March 25, 2008

The time is flying!!!! I had a nice surprise! There is a very sweet girl named Mollie that has been wanting to come help at the Trampled Rose for two years. Unexpectedly, she got the chance to come with another girl from Canada for the long Easter weekend. It felt almost like having my daughter here. This reminds me — I forgot to thank our two Canadian helpers from last week, Colleen and Thelma.

So… Monday night was one of the first nights I haven’t had visitors from home. It has been so nice. One of the hardest things here is the loneliness. I’m so used to having all of you to go out for lunch or Monday Martinis. I just miss you!

We’ve been busy here working on project proposals, setting up the schoolroom, buying things for the sewing training, beauty shop, and small market; thanks to the generous donations of you all. And thanks to Chandra for working on the market, selling our Trampled Rose baked chocolate chip cookies. Our NGO license renewal is up either in July or October (we’ve been told both), so I’ll aim for July and we might have it through by October.

Really, things have been so easy here compared with other trips. I just had lunch with someone from UNFPA in Africa and they told me that they would like to work as partners with us going to the places where we have educated about the causes and cures for Fistula (phase III) in the countryside and follow up with funding for medical facilities. I also ran into our American Ambassador and he asked for a meeting to discuss our work. Thank you to all of you who have made this happen.

Can you believe that I’ve even heard rumors that I speak Amharic well enough that some people really think I can?

Most of all, I wish you could hear the laughter, see the faces, and feel the hope of the women here that had none. One told me of the last place she stayed before she found the Trampled Rose. She shared a small room with other Fistula victims. They only had enough room to sit and sleep, they all leaked and the floor was mud. Aren’t you glad we had the courage and the stubbornness to keep on going until she could come to us?

THE MOST EXCITING NEWS!!!!

Kassa and his wife are having their first baby and they have asked me to be the God Mother. I’m hoping for a girl but they both are pulling for a boy. She (yes I did say she) is due in June.