Ethiopia Success

Becky is home again from Ethiopia, rested, and I got to spend the evening with her and Melanie. She gave me a beautiful pendant that looks like two little huts (it's an antique), and I'm going to put it on a beaded necklace. She also gave me two portraits, painted on goatskin. I think I'll take pictures of the items so I can display them here... they are beautiful and so special.

I started realizing recently that I need to go to Ethiopia next summer to help out. With my summers off as a teacher, how could I not? I spoke with Becky tonight and she was excited to hear this- I realized that I could easily save up enough to pay for my flight, then staying there would be relatively cheap. I'm so excited with possibilities!

I also thought I'd copy some of Becky's last post regarding the good news in Ethiopia. Read on:

My six year old niece, Gracie, had given me a baby doll to take with me for a girl in Ethiopia. She was a cute one with three pink outfits and a bottle. I realized that I hadn't had a chance to give her to the "right" girl. I asked Legesse if he thought Martha, our former Fistula survivor, would be willing to make sure she went to the right home. As I pulled the baby doll out, I wish you could have seen Martha's face. She had never seen a doll before and had only lost her baby about one year ago. She gasped, and spent about 45 minutes rocking the "baby", examining the toes, shushing, etc. It was such a time of mourning. Again, one more trauma that the Fistula women have encountered, the loss of a child. Needles to say, our "baby" stayed home with Martha.

On Monday morning, we had a meeting scheduled with USAID. I was hoping for about fifteen minutes to ask some basic questions. We arrived a little early and were escorted into a big conference room. Thirteen people joined our meeting including representatives from the US Embassy. They spent about one hour talking to me. Everyone gave me their card. The team leader told me that she thinks I am truly on the right path and that Congress has just earmarked money that has to be used for Fistula recovery. She said we seem right down the line they are looking for. Hmmmm....... I also had a meeting with the US Embassy. They asked for an article to put in their newsletter about our opening. Yippee!

After lunch with some friends, Legesse and I went on to the Fistula Hospital to meet with Ruth Kennedy. She had lots of great ideas and encouragement. (Dr. Catherine told her I was having some bumps, how embarrassing) She told us a story about when Dr Catherine and her husband began treating Fistula patients. They had to hide them under the stairway so the other patients wouldn't see them. These are the modern day lepers. And then on to a meeting to sign a six month contract for our compound!!!!!! I got to see it with my own eyes. Guess the color???? Yes, PINK!!!! With a big tree and water to wash with. I'll be home before we actually get to greet our first women. But..... February isn't far.

Thank you for all your prayers and letters of encouragement. I've sure been learning the lesson about sharing each others burdens. Thank you for sharing mine. See you soon!