Ethiopia - Easter 2009
This was our 5th visit and this time we were a group of six. We took off from Heathrow with a quarter ton of luggage (Ethiopian Airlines has a very generous luggage allowance!) which included clothes for orphans and destitute children and a sewing machine.
The first week was spent in Addis Ababa. Much of this time was spent at Emmanuel Baptist Church teaching counselling skills to 25 adults and teaching songs and Bible stories and playing with 220 children. The church is in a very deprived part of Addis and provides a haven for the local population to come and receive love and support and to worship and learn about the Christian faith. 
Children especially come to learn and play. EEA provides funding for 10 of the most needy children in the church many of whom have lost parents or other family members through AIDS. The £10 per month provides each child with equipment for school, health checks, welfare support and a "safety net" for them and their family. During this time we met up with two of our sponsored students. Mulugeta, our first student is in his second year at tourism management college. He grown in confidence and his English is greatly improved since we met him 3 years ago. Alene is at pharmacy college and is progressing well. It was encouraging to see their progress but with the poor sterling rate the money sent to them each month has reduced and local inflation has increased.
Children especially come to learn and play. EEA provides funding for 10 of the most needy children in the church many of whom have lost parents or other family members through AIDS. The £10 per month provides each child with equipment for school, health checks, welfare support and a "safety net" for them and their family. During this time we met up with two of our sponsored students. Mulugeta, our first student is in his second year at tourism management college. He grown in confidence and his English is greatly improved since we met him 3 years ago. Alene is at pharmacy college and is progressing well. It was encouraging to see their progress but with the poor sterling rate the money sent to them each month has reduced and local inflation has increased. At the end of the week we made a brief visit to the orphanage at Weliso 70 miles from Addis. We were able to distribute an item of clothing to each of the 43 children.
For the second week we flew north to Lalibela in the Ethiopian Highlands. Lalibela is famous for its 11 rock hewn churches built in the 13th century in spectacular scenery. The town is now a World Heritage site but for most of the population life is still a struggle. As well as some sight seeing we met up with other sponsored students and a christian family who provide help to many people in the community. We also met an evangelical pastor who risks persecution in running a church in this strong orthodox area.
Bahar Dar on Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, was our final stop before returning to Addis for the flight home. Another sponsored young man, Yeshambel lives here. With his sister and younger brother he shares a small house made of poles and mud, except he hasn't enough mud to complete it. With EEA's sponsorship he is able to attend school. Yeshambel was our guide as we took a boat across the lake to visit monasteries on islands.
The group gelled together extremely well. We achieved a lot, met many people, spread the Gospel wherever we could and where appropriate and we had fun. We are sure that those who came want to return.
No comments:
Post a Comment