The Team

Did you know I was just in Southern Ethiopia?  It was an amazing trip.  I've been home for over a week now and finally adjusting back to home.  Of course, now that I'm feeling adjusted, I have a slight cold.  Part of my adjustment always includes some stomach issues.  Thankfully, I don't have isssues when I'm in-country.  But when I return home, it's like my stomach wages war with foods.  I'm no specialist or super-smart person, but I wonder if it has something to do with putting foods back into my system that have preservatives, dyes, and other junk.  Enough about that.

Moving on.

The pictures tell stories themselves, right?  Let me start with a few.  But before that, in case you need some background, here's a short overview.  Adopted in 2010, drove South, saw the need.  Made ourselves available to serve in the area of our son's birth.  This was my 3rd trip to FOVC-Ethiopia and Ryan's 2nd.  

This was our team.  From left to right: Thomas, (our intepreter & all around helper); Bonnie & Tom (Dale sponsors. B helped wherever asked. T is more adventurous and took video and photos the whole trip); Antonio (high school student and our comic relief. His first time out of the U.S.); Alex (Hope Chest Discipler, our host, great leader); Rob (team Doc, cracker distributor); Abigail (college student, sponsor, Ingrid's right hand); me; Ryan (veterinarian, my husband; practical thinker); Ingrid (sponsorship coordinator, prayer warrior, awesome). Not pictured: Desalegn (FOVC Director); Kaight (Base Camp, aka Rob's "home-girl"); and Colleen (shuttle driver for Rob to Dulles... but that's a whole seperate story).

Who would have known our team  would have interacted so well together?  Ingrid would.  She prayed diligently for the right team members who would get along.  And that we did.  Not only that, but our team was great at pitching in and helping out where needed.  Whether it was helping in the medical clinic, buying supplies at the pharmacy, organizing donations, crafting with children, translating, wrangling cattle, and every other thing that came up, our team pitched in and helped.  It was a joy to be with such a fun group for 11 days.

Travelling on a semi-regular basis helps me feel at home in Ethiopia.  I love that.  It's also important for me to not become numb to the needs I see when I'm there.  To remember that while they don't need to be Westernized, they also have great need at a very basic level.  It was refreshing for me experience this trip through new eyes by watching some of my team who'd never been there before.  Wanting to help in many ways was also a reminder that what we might think "helps" really can be a disservice to them.  

In the coming weeks, I plan to post regularly.  I've even asked some of my team to guest post.  Be patient and check back.