) with stew prepared by Mesalech (Mon-Fri).  This is the only way to have “fast food”.  It takes time but can be done by someone elseJ

12:30-1:30 lunch/rest/catch up time.  The last two days Rolf hasn’t been home for lunch because of different issues that have arisen (so again life is rarely set by time)

1:30-5  Kids play, enjoy outdoor interactive Science class like caring for goat and sheep, catching grasshoppers, building a fort, picking guavas, making lemonade, read, color, bead Gumuz style, do some work.  Sonia naps (sometimes Nadia).

1:30-5  For me, this is my time to get everything done (which of course doesn’t happen).  It includes baking bread and snack two times a week,  prepping/studying for language time, visiting Gumuz in their homes (sadly they don’t do coffee like the Sudanese did in the refugee camp), visit with Nicole, play with the kids

1:30-5  Rolf meets with discipleship group or prepares/studies Amharic, goes to Dibate or builds.

5-6 supper prep, kids get washed up (full body), feed goat

6-7 supper, play together/read together

7-7:30 get ready for bed, put chickens away (Rolf with a child)

7:30-9pm  Rolf & I try to do some studying, emailing, cleaning up, talking or time with any kids that are still awake

9pm time pray together, bedtime

We also have some weekly events like Saturday supper and evening together as a team and women’s bible study Wed afternoons. 

Well that is my first attempt at writing a typical week.  It is more difficult to write about Rolf’s week since his changes the most.  Last week, he and Barry built all week getting the homeschool room done.  This week, he has made several trips to Dibate.  Next week he will be in Addis.  When he gets back, he will begin meeting with the discipleship group for a module course on evangelism.  But I trust that this allows you to get a little more indepth idea of how we spend our time.

Saturday:  not sure what a typical Saturday is yet as each one has been different. 

Sunday:  church 8:30-10,  family church 10-11, family time in the afternoon or visit with Gumuz in their homes.

We will begin SS for the kids this Sunday as they can’t make it through the whole Gumuz church service.  We will do SS for the last ½ of the service in the homeschool room.  We will each take a turn allowing the other missionary adults to enjoy the whole service. 

A Challenging Week

Do you believe in spiritual warfare?  We sure do.  Tuesdays are a good day to pray as that is the day that Rolf meets with the discipleship group.  It is inevitable that something happens on that day which could distract or break up the teaching time.  This week it was 2 Gumuz teachers fighting.  This happened an hour before the group met and these 2 men are active believers in the church.

I won’t go into detail but disciplinary action will need to take place.   After the discipleship class, Rolf took one of the teachers to his home village (past Dibate) for a week until Barry returns. 

Sundays are also a good day to pray as the believers meet together to worship.  There are many things that can keep us from going to church in the West but here it is usually do to illness.

Barry is gone this week and Rolf will be leaving for Addis on Sunday.   It is a challenge to have only one male missionary here because of the numerous decisions that need to be made each day. 

This morning, a sick man was brought to our door and he must go to town.   The Gumuz are just beginning to help each other in the area of health but it is still a new thing.  Rolf was able to make an agreement with the men that he would drive them part of the way, if they took him the rest of the way. 

Rolf has a lot of wisdom and he spends more time discipling and teaching those that come to our door than it would take to just drive them into town.  He is not willing to hand out “bandaids” that end when the missionaries leave.  

We cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering that takes place but we want to see lasting change.   Our hope is that they will help each other, understand how to prevent the illnesses and troubles that come their way and be reconciled to God and each other.  This is only possible with the power of the Holy Spirit.