A difficult day... and it isn't over yet ...

Some days start out hard and get more difficult as they go along. Today was one of those days. 
I was planning to start school early today but Rolf ended up meeting several Gumuz men at our front door just as we finished breakfast and they needed a meeting with him. This meant I spent some time giving instructions to Wohiis instead of Rolf. 

I had just begun school when Rolf came down to ask if I was willing to look at a baby who had fallen into the fire. He didn't understand how a baby that small could fall into a fire. 

I decided to go and see how bad the burn was. It was pretty bad and I ended up spending the next 1.5 hours washing the baby and picking out all the gravol and dirt from the wounds. The wounds covered the 1 month old baby's tummy and one arm. Apparently the baby had fallen out of bed onto coals in the night. 

Rolf had numerous tasks to do before leaving for Chagni to drop off Hurley (the Schwenks' German shepherd) and pick up Ramonda. 

I resumed school at 10:30 and Rolf left shortly after that. There have been some added challenges caring for Hurley in this context. We had the Schwenks' houseworker cook a month's worth of food up for Hurley and Rolf packed this all into a cooler. We were glad to be able to give him to other SIM missionaries who were bringing Ramonda to the pick up point. This couple would also be the ones to take our ID cards to Addis as they are leaving tomorrow morning. 

 School was a challenge. The kids didn't want to be there, and me transitioning from a medical case was a challenge. I had Sonia and Nadia with me in the classroom which also wasn't working well but Mesalech needed to get some work done for me and had already cared for Sonia during the time I was cleaning the baby's wounds. 

 Everyone was tired and grumpy and I should have just cancelled school. At 2:30pm, Rolf called to say he had picked up Ramonda but couldn't find the ID cards. Could I check if they were at home? Sure enough, there they were on the desk in our house. 

The kids were arguing with each other and the news of the forgotten ID cards was so discouraging. And I have to say the emotions that come with news like this take me back to the Garden of Eden. I want to blame my husband for forgetting and have to hold my tongue, while he probably wants to blame me for not reminding him (though he is way too gracious a man to do this) and our houseworker blamed the devil. Actually it almost makes me laugh to write. "It is the work of Satan," she said when I told her what had happened. 

I realize we are quicker to blame ourselves or others and in this context every bad thing is blamed on the devil. It gives him too much credit but it is a good reminder that he is busy at work attempting to discourage us and hurt our relationships with each other. 

 I took some time to cry and pray over this and I trust that the Lord will guide us as we decide what to do now. (Wait and send ID with Ramonda on Friday? Have Rolf drive the 3 hours to Injebara this evening?)

Rolf needs to bring Askale from Dibate tomorrow morning at 7:30 so this adds some complexity to the situation.

We need your prayers for this situation. And do pray that the women's meeting would go ahead tomorrow morning, and that it would attended by the women the Lord wants there and that Ramonda and I would have good fellowship together.