Notes and Pictures from Satu and Erik

Hi David!

It’s Sunday and we are just getting ready to go to the International Church.

Everyone outside the International Church

Hi Again!….just got back from the church. Actually Erik and I walked back home. It’s not too far from the guest home, it’s just a very dusty and hot trail. Erik and I stopped at ‘’a bigger supermarket ‘’ and even found some pancake mix there (very expensive). Which reminds me, you’d better bring some pancake mix with you, burrito wraps (the smaller ones, maybe 20 of them) and few bags taco mix. Foreigners here talk about the Bambi store…we might go and check them out. Anyway, Erik and I also stopped on our way at a Family Restaurant (Mexican style restaurant for the ferenzies (foreigners)…you here kids often calling you that.

The church service was very nice. We sang all the same songs we sing at our church…Erik said we can’t ‘get away’ from those songs even here. IEC (International Evangelical Church) has a new pastor from North Carolina, Dr. Gary Threatt (he said from ‘jug town’, that means lots of moonshine made there) close to Charlotte. We met him and his wife Becky. Becky teaches nursing course in one of the institutions associated with Fistula Hospital (one started by Dr Hamlin). We went to church with Alayu, Kidist and a new ‘member’ in our guesthouse, her name is "Regular", a Swiss lady. She has been here before (and in other African countries)and decided to sell everything she has, leave everything behind and come here and teach children arts and music. Her occupation is a music teacher. She is also a concert violinist (but I think her major is piano). She brought her violin with her but I have not heard her play it yet. I told Marsha about Regular since Marsha is one of the people involved in the music ministry at the IEC. If I lived in Addis I would try to get an ensemble going.

I must tell you about our visit to the Fistula hospital. Erik and I just walked there. It’s not very far from here. It’s in a beautiful setting by the river. Their ministry has helped so many women who have been shunned by their family and friends and set apart ‘good for nothing’. The Fistula hospital ministry is more than just give the women a new beginning what comes to their physical being they have also been given a message of Good News, Hope in Christ. It was very interesting to see these facilities since I have been reading the authobio of the 2 Dr. Hamlins’, ‘’The Hospital by The River’’. So our tour was on Friday.

We went out to a very nice Mediterranean Restaurant called Alladin that evening. Actually Joe took us all there; Erik, Mesi, Doug, and Satu. I have not eaten that well since I got here… That was our farewell dinner together. Joe and Doug were so funny, telling their stories with their Louisiana accent and Mesi such gentle, sensitive girl. Very beautiful girl, inside out.

We really miss the devotional times we had with Doug, Mesi and Joe together. They challenged us to keep on going with the devotionals in the evenings at the guesthouse and keep them open to anyone that is here. Last night Erik read from Spurgeons (Morning and Evening) daily devotional book just like we have been doing for over 2 weeks. It was only Erik and I but God is there and blesses our devotion to Him. It’s wonderful to see the love Erik has for God, may he grow in it.

Roberta called this morning and wanted to find out if Erik and I would like to join her tomorrow for observing the Timke (epiphany of Ethiopia), I guess ending of the Christmas season. Orthodox church has some ‘big-to-do’ in the center of the city. Ketema will come pick us up in the morning. I think we’ll be able to see Maija on Tuesday. Roberta says again it should not take long for Maija-Sitota’s visa to arrive. She might get it before you guys get here.

I had a talk with Alayu yesterday he thinks if someone wants to donate something would be a good idea to give about 2000birr per family ($200USD) (outside of Addis where conditions can be even more needy) so they can buy couple of sheep, breed them, eventually get more sheep, sell them, get meat of them (and even milk)

With some profits get some chickens, which also means eggs and so on. Then eventually get a cow or two. He has tried something like that up in northern region. Some of those people have even paid back their ‘loan’ so that their neighbor could get some sheep and get started ‘producing’….It just works so much better if people have some accountability…it’s also good for their dignity. The government here doesn’t think they have much of problems here while people are dying of hunger and aids and people don’t know how to read and so on….

Kisses and Hugs to my lovely boys at home. Tell them I love them and miss them

Love, Satusi