A day without rain...

Kari writing:

Today was our first full day of work after being rained out early the last 2 days. We could see the rain clouds but thankfully they went around us. The wall is beginning to rise up out of the trench, which is very exciting. We are continuing to build relationships with the Ethiopian ladies we are working with. They are warming up to us more every day. Please pray for our “sistahs” (which is what they call us) and their families: Mentuwo, Cabinesch, Alum, and Dinkay are their names.

Today was Ryan’s birthday so the school surprised him by some of the classes marching down to the worksite, clapping and singing Happy Birthday. They made a circle around him and he was expected to make a speech, which he did admirably. Tonight the group is going out to ice cream in honor of his birthday.

At lunch, we again went to Sammy’s church to help serve lunch to the children in his feeding program. We heard some of the kids’ stories today and they are amazing and heartbreaking at the same time. Two sisters, 8 and 10 years old, traveled 500 kilometers after their parents died of malaria, to end up in the Kori district of Addis Ababa (where we are working). The church took them in and are caring for them and sending them to school.

We also toured the buildings the church has just acquired to begin an orphanage. When the buildings are redone they will house some of the children who now live at the dump. Looking at the buildings through American eyes it is hard to believe that they will be suitable to house children. The buildings have a disreputable past and are now being redeemed by God’s people for God’s work. We prayed for the project in the room that will become a classroom for the children to learn the social skills to be reintegrated back into society and to learn to sing and play and learn how to be children again.