Week 2

Written Sunday night. 

Dear friends. 

First of all many thanks to everybody whom has been praying for me back home. This past week I have really felt a huge presence of the support of prayer as I continue to find me way here.  The burden of stress over visa and registration has been lifted and while it is still not settled I no longer feel stressed and worried over it. Also each and every day I am starting to feel more at home here and more Intune with my purpose here.  Wifi is not working so no pictures this time but hopefully later in the week. 

I have been reading daily from Proverbs - something with youth group we were trying to promote and the wisdom that God is speaking to me from there each day is so applicable. Verses like 19vs 17 " if you help the poor you are lending to the Lord- He will repay you". And 20 vs 24 " the Lord directs our steps so why try to understand everything along the way"   

This past week I finally got to head to Korah - we went for the entire morning. Was able to touch base with Marta and Digasay the clinic nurses see how they are doing, see a few patients with them and discuss how to collaborate with the resources we are developing. After that I went with one of the social workers to see Alem, one of the ladies of the program who had fallen and broken her leg.  She is confined to bed rest for now. We went and saw her in her home which is not more then a tin shack with a bed and table in it.  I assessed her - brought her pain meds and vitamins and did teaching regarding pain management optimization as as strategies to prevent further complications. We were able to pray for her for healing, encouragement ( because  she is bed bound) and for her family which also is greatly affected by this. Also in Korah I was blessed to be able to visit with the elders - 8 elderly men who have leprosy and therefore have been abandoned by their families they all live together in a home.  They are so happy and cheerful regardless of their physical limitations and the social stigma that is attached for them. When ever you ask what you can pray for for them they never ask for anything for themselves but rather for prayer for their families or country.     Saturdaywas supposed to be spent there as well working with the girls program and bible study but that got waylaid.  I am excited for more regular opportunities to serve in Korah once my life as developed routine here. 

Work at the hositpal is starting to feel more cohesive as time goes on and a clearer picture of the priorities develops. It is at kind of an awkward stage of needing more patients so we have a better picture of what is really needed but yet still not having the infrastructure to support having more patients.   

Some computer struggles this week had me wishing for an IT brain!! But got it solved by tracking down a computer store and getting a new pirated copy of Microsoft Word. Made a new friend along the way as the store owner didn't have enough change for the bill I had to pay with so I too her for coffee to break the bill and then paid her. Being here and making friends with the banana guy, the phone card guy and computer lady has made me so realize that compared to the deeply relational Ethiopian culture, North America culture is pretty closed to meeting new people and forming these types of relationships. 

Nicole arrived on Friday of this past week and it was amazing !!! So thankful to God for her travels which had some hiccups and struggles along the way but in the end the issues were resolved and she arrived here. Having a partner here will make all the difference - having someone to plan things with, problem solve with, encourage and pray with is such a blessing.  Plus we can explore the city together, make friends, travel with, speak English at home with,  someone hopefully to cook some decent food with. 

Saturday we went to the hospital for the first part of the day - as it was Nicoles first day here it was just supposed to be a quick hi but supposedly the health inspector was coming that day so we needed to be there.  So we stayed until 1400... No inspector showed.... Got a lot done while we waited however.  After that Nicole and headed out to explore.  We took a line taxi to the piazza areas and walked around - found a hole in the wall Ethiopian place and had some Shiro and then walked though a market.  We then line taxied back to our home.  Line taxi is one of the two major forms of transportation that we use here. For 1-4 brr (6-25cents) They are vans that go on a predetermined routes between most major areas - there is a driver and then there is a caller.  When the bus is stopped at a unofficial station the caller stands besides the van and yells out the end destination , if the van is driving down the road he yells it out the window and if you hear where you want to go you wave the van down.  The stations are just groupings of vans each with a caller yelling where the van is going.  We know the general area where we live and some intersections close so we mostly listen for that.  People are also willing to help and point you in the direction of a van which might be going where you want. If you need to go far sometimes you will need to transfer taxi at one of the stations( aka the side of the road or roundabout). The other transport we take is the light rail.  Our home and hospital is conveniently located fairly close to the rail line so it is a great  option.  Plus no guessing on where it is going. Tickets are 2-5 brr ( 12-30 cents) depending on how far you are going.  Trains are packed though so personal space is non existent. I joked the other day that someone could faint and would not fall lol.  We also walk a lot - my phone says between 11km a day average. 

Sunday we went off to church. The international church here is amazing. The main service is in English and is attended by people from all around the world. The preaching is solid and the worship amazing as people of all lands raise their voices to God.  After church we visited with one of the social workers at her home in Korah.  Going to church and a visit like this is kinda a all day affair as to church was a walk-train-walk. And then church to the visit was bus-tuktuk-walk and then home was walk-line taxi-train-walk. 

Once at home I was able to call home and talk with some family. So blessed by modern communication!!   

I hope everyone back home has an amazing week!! Keep the messages and prayers coming. Love hearing from you.