Cornwall Goes To Ethiopia

Let's Go Back - How was Ethiopia?!

2009-12-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

You all may be wondering if we're alive and have survived our homecoming from Ethiopia! The answer is YES and now it's time to get back to Ethiopia and share with you all that happened while we were there.

We'll go back to day one and start our journey over for you and add pictures too! Enjoy our Journey to Ethiopia...

Day 1 and 2 - The Plane Ride!

As the team loaded up for an amazing but very long trip we were surprised with a very generous family from Cornwall who took them down in a bus! We all loaded up our bags (26 to be exact) full of our own belongings as well as lots of donations for Ethiopia. The bus ride was full of joy and some nerves as people prepared to leave the country to a place where most had never been. We knew we would be experiencing and witnessing things we had never seen or done before. It was exciting, but a bit overwhelming as well.

The Bus!

On the bus heading to SeaTac

All of our bags!

When we got to SeaTac, we checked our bags and waited for a bit before boarding the plane to WA DC. The flight there was pretty simple and easy, but sleeping was hard at times because we were all so excited and the seats pretty much crammed our knees into our faces! We got to WA DC at 6 am (three hours earlier than the west coast). We had our "last meal" before leaving the USA. Breakfast was delicious and it was a wonderful time for the team to connect with each other.

Walking through the Dulles airport in WA DC

Resting in the airport before boarding the plane to Ethiopia

As we boarded the plane for Ethiopia, everyone was super excited! We all knew this was it - we were really going! We also knew it would be an incredibly LONG flight (16 hours)! The flight was good and long. It gave our team time to rest as well as prepare ourselves for the journey ahead of us. Many took time resting, praying and visiting with each other. By the end of the flight, everyone was more than ready to step out into the high altitude Ethiopian air (Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia is at 8,000 ft. above sea level). We all grabbed our carry-on bags and walked down the aisles into what we had been preparing to do for 6 months. We were ready to experience and serve Ethiopia...

The Plane going to Ethiopia

Yum, plane food!

The sunrise over the Sahara Desert. This view was something you can't even imagine. The beauty of God's creation was more than apparent in this single sunrise!

Check back with us in a few days to hear about our first days in Ethiopia!

We're Home!

2009-11-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

We made it home this afternoon. Everyone is so excited to be with family and to get some rest. The blog will be updated this week with all of the things the team had the privilege of doing while in Ethiopia! Thanks for all of your prayers!!

Heading home!

2009-11-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

The team will begin the long trek home soon! Their plane will will depart Addis in a few hours, have a stop in Rome (just for fuel, crew change etc) and arrive in Washington DC on Mon. morning, then changing planes and arrive at Sea-Tac on Mon afternoon.

Kerbera

2009-11-08T07:17:00.000-08:00

The team woke at 5am to prepare for a 4 hour journey over dirt roads and rocky mountains to head to the Tigray region. We were going to be taking clothes and shoes to the remote village of Kerbera. As we headed out we were awed by the rugged beauty of the countryside. There were fields and fields of wheat and Tef (an Ethiopian grain staple). We watched men, women and children use their sickles (a rounded machete) to cut all of the grain by hand. They built enormous piles of grain so the ox and donkeys could stomp on it to break the seeds out. Then they would load up their donkeys to take it to the market. We also witnessed pure beauty with mountains that rose to flat peaks. Little did we know we'd be driving or walking over them! The roads are all dirt and rock and very narrow. For some reason the drivers liked to drive right on the outside edge of cliffs, which gave us more reason to pray! We made it safely though and these guys knew what they were doing.

The longer we drove, the beauty of the landscape became the beauty of the people. Children would be working out in the fields but as soon as they saw us Firenjes they would stand up and wave with big smiles and tell us something in Amharic. It made our day!! When we arrived at the village it seemed as though the whole town (and maybe other villages) had come out to greet us. They knew we were coming because we had to drive down a long windy road to get there. As we got out of the vans, we were immediately swarmed by beautiful children. We would stick out our hands to shake theirs and some obliged us but many ran away in fear. We think many of the villagers had never seen white people before. They would run away and giggle with their friends. Many of the babies freaked out when we came near them. We felt kind of bad because we didn't want them to be scared of us.

Next we headed to the area where we would be distributing clothes and shoes. The elders attempted to create some sort of organized system for who would get shoes and clothes... it was a good attempt, but the further we got into the process the more chaotic it became. It felt really good to be able to clothe and provide some physical necessities to these families who were in such desperate need. The longer we spent there, the harder it became to please everyone. There simply were not enough shoes or clothes for everyone which caused panic. Mothers wanted their children to have these things, so families and children started swarming the area that we used to provide items. Eventually it got dangerous for the children and we had to stop immediately. We were led out of the village by the elders. We felt horrible that we had caused such chaos. We did get to play with some of the children on our way out and that made our day!

On the way up the mountain, ie cliffs, one of the vans got stuck and broke down. The team in that van had to hike up the mountain to wait at the top. Because the altitude is so high we were all huffing and puffing on the way up!! But once we got up there we had a spectacular view of the valley. It was a good time hanging out as a team and also spending some time with some teens from the village. We gave them a ride to Sembre (the next nearest town) so that they could go to school. They normally walk two hours each way every day just to go to school.

It was a powerful day full of new insights into the lives of many Ethiopian people. One of the biggest lessons we learned was how much joy people can have when they have so very little.

We miss you all and can't wait to see you!!

Love,
The Team

A little something funny...

2009-11-07T22:29:00.000-08:00

The team decided to put together a post of funny things that have happened on their trip:

Ryan AKA Beckham: When playing soccer with the kids at Hannah's Hope the kids came over and started touching my hair and they were convinced that I was... David Beckham!!

Chris: As we were driving along the bumpy dirt road on the edge of a cliff, Kiersten looks out the window and says "oh, we're good, we have 4 inches"

Lisa: We were driving through the hills of Mekele and Ryan thought he might have seen a lion; it ended up being a whole pack of baboons! Our whole van (Kristin, Chris, Eric, Ryan, Kiersten, Kjerstin & Missy) got out and Missy started chasing the baboons and screaming "This is the Lion King!"

Belsa: While attempting to navigate an airport cart out of the airport in Mekele, I bumped into two different doors and then the luggage on my cart toppled over outside and shoes spilled all over the street. The man behind me said "she shouldn't be allowed to drive"

Maria: On the way home from Kerbera we stopped at a small village to take a photo of the camels standing in some one's yard. Liz, Belsa and I were giving toy cars to the kids there; coming down the road was a huge herd of long horn cattle and goats being led by a small child. Next thing we know Belsa and I were in the middle of a herd of cows and goats brushing up against both sides of us.

Kjerstin: It was the second night in the Union Hotel in Addis and I was in our room changing clothes when the door swung open and a man from the hotel walks in looking for something, I screamed because my pants were down and my behind was fully exposed! I scared him away with my scream and then saw him two minutes later.

Missy: Since Lisa wrote about me and my chasing baboons I will write about her! We were going to the airport on Monday morning at about 4am and we're all pushing carts with a ton of luggage (about 20 large bags and personal luggage as well). All of a sudden we hear a loud noise and Lisa scream; we all turn to see she had run herself (and bags and cart) into a huge cement block just sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. Everything fell off and Lisa just stood there in shock while we all were cracking up laughing. Thanks for the wake up call Lisa!

Liz: After our bus broke down on our way back from Kerbera we attempted to take a group photo. After several attempts to get everyone to smile, Almaz decided to use a trick that "always works with my kids". She counted down "three... two... " and then lifted her leg off the ground and made a huge "fart" sound!! Of course that got everyone laughing and now has become the standard way to take group pictures.

Kiersten Jones: I was the lucky one who got to experience the primitive "toilets" first in Ethiopia. A man walked me to a door at the back of his restaurant. The stall is the size of a broom closet. No light, except the light coming through under the door. Waste paper basket. Filthy floor and walls and ceramic "bowl" (think painting tray with a huge hole at the "deep end") which way do I squat do I face the hole and aim? Or do I squat over it and risk brushing my butt against the wall? This story has become less funny as the week has progressed because I've had to do it more than once...

Mary: Early in our trip I called my grandson back in Washington. I told him, he is 8, that I saw a camel walking down the road. His reaction, "Okay, that's kind of freaky and really dangerous!"

Eric: We painted in Dr. Geb's clinic. Since there was no glass in the windows yet, the breeze would come through the room. We were moving quickly spattering paint as we worked. At one point one of the locals sprayed water on the outside that carried through an open window. Many shrieks were heard from those who thought they'd been splattered with paint.

Kristin: While riding in a taxi back to our hotel with only Chris and Lisa, we were discussing "married things". It was a pretty long ride home and a long conversation. As we were about to leave the taxi, Chris has asked our driver his name. It instantly became clear that our taxi driver spoke great English, and understood every word we had exchanged.

Jason: I think I'm funny, but really, I'm not.

prayer request

2009-11-05T00:30:00.000-08:00

Just got word from the team that one of the members is sick. Please pray for a speedy recovery.

Monday

2009-11-04T20:15:00.000-08:00

In the morning we spent the day visiting a Theological college here in Mekele. Dr. Geb had requested that we bring 100 English speaking Bibles. It was so neat to be able to see the heart of these men who desire their students to have an education. They know that without education there is not a lot of chance of them moving forward. They have a vision - to train young men (and eventually women) about the Gospel and also to equip them with a degree to be able to support themselves and further their country for their people. It was so encouraging to hear their vision, but also heartbreaking because they lack the resources (books, educated teacher, computers) to be able to move this vision forward. We had a wonderful meeting with the dean, asst. dean and many of the teachers. What an incredible reminder how blessed we are simply to have an education.

Next we went to Dr. Geb's hospital. When you see the pictures of how buildings are constructed you are reminded again how blessed we are simply to have construction materials. But at the same time you see just how patient people are in Ethiopia. It takes us a few months to get a building up, but here everything is done manually. There were about 8-10 young men (all looked in their teens) who had handmade tools to build this hospital. They would mix the cement by hand and take it to the room they were working on with a small bucket and repeat the process over and over again. To complete one room takes weeks and weeks. Yet, there is no sense of impatience. We were reminded of this when we brought the paint over and started mixing it. We all seemed eager and ready to paint, but at times you could see that our rushing confused them. We then got out all of our painting supplies (rollers, brushes, tarps, etc) and they looked at them as though they were completely foreign. In Ethiopia they have paintbrushes but not rollers. It takes them so long just to paint one room by brush. We were able to complete two rooms in 2 hours. They couldn't believe it. Because the cement wasn't dry we were only able to do two rooms, but we left the supplies and it was like Dr. Geb had received the best Christmas gift ever. He was excited that his workers had learned how to use the rollers and could finish the work much quicker than by just brushes.

When Dr. Geb talked about his hospital it was like he was talking about his baby. He is honored, humbled and thrilled to be able to build this hospital to serve the men, women and children of his country. There are so many who are suffering from HIV/AIDS but also from very treatable diseases. That has been incredibly apparent as our team has played with children on the street. It's hard to believe that there are so many children who live their lives daily with simple diseases such as scabies, ringworm, lice, fungal infections etc. They have no means to cure these things, yet they are so full of joy. We have been incredibly humbled by the people of Ethiopia and especially the heart of Dr. Geb.

After finishing up the rooms at the hospital we all tried to wipe off the paint and realized it was oil based. Some people used gas to clean it off and others just left white spots all over themselves. It's actually quite funny because many of the children think us Firenjes (white people) actually have white freckles!!! It's been hilarious!

There is much more updating to do, and I plan to get to it later today (if there's internet). This is just part of one day. There is SO much more and we have all been broken and encouraged beyond what we ever imagined we could be. Thank you for your prayers and love. They are more than appreciated.

Sending everyone our love,

Kristin, Jason, Missy, Belsa, Liz, Eric, Kiersten, Kjersten, Mary, Maria, Lisa, Chris, Ryan, Almaz & Dr. Geb

Heading North

2009-11-01T17:43:00.000-08:00

Good Morning!

It's 3:50am (Monday) and getting ready to head to the airport for our northern trip. Yesterday we went to orphanage building and spent the day painting and built platforms for a couple of rooms. The team worked extremely hard yesterday and accomplished a lot! It was neat to spend the day together and work with some locals in Addis to complete some projects. Thank you for all the prayers as the team is once again all together health wise! A few sniffles but in good spirits. After working till dark we ran back to the hotel and washed up and ran out to a traditional Ethiopian food and dance restaurant. the people here are truly a blessing and it is great to meet, work and fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ!

Internet is sketchy, so we'll get our next update to you when we have access. Thank you again for your prayers!!

*** the area they are heading is around Mekele - you will find it in the northern part of Ethiopia on the map on the sidebar ***

Ready for Work

2009-10-31T21:49:00.000-07:00

Just got word that the team is up and heading out for work! At least one team member is sick - please pray for quick healing and for those that are healthy to remain healthy.

Oct 30

2009-10-31T11:29:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Ethiopia!!! We are here and all but one tucked into bed (that'd be me because I'm writing to all you)! This is my first journal entry, so please feel free to read on...

Oct. 30:
On the plane - it was LONG. The air is dry and the seats aren't lazy boys by any stretch, thus sleep is hard everyone. The team was on the road or in the air for 30 hours. Everyone did well, but we were all more than ready to get off the plane. We arrived in Addis Ababa at 8:30am Ethiopian time (10:30pm here). The sun was shining and it was about 75 degrees - perfect weather!

After getting off the plane, everyone was in good spirits. We drove through Addis Ababa and saw the beauty of Ethiopian people, but also the poverty that strangles so many of them. For many team members this is the first time they've seen true poverty and it is shocking. It's hard to believe that some people live like this. It's definitely a good reality check for everyone. As we meet many Ethiopians we are continually amazed by how gracious they are with their smiles and polite gestures. We visited Hannah's Hope orphanage today and again, it hit us all that these children are orphans. We throw that term around so loosely, but when you put a face to the term orphan, you become VERY aware, VERY quickly just how devastating it is for these children. They run right up to us with such a genuine desire to have us be their mom or dad. They all just want to belong to someone who will call him/her their own. It is an eye opening picture for all of us, realizing that we are adopted into God's family and we belong! He is SO good! We look forward to loving these children and filling them with love!

Tomorrow we are off to paint an orphanage as well as build some needed structures. We're looking forward to getting our hands dirty! I will let you know how that goes!

Thanks for all of your prayers and support - God is working in and through us!

ROME!

2009-10-30T16:46:00.000-07:00

I just got word that the team has stopped for fuel in Rome. They generally do not get to get off the plane at this time, but should be heading on the last leg of their trip to Addis very shortly!

Addis Ababa Bound

2009-10-30T08:04:00.000-07:00

The team is boarding the plane from Washington DC on its way to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This leg will take them about 16 hours! They will be spending a few days in the capital city of Addis Ababa (central part of Ethiopia) and later will be heading up North to Mekele (also on the map above).

We are ready!

2009-10-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

Our bags are packed (all 26 of them) with clothes, shoes, donations and a variety of other items we're taking to Ethiopia! It's hard to believe that we leave in less that a week (4 days to be exact)!

Pictures from the streets of Ethiopia.

Our team is excited and more than ready to get our hands dirty, painted and working. When we arrive in Addis we'll be going over to Hannah's Hope orphanage and working! We cannot wait to see Almaz - the orphanage director, hold babies, play with the children and work!! We'll be doing a variety of these types of things for a few days before we fly up north to Mekele!

Pictures from Hannah's Hope

In Mekele we'll be working with Dr. Geb on his new hospital. We'll be painting and helping to build whatever is left to build. We are thoroughly excited to meet Dr. Geb, hear his story and work!! While in Mekele, we'll also meet the president of a seminary. They've asked us to bring 100 English bibles for their students which we were thrilled to be able to do. We are looking forward to learning more about this seminary and hopefully being able to connect them with a seminary here in the US. That's their desire as well. So if anyone knows of any seminary's that may be interested in forming a partnership in Ethiopia, let me know!

This is the hospital Dr. Geb is building. I'm excited to see how far it has come. Impressive!

From Mekele we'll take a 5 hour van ride over very rough roads, mountains and hills. We'll be heading to a village called Kerbera Valley. Almaz took a team there last year and they handed out shoes. This year, we'll be taking more shoes and clothes especially for older children. We are really excited to get to know these people and get to spend some time with them.

Some scenes from Kerbera Valley

After that we'll head back to Addis and work more in the orphanages.

Needless to say, it's a full and exciting schedule! Please lift up our team as well as all of the individuals we'll be meeting and connecting with in Ethiopia. God be praised for all that He will do in and through us!! Amen.

We're booked!

2009-10-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

The flights are arranged. We've got accomodations. We're packing. We're going!