But after two weeks everything seems not only normal but sweet to be back. I’ve been spending my days in the office and my nights either reading or meeting with my friends.

Things are going well at the Trampled Rose. We currently have 30 women in our program. The main things they are learning are sewing, beauty school, and jewelry making.

We are almost ready to start the chicken farm part of our curriculum for this year’s students. I think many of you remember the trouble I had with the first farm. It looked so cute to have all twelve of our little chickens in their new house ready to do whatever chickens do. The only problem was that I didn’t know the house should not have been made of corrugated iron. I arrived a few days later to check up on them and they were all very „fluffy“ The next day all were dead but one. I felt so terrible both for the chickens and also for the group in France that had donated the money to start this project (thank you Gwadenia). I thought that at least we had one alive so I could keep the original project going and tell Gwadenia that we had some problems but we had made it. Just then my sweet little dog Ishi came running out with the last chicken in her mouth. Ouch!!!! The good news is that we did successfully have a chicken farm with our graduating class last year and the even better news is that I am not in charge of this!

We are also working to develop training in house cleaning. This is a great opportunity here because often the women who help with the house are allowed to live and eat with the family. And the demand here, as in every country, is high. I’ll let you know more about this program soon.

The weather has been rain and more rain. Yesterday while I was traveling home Addis looked more like a river than a city. When I think of all of you enjoying summer and the beach and BBQs I feel even colder, but….. when you have your first snow storm I’ll be nice and warm.

Please stay in touch. I love hearing from you!!!

I’ve never left Ethiopia feeling more satisfied than I do now. Today, in an interview, I was asked if I feel satisfied with the success of Trampled Rose and I had to respond that no I don’t. It’s my nature to expect excellence of myself and others and I’m sure there will never come a time when I and the program couldn’t do better. But don’t you think that is part of the fun of life? Always knowing that tomorrow will be even better than today?

Whenever I arrive back in the USA, I’m always a little overwhelmed by how big my house is, how fast my computer gets a connection, drive through banking, and so many places to shop. We are so lucky. But the friends and the riches I have here are so valuable. I’ve been talking to friends recently about the definition of poverty and we all agree that there are so many forms. I’m lucky to be rich in all areas. Thank you for being part of that.

So…. if you need a makeover (I know I do) give me a call. It’s back to what I like to call „normal life“

See you soon!

Yesterday I went to the hospital to visit a relative of my sweet friend, Terefa. It was at the government hospital and she is part of the program for the poor. She has been waiting in the emergency room for over three weeks. She still doesn’t have a room. She does have a bed but no sheets, nothing but one chair beside her. She looks like a swollen balloon with stick arms. She is twenty nine years old. Her stomach is swollen with cancer. I brought her everything I could think of including my softest blanket covered in hearts. For the first time she smiled. It is heartbreaking to watch her husband sit all day just waiting for what is most likely coming. They have two children.

We had a amazing week! We are now part of the medical piece of fistula. We have joined with a private hospital. The surgeon is the best known Fistula surgeon in Ethiopia next to Dr. Hamlin. This is a benefit for everyone. The women can be in and out in four days instead of several months. It also helps to not overload the Hamlin fistula Hospital so that even more women can get their surgeries. There are 100,000 existing cases of Fistula here and we are only doing about 1,500 surgeries per year. Please join me in my dream that there will be not only enough Fistula Hospitals but other Hospitals that can prevent this birth injury and save so many from death or the horror of a new case of Fistula.

The thing that makes it hardest here for me is being without you. I was just thinking how grateful I am. I don’t know anyone who has a larger circle of people who love them than I do. Thank you!!!

Tier III is our program going out into the countryside to find the women who have no one else to help them. We realized a few years ago that as horrible as the situation is for women with Fistula in Addis there are much worse situations out in the countryside where most women don’t even realize there is treatment for Fistula, most of the families think the woman has done something horrible to deserve a Fistula as a curse from God.

Thanks to the generous help of Gwadenia (or friends in France) we have been able to start this work vigorously. We have now met with hospitals in three different strategic areas in the country side. to inform them of our program and let them know we are here to help. Yesterday we picked up our first group of four women to bring them to our program. It wasn’t easy. The manager rented a safe car (our new one is still in process grrrrrrrrrrr….) and headed out at 2 am yesterday. He arrived about four hours later and gathered the women to head back. There is only one vehicle per day that passes on this road. Last night on the way back to Addis two tires blew out. So they had to all ride horses to the nearest town where they could get help. Then they rode back and fixed the tires and continued on their journey home. The women are now asleep in their new beds. They are scared as little rabbits but with a glimmer of hope that someone really does care. Thank you because it is all of you that made this day possible for women who had no other way.

We had a meeting with the head of the hospital in this area. He is very interested in working with the Trampled Rose. This will enable us to reach the women in the countryside that have no way of getting to Addis. The ones who need us most. Since I have been here we have expanded our Tier III program to three areas (this is the part of our program that includes going into the countryside to educate the people on how to reduce the cases of fistula and help those who already have experienced this awful situation) The three areas are Lalibella, Marabete and Desi. We already have seven women waiting for us in Marabete. Our manager is planning on going to pick them up next week.

After two years of working on permission to purchase our new car, I stopped into the car dealership yesterday to get the exact information on where to transfer the money. Although I had been told that our paperwork was complete, we need more!!! GRRRRRR……… So today will be spent trying to tie up more ends. Visiting more offices and begging for help. I know there has to be a light at the end of this tunnel someday. I just keep my mind focused on how good it will feel to use a safe, clean car for women who have been thrown out of their own family. If not, I could have had a postal moment yesterday.

Last night we had an employee party. We took everyone to a fancy restaurant and then to a classical concert at the Russian embassy. Everyone was so dressed up and excited. Some even started to cry. I told them that I understand how hard it is to continue this work when I am often away and they have been so faithful. It was wonderful to see the effect recognition and appreciation has on everyone. Because it was a late night I also declared today a holiday for all employees. So….. I’ll just need to figure out how to work without them today.

Some more wonderful news!!!! The east Rotary club of Colorado Springs donated a new generator. We had it installed yesterday and we now have electricity any time we want. Can you imagine????

So it’s funny that the things you take for granted one day can be your dream the next. What a good lesson for me to remember to appreciate all the little things that I usually don’t even stop to notice.

I had a wonderful day with a new volunteer today. She is from Greece but was raised in Addis. It was such an encouragement to hear how perfectly she speaks Amharic. Also, it is so fun to know that people from all over the world care enough about women who have suffered to help the best we can. So…. thank you also to you for believing that there is hope and that each one of us doing our little bit will make a great big impact.

I miss you bunches!

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 charged 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 the 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 out reach in an area called Mirabeta. Thank you Gwadenia for your help!!!!! This week I am meeting with the head of a Fistula Hospital about 120 km 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 chimeneo. 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 lvie with hope. How lucky am I? And you?