The next morning we flew to Gondar and met Werku, who is heading up all of our projects in Ethiopia. I was excited to meet him because our church, Chase Oaks Church, in Plano has been working with Werku for over 2 years. Werku is a native Ethiopian who lives in New Zealand. He is a single man with a huge passion for his people. Werku is living in a hotel in Gondar while he waits for the apartment building to be built where he has bought an apartment. He will stay in Ethiopia from time to time, and then go back to New Zealand. He has been here for months working on getting land for a new campus for Chase Oaks Academy.
Chase Oaks Academy has a two-fold purpose. It gives many vulnerable children a good education, a good meal, a loving environment, and Christian teaching everyday. Secondly, most of the children that enroll in COA are paying students, which makes this an income-generation project. The proceeds from the tuition go toward several projects: feeding widows, an njeera project, and support for ministers who are trained and sent to different areas to start churches. The njeera project is one where mothers of Compassion International children have been given equipment which allows them to make an income, selling a staple food called njeera (like a huge pancake).
Ethiopia is very different from the other 2 African countries to which I've been. It seems more Middle-Eastern than the others. Ethiopia was never a British colony like Zambia & Kenya. It has an African flavor, but also a lot of Egyptian influence. The writing is Hebrew/Arabic in nature. Islam and Coptic Orthodox are the two prevalent religions here. The Coptic religion was derived from Catholicism, but mixed with Egyptian beliefs. This country also used to be communist. The government is very corrupt and things are really screwed up here. Werku has a hard time getting anything done with the government because he won't give them bribe money like everyone else.
Begging is extremely prevalent in Ethiopia as well. Every time we exit a Minibus or Bajaj (tuk-tuk), we are surrounded by small children and the elderly or handicapped begging us for money. It is so sad. You can't really give them anything or you will be swarmed.
We visited the old school campus, the new school campus, the widows being fed, and two recipients of micro-loans. One of the micro-loans was used for two orphan sisters (age 18 & 20) to begin a small store out of the front of their home. They live in a small shack of a house made out of cow manure and wood. Another loan was used for 3 Christian men to start a cell phone shop. They sell "top-ups" which are cards with a code you put in your cell phone to get more minutes. They also sell accessories like cases, batteries, cords, etc. Their shop is an 8 x 8 shack on the side of the road... but then, that is how most shops look around here. It is cool to see micro-finance at work in the third world. All of these projects were funded by our church. The goal is to get all of these things self-sustaining, so money from the West is no longer needed.
This is the first country where we have stayed in a hotel and eaten at restaurants. Three of us stay in a two bedroom, two bath suite for $45 a night. Lane is staying down the road for $8 per night! We drink coffee (little macchiatos) several times a day, which is by far the best coffee I've had on the trip. They also have awesome mango drinks here... we have at least two a day! The food is not so great, though, so I eat bread as much as possible. I've been very fortunate to not get sick on this trip... and I did eat local food quite a bit.
Friday, August 20, 2010
9. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
We flew to Addis on Monday and had to wait until Tuesday to reach our destination in Gondar. While in Addis, we wanted to take advantage of the last fast internet we might have for the rest of the trip. Lane tweeted, "Does anyone know of a place to get fast wireless in Addis?" He got several responses, and it sounded like the Sheraton was the winner. So, Lane and I got in a taxi to proceed to the Sheraton. Only problem is that when we got in the car, there was a half-full bottle of Absolut Vodka lying on top of the emergency brake. I pointed it out to Lane and he said, "No, we will get another taxi" and pointed to the Vodka. The guy just laughed as we got out of the car. Alcoholism is a huge problem in Africa, so you never know who is sober around here. Maybe all the taxi drivers were drunk, but at least they hide their flasks in the glove compartment. But this guy was so blatant that we couldn't give him our money. Nor did we knowingly want to risk our lives!
At the Sheraton, I got to Skype with Jack and the girls one last time. I would not have much access to internet in Gondar.
At the Sheraton, I got to Skype with Jack and the girls one last time. I would not have much access to internet in Gondar.
8. Nairobi, Kenya
On Sunday, I was able to experience my first African church service on the edge of a Nairobi slum. Mathare slum is the worst place I've been to in all of my life. It is worse than what I remember from the movie Slumdog Millionaire. It was very compact and crowded. The river running through it was a sewage, trash, and toxin dump. People were washing their clothes in it. Men were using it for brewing the local slum beer. Sewage streams were running down all the walkways. Thousands of people live there, many drunkards, but surprisingly many well-dressed people as well.
Pastor Daniel Ogutu has a church on the edge of the slum called Mathare Outreach Community Church. I didn't realize at the time, but most of the people attending live in the slum.
They sat us in the front row of church and the service lasted for over 3 hours! Luckily, I wasn't really tired that morning. I loved watching them dance and sing in Swahili. The speaker was a funny Kenyan woman. She spoke in English, so I enjoyed listening to her as well. She wasn't the scheduled speaker, though. One of the reasons the service was so long is that they were waiting for the speaker to arrive. To kill time, they introduced to the stage every staff person attending, all the visitors (including us), and all the ladies who had attended the Ladies' Conference that weekend... one by one. And every person who ever sings at the church sung a song: the children's choir, the ladies' choir, the praise team, and the soloists. It was kind of entertaining. The speaker never did show, so they asked Margarate to speak.
After church we walked through the slums and then went to Pastor Daniels home. We discussed a new project he is started in Maseno which is about 6 or 8 hours away to the North. They have been given land there to do an income generation project which would help with the schools Daniel oversees in the slums and other projects. The land in Maseno is very fertile for farming, so they will use the food for the orphans in Nairobi and also generate income through selling the produce.
In the evening, we went back to our accommodations at the guesthouse of Ibrahim and Diane Omondi. I was able to meet them, but not for long. The others will be returning after I leave for home. They will be learning about a possible partnership we may want to form in Garisa, Zambia. We will see what happens with that.
The two girls cooking and serving at the guesthouse were named Mercy and Irene (with daughter Pauline). They were so sweet. Mercy was the most fun person I've met on the entire trip. She is 17 and had the cutest giggle... and she giggled constantly. If you just said "hi" or looked at her, she would giggle. What a joyful young lady!
Pastor Daniel Ogutu has a church on the edge of the slum called Mathare Outreach Community Church. I didn't realize at the time, but most of the people attending live in the slum.
They sat us in the front row of church and the service lasted for over 3 hours! Luckily, I wasn't really tired that morning. I loved watching them dance and sing in Swahili. The speaker was a funny Kenyan woman. She spoke in English, so I enjoyed listening to her as well. She wasn't the scheduled speaker, though. One of the reasons the service was so long is that they were waiting for the speaker to arrive. To kill time, they introduced to the stage every staff person attending, all the visitors (including us), and all the ladies who had attended the Ladies' Conference that weekend... one by one. And every person who ever sings at the church sung a song: the children's choir, the ladies' choir, the praise team, and the soloists. It was kind of entertaining. The speaker never did show, so they asked Margarate to speak.
After church we walked through the slums and then went to Pastor Daniels home. We discussed a new project he is started in Maseno which is about 6 or 8 hours away to the North. They have been given land there to do an income generation project which would help with the schools Daniel oversees in the slums and other projects. The land in Maseno is very fertile for farming, so they will use the food for the orphans in Nairobi and also generate income through selling the produce.
In the evening, we went back to our accommodations at the guesthouse of Ibrahim and Diane Omondi. I was able to meet them, but not for long. The others will be returning after I leave for home. They will be learning about a possible partnership we may want to form in Garisa, Zambia. We will see what happens with that.
The two girls cooking and serving at the guesthouse were named Mercy and Irene (with daughter Pauline). They were so sweet. Mercy was the most fun person I've met on the entire trip. She is 17 and had the cutest giggle... and she giggled constantly. If you just said "hi" or looked at her, she would giggle. What a joyful young lady!
7. My African Safari
It worked out for me to go on a Safari today! Pretty awesome! Miles and miles of savanna in a national park in Kenya. I was really anticipating seeing hippos in the wild, but they had moved down river. Hippos have been my favorite animal since 1st Grade, so I was a little disappointed.
However, it was amazing to see other animals in their natural habitat. Giraffes were my favorite! I also spotted zebra, impalas, antelope, ostriches, a small cheetah-looking cat, warthogs, crocodile, tortoises, baboons, monkeys, and a 3-foot lizard. A park ranger with a rifle took us on a walk down a trail to a river where the hippos sometimes are, but they had moved. Lions, leopards, and snakes were around, which made me a little nervous on our walk, but didn't see any. A huge baboon jumped into the sunroof of a van next to us...all the way in! No one was hurt, but he stole a girl's lunch.
Now I feel like I have truly seen Africa. In America, you always think of Africa in the way that I just saw it! Extremely satisfying.
However, it was amazing to see other animals in their natural habitat. Giraffes were my favorite! I also spotted zebra, impalas, antelope, ostriches, a small cheetah-looking cat, warthogs, crocodile, tortoises, baboons, monkeys, and a 3-foot lizard. A park ranger with a rifle took us on a walk down a trail to a river where the hippos sometimes are, but they had moved. Lions, leopards, and snakes were around, which made me a little nervous on our walk, but didn't see any. A huge baboon jumped into the sunroof of a van next to us...all the way in! No one was hurt, but he stole a girl's lunch.
Now I feel like I have truly seen Africa. In America, you always think of Africa in the way that I just saw it! Extremely satisfying.
6. Robert & Rose in Nguluni, Kenya
We arrived in Nairobi Wednesday afternoon. I am still traveling with Kevin & Helen from New Zealand and Lane from the US. We were picked up in a big blue school bus by Robert and Rose, an energetic older Kenyan couple who run various projects involving orphans and vulnerable children. We drove a couple of hours to their home and settled in for the evening.
On Thursday, we woke up early and spent the day visiting all the spots where Robert and Rose have things going on. Their home is on about an acre in a town called Nguluni. They have a home for themselves and 8 orphans. Much of their food is supplied in their own yard. They have a fish pond which is about to have 1000 tilapia put into it, and they also have honey bees, produce gardens, fruit trees, and a milking cow. On the street side of their property, there is Robert's office and a small bookstore open to the public.
Down the road, they own another few acres which contain a boarding school with over 200 children, staff housing, and a medical clinic. About 70 children board there, while the rest come from their homes. Many of these children would not attend school because of their situations.
They've also created a school in a smaller village called Isooni. These very poor children lived too far from the school in Nguluni, so they would stop going to school after a while. So Robert and Rose decided to start a school in their community. There are about 150 students there.
Each of the school grounds also houses a church. The guardians and families of the children are encouraged to attend. Robert and Rose are very spiritual people. They trust God fully for everything. They are very cute together as well, as they will hold hands and be affectionate to one another which is rare in this culture. Each of them is facing a health problem to lift up in prayer: Robert has contracted asthma and Rose just started getting headaches. They are amazing servants! Please pray for them.
On Thursday, we woke up early and spent the day visiting all the spots where Robert and Rose have things going on. Their home is on about an acre in a town called Nguluni. They have a home for themselves and 8 orphans. Much of their food is supplied in their own yard. They have a fish pond which is about to have 1000 tilapia put into it, and they also have honey bees, produce gardens, fruit trees, and a milking cow. On the street side of their property, there is Robert's office and a small bookstore open to the public.
Down the road, they own another few acres which contain a boarding school with over 200 children, staff housing, and a medical clinic. About 70 children board there, while the rest come from their homes. Many of these children would not attend school because of their situations.
They've also created a school in a smaller village called Isooni. These very poor children lived too far from the school in Nguluni, so they would stop going to school after a while. So Robert and Rose decided to start a school in their community. There are about 150 students there.
Each of the school grounds also houses a church. The guardians and families of the children are encouraged to attend. Robert and Rose are very spiritual people. They trust God fully for everything. They are very cute together as well, as they will hold hands and be affectionate to one another which is rare in this culture. Each of them is facing a health problem to lift up in prayer: Robert has contracted asthma and Rose just started getting headaches. They are amazing servants! Please pray for them.
5. Trip to Kamatipa
Monday we left for the "boon-docks." We drove several hours away from Ndola through a city called Chingola and on to a dirt road into the "bush" - as our Kiwi friends call it. Here, the people build their houses out of mud bricks that they make and dry in the sun. The roofs are thatch, woven from the reeds that are prevalent in this country. It is mostly flat and dry here, except for these huge ant hills that are the size of a house.
Rebekah, a Zambian woman who works with GLO, took us out there to meet her dear friends, Jeremiah & Faidess and James & Sarah. The two Zambian couples care for 22 vulnerable children. Faidess raised 10 kids of her own and now has one son and two orphans living at home. Funds from this project go to school fees and supplies for the children. These 22 were the most vulnerable ones (ages 8 to 18) found by the leaders in this village. Many of their parents have died from HIV-AIDS.
Jeremiah has gone to the gardening training at Maplehurst Farm and was happy to show us the large garden they have created. The area there is kind of swampy, so there are little pockets of water surrounding the garden. They have two watering cans which they dip into the puddles and pour on the plants. It takes hours to water all of it. They will use the produce for feeding themselves, the orphans, and for income generation. The funds will benefit the orphan program. They have also purchased land across the creek to begin more growing for the orphans. The children are working in the gardens, too, to create ownership, work ethic, and a skill for their future.
It was an interesting stay in the village. There were several huts made from home-made mud bricks and then "plastered" with this shiny mud that comes from the creek bed. It kind of looked like the texture of an adobe home. The houses had one small window and one short door. I kept banging my head on the door frame!
We played with neighborhood children until dark. In this culture, the adults mostly ignore the children, so they are excited to have interaction. I had fun teaching them songs like "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" and watching them laugh.
After dark we sat around a small fire with a pot of nshima on it. Faiduss stirred and stirred with a wooden spoon to cook it to just the right texture. The stirring looked easy (like stirring gravy) until she asked me to stir. I could barely move the spoon! It felt like stirring a tub of plaster mud. She grabbed the top end of the spoon to help me "whisk" around the cornmeal and helped me get the rhythm. When she let go I was able to make a few stirs, but I wore out after just a few! It is amazing to see the labor which goes into everything in the village. She also cooked cabbage, chicken, and tomato-onion soup to go with the nshima. This is a very typical Zambian meal. I probably had it 5 times while in Zambia.
It was pitch black outside and you could see the milky way and zillions of stars. We ate under a flashlight lamp inside the house and had tea afterward. I was to sleep on the floor where we ate, so I had to wait until everyone left to set up my bedding. Finally they left and my new friend, Rebekah, lit a little candle and helped me moved out some chairs. We set up our sleeping bags with some blankets under them and a mosquito net over them. She then said she was going out for a few minutes to let me finish settling in. So I changed clothes and crawled into my sleeping bag about 11 pm. Minutes later, Rebekah, Jeremiah, and Faiduss walk in and sit on the remaining chairs and begin having a conversation in their own language. I laid there feeling awkward, thinking, "Was I not supposed to go to bed yet? Should I get up and join them outside the mosquito netting? Do they expect me to go to sleep while they talk 3 feet from me?" It was strange for me. Finally, I decided to pretend like I was sleeping until they were gone. An hour later, they left, and Rebekah crawled under the mosquito net with me and went to sleep.
I woke up every 30 minutes or so to turn over because of the hard ground. At 3:30am, the roosters outside our door started cockle-doodle-dooing. I wanted to say "shut up, it is not even close to sunrise yet!" but I just put in my ear plugs and went back to sleep. Then I had to go to the bathroom because of the tea I was served before bed. So I grabbed my kleenex, put on my headlamp flashlight, and made the trek across the property to the outhouse that had no door. I felt like I was going to the bathroom under a spotlight, since the light on my head was the only light for miles, but I didn't want to miss the hole in the ground! My biggest fear was running across a cobra or something, because one was just seen a few days before. Thank God I didn't see anything. I made it back into my sleeping bag and later woke up, moaning, in a bad dream that my body was hurting all over. When I woke up, I WAS hurting all over from the hard ground. I'm such a city girl! It was light outside, and every person in the village was up, so I got out of bed.
They made us some yummy fritters (African donuts) and tea, and off we went to the city again. We visited two more partners on the 5-hour drive back to Maplehurst Farms. One was Elizabeth who lives in a neighborhood in Chingola and is "grandma" to 30 or so neighborhood kids by letting them hang out at her house, learn about God, and get help with school. She also meets their guardians and makes sure the kids are staying in school and out of trouble.
The second stop was to visit a sharp young guy named David, who teaches at GLO. He is passionate about Youth. He would like HOPE to help fund a small park with little cabanas on the property for youth to hang out and receive tutoring, and also to plant a garden for training and income generation for the ministry. He is the son of poor Angolan refugees and was funded by HOPE to go through leader training years ago. During some schooling, he met his wife in the UK and has come back to Zambia to help give Youth a chance, as he knows he was given.
Being back at the Farm was like heaven! It's actually pretty rustic there, but it's all relative! We ate Western food with the New Zealand couple living there, Aaron & Suzy. Their little blonde girl made me miss mine, but I was able to Skype from their house and talk to all 3 in my family! I went back to my room, showered, and re-packed all my stuff and went to bed. Off to the Lusaka airport the next morning to fly to Kenya...
Rebekah, a Zambian woman who works with GLO, took us out there to meet her dear friends, Jeremiah & Faidess and James & Sarah. The two Zambian couples care for 22 vulnerable children. Faidess raised 10 kids of her own and now has one son and two orphans living at home. Funds from this project go to school fees and supplies for the children. These 22 were the most vulnerable ones (ages 8 to 18) found by the leaders in this village. Many of their parents have died from HIV-AIDS.
Jeremiah has gone to the gardening training at Maplehurst Farm and was happy to show us the large garden they have created. The area there is kind of swampy, so there are little pockets of water surrounding the garden. They have two watering cans which they dip into the puddles and pour on the plants. It takes hours to water all of it. They will use the produce for feeding themselves, the orphans, and for income generation. The funds will benefit the orphan program. They have also purchased land across the creek to begin more growing for the orphans. The children are working in the gardens, too, to create ownership, work ethic, and a skill for their future.
It was an interesting stay in the village. There were several huts made from home-made mud bricks and then "plastered" with this shiny mud that comes from the creek bed. It kind of looked like the texture of an adobe home. The houses had one small window and one short door. I kept banging my head on the door frame!
We played with neighborhood children until dark. In this culture, the adults mostly ignore the children, so they are excited to have interaction. I had fun teaching them songs like "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" and watching them laugh.
After dark we sat around a small fire with a pot of nshima on it. Faiduss stirred and stirred with a wooden spoon to cook it to just the right texture. The stirring looked easy (like stirring gravy) until she asked me to stir. I could barely move the spoon! It felt like stirring a tub of plaster mud. She grabbed the top end of the spoon to help me "whisk" around the cornmeal and helped me get the rhythm. When she let go I was able to make a few stirs, but I wore out after just a few! It is amazing to see the labor which goes into everything in the village. She also cooked cabbage, chicken, and tomato-onion soup to go with the nshima. This is a very typical Zambian meal. I probably had it 5 times while in Zambia.
It was pitch black outside and you could see the milky way and zillions of stars. We ate under a flashlight lamp inside the house and had tea afterward. I was to sleep on the floor where we ate, so I had to wait until everyone left to set up my bedding. Finally they left and my new friend, Rebekah, lit a little candle and helped me moved out some chairs. We set up our sleeping bags with some blankets under them and a mosquito net over them. She then said she was going out for a few minutes to let me finish settling in. So I changed clothes and crawled into my sleeping bag about 11 pm. Minutes later, Rebekah, Jeremiah, and Faiduss walk in and sit on the remaining chairs and begin having a conversation in their own language. I laid there feeling awkward, thinking, "Was I not supposed to go to bed yet? Should I get up and join them outside the mosquito netting? Do they expect me to go to sleep while they talk 3 feet from me?" It was strange for me. Finally, I decided to pretend like I was sleeping until they were gone. An hour later, they left, and Rebekah crawled under the mosquito net with me and went to sleep.
I woke up every 30 minutes or so to turn over because of the hard ground. At 3:30am, the roosters outside our door started cockle-doodle-dooing. I wanted to say "shut up, it is not even close to sunrise yet!" but I just put in my ear plugs and went back to sleep. Then I had to go to the bathroom because of the tea I was served before bed. So I grabbed my kleenex, put on my headlamp flashlight, and made the trek across the property to the outhouse that had no door. I felt like I was going to the bathroom under a spotlight, since the light on my head was the only light for miles, but I didn't want to miss the hole in the ground! My biggest fear was running across a cobra or something, because one was just seen a few days before. Thank God I didn't see anything. I made it back into my sleeping bag and later woke up, moaning, in a bad dream that my body was hurting all over. When I woke up, I WAS hurting all over from the hard ground. I'm such a city girl! It was light outside, and every person in the village was up, so I got out of bed.
They made us some yummy fritters (African donuts) and tea, and off we went to the city again. We visited two more partners on the 5-hour drive back to Maplehurst Farms. One was Elizabeth who lives in a neighborhood in Chingola and is "grandma" to 30 or so neighborhood kids by letting them hang out at her house, learn about God, and get help with school. She also meets their guardians and makes sure the kids are staying in school and out of trouble.
The second stop was to visit a sharp young guy named David, who teaches at GLO. He is passionate about Youth. He would like HOPE to help fund a small park with little cabanas on the property for youth to hang out and receive tutoring, and also to plant a garden for training and income generation for the ministry. He is the son of poor Angolan refugees and was funded by HOPE to go through leader training years ago. During some schooling, he met his wife in the UK and has come back to Zambia to help give Youth a chance, as he knows he was given.
Being back at the Farm was like heaven! It's actually pretty rustic there, but it's all relative! We ate Western food with the New Zealand couple living there, Aaron & Suzy. Their little blonde girl made me miss mine, but I was able to Skype from their house and talk to all 3 in my family! I went back to my room, showered, and re-packed all my stuff and went to bed. Off to the Lusaka airport the next morning to fly to Kenya...
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
4. The House of Lemon and Grace
On Sunday, we drove a couple of hours to stay in Ndola, where Kevin and Helen used to live in the 80's. On the same property lived a beautiful couple named Lemon and Grace and 7 of their beautiful children and numerous grandchildren. It was a house full of love and smiles. The oldest daughter runs a orphan program which we support.
We also have partnered with a group Kevin started called GLO. They train indigenous students in theology and teach them how to lead a church. They give some of our donations to give scholarships and also to help them get started in planting a church. Kevin and the director were discussing the need to have classes like what they have started at Maplehurst Farms, where the students can support themselves when they start their church. We are trying to get all our partners to think about a money making project that they can start. This helps them not to be dependent on the West for donations.
At the house, I had the opportunity to eat my first enshima, a Zambian staple. It is cornmeal cooked into a pastey dumpling thing that you use to scoop up the rest of your food. I have done much better than I did in India and have eaten solely with my hands here! Enshima is quite good, actually.
We also have partnered with a group Kevin started called GLO. They train indigenous students in theology and teach them how to lead a church. They give some of our donations to give scholarships and also to help them get started in planting a church. Kevin and the director were discussing the need to have classes like what they have started at Maplehurst Farms, where the students can support themselves when they start their church. We are trying to get all our partners to think about a money making project that they can start. This helps them not to be dependent on the West for donations.
At the house, I had the opportunity to eat my first enshima, a Zambian staple. It is cornmeal cooked into a pastey dumpling thing that you use to scoop up the rest of your food. I have done much better than I did in India and have eaten solely with my hands here! Enshima is quite good, actually.
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