For His Sake

Two weeks ago….

We forced our eyes open at 6:00 AM. Monday morning is rough in any country. Our van rolled into Kore and pulled up in front of the office. Sumer and I went inside to count workbooks, soap, and hair oil. Each student would receive a decided amount of these things. Two sighs of relief as we found the correct amount of each thing……besides the hair oil, which takes a certain backseat to soap or workbooks. The hair will just have to wait.

Kids collected at the gate gradually until we had a legitimate mob of them, along with parents and friends who had come to say good-bye. We hugged, kissed, and congratulated them while we waited for the buses. One by one the buses came, six of them. The doors folded open, creating instant chaos. It’s really very entertaining. When we were almost sure we had every child, the buses filed out as they had come. (It reminded me of the scene in Pinocchio when all the boys drove away hanging out of those carts.)  Luggage piled high atop the buses, their arms waived a frantic good-bye to loved ones and to Kore’s familiarity. The staff rode separately in our usual van, (thank you, Lord). We caravanned four hours south into the countryside, stopping only once to squat behind a cactus. That was an experience in itself, given the passing oxen and the army aunts that attempted to feast on my ankles. We arrived at the school ahead of the buses, stretched our legs, and organized the backpacks we would hand out to each student. Most everything went according to plan, and about four hours later our van was headed back to Addis.

We’ve been back to Shashamene twice since we dropped them off. Both trips were busy and fruitful. I have never been here for this part, but from what I understand, we will go every week for a while, and then eventually it will slow down.

Emily Cornish is the other RN that works here in Kore with Project 61. She and her husband had been in America for the last two months, and returned. It is so nice to have her back, working with me. She was here all last year, running the clinic in Kore and caring for the students in Shashamene. We work together now, which we both agree makes it much more pleasurable. We have been trying to bring more order to the clinic; labeling, boxing, and sorting medicines and supplies. It is quite the job. There are much much less patients coming to the clinic since two hundred and forty of them are in Shashamene. Now we see the families and students of Bright Hope school, a local school in which we have over a hundred sponsored children in our program. 

I had two delightful visitors last week. Tiffany from my home church came to bring her adopted daughter home. What a beautiful, and if I may mention, plump, little girl she is. It was so much fun watching Tiffany love and bond with her over the week. Tiffany was accompanied by Beth Forenz, who along with her husband John, is largely responsible for my being here in Ethiopia. Four years ago, in obedience to the Lord, they adopted three Ethiopian girls. The next year, John led a team of twelve from my church back to Ethiopia. I was on that team, and my life was obviously dramatically altered. Here I am, sitting in Ethiopia, drinking filtered water, listening to scores of quarreling dogs, scratching the bites on my legs, and it’s all their fault. Thanks a lot, guys. ;) I jest, but in all seriousness I am astounded at the difference in other’s lives that one decision can make. I am one of three people on that team who were called to missions in Ethiopia. Who can know the mind of God? Anyway, I had a wonderful time with Beth while she was here. I kept saying that I had my very own ferenge for the week. So nice to have a piece of home. I showed her my work in Kore and introduced her to the best chocolate ice cream in the world. We had a great time.

She also brought me two suitcases full of treasures from home, including my very own mamma’s whoopie pies. So good. I took one bite and my knees buckled. I fell on my bed and cried out, “Oh mom! Nefukshein betam!!! (I miss you so much).” I gave one to a friend to try. “This is called a whoopie pie,” I explained. He paused after the first taste and stared at me.

“Why did you come here?”

I get this question occasionally from people in Kore. They want to know why I left a rich developed country to come and work in “Hell”. They ask me what I find attractive about Ethiopia, or Kore specifically. It is a great testimony to the Lord and His leading, because I don’t have an answer for them. There is little attractive about Ethiopia, and nothing attractive about Kore. I left the most wonderful, peaceful, loving home. I will miss every birthday, my eldest brother’s driver’s test, my youngest brother’s first day of school, my parent’s 25^th wedding anniversary, the birth of my childhood best friend’s first baby. I close my eyes to them and turn to the people for whom my heart is broken, with the words of my God and my King echoing in mine ears, “He who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me….And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39)

I am working every day to lose my life for His sake. Bless the Lord, bless the Lord, oh my soul.