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.