What A Difference 6 Months Can Make…

January 4

It’s a beautiful day here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The sun is shining, not a cloud in the sky, the breeze is blowing and the familiarity of the city is speaking loudly. It is so good to be back! So much of my heart was left behind 6 months ago as God broke me for this nation and its people.

Today is Day 1 of our time in Korah. Korah mean “cursed” in Amharic and this village of outcasts sits next to the city dump. Orphans, widows, lepers, prostitutes, you name it. All reside in this forsaken place but are not forgotten in God’s eyes. That is very evident.

The team eagerly ate breakfast and loaded up and headed out to a place that holds so much hope and promise. We drove down the streets close to where we were staying, Loveto, and turned down the road that leads to Korah. Where is that smell I remember? 6 months ago you were hit with a brick wall of foul, rotten, and wet funk. It was so distinct you knew you were in the right place. Now, it was barely there. Maybe it is because the city isn’t actively using the dump, or maybe because the rainy season has passed. 6 months ago the shock of it all was more than many of us could handle or process. Today, Korah was an altogether different place.

We pulled down the long, bumpy path down to where the church is located. What was muddy and littered with human waste was dry. The mobs and mobs of children that greeted us last time were narrowed down to around 65. We exited the bus and our hands were immediately filled with small, brown-toned, beautiful fingers. Sammy and Summer came and met us. It was so great to see their faces and squeeze them.

Since most had never experienced Korah, we were taken on a tour of the grounds which included visiting the hospital. The same little leper man who was weaving rugs was still there. This time he was sporting a New York Yankees hat. Tymm, our leader, was bewildered and demanded a photo be taken for proof. Even in Ethiopia people still have their teams (it was probably a gift but Tymm would accept no other explanation).

We stopped by the gift shop and gladly spent our newly acquired Birr to support the cause of the hospital. I came away with one of the woven rugs, a runner and placemat set and a handmade pillow case.

We loaded up in the vans again and headed back to the guest house for lunch. We came back to Korah and were led down the maze of roads that make up Korah and went on home visits. Tymm and his wife Laura (my teammate from the first trip) sponsor a child that goes to the boarding school. Tymm was able to visit that child’s family here at Korah. I think he may have walked away feeling more blessed but the family would beg to differ. It’s a beautiful toss up. A few more home visits came and went and we ended up back at the church.

Our time at Korah ended a bit early due to previous conflicts with another group the day before. The leadership was concerned for our safety and thought it best for us to just come back as planned the next day and let the dust settle. Thus we ended up with a free afternoon.

The team ended up accompanying Tymm to the gravesite of his first adopted child, Brighton. I had the amazing opportunity of experiencing Brighton’s grave back in June with Laura. We had planned that I would go with Tymm to show him the grave.

Tymm and I headed down to the grave first and the team came down a bit later to give him some time. I cannot begin to understand the depth of sorrow Tymm and Laura feel but I am grateful I could lend support to Tymm as he came face to face with his own history. Brighton was only 76 days old when he died. I saw Brighton’s picture standing with Tymm at the grave. Such a beautiful boy… Check out their unbelievable story here and here.

It was an experience I cannot put into words. To see this come full circle with the Hoffman family is something I will always remember. The rest of the team helped clear the surrounding areas around the grave and laid some fresh flowers.

Back to the guesthouse we went to eat dinner. Summer came by and shared her heart of how Project 61 came to be and to pow-wow with us about the next day’s events.

Emotions are flying high tonight. Korah is nothing like it was before. It’s a God thing. The hope that I knew was in store is now here and God is doing something incredible. 250 kids are out of the dump and in school where promising futures are held for them. From the smells to the familiar faces, Korah is rising above.

Rwanda to Ethiopia

January 3

Today ends our time in Rwanda. I knew I would like it but what I didn’t expect was to have my heart stolen. I love Rwanda in all of its history, the present and what lies ahead. I look forward to the day I can come back and stay for longer than a few days.

We headed back to Kigali early this morning. Before we grabbed lunch we stopped at Hôtel des Mille Collines, the hotel from Hotel Rwanda. We were greeted by the hotel staff, one including Zozo who worked at the hotel during the genocide. He led us down to the infamous pool where over 1,000 people drank being that it was the only source of water available.

Zozo is a sweet and kind man that has a story. He has experienced so much yet the smile that shone on his face was pure and genuine. What a gracious man to share a few minutes with us.

We ate lunch then went to an indoor market to shop. The market was more like a flea market by our standards. There were rows and rows of goods. It ended up being a maze trying to get back to the starting point while dodging vendors. I came away with a few good finds and.

The time came to load up and head to the airport. We said good bye to Jane our wonderful guide and our awesome driver. All our bags made it through security while only a few of us got searched, well more like groped. All 13 team members checked in and we headed to our gate. We were going to Ethiopia!

Touched down in Addis!!!! It was like coming home. Those of us who had gone 6 months ago prepared the rest of the team of what to encounter as we went through the airport: long wait in the visa line, even longer wait to clear customs, baggage claim hang ups…everything that could make you pull out your hair.

When we made our way to the visa line, what took us 2 hours 6 months ago only took us 20 minutes. We flew!!! My visa was written up by the same gentleman that wrote it before. He welcomed me back with a smile. We then made our way to clear customs. Where are all the people? It’s just us. We flew through that as well. This is too good to be true!!! We headed out to pick up luggage and expected to have to place each piece through security once more but the attendant opened the gate and allowed us all through without having too. What? How does this happen? The favor of the Lord was definitely upon us. The 5 veterans just stared at each other utter amazement. The only wait time we had was waiting for our guide and vans to pick us up and that was because we took less time than they anticipated.

Nebiat, one of our translators/guides from our previous trip, greeted us inside. It was so good to see him again. It’s nice to know people, the culture, the food, etc. It was comfortable.

I had a smile from ear to ear the rest of the night. How I love Ethiopia. We drove to our guest house and I was amazed I knew exactly where we were. Dinner was served-pizza-and the gang hung out for the rest of the night.

All the girls prayed together and Rachel, Jennifer and I explained what to expect at Korah the next two days. Korah…mixed emotions filled me as I thought about when I was there before. How could I prepare myself for what to expect this time let alone those who have never experienced it?

God is faithful and sovereign. All I can do is rest in Him and follow his leading. Tomorrow is going to be a very emotional day.