Made it Home!

Nov 4, 9:09am  West Coast Time

2 weeks after leaving we returned home to SFO safe and sound....and with all our luggage!

We left Addis at 4:15pm on Friday afternoon and landed in Dubai.  We had hotel rooms waiting for us and we set in for a 6 hour rest before flying again to SFO Saturday morning.  It was a 15 hour flight - where we gained 12 hours thanks to the time change - and landed at 1:45pm yesterday.

We had a sweet time in the hallway outside the gate after having exited the plane and gave thanks to God for the time he gave us together and the safe travels.

Saying goodbye at baggage claim is always the most difficult time of the journey - you have to leave the people you've just experienced a formative 2 weeks with and reenter your typical world.

Our prayer is that we begin anew with a more mature perspective on how the Lord works in even what seems like the mundane stuff of life.  We are thankful for his mercy, his protection, and his work in this world - of which we had the incredible opportunity to be witnesses and coworkers.

MVN  

Celebration PicturePalooza

November 1, 11:59pm

Today was a great day.  We began with Ethiopian Zumba blasting downstairs!  William Bordessa in particular was keen to participate at 0630 hours but was restrained by his self respect and lack of Spandex..

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast followed by a retreat session facilitated by Mary Ellen examining our motivations and assumptions surrounding short term missions.

In the afternoon, the majority of the team supported the local economy (read: shoppingpalooza) while others went to the UN to tour the facility.

On the way to dinner, we went to Tamoco coffee and bought 90kgs of dark roast Harar beans.  (Coffee is one of the ways we know God loves us and wants us to be happy....)

We ended the day at Top View restaurant for a celebration dinner with several honored guests: Mimi, Amenti, Dr. Samson, Seble and Deme.  It was a wonderful day - we are now settled back at the Red Cross Training center and getting ready for our final retreat session in the morning.  After that, a big airplane heading to Dubai!

Here are a few pics from the last 24 hours:

Deme - an incredible inspiration...

God's gift

The team at Top View

Jan and Mary enjoying dinner...

John, Isabella and Jerry....denied a nice picture by the bomber

Laura and Charles enjoying time at our dinner...

Dr. Samson and Michael

Mary Ellen showing off in yet another feat of strength...

Mary Ellen and Kathy

Mary getting some quiet time on the Red Cross grounds

Jerry, Mike, William and Will - Will is the only one aware of the camera

Sally and Mimi catching up...

John and Sarah

The crew drinking some macchiatos in the Post Cafe

Rochelle, Amenti and Seble...

Raquel and Donna

The team in our retreat room

Sally enjoying some well deserved quiet time

Pray for good rest, a solid contemplative morning as we finish our retreat and a safe journey to Dubai.

Safely in Addis...

Wednesday Oct 31st  11:36pm

Today was bittersweet  - we continued work for half the day, then packed up clinic, said goodbyes, and settled into what turned out to be a long road trip back to Addis.

Relationships between the team and the Project Mercy staff and volunteers really blossomed through our time here and tears were shed as we departed.

The OR crew...

Here are some pics from the day:

The clinic crew

Nobody got along in the OR...

Donna helping out in clinic...

Donna and Anya on the long bus-ride to Addis...

Mike in clinic...

Mary Ellen singlehandedly lifting a stretcher that is three times her size!

Sara, our technology maven, demonstrating how it is possible to fully utilize three Apple products at any given time...

Will getting to enjoy seeing one of our little patients up, walking, and recovering well from a difficult surgery

Tonight the team is resting after beginning our retreat led by Mary Ellen.  We are thankful to be here after a long day of travel.  Please pray for good recovery and a blessed time of retreat before heading home.

MVN

Praying for a Flood...

Tuesday Oct 30  10:00pm

We're finishing with a bang!

We began the day with a great team breakfast and devotions led by William Bordessa.  We then settled into the various facets of the ministry we've had here at Project Mercy.

The clinic team set up and waited for patients....and waited....and then waited some more.  Laura Sera prayed that the Lord would open the floodgates and have the children come....Lesson number 1 from the day - if you ever need some serious prayer support - call Laura!

At 10:15, a line of children began to form - the initial group were the 1st graders from the Project Mercy school, but soon, children from the local schools began to come as well.  By the end of the day, we had seen over 240 children, the majority of which were from the local schools.  We also had the opportunity to meet with the leader of the local Kebele - the local government structure - and restore a good relationship between the Muslim community, Project Mercy, and the team.  We are planning on seeing an additional 50 of the sickest children tomorrow before we close the doors on clinic in preparation for traveling to Addis tomorrow afternoon.

In the hospital John Schmaelzly had the opportunity to proctor Dr. Fekadu on using the cystoscope - a piece of equipment Project Mercy has had but had never been able to utilize.  It was invaluable for Dr. Fekadu to have that time with John.

Click and Clack began to finish the myriad projects they'd gotten themselves into, including repairing the microscopes for the local schools and health department.  To them, happiness is a pair of pliers and something needing to be fixed.

Donna has really had an incredible opportunity to spend time with the Project Mercy teachers and help them identify ways to maximize their opportunities to teach - especially in trying circumstances: large class sizes with few resources.

We are packed up now, ready to finish our work here at Project Mercy and begin the process of reentry.  We'll be heading to the Red Cross training center in Addis Ababa tomorrow.  We'll be there Wednesday night through Friday morning.  Friday afternoon, we board the Emirates flight for SFO via Dubai.

Thank you for your prayers, support and love as we've been discovering what the Lord had prepared for us to do and become here in Ethiopia.

Isabella working at the intake station...

Jerry watching his son care for a child....

Jerry at the memorial service...

John at the memorial service...

John Schmaelzly in action...

Once again, Kathy's smiling...

Laura working at the pharmacy station..

Phil - crazy positive!

Even in Ethiopia, you're never safe from the photobomber...

MVN

Our Plans are not God's Plans

Today we had the unique opportunity to participate in a memorial service for a woman named Eva Memmen, who (along with her family) made it possible to build the Hospital here at Project Mercy.  Marta and Deme wanted to have a service in her honor in recognition of her love for Ethiopia and especially the children.  It was attended by the nearly 1600 students at Project Mercy along with patients from the Hospital and our medical team.  It was very moving when Deme asked the crowd for a show of hands for who has benefitted from the Hospital.  Hundreds of thousands of lives have been impacted by the care of nurses and doctors at this facility.  It was a privilege to participate in this service.  Our team member and pastor, Mary Ellen, did a wonderful job helping to coordinate and lead this service.

Deme, Mary Ellen and Dr. Fekadu lead the memorial service....

Anya and Eva have some fun together with puppets...

The public health/childrens' ministry team...

At the clinic we saw some children and adults as well (not as many as we expected due to Flag Day (a national holiday = kids stayed home from school).  One dear boy named Ahmet did come in however.  In fact he came in again (two hour walk!) for a follow up appointment to see one of our doctors.  The infection on his leg has caused him immense pain and difficulty walking.  His sister has carried him to our clinic and so has his mother.  Today he received a shot to address his painful infection.  Our team has done a beautiful job caring for this precious boy and his mother.  They have been the hands and feet of Jesus.

The hospital team cared for many sick people, including a woman with a cantaloupe sized thyroid that needed to be removed by Dr. Mike and Dr. Fekadu.  Dr. Will, Dr. John and Dr. Bill also served by performing the following surgeries and anesthesia:  prostate surgery, ovarian cysts and a hysterectomy to name a few.

We are learning (again) that our plans are not God's plans, which is so hard for us Americans to actually learn.  It has been a good challenge for each of us to learn to let go and trust that God has work prepared in advance for each of us to do...  (Ephesians 2).  Learning to depend on God is definitely a big part of our trip to Ethiopia.  I think that most of us can relate to what Mother Teresa said, "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean.  But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."  It is a blessing to be here serving the Ethiopian people...

RVN

Hallelujahs, Hippos and Hikes...

Sunday  10/28  10:10pm

Today was our day of rest...at least rest from clinic, repair projects and student assessments!

Restful - not so much...  It was filled with activity beginning with a tasty breakfast of pancakes.

From there, half of the team went in a van to Ziway, a lakeside town about 45km east of Butajira to visit friends Gary and Peggy Ifft, visit their school and childrens home (Samuels House), and try to see some hippos in the water on the far side of the lake.

The ladies in Ziway

Don't rock the boat!

Couple of hippos

Loving on kids at Samuels House

Laura and her new best friend...

The rest of the team attended church nearby Project Mercy and then enjoyed a free afternoon of hiking and resting.  Michael Cline saw monkeys - even named one 'Hey Man'.  Pics to come.

All in all, it was a nice break of pace and gave the team opportunity to see more of this amazing country.  

Please pray for continued health - a few more team members have been feeling a bit ill and have begun antibiotics for gastroenteritis.  Pray too for continued team unity as we face the various challenges of ministry in this land.

MVN

Picturepalooza!

Saturday, Oct 27th  4:57pm

Yup ~ we missed a day blogging ~ been pretty busy over here!

Rather than using words to describe our clinics, operations, projects and teaching - I thought we'd let the pictures do the talking today, so without further ado:

How many Wills is too many Wills?  None is the answer.   Will F. and William B. in the OR on Saturday working on Bileyew, an 8 year old boy with a large, vascular mass needing resection.  William B. donated a unit of blood for transfusion.

Mary Ellen, Sally and Mary H. made time this afternoon to create boxes for the sutures we brought, working alongside Tigi, the head nurse in the OR and Dr. Fekadu's wife.

Mike, Raquel, and Anya with Hanan and her mother.  Hanan is their sponsored child through Compassion International and they were able to meet for the first time on Friday

Some of the clinic team along with several of the nurse translators we've been blessed to work with...

Dr. Bill - happy in the hospital

Mike and Dr. Fekadu working on Bileyew...

Brothers?  Yup, just not biologically.  Charles and Michael enjoying a free moment in clinic...

Who knew Click and Clack had uniforms?  These guys are sooooo organized!  Jerry and John celebrating their unity.

Can't say enough about Deme - we're blessed beyond belief to have our lives intersect with such a wonderful man.  Here Sally is getting some very coveted TWD (Time With Deme)

Finally Isabella has gotten to be with the kids this year - here she is getting some time with LumLum, one of the house children and a brilliant student.

The walk to the school from the apartments where we are staying is a highlight of the day for us, it gives time and space to walk, talk, and enjoy each other...

LumLum, Mary Ellen and Donna out and about...

Rochelle and Kathy are happy walkers...

Laura, Anya and Donna with a new friend...

Charles doing what he does best - loving on kids and taking great care of them....

Hope you can get the flavor of what's happening here in Ethiopia.   We are doing well and thankful for the opportunity to be here and serve the people of Yetebon.