I leave in less than 12 hours for Ethiopia!!! AHHHHH!!!

I only have a few minutes before I go to bed so this will be incredibly brief. I just want to give you a quick glimpse into the country where I will be living for the next three months.

Ethiopia is in eastern Africa, near the Red Sea. It does not border the Red Sea, but it is very close. There are 88,013,491 people in Ethiopia, the average age in Ethiopia is 17. This is mostly due in part to AIDS and famine. There are many different tribes and ethnic groups with in the country.

The country is very fertile and rich, but is often plagued with drought. Famine is normal in Ethiopia and is one of the biggest killers there. 65% of the world’s hungry live in only 7 countries, or which Ethiopia is a part of. There is a huge need for aid, although some say that people are relying too much on aid and are no longer farming. Still, if people are dying, there is a need.

Ethiopia has deep ties to Christianity. Some of you may recall Paul talking to the Ethiopian eunuch. There are many other times in the Bible where Ethiopia is mentioned. The majority (though a slight majority) are Christian, the other half is Muslim with a small percentage of animism and tribal beliefs.

Time magazine did an article on Ethiopia not long ago. Here is a link to their photo essay, Harvest of Hunger.

Much of the communications are owned by the government and are therefore hard to come by. Internet, cable, phone, radio it is all very limited. Hence my blogging dump, I do not know for sure when I will be abel to update you again. You may not hear from me for three months or it could be next week. Nothing is certain. Please be praying for me and my team of 6 as we leave tomorrow morning for Istanbul and from there to Addis Ababa!

Instead of doing another student profile, I will show you a video. We put this video together in honor of Petro leaving us. The beginning is mostly pictures, a lot of inside jokes. For example, we chose opera music as the opener since he liked to go around singing opera. The second half is personal messages from everyone, so you can see people in action, hear their voices, and see a little bit of where I live.

A Salute to Petro

Click on the link to see it.

The last profiles I will do are of the India staff.

Dima was our cook during the lecture phase of DTS and let me tell you, he is an AMAZING cook. Always yummy food. His real name is Tiberi, he is 29 and is from Mukachevo, a city in the southwest part of Ukraine. Dima is gypsy and grew up in a gypsy village in Mukachevo. Dima has a great story to tell but I do not have space here to do it justice. Know that he is a solid man of God who strives for perfection. He enjoys simply having quality conversations with people, as well as cooking.

Mysterious Dima

Oksana is 29 and is from Ternopil. She sometimes goes by the nickname, Soosha (which other Oksanas also go by.) She is so much fun to be around. Before DTS started, she was working with different orphanages in the area. Years ago, she spent some time working with street kids in St. Petersburg, Russia. Oksana has a twin sister who has led worship for us occasionally. They are both fun to be around. Oksana enjoys talking with people and having a good time. I got to know Oksana more this year since she was my one-on-one partner.

Stylish Oksana

This concludes the profiles of almost everyone. I will not include our base directors, and two other staff members. Everyone that I have done a profile on will be going on an outreach, anyone who is not going, I did not do a profile on.

Now we are moving on to the girl’s room upstairs.

First up, Allison! Allison is the other infamous Canadian, she is from Saskatchewan region, but is living in the Toronto area. Allison is a powerhouse! She just turned 29 in November and is overflowing with life. She loves to sing and play her guitar and loves to cook good food. She is dedicated in all she does and is always wanting to know more about God. I love spending time with her and discussing life. She is a woman full of wisdom!

Allison displaying justice

Sveta is Allison’s bunk buddy. Sveta is from Russia and will be turning 25 in December while she is in India. Her full name is Svetlanna. Sveta has an absolutely amazing voice and she naturally loves to use it. She gives the best hugs you could ever imagine. She has three sisters in Russia. In October her father suddenly died, she was not close to him and was unable to go to his funeral. She has such faith in God that no matter what happens, she can still sing to Him.

Loving Sveta

Across the room is Lena. I had the privilege of meeting Lena in the spring when I was here teaching English. Lena is from Kiev and is probably the cutest Ukrainian you will ever meet. Everyday I ask her “how do it? How are you so cute?” She just gives a cute little laugh and says “oh meggie.” She is so sweet and tender-hearted, but also very insightful. She loves to be with her friends and keep in contact with everyone. She is currently on her way to India.

Sunny Lena

Lena’s bunk buddy is Liliya. Liliya is from Ternopil and will be turning 19 in India. How do I describe Liliya? She is a true Ukrainian girl. She is bold, bright, and full of confidence. She has a great family that loves her very much. She enjoys being with her friends singing or dancing. I love talking with Liliya because she will tell you how it is. She likes to teach me Ukrainian, especially when I ask for a word in Russian!

Dynamic Liliya

I am quickly running out for time for doing blog updates. Since it does not make sense to wait until I come back form Ethiopia to finish the rest of the profiles, I will briefly do them all at one time.

Let me finish with the people in my room, Natasha, Joanne, and Valya.

Natasha’s real name is Natalia. For whatever reason, most Natalias here go by Natasha as their nickname. Natasha has many talents, one of them is that she knows sign language. She has been going to different deaf groups to help translate. She is very spunky and mischievous. She left yesterday with the team to India.

Queen Natasha

Joanne is one of the infamous Canadians. She hails from the New Brunswick region. Joanne is 26 and came to Ukraine in the spring with me when we came to teach English. I met her for the first time in Port Townsend where she came for the TESOL training. Joanne is simply amazing. She may look quiet and reserved, but look out! This girl is hungry for adventure. She once tried to convince me we should hop on a random bus and see where it went… I finally gave in. 🙂 She has big dreams and is content to simply see where God leads her.

Beautiful Joanne

Valya is from Russia. She is 24 and this is her first year on staff in Ternopil. She is a great leader to have in our room. Valya likes to knit and sew. This has come in handy for people who buy clothes too big for them. She is always looking to give hugs and loves to laugh. Valya is leading the team that is staying in Ukraine.

Lovely Valya

Slavic Saying: I heard one more saying yesterday. Poor Valya was locked out of the house last night and had to sleep in the office. When I saw her this morning I asked her how she was doing. She told me that she will be “like cucumber after shower.” She tried to explain that just like cucumbers are fresh and green, she will be fresh after her shower.