October 8, 2009

What a wonderful time in Bahir Dar! The weather was perfect and the hotel is almost equal to the Broadmoor. Wow! Plus everything was free including daily massages because of my “model” work. No one seemed to believe me when I told them I was a professional, in fact they usually couldn’t stop laughing. Oh well…..

I saw one thing I had never seen before, it was a bridge built two hundred years ago by the Portuguese. It is still in perfect shape. I took lots of pictures. I’ll put them on the web site as soon as I get them downloaded.

Now I am on my way to the office to meet with the owner of our main building. We have rented from him for over four years and this will be my first time to meet him in person. He lives in the south of Ethiopia. He has been wonderful! He has never raised our rent even in this time of crazy inflation. I remember the first time I talked to him. We had gone through 17 contracts to find a place for the women to stay. As soon as the owner found out that the women we are helping had fistula, they backed out. I was sooooooo frustrated. Finally, this owner was number 18. He also backed out when he heard that it would be women with Fistula in his home.

I was so angry. He is a Muslim man and I called him early in the morning when I found out that he had also rejected us. I told him (in a not very sweet tone of voice) that I was here trying to help although I am not Ethiopian and that he also had some responsibility. I said ” you will give us this contract and you will give it to us at the Ethiopian lower price or you will get a curse from God. This is your responsibility” In a very calm tone he just said “okay”. He has been a great friend to us every since.

My friend Carolyn Solseth is flying in tonight. She is the CPA for Trampled Rose so we do have lots of work. But…. we have also been friends since the third grade (don’t believe any story she tells about me). I’m so excited to show her my life here that I am ready to pop.

We start our new year long class on Monday for women who either can’t be cured or who have violent situations in their villages that makes it impossible for them to return. I’m sure this class will do even better than before.