Two Weeks In

I’ve never been to Ethiopia this time of year.  There’s a first time for everything, and I’m already discovering new little treasures of this season!  Who knew that Ethiopia had a four week PLUM SEASON in January???  Awesome!  The dry season stands in stark contrast to the rainy seasons that I have experienced here in the summer and the fall.  As a Florida girl the concept of a “dry heat” is very foreign to me, but that’s what I’m getting acquainted with.  My first few days in country I was in Addis, where it is amazingly consistent temperature-wise year round.

Addis Ababa

The plums!

Most of the past two weeks I’ve been in the southern region, in and out of Awassa, where I will be for some time.  Down here we are on the verge of the Rift Valley, and it is dry and hot and DUSTY.  I’ve never seen so much dust!  And when I say seen, I also mean tasted and felt because the dust is everywhere!  It billows up from the road, invading your pores, your eyes, and your nose, and lightly covers vehicles, clothes, and bags.  Years from now, if I no longer live in Ethiopia, I know that I will carry with me many memories, names, relationships, and faces.  And now I also know that I will probably be dragging the red dust along with me too in the crevices of my backpack and luggage :)

I’ve been traveling the dusty roads to and from Yirgalem, a town about an hour’s drive from Awassa, quite a bit the past few weeks.  Right now WiLi is completing a series of 10 new wells outside of Yirgalem, in the Dale region, and that’s where I’ve jumped right in to work!  Ten boreholes have been completed already, and our Drill Team Manager Solomon is completing the pump installation and casing work on these wells.  Solomon, who I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, is an expert at what he does and has been drilling wells in Ethiopia for over 20 years.  Solomon is also a godly man with a gentle spirit and an uncompromising desire to serve poor communities in Ethiopia.  Solomon loves working in the communities, and that is where he is at his best!  I was with him for a few days last week and it was awesome to see him in his natural element, teaching the communities about how to maintain their well and at the same time investing in individual relationships with men in the communities.

Solomon teaching community members about the mechanical functioning of the pump

Solomon atop the tripod as the community helps install the pump

Showing how the rod works

My main priority in the coming weeks will be overseeing the completion of this well project in Dale.  We partner with the local government’s water bureau, with the Kale Heywot Church in regards to community mobilization and sanitation training, and directly with the communities to provide supplies and support.  With so many moving parts there are a lot of things to stay on top of!  It’s also my personal joy to be able to officially visit each community once the well is completed to assess the community, interview community members, and ensure that the well has been successfully handed over for community use.  The next few weeks will be busy and full as we work towards providing over 10,000 new people with life-changing clean water access!

These kids...

...will no longer be drinking from this.

So that’s the overview of the work that we have going on.  On a personal note, my first two weeks living in Ethiopia have been a whirlwind!  My emotions have run the gamut from joy, excitement, contentment, and fulfillment to fear, loneliness, worry, and doubt.  But if you know me too well, and yes this totally makes me sound crazy, for me that’s pretty normal :)  God is so good!  It’s a beautifully simple thing to now be able to say- “Yeah, I live here”.  It’s a game changer.  And for that I am so thankful and excited!  Living here, rather than coming for six or seven weeks at a time, changes the pace of my life, and I now have more time to dig into the work of Water is Life, solidly continue building relationships, and fulfill my role in our programs.

A few prayer requests before I go.  I’ve been sick the past few days (nasty stomach bug), so please pray for a full recovery of energy and strength over the weekend.  Pray for Solomon who is working around the clock to complete the new wells, that he would have strength and be encouraged.  A leader from the Mekane Yesus Church that we work with, Girma, lost his brother this past week so please pray for Girma and his family in this tough time.  As always, pray for the communities that we are privileged to step foot in, and that our presence and the presence of clean water in their community would encourage individual people to relationships with Jesus.