A week of God's provisions

This week has been a week of God’s provisions. I left for healer meetings on Tuesday on my own (of course I had Amber, Baharnish (my personal assistant/houseworker) and the dog with me). But my main worker, Daniel needed to stay and finish a drivers license test. (Which he passed!) So an evangelist who lives in the area was able to help me find the people I needed to make an appointment to meet with them tomorrow (Monday). It turned out the evangelist was God’s provision as we prayed for one of the healers we visited who was quite sick.) The next day, Wednesday I assumed that Daniel would be with me, but his driving portion of the test was delayed (because the scheduled vehicle for them to take the test didn’t show). Frustrated, I left on a further trip to meet healers without him. It went well and I didn’t really need him on that day. I ended up getting sick Wednesday night from food poisoning, but Daniel was finished by then and able to come and make all the arrangements so that I didn’t have to do anything that required more energy than sitting and talking. He shared in devotions that morning from the end of Isaiah 40 of how God gives strength to the weak. It was God’s provision that Daniel was there that day because the healers said some important things that I would have had difficulty picking up on otherwise and that was the day I needed him. Amber felt miserable all day Thursday, but thankfully we made it home safely and after consulting with the SIM doctor were able to get treatment for the food poisoning. Thursday night I realized that I was still quite sick and the rest of the week was a lot of resting, eating rice and crackers and slowly introducing real food back into our diets.

 

These last meetings with the healers are a part of saying thanks to them for the help and assistance they have been to me over the last couple years and to get any of their feedback. I’m able to give them a couple gifts of some nice needles and needle holders. (It is quite interesting to see these illiterate fellows who have probably never held a pair of scissors in their hands learn how to use a needle holder.) The rains have stretched out  a little bit making it nice for travelling and good for visiting.

 

I was sad not to get to go to church this weekend—both to help teach children and attend the worship service, but instead was able to enter into some of God’s rest and have our own little English service and fellowship.

 

God has restored my health this weekend and I am ready for another couple days of travel and healer meetings in the beginning of the week. The end of the week I’ll be preparing a trip back to the capitol where I will work on the paperwork required to finish my project and also spending the holidays. Thanks for praying for me as God provides for me.

 

Thanksgiving in Boranaland

Hi Everyone! Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s a quick synopsis of my thanksgiving: I wonder if yours was just as exciting.

 

Amber & I were in several “Thanksgiving parades” in the last few days. We were staying in a neighboring town and 2 white people and one german shepherd dog walking along a road draws a crowd, and so we provided our own little parade—and even walked down the middle of the main road (everyone else does that anyway). Then later while eating lunch we saw a boy with a mattress on his head (we decided he must have chosen a mattress when he didn’t have a big helium balloon), then a goat followed by a donkey pulling the nicest water cart I’ve ever seen here. –so that was the TG parade we got to watch (oh, and it took approximately 9 people to disconnect the donkey from its cart). We had some lovely tibs (roasted/fried thinly chopped meat served over charcoal) for lunch. Yum! It was even tender, and we invited a church guy to eat with us. The lunch excitement was the dog lunging at a cat under the table which spilled some coke and ended our nearly finished meal. Miaa had been doing good laying under the table until that point but the cat snuck up pretty close to her and was just too tempting. (We were sitting outside on the porch and of course EVERYONE had to comment on how awful my dog was.) TG evening we had French toast (after all there was no leftover turkey). Oh, and on thanksgiving eve we roasted some marshmallows over my camp stove.

 

My first couple weeks at home in Yabello have been nice. I’ve been catching up with everyone here. A few of my Ethiopian friends thought that I would have came back married since I was away so long. I thought that was pretty funny. The first week was spent getting settled back into my home. The friends that stayed in it kept good care of the house and my helper also kept my dog and cats looking healthy too. Last week was spent preparing for some veterinary meetings with the healers. And this week we (Daniel, Baharnish, Amber & I) went out to visit them. We had sent messages, but in true African fashion we found 1 out of the 6 guys we were looking for during the week, so instead of having the meetings that I wanted to have we made appointments for meetings next week instead. I actually had a nasty cold this week and could barely talk, and so I was kind of happy not to have to do as much talking, and it was still a worthwhile time of visiting people. They were happy to receive us as guests and gave us fermented and fresh milk to drink (at separate places). The short rains seem to have stopped, but it seems that most people have received rains and their cattle are pretty healthy and giving milk. We got to pray together with one village/family of Christians, and during our visits I got to collect one of the plants that I wanted to identify.

 

My guard was happy to see me, too. I have been treating his sheep if they get sick and he let me choose a lamb from his flock. I also bought a pregnant nanny goat at the market a couple weeks ago. With my 2 dogs, 2 cats, 7 chickens, goat & sheep I feel like I have a lovely little farm here, and will have some nice animals to give away as gifts when I leave.

 

Thanks for your prayers. I have been thankful to be here and for the home I have and people I get to work with. Please continue to pray for me in the next couple weeks that I can meet with the healers, have a fruitful time with them and that I remain safe & healthy in His hands.

 

 

 

Travelling to my Borana home

I’m in the last phases of packing to go to my home and meet my team in Dilla and then Yabello. The first couple days here in Addis Ababa were rough dealing with being back (I swear the potholes in the streets got bigger while I was gone). It has been fun to connect with missionary friend her, and now I am so excited to go down and see my teammates and my home. I hear good news that we have had good rains in the Borana area and so I am looking forward to a green yard and seeing people full of hope.

 

My helper, Amber came in last week uneventfully. We had some issues with her visa and so her orientation to Ethiopia was visiting immigration to get a longer visa so that we don’t have to cut our time in Borana short. We were able to get a new visa, but it meant about 3 hours in lines and visiting something like 7 different rooms. What a first day. She is doing well and even braved the world outside the compound gates to retrieve the visa yesterday. I look forward to her being with me for these 6 weeks.

 

I am now the owner of 2 dogs, my African dog, Gegeessa and I just got my German Shepherd, Mi’aa Dha back yesterday. She was causing a little trouble at her old home with the neighbors and so I hope that she does ok with me for the next few months.  I was so excited to see her and after she got in my Landcruiser I felt like a little kid at Christmas with a really cool new toy. She will be travelling with me the next couple days.

 

Thanks for praying for a safe and smooth journey!

 

Back in Ethiopia

Hi All,

I made it safely to Ethiopia! With only 2 checked bags it was the most uneventful trip ever. (Although Ethiopian customs did open a bag to look at several pieces of PVC pipe that I brought to use as balling guns (pill poppers) for livestock.) I’ve had one day here and the jet lag hit about mid afternoon. I was thrilled to greet lots of friends in English, Amharic and Oromo languages. It was a good exercise for the mind! I was able to pick up my landcruiser from the person who was truck sitting her…It felt good to be driving it again.

 

While I felt ready to go when I was in America now that I am here lots of emotions and questions keep popping into my mind. Am I ready to be here? Will my health go downhill? Will my back pain return? The reality that I am only here 4 months and then pack up and say good-bye is hitting hard also. It will be hard to say good-bye to lots of friendships. I know that it is the right decision as God has not provided other missionaries to come alongside and to build a team.

 

I know that I am in a much better state of mind than I was in 4 months ago when I left Ethiopia for a break. At that time I found myself very fearful of getting close to anyone. I am reflecting on the power of Christ that I have in me and getting strength from His Word. As always He is the one who will equip me and provide. I am looking forward to Amber coming on Thursday. Pray for her travels and that we would be good encouragement for each other.

 

Pray for me this week as I discuss with the SIM Ethiopia offices what I need to do in the next 4 months to finish my project well and to wrap up my ministry here for the time being.

 

The first day back always seems to be the toughest, and I am looking forward to a little easier day today.

Blessings from Addis Ababa!

Denise

 

Return to Ethiopia--November 1

Welcome to my blog. This is a new experience for me. So bear with me as I figure out how blogging works.

My date for returning to Ethiopia is November 1, 2009. I fly out of Des Moines at 1:25 pm. I can't wait to see my teammates, my friends, my dog (Gegeessa) my landcruiser and my house. As a bonus I get to skip the Iowa winter! After arriving I will soon be joined by a vet technician, Amber will be with me for 6 weeks and will help me finish up my veterinary research.

Pray for my back that it continues to heal. Pray for this last part of October that I can be an encouragement to various people at the vet school, and that I can finish up the research. Also pray for Borana and those working there while I am still here. Pray for progress to be made in purchasing Bibles for the Borana.