Homecoming!

The flight home is always bittersweet. It is LOOOOONNNNNGGGG, for one thing. It seems to take 3 times longer than the flight to Ethiopia! I had a full day on Friday with the early flight from Mekelle and then some shopping for items to use as fundraisers for our upcoming 5k, a lunch and meeting with the adoption agency staff who are handling the adoption for some of the kids, and then more shopping. I love Ethiopian crosses and scarves and coffee..so those items filled my bags on the return flight home. I didn't sleep much on this flight...I had one seat as opposed to the 3 I had on the flight outgoing, and I was sitting next to a new mommy and the 6 month old child she was bringing home. When I arrived in DC, I had 5 hours after clearing customs until my plane to KC boarded. I wandered through terminals, made a few calls, nearly took a shower in the bathroom (Even washed my hair!), and ate a salad! By the time I got on the plane and it revved up its engines, it was now Saturday afternoon in DC, and midnight in Addis. I was wiped. I took a one-hour power nap and then read until I got to KC. It was nice seeing my husband and girls. Steve briefed me on the happenings as we headed home in time to head IMMEDIATELY to a jr. high play. Oh the joys! As I have now been home 3 full days, let me share with you some of the most amazing sweet treats my husband has blessed me with. First....I noticed a new wireless printer in the kitchen. He had taken into account my many complaints about having to wander upstairs to my office to print things for the kids' homeschool and for the business and had completely wired up the house so that I could print with a touch of a button from anywhere. So considerate! He had upgraded our modem to take care of our connection problems that had been blocking my ability to send photos to agencies and clients. I opened my pantry to find new plastic air-tight canisters with everything wiped down, organized, and in new containers. Now how many husbands do this for their wives while watching 5 kids and holding down their jobs as their wife is in Africa? I was blown away. He is amazing, which I already knew, but this time he went above and beyond. The laundry was done, and by Sunday evening, he had also washed all my clothes from Ethiopia and had it all ready for my week. The freezer and fridge were stocked with food we might need to make for the next 3 days as he was heading out for an E. Africa education conference meeting in North Dakota on Monday. He had washed all the sheets while I was gone. He is amazing. Thank you honey for being so wonderful, and for making my transition home so smooth!

Day 11 - God's Detour for My Day

“WE HAVE A SHORTAGE OF AIRCRAFT – FLIGHT IS CANCELLED!” That was the news I got at about 9am this morning as I called to confirm my 4pm flight out of Mekelle today. Fortunately, they had gone ahead and re-booked me on the flight for tomorrow early, so I will only miss out on my evening in Addis and my dinner I had planned. I rescheduled those for lunch on Friday and took a deep breath that all those things I was not able to finish would not definitely get done today. I ran errands to buy a blind student a tape recorder he needed since he is also disabled in one arm and cannot write his own Braille to take notes. I went to the bank and had to reassure the bank teller that I was, in fact, the person whose photo was on the account and that even though my signature was only a 60%match by the computer, that I was that person, Pam Zicker. He gave me the money. I used part of it to buy a refrigerator for the girls home/guest house. We went to the lab to get the medical results on the kids…some of the HIV results (cd4/cd8) were pretty high in the range, so I tucked the reports away to be able to consult a specialist when I return to the states. I really want to understand more about how the virus works and what to look for in our kids. We are up to 5 kids in our HIV care home and they are all so lovely…I really don’t want to lose any of them, but want to know what will be the signs if that is imminent. After lunch I worked to organize the structure of a couple programs with existing staff and got to see yet another HIV positive child admitted to our home. This one, however, looked more sick than I had ever seen and I was really fighting back tears during her intake. She was 8 and had come from the countryside having had no treatment and no school. Her parents had already died and she was emaciated, had loss of vision from the virus, the tiniest limbs for arms that I had ever seen, and her ribs were bulging from her jumper. Gulp…it was really tough to smile and be brave, but I tried my best. I asked her story and she told me a bit on video. I told her how she would love the home and that all the kids are between 7 and 10 and she will fit right in. I told her how she would eat eggs and drink milk and get medicine. Gulp again. We stopped in to check later and got to introduce her to the housemother and to the other children. The other HIV positive girl in our home has been the only female for a year. She was so giddy about having a sister to play with, she just beamed from ear to ear. I showed the HIV positive mother the little girl’s bony elbow but the strong, brave woman simply shook her head and said, “no problem…medicine, food, no problem”. I wish I had her confidence. I told the director that this was my first time to see a child in that condition and it was really tough. He said a lot of them come that way, but then they fatten up and improve once we get them on their medication schedule and on better nutrition. Please pray that this is the case for this little girl. This precious life, shortened and shattered so far by disease and loss. I’m still shaking my head as I think of her while I am typing this. The evening was delightful, as the staff prepared a campfire with dinner outside for me and all the children from our main orphan home came and joined us. We ate, the children sang songs, and we laughed as we skipped home taking funny photographs. Saying goodbye at the cell home tonight was hard. I really love all of these kids – the teenagers, the little brand new ones, the 11 year olds who sometimes go unnoticed. I know that God has such big plans for each one of them. I feel blessed to get to witness some of those happenings first-hand. The bigger boys lingered at the gate as they said goodbye to me…”God’s blessings to you Pam…we love you…we will see you next year!” Gulp, I hate goodbye’s.

Day 10 - A Drive To Adigrat

Today was adventure day. We headed out in the am for a trip to Adigrat, north of Mekelle by about 2 hours. We went to scout out a new site for ORE to expand and visited with the social affairs office (similar to our DHS or SRS) about their needs. They met with us for about 45 of their precious minutes, during which they shared that they have 2200 registered orphans in their 5 neighborhood sections. Their total number of organizations in Adigrat to serve those 2200 orphans and 1,000 disabled people they showed in their computer-generated report? TWO. One simply serving educational needs and the other serving aids victims or families affected by aids. When the families come to them for help, all they can really do is register them and then tell them to hang in there. They welcomed us with open arms if God provides the money for the expansion. To replicate an ORE project in a community takes about $30 per child per month, plus some initial capitol costs for building and furnishings. We then drove on past Adigrat so that the director could show me the “way to Eritrea”. This eventually turned into an hour-long detour which led to the BORDER OF ERITREA. Yup. Right to the line being held up by some soldiers. Very exciting. The town on the border, Zalambesa, was so destroyed by the war and conflict and you could just see the devastation in the people as they went about their lives in that war-torn community. It was really eye-opening. We got back in the evening and I spent some time packing and getting ready for my flight the next day. I am ready to see my family, but I also always hate to leave THIS family. Mixed emotions. Swung by the care home to check on our new little admission. A cute little 6 year old gal who was settling in quite nicely. She had been washed and given new clothes and was all polished up by the housemother. The other little girl in our home was overjoyed to have a new baby sister and insisted that she sleep with her. Meanwhile, another 6 year old boy began to cry as he became jealous of the other boy’s photo album of his family from America. I scooped him up and rocked him while he cried, and told him how much I love him. The housemother tried to explain that he had a mother, but she is just in prison right now…that is why he isn’t being adopted. Impossible to explain to a 6 year old. I rocked him till his eyes closed in sleep and then tucked all 4 little ones into their beds. Such a treat!

Day 9 - Typical Troubles

Day 9 – Typical Troubles

Today was dedicated to finishing up the files, the photos of children, and having some appts. with colleagues. I met for lunch with the Dean of the Mekelle university Veterinary Program and his family. We shared a meal and coffee and he updated me on the status of their new building, their biggest needs, and the next vet who is travelling with CVM later this month to help with some teaching. Then I met with another friend who shared about their health outreach project teaching women how to use these new aquatabs that can be purchased at the pharmacy for 10 tablets for a quarter. They then are put into barrels of dirty water and can remove giardia and a few other nasties within 30 minutes. Can literally change a family’s life. Later that afternoon I learned of a boy in the ORE project about 13 years old with uncontrollable diarrhea and severe sickness. One of the staff had been at his home begging for his sisters to take him to the hospital for treatment. The problem is that if you go to Mekelle Hospital, you don’t have service from nurses, and you have to have a family member to feed you, help you to the bathroom, clean you, etc. The doctor or nurse only comes in when it is absolutely critical to monitor your treatment or give medicine. This is just the reality here. So this worker returned very discouraged because the sisters would not take him since their income was from daily labor, meaning they go each day to work in a factory or cleaning streets or chipping away at blocks making bricks and they get paid per day. So if they take their brother to the hospital, they will have no money while they are there. This potential for lost income is a huge barrier to medical treatment and education in Ethiopia. So when I left that day, the worker was trying to determine if the nicer hopsital outside of Mekelle would be able to offer full time treatment and care for the boy if they paid for the bill. If not, they will offer to pay the daily wage of the sister for her to care for the boy at the hospital. Hard realities. I also became aware that two of the ORE staff had scored high enough on entrance exams and applications to be offered spots at graduate programs in Mekelle. One was for an MBA and another for a Masters in Development Work. The barrier in their situation was not willingness to study or willingness to sacrifice their evenings for two years to complete the program, but the lack of funds for tuition. There are no student loans available in Ethiopia. Imagine if in order to go to college, you had to come up with essentially 1 year’s salary to pay the tuition. This is the reality here – these are top notch young men who extend themselves daily to serve others. One of the programs costs 27,000 birr ($2,200US for a 2-year masters) and the other 40,000 birr ($3,400 US). In America, this would be the best education bargain money could buy – but here, it is nearly impossible to attain based on a 2,000 birr per month salary. The kicker? “The university just called to say that I am accepted, but I have to show up with 30% of the money within 3 days or they will give my spot to someone else.” The system is such a tough one. Please continue to pray for the ORE staff to be able to do their work without exhaustion and with energy and a true love for children. I feel privileged to watch them in action.

Day 8 – Give me 6 good families…just SIX!

Okay – I haven’t asked for much from you, my readers, but now I want to tell you my 6 wishes. If I could produce 6 families for my “special” children, that is what I would wish for. Can I tell you about them? The first 2 families I need are for the older boys who visited me 2 days ago. One is a 15yo boy, “Z”, and he is gentle and kind and wonderful. He has hopes and dreams for his future like any young boy, and all he has ever wanted is a family. My heart breaks at the thought he will not see that wish come true. He has maybe 6 months left to be adopted. The other family would be for “M”, age 14, and his younger brother “K”, age 11. They were street boys before, but God has shaped their hearts for many years in this project. They asked me, “are we too bad…that you can’t recommend us to a family?” It made my heart cringe. I just have to believe there is a special family somewhere who could welcome these two brothers. The third family would be for my special sibling group containing the 3 kids from the brothel. Really, they are amazing kids – the oldest being a 13yo boy, the one with deep dimples who snuggles me whenever I come for time at the home. They youngest has HIV, and she has been sick off and on for 2 years now since she came into our home. She takes the meds, and she always has a sweet smile. They need a special family – but they need a family nonetheless. The 4th family I wish for is for my dear 14 year old boy and his 2 younger sisters. He recently scored at the top of his 8th grade class not only in his school but out of all 10 schools in Mekelle. He took care of his dying mother 2 years ago and has made sure the 3 of them stay together, but soon he will have to leave the care home to go to the older boys home because of his age. He is still young and tender and has much learning he could do from a family. The girls also are 12 and 8 and want to be part of a real family again. I long to see them in a forever home, together forever. The 5th home is for “M”, our other 14 year old boy. He has the best sense of humor and is incredibly gorgeous with long eyelashes. He is also still very tender, despite his age, and he loves younger children. He asked me as he filmed me with the little girl learning about her family if I could fine one just for him…and I really want to help that become a reality.

Today it was a holiday so I focused on doing what I could despite so many things being closed. So I collected all the kids whose medical information I still needed and took them to the clinic for their bloodwork, among other things. The first place I went was the Mekelle Blind School. My little guy there, “D” is 11 years old. I have known him for 3 years. He sings like an angel and speaks great English and is completely blind in both eyes. Today we talked to the staff and to “D” about looking for an adoptive family for him, since his mother passed away in June. He smiled and said, “really I want this very much”. That of course is my wish #6….a family for “D”. He is an amazing, special boy and he said he would love especially to have some siblings of his own. He has a real gift in music…he studies in grade 5. After overwhelming approval from the school, we took “D” with us and headed to our next appt, an HIV+ woman and her 3 year old HIV+ son whom I had met last October. She was bedridden at that time and worried about her son. We started her on a sponsorship program with 250ETB per month and she immediately improved her nutrition and joined a womens support group for HIV. Today, she showed up looking absolutely gorgeous with her son, very happy. I told her that since my own daughter lost her mommy to this disease, it makes me very happy to see her being able to still raise her son. Then we travelled to pick up the other kids for the bloodwork and I had to hold them or take them in one by one. I wish you could have seen how brave they were…one by one having their blood taken and yet no tears. We checked CD4 and CD8 counts on all the HIV+ kids just to see how they are doing. The results for “D” and for the other kids will be ready Wed. They were so happy to be out in town, with no complaints about being poked. It thrilled my heart. After taking them back to the care homes, I helped braid one of our blind girls’ hair at the house before heading to town for dinner with a few friends. It was good to visit more about the plans and projects. I returned to check emails and work on my travel journal and was interupted by the housemother for the blind girls who lives with them full time. She is blind in one eye and was previously from a muslim family before becoming a Christian. She lost her housing at that time and came to us for work. Now I am humbled to see her kneeling down to a chair, quietly praying and crying as part of her daily routine. She is a tender young woman and the girls are blessed to have her. Tomorrow is another full day of work – my last full day in Mekelle. I have a knot in my stomach when I think still of all that needs to be done, and yet I know that I will leave the programs again in such good hands. Tomorrow we will tie up loose ends, Wednesday we will travel to Adigrat to see about expansion there, and Thursday I will fly to Addis to finish my work there. The kids say, “you are leaving already?” Of course, on the other end of the world, my kids are at home saying, “Isn’t mom coming home yet?” It is always a delicate balance. Next trip, I am praying that God will provide a way for all of us to come together.

Day 7 – Sunday

Today I was blessed to attend an Ethiopian church where I was welcomed and was able to hear many singing and praising God in their own tongue. Despite not knowing what they were saying, I could participate….it is hard to explain. Afterwards, I walked home with 3 of our orphans from House of Promise #1. It was fun seeing so many of our kids at church. I discussed with them at what time to watch the movie today and they told me when to come. They have been looking forward to seeing the Prince Caspian movie I brought from America. The housemother showed me how they were preparing the house, as one of the girls who has grown in Operation Rescue and used to be in the original cell family house 6 years ago is now 21 and has a boyfriend who wants to ask her hand in marriage. Hiwot, the head mother of the care home, and Getachew, the project director, are assuming the role of her mom and dad and the man must come to meet them and ask for their blessing.
I was so touched by this, as the nature of their commitment to the kids is really life-long. Of course for the past 3 years we have been promoting the children who are under 15 for adoption. But for many of the kids, they will stay in the homes until they are done with technical school or university and then they will be out. So it touched my heart to realize that this girl now sees these staff as her parents to such a degree that she wants them to receive this man and take his request for her hand in marriage. Very cool. I spent the afternoon working on profiles, re-arranging the blind resource room in a way that better suits them, and talking girl-talk with the girls in the home. At 5 I went to the HIV house and spent some time with the housemother updating profiles on the kids. She is so careful with their medicaiton schedules and their food…she has grown this amazing vegetable garden and now is thrilled to show off her purified water program she has started to keep their stomachs more healthy. She is also HIV+, so she knows the stigma from which they have suffered. We interviewed the new one, whose name means “happy” and he was such a smiling delight! He told me, very matter of factly, that he had come from a poor community and his mom had died and then he said, “my father he just threw me out when I was sick.” I told him, “bet we are so very happy to have you and you are very welcome here!” and he smiled from ear to ear and laughed a deep belly laugh. Around 6 I headed to the main orphan house where all the kids had gathered – the big ones from the boys home, the ones from the Hiv house, and the 14 from our main home. They were eating, watching a Tigrinya version of Shrek (hilarious) and just enjoying one another as “family”. You really have to undersand Ethiopian culture to know how amazing it is for these very sick HIV+ kids to be snuggling and eating next to healthy kids who accept them. 18 year old boys pull them up on their laps and wipe their faces and they know full well their diagnoses. So much love in this home. After dinner the big kids left and we began our special movie. They all snuggled me and draped all over each other again on the mattress…one 13 yo boy sat next to me fluffing my hair and holding my hand through the movie. They are all still young in this house – pre-pubescent, and they are very affectionate. When one would get tired, another would just pick them up and help them to their bed. One by one we put the little ones in their beds with kisses. After the movie, again, the 3 older boys walked me home. I was tired, but my heart was full. I slept very very well.

Day 6 – Rest and Reflection

Because I had a rough night last night due to eating the wrong thing or just my stomach adjusting to the malaria meds or the food or the altitude, I spent most of the day resting at the guest house, taking in all the sounds, and catching up on some computer work. I went with the project director to lunch at his home, sharing gifts of play-doh and matchbox cars which were embraced wholeheartedly by his kids age 2 and almost 6. After returning to the house, I worked on the NGO proposal for re-registration with new governement office developed recently to monitor social sector NGO’s. A voice called up to my room and it was the head housemother with two of my favorite sweet boys, Z and M, ages 15 and 14. They had sad, somber faces and Hiwot said they needed to talk to me. They wanted to know why, when I had come with packages for a few other kids, I had not found a family yet for them. I swallowed hard as I prepared my explanation, knowing it would sound lame and unacceptable, and that it still wouldn’t dull the reality that they would most likely be destined to live in Ethiopia without parents for the rest of their lives. “Are we bad boys, or is there something wrong with us?” they wanted to know. I explained about their age, and about how most families will specify a child under age 10 or maybe up to age 12, but rarely a teenage boy. I explained about the sovereignty of God, a tough concept for even the most spiritual adult to understand, and that if it was GOOD for them to be chosen by a family, they would be, and if not, it was because God had something bigger for them planned in Ethiopia. Still, it came down to the hard reality that Ethiopia is full of orphans…UNICEF estimates nearly 5 million who are growing without at least one parent, and many without both. Most of the children adopted are infants or toddlers, or sibling groups under age 5. Our mission as an organization has always been to work with the most needy kids and for this NGO, it means children without parents who are between 5 and 20. But it is hard when the children up to age 12 or 13 are chosen, leaving the 14 and 15 year-olds counting the months until they age-out at 16. “Should we stop hoping and simply accept Ethiopia as our home?” the older one asked. I gulped again, not wanting to tell him “yes”. This boy has been living in the project since he was about 9 years old. His mother died when he was small and he is truly a tender-heart. He loves and adores younger children and is a big-brother and helper to many. At 15, he still seems so “young” to me. I don’t want to disappoint him, yet I know that his chances now are very very slim. All I could say was, “There is only a very slim chance now that you will go Z, I’m sorry”. They were kind and respectful and made sure I knew that they were not angry, just wanting to understand. As I walked back to my room, I thought about how much ups and downs the last 2 days had embraced. Snuggling with orphans who live like a family, grieving with a couple over lost opportunities, rejoicing with children who learn of a new family in America, and disappointing another 2 children who realize their dream of a family will likely never become a reality. Hard moments, but real moments. This is my experience in Ethiopia…nothing is fake, nothing is pretentious…everything seems so significant that it makes much of how we live in the U.S. pale in comparison. I feel tired as I return to my computer, knowing that tomorrow will bring its own share of ups and downs as well. But I am so glad that God has enabled me and our family to see all of this, and to live all of this. I can’t imagine going through life in a fog of "privilege," not understanding more of the big picture. Thank you, Lord, for this privilege.

Days 4 and 5 – Hearing Stories…Making Changes

On Thursday I started early with meeting all of our 56 blind students who are enrolled in the program. Some were new and had to be enrolled for the first time, others needed reminding of the goals of the program…that they are to be in school all day and not begging. Most are doing very well. It was encouraging to hear of how well the kids were doing. One funny story was when I was doing the interviews myself with my limited Tigrinya. I would ask them about their age, their grade, how they were doing in their life, if they had any problems etc. When I asked them with whom they were living, I would then write down the name of their roomate. One young man said, “Benny”…so so I wrote it down, thinking I had never heard that name before. Then another later said the same name and I wondered who was this “Benny” that they were living with. Finally, another said “Benny” and I asked, “are you all living together…you and him and him
and Benny?” The kids looked at each other then laughed and said, “Alone….in Tigrinya Benny means ALONE”. I laughed and said, “oh my goodness…I was wondering who this Benny guy was!” After we finished at 5:30pm, I went to a friend’s home with some other foreigners to have dinner. They were our friends when we lived here before. After dinner, I was dropped at the House of Promise #1 with the 14 kids who are living there. They were eating dinner, laughing and visiting and as I watched them, I was really amazed at how much they live and function like a family. They wanted to know where all the kids who have left for adoption have gone, and we spread out an atlas on the ground to point to each location. Afterwards, I had the privilege of sharing with one girl, age 12, about her new family in America and giving her gifts from them. She smiled from ear to ear, hugging my neck after each gift saying, “Thank you Pam, I love you, I am
so happy!” When I went to leave it was already 10:30pm so I mentioned that I needed some bodyguards to walk me home the ¾ of a block. Three of the boys, age 13 and 14 jumped up immediately and one boy, Merid, said, “Wait me…” then he disappeared. He returned with a puffy jacket, his pants rolled to his shins, and one fuzzy glove on one hand only. He was walking with a swagger and said, “now I am ready” in as deep a voice as he could muster. I laughed and laughed. Really, I love those boys. They are all about to age out of our adoption program, being too old to pass the embassy guidelines for moving to America. I wish I could have the joy of sharing with them about a family who would take them and love them as their own. They are so amazing!

On Friday I shared lunch with a former caseworker and his wife and heard how difficult things have been for them lately. She nearly died in a public bus accident and missed her opportunity to finish her freshman year at government university. When this happens, the opportunity is lost forever, despite the reason. Now, her only option is private college costing about $500/year for 3 years. This seems a small amount to many Americans, but to this young couple who earns $100 per month, it is very cost-prohibitive. There are no student loans or scholarship programs from which to draw. As he said, “God wills it – either He will provide or she will not go.” Such faith often grows from doing without, as many of our Ethiopian friends know too well. In the afternoon, I had the sweet privilege of meeting with two more families who had been caring for orphans who were waiting for a family. The first two, a brother and sister ages 13 and 10 were so thrilled to pose in their new t-shirts bearing the name of their new town! The second family lived in a home about 10 x 10 with 2 small beds and dirt walls and a dirt floor. Their oldest daughter had died and they had her only child living with them in addition to their 4 others. All 7 of them living together in this small room. They wanted only for her to have a better life, and an opportunity to grow with her own mom and dad. I got to show her pictures of her new family, and of her new home in America. The grandmother reminded me with tears in her eyes that she was entrusting this child to me, and to this new family, and that she was trusting God first and the family second to raise this little girl as if she were their very own daughter. A big responsibility, I thought. In the evening, I visited the House of Promise orphanage again and this time I brought new movies from America. They were giddy to be watching Madagascar 2 and as we all piled around together on the mattress, they snuggled me and draped their arms and heads all over each other as if they were one large body. Again, I was humbled by their loving spirits and their eagerness to embrace one another. So many stories wrapped up in this little room…the little one who had spent his first 4 years in prison with his mother before coming to our home, the 3 who had been living in a brothel with their grown sister after their mother died, the 3 who had cared for their mother while she died of HIV and provided hospice care up to her death before coming to join this “family”. Beautiful faces, laughing at Moto Moto and Alex the Lion, and squeezing my hand or rubbing my arm gently as they sat at my side. “This”, I tell myself, “is what makes it ALL worthwhile!”

Day 3 – Settling In

I awoke to the sound of laughing children and voices in the streets…a familiar sound of Ethiopia. I started my very hot bath water (thank you Jesus!) and went down to greet the girls who were getting ready to leave for school. After my bath I worked on my computer with the blind student caseworker to update their files. The girls wandered in to study and always showered my cheek with kisses before sitting down. Love it. Later I was asked to define some words for them…”Pom…what is dejected? How about intoxicated?” Hmmm… that was a tough one to describe using only Tigrinya. Finally, by mentioning the homemade brews of Ethiopia (sewa and Tej) and then making hiccup sounds they all broke into giggles and I knew I had been successful. The houseworker had arrived and told me she would have coffee and breakfast ready soon so I enjoyed 2 cups of coffee and some embesha bread with jam as we visited about life. She is a dear woman with wonderful English…I feel so happy to have her in the home! She asked what I want for dinner so she can have it ready and then I headed out. On the way, I kissed as many faces as possible, laughing as children pointed and giggled at me on the way. I stopped in to check on our boy who is now feeling much better and his fever has broken.

At ORE, I spent the day with the staff updating children’s profiles and then enjoyed their prayer time with them at 11am. Entering a room where these staff are praying is like entering a holy temple. Their voices are all simultaneously singing in beautiful melodies as they lift their hands to heaven or sit on their knees with their heads bowed. I was given a translated list of prayer needs for today and went to work…I went back and forth between praying through the list and then simply basking in the wonder of their voices and their prayers, all in another language. The way Ethiopians say God is “Exchiaber” and I love listening to it roll of their lips in song or prayer with the words I recognize to mean “forever”, “praise” and “thank you”. I praised God for the privilege of being here, right now, working with these people who would do literally everything in their power to serve those in need. It is faith in action.

After lunch I got updates from Tigist, the head housemother for the HIV home on all the kids. She talked about each child with such animation, such emotion, sometimes even having tears in her eyes. She talked of their health, their behaviors, their growth since having better nutrition. She talked about the new one, Hagoose, and how his belly is so distended from malnutrition and how he needs close monitoring to finally improve and turn a corner. She talked about how the school at first refused him, saying he looked to unhealthy, but she and Getachew were able to persuade them to admit him. Where would these kids be without advocates such as these? Again, my heart overflows!

We made plans for tomorrow to meet with all 50 students in our blind student project, and I made another coffee appt. with our former caseworker and his wife for Friday. On Monday we will go to Adigrat to explore expansion of ORE’s family-based care project with 100 more kids. We talked about the land behind ORE which is managed by a govt. school. There is an opportunity for ORE to take it over and manage it as a private school, offering free education to 400 students from the community. They talked about the land in the corner, cleared for the next building which will house a multi-purpose room for training widows in income-generating activities and for recreation for the kids on rainy days. All these amazing things that I know God will bring to pass in His time, with His resources, coming from all over the world.

Now I am tucked away with my plate of rice and vegetables typing away listening to the sounds of an Ethiopian neighborhood…music playing, children screaming in joy or in anger, dogs barking, and the sound of my 12 girls outside as they study and visit. Already a request as come from the window…”Miss Pom…hello…how was your day? Can you come now to help me with my English?” I am tired, and part of me would like to just hide in my bedroom with a good book. But this is why I am here, to be with them and to take it all in. “Budehelew Meeshet…at kulta suh-at” I say (after my dinner, at 8pm). “Don’t forget” she says…”I wont forget” I tell her.

Day 2 - The Sweet Taste of Home

Awoke early today to head to the airport. My first laugh came when the airport employee asked about the Rubbermaid Actionpacker box I set on the security scanning belt. “Is it a Dog?” she asked. “No, not a dog,” I replied. I held my laughter in until I got away from the belt and machine so she wouldn’t be embarrassed. I was thankful I had not brought my dog in that airtight box…wow would that have been an ugly mess! I then made it through the check-in process without paying ANY excess baggage fees despite being 43kilos overweight. Again, I sensed the power of so many prayers covering my trip. I realized the sweetness of being “alone” on this trip was that I had time to reflect and think on all the times that I really am not “alone” at all. One of my friends had reminded me before I left that I was to have a wonderful time with my travelling companion (unseen)…and so far, we are having a blast. God is good, and I am more aware of His presence on this trip than ever before.

Arriving in Mekelle is always sweet for me – like a homecoming. The smells, the faces, and the sights are always refreshing. ORE director greeted me at the airport and we processed the trip as we rode towards the new guest house. As I pulled up, I saw a wonderful home with familiar faces. Our new guest house where I am staying is part of the larger compound created for the older girls to live in safety. We have 9 beautiful, wonderful blind females who threw their arms around me in welcome as I popped my head into one of their 2 bunk rooms. One of them boasted about her university results, saying she is headed to register today. The house is really comfortable, and I was humbled to realize the ORE staff had already moved all the furniture and my personal belongings into the new house and had it ready for me. They had prepared a coffee ceremony in the parlor and I enjoyed taking coffee with them. I had the privilege of giving Hiwot, the head housemother for the kids, a framed poster print I had arranged that had all 12 kids that have gone to the US for adoption from Operation Rescue so far. She cried and they were so thrilled to see the beautiful children so healthy and happy in their new families. We had a nice visit about the condition of the programs. It was fun to learn that 7 students tested for university this year and ALL SEVEN were admitted! Praise God.

One of our blind students, who has always been very very smart, just finished his first year at university studying Law. He approached Getachew and asked if he could have all of his 100 birr per month in advance so he could buy a law textbook in Braille to help him compete with the other students. Already, for his first year, he stood number 1 out of his class among the sighted students, but he said he needs this to succeed. Getachew told him that of course we would buy it for him, but not from his money but as an extra bonus, as a reward for his good work. I am so proud of him! Another student who is 29 years old and has 3 children and also a disabled husband scored high enough on her entrance exam to be accepted to Mekelle University to study English. Her oldest daughter who is almost 15 can help watch the two younger ones during the week and she can be home on weekends, but she cannot continue to provide for a niece who was dropped at their home and abandoned awhile back. ORE told her she has to take this opportunity for an education and offered to take custody of the girl, age 7, to welcome her into the House of Promise #1. She enrolled today and came by with her niece and the social affairs paperwork to give her to ORE. Not only will this family’s situation be changed forever by our student continuing her university training, but this young girl will likely find her way into an adoptive family in the next year. The student hugged me and said, “I thank God for this program and ORE as really they have saved my life!” Testimonies like this make it all worthwhile!

I learned then that one of our boys from House of Promise #1 is in the hospital so I went immediately to see the doctor. He was hot with fever and hooked up to an I.V. They told me the diagnosis was pneumonia but when I asked the symptoms, they said there is no cough and no congestion, only fever and vomiting. I talked with the doctor, who appeared to be about 27 years old. He confirmed pneumonia but then said he didn’t know if they had an xray yet. I asked him more questions, telling him my other concerns and that perhaps they need to search more. He returned an hour later to say maybe he needs TB treatment and asking if he has ever had it. I asked if they had tested him for TB or if there was indication on his xray and the doctor said, “no – but with high fever and some discomfort these may be indications of TB”. Now I am really longing for a well-trained doctor. The little guy sat up and ate some donut and some rice and drank some water with me and his fever began to go down. By dinnertime, he was feeling somewhat better. The doctor then came in and said “you are right – the xray is clear and so there is no pneumonia and there is no TB and also the malaria test is negative.” They continued him on the broad spectrum antibiotics for infection and noticed how he seemed to have improved, so maybe he just has a regular virus or bacterial infection. They are often so quick to diagnose here that unnecessary treatments or completely wrong ones are recommended. I was so thankful to be here to wipe his forehead and play with him. It was amazing to see how many workers from ORE and older kids from our homes came by to visit him, seeing that they all really do function like a family…it is wonderful to watch!

In the afternoon I spent more time at ORE meeting discussing program ideas and being reminded of why I really do love these guys and their commitment to children. They are serving the blind, meeting real needs, and providing the safety net that was desperately needed for the most vulnerable. I learned of our latest admission to House of Promise #3, the HIV Care home. His mother passed away, then his father sent an uncle to deliver him to the hospital for his sickness. After some time, the uncle was advised by the father to leave him and return to the countryside. The boy languished at the hospital for a month before someone told them about ORE and their work, and when they heard of him, immediately he was admitted. His name is Hagoose…which means “happy”. Thankfully, he will soon be all that and more, as he experiences the love of a mother and good food and medicine. Thank you Lord for providing so that these homes can be in place, and this group of people can be helped to serve the most needy in this place.

On my way home at 6:40pm, exhausted and hungry, I was wondering what I would eat. I arrived at home to find a plate sitting next to a pot with fresh pasta and homemade pasta sauce waiting for me. Then I opened my kitchen window to greet my girls and one of the blind ones whom I adore came to the window and said, “Pom…pleez….come play with us!” She pointed to their dorm room and how could I refuse? I told her I would come after dinner in my pajamas. I joined them later and they all gathered in one room to talk and “play”. We talked about dating and marriage and school and I helped them with their English homework and vocabulary. Finally, I told them I had to go to bed as it was 9:15 and I was exhausted. They asked, “are you afraid sleeping alone” just to make sure I was okay going to my room. I love it. I love being here with them at this moment. My heart overflows! Thank you for your prayers!

Day 1 – Addis

This morning we woke and had a nice light breakfast at the guest house and I enjoyed a lukewarm bath of 5” depth and when I adjusted the water I noticed that it gave me a nice little shock…probably from the hot water heater not being grounded properly. These are the simple little surprises of life in Ethiopia! Our driver met us at 9:30am and we headed out to accomplish our goals. We stopped at Bethazhata orphanage to pay a visit to two children who are waiting for their court date in October for an adoptive family. I got some photos and some kisses and traced their feet so the mom and dad would know what size shoes to bring. Fun stuff. Then we went to lunch and ate while we tried not to watch the very provocative TV program and videos that were playing. Sometimes in their efforts to be “modern”, the very ugly side of American culture is shown on television here in Ethiopia…I really hate that. We then headed to a project aimed at employing blind men and women to make rugs and brooms and brushes so that they can be off the streets. After this, we made a few phone calls and then stopped in to visit Dr. John, a veterinarian working in Mekelle that had recently had surgery. After that visit, we headed to the Ethiopian airlines office where I was propositioned by two not very nice looking young guys. I was thankful for my taxi driver being close at hand so I could immediately retreat to his car and roll up the window as the one guy tried desperately to convince me, “I’m not sleazy you know…but I like your soft hair!” Nice. Always an adventure. Unfortunately, we had to go to a different office with less of a line (and in a better part of town) and then had to wait about 45 minutes to confirm my flight for 6:30am tomorrow morning. That means I get to leave at 4:50am to go to the airport. Despite my long flight, and the change in schedule, I managed to stay alert enough today until sitting in the lobby of Ethiopian airlines waiting for my number to be called. I got a little sleepy and then a little goofy with my friend Laura. We realized very quickly that the guard did not have a sense of humor. Oh well. After that, we headed to the guest house to unwind then headed out to a café up the road for a burger and their new “wireless internet” . I have to see it to believe it! I guess if you are reading this, you know it was successful. Hoping for a good night’s sleep tonight!