As I write this, I sit in my house in Baltimore, full after the Thanksgiving holiday….not only gratified by the holiday food, but also by family and friends that I have had a chance to catch up with. This was a surprise, a whirlwind visit, and I have been able to do lots of things….but of course, there is always more to do than I have time for, more people to see than I can manage in a 24 hour day (who needs sleep anyway?)….but it has been relaxing and fun.

Leaving Addis and coming back just for a short visit can take its toll on you, because you need to adjust not only to life back at home, but also in a different time zone….with sleep patterns being all wacked out, it can be interesting….

Here, in no order, are my top ten things that are difficult to get used to, leaving Addis…while many of these are not new, they are specific things I have seen while back:

1. Time zone changes….being 8 hours behind for a few days really can get to you…why is it light out at 3pm? It should be 11pm!

2. CARS GO SO FAST! In Addis, one of the reasons there are not more car fatalities is that most of the time you are going only about 35-40 mph….it is amazing to whiz by people going 65….70…75…hmm, faster?

3. Gas is cheap! Try $4/gallon in Addis…I am glad I can just ride minibuses…

4. People are in a hurry…everywhere I go, it seems like this…

5. Where are all the cafe’s serving coffee for less than a dollar??? How about a lb. of coffee for about $4.00? No…try $2.50 for coffee and 1/2 lb. for $12….

6. No goats on the street? No children begging?

7. Internet is FAST and readily AVAILABLE…this is not a bad thing, but something I should not get used to…

8. No dogs at my house….definitely do miss Jackie and Titi…who else will keep me up at 3am barking at the darkness?

9. Ethiopian food….just not the same here…

10. Speaking and hearing Amharic….not that I will lose my language skills, but being away for two weeks in an English-only environment makes you work at it even harder…

So there you have it….just a few thoughts from yours truly. I return to Addis this Sunday evening, knowing I will miss my friends and family for a while, but grateful for the time we had here…AND looking forward to seeing those in Addis again!

On the road in Baltimore (for now)…

-Derek

And yes, it has started to rain again…some days pretty hard…

Oh, and temp’s are back in the “cold” zone….

Where exactly am I? Even our staff has been surprised at this weather, since right now, it should be 80-85 degrees each day and sunny…without a cloud in sight…

(SIGH)…

Right now, as I write this, one of the support groups in the project is busily finishing up an income generating activity for Save the Children. It is a very interesting project, probably the most unique IGA (income generating activity) ever….

Cloth model breasts, to help teach women how to breast-feed their children…

The word “Toot” is the amharic word for breast (how apropo?), and for the last month or so, this group of women have been busily sewing not only cloth breasts (stuffed with pieces of shredded material) but also making cloth dolls to use in conjunction with the “Tootoch” (Breasts)….as you can imagine, we have had a lot of fun with this…

But the truth is that this is a great opportunity for the ladies, and they have really taken this on themselves, and done an excellent job! Hopefully more things like this will happen in the future, as our beneficiaries continue to really take care of themselves!

Income generating activities like this are all the rage all over the world, as it really empowers those who need the income to become successful in their own business ventures. We have really tried to get some things started, and have seen a little bit of success with groups selling coffee/various Ethiopian trinkets to teams that come, but this new venture shows the potential to do things that sell right here in Addis…

Let’s see what happens!

On the road in Addis,

-Derek

These days have seen the end of the rain and the beginning of the sunny period for which Ethiopia is known for….it is awesome each day, a bit crisp in the AM giving way to bright sunshine and warmth during the day.

We have a medical team here from Boston, and have been busy doing lots of home visits and clinics…some of the beneficiaries in the project, others from the community. It is indeed a great honor to be able to see these people, and give them care, everything from basic exams to pain management to tooth extraction to ear wax removal…

Yes, ear wax removal….it has come to our attention recently that there are many people here in Addis with ear issues….many of who have not been able to hear for a long time. One woman came to clinic a couple of days ago with a completely impacted ear, and hadn’t been able to hear out of that ear for the last year. After about 30 minutes of cleaning, a plug the size of Texas popped out of her ear, and she was overjoyed, b/c she could indeed hear now! Never before had a seen something that large come out of someones ear….

What a joy it is to be able to do these things for people! I continually am amazed at the needs around us, and how God continues to meet them through our staff and team members.

On another unrelated note, stores here have started to sell NesCafe coffee in travel packs….complete with cream and sugar…all you do is add hot water and VOILA, instant coffee…an aberration to the actual delicious Ethiopian coffee that we know and love here….but I drank it, regardless…

Hey, in Egypt last year, all they had was NesCafe, so we were longing to come back to Addis,especially for the cup of joe…

On the road in Addis, and fully caffeinated,

Derek

We lost two more beneficiaries, one to complications arising from TB (late diagnosed) and one who had cancer..

The sad thing about these two ladies was that they came to the project late, when most hope had already evaporated….even though you may here about many many more people getting on treatment quicker, the reality is that every time we take in new beneficiaries, we take in the sickest of the sick….some of which are on death’s doorstep.

What to do? After being back here again for over 3 months (has it really been that long?), these same realities sink in, that my life here can be summed into one sentence:

Live and serve my Saviour b/c of His immense love for me….

What could we have done for these people? Make them comfortable, be with them, hold their hand, do everything in our hands medically to care for them….but often times, it still isn’t enough….the power of sin to erase a human being from this planet is still very much here…

But God has not called me to this such a place to just be kind to people….or to just “help out.” Too many people are trying to just “help out” and just get in the way here….do you know how many aid groups there are here? I won’t get on my soapbox here, but suffice to say, enough money comes into Ethiopia to transform it into a bustling metropolis, free of disease and poverty, two of its main ills…

Seriously though, when these sort of things happen, it forces me to remember why I am here, and why all of us in the project are doing what we are doing. We cannot physically save people, but we can be salt and light to a broken world. More so, however, we all are CALLED as Christians to do so….and to bring a cup of cold water to that person who is suffering….

What does it mean to sit on the bed of someone dying of a terminal disease, hold their hand, talk with them, pray with them and smile with them?

It means we are being like Jesus….it means I am being obedient to His calling…no more or less…

May all of you who read this ask God who you can touch today, tomorrow, next week and next month…for He is calling us to do just this….and be obedient to His call…

On the road in Addis,

-Derek

Just wanted to share with you how I spent my birthday afternoon…..

He is about 2 months old, and was rescued by a friend of mine who is a vet here…he is a bit malnourished, but she is taking good care of him…

Enjoy..

On the road in Addis,

-Derek

But yesterday was different…

At St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, where I am a regular attender and musician with the choir, we sang a song that goes to the tune of Londenderry Air (Or Oh Danny Boy for those not familiar with the previous)….we sang this as we ended the service, and the words just really hit me, b/c it talks about how we, as frail and finite beings, cannot even begin to understand the mind and matters of God….

Read these words (or sing them) and think about them this week, will you?

I cannot tell how he whom angels worship
should stoop to love the peoples of the earth,
or why as shepherd he should seek the wanderer
with his mysterious promise of new birth.
But this I know, that he was born of Mary,
when Bethlehem’s manger was his only home,
and that he lived at Nazareth and labored,
and so the Savior, Savior of the world, is come.

I cannot tell how all the lands shall worship,
when, at his bidding, every storm is stilled,
or who can say how great the jubilation
when every heart with perfect love is filled.
But this I know, the skies will thrill with rapture,
and myriad, myriad human voices sing,
and earth to heaven, and heaven to earth, will answer:
‘At last the Savior, Savior of the world, is King!’

On the road in Addis,

-Derek

And, across the street, is our trusty neighborhood macchiato house, hands down the best coffee in town, and many times their TV is on, so we can watch the olympics there…

BUT

last night, Tirunesh Dibaba won the women’s 10K, a huge win for the Ethiopian runner, and there were celebrations all over Addis Ababa! Cars honking, people yelling, it was great to be a part of this…

More to come, though, the Ethiopian team is looking strong!

So, keep your eyes peeled, and if there are Ethiopian victories, you can be assured that somewhere on the streets of Addis, there is a coffeehouse where I will be cheering their victory…

On the road in Addis (and fully caffeinated),

-Derek

It is 915pm on a Monday evening, and I have FINALLY had a chance to sit down and type an update….things have been busy here at the project, and between work and Olympic watching (yes, we do have a TV across the street that has been showing all Olympics all the time! It is great…GO MICHAEL PHELPS!), the past couple of weeks have been good.

The rainy season continues to pester us with crazy weather, our clothes have been hanging outside wet for the last week (check that, I just took them down today to hang in our bathroom, b/c there was a huge storm coming and the clothes were just about dry…well, most of them, anyway…), and all around Addis, construction is underway…new roads, new buildings, it never seems to end. A continual work in progress, that is what the city is.

You know, though, that is what we are, as well….works in progress, always learning and experiencing new things. As a Christian, I am continually learning that God knows what He is doing, and that it is such a blessing to be part of His work here in Addis. This seemingly easy lesson does not come, well, easily….

For one week, the entire team, staff and missionaries spent time on a retreat outside Addis, at a crater lake called Babagayo….beautiful place! I have been there a few times, but never for more than a day trip. This was a Living in Grace seminar put on by Mission to the World, a time to learn what grace really means to us, as Christians. Something that I often times do take for granted, so it was a good time to refresh our spirits, and have some great fellowship with our staff….not to mention cleaner air!

But coming back from this retreat, we had a full week, as a medical team came from the states….great to have them here! We had clinics every day, both at the project sites and at local churches…many people were seen and ministered to…

So now we have no teams here, and yet each day brings about new things…here are some interesting tidbits from this past week….

-As I was sitting down in a meeting last week, I noticed a small white thing on my shoe….it had been raining (surprise!) and the ground was muddy, so I figured it was some sort of trash…until it began to wriggle….yes, I had a small worm on the side of my shoe (not of the earthworm variety). Being the public health microbiologist that I am, I just showed Danny, my co-worker, and then flicked it on the ground… (and yes, I did wash my hands well after that…)

-Speaking of worms, it is now back to school time, which means new uniforms, school supplies, and yes, de-worming! It is amazing how one small pill can do so much damage to these wriggly creatures, yet alleviate so much discomfort to us humans. The kids didn’t mind taking the medicine, mostly because each got a new toothbrush as well….

-On another note, I had my first near collision in a minibus the other day as I was coming home from the gym…we were headed down a hill in the dark, and there was a man in the street that suddenly lunged out in front of the minibus….our driver swerved to miss him, and went on the curb, nearly hitting a telephone pole…here is what I heard in the minibus:

WINNIE (Meaning: AAAAH, somewhat of a surprised expression)

MINDIN NO? (Meaning: What is this?)

BI JESUS SIM/BI IGZIABIHER (Meaning: In Jesus name/In God’s name)

Fortunately, by His grace, everyone was okay, and we spent the next couple of minutes congratulating our driver on being a great driver, while he angrily yelled to himself about the crazy man in the road…

Just another week in Addis.

****Prayer/Looking ahead****

-We are in the midst of talks with the health bureau about scaling up TB diagnosis in the health centers, especially looking at those people who are difficult to diagnose (AKA HIV positive folks)…this may be a long process, but a worthwhile one…

-Brian March, another intern here, has been doing some awesome work with the boys groups here, would you continue to pray for him, for energy and enthusiasm? He has a real heart to impact these boys for Christ!

-For many sick people in the project….we have a bunch of people whose health has been failing recently, for various reasons, please remember them in your prayers…

-And as always, for Christ to be glorified in ALL we do!

Next time: A day in the life, part II ( I haven’t forgotten…)

On the road in Addis,

-Derek

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.

*******

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

**********
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

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