On the road again....with seabands

We are leaving in 2 hours for Gesses and will drive until dark, find a hotel and then finish the trip tomorrow.   A few weeks ago, we mentioned to another SIM family that our kids always got carsick and they mentioned that they had some seabands we could try.  In fact, they live in Addis so we could have the 3 sets.  Kalia, Joel and Ariana have been wearing them most of the morning already "getting used to them".  They are a soft fabric band with a white ball that rests on the inside of your wrist applying acupressure to a pressure point that apparently reduces nausea.  The kids commented:  "I hope they work in the gorge."  This is a 1.5 hour winding road through a beautiful gorge that makes even the hardiest travellers feel ill.  I said, "If they work, I will be sure to pass let the seaband company know! And our friends too!" 

 

We appreciate prayer for safety in travel once again and that we would be filled with God's love and joy as we return to serve the Gumuz. 

North Team Meetings at Babagayu

Last week we spent 4 days together with our North team, some of whom we had never met. Our North Team consists of 4 different locations with different ministries and different target people groups but we all have a common purpose....to see a people living in darkness living in the light. It was a pleasure to pray together, brainstorm together, encourage each other and play together.

We had 2 pastors visiting us from a supporting church of our team
leaders. They brought 50lb of treats with them! The first night we
enjoyed smores together (chocolate and roasted marshmallows placed
between two graham crackers). It was a new nightsnack for some on our
team but enjoyed by all!

The first day we were led in a team building activity called: "Candy
Olympics" I have a feeling this pastor has led these activities
before in an American environment but he was met with some rather
defiant missionaries. No, we can't throw chocolate chips into people's
mouths without a tarp to catch the chocolate chips that drop. In the
end we were able to drop the choc chips into our teammates' mouths.
(We cannot get choc chips in Ethiopia and so the thought of wasting
precious chocolate was a little too much for some of us.)

We were also supposed to stick candy and choc chips on our teammates' faces. This was also a little hard to swallow but I have a feeling
some of it was salvaged. The next event was building with chocolate
and graham crackers to see who could build the most rooms, highest
building etc. The extra challenge was that as the sun shone, the
chocolate began to melt. I believe all this chocolate was enjoyed by
someone.

Sonia found some of the "discarded" chocolate chips that were neatly placed in a cup. We all had fun and every family or team went away
with at least 5 kg of chocolate chips!

There wasn't a specific children's program planned during this week but in hindsight it sure would have been helpful. I managed to
prepare a couple of crafts, another mom did bubbles and one session, a
single gal led the kids in water bottle bowling and other sporting events.

All in all it was a wonderful time of encouragement and we were able to bond as a team and encourage each other in the Lord.

Lake Wonchi...beautiful as ever

12 days ago we were able to join the homeschool coop for a day of
horseback riding at Lake Wonchi about 2.5 hours outside of Addis. We
used to ride here regularly when we served in Sherkole as it was on
route to Addis. In 3 years, nothing had changed! It was a little
more challenging doing the 5 hour loop with a group and we only had 6
horses during the valley part. It begins with a dusty descent which
takes about an hour. Then another 1-2 hours is spent walking/riding
through the valley. We took a lunch break in the valley. It was a
wonderful time for Kalia and Joel to be with friends and to be honest
we hardly saw them. They were on horses and we were walking so they
were far ahead (which caused me some concern).

The valley is full of little streams that needed to be crossed by jumping or wading so in fact it was much easier on horse. We passed by natural hot spring pools where the locals were sitting in to be healed of different ailments and we passed several places where Ambo water comes from (natural bubbly water!)

After the valley there is a dusty walk up and down and then we reach
the lake where a canoe is waiting for us. Well in the past it was a
dugout canoe and then they upgraded to a row boat that seated a dozen.
Oh yes that is the one change made in 3 years. they now have a boat
that is paddled by 3 men and seats over 30! I was a little
apprehensive....no lifejackets and at least a third of the passengers
couldn't swim! We crossed the crater lake passing by the island where
we have had lunch in the past and continued to the other side.

When we got to the other side, 30 horses were waiting for us and we spent the next 1.5 hours riding up the road leading to our parked vehicles. It was a beautiful day and I was tired but so proud of each of the kids. We weren't sure how it would work with 5 kids but we managed. Kalia, Joel and even Ariana rode their own horses (though for a short time Ariana rode with Mesalech but the saddle didn't actually fit them both). Nadia rode with me and Sonia with Rolf. Kalia said she had to pray a few times when her horse took off and we all thanked the Lord for his hand of protection on the group.

Fellowship time and Women's teaching

You have prayed much for the Gumuz women and I wanted to share these pictures with you. We have had 2 church fellowship times so far and we hope to see this become a monthly event where the church does it not because we have encouraged it but because they love spending time fellowshipping together.

You have prayed for and been encouraged to hear of Ramonda's teaching and the way this opened the door for weekly teaching time for the women. There are two ladies that I took pictures of at our last fellowship time. Yasheko is the wife of the leading elder and I
believe one of the first believers. She has 10 children and they all go to school. She even goes to grade 1 with one of her kids and takes her baby along! I see in her real leadership qualities and my desire is to see her grow in her biblical knowledge to the place where she
could lead the women. Pray that she would hunger and thirst for righteousness. She has a servant heart.

Yegachak you have already prayed for. She is the mother of the TB baby that died. Two weeks after her baby died, I met her and invited her to church. She came and has been one of the most regular ladies to come to both church and our weekly Bible study. She has shown a

hunger for the word and is a natural leader. She is an amazing story teller (though I don't know what event she is always talking about) and my hope is to see her as one who will tell God's story with passion!

Pray that the Lord would very clearly direct me in my relationships with the women. Pray also for wisdom in how to reach the young women many who are either married or will be married soon (age 10-18). The "woman" wearing the blue is married to one of the Bible translators.

She comes to the ladies Bible study regularly but is much younger than the others. There are many more girls just like her who come to church and though we would see them as children, they are often married long before their bodies have matured.

Rolf's trip to Sherkole

Immediately after the evaluators came to see the Gumuz educational project, Rolf left for Asossa. He was to bring one of the evaluators back and because of this he arranged to go to sherkole. One has to make such a visit official as the camp is protected and should be. He was able to receive permission to take 3 Gumuz elders with him and they had two intentions. One, to encourage the church and two, to see
what the literacy needs were. After spending 8 years training teachers and preparing and printing many materials, we were keen to know what was happening at this time.

My dear husband loves people but he is not an extrovert by any means and so my prayer for him was that he would be strengthened by the Holy Spirit emotionally, physically and spiritually for this visit. We left 3 years ago and much had happened in the lives of our dear friends. Most of them had moved to Sudan in 2009 and now 3 years later, they were back to refugee life. They needed encouraging. Upon Rolf's return, he mentioned over and over again how he saw God's hand
in his visit. He was able to encourage each of the men (who had returned to Sherkole) that he had spent 3 years teaching and discipling. He was able to encourage the church through God's word and he was able to meet dozens of men and women that we had known well. They greeted him warmly. But the visiting was non stop and he returned encouraged but tired.

The camp is much the same as it once was though the road is now paved until the outskirts of the camp and road construction was active on the main road. The road has been built up atleast 15 feet higher than it once was. (This picture is the road right past our old compound and one can now look right into the yard!)
We were concerned the 3 Gumuz elders might see the Sudanese as wealthy (nicely mudded homes decorated inside and out, clothes and shoes, many with an education, etc) but instead they came back thankful for what they have: freedom. They saw these refugees placed in a camp without freedom to move from place to place. They had to wait in line for their rations (which happened while they were there) and they have no land. They saw them as prisoners. Yet they were also encouraged to
see a people so much like themselves (in fact you can't see the difference in a picture!) who had thriving churches. And they saw unreached people in Sherkole who still do not know the Lord. And from this visit a special bond formed (just as we had hoped and prayed) and the Sudanese and the Gumuz are now praying for one another.

Though we miss our Sudanese brothers and sisters dearly (and Rolf even took the time to meet each of my dearest friends that had remained in Sherkole all this time), we saw again God's hand in our family's life.
The Lord has certainly placed us among the Gumuz at this time. The Sudanese need encouragement but there are many with an education.
They have pastors, leaders and many of them have God's word in their mother tongue. They have hundreds of spiritual songs in their mother tongue. They can even read their mother tongue! And Rolf encouraged those who are strong in the Lord to reach the unreached tribes in their midst. They can do it!

And the Gumuz are just beginning. There are 3 elders in Gesses and one church, only a few can read the book of Luke that has been translated, a dozen translated songs and the rate of literacy is almost non existent. Though our hearts are heavy for the Sudanese and it would be much easier culturally and in language to serve among the Sudanese, we will serve the Lord among the Gumuz. May we serve them
with all our hearts!

But pray for my dear friends, Abebech (our houseworker who is now married to Solomon) for Thoma (Mabaan woman who translated for me and taught God's word to more than 30 women with me), for T-ba (the second F-r woman to believe and be baptized in Sherkole), for the ladies who have not yet accepted Jesus as Lord. My heart yearns to be with them again.

And pray for the Uduk, Dinka and Mabaan men who Rolf taught and discipled. They are caught in a web of church hierarchy that can kill the life in the church. Pray that the pure would be strong and be willing to take a stand against the devil's schemes.

                                        

And pray for the Gumuz who saw a thriving Sudanese church....may it motivate them to build a biblical church that reflects who they were created to be: Gumuz.

A successful dentist visit

Thank you for praying. It took us an hour to get to the dentist
office and there were no visible signs from the outside. We arrived
to find a fairly empty waiting room which was a pleasant surprise.
They also had cartoons playing on a large flatscreen TV which was
another surprise. 

We didn't have to wait long and Ariana was seated
first. The Ethiopian dentist had excellent manners with children and
immediately began calling Ariana by name and explaining what the
instruments were and what she should do. I was impressed. 

He decided
to fill the tooth without freezing and Ariana's only discomfort were
the cotton balls stuffed in her cheeks. She got a little emotional
but did well. 

Joel was next and his was just a checkup. The dentist
commented on his front teeth which are mottled. He believes it is
from the water here in Ethiopia which is not tested. Some areas in
Ethiopia all the people have brown stains on their teeth and it is
entirely due to the water.

The dentist suggested that our kids drink bottled water. Hmmm....not
possible. We would have to fill our entire landcruiser with water
bottles to do that and use our monthly income to pay for it all. It
is more likely that the weakness of Joel's teeth is from fever he had
as an infant. 

Kalia was next and her tooth was refilled and he wasn't
concerned about her chipped tooth at this stage. Thank you for
praying and we will certainly return to this clinic and it will be
much easier to find next time (unless they move of course which is a
common event).

A successful dentist visit

Thank you for praying. It took us an hour to get to the dentist
office and there were no visible signs from the outside. We arrived
to find a fairly empty waiting room which was a pleasant surprise.
They also had cartoons playing on a large flatscreen TV which was
another surprise. We didn't have to wait long and Ariana was seated
first. The Ethiopian dentist had excellent manners with children and
immediately began calling Ariana by name and explaining what the
instruments were and what she should do. I was impressed. He decided
to fill the tooth without freezing and Ariana's only discomfort were
the cotton balls stuffed in her cheeks. She got a little emotional
but did well. Joel was next and his was just a checkup. The dentist
commented on his front teeth which are mottled. He believes it is
from the water here in Ethiopia which is not tested. Some areas in
Ethiopia all the people have brown stains on their teeth and it is
entirely due to the water.

The dentist suggested that our kids drink bottled water. Hmmm....not
possible. We would have to fill our entire landcruiser with water
bottles to do that and use our monthly income to pay for it all. It
is more likely that the weakness of Joel's teeth is from fever he had
as an infant. Kalia was next and her tooth was refilled and he wasn't
concerned about her chipped tooth at this stage. Thank you for
praying and we will certainly return to this clinic and it will be
much easier to find next time (unless they move of course which is a
common event).

Would you wait 3 hours to get your car inspected?

You would if you had to. Annual car inspections take place in Addis Ababa each year and the procedure in how to do this is always changing. This year there are sites available throughout the city and every vehicle must be inspected. 

Today was the day that Rolf was able to afford to take the time. Knowing that the average waiting time was 2.5 hours, he was prepared with books and writing material. He was also able to shop for veggies and fruit while he waited since they were lined up along the street. He had started the wait at 3:15pm and he finally entered the compound at 6:20pm. 11 min later the inspection was complete and he was heading to the CMF compound for a late supper. The inspection itself took 5 minutes. The inspectors checked lights, horn, wipers, looked under the hood and under the vehicle. They took the vehicle and drove it up the blocks and vibrated the front and back tires, checked the brakes on a simulator, checked the headlights, etc. 

The question is: how many vehicles actually pass this inspection? We have heard some interesting figures. Then again, who wants to go back a second time? The inspection cost about $15 dollars.

Ariana goes to school

As down country missionaries in Ethiopia, we have the option of
placing our kids into the mission school classrooms when we come to
Addis. We have to pay for the privilege and notify the school two
weeks in advance. For some families this works really well. The
concept is both wonderful and difficult at the same time. Putting our
kids into this context for socialization is a great idea....if our
kids are able to quickly adapt into a formal school setting without
knowing most of the kids. And for those who come regularly enough to
Addis, it is easier. 

 In September our three oldest children spent 4 days in the classrooms
but we haven't had the chance to place them into the classroom again.
We had hoped to do it this week but it is spring break. We had one
1/2 day free last week so Kalia and Joel went to the library and took
out new books and played on the playground while I sat in the
classroom with Ariana. Ariana had a very difficult time in September
and so I wanted to see her have a positive experience in the
classroom. She needs time to adapt to unknown circumstances and she
had me promise I would stay. 

We had a pleasant morning together and
I am happy to say that some of her fearful memories have been replaced
with happier ones. She enjoyed some informal playtime, reading books,
hands on Math (measuring volume) and music class.

I am always amazed at how brave and adventurous our kids are when they
feel secure and then how timid they can become in other situations.
Obviously we want to see our children thrive wherever they are and
not hold them back from difficult things. At the same time, we want
to raise them in an environment that allows them to flourish. 

 It is not that long ago that MKs (missionary kids) had no option but
to be placed in boarding and into formal schooling. It is a joy to
see MKs now thriving as parents are able to meet their children's
emotional and educational needs in different ways at different stages
in their development. For most downcountry families, this means
homeschooling. It is a joy as parents to be able to have our children
with us participating in ministry together. At the same time, we
appreciate your prayers for wisdom as we seek to make excellent
choices for our family.

Are we people of praise? Burn baby doesn't return

Many of you were following the challenges I was facing when a young mom brought her 1 month old baby to me with burns on the arm, leg and torso. I had hoped to take several pictures to show you but didn't think of it the first week she brought the baby to me. I took these pictures after debrieding the burn (scraping off the old skin). 

I haven't seen the baby again since the week I took these pictures. The healing was slow since the mom only came 4 times in 3 weeks instead of daily. A one month old baby isn't valued and caring for a sick or injured baby is very difficult in an environment where women have to work so hard. 

Since they didn't return, I am almost too afraid to ask what happened. That is the challenge of treating in this context (maybe it is for doctor's in the west as well). If the patient heals, they don't come back to tell me that the treatment worked. If the patient doesn't heal, they don't come back but rather try something else. They are looking for instant relief and healing, not realizing that some
treatment will take time and perseverance. 

 I have often been reminded of Jesus' healing of the 10 lepers. They are healed as they go on their way but only one returns to thank Jesus. Jesus then asks, "Where are the others? Did I not heal all 10? Your faith has made you well." Jesus knew they were all healed but he still desired to hear them give praise to God. It is a good reminder for each of us ... when the Lord answers our prayers, do we verbally give Him our praise? And when we ask you to pray for our needs, do we thank you enough? May we be a people of praise!

Back in Addis

We completed 4 days of team meetings at Babagayu and arrived back in
Addis on Friday night. Today has been a relaxing day and the kids
enjoyed jumping on the trampoline here, playing in the playroom and
running around. Rolf has been busy getting the financial reports done
and I have been working off and on all day on our prayer letter which
we hope to send out today! If you want to send emails please use our
gmail email until we are back in Gesses.

Nadia's birthday celebration part 2

We invited our good friends Petros, Blain and their son Bereket to join us for lunch today to celebrate Nadia's birthday.  I made several pizzas and Rolf decorated the cake as is our tradition.  Nadia wanted a horse picture and specifically "Pinkie Pie".  Although Rolf prefers drawing real horses, he managed to pull off a pretty decent My little Pony cake with the only 3 colors of icing that we had (no food coloring with us): pink, brown and white.

As Nadia watched Rolf decorate the cake, we asked her a few questions.  One of them was: and whose birthday party is it today?  "Joel's!" she replied.  That wasn't the answer we were expecting so we asked again.  This time she said, "Ariana's!".  Then we realized that she is so used to everyone taking turns, she didn't know that this 2nd party was still for her!  When we told her that it was her birthday party and her cake, she was beaming! (And Joel was quite glad it wasn't his birthday cake though he was happy enough to eat it.)  And the smiles and enjoyment of the cake truly makes the decorating worth it!