February 28, 2010 or 2002 in Ethiopia

The time is flying by! I was asking a friend here why time goes so much more quickly here than at home and we came up with the idea that it is because everything here takes so long.

In the USA I write a six-most-important-things to do list for the next day, here it is a six-most-important-things to get done in the next six months. I started my list about three weeks ago and I am just now beginning to cross off a few. I have one good example: Due to the generosity of a private woman who is driven with her passion to help women, we have been trying to buy a new car for two years. First we didn’t have the right permission, next we had to renew our licence, then all the NGOs in Ethiopia had to renew their license. Finally, I got to put on my list “buy car”. We went in the car dealership that had already given us a pro forma invoice, and said we were ready to purchase the car. But…. the car is not allowed to be in stock here. We have to send to the port (no Ethiopian currency allowed) the money and then wait for one to two months. Grrrrrr…….

The other thing that has been high on my priority list is to stay out of prison. I had another near miss on Friday. The top inspector had called me to tell me the case is closed and the charges are declared to be false. So….. the logical thing it seemed for me to do was stop by the police station to say, “thank you”. Well, I guess gratitude may not always be the best policy. The top inspector was not in but the one who had already been punished because of the illegal way he had treated the employees of the Trampled Rose was the highest ranking police officer there. He told me that I am a wanted fugitive and that he was under duty to hold me. I knew I was in trouble when I saw my Ethiopian friend’s face. She was white and sweating. We spent about 15 minutes until she convinced him that he may get into even more personal trouble if he didn’t back off. So now…. the case has been formally closed. I am fine and free or I would never tell you this story

We have been having such exciting things happening. We have started our outreach in an area called Mirabeta. Thank you Gwadenia for your help!!!!! This week I am meeting with the head of a Fistula Hospital about 120km away. It is for the very poorest women. She is Norwegian but born in Ethiopia. I was so amazed how she is using her life to have such an impact on this problem. We meet on Wednesday so I will let you know how things go.

Personally, I have signed up for tennis drills four days per week and I am working out every morning with my Ethiopian house cleaner. I think that is helping the depression and loneliness that I sometimes experience here. I also found a card table to put on my front porch. AND a chimenea. My friend Carolyn (also our corporate CPA) is coming this week and she is bringing me a fountain to put outside too. The things one does for love. Thank you, Carolyn.

The women at the Trampled Rose are doing wonderful! This year is a very young class. I will get you the exact statistics soon but I bet the average age is under 19. They are quite dedicated. The staff is such a great team and our dog, Ishi, goes everywhere I go. She loves to ride in the front seat of the car and look out the window. She is especially happy in her dog clothes and dog barrettes.

Our three little girls are so cute and sweet. They are all doing well in their school. It’s hard to imagine how everyone’s life has so changed. Mine has changed as I’ve learned to live with flies and critters and meat that hangs outside and urinating in the streets. But they have just started to learn to live with hope. How lucky am I? And you?