Today we went out to see the Timkat celebration on the streets of Addis with Ketema, Mesfin,
Roberta and one parent with her adopted daughter. In the Orthodox church calendar that’s the end of the Christmas season. A few replicas of the ark of the covenant are carried around the city and people are singing and dancing. I a
m getting Erik to send some pics.After that Ketema had invited us over to his house for birthday celebration for his 4 year old son. They served us a traditional Ethiopian meal and we listened/watched Ethiopian pop music.
That was really nice….I want to get some contemporary Ethiopian music. I want to get a cd for Mikael for fun and nice Ethiopian drum as well.Today was a really nice day! We spent most of it at the Ellilta – Women at Risk centre. It was established under the umbrella of SIM. We met and talked with the director and the founder of Ellilta, Serawit Friedmeyer. She is married to a Canadian. (they actually go back to Canada, Alberta, every summer for 3 months) Her husband is one of the directors of SIM Ethiopia. Take a look at, their website, http://www.w-a-r-e.org/ I so much enjoyed meeting Seravit. She has all kinds of ideas how to get their organization more independent financially. She has an idea to start a mushroom ‘farm’ for export…and get the ‘rescued’ girls to work there for a fair salary.
The Ellilta group works with the prostitute women, bringing them to Christ and helping them to change their life style and teaching them new life skills….Sometimes it’s a long road. Today, one of the staff members told us her story….now she is helping to start an other centre outside of Addis. Also she is going around to schools to talk and teach about the dangers the girls are facing.
What Erik and I did today was we (or actually Erik did) showed/taught a new craft idea to the director of handicrafts (hemp beading). She liked it. The girls can make their own beads for that out of clay and if the hemp is not found they can use leather cord which supposedly is not too expensive here.Also I showed a poncho pattern and they thought that might be something girls could start making. Right now they are making these cool beads out of paper and then they varnish them. I bought a couple of necklaces. Later Erik went and helped Marsha to ‘teach English’ to the girls. They have quite a nice intermediate English program. I think I’ll give ‘The Play and Talk" (phoenix program) to Marsha. Might be a good idea to do little more phoenix rules with them, especially the ones where they are really struggling. We broke off for a lunch break. You may guess what was for lunch…Injera. We met the staff. I really enjoyed them. They seem to have a great team work going. I think Serawit has a great vision and also insight of people and how to get others involved. After lunch Erik and I hung out in the yard with the girls sharing candy and me taking pics of them.
It’s cute they all wanted to pose. We resumed back to our English lesson; did some role playing (visiting friend’s home) and played "Pooh Bear" Uno. We had fun together. It would be nice to see those girls working on crafts and see how they make their special paper beads and also their pottery. Erik and I will go back next week. Marsha planned good activities for the girls. She is quite a lady.
Talking about Marsha. She is not only a great teacher but also a wonderful musician (piano, violin) (and always including others) She has put some music together and wants us to have a jam session tomorrow morning with Erik (on the piano), Regula (on the violin), Marsha (on the viola or violin) and she was asking if I would play my flute.….I’ll give it a try tomorrow but won’t promise to play at the church any Sunday. Seppo must bring his violin?
There is an other Seppo at the International Church (Bible professor)…supposedly really funny and smart guy. Speaks perfect amharic since he grew up here. I have never met him. Serawit said Seppo is a really good friend of hers and her husband. I have not met this Seppo yet.(everyone seems to know him). So, tomorrow morning we will have our practice. It is wonderful to be involved together and connect through music.
Erik is doing so well….he really is following in the footsteps of Jesus. He sets an example to me of compassion and kindness.
Love, Satusi
Hi folks! Mikael passed the blog along, I've been hearing bits of your inspirational story from him now and again. You're doing a great thing, admirable. I have a friend here in Halifax who adopted his son from Ethiopia, it has proven to be a rewarding experience for him. I wish you all the best, wouldn't it be nice if everyone was willing to help out a child like this.
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