A Smattering

So I've been thinking . . . .
See, you can watch me as I'm thinking . . .
My arm is so short that my self-portraits are a little frightening!!
Thinking about life in general, how incredibly blessed I am, what great friends and community I've been given, the wonderful work I've had the privilege of participating in, the joy and the pain of the journey we are all on, the glorious beginning we hope in for the end . . .
I'm beginning to feel the stress of what the next few weeks of life hold. I don't want that stress and wish it would go far, far away, but knowing myself it's going to be much more complicated than that. So instead it's a battle every day to give those fears and uncertainties and worries and anxieties to the One who is much more capable to deal with them.
At work I'm trying to wrap up what feels like a million little projects that need to get finished before I leave. I find it less than motivating to format patient referral forms, but yet I've got to get it done.
At my house I'm staring at all my stuff thinking about how I need to at least think about sorting and packing and storing. Yes, storing.
Because I have my answer about the next step in life! I'll be here for the next stretch, and I'm really glad I've been given this opportunity by the "Giver of all good gifts". This one is indeed a sweet and joy-filled gift. It does not come without pain and heartache, though, because in many ways it means giving up again all that I hold dear in my life back "there". But I'm content even in that sorrow, for it means I do not yet have to say goodbye to this place and people who have become a part of my heart. Someday I will, and that will be a hard day, but for now I am glad that there is a place and work for me here.
I'm headed "home" at the end of April, and I'll be in the States for a couple of months. This week I've started to get more and more excited about that and seeing all of you! Of course the abundance of things like diet coke and hot water and high speed internet and Mexican food make me inordinately happy when I think about them, but really the joy is in getting to see you, hug you, cry with you, laugh with you, and again share life for a bit with you.
At the same time, "home" is an overwhelming thought. For one thing, it is no longer home in the way I always saw it. This year has stretched "home" for me so much that I can begin to understand why we've been given these restless hearts here . . . for here is not our home. Nonetheless, being there means being inundated with all things Western and American and material, and I'm not sure how I'm going to adjust. Will everyone I meet think I've become some crazy weird single female missionary??!! It also means about a million trips crammed into those 2 months--all fun, but hectic at the same time. A lot of people, a lot places, a lot of things to do . . . and am I just going to be running around with that deer-in-the-headlights expression as I try to take it all in? I want to savor it, to worship at my church and not think about how few days I get to do that, to watch movies and not think about "wasting" time, to rest and not worry about that to-do list, to be diligent and productive and yet laid back. Yep, pretty much I want to achieve perfection! Ha. Well, it's good to know from this end that that is not going to happen! Those of you who have done this before--this major, weird, horrible, wonderful cross-cultural transition--if you've got advice for me, bring it on!
These are a random collection of photos from the past few weeks.

This first couple is from a rather interesting ride into work a couple of weeks ago. The short rainy season has come, and with it mud and water in all the places you don't want it! On this day, there were about a 100 people waiting for taxis and with 2 other friends I ended up taking a contract taxi. Unfortunately, there was no flotation device on this car . . . and we ended up thoroughly STUCK in what looked like a lake out the windows! I still don't know how the taxi driver did it, but somehow he "rocked" the car forward (like the back and forth motion while sitting in his seat) and eventually we inched out way out of the muddy pool. I think it took about an hour and a half to make it to the office that day, so by the time I got there I was ready to go back home:-)











2 weeks ago I went to a women's retreat with a bunch of other mission women. It was a refreshing quiet weekend with some good friends and too much good food:-) It was at the retreat center at the volcano lake I've posted photos from before--it just always amazes me how beautiful and calm it is after the dirt and chaos of Addis. I needed that time to renew before these last crazy weeks here, I think. And yet again He provided. Always and again.

This is my friend Mindy. We were in a small group together last year, which was by far one of the sweetest times of community I've had here over the past 12 months.

And this is with my friend Dorinda, who's taught me many great Australian things, including words such as "lou" for the bathroom!! She's living far, far away in the SW part of the country now where they communicate with the rest of the world mainly by radio, but at least she's still in the same country as me!!

Here I'm with my friend Laurie, who's living in the same place as Dorinda. We didnt' tip over. It's a good thing I don't row like I walk!







One night a bunch of us piled into Dorinda's big land cruiser and went hyena hunting. We spotted a lot--at least 15! We weren't in it for the meat--it's just spotlight hunting. Hyenas live up to their name--they are possibly the ugliest creatures I've ever seen next to opossums.
Jackie decided the best viewing spot was on the top of the vehicle . . . we were pretty nice to her and didn't go flying over too many bumps!




On the drive back to Addis after the retreat . . . D looking cool in her shades (and hanging onto for dear life??).








It was market day in Debra Zeit, the town nearest the lake. I was working on my tourist appearance that I normally try to downplay:-)

Just the view out my window . . . .

Back in Addis, life has been back to normal. Two of my fellow staff had birthdays recently, so last week we celebrated with a joint b-day party. Both thought the party was for the other one, so that worked out pretty well:-)




With Teddy, the project manager--my boss and dear friend.






And this is Alemu and Jim. Alemu is generally my cohort in crime--he's a nurse as well and is the one I work with mostly in caring for our beneficiaries. Jim's here for a year or two, and he's working a lot with the men's support groups and boy's program.

We celebrated a friend's b-day at a great "Irish" restaurant several weeks ago. Here I'm with my friend Kristen who happens to be sitting in my living room right now.







And that's my life over the past few weeks!
This weekend is Easter (the Ethiopian and Western calendar match up this year!), and it's a huge celebration here. The past couple of days I've been thinking about how it should be the biggest party of the year. Today in one of the women's support groups I got to share the glorious story of Easter--the prophesy, the coming, the death, the resurrection, the promise of Jesus. I don't think about that nearly enough, but what greater hope to have in this broken and messed up world we live in than the knowledge that DEATH has been conquered?!

That's all from this side of the world. I pray this weekend is a sweet one for you as well as you reflect and pray and worship and eat and spend time with your families.
See you soon, dear ones . . . .