First Week at Worksites

Hello Again,
I found out my worksite on Monday and it's an orphanage called Kingdom Vision International (KVI). I believe the website is kingdomvisioninternational.com or it might be .org if you would like to look at it. It's an amazing place started by a man a little of 2 years ago. He had a vision from God for an orphanage and he started it. They also do some foster care, a sponsorship program, and a few other things. It is awesome, the staff is so lovely and the place is very nice. The kids are adorable as well. I know it is going to be very difficult to leave all of them at the end of the trip. God has already done some amazing things since we have been there. On our second day we noticed a boy that had a deformed leg so that it was kind of webbed at the knee and also had some infection on the knee. One of the girls that was with me named Atalie prayed that night for healing for the boy. The next day the Ethiopian with us was talking to one of the older girls and found out that his leg was webbed like that from birth, and then the knee looked infected because he was in a fire. We also discovered that that morning they had found out that he received a sponsor from the United States so he can go to the US and have surgery to repair the leg. So our God is definitely good and heals.

I'll tell you a little more about the worksite. There is a school building there and the younger children go to school in the morning and the older children go to school in the afternoon. We've been helping with schooling so far. We've taught the younger ones a little about the alphabet, some songs, and played games. With the older children we've taught them a bible story each day, also sang some songs, played some games. I also gave each of the older children an airplane to play with that someone that I work with Jenny gave me to bring here. They all loved the airplanes and have loved the activities we've done with them. I'm so amazed by the love that the children have for us. Each day when we get there and when we leave they hug us and kiss our check as a greeting. They also always want to hold our hands, and it's awesome. There are just 3 of us at my worksite: myself, an American, Atalie, and an Ethiopian student named Parasem (no clue how to spell her name). We have been working pretty well together, but please keep us in your prayers that we will continued to be united and on the same page.

Other things are going well. We've gotten to eat out more so I've gotten to eat the Ethiopian version of some American foods like: pizza, burgers, and spaghetti. It's very nice to get a break from Ethiopian food. We've also had some speakers and done some American and Ethiopian worship.

Yesterday we went shopping and I got a ton of things. I love shopping in other countries when you can argue the price. Especially here because 1 birr (their currency) is equal to $13 so yesterday I spend about 330 birr on a lot of stuff , which is approximately $30, when I don't want to do the math. A couple of the shop people spoke English so that was better to argue the price with them. They always say "final price, final price" and when I would go to walk away they would then lower it.

The poverty hear is unimaginable. It's so different than anything I've experienced before. In Botswana we were in a rural village so they were poor, but they hadn't been elsewhere so they didn't realize how poor they really were. Here there are people everywhere. There are so many beggers, especially children who ask you for money. People live on the streets. It's so hard to describe. I don't think I'll ever get used to it, but as I've prayed and as a team we have talked about God breaking our hearts for these people. At first I was walking in fear, but as God has broken my heart for these people it has been much "easier" to deal with. Even if I can't give these people money, I can at least give them a smile and say hello or "Salem" which means hello in Amharic, which I think at least humanizes these people.

Today is a free day and so we're checking our email and eating and then just hanging out at the Red Cross. From now on I'll probably just be checking my email on Saturdays here during our free day. Please keep our team and the people we are encountering in your prayers. Pray for unity, and health for all of us. We haven't had too many people sick, which is great. Also Ashley made it on Tuesday and is feeling better, but continue to keep her in your prayer as we continue on this trip.

Sorry this is so long today, but a lot has happened in a week! Hope to catch you up on Sat.!