Some of our boys playing outside of the community building we use (I was trying to babysit . . . and I don't really speak the language . . . it was funny . . . "Wait!", "Stop!", "Come here!")

Showing off his personality in my sunglasses!

Sorting meds in our office building . . . with some helpers:)

The rainy view from my desk this afternoon

Kerempt (Rainy Season)

Sick Day

My former roommate (and current friend, of course), who taught me many useful things, has this great saying to describe how you really feel when you feel really crummy. I won’t mention it here, but will leave it to your imaginations to come up with something truly descriptive. That is how I feel right now! It’s Sunday morning, and I am sitting in my comfy fleece wear (looking positively scary) on my not-so-comfy sofa. Being sick is always unpleasant, and perhaps more so when the idealistic image of “home” and homemade chicken noodle soup and warmth and quilts and cool hands on hot foreheads seems so far away. I always hate missing church, and feel as though my week begins awry when I do. But I didn’t have what it took to get there today, and didn’t figure anyone would want to sit near my hacking self. So hear I sit, trying to patiently wait for this sermon to download so I can finally finish Pastor Mike’s Acts series. In the meantime, I am maintaining a constant infusion of hot drinks in what is turning out to be a vain attempt to keep breathing. If I decide to eat later, I have a pot of that aforementioned chicken noodle soup waiting in the fridge. When I felt much this same way on Friday, I decided to do something about it so boiled a chicken and the whole nine yards (minus the homemade noodles my grandmother’s would have had!). Campbell’s isn’t exactly an option here:) But I found some saltine wannabes a while ago, so I am happy. Simple joys:) Enjoy yours today

Hmm . . .

So I just checked the weatherunderground page to see what the temperature was here in Addis. I know, that's weird; I do live here. But no one ever knows or cares what the temperature is, and I was curious. Thus my investigation on the website. Well, on their fancy little 7 day forecast, for the next 3 days they predict a 20% chance of rain. What?! I don't know where the forecasters are from, but it is obviously NOT here. It is RAINY season, which means it rains EVERY day! Anyway.
Today I had the privilege of spending the afternoon in an Ethiopian girl's home. She fed three of us out of the very little she had. Oh, was I confronted with what "hospitality" really means! Then tonight I was listening to a Tim Keller tape, about my favorite passage in Isaiah 58. He was talking about true justice, about loving the poor NOT out of guilt but truly loving as we have been loved. More thinking to do . . .

Heavy

Tonight I am weary. The past few days in the project have left me reeling a bit, finding yet again I don’t have all it takes to do this on my own. It seems as though every day there has been something that just drains and overwhelms me and leaves me grasping for reasons and answers. Monday it was a tiny, sick little boy for whom another staff member and I went to the government hospital to talk to the docs to try to get the boy’s antiretroviral (ARV) doses corrected. Yesterday it was one of our beneficiaries burdened under the weight and shame of spiritual oppression. Today it was another beneficiary who was denied her ARV medication because of arrogant and ignorant officials—thus now the chances of us being able to effectively treat her with the available resources are slim. There are always good stories in there too, and I am thankful for them. But they seem far outweighed by ones like these—harsh realities that affect real people. On top of these things, kerempt (rainy season) is here in full force and I think I am going to develop SAD!!
So I tell myself the call is to press on, to persevere, to see hope and seize it and share it. But “my spirit is overwhelmed within me” and my eyes are dim.

A Few Clinic Pics

Waiting to be seen

My favorite moment in all our clinic days! This little boy had been incorrectly diagnosed with polio. We had some PTs on the team, and they were able to work with him for awhile. Here he is with his mom getting to walk with a walker! Oh, there were many tears shed:)

A precious little girl named Heilemy


Giving IV fluids to a really sick little boy. He came back the next day

and was bright-eyed and doing much better!

Photo Courtesy of Love Photography:)

Thanks for all your thoughts, prayers, emails, and calls over the past few weeks. June was a crazy month with these 2 medical teams here, but they were great ones too. In the last 2 weeks we did clinics, we saw 913 patients. Whew! I find myself looking back on those clinics with two reactions; one is overwhelming sadness out how little we could do for so many of the patients we saw. Their lives are just so hard. The other, though, is great joy that we were given the privilege to reach into lives so often forgotten; as we touched people who are "untouchable" and gave medicine to those who can't afford any and most of all shared Hope with those who have so little--oh, I am blessed to get to be a part of this.

From Sea to Shining Sea . . . and Beyond

Last night my moping attitude was continuing as I started to think about July 4th, and the family, friends, cookouts, fireworks and just togetherness I was going to miss. I had no plans, and had decided I just needed to ignore the day and act like it wasn't happening. But things changed when late last night I got invited to an Independence Day cookout. It was a joy to celebrate even from afar. The hosts managed to have more American decor than I have ever owned, and everyone contrived to pull together a pretty all-American meal complete with hamburgers, hotdogs, mac & cheese, fake pringles and lots of other good stuff. We were even joined by some Brits for our meal:) The crowning part of the evening was the country music playing in the background! It felt like I could have been in anyone's backyard in the states as I listened to "Where I Come From" coming from the speakers!! The best part, though, was being kindly reminded that I am not alone and wherever I get planted there will be times of fellowship and community.
So to all of you who haven't yet celebrated, Happy 4th. And corny song that it is, I do pray that "God bless the U.S.A"!!

Rain Everywhere

It's raining in Baltimore . . .

Where you should be, no one's around

I need a phone call

I need a raincoat

I need a big love

I need a phone call

--Counting Crows

Yeah.

Today it rained harder than I think I have ever seen rain. And I have seen some rain--I've been in TX thunderstorms, was out in the parking lot moving my car right before Katrina hit, and was on the MS coast when Rita came through. The rain this afternoon poured as though all the heavens had decided to dump on my little house; then the hail came and the pelting and pouring matched the way I was feeling.

It's a melancholy day, to put it mildly. I have now listened to Counting Crows 4 times and am starting on my 3rd round with Keane. We complement each other nicely right now.
I'm glad there will be sun tomorrow, that joy comes with the morning. Some morning.

Until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts

--Peter