They like to pose in pictures because they usually take pictures by themselves, so this is us posing!

The little loves of my life!

MYC kids!

All of the little kids I play with daily.

Our Ministry and Ethiopian Orthodox

The ministry that we are doing here is completely on par with what I have been involved with at home. Generally, we go out and build relationships with the MYC girls, orphan girls and any other outreach opportunities that arise. Most people here are Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. With that said, our work is interesting as we are working with people who have never heard of Christ before. I am no pro at the religion, but it is easy to see that it is a huge part of the culture. Most Ethiopians have not been exposed to the New Testament portion of the Bible. It was only about five years ago that they were able to read their own Bible as it was believed that only people with religious training have the ability to translate appropriately. Our ministry is to show that there is more to the Bible than just the cultural rules that are to be followed. We are here to show them that Christ lived on the Earth, died on the cross, resurrected into heaven so that our sins are forgiven. To show them that walking as a believer is more than just fasting on Wednesday and Friday, it's a lifestyle and a true understanding of who Jesus Christ was and what he stood for. There is a fine line between the two and I see the blessing of having a religion so intertwined in the culture- as long as it is a fair and accurate representation of Scriptures and Jesus Christ.

Adoption and Orphanages

have spent the summer being completely torn on the issue of adoption. Malawi, where I spent time last year, is known as the "orphan country," yet I have seen the wrath of AIDS so much more in my time here in Ethiopia. Today (Thursday) we are saying goodbye to the orphan girls as they head home to extended family. Next week we will be left with the 12 or so who don't have any family. They have no one to love them except for each other. This is where practicality meets reality. I haven't the slightest idea of how much money an adoption costs, but to know that sponsorship money of $25 helps more than just the orphan but also the entire extended family. It is so practical to give that money and see huge things done with it, but in my time here I have been slapped with the reality. My time with the orphan girls has been so meaningful because they don't have anyone who stops to love them. This is the void that orphans without parents feel. They want someone who will love them and take care of them individually. Here they are going through a system that is trying to fade itself out and are eventually left to fend for themselves. This is not to say that they will not be successful, but my heart aches when I know something is missing- the foundation of family. I am no where near figuring out where to draw the line whether it is better to take a bunch of orphans off of the street or to be everything that one orphan needs. I know that opinions vary and I am just seeking where I stand.

Mekelle

Relaxing over a couple of the worlds best macchiatos, Megan and I discussed this interesting place of Mekelle. After agreeing that Mekelle is interesting we decided that it is a lot like a middle schooler- awkward and trying to figure itself out. Outside the café widows are people in business suits walking down the same street as lost donkeys. Banks and huge architecture buildings share the streets with the local markets. We see a man who runs past chasing a chicken that fell off of his stick (he was selling them), while over to the right men are getting their shoes shined. Every other road is paved yet filthy from the dirt roads that lead to them. The rich walk by the poor. Some kids say "hi," others say "money". There is street parking everywhere. For every car that takes up space on the street there is a bicycle that is parked, perfectly propped up on the curb by the pedal. Toyota SUVs share the roads with horse drawn carriages. On one particular street there is usually a horse that stands in the middle of the street for days, trying to just die away. The city is working to emerge with modern businesses and aspects of a western culture, yet can't manage to escape where it really came from

Megan and I at MYC

The kids at MYC with their pinwheel craft

Fana and i having fun at a movie night with the girls.

The intensity of basketball at the blind school

Mini-Bus

On our recent day off, Joel, Megan, I and Philemon (an Ethiopian friend), all took a trip to a waterfall located out of the city. Most anyone who has ever been abroad, especially to a third world country, has experienced the joy of in a mini bus. Being a traveled veteran I thought they were all quite similar until my most recent experience.

After walking to town, we decided to take a mini bus to the waterfall instead of paying what is equivalent to two-months wages for one ride in a taxi. We found the bus that was going where we needed to go and boarded it. Unfortunately we were the first ones on the bus and soon learned that the bus would not leave until it was completely full. For an hour and a half we sat there as the bus began to fill up, and then empty out as people got sick of waiting. The afternoon rush finally came and the bus was finally packed and ready to go. Not being used to the heat, I enjoyed the ride with my window open and the air blowing in my face. My enjoyment was abruptly interrupted when the man behind me motioned for me to shut the window. I shut the window and grumbled for a bit until he eventually opened his window because he got too hot. The mini bus continued on going further out of town and into the desert with no signs of there being a waterfall anywhere in sight. We stopped to pick up a man. This wasn't any old man carrying a bag of grain, but rather a man carrying a bag with a kitten inside. The kitten was hysterical, meowing as if someone had put it in a bag with a python and it was being sucked down as lunch. Us friengies (white people) could not believe that someone would carry a kitten in a bag, and dealing with the language barrier we had no idea what the man was doing with the kitten. As if the ride could not get any more crazy- it was hot and dusty, we had no idea where we were going or how there could possibly be a waterfall in the desert, there was a kitten being tossed around in a sack and possibly sat on- we made another stop. The door of the mini bus opened and in rushed 20 people all fighting for spots on this full bus that only carries 12 people. Pushing and thrusting their bodies into the bus we decided that we were close enough to our stop that we would get out. After careful maneuvering by the attending money taker, we were off the bus in five minutes.

We walked through the desert to an oasis that is the waterfall. We had to pay some kids at the trail entrance in agreement that they would not follow us anymore. On the mini bus ride home I sat next to an old guy who carried a gun. He rode for about 30 seconds and then got off- I laughed nervously for all 30 seconds.

I Am Brittany Spears

On any given day I unintentionally accept invitations for sex a minimum of 25 times. The sole act of making eye contact gives the men here in Mekelle the belief that I am welcoming them. To them I am not a Christ-loving girl who has a heart for this world but rather Brittany Spears, the hot blond with sexy moves and toys with the inner yearnings of men. I am here to do ministry and build relationships with the girls in hopes that they will not fall to become one of the 5,000 prostitutes in this small city. My job is solely focused on girls because of this understanding that the men have about us foreigners.

Besides just making eye contact, if I am seen talking one-on-one with any guys, it is automatically assumed that I am sleeping with that man. Just the other day I, Megan and Joel were walking to catch a taxi when down the street a man called out of his window to Joel, "Are both of them yours?" Joel, who has been here four months longer than us, just called back "no, they are friends." It was to my disbelief that someone actually believed that the white guy had the intention and ability to get two girls. Not only that, but also that much of what we have learned about the culture became apparent in this one instance.

I share this information with you not to make you think less of the men here in Mekelle, but more so to show you how the Western world can effect people here, and how large of a role sex plays here in the city. I don't know the men here in Mekelle, all I know is that there are a lot of them wherever we go. I have become a pro at avoiding eye contact even when it is difficult because everyone is looking at the "foringe" (foreigners) as they walk down the street. I also limit myself to interacting with any guys unless they are boys (under the age of 10). After this age it gets difficult to identify what is going on in their minds.

Real Life Sex in the City

I had a moment the other day where I just had to laugh at what I was experiencing. It all started when we were asked to come to a coffee ceremony. In a small little "club room" were six girls chatting away. One girl was conducting the coffee ceremony which consisted of brewing coffee, pouring it, boiling more water and then brewing another round with the same coffee grounds. The idea is that the coffee is stronger at the beginning and then weaker at the end. The room is filled with smoke that smelled like incense but had a smokier effect. For over an hour the girls chatted, laughed and yelled. It was as if they never ran out of things to say even though they are always together. At the end of the coffee ceremony, all of the girls whipped out their lip glosses. It was like a ritual they all do- drink coffee, chat forever, apply lip gloss and then leave. In the middle of this they also talked about what club they were going to go to the next night. At that moment I saw a parallel to Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda drinking their martinis, talking about their love lives, freshening up and then meeting later. Although these girls are nothing like the characters on Sex and the City, I had to laugh because I saw at that moment; girls are girls no matter where you are.