Not Our Birthday!

Ashenafe's Family Party

Ashenafe and family


Keegan’s Birthday is in August; Anne was born in December. So when we went to a Birthday Party in November, we were positive the party was not for us. We were told the party was for Ashenafe’s (Who is that? Read the last post!) three year old nephew.

To get to the party, we drove our rented Toyota Rav-4 through essentially a squatter’s village. As we drove slowly past tin and wooden shacks, kids on the path—road is the wrong word—yelled in astonishment: “Mechina! Mechina!” (Car! Car!) I imagine they hadn’t seen many cars on the road before.

Ashenafe’s aunt and her family live in a small shack with mud-brick walls and a tin roof. The house has one room about 10 by 10 feet, enough room for one single bed, a small shelf, and two chairs. Three people live in this small space, sharing one bed. They are lucky, though, compared to the many who live on the streets or in far worse homes.

We sat in the two chairs, Ashenafe on the floor beside us, and the family on the bed. The bulk of the party had been earlier—they showed us pictures of the large pan of bread that was the cake, the number shaped candle, and several little boys piled up on the chairs. This section of the party was apparently for us. They gave us Cokes, salad, bread, injera and stew, popcorn, and an elaborate coffee ceremony. As we ate and they watched, meticulously keeping our plates full, we learned that nobody in the room outside of Ashenafe had a paying job.

We couldn’t talk much because they spoke little English. We used what Amharic we knew, played around with our camera together, and all watched Asher get paraded around the neighborhood. When I got paranoid and went outside to check on the car, little children were simply playing around it, looking at it like a spaceship. Towards the end of the party, our party, we were offered a taste of Tella, a homemade barley beer. It tasted like cigarette butts ground up in water, left in the rain for months to thicken and ferment. They laughed at our faces when we sipped. Despite the taste, the offering and generosity was an honor.

As we drank and stuffed ourselves, we were overcome by the generosity of those who have so little giving to us with so much. The generosity of the poor is a common theme in Ethiopia and all over the world. Ashenafe and Tsehei, for example, consistently give money to the poor and the church. The food and drinks this family gave us dwarfed the tiny gift we brought with us: a small bag of oranges and bananas. Every time we go to an Ethiopian’s house for dinner or a holiday, the party always seems to be about us.

The mud-brick walls of the room were covered in old newspapers from Dubai. Sitting in one of the worn chairs, I was struck by an advertisement in one of the newspapers: “2 bedroom apartment, 26th floor, ocean view, minutes from the beech, $3000/month”. Would the owner of that apartment invite us in? Give us the only two chairs? Give us special food and drinks that they could not realistically afford? Would we find the same selflessness and warmth in that shiny apartment as we found in this 10X10 little room?

Ashenafe: Brother and Son

We are officially horrible bloggers. Now that several months have passed, we decided it is high time we return to our blog. Much has happened in the past few months. Most of you by now know we’ll be leaving Ethiopia at the end of the school year. In August we’ll be moving to Xiamen, China. Yes, big changes; we spent most of the past few months going through that process. While we’re excited to go to China, we are sad to leave Ethiopia. We do want to share what a wonderful time we have had and how incredible the people of Ethiopia are. So, we plan to renew our focus on this blog. We hope! We’ll start by telling you about the person in Ethiopia we know the most.

Ashenafe is both our brother and our son. A 16 year old boy that has lived with us since October, Ashenafe is officially our guard, house cleaner, Asher’s nanny, personal shopper, gardener, bill payer, and negotiator. But in reality he is our friend, brother, son, and what we now see as our biggest impact in Ethiopia.

We first met Ashenafe in September 2008. When we walked from home to school, we would always see Ashenafe on the streets. It is very common for poor or homeless Ethiopians to ask any foreigner for money. Ashenafe was essentially homeless—his mother in the countryside could not provide for him, so they sent him to Addis to find his uncle. While he did find his uncle and stayed with him, he often spent nights on the street. But Ashenafe was different right away. He never asked for anything. Instead, he would do odd jobs to earn money. He shined shoes, carried bags, slaughtered sheep, sold dogs, washed cars, and even tried to sell Keegan a monkey. When I (Keegan) needed my shoes shined, I would wait until I saw Ashenafe, and we would practice my little Amharic and his English while he shined. A relationship began to grow.

Soon we invited Ashenafe to eat dinner with us. He ate pasta as if he was completely famished! We learned about his family, his father who died as a soldier, and what his life was like. Though he was lucky to earn 100 birr a month, he saved his money to pay for his own night school. We quickly realized how honest, mature, and wise Ashenafe was for his age and situation. We offered to help—“What do you need?” we asked. We left the question open to about anything. “A pair of shoes and a pair of pants” was his reply. When I think of myself in Ashenafe’s situation, what would I ask for? Money? A job? A ticket to America? I doubt I would stop at shoes and pants.

We bought Ashenafe a new outfit—shoes, pants, a shirt—and he soon got a stable job working at a restaurant. Our relationship continued to grow. When Asher was born, Ashenafe brought flowers that were nicer than those brought by all of our other friends, including an engineer and a doctor. How much of his monthly salary did he use? When we came back to Addis in September, we quickly got back in touch. We soon found out that Ashenafe had to work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. He was unable to go to school anymore. When we couldn’t rehire Teshei (our house-helper/nanny we loved last year), Ashenafe made a proposal: he would work for us, live with us, and do whatever we needed. And, above all, he would love Asher like a big brother.

So here we are, parenting both an 8 month old and a 16 year old. In ways, Ashenafe is incredibly mature for his age—he has learned from living in the streets, being more or less abandoned, surviving on his own. But he is still 16. He has no idea how to budget, how to do things quietly (We nicknamed him Atto Chachata—Mr. Loud), and how to time manage. Yet we are so blessed by Ashenafe! We joke with him, laugh together, play games together, and love having him as a part of our family. And he certainly is Asher’s wondam (brother)—Asher lights up when Ashenafe is around. Ashenafe was Asher’s first babysitter, and he will be very hard to top!

We hope that we have blessed Ashenafe. He is rapidly learning English, goes to night school and driving school, and is learning other skills. He knows he is loved and provided for as a brother, not as an employee. But we know that we have been far more blessed by him—in our relationship, the perspective he has taught us, and by making life in Ethiopia wonderful.

In July, we’ll be leaving Ethiopia. Ashenafe will remain. What will become of him? We’re working hard to find him a new job, a home, a family that can love him like we have—and that will love like he has loved us! But even as we live in China or wherever life takes us, Ashenafe will remain an important part of our life. In our minds, Ashenafe is not so different from all Ethiopians. He represents the best in Ethiopia—kindness, selflessness, generosity, love, humor, and faith.

Flat Tire

**Our Street**




Here's a riddle for you: How many men does it take to change a flat tire? The Answer? I have no idea; it was too dark to count them. It was Ethipian New Years, September 11, Ethiopia's most celebrated and exciting holiday. To celebrate, I had gotten out of town a bit in my borrowed car. While on the way back to town that evening, I found a spot overlooking the countryside and valleys. It was already dusk, so I decided to watch the sunset and found a spot to pull off the road.


In Addis Ababa you see many foreigners. But you don't see many foreigners sitting beside a road outside of the city. The people walking by me thought I was a bit of a novelty, so I got to have several small conversations. Just as the sun was close to setting, a large group of boys approached me and began to talk. One spoke decent English, and I used the little Amharic I knew. We talked about the usual things--the US, what we're doing in Ethiopia, the holiday, and even sports. The group was probably 8 boys, all around 18 years old. We were enjoying our conversation so much that I didn't mind too much when a cloud blocked out the sun just before it set.


As it began to get dark, I decided I should get back into the city. We all shook hands, and they invited me to come back the next day for lunch. As I walked to the car, I noticed a completely flat tire. Flat tires are very common here. I've heard many stories of people going on a one hour drive and getting three flat tires. In our four months of driving, we've gotten four flat tires. Like every other time we've gotten a flat tire, other people have jumped to help us. So the group of boys quickly began helping me with the tire. I shouldn't say helping me---they wouldn't let me do anything! I got out the jack, and after a few minutes of cranking they said the jack wouldn't work; it was too old and rusted. They found a large, flat rock, put the jack on top, and tried again. Still no success. After a few more tries, one of the boys ran down the street and borrowed a jack from another car. Of course, the occupants of this second car all came and helped...in their holiday dress clothes!


This second jack worked, but was too small and didn't raise the car up enough. Back to the large rock, which they again placed under the jack. More cranking, more crawling around on the dirt, more yells for the light (one cell phone light was all we had), and finally the car had four good tires. By the time it was done, the sun was down completely and an hour had passed. I had done virtually nothing, other than stand around hoping the jack wouldn't fail and crush someone.

In Ethiopia when a foreigner has a problem, it's common for people to flock to the scene to help. Many want to be paid for their work, even if they just stood around watching. But this group of boys was different. They asked for nothing and simply wanted to help out their new friend. Just like these boys, most Ethiopians are exceedingly friendly and helpful. They will do all they can to help one another or even a complete stranger. While I gave them money to buy dinner together, they would have been perfectly happy receiving a simple thank you and wave as I drove back down the mountain. So how many men does it take to change a flat tire? In Ethiopia, it often takes a village!

And...We're Back!

*Photos: One photo is of Asher with Daddy on the airplane back to the US. The second is Asher flexing his muscles at the Beach at Lake Kanopolis in Kansas. We got to enjoy a bit of both summer and fall while in the States.

It has been far too long since we updated our blog; so long that just about everything in our life in Ethiopia has changed. Since you would probably rather not read a novel, I'll do my best to summarize the past few months and our changes. In late July, Andinet was unable to fullfill their contractual promises. After several weeks of working to find a balance that would work for us and Andinet, in the last week of July we decided we could not return to Andinet. However, we love Ethiopia and wanted to stay, so I began my search for a new job by looking at other schools in Addis Ababa. Surprisingly, a British school here in Addis, Sandford International School, had an open English position and hired me. Because we switched employers, we had to also leave the country and get a new work-visa sponsored by Sandford, which is part of the reason we made a trip back to the US. While it was a challenging time, we were able to leave Andinet on positive terms and with a great deal of encouragement. In the US we were reminded so much of the blessed life we live: from our family and friends to the safety, access, and opportunities of being an American.

I (Keegan) returned to Ethiopia on August 22. Because my job changed to a new school, virtually everything else has changed as well. We have a new place to live, currently an appartment on the city's major road, Bole. While our apartment is nice, it's very far from school and along a busy road. In the next few weeks we'll likely be moving to a new house closer to school and with areas outside for Asher and Anne to play. We also have a new house-helper, Frehiwot. She is kind and helpful and we are certainly blessed by her, but we do hope to "steal" our previous helper, Tsehei, who has an amazing gift of being able to calm Asher at any moment, along with other gifts!

Of course a new job comes with many new relationships, which have begun to grow in the past month. Sandford, unlike Andinet, is quite international (especially the staff, who are moslty from the UK) and has a strong tradition here. About 60 percent of the students are Ethiopian, mostly very upper class. My students, because of their status in the country, will certainly be leaders in Ethiopia's future, which is exciting and challenging as a teacher. While this change was sudden and unexpected, we are looking forward to building relationships and continuing to focus on helping Ethiopia's wonderful people. I'm especially excited to play a role in shaping and teaching some of Ethiopia's future leaders.

In the coming weeks we hope to settle a bit more--house, Tsehei, my job, and additional relationships. As we do adjust and settle, we hope to update you more frequently. However, we mainly want to tell you more about Ethiopia and the wonderful people and culture here. Besides, a house is a house! And you would probably enjoy and learn more reading about my experience with a flat tire a few weeks back. I'll tell you more about that soon!

I Am Here!!

Introducing...

Bringing in Additional Help

Hi friends and family. Let me take a minute to introduce myself. I’m on my way to help in Ethiopia. I am about 17 inches long and weigh around 2.5 pounds. I have some hair, but I can’t tell what color it is because I don’t have a mirror. While I can blink and open my eyes, there isn’t much to see because it’s dark in here. I also wonder what color I am; either way, I’ll have a nice tan. Daddy really hopes I have Mommy’s smile, and Mommy wants me to have Daddy’s eyes.Lately I’ve learned how to be a kick-boxer. I practice a lot in the mornings, before bed, and anytime I just ate.

I can even hear everything going on around me. Recently I started hearing stories, but I’ve been listening to my Dad’s favorite music for months. Every month I go to the doctor so Mommy and Daddy can hear my heartbeat. They even got to see me a few times, though it’s just in black and white. I wonder if they saw me waving? I may be small, but I have a lot of power in my family. First, I have a big secret that Mommy and Daddy don’t know…I’m not telling if I’m a boy or a girl. Second, I already take Mom and Dad’s time: they do my shopping, read books about me, and pray about me. I don’t mean to, but I make mom tired and sometimes I even give her heartburn. She doesn’t complain, though, because she’s really tough and loves me a lot. I can even control Mommy and Daddy’s thoughts: they think about me a lot! When I move around, everything seems to stop and I feel hands touching me. You should see what happens when I practice my kick-boxing!

Even though I can’t see them, I know Mommy and Daddy smile when I practice. They sound really excited, too. I already get lots of kisses and hear my parents telling me they love me. They think I’m pretty special already. Whenever people see my parents, they ask how I’m doing. Well, I’m doing great. I spend most my time growing; I get stronger and bigger every day. Pretty soon, it won’t be dark any more and I’ll get to see all kinds of things. In about 11 weeks, I’ll be ready for a big and exciting adventure. Mommy and Daddy have a countdown paper chain in their room. Right now, it says I can come play in 80 days, around June 25th. That doesn’t mean much to me because I haven’t learned how to count just yet. So I’ll come when I’m ready. Attached is my picture. I’m the good looking one in the middle. Thanks for caring about my parents because it helps them care about me. I’m not sure how much help I’ll be at first, but Mom and Dad say I’ll be a big blessing while they’re in Ethiopia.

Tsehei and Aberash: Our Help We Couldn’t Live Without!

Photo1: Tsehei and Anne at a Christmas Tea

Photo 2: Aberash and Keegan outside our kitchen

When we were preparing to come to Africa, one of the biggest unknowns
was having a house helper. While we knew that having house help is
common throughout much of Africa, we weren’t sure how comfortable we
were with the idea. We wondered: would she live with us? Would we
have privacy? How do we be friends and bosses at the same time?
After seven months we’ve adjusted just fine and would even like to see
some aspects added to the American culture!

Our “house-helper” is named Tsehei. She is 28 years old and lives
with us in our compound. Tsehei is from rural Ethiopia and is
incredibly devoted to the Orthodox Christian Church. Tsehei has been
one of the greatest blessings to us in Ethiopia. She does far more
than we expected and for that we are so grateful. Like all house help
she keeps our house and compound clean, does our laundry (washes by
hand, hangs them to dry, and irons), and does our dishes. She also
cooks our breakfast and reheats our dinners. In addition to these
normal tasks, she helps us as foreigners with ever day life. She
speaks very good English, so she is always able to answer our
questions, give us directions, tell us about culture, and even helps
keep us in line! She takes us to Merkato, a huge and intimidating
open-air market where we would be overwhelmed without her, and
negotiates prices for us. She translates for us when we try to talk
with people in the neighborhood. And when we do mismanage our
shopping and forget something, Tsehei often fills in and buys the
items we’re missing. She gives us advice about the best places to
shop, hospitals, places to avoid, and any other information we need to
know. She does all this in addition to her everyday tasks. In
Africa, keeping up on the household duties is a full time job because
things need to be cleaned everyday; laundry is an all day event, etc.
Because these “ordinary” things take so much effort, everyone has a
house-helper, regardless of class. Our life here would be infinitely
more difficult without Tshei!

We feel that we’ve found a comfortable balance of friendship with
Tsehei. We’ll occasionally ask her to eat with us or go to an event.
We communicate freely about our days, how we are all feeling, and are
beginning to discuss deeper things like culture and church. She is
like an older sister in ways but the dynamics of being her “employer”
can make that awkward. Still the balance is challenging; we tend to
wonder if we are doing enough to be friendly as we value her so much.
We try to balance loving and treating her as family with the “work”
side.

In addition to Tsehei, we also have a cook during the day, Monday
through Saturday. For us the food situation in Ethiopia has been more
challenging than we expected. Shopping takes lots of time - there is
no Wal-Mart! – and we have to pick up a few items each day, often
going to multiple stores on our walk home. Everything is made fresh
and from scratch (there are no processed foods or frozen meals here!).
So every meal takes time, creativity, and planning! Doing just the
planning and shopping can take an entire Saturday, and we don’t even
cook it! So that is why we are thankful for Aberash. We don’t have
enough hours in the day to plan, buy, prepare and cook ourselves.
While Aberash has many specialties that we love (cinnamon rolls,
lasagna, and pizza!), we’ve learned that Ethiopians view food
differently than Americans. As Americans we want variety; most
Ethiopians eat virtually the same food three times a day. Most locals
have their house helpers also do all the cooking. However, because we
are foreigners and have more “unique” meals that take additional work
and preparation, a separate cook is needed. Whether it’s her age or
her home cooking, Aberash is close to being our Ethiopian Grandma.

While having a house helper and cook sounds extravagant, it’s no
different than having a microwave, washing machine, dishwasher, and
constant Wal-Mart access. We recognize the cultural norm and that
life without Tsehei and Aberash would be unbelievably challenging. We
are blessed continually by them. We try to be a blessing to them in
return.

Our House: Part 4

In our slow description of our home in Ethiopia, we've saved the best
parts for last! In this update we'll briefly describe the most
important rooms in the house, our bathroom and our kitchen.

We have one of the nicest bathrooms we've seen in the city! The
bathroom is simple but quite large. We have a full-size bathtub,
which we initially planned to turn into a shower. Unfortunately there
is rarely enough water pressure to really have a shower. When we say
there is no pressure, we're serious. The faucet has a shower head
attachment that has perhaps 50 holes that water is supposed to rush
through. Typically about 5 of those holes give a little stream for
us. It takes us 15 minutes to fill the tub a few inches, just enough
to cover the bottom so we don't have to feel the cold sides. So even
though we're technically in the tub we still have to use a pitcher to
wash and clean ourselves. (Attention possible visitors: with a little
patience, say 30 minutes or 60 really, one can have a real bath!)
We're just happy for hot water!

The only interesting thing about the toilet is that instead of having
a handle to flush, there is a knob on top that you pull. We had never
seen that before, but it is standard in all of Ethiopia—as are "squat"
toilets. We are also blessed to have a toilet seat, one of few we
have seen outside of our home. It even has one of those built in
plastic lips that serves as a handle! The sink leaks rather
frequently. Now that the weather is heating up, one highlight of the
bathroom is that it never gets sun, so the tile is nice and cold after
walking home from work in the sun.

So, that's the bathroom…pretty much like any American bathroom, minus
plush rugs and matching towels. One important thing to note: here in
Ethiopia the world is the toilet here – we have yet to go outside and
not see men peeing randomly in the streets. Considering this, we feel
lucky to simply have a bathroom.

Like the bathroom, the kitchen is functional and simple. We have a
medium-sized fridge, a large toaster-type oven, and a
smaller-than-average gas stove. There are two cabinets, one for
storing pots and pans and the other for our small assortment of
dishes. Other than some small glasses (I miss big plastic cups!), all
of our dishes are plastic.

Like every other part of our house, we cannot complain about the
kitchen. We used to spend little time in the kitchen because Tsehei
and Aberash, our cook during the week, did most of the cooking and
dishes. We'll write a post more about the lack of variety for meal
options. Lately, however, we've been getting creative and began
cooking more ourselves. While Aberash is an expert at cinnamon roles,
pasta, and Ethiopian food, we can eat it only so much. When the
internet has worked well enough to provide recipes, and when
ingredients are available, we'll cook our own favorites—tacos,
enchiladas, and grilled cheese. Recently we have even made calzones!
We are very appreciative of the care packages we have recieved from
Keegan's parents! They have helped the food adjustment tremendously!
We have also been able to find a few "American" things at some of the
supermarkets. They have been hard to find but we have BBQ sauce and
Mountain Dew in the fridge (saving them!) as well as Ice Cream in the
freezer. On our shelf of food we have salsa, syrup for pancakes,
coffee, and plenty of the essentials.

Now you know all about our home. As time passes we are slowly making
the house more of a home. In a bedroom we now have pictures up, so we
now have pictures of friends and family spread along the wall. It
only takes a few familiar and loved faces to make us comfortable!

Our Home: part 3

Life in Africa is supposed to have a slower pace. People typically take it easy more often than in the United States. Apparently we either are the exception or at least feel like the exception. Life has felt filled to the top lately, so much so that we have not even made time for updating this here Blog! So, we’re behind a bit and will attempt to catch up in the coming weeks!
Earlier we began giving details about our home. We shared about our compound and our bedroom. We’ll begin our catching up by sharing about our living room. Soon you can look forward to the joys of our bathroom and kitchen!
The living room also serves as our dining room. When we got here we had a separate dining room, a tiny, bare room with an empty echo. So we decided to combine them and moved our small, 4 person table into an open space in the living room…and voila, just like home in the US! The room is dominated by one very long and very low-to-the-ground couch. There is also a matching loveseat and two matching chairs. They are all a dirty gray, not our favorite color. But because we love each other, we sit only in the love seat. The rest serve as “eye candy” to distract you from the remarkably white walls. Above the long couch is our artwork, which we purchased at a price that was 90% less than the original quoted price, yet was likely still too much. It’s a very brightly colored painting that depicts the story of Queen Sheba and King Solomon (Short Synopsis: They fall in love and have a child who eventually returns to Israel and steals/borrows/receives the Arc of the Covenant. Or so the Ethiopian version goes.)
On the floor of the living/dining room is a large rug that is not soft. Actually, it’s more like a mat. We have our first ever glass-topped coffee table and a TV that is the same as our one in the US (Meaning: HUGE!). Along one wall are windows and a door that opens onto the driveway that serves as our patio. Facing these windows is our table with its plastic, green and white checkered table cloth. Other than eating and occasional TV, we don’t spend much time here. But it is nice to have room to host people.
After describing it, our house may not sound like much, but it is exactly what we need. Recently we received a bit of perspective about the house. A young man I (Keegan) had been getting to know from walking around invited me to see his house. We walked less than a block from our house into a field full of shack houses. Danny took me to a tiny room that is his home. It is one room, perhaps five feet square, with a straw mat on the dirt floor that serves as his bed. There is no running water, no bathroom, and one little light bulb. Imagine your closet made out of tin, but without the carpet. Cracks let in the cold night air and the roof doesn’t stop the rain. Beside his “bed”, Danny showed me his possessions—a backpack with one set of clothes and an old walkman. Even Danny is lucky in comparison to the many that sleep with only a plastic sheet covering them. We don’t have to go far to find these clear reminders of how greatly we are blessed.

Adventures in Cairo

Most of you know that we spent our Christmas vacation in Egypt.
After a few weeks back in Ethiopia, we've reflected enough to finally
tell a little about our time in Egypt. However, if you've been there,
you'll agree that writing about Egypt is futile—words fail to capture
the magnificence, history, and beauty of Egypt.

We went to Egypt planning to be awed by the Great Pyramids of Giza.
With the largest Pyramid standing fifty stories tall, we certainly
were awed. While riding horses through the desert around the
pyramids, we were stunned by the size, perfection, and workmanship on
display. Nearly 5000 years ago, how was man able to do such a thing?
Not just how, but why?

Despite the incredible pyramids, they represent only a fraction of the
splendor of Egypt. In south Egypt (upper, as they say), Luxor was one
of the highlights of our trip. Just as striking as the Pyramids,
Karnak Temple in Luxor is still nearly 4000 years old and just as
impressive. We were most impressed by Hypostyle Hall, one of its many
halls. Inside the Hypostyle Hall are 116 massive columns, some 20
meters high and 15 meters around. 116! All are carved with 360
degree hieroglyphics, once in bright colors. The hall feel endless,
with light and shadows cutting around the columns as if walking
through an ancient and perfect forest. While we were there I tried
taking countless pictures, bending down to the ground in homes of
getting a full column in the frame. But it never quite worked. Even
video failed to capture the place. And while Karnak is the most
impressive of the ancient temples, we saw five others, all amazing and
ancient.

Also in Luxor is the Valley of the Kings, home of the tombs of the
Pharaohs of Egypt…some of them. Imagine this: cut down and into the
side of a rock mountain, a hallway (hallway fails…more like large
driveway) leads over 100 meters down into the rock. Every surface is
perfectly flat, squared, smooth, and covered in brightly colored and
raised hieroglyphics. After over 350 feet, you enter into a massive
room, at the center of which is a sarcophagus the size of a truck,
carved from a single piece of granite. Imagine building this over
3000 years ago, the effort and skill required to do it, and then
imagine closing it up in hopes that nobody will ever find it. That is
the Valley of the Kings, or rather one of 62 tombs found there.
Clearly I could spend pages describing what we saw in Egypt. Even
after pages, I would feel frustrated that my words don't adequately
convey what awesome treasures are there. In order to grasp the scope
of human history and ability, everyone should see Egypt once. As an
American, it helped put into perspective the newness of our society
and nation.

Egypt was full of other highlights for us. We took a wonderful and
relaxing cruise down the Nile, watching the most important river in
history flow slowly by. We enjoyed some taste of modernism and
technology—high speed Internet, air conditioning, and even the taste
of home at McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, and even On the Border. All of
this spoiled us and made for a memorable vacation and escape from life
in Ethiopia.

Nobody warned us about how hard it would be to come back. When you go
on vacation, you always go home at the end. I think our minds were
expecting home…really home. Instead we came back to Ethiopia, only
partially home, and so vastly removed from even the amenities of
Egypt. At first we were bitter, annoyed by everything from loud
churches to beggars. Other expats tell us this is normal, which is
comforting considering the guilt I later feel after shooing away a
starving child. Now after a little more time, we're finding a
healthier balance with life in Ethiopia and our calling for being
here. Overall, our vacation helped provide needed rest, time
together, and some wonderful memories to share.

Opportunities to Help

Dear Friends and Family,

We apologize for not posting an update or prayer email in quite a long
time! We've written a few posts but due to internet access have not
been able to upload them to the web. So we'll play catch up with some
posts later. We decided to put the most important post/prayer email
up first.

Our most recent post is something very dear and close to our hearts
for many reasons. Primarily three reasons… Adoption, Ethiopia and
Close Friends. We have some close friends, Doug and Danielle Banker
from Colorado Springs, who are in the process of adopting siblings
from Ethiopia! They have completed all their paperwork and homestudy
and are now in the waiting process. Like I said this is very close to
our hearts.

First, because of Adoption. As many of you know I was adopted along
with my younger brother, Gideon. We think it is wonderful that Doug
and Danielle are willing to bring not just one child but TWO into
their home. They are truly providing life to these children. These
children will have opportunities that they would never have. And more
importantly they will experience love and belonging. Adopting is one
of the most selfless things that a family can do. My whole life is a
testimony to the change and impact that can happen when parents decide
to adopt!

Second, Ethiopia. We've now been in Ethiopia for over 4 months. We
love the country, culture and especially the people. We plan to share
with you more and more as time goes, but the poverty is reality for
millions of people in this country. They need our help. They need
your help. Doug and Danielle are responding to this need; they are
tremendously changing the lives of two children.
Third, they are our close friends. We've known Doug and Danielle
since 2004, when they participated in a young married bible study we
helped lead. Doug and Danielle have been impactful in our lives in
many ways. They have been examples to us by living their faith with
width (knowledge) but more importantly depth (living). Specifically
they are inspirational in their marriage, finances and community
building. Personally, they have provided us with true accountability
and fellowship. We could write more and more about them, but the most
important thing we can say is that they WILL be amazing godly parents.
We've already seen them in many ways trust God through their adoption
journey up until now.

You might be asking why we're telling you all this? Before we left
the US, many of you knew that we were not fundraising while we served
in Africa. But many of you did ask us to let you know about any
financial needs or opportunities where you could help Ethiopia. So,
here is the first opportunity for those who are interested and able.
We know the timing isn't best, with the financial crisis and with
Christmas, this might not the ideal time to ask. Nonetheless, what
better time to give a gift that really does GIVE LIFE, than Christmas.
Our prayers and dreams are that those in our "community of support"
would bless Doug and Danielle as they step out in faith and trust God
to provide for them and their soon to be children. We'd encourage you
to send ANYTHING to show that you too believe in what they're doing.
Maybe that is only $5 right now or maybe for some of you it is $1000.
Whatever amount it is…I know that the encouragement and the support is
more important than the dollar amount to them. I'm sure if there are
other resources or ways that you can help (outside of monetary),
they'd love to talk with you. You'll find this address on our blog.
We want to thank you for reading and if you are able… giving! Most
importantly, please pray for Doug and Danielle. They'll have many
special memories as well as many challenges ahead! We'll be providing
updates about Doug and Danielle as time goes on!

Many Blessings,
Anne & Keegan

A Great Way to Help

Yes, friends and family, we are still very much alive! We've gotten very busy lately and have not made time for updates. Whenever we did prepare an update, it also coincided with lousy internet. So, we'll be posting some more, real updates soon. As for now, let us tell you about a way you can help Ethiopia.

As we prayed and considered moving to Africa, a great many friends encouraged us along the way. Doug and Danielle Banker were one couple particularly involved in the process. While Doug and Danielle were encouraging God's plan for us, they were considering a significant step in their own lives. Around the same time we decided to move toEthiopia, Doug and Danielle decided to adopt children from Ethiopia. As we walk the streets of Addis and see countless orphans, we realize what an amazing thing the Bankers are doing. Below is a letter from the Bankers. Please read it over and consider joining them in this Christmas season.

Dear fellow brothers and sisters,

The Bible tells us in James 1:27 that "pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world". Isaiah1:17 says "Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow." This is the calling my wife and I have humbly and graciously answered.

Our journey began shortly after Danielle and I met when we both shared our interest in adoption and how we'd be open to it in the future. This past winter, after being married almost 3 years, we decided it would be the right time for us to pursue this dream of ours. Since that first conversation we have had a heart for the continent of Africa and the struggles that many of the people there face daily. More recently, our hearts have steered in the direction of Ethiopia.This direction took place around the same time MarlAnne and Keegan Combs found out they'd be taking their calling and ministry to Ethiopia.

One of the most blessed relationships the Lord has brought Danielle and I is MarlAnne and Keegan Combs. Watching their journey come to fruition with their going to Ethiopia has been inspiring and praiseful (though we miss them like crazy!). Since their arrival several months ago Danielle and I have started the adoption process, completed all of the paperwork, have gone through many hours of training required by the agencies and are getting ready to submit our dossier to Ethiopia awaiting our referral. Words cannot even express the excitement we both currently share as our "paper pregnancy" is about to begin! After long consideration we have decided to submit a request for 2 children under the ages of 36 months, most likely blood siblings. Due to this request our wait will likely be longer than usual. Therefore,we're hoping to receive our referral in late 2009 or early 2010. Once this happens, we'll go over to Ethiopia soon thereafter to meet our children!

As many of you may already know with adoption comes many challenges. Issues with the child's heath, language barriers, attachment disorders, high financial requirements and many others are very likely to occur. Thankfully, we have many great resources at our hands to take advantage of to help us through each of these trials/tribulations. Danielle and I have been saving up for this process knowing we would want to pursue adoption. Due to this we initially chose not to pursue raising support financially. The Lord has changed our hearts to be open to others who may want to in some way, shape, or form assist us in His heart for the orphans of this world. If you would be interested in helping us we would wholeheartedly welcome any form of generosity. We thank you for your prayerful consideration in taking part in our journey.

In His Loving Name,
Doug & Danielle Banker
930 N. Logan Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
719-268-0866
daniellebanker@yahoo.com

Our Home: Part 2

Of our nearly three months now in Ethiopia, we have spent the majorityof the time in our bedroom. While we have a living room with couchesand a TV, the couches are so low to the floor and unlike our formercouches that we're only in the room to watch TV or eat. Our bedroom,on the other hand, is warm and comfortable. So for this over-dueupdate, we'll focus on the simple setting of our bedroom.

The bedroom is, of course, dominated by our bed. But it's so muchmore than a bed. Because we have the bed pushed up against a wall, weoften sit and lean against the wall with our legs stretched out beforeus. So it is also a couch or chair. When we have to work at home, weusually do so sitting there on the bed, so it also serves as our desk.We occasionally eat while sitting on the bed, making it our table.The bed itself isn't really a "mattress," but really a large foam pad,but it's surprisingly comfortable. Well maybe that is anexaggeration, let's say we've gotten used it and it is still the placewe sleep, can we really hate it! The pillows that came with the houseare also foam, nearly two feet thick, and nothing close to soft.Thankfully we brought our own pillows with us. While not quite ourbeloved down comforter, we do have a nice, flowery comforter thatKeegan constantly kicks off the bed in the night.

In addition to the bed, we now have some furniture in our room! Thisis very exciting for us considering the first month or so we only hadour bed to comfort us. But now we have splurged and have a shelf weuse for our books, Anne's makeup, shoes, various electrical chords andadaptors, and clean clothes waiting to be put away. A coffee tableserves as our night-stand, which is usually full of books, medicinebottles (Yes, Mom, we're both taking our vitamins!), our tiny alarmclock, and whatever Keegan happens to bring home in his pockets.

One wall of our bedroom is dominated by three ceiling-high closetsthat are more like cabinets. One for Keegan's clothes, one forAnne's, and one for random items. Because there are no drawers orshelves, we are technically still living out of our suitcases, whichwe use as a "drawer" to organize the clothes in the bottom ourclosets. We have limited hangers so our clothes are double or tripledon the few hangers we have!

The best part of our bedroom is that along one wall is a series ofwindows and a glass door that opens out to a small patio overlookingour courtyard. On lazy days we'll often open the curtains all the wayand lay on our bed basking in the sunlight. We're thankful that ourroom can become such a sunny, warm, and relaxing place. So that's our bedroom. While it is not fancy, the bedroom makes ourhome truly feel like a home. Having it as our sanctuary significantlyeased our transition to Africa. Lately, though, we are spending lessand less time in the bedroom. Between our recently added Amharicclasses, business at work for both of us, and more and moreopportunities to get together with friends, our schedule is startingto become very much like it used to be…busy!

Yeni Bate Yenci Bateno

*Bisoftu lakes*

*Hiking at Menegasha*

*Eating breakfast at campsite in Menegasha*

*Our compound*

*Our garden in our compound*

*Our side of the compound*

Mi casa es su casa. My house is your house. Yeni Bate Yenci Bateno in Amharic. Most people living in Addis (at least those with homes) live in a compound. All houses have walls around them and a large gate as an entrance. Our house is very much like a town-house in the US. We are on a street corner, so we have a wall in the front with a gate and a wall along one side. Along the back of our house is an alley. The other side shares a wall with the neighboring house and compound.

Inside our compound there are essentially two homes, each two stories. Zena, another teacher at AIS, lives in the front house. At the back of our compound is our house, with the living room on the bottom floor and outside steps leading up to our bedroom. There is a shared kitchen that connects the houses. Since we do not have a car, the driveway serves as a very nice patio. When it isn't raining and the sun isn't too scorching, we eat on the patio. Finally, in the front there is a small, grassy garden that is surrounded by large bushes, making it not very useful. Nonetheless it is pretty and we can say that we have a "yard". Our house does have an extra room…if any of you are interested in visiting! (Oh yeah…BYOB: Bring Your Own Bed)

Living in a compound does have its pros and cons. Pros include protection and safety (for ourselves and our stuff), the gate keeps out beggars and kids constantly asking to play Frisbee, and it makes us feel that we at least have a safe, private space to escape to. On the other hand, the wall system isn't always welcoming. Often outer walls have broken glass bottles embedded along the top or barbed wire along the top. You also frequently hear the sound of slamming gates, and determining if it is our gate or someone else's can be difficult. Instead of listening for a doorbell (we don't have one), we run outside, bend over, and try to see we can see feet through the small gap between the gate and the ground. Considering how the rest of technology has worked…we'll take the bending over!

While we do spend lots of time in our Compound, we've been able to get out and about much more lately. In the past two weeks we've visited two orphanages to volunteer (We'll tell you more about these later). We also have several friends with cars, and they have generously invited us to join any trips out of town. Two weeks ago we went to Bishoftu, a small town with five crater lakes surrounding it. And this past weekend we went camping in Menagesha, where we earlier went hiking. We were again energized by the air, but disappointed that the troop of baboons that went through our camp at night did not wake us up. Despite many promises, we still haven't actually seen one!

Overall, we are settling into typical routines. While we are adjusting and enjoying it, work does take more time than we anticipated. Teaching looks different than before. While the kids speak English well, Keegan is spending much more time on reading comprehension and writing. Anne is learning to be a writer, which is a good challenge and an area she has wanted to grow in. Unfortunately, the last two times she has eaten the local food, Anne's gotten sick. So, while we've adjusted a lot and this is beginning to feel like home, there are always challenges and areas things that need a bit more adjusting to.

Any Reason to Celebrate!

*Photos are of Meskel. 1- A choir swaying with sticks (very technical description we know…sorry) 2 – the massive "tree" for the bonfire. 3 –Us in front of the burning bonfire.*

Ethiopia does not lack an excuse for a celebration. The population is mostly split between Ethiopian Orthodox and Muslim. Between the two, there are many celebrations, traditions, fasting times, and feasting times. (Not to mention the constant sounds of a Mosque or Church around every corner!) This week the Ethiopian Orthodox Church had their biggest celebration of the year, Meskel. Meskel, which means "Cross" in Amharic, is a huge national celebration of "the finding of the true cross." On Friday afternoon and evening, thousands upon thousands of people gather in the large Meskel Square in downtown Addis for this very religious ceremony. As a result, the entire city is virtually shutdown for the celebration.
While sitting among the throngs of people in the square would have been interesting, we were lucky to sit in a "VIP" section reserved for guests of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Sitting a floor above us were both the President of Ethiopia and the Abuna, or Pope, of the Orthodox Church. When they drove up, Keegan became the paparazzi, zooming in with his camera to take pictures.
The celebration included several massive choir groups, two marching bands, and a float of a traditional church. The choir groups were quite impressive, with perhaps 500 people dressed in matching robes and performing choreographed dances, often times with colored flags or shawls waving in the air. While we couldn't understand a word, the devotion and commitment was quite powerful.
The Abuna lit a massive, three-story high bonfire at the end of the ceremony. Before this, everyone was given traditional candles to burn, creating a spectacle of thousands of candle flames filling the night. As soon as the bonfire was lit, fireworks and yells from the crowd made for an exciting celebration. We were impressed by how completely filled the square was, but we were more awed upon entering the streets. They were just as packed with people, many burning candles and following the "Cross" float inching its way through the crowds. Words cannot describe the number of people that were at this celebration. It was a celebration of faith and unity.
We had other smaller celebrations this week: Our first unguided trip to Merkato, the largest market in Africa, where we purchased Ethiopian art to finally have something on our walls; Our first paycheck; The best homemade ice-cream we have ever tasted; and having Cherry Cokes after discovering Vimto, which is so close to grenadine. Despite the new things, we mostly celebrated a pretty normal week because, well, shouldn't home seem normal?

A Bit of Fresh Air

*Photo 1 - our hike to the waterfall in Menegasha. Photo 2 - rural transportation, Photo 3 - Rural home on the road to Menegasha*

Close your eyes and envision Africa. You probably pictured something quite different from Addis Ababa. It's not dry desert, lush rainforest, or rolling savannah. There aren't wild and exotic animals, other than the herds of sheep, goats, donkeys and homeless dogs. There is nothing rural, natural, or country-like about Addis. It is instead a huge, bustling, and relatively modern city. The streets are both beautiful and stressful due to the chaos of people, cars, and constant movement. No vehicle here would ever pass an emissions test. The black clouds of smoke are constant and every walk down a main street is escorted by a mist of smog. (We'd have a photo for you but it is quite difficult to capture with a camera!)
Of course Africa is a huge continent with a variety of landscapes. One image you may have pictured was something more like Menegasha forest, which we had the pleasure to visit this past Sunday. For the first time we really felt in what we view as Africa – natural, undeveloped, tribal, and rural. The drive to Menegasha was the most interesting part. We drove out of the city, but barely left it. The road leading into the country is lined with endless shops, houses, and a never-ending stream of walkers. Eventually the blue and white minibuses of Addis were replaced with little smart-car type Taxis and then two-wheeled carts pulled by horses. The main (meaning surfaced) road was lined completely with people. We eventually turned onto a rough, stony road that went into the country. Even still there were tons of people, most standing around, watching animals, or working in a field. Half the children waved at us with friendly smiles. The other half held out their hands with an expectant expression on their faces, asking for money. Many of the adults waved; just as many motioned to their lips with 2 fingers, hoping for a cigarette.
As the people thinned out, the countryside became more and more beautiful. It is nearing the end of the rainy season, so the land was all lush and green fields. There are few trees, so you can see for miles once you are out of the dirty city air. You pass by traditional thatch houses and simple farms. As we drove the hustle of city-life faded away and was replaced by the simple beauty of the country. At least for me, this is closer to what I see when I close my eyes and think of Africa.
The forest itself was also beautiful. It is the closest to a rain-forest that we have seen, with an endless variety of trees and plants. It did rain while we were there; the sound of rain drops splashing and plopping onto countless types of leaves was an amazing chorus. With our large group of friends, we hiked a few miles through the forest to a small waterfall. While we unfortunately saw no wildlife, the experience was incredible for its striking contrast to life in Addis Ababa. For the first time in over a month the air felt truly clean and wonderful. After a meal and fellowship, we headed home just before dusk. Somehow it seemed even greener, and we could see even further as we went down the hills. Though we got lost once we entered Addis (whole 'nother story!), the day was a memorable blessing.
Breathing the fresh air and experiencing a bit of rural Africa energized us and encouraged us, which almost made up for our aching muscles throughout the rest of the week. We returned to a normal week—dinners with friends, computer viruses, "Africa Time", the language barrier and how it is impossible to communicate frustration with Africa Time, and our busy, everyday lives.

Happy New Year!!

*Two photos this time to make up from last week. The first photo is with Ole Ronkei, our friend and co-worker from Compassion back in the states. Although he now lives in Kenya again. The second photo we are celebrating the New Year by the "bonfire".*

Yes, that is the correct title! This past week we celebrated Ethiopian New Year, which for us was September 11th. Ethiopia has a funky calendar—in fact it is now the beginning of the year 2001 in Ethiopia! Throw in the different time system most Ethiopians use and coming to agreement on dates and times can be challenging. At least our works follow the Western time and date system!
We brought in the new year with some traditional but humble festivities. We spent the evening at a friend's house. They covered the floor in local tall-grass clippings, had a lot of Ethiopian snacks, and even had a tiny bonfire in the night. We didn't realize until nearly midnight that in Ethiopia the day doesn't begin until 6 AM, so we were early! Either way, it was fun to celebrate with a group of friends that we are fast growing close to.
Of course with any holiday we had a few days off. So, we finally toured Addis Ababa and took in the "sights." We learned quickly that, as Westerners, we have to change our expectations. It isn't the latest technology or the neon lights that catch your eye. Instead it is the colors, the never-ending stalls selling any and everything, and especially the contrast between the chaotic streets and the peace you find inside the gates of the Orthodox churches. At the National Museum, we saw "Lucy," the oldest recorded predecessor to man. At a small Lion Zoo, you can get within inches of Lions, and many decide that isn't close enough. We were shocked to see them putting their hands into the cages to get the Lion's attention. At the Piazza, the old Italian part of town, we spent most of the time trying to avoid a downpour (umbrellas aren't completely helpful!) While there wasn't much to see, seeing Addis was still an experience. The places are bustling with people, many of whom go out of their way to talk to us—especially the kids. We now know our city better, feel comfortable getting places, and it was a nice reminder that "This is Africa."
This week we also learned that we can survive much. Keegan can survive mild food-poisoning. Anne can survive riding a Mini-Bus on her own, even if it takes a few tries to catch the right one. Keegan can survive not knowing if Anne is surviving the bus ride because his stupid cell phone died randomly! We can survive getting lost in the Piazza and searching for the bus, all while having to pee. When the copy machine at school does not work, we can survive. Work can still be done, even if it has to be done again because a computer virus deleted everything. When kids throw our Frisbee into disgusting drainage water and pick it up and throw it to us, we can survive having gross hands. Even if you've shaken countless dirty hands (dirty is an understatement), you can still eat lunch—with your hands. The longer we continue to survive these small things, the more Addis slowly becomes home. After having half the week off because of New Year, we are now left with one question about survival: can we survive several consecutive full work weeks?
We also had our first visitor. Ole Ronkei, a Kenyan friend and coworker from Compassion, was in Addis for work and took us to dinner on Tuesday. It was a blessing spending time with a friend, and he passed on wisdom for our time here. As we reflect back on the week, we recall one particular piece of advice. He said not to focus on "doing things," but instead to take interest in the people, culture, and country. As we take interest, explore, and even just shake hands, our love for Ethiopia is growing.

Our First Fourty Hour Work Week!

***Ok I know this is not a fun picture of us in Ethiopia but we thought it important for you to know where our country is. Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa (which means north east). We live in the capitol Addis Ababa, which is located in the middle of the country. Now if you ever need to find us you can at least know where Ethiopia is located. There will be a test : ) .***

This past week was Keegan's first week with students at Andinet International School. Despite what we learned last week about "Chiger Yelum" (we've learned the correct spelling), Keegan got to school early on Monday expecting to have a schedule and prepare for class. Though kids were supposed to get to school at 8:00, most staff members got there either at 8:00 or even later, some trickling in around 8:45. So the lessons continue!
The kids at AIS are wonderful so far. I'm teaching 6th grade, 7th grade, and a combined class of 8th and 9th graders. For the most part the kids are extremely polite, welcoming, and friendly. Most of the students are also extremely hard working—the rate of turning in homework has so far been remarkable compared to US kids. Two highlights from the week came outside the classroom. On Thursday I played basketball with a bunch of boys at lunch time. We had fun, and many of them have reacted differently to me in the classroom since then. And on Friday a group of six students stayed after school and helped me assemble packets. They helped for about an hour, which gave me time to ask questions and get to know them more. Overall, I am excited to get to know my students more and to show them love. Many are in great need of role models and positive, adult relationships.
Meanwhile, Anne is exploring new territory as she is in charge of overhauling the revamped computer lab and updated network at AIS. She wasn't able to get much of a start this week—it took all week to actually install the new network connection. At Compassion she finished her first large project—designing and layout for an annual report. Unfortunately, the week ended with Anne spending the weekend in bed trying to fight off a sore throat. The highlight has been the relationships with the staff at the Compassion office, they are full of laughs. They are teaching her many words in Amharic or maybe they just enjoy laughing at her attempts to repeat the words.
The language is coming very slowly, and we feel at a stand-still in many relationships until we learn more Amharic. Our language focus has been on greetings - which are very important in the culture. It is good that we started here as it shows respect to the people but so far there are over 7 different ways to greet and each has a male, female and plural form. So as you can imagine, we are learning lots but really can only get through the first minute of a conversation.
We have been in Addis for nearly a month now. While we continue to be happy for good beginnings, we're ready for more. It has been a good month, albeit trying and exhausting in many ways. We're excited to see what the next month may bring.

Chigriyelum

*This picture is of our street. The road was just paved a few monthsago which makes a huge difference especially as it is the rainy seasonnow. We live next to Bole High School so that is why there are nohouses on the other side of the road.*

Our third week in Addis taught us the most important Amharic wordyet: Chigriyelum (though it probably isn't spelled that way).Chigriyelum means "no problem" in Amharic and is now our favorite word. We are quickly learning that Ethiopians are very laid back and really have no problem with what we would interpret as chaos. A few instances that have called for Chigriyelum: "Oh, by the way, Keegan, did anyone tell you that you are the head of the English department?" asks the School Director on Tuesday, four days before school starts. "Also, can you give a presentation on 6-Traits to the department?" Sure, I say, thinking October sounds like a nice time. "How does Friday sound?" My response? "Chigriyelum." During two weeks of lesson planning in advance, Keegan planned out almost a full term. Oddly, nobody else was doing this. Now we know why. On Friday, the last work day before school, the schedule changed. So almost all of the work he did must be adjusted to combine two classes and double another class. "Chigriyelum!" School starts tomorrow, yet there is no official schedule or classroom assignments."Chigriyelum!" We had to get a complete health evaluation for our work permits. It was the typical poking and prodding, blood work, urine sample, chest x-ray, and our first ever stool sample! As if stage fright wasn't enough, the bathroom we were directed to had no toilet paper. (Actually, no public restrooms do; we should not have been surprised). Chigriyelum! While we are adjusting to the laid-back nature, it has been in our favor much of the time. The school continues to be so flexible with Anne's work schedule and work with Compassion—Chigriyelum! Two weeks of orientation and half days have allowed us to rest and build relationships. "Chigriyelum!" And people have been very willing to help us, from providing rides to using something like the black market to make our American phone work here. "Chigriyelum!" With all of this in mind, our first hospital visit was successful and we had plenty of time to get comfortable with the hospital. (Our simple exam took about 7 total hours). And as laid-back as the school is, they are great teachers and on the cutting edge of education. I can learn a ton from them, especially in the "Chigriyelum" sort of way! In three weeks the streets we usually walk have transformed. As we leave our house, we almost always see one of our Frisbee kids in the first block. We have to wait a moment to give knuckles, high-5s, and handshakes. Two blocks down are the usual cardplayers. We learned they are actually security guards for the nearby houses. The next block we always meet the same little boy in purple crocks. He stands in the middle of the road and holds up his arms,wanting a high-5 from each of us at the same time. Then we come to the group of shepherds (seriously, urban shepherds with whips and all!) who often stand, remove a hat or two, and are always friendly.They cheer when we say a new word correctly. So, our walk is becoming a very social and encouraging stroll. We're excited to learn more of the language so we can develop these relationships more. For the time being, we are slowly venturing out with our limited Amharic, and everyone is very understanding when we mess things up. They smile,wave, and respond when we say "good morning, Woman" to a man in the evening. Again, "Chigriyelum!" One highlight of the week was winning our first round of cards with the group of men that always plays, day or night, rain or shine, a few blocks down our street. We played with them for several rounds, waiting to finally win. On the last round, we finally won and prepared to leave happy. It made us even happier when we realized that on that final round they let us win, even though one of them had winning cards for some time.

Settling In

Our second week in Ethiopia has been a great time of settling-in and new beginnings of relationships. For this update we'll focus on how we have been blessed to connect with some friends, relationships with people in our neighborhood, and growing connections at work.
We have already been able to build connections with a small group of friends who meet on a regular basis. Our first friend in Ethiopia, Antoine, who just finished teaching at Andinet, kindly introduced us to members of his small group. This Friday we were able to attend the group and meet many people from around the world—the US, Germany, Norway, Ghana, and of course Ethiopia. They are very friendly and welcoming and we feel immediately connected. We were also invited to a celebration for a new baby in the group, who happens to be a perfect tracker for how long we have been here—she was born on our arrival day. So on Saturday we ate tremendous Ghanaian food, much of which was meat...one of a long list of things that is available but expensive in Addis.
We have also settled in a bit to traveling around the city. Today, Sunday, we went on our first mini-bus trip alone! The main mode of transportation around Addis is antique blue and white Volkswagon vans. We've ridden them several times with others, which has been helpful to learn location names, prices, and simple things like how to say "stop" when it's our stop. Today we finally ventured out on our own. It went quite smoothly and greatly increases our confidence in getting around and even our general comfort level. On the bus people were friendly, so we felt safe and only slightly out of our element! Soon we will be venturing our more and more!
This past week was orientation at Andinet, Keegan's international school. The orientation was basically a quick covering of all kinds of topics related to education for all of the teachers and staff of the school. It provided some good opportunities for getting to know other teachers. We've been able to start relationships with many of the staff, who are all very friendly and will be fun to work with. Keegan is especially excited to work with a small group of teachers at the campus for older students. Hopefully this coming week will provide further chances to get to know people.
Perhaps the highlight of our week was getting to play with many of the kids in our neighborhood. We decided to entice them using our Frisbee. After a short time of tossing it between us, kids began showing up, and soon we were playing a full game of "ultimate" in the narrow street beside our house. We've only learned a few names but have been able to play with some of the same kids a few times. We see them allover our neighborhood, so our walks are no longer lonely! Even the adults in the area are recognizing us and greet us as we pass. We're excited to build on those small beginnings with the kids and adults of our area. We need to begin working hard on our Amharic to facilitate real conversations!
Addis remains far from feeling like home. While the idea of being here two years is still frightening, we're settling in well and feel much safer and connected with each passing day. Thank you for your thoughts and remembering us as we are away in Ethiopia. We miss everyone so much, yet are excited by the many relationship possibilities we are finding in Addis.