Processing.....

My heart can't even process all that I have experienced. It is so hard for me to believe that I am sitting here at my desk 10,000 miles away from my beloved brother and sisters in Ethiopia. A few days ago, I was in and among the crowds of children and families, shaking hands, giving hugs and knit together in a community of love. My heart felt as though it was overflowing ...and as much as I wanted to be a blessing to others, the reality is that they were the ones that blessed me. They opened their hearts and their homes to us. They showed us their hope, their dreams and their love for each other. They showed us that nothing could overtake the joy of living, not even the pain of an empty stomach or living in a dark, dingy hut. They kissed our hands when we shook theirs, or when we offered help. Who were we to have our hands kissed with such immense gratitude? Who were we to be accepted and loved in this way? Perhaps they felt that one else would even bother to look at them and acknowledge their presence. I felt as though it was a privilege to extend my hand in love. Their sense of community and caring for each other was incredible. There was no "me, myself and I" to be seen. They are a people that live for each other. One man said that given the opportunity to come to North America, he would never take it. When asked why, he simply said, "Yes, there is great opportunity and wealth there. But, I would be leaving my people behind. In North America, people are very individualistic and I could never bear to be that way. I am part of a community here and my heart is to love my people, to care for my people. We must help eachother." Hmmm, how true it is that North Americans are focused on what is good for us....we certainly do think of others at times, but that is not our main objective as we go through our days. In Ethiopia, there is nothing done apart from community. I have to say that they have a richness that we will never comprehend or begin to attain, unless our minds and hearts are committed to putting others first. Being a servant....cherishing the value of community. These are two things of many that I experienced in Ethiopia and that convicted me further on how to live my life...not only more fully, but also with greater value and purpose.

Come take a walk with me

Come take a walk, please take my hand
Join in my life today
Come walk with me down cobbled paths
and be my hope I pray
I still don't know why I'm alone
or why my home is dark
But this I know, my joy is deep
My savior's left His mark
You've come to be my eyes and ears
You've come to be my feet
Just when I thought I was alone
My heart you've come to meet.
You've seen the sick, you've fed the poor
You've loved those no one sees
You've smiled, you've touched, you've given hope
Your love, oh how it frees.
And when you put us on your lap, when your hands caress
It opens the floodgates of God's love for us
and overshadows our duress.
It does not take away our plight, nor will all pain be gone
But this we know, your love is great
and this makes us all more strong.
And while what you've seen is far beyond what hearts can bear
Please know that your love for me has reached deep and far beyond compare.
Every step you've walked with me, every prayer you've said
Every smile, hug and kiss has made me feel well fed.
I can dare to dream, to hope, to know without a doubt
That my life is worth this walk, that God will take me out.
And now, as our journey ends down my cobbled path,
please remember to pray for me and please do come back.
I'll be waiting at the door, in my darkened space.
I'll be waiting for your touch, for this I'll run the race.
Your love, it has changed my world
You'll never know how much
Your love, it has made me whole
Thank you for my Father's touch.

UNIQUE...

Wow, I can't believe the kind of trip that this has been. I have seen SO much and have experienced SO much more poverty and sadness than last time. I haven't been able to put my experiences into words for most of the time, becaiuse its just so much to take in and then let out. I think that I'll have to take some time to do that. Who knows...maybe that book I've been wanting to write will finally be written. Yesterday, we spent the day at the leprosy community where 129,000 outcast people live. When I say outcast, I mean that they are not accepted by society here. Orthodox Christianity believes that they are cursed and that this is shown in their disease. I'm not sure what the locals think, but they are nonetheless forgotten and outcast. You only see them in the streets begging for food and money, tattered and torn, and lonely. Their only support is their own community...they only have eachother. They have missing feet, fingers, toes, completely disfigured faces....but such beautiful hearts. It's hard to believe that people can be treated this way within their own culture. It is very heartbreaking. We visited the leprosy hospital the other day, where they are treated (completely curable if caught at the right stage) Don't worry.....we can't catch leprosy. It is actually very difficult to catch. It is the very cramped and filthy conditions, day after day, that promotes it. When we would walk by waving at people, you could tell that they had never been visted by anyone outside the community. Many of them would start to cry because they just couldn't believe that anyone would care enough to come into their community. Most of the people there go to the garbage dump to get food. There are many children that live at the dump, fighting with other kids and animals for the food. It is appauling and unbelievable. They have no water, scraps of rotten food and there is nothing for them but filth and loneliness. I know that its hard to imagine for you (it was for me too), but it really does exist. They have no access to healthcare, although we were able to host a medical clinic yesterday for them. Mobs of people showed up with all conditions imaginable. The moms and children came in very sick, in rags, tattered, torn and many of them either looking completely desperate or weeping. We were within a compound that was gated with corrugated metal...children pryed the bottom edges of the sharp metal in an attempt to get in. There was such an immense crowd, that at times a man would emerge in the crowd to smack them away with a magazine or stick. This is crowd control and it is far worse in the city market, where security guards actually have large sticks and forcefully hit children that are begging for money or for you to buy anything that they are selling. Yesterday, at Korah (the leprosy community), the jagged streets were jammed with people the entire time. They pushed and heaved on the gates everytime they opened a crack. We tried to organize a line up, but that quickly fizzled out into a sea of desperate waiting people. While the medical team was attending to the needy crowd, a group of us blew up balloons, handed out small toys, decorated the tarp lined walls with hand made school cards and sang songs with the children. Matthea played the violin while children clapped loudly to her tunes. Eve had brought handmade school bags, that were filled with school supplies, toothbrushes and toys to give away to children that were attending school. There is a local school close by and some are sponsored by an American organization to get out of the community to get an education. We were told yesterday that the greatest thing for a child is to break out of this community, to boarding school preferably, to get an education. This is the only way that they will break out of the poverty cycle. If left at home, they witness atrocious acts. Child prostitution is rampant as well as domestic abuse and a host of other things that no person should have to endure. The children were desperate for the toys and balloons. Dollar store rings were the most popular items, with children trampling, kicking and pushing eachother to get them. At the same time, they were respectful when they got to the giver. They did not grab or demand anything. They just wanted something to call their own. Even when we were handing out clothes, there were women that wanted something else, essentially turning down what we had to offer. At first, it could be perceived as ungratefulness in our culture and one could think, " What? you have nothing..why wouldn't you want anything that we have to offer?" But really, as we processed it all, we realized that this was the first time in their life that they saw that they had a CHOICE. For the first time in their life, they had the opportunity to be themselves, to have an identity, to have a "style" or to express their individuality. So, we gave choices and hopefully, they felt that they could be specified as unique. No matter where...no matter how poor....each and every person is unique and entitled to feel it, show it and be loved and cared for in that very way...UNIQUE! Much love, Angie xo

Yesterday we had the privilege of visting the Mother Teresa House in Addis. The tall blue metal gates were punctuated with security guards on one side and poor young mothers and their half-naked babies on the other. The compound was very large, well organized, and clearly filled with hope, love and much care for all. The hallways and rooms were filled with beautiful people, all freely waving and smiling at us. Some sat there in the quiet of their afflictions, while others quickly jumped up to shake our hands or wave from the distant reaches of the large rooms. HIV, Tuberculosis, cancer, cerebral palsy, victims of beatings...the rooms were filled with sick people. Neatly made beds lined the large rooms. Without such a place these people would find themselves on the street, or worse off, dead and forgotten. What really stood out to me was the hope that filled the air. Painted walls, murals, patterned curtains all decorated the rooms. There was no dingyness, no darkenss, no despair within the suildings. An adoption and pediatric ward brought many of us to the melting point in our hearts as we met beautiful babies, swaddled in cozy blankets on their beds. Hanging from pediatric ceilings were colorful mobiles, with children laying in their beds staring up with wide eyes. Staff and volunteers roamed around with obvious affection for their patients and it was very clear that these people were not just there to fill a physical need, but also an emotional and spiritual need as well. We walked through the wards rubbing tummies, shaking hands and caressing cheeks of children . Some children were afflicted with cerebral palsy and other significant disorders. Others were simply too sick to move at all. But I can tell you that their eyes came alive with the warmth of our human touch. Their bodies may have been afflicted, but their hearts were fully alive and open. Volunteers are able to come from anywhere in the world and do not have to have any particular specialty. The only prerequisite is a willing heart. It's as I've said before....we are not measured by what we do or where we live or in what our resources are. We are only able to bless others when our hearts are fully open to serving and loving. Then, as we saw in Mother Teresa House...God does the rest. He guides hearts, He directs thoughts, He creates plans that are beyond our comprehension. He is extending His love and compassion through Mother Teresa House. We were so happy to see that the patients were fed well, that they participated in craft and game times and that they were evidently valued by those that cared for them. This is the core of human existence and need - to be known, to be acknowledged and to be loved....in a personal way. We ended our tour purchasing handmade bracelets made by patients. We wanted to support their hopes and dreams. I will never forget all the faces, the many handshakes and the beautiful smiles. What an incredible ministry. Mother Teresa House is a picture of hope and it reminds me that no matter how many destitute or orphaned people there are in this world, that we can reach out in love. We can care and we can impact the lives of others. There is no such thing as "no hope". There is no such thing as not reaching out because there is too much need. Every person matters, each and every one. Every day that we awake we have the opportunity to think beyond ourselves, to reach beyond ourselves and to bless others. As Mother Teresa once said, " There are no great things, only small things done with great love."

I am grateful that we were able to visit this incredible ministry. We will
be dropping off a hockey bag full of medical supplies there on Monday. It's funny to think that we were without our luggage for 8 days. In hindsight, the truth is that God had a very specific plan for that luggage. We have donated supplies to the Sululta Medical Clinic, the Leprosy community and to Mother Teresa House. There may even be more places for our "lost" luggage to go. Our anxieties over lost luggage became a blessing beyond our vision or comprehension. I can tell you that absolutely no one is wishing that it had been any different. Now that we have most of our bags,we're thinking that we can manage with alot less and give a whole lot more!

Finally on the internet

This has been a very challenging trip. I think that you know that we had a very bizarre experience at the clinic. I think that there is alot of political and administrative tension there and it has really affected the morale of the staff. They were very downcast and also very distant. I was very heart broken by this initially, especially after everything that has been poured into this trip. But, I've also realized that God brought me here for more than just the clinic. We've toured the leper colony and seen destitution beyond my wildest imagination. I actually can't believe that I've seen what I have and wonder how I will be able to process it all. At the same time, I am very much in my element, reaching out to people. These people are the outcasts of society and so when you look at them and smile, or shake their hand, they literally begin to cry. It is heart wrenching, but at the same time, i realize that God has plans for them with our coming there. Today, we took a very sick mom to the hospital who ended up having TB and HIV. We paid for her to go to the hospital and we know without a doubt that she would have died had we not showed up and taken her. On Saturday, we will go back to do a hygiene clinic, teaching them all about sanitation and also personal hygiene. Our team has developed a long term sustainable plan for this group of people; 130,000 of them! This plan will involve teaching, medical teaching, nutrition program, infant feeding program, rain collection, water bottle purification (remember that Al? We read it while at Dr. Welsh's office where you put dirty water in water bottles and have it sterilized by the sun on corrugated metal sheets? Well, there is plenty of metal here! There is so much for me to share, but I just about can't process it all or communicate it. I know that my mind and heart will be full and that it will take time. I also know that my heart is very much for continuing to serve the poor. I just can't get that out of my heart. I am looking forward to being home too and just taking it easy more. I can't wait to share my many stories. Today, we also toured the leprosy hospital founded by Dr. Paul Brandt. He wrote a book called, "The gift of pain" and I've heard its awesome. I saw people so disfigured and so very sick. It was very emotionally challenging. At the same time, I knew that our team is here to love those people and that brings me great joy.

We still don't have our luggage yet. I have lived with very little now and it must be so that I can more clearly sense what it is like to have less. I really do know that less is more. I am most disappointed that I don't have the 100 pounds of supplies that I had planned to hand out. But, we're all praying that they will arrive in time for us to give them out to the many at the leper colony. Today, we were putting stickers on the children's hands....and the smiles were the biggest that I've ever seen. It's like we need to live with nothing to understand the worth of something.

Well, I'd better go before I lose the connection again. I will write in the next couple of days. I don't have tons of time to email and there are alot of people at the Guest Home waiting for the computer.

Please pray for our luggage.....that there will be no further delays with our flights, since I heard that scientists were predicting another more dramatic eruption. I hope and pray that we will get home on our scheduled date. I miss you all and love you very much. By the way, just this morning, we found out that 8 out of 11 suitcases have arrived!

I hope that the internet will stay accesible. I have not been able to access my blog until today. Thank you for your prayers!! Angie

DAY ONE.....just starting out!

Well, the day has finally come. I am sitting in the Vancouver airport with my free wifi and Tim Hortons coffee. I have to say that I am looking forward to enjoying an Ethiopian coffee with my Sululta 2010 team. Some of us know eachother and others we do not know. I am excited for the new friendships that will be formed and the incredible experiences that we will share. I've heard that the clinic staff are eagerly awaiting our arrival. Well, hopefully the power and internet will be cooperative in Ethiopia and will be able to keep you posted. Angie

5 DAYS TO GO UNTIL OUT TEAM HEADS OFF TO SULULTA, ETHIOPIA.
I hope to share some of our experiences on the blog, if I get some time, so please check in! Angie

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