Hello all,

So, this will be a short post….mostly because we have a medical team here and have been doing clinics every day. They have gone well, and I have been impressed, it has been great to have them here!

The real reason I am writing, however, is of a different matter. Please read the following from Andy Warren, head of the MTW HIV/AIDS Project here in Addis Ababa. He wrote this shortly before his return back from a 1 year furlough.

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Dear Friends,

We are finishing up our home ministry assignment, which has been wonderful.
We have been able to visit most of our supporters, which has been extremely
encouraging. Many of you told us about praying regularly for us, which
means a great deal. If we didn’t manage to see you this last year we
apologize and we will try to catch you the next time around, probably in
2010.

One major responsibility during HMA is fund raising. We have to make sure
that we visit our supporters and raise any new support needed because of
increases in cost of living or lost support. I am also responsible for
raising the money needed for the HIV/AIDS work. God has provided for both
the project and us and we have enough money in hand to return. However, we
do need some additional pledged personal support and the financial needs of
the project are on-going.

One way to support the project is by sponsoring one of the project children.

Mission to the World has a street child sponsorship program and
while our children are not technically ‘street children” they have been
included in this program. Sponsorship is $30 per month and provides for the
needs of each child and also helps their family. It covers school fees,
clothing, food and medical care.

You can find out more about sponsoring a child by visiting Emily Hendrix at Mission to the World; email at StreetChild@mtw.org or call MTW at 678-823-0004 ext. 2365.
Make sure you ask to sponsor one of the Ethiopia children. Right now, we
have about 100 of the project’s 500+ children ready to be sponsored. You
might also want to share this with friends, or small group.

Bev and I would appreciate your prayers as we pack, say goodbye to our
children and family and return to Ethiopia.

Blessings,

Andy and Bev Warren

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Thanks for taking the time to read this! I think this is an awesome opportunity!

More from Addis soon….

On the road and constantly trying to clean off my muddy shoes in Addis,

-Derek

So, can I tell you all just how crazy the water is here sometimes? It will be pouring down rain outside (which it has done a lot of, recently…) and we have no running water inside…over the past week, we have been without water (at home and at the office) 4 days….the good thing about it, though, is that there is a spigot outside that has running water (apparently on a different water source), so we use that…

The past week has found me more thoughtful than usual….there are so many things here that demand my attention, and take my focus away from what really matter here, that it can be overwhelming sometimes…case in point:

-What is ministry? What does it mean to work here for these people? Why are there so many needs around me?

I could answer these questions, and spend all of my time here trying to fix problems, find solutions, and just try to get by here…all without praising my Saviour, and giving Him the glory. A friend remarked one time that sometimes living as a missionary abroad can be full of ministry or void of ministry, depending on how you spend your time…for example, living here, I could spend all of my time learning the language, meeting with people, fixing my house, traveling on multiple minibuses, standing in line to pay bills, etc….and never really do any ministry.  Since many things here take a lot longer to do, it is feasible that my entire day could be taken up with these things (and honestly, sometimes they are..)

But to put things into perspective, while these things are not bad in and of themselves, I have not come here to serve myself, but to serve others, so sometimes these things must be put on the back burner…

Life here in Addis is rarely easy….for someone accustomed to living in the states, it is very different….but to be honest, God has supplied all my needs thus far, and I am continuing to learn to trust him in all I do…but it is a continual process!

Project news: We are starting the process of talking to the health bureau here about additional activities that we could help with here in the realm of public health….with two ideas being the upgrading of TB detection and diagnosis, and helping the health centers with improving child nutrition. Could you all pray for these, and other ideas that the health authorities have, that God would be in this completely?

-This upcoming week, all the staff/missionaries are traveling outside the city to Babagayo, a retreat center, to participate in a Living in Grace seminar, put on by Mission to the World (our missions group)….we are all pretty excited, as it will be a good time for relaxation and rest, as well as learning more about God’s grace. Please pray for this time, that it will be spiritually refreshing for all of us!

Thank you all for your support, please keep praying for the project, and all of those we are working with. Next up, a continuation of “A Day in the Life…”…so far no video has been possible, but let’s pray that it can work!

On the road in Addis,

-Derek

It is 711pm, July 6th, and rainy and cold in Addis….could this be the rainy season upon us? Finally?

The past week has brought us a bit more rain, but still it is abnormally dry here….we are waiting for the days when the clouds unleash their torrential downpours, and the weather changes from mixed warm/cool to downright cold…

So, a day in the life….here is a somewhat typical day….be on the lookout for pics and possibly video, too…

6am: The sun is already up, and there is already some commotion outside…or is that the house next to us? Our 4 room bungalow is not spacious, but is very adequate for both myself and Brian (another MTW intern who is working here). With cement walls separating our home from the neighbors, you would think we would be insulated from the noise….but the tin roof is thin, and we can hear all sorts of things. I awaken to the sound of Brian’s beeping alarm, and am up….

Now with the power/water issues, there may or may not be a shower in the AM….typically the power will be on overnight, but at around 700am-ish, it shuts off….so we try to get things in before then…

630am: Time for breakfast! Our awesome houseworker Mimi (many of you may remember her from previous posts) comes 2x a week to cook, and barring any spoilage in the fridge, we should have some good things for breakfast….which may include: boiled eggs, bread, cheese, peanut butter, cinnamon rolls, banana bread/carrot muffins…oh,and don’t forget the tea!

Now I would be remiss if I did not mention our other two permanent fixtures here in the office compound, Jackie Chan and Titi….our resident watchdogs. They have been referred to as my children, since I try to take care of them, and give them leftover scraps…so when they hear me going into the kitchen (which is around the side of the house), they come running…I like to give them my egg yolks…can dogs get high cholesterol?

700am: If it is Monday AM, there are usually a couple people arriving at about this time, to do their weekly reports on the computer (as long as there is power, see the trend?)…so I make sure the office (which is right outside our door) is unlocked, and things are ready to go….

715am-ish….Alemu arrives! My dear friend is a nurse in the project, and he oversees most of the day to day home visits/transport of sick beneficiaries/medical care with Dr. Jon White….I am usually finished my AM devotions by now, and he and I greet, and go across the street to our local “pub”….for a macchiato…

Macchiato: coffee with milk and sugar….possibly one of the best things ever in the entire world…if you don’t like coffee or tea and want to live here in Ethiopia, you will become a lover of these things, and all things caffeine….it is a good pick me up…cost is 2 Birr (about $0.21, size is about a small teacup)

…on the way outside the door of our compound, we usually run into
a beneficiary or two in the project, on their way to work, or taking their kids to school…

If there is time, we may get our shoes shined, too, by Ibrahim, a man across the street, for about 1 Birr
…

800am-ish: Now is the time that our office starts looking like grand central station….on Monday AM, we have staff devotions at 830am, so there is a flutter of activity trying to get a few things done before this. Also, Genet, our office housekeeper arrives, and starts to get the office ready for the day, cleaning and rearranging things…

At this point, we also have the arrival of our three EPT’s in Lideta….Expert Patient Trainers are crucial to the lifeblood of the project, as they visit each of our beneficiaries to see how they are doing….if any are sick, or need anything specific, they can then report back to Alemu, and we can take the appropriate measures….

I would be remiss if I did not say that this flurry of staff arriving to the project also allows for multiple visits to get another macchiato, or 3….but I digress…

830am: Devotion time on Monday AM…this is a time for all of us to study God’s word, and spend some time praying for the needs of the project. It is a great thing to start the week off this way, and we can focus on what is really important…

900am: Mimi arrives (Monday/Thursday) to cook….Brian and I are truly blessed to have her here, her food is amazing….top things? This is my opinion, and yes, all is homemade….

-Tomato Soup

-Carrot muffins

-Vegetable and beef samosas

-Vegetable Lasagna

-Shiro (Ethiopian food, AWESOME…mixture of ground chickpeas and spices and oil)

-Chicken salad…homemade, and awesome….

-And really too many more to mention….

945am: Devotions should be finished, and then the day actually begins, as everyone scatters to go to their respective places of employment. For some staff, it is at the local health center…for others, it is at another project site, such as the one in Bole, or Kolfe Keranyo….for myself, I am probably in Lideta….but may go out elsewhere, depending…

That is all for now….and we have only gotten to 945am! Stay tuned for more….

*****To be continued….****

By the way, please continue to tell others about this site, and email/post thoughts, questions, etc…I will try and respond in a timely fashion….

Thanks!

On the road in Addis,

-Derek