Sept 8, 2009

This is one of those Ethiopia moments. I sent a very nice letter to you on Sunday but it got lost somewhere in computer world so I will try to remember the highlights.

I left Denver almost two weeks ago for a very brutal trip. In fact it is one I am not sure I would make again. I traveled with Penny Kelly. We have worked together for more than nine years in the Philippines as Independent Sales Directors with Mary Kay.

Her husband drove us to the airport in Denver where we caught a plane to D.C. Then we flew sixteen hours on into Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We were here for about three hours, just long enough to leave the extra suitcases full of supplies at my home and grab a quick bite to eat. On to Bangkok where we spent twelve hours in the airport. This is the part where I wanted to scream! Finally we got onto the next flight into Manilla, Philippines where we had forty five minutes to get changed into a suit to attend a full day Seminar for Mary Kay with our friends we haven’t seen in several years. At the end of the day we realized it had been four full days since we slept. That night we fell into bed and woke up 36 hours later.

The seminar really was fun. It was nice to connect with our friends who are doing so well. It made all the tears, frustrations, expenses, and worry all worth it. We spent ten days together. Penny did a lot of teaching about principles of a successful life. One day she taught 300 University students. The sound system wasn’t working and it was so hot we were sweating enough that it looked like we had been swimming. (all in high heels, nylons, and a suit) Her message was very well received and it was such a precious time.

Now back to Addis. This time we used our twelve hours in the airport in Bangkok to enjoy a tour. It was beautiful! I couldn’t imagine how much the whole city glows nor how many Buddhas we would see.

We arrived back in Addis in the early morning and I put Penny to work decorating my house. We went to the Trampled Rose and then spent the late night in a Moroccan bath. You will have to ask her about what that was all about because I will never tell.

She was with me for five more days and taught the employees of the Trampled Rose basic life lessons:

1. Forgive others
2. Keep your word
3. Go the extra Kilometer
4. Do unto others what you want them to do to you
5. Practice your spirituality in secret