Journey 4 Hope

Coffee & Bees

2012-02-10T06:10:00.000-06:00

Alright friends, I need your help. Our friends in Ethiopia need your help. What do you know about growing coffee trees and coffee bean production? How about bee keeping? Do you know a ton? Please share. Leave a comment or email me at tam4buit at hotmail. What's that? Are you saying that you don't know much? Okay, then, can you think of anyone you do know that would have knowledge in either of these areas?

Both of these pictures below were taken in October at one of the model farmer's farm. In the first one, there are coffee trees in the foreground that are being propagated. I was glad to see this couple so advanced in their farming techniques.

While we were there, and I was seeing all the different things they were doing, I wondered if they had any bees. Bees are great for honey. Honey is a great sweetener and a product that can be sold. But from the perspective of growing plants, bees play a hugely important role of pollinating plants. So, I began asking about bees and this is what the model farmer took me and showed me:

Yes, friends, those are bee hives hanging out in the shade. I was super excited to see this was occurring and immediately wanted to do more. This was the first time I saw bees in Ethiopia. I want to bring more bees to the Shanto area.

But 3 months after my trip, I've done very little with this thought. Well, my friends, that needs to change. I need a crash course but a thorough course in coffee production and bee keeping. Soon, we hope to develop both of those programs in our FOVC sites.

P.S. one of our FOVC sites is the location of the best coffee in Ethiopia. As I sit here early in the morning at my computer, I can just see how FOVC can start their own coffee exporting business. Wouldn't that be a cool way to support widows????

Necklaces Plus

2012-02-08T22:08:00.002-06:00

I've sold the baskets and one necklace this week. Thank you Cassie and Nicole. There are plenty more. I have more in the process and will try to catch up with posting more pics after I'm finished with the Sweetheart Supper on Tuesday.

Check out the necklace page and scroll through to find one you like. Want a basket? I've sold the 3 that came home in my luggage but there are more at www.fovc.org.

Happy shopping,

Tamara B

Rockin' My World

2012-02-07T06:48:00.000-06:00

Do you remember my friend, Boltase?

I wrote about her on my blog in a post titled Starvation is Real. She was one of my crops widows who was very near death. Tonight, I was able to chat with Desalegn, the guy who leads FOVC in Ethiopia. He shared that Boltase is doing well but has a shortage of food. That first part is music to my ears.

The second part is rocking my world. It's not like Boltase is the only one who has a shortage of food. Did you know the famine is still destroying lives in Southern Ethiopia. Yeah, I haven't been very good at sharing that. The famine was expected to be 4 months. And you know what, that 4 months is up but the famine isn't.

Right now, people should be planting maize for this next crop season. Only problem is that the rains still aren't coming. And my ladies, along with everyone else, aren't planting crops without water to get them to germinate. They are waiting for rain. For some of those ladies, I know they are praying for rain. Would you be willing to join them? Your donations of dollars are impacting these ladies. With the money you've given, FOVC is able to give widows seeds to plant. The problem is that it still needs to rain. A small amount of rain is needed to plant the crops. But it will be needed to keep the crop growing.

When I was chatting with Desalegn earlier he said "Sometimes I become sad when I see widows and children and some elders are crying for food and walking here and there to find food". That's heart breaking. I was there. I met those ladies and their children. I met the model farmer and his wife. They are all suffering. There is much greater need than the little bit I saw. Will you join me in partnering with FOVC?

I put this little fundraiser together because I care. Because I've been there and seen the need up close. Because I know the impact that your dollars make when I spend my vacation and money to travel to Ethiopia and train these widows. I would love to widen the circle of influence. I'd love for you to join me in raising $2,500 in the next few weeks to impact and change the lives of 10 widows. Can you give $25? Would you share this with at least 9 friends who will also give $25 and together you can sponsor one widow? Facebook, tweet, email, blog... whatever it takes. Join hands with your co-workers, classmates, siblings, girlfriends for real, sustainable, change. I promise, you won't be dissapointed.

Donate here http://www.acharityproject.com/f/FOVCcrops

New Things... Sharin' the Love

2012-02-05T16:47:00.006-06:00

My sweet friend Nicole rocks! Knowing that I was selling bead necklaces to raise funds for my next trip to Ethiopia, and knowing that I still have lots of puzzle pieces to sell, Nicole emailed me to help. It's a way that she can get involved. Thank you Nicole! Nicole loves to upcyle and make domino necklaces. So, let me tell you a little more about them.

The domino is hand picked to be used. Her hubby drills the hole (it's more delicate work that you'd think) and she does the design. After the design is on the domino, she coats them with a thick resin and then cures them under glass for several days.

So, here's the deal.

With your $21 donation towards 3 puzzle pieces, I will send you one of these cool necklaces. I have the following domino necklaces ready to send to you:

two "worth the wait" (pictured on the left)
two "ethio flag" (pictured in the center)
two "family hope love" (pictured on the right)
one "love forever" (top picture on the right)

But guess what, Nicole is so creative and cool that she also offered to make some custom necklaces. Those look pretty awesome too. This one below she sent to my friend Megan:

So, if you want one of these cool custom domino necklaces, you can make a $35 donation and send the pic you want on the necklace.

Again, Nicole, I can't thank you enough for how you've participated in serving others. You may not be able to go to Ethiopia, you may not have a million dollars to donate to the organization, but you can use your gifts and talents. Nicole, you're doing just that. What a treasure you are!

On another note, I have a bunch of bead necklaces to get rid of. Donating $26 will get you a sweet necklace that directly supports my next trip to Ethiopia. But, it also impacts the ladies in Ethiopia who make the magazine beads. This one I just added. The magazine beads are interspersed with colorful glass beads.

This might be a little lengthy, but hang in there with me. I have one more very important thing to share.

Meet one of my sweet friends in Ethiopia. This is one of my widows. She's a beautiful lady. A hard working lady who serves FOVC in many ways. You are impacting her life. You are changing her family tree. As a widow in Ethiopia, she has nothing. Except her children to care for. With the assistance of FOVC, she has a job and an income. She's one of FOVC's widows. And when I was in Ethiopia in October, I would often find her preparing food for the children or working on a craft project. In this picture she's working on bracelets which can now be found on FOVC's website.

Our FOVC widows receive training in other areas too. While some are in the livestock program, others are in the crops program, and others are working on crafting. Check out these baskets they made that snuck into my luggage on my return flight. The sell of these baskets directly benefits my widowed lady friends in Shanto, Ethiopia.

As I've mentioned above, I have a few new things on my necklace tab here on my blog. Check them out and see what you can buy. If you order in the next two days, I can probably get it to you by Valentine's Day.

P.S. my birthday is coming up soon. One of my birthday wishes is to get everything on my necklace page sold so I can add some new stuff...

Coming Soon

2012-02-01T09:12:00.000-06:00

I have some new necklaces completed and one sold from the necklace page. I hope to get that page updated soon. My to-do list is quite lengthy this week since my Judah is celebrating his 4th birthday on Sunday and we're doing a family gathering on Saturday. But hopefully in between Super bowl commercials, I can get my blog updated.

After all, you're really going to want to see the necklaces donated by a dear friend that she and her husband so neatly crafted. Can't wait to share those with you too!

What's New

2012-01-30T20:50:00.003-06:00

I know I haven't written a lot here. But I haven't been doing a lot with Ethiopia stuff. I piddle some, dream some, and do some follow up, but nothing amazingly note worthy. On the flip side, FOVC is doing some cool things but it's just not directly related to what I'm involved with. I'll share two things about that:

The well drillers headed to Shanto this past week to finish up the well. It was dug and cased but needed the pump dropped into it and piped. Finally, the clean water that they dug to, will be pumped and given to the people of Shanto. How cool. Water is Life.
Desalegn reported that the drought is very serious. I can't imagine. I got goosebumps just typing those words. Here I sit with a keurig behind my laptop and a gallon of distilled water next to it and yet there are people dying because of a drought in the land where my son was born.

So, what have I been up to lately you ask?

I've been doing some personal things, hanging out with my husband, doing crafty things with my kids, sledding in the snow and then laying in bed for a few days when I pull my back out of normalcy. But I've also been doing some thinking about FOVC and how I share the story. So, I'm going to try to communicate with you what I've been thinking lately.

When I share with people about the work I'm associated with in Southern Ethiopia, I want to draw them in. Help them understand why they should care. And suddenly, after speaking to a group of elderly folks in care facility, it hit me that I might be doing this wrong. You see, I'm passionate about what I'm doing. And I also think that others should get involved. Because many of my blog readers include other adoptive parents, I've tended to focus on that general area. You know, I'm volunteering there because my kid is from there. And his birth family is still there. While I believe that's a hugely important role, it's not the only reason I'm doing it. I'm also doing it because I like to treat others how I'd want to be treated. Call it the golden rule, or reference the bible, however you want to look at it, they're people in need of help and I raised my hand.

So, here's my dilemma. As I've shared with lots of people about the work in Ethiopia, did I convey the right message? Yes, people have cared and have donated money, bought a necklace, or prayed for us. But does it break your heart? People are literally dying of starvation and tomorrow, even I will get up and go on with my day. Why aren't we more burdened for these people. Why are we day dreaming of our next trip to some dreamy vacation spot, when our brothers and sisters in the horn of Africa are DYING?

Friends, I don't want to share the yucky pictures of the effects of starvation. But I do long for you to know the truth. That simply put, our wealth is beyond measure in their eyes. Do I think wealth is wrong? No. But do I think that you and I both could give more of our wealth away. The answer to that is yes. All day long, it's yes.

And it's not just Ethiopia friends.

Do you even recall that it wasn't too long ago that Haiti marked two years since the earthquake? Two years. And what's being done there? How have I given to those people, who didn't birth my son? Have I cared about them? Cause they're mankind too? And if you claim to know Christ, they are your brothers and sisters. I know, I know, I can't save everyone. But I can't save even one if I don't start somewhere! So tomorrow, when I wake up, I hope to look at that with a little different view and a call to action. Will you?

FOVC Garden Update

2012-01-22T12:58:00.002-06:00

While in Ethiopia in October, we started a garden on the FOVC campus. We took the hard, rough ground, prepared it for planting and then used the new seeder to plant it. Without a lot of instructions or follow up, I crossed my fingers and prayed that God would make it grow. If this garden would bear much fruit (or veggies), then the woman would literally see the benefit and keep working at it.

Well, Friday night, I got some pictures from Desalegn that warmed my heart. Below you will see the ladies working in the garden behind the FOVC school:

These pictures may not look like a lot to you, but they tell me a ton. And I can't wait to follow up regarding what I'm seeing and learning from these pictures.

I love that this picture shows some more areas of the garden ready to be planted... let's go buy some seed and then Lord, would you let it rain!!!

Dream Come True

2012-01-16T16:28:00.003-06:00

"I have a dream... that one day little black boys and girls

will be holding hands with little white boys and girls,

as sisters and brothers..." - MLK Jr.

Awareness

2012-01-12T22:17:00.002-06:00

For some time now I've had two things I've wanted to do to bring awareness to my church family and community about hunger (and other issues) in the under developed world. But these last 6 months I've been busy trying to keep up with life, changing jobs, and travelling to Ethiopia twice.

With no trips to Ethiopia in the immediate (as in next 12 weeks) future, I'm ready to roll those things out. And when they happen, I'll be sure to share. For now, I want to keep them mostly a secret so that my church family and friends can be surprised and pay attention rather than thinking they already know.

Eeek! I'm excited.

Bringing awareness to those in need is a priority for me. But first, I have to finish my plan for 2012 Crops for Widows program for FOVC.

pine needles

2012-01-11T08:57:00.001-06:00

I came home from a missions meeting last night to find a porch full of pine needles. And I missed Ethiopia even more in that moment.

If you've ever been to a coffee ceremony in Ethiopia, they usually cover the ground with awesome smelling pine needles of some sort. I love that about Ethiopia.

So, when I got home last night, I was thankful that Ryan had given me a taste of Ethiopia and had taken the Christmas tree out!

Donate Here...

2011-12-28T00:01:00.002-06:00

My friends started a sweet website called www.acharityproject.com. created to help fundraise for charities. One of my goals for 2012 is to raise the cash to fully fund the Crops for Widows Program. My goal is $27,400 to raise in 2012. That averages out to just over $75 each day. But I'd hate to wait a full year to know the program has been funded.

Will you join me? With your help, we can impact women who desperately need help. I was there in October. I saw the need with my own eyes. Donate here http://www.acharityproject.com/f/FOVCcrops

Thanks friends!

The Union

2011-12-22T06:04:00.001-06:00

While I've been kind of quiet on the blog, I've been busy in the background of life. A while back I met with a feature writer of the local paper about a greenhouse project on the elementary campus. He learned of my work in Ethiopia and asked for an interview about that. The result was an article in The Union's Christmas segment where they focus on people serving others.

I'm quite thankful for Rich taking the time to meet with me and allow me to critique his article. I must also say that there's one line in the article that really, REALLY bothers me. I asked for it to be taken out multiple times but they didn't listen to that suggestion. So when you read the line "she sleeps well at night...", please know that was creative license. I don't sleep well at night because of the few people we've been able to impact. It's not a proud thing. In fact, my heart aches for the many, many people in the same situation who we pass on the road and never get to impact. It's for those people that we continue to raise money for the crops program (and others) to reach those people.

If the print is too hard to read, you might have to save it and then view it as a jpg.

Merry Christmas!

FOVC Garden

2011-12-06T22:06:00.002-06:00

While in Ethiopia in October, we planted a garden on the FOVC campus. I showed pics on my blog of it where the ladies were using the planter. I just chatted with Desalegn, the main guy who makes things happen in Ethiopia. He said this:

Yes, it is being gardened and the seeds are growing slowly.
The widows and staffs are always following the garden
and the widows are eagerly waiting to use it for more place in their own gardens and to use the ways you teach them in their own lands

Desalegn, you are so sweet. And I'm so thankful that you make it your passion, your job, and your life focus to serve these widows and orphans. It is a joy to partner with you and FOVC.

Tax deductible donations may be made to FOVC if you'd like to partner with us in the crops program. Email me if you need my address tam4buit at hotmail dot com.

What I'm up to with Journey4Hope

2011-11-29T19:24:00.003-06:00

Two things going on in my world of journey4hope. The first is that I've been working on making ethiopian magazine bead necklaces that are for sale. Here's one I just sold today. To see more, click on the necklace tab above.

The second is that I really, really would like to sell the rest of the Feed Hope puzzle pieces. I'm super thankful for Megan's willingness to do this fundraiser and would love to honor her and get all the pieces sold. After all, who wants a partially pieced puzzle? To see more about that, click on the Puzzle tab link above.
And last but not least (I know, I said just 2 things), I'm praying and thinking about the next trip to serve FOVC in Ethiopia...

If you wouldn't mind sharing the links to the necklace and puzzle pages, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Let me know you stopped by,

Tamara B

Christmas Wish List

2011-11-28T06:57:00.000-06:00

I'll start by admitting that I love receiving gifts. I day-dream about what I'll spend my Christmas money on... whiter teeth, a new purse, new clothes of all sorts, partially funding a dish washer, and a list of other things. And while our family moves our focus from a season of thanksgiving to a season of advent, I'm still human. And I still want things. Want. Not need.

Look at the above picture again. It's more than my two boys in front of the Christmas tree. For me, it shows a struggle and an inner battle. I've recently been to famine-stricken Southern Ethiopia where people are starving and literally teetering on death. There is so much NEED there that my WANTS are ... I can't even think of the word to describe it. Realistic people might say "but there will always be those situations". And to that I reply, but I've seen with my own eyes the need, the desperation, and the difference we can make. No, I can't expect every one else to think like I do, but I can take a few minutes to share with you.

Semi Feral Mama recently had one line on her blog recently that sticks in my mind:
In 24 years can an AP [adoptive parent] look at their child and say, “Yes, I knew your mother was going to die, but the contract I signed said I couldn’t help”? Will the child think, “Wow, my Mom is so ethical”?
That comment was in relationship to adoptive parents meeting up with the birth parent who was suffering from famine related problems. My thought about the above comment also applies today as I took my two younger kids shopping and then decorated a tree with my family later:
In 24 years, when I stand before my maker, will the Creator of the universe tell me "I told you over and over again to care for the orphans and widows in their distress" or will He tell me "what you've done for the least of these, you've done for Me"? While I won't give every penny of my checking account to caring for the orphans and widows, I will be held accountable when I meet my maker. And as we continue through advent season, it's my prayer that I'll look forward to the coming of Christ more than I look forward to opening a few gifts or spending some Christmas cash!

About Time

2011-11-26T12:55:00.002-06:00

While I ignored lunch time and gave my kids gardettos instead, I managed to update both the necklace page and the puzzle page. Please amuze me and check them out :) Each of the pages have new text and new pictures. Happy viewing.

Shop with a Purpose

2011-11-25T12:21:00.001-06:00

New necklaces have arrived. Well, they haven't really arrived cause I made them. But I'll be posting them this weekend. Stop by the Necklace tab and see what's new -- I'll be posting them Saturday morning.

Shop with a Purpose.

100% of the proceeds go towards my volunteer work in Ethiopia. By purchasing a necklace, you're providing education to widows in the crops program and giving them Hope for their future. That is something that I'm thankful for.

With love,
tamara b

I still complain

2011-11-20T17:15:00.002-06:00

I have so much. Yet, I still manage to complain.

Early yesterday morning I jacked my back. I immediately did exercises and took meds but even so I had to find a spot on the couch and rest rather than take care of my to-do list. When I woke today, I was thankful for the 12 hours of sleep I'd gotten. But a few hours later, I was getting tired of laying in bed all day long. And as several more hours passed, I still wanted to complain about how uncomfortable my bed was. And then I thought of this guy:

Sunday morning driving down the road in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, I saw this guy sleeping. On the sidewalk. Near the road. With nothing but some raggedy bags for clothes.

Do you get it? Where I live, I don't see this on a regular basis. My friends, it doesn't have to be a third world country to see a homeless person. It happens right here in our towns. People that have to count on soup kitchens to help. In Addis Ethiopia, there's one soup kitchen. It has been in place for ~20 years. Yet, the idea hasn't caught on there. The soup kitchen's stats on the numbers of people they serve is impressive. Yet there are many people like this guy who will never receive help. And there are many more just like him.

While I lay in bed today, I continued to think about people in need of help. And I thanked God for letting me play a small little role in loving people in Southern Ethiopia. And I asked God to help me do more. I'm excited to see what God will do with FOVC and their pojects in the coming year. Maybe you'll play a small role too...

Need Water

2011-11-19T18:12:00.000-06:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Southern Ethiopia, where FOVC exists and millions of people live, is being brutally affected by a drought. This picture below shows what is normally a stream bed. But because of the lack of rainfall, the stream has run dry.

Can you imagine having your source of water dry up? As if they don't walk far enough for water, now they have to walk farther. Adding more labor and difficulty to their already hard day. And not just that. Those who've planted crops are watching them wither. And die.

Planted crops [minus] water [equals] dead crops.

Dead crops [equals] hungry people

I can't even begin to imagine their hardship and I've been there. We can't fathom it. For one full week I had some crazy stomach drama going on. I hardly ate. I would wake in the night feeling hungry. But eating would just make me sick. So, I went without. Even so, I can't imagine the hunger they feel. Unlike me who chose not to eat, they have no choice. They have no food. And no water.

The good news is that through FOVC's crops for widows program, we're bringing hope. We're teaching them to grow crops during a drought. And on the next trip, I plan to set up water catchment basins and drip irrigation systems. While I'd love to take a family vacation next year, I know that feeding hope is worth so much more and look forward to another opportunity to serve in such a way!

Vegetable Gardening

2011-11-18T22:37:00.001-06:00

These are my ladies. Eight of them. Walking for hours to get training and receive HOPE. Both things they're lacking in their current state. Hard working ladies who just can't get ahead. After all, when drought ruins their crops, they don't collect crop insurance, they go hungry. Joe and I were excited to serve and teach these women for the week:

Each day we taught on a different topic. This particular day, we talked about planting vegetables, composting over the garden bed, and using the seeder that was donated by Earthway Inc. mentioned in this post.

After trying to explain to the women how to create an ox-drawn harrow and not succeeding, I suggested that the ladies bring their hand tools the next day because we needed an even seedbed to make use of the vegetable seeder. They, of course, brought their hand tools and got right to work.

The ladies received training on how to use the seeder with the different seed plates. They were excited to try it out and I was thrilled to watch them. When they were comfortable using the tool and had the seed bed prepped and ready to be seeded, they picked the right plates for the various vegetable seeds we had and started planting. What a sight!

When the 4 rows had been planted, it was time to give a little more education. While water is scarce, and it's a long walk to get water, we explained the importance of watering the seeds to get them to germinate and grow. It will be a hard sell. But if they can see it happen where we planted the veggies, then maybe they'll go through all the work to do the same thing. Yes, it is a long walk to water, but water is so important. So, we watered the seeds while I prayed for rain.

While the seeds were watered on one end of the raised garden bed, the ladies finished planting garlic on the other end.

When the planting was finished, we had the ladies compost the garden bed. It wasn't the best option for compost. But it will help retain soil moisture which is incredibly important during a drought.

Not knowing if they would grasp the idea or not, we did it anyway. And the next day when it was hot and still hadn't rained, we went back to the garden bed. When the ladies pulled back the compost (aka dried grass) and saw that the ground underneath retained the moisture (from the mixing of the top soil with that below it) than the uncovered earth, they got it. Lesson learned today.

Do Something

2011-11-17T22:25:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post titled Bethany's bracelets. I shared the story about Bethany making the bracelets out of a desire to help the hungry in Ethiopia. It was right after I came back and she was hearing me tell people often about what I saw. It warmed my heart that she came up with this all on her own. While there wasn't much to her pipe-cleaner bracelets and they wouldn't likely raise a lot of money, the love poured into her efforts was priceless.

If a 4 year old little girl can do something, so can you!

Did you catch that? You can do something too. You don't have to be an expert. You don't have to be a super creative artist. You don't have to be rich (although we all are compared to the rest of the world). You can be a 4 year old little girl with a desire to do something. And DO IT!!!

There's another reason I re-visit that post. Because not only did Bethany do something, but her post encouraged someone else to do something too. Over the weekend I got an email from someone else who wanted do something. This woman has a big heart. She bought every one of Bethany's bracelets and then turned them around to spread the news to others. At her bible study group this week, she handed out the bracelets to everyone. She then shared Bethany's story with the ladies and encouraged them to do something. To give in some way. So, by buying the bracelets, she'll feed a hungry person for all 4 months of the famine. And in addition to that, she's spreading the word to her friends and encouraging them to do something too. Now, how about that for DOING something. Way to go! And thank you for how you're serving the people of Ethiopia with your heart!

Wine to Water...

2011-11-16T21:23:00.004-06:00

note: I dislike blogger. I edit my pics to have the right layout and when I upload them, it's still WRONG. Please understand that blogger is goofing it up, not me. Now, that I vented about that, back to my regularly scheduled post.

Let me start by saying that I am so thankful for my dear friend, Oscar. He's the owner of Ramos Torres Winery. And not only does he make amazing wines, he makes some great hors d'ouvres too. The tri-tip was amazing and if I wasn't so busy chatting, I would have loved the rest of the food too. Anyway, thank you Oscar for the many ways you served, and gave, to the wine social fundraiser.

A wine social. What's that? Who goes to those? The wine social was mostly a hang out time. In a winery. With wine. And food. But not everyone was drinking wine. In fact, I know of at least 4 people who had no wine to drink at all. Yet they came to socliaze and hear about my work with FOVC. I'm thankful to my friends and family who showed up. Thankful to know that God is working in the hearts of some and I could provide some information and encouragement. And they could see that average people like me can do something.

We socliazed. Laughed. I even gave a brief little presentation. I could talk all night long about the work that I'm a part of through FOVC in Ethiopia. But I'm not huge on being the center of attention (unless I'm cracking a joke). So, I wasn't overly comfortable with that. And I would have done much better if I'd had a little outline. I hope my simple words were an encouragement to the others to get involved.

We also had a little silent auction on the side. I've been burned by an auction before but I thought a hand full of items would be really helpful. Oscar donated a wine gift basket and Ryan and I donated some Ethiopian items like cofee and necklaces. My friend Denise donated some Ethiopian art blank cards and some ethiopian necklaces.

For those looking to do a fundraiser, here's what I liked that we did and what I didn't like. I'll share the negatives just so you can learn from my deficiencies. I partnered with a reputable winery. A local winery. With someone who was willing to help. The hard part is though it was local to my growing-up home, I wasn't there to work on details and sell tickets. Next time I'll look to partner with several friends who are eager to sell tickets. The event was before the holiday season which means that items for purchase would have been a great opportunity to buy Christmas presents. Timing was bad in that two classmates were getting married that same night which took some friends away. Timing was also bad in that it was very close to my return from Ethiopia and the weeks prior to the wine social were given to the Ethiopia trip. I also loved the idea of socializing for an hour, then welcoming everyone and giving a short presentation. I could have improved on my presentation. I needed to have somone who was responsible to host while I was busy chatting. My friend, Kristine, helped take money and greeted people as they walked in. But, I could have also used someone to keep track of time, make sure water was on the table, and welcome everyone to the party. I wasn't able to do that well and chat with people. The other thing I would change is to show pictures, not just have a slide show on my lap top off to the side.

This was my first time. I know. I need to give myself a bit of a break. It went well. I'm thankful. We were able to raise money from the sale of the tickets and the silent auction. The money raised will go towards helping me get back to Ethiopia for the next time where I plan to set up some water catchment basins and drip irrigation systems. I'm looking forward to it. Friends, this wine social raised money for water... I'm not Jesus and can't turn water to wine or wine directly to water. But, with the help of those in attendance, this wine social will be bringing water to the crops or widows program. Thank you.

For those who are interested in giving a donation towards my involvement with the crops for widows program, checks may be written to FOVC and mailed to me. Email me if you need my address. Checks written to FOVC are tax deductible. Thank you!

Starvation is Real

2011-11-05T20:59:00.003-05:00

I got the chills just thinking about this post. Starvation is real my friends. A mix of emotions overwhelm me as I look at this face below:

This is one of the crops widows Joe and I were training for the week. Her name is Boltase. Upon meeting my crops widows, I greeted each of them with a hug. When I hugged Boltase, it was like hugging sticks. Literally. We use the term "skin and bones" with ease here. At least I do. But this woman, she was skin and bones with no body conditioning on her.

She looked rougher than the rest. As we interacted with each of the women, I kept an eye on this lady who just looked bad. When we talked of walking to a nearby widow's farm, Boltase informed me that she was too ill to walk with us. When we sat in the shade, she sought the sunshine. Something wasn't right.

Starvation is real. I knew there was a chance I'd see it up close and personal.

That night lots of things went through my mind. One was of Boltase. A woman I didn't really know. But a woman created in the likeness of God. A woman who walked a long ways to receive some training and hope. How could we let her down. I talked to Dr. Jo about her. First thing the next morning, I took Boltase to see the lovely Dr. Jo.

I stood there awestruck at what I saw. As I think through those minutes again, I feel a sickness in my stomach. Starvation is real. Even in Shanto, where FOVC exists to help many, they are unable to help everyone. Dr. Jo checked her out, asked her questions and treated her with medical care and love. In this picture below, Dr. Jo had to use a children's blood pressure cuff on Boltase because an adult one was too big. Her arm was literally the size of a two-year-old.

Starvation is real. I hate it.

In the words of my sweet friend, Dr. Jo, her patient was "so far beyond empty, I don't know how she's still standing". She was severely malnourished and severely dehydrated. Her kidneys had begun to shut down. She had no reserves left. Dr. Jo also shared at some point that in a matter of 2 to 3 days, we wouldn't have seen Boltase again. There was no way she would physically be able to move.

But there's good news. Boltase, by no strength of her own, made it to the FOVC campus. While there, she was seen by a medical doctor who.saved.her.life. Can you grasp the weight of that? Literally dying. I know, I know you might think twice about it. But when you see it face to face, it's heart wrenching.

Pedialyte multiple times a day along with some other medical intervention and within 3 days I watched this person, who didn't even have the strength to smile, be able to raise her hands, worship and give praise to God for what we were doing for her.

Friends, it's so much more than a crops project. It's so much more than providing food to those facing starvation. It's giving hope. To those who supported my trip to Ethiopia with encouragement, prayer, and finances, I just want to say thank you. This woman is alive and smiling because of it.

With the happy news, please don't be fooled. Boltase has a long road ahead of her. With the lack of rain in Ethiopia, I saw crops withering. Without rain, their crops won't grow and that will only further impact the health and eating habits of Boltase and others around her.

Dear God, I know that You know. Let it rain Father. Let it rain!

Bethany's bracelets

2011-11-05T19:53:00.002-05:00

Today, all on her own, Bethany decided to make bracelets for people in Ethiopia who are hungry. Earlier in the day she made Judah's birthmom a necklace and said the next one she'd make to sell for her. But it was later that she grabbed a bag of brand new pipe cleaners. Twisting them into a bracelet, she worked on each one. When asked what she was doing, she informed me multiple times that she wanted to sell them to help hungry people in Ethiopia. It melted my heart. She cares. Trying to help her dress them up a little bit to make them worthwhile, she was adamant she do them herself.

Now, hours later with a pile of pipe cleaners on the couch, we sit in the living room holding her. While she has a heart for the hungry, she's still a curious little 4 year old and just put her hand underneath a running treadmill with lots of tread. The end result was a screaming child, a yucky/ouchy hand and a momma ready to puke! While she's still all worked up and hasn't calmed down yet. I brought up the bracelets to see if it would distract her.

Through her tears she said "they're for people in Ethiopia who don't have any food"

Child, oh how I love you! We may dress up those pipe-cleaner bracelets a bit but because of you're big heart, I will try to sell them on here on my blog.

A few of my favorite scenes...

2011-11-04T22:05:00.003-05:00

disclaimer: the views expressed on MY blog are mine, and not necessarily that of Friends of Orphans and Vulnerable Children. That means, if you don't like what you read here, talk to ME about it, not FOVC. Thanks.

I crawled in bed tonight knowing I need to post about the trip. Like SemiFeralMama has said, all (2) of my fans are eager to hear and read more. While I really want to share it with you because my trip was amazing, I also want to be realistic. Friends, I got home late Sunday night. And each night this week I've had something going on. I've had no time to do laundry this week, no time to mop floors, no time to change the sheets, or fix a meal, or write a blog post. I haven't even taken sufficient time to dig in the Word this week. What I have been doing is fighting a head cold, go to scheduled meetings/activities and beg people to come to the wine social. So, if you're a California friend, please buy a wine social ticket (or 10) so I can cross that off my list. Thanks.

Okay, now to my Ethiopia post. I will post about the crops. It went well. Still lots to do there. But for now, I'm sharing with you a few of my favorite scenes. There's more for sure.

Tutu (vet/protector/brother), me, Dr. Jo (medical doctor, FeedHope brain), Aki (friend, guide), and Joe down front (crops expert, perfect teammate). Love these guys!

Left the table for a potty break and who knew we'd find a kiddie
playground. Of course, we took advantage of that!

If you know me, you know I have no problem stopping on the side of the
road, snuggling up to some locals and snapping a photo.

and if you don't know me well, you'll rarely find
me looking like this:

Aki, my "official" friend once he added me on facebook,
was a great guide. And a lovely photographer and great
help translating. Looking forward to seeing you next
time Aki! Thanks for putting up with us last week!
Seriously there, are lots of pics. Between Joe and I, we had over 2500. Joe has great pics so some that I'll be sharing here are actually his. Just so you know.

Oh, and there's nothing with the disclaimer at the top. Ryan thought by me writing that would make people think I'd been scolded. I haven't. I just want to prevent it. While I write about my trip and my experience, it will be my opinion. That's all. It's pretty simple.

2011-11-03T07:06:00.002-05:00

What do you think of when you see this picture?

We were walking back from one of the widow's farms when Aki's phone rang. We had a brief discussion with Lory who was back at the FOVC campus. And then I laughed. Out loud. Only in rural, super rural, Ethiopia does one walk down a foot path (cause it's commonly not wide enough for a vehicle although it was in this spot), talking on an iphone. And not my iphone - I'm not cool enough to own one of those. It was Aki's iphone.

And the other thing that I love is that in Joe's picture here, he captured Aki taking a picture. No, he's not the paparazzi, he was my guide, and is my new friend. He liked my camera and I was happy to let him be the photographer. No, I'm not cool enough to have the paparazzi or a bunch of people following me around. But I am talking on an iphone in the middle Ethiopia!

High Five

2011-11-02T19:35:00.001-05:00

I haven't had much time to put together real thoughts about the trip. I'm still thinking through how to share and how much to share and what all to share. But as I'm sitting here editing Joe's pictures, I came across this one and loved it. I love that people are smiling. And my little kindergartners that I'm working with saw it and asked "how come they're so happy" just after seeing how tiny and dirty their house was in comparison to ours. Then I got to this pic and they have big smiles. I'd love to say that they're always smiling this much because of the hope they have within them. Like we should be. But the reality is in that moment, the reason for the smile is because I taught the kids a little High Five game that Uncle Mike does with my kids. You tell them "up high" and get a high five, then say "down low" and get a low five and then cup your hand and say "in the hole" and when they stick their finger in your cupped hand, you reach out and tickle them. The kids loved it. Everyone laughed. So, I love that they're smilling in this picture. And I love that, if only for 30 seconds, I could bring some joy to their lives.

I've heard the question many times recently "Will FOVC let someone go who's not skilled?" Friends, don't deceive yourselves. The definition of skilled should not be limited. Sure, not all of us are medical doctors or veterinarians. But you know what, I'm not either. I may be considered the crops expert but there those out there who know more than me. I'm just willing, not super expert. I know some basics and am willing to learn a lot while I volunteer. You don't have to be an expert to help. After all, kids need loved. Can you play the high five game? Then you too could be helpful on a team trip.

home

2011-10-31T14:35:00.001-05:00

Well, after a long day, or two, of travel, I made it home. Tired and increasingly short with my wild kids, I crawled in bed and my husband who's been amazing, put them to bed by himself for one more night. Thanks love.

This morning, I took the first warm shower in 10 days. It was too warm. Is it possible to miss the cold showers of Ethiopia? I guess so. I don't speak of the warm showers to put my friends in Ethiopia down. It's just a difference, that's all. I also shaved, tweezed my eyebrows, used face wash, face cream and did my hair. Each for the first time in 10 days too. Not that I couldn't do those things in Ethiopia, but I had promised myself to leave my vanity at home. And even when I desperately wanted to tweeze my eyebrows, I could find the tweezers. They magically appeared this morning. Imagine that.

In between playing with my kids, I mostly unpacked my stuff. Still need to put it all away and vacuum out my suitcases. Yes, I brought home a million tiny little pieces of grass seed. Don't worry customs, I will promptly compost it where it will get up to 140 degrees and kill anything that might be in there. On the plane, I began editing photos. Mine combined with Farmer Joe's, aka Yosef's, and a few of Lory's, I have over 2500 pics. I need to finish that in the next few days so I can share some at a presentation to my bible study group on Thursday night. I guess I know what I'll be doing each night after my kids go to bed.

In the coming week or so, I'll get some more specific posts up. But to summarize a few things real quickly, our crops project was mostly successful. Implementation will be key. And follow up and building examples on the FOVC campus is crucial. Which means, I will continue to go back as my hubby and finances continue to allow. Starvation is absolutely REAL and sickening. One of my crops widows was near death due to a lack of food. Education of food is important too. More on that later. There's 38 new kids on the FOVC campus. I wonder if that's due, in part, to the closure of so many orphanages in the Southern area. All the kiddos received their sponsor gifts that made it through customs with ease. It was amazing to see how much the kids had grown since 4 1/2 months ago. I enjoyed Ethiopian food more than other times I'd been there. The FOVC staff was loving and helpful. Each of them were so protective.

I came home last night ready to curl up in my husbands arms. Unfortunately I was asleep in the van before we ever got home. I'm so thankful for how he loves me. For how he allows me to use my gifts to serve God through serving others. We just had lunch together and what a treat that was. I love that husband of mine. He's awesome.

Thank you to everyone who made the trip possible for me. By the financial support, prayer support, encouragement to go, asking me to go, going with me. And to those who helped Ryan on the home front while I was away. Thank you! And for anyone who wants to participate with FOVC in the future, please let me know.

one quick pic

2011-10-30T03:31:00.004-05:00

Okay, maybe two. Cause I first added the wrong one. But it's worth sharing too.

My main reason for going on this trip to Ethiopia was to provide training to the crops widows. This training is one the many ways that FOVC is giving long term help while they provide food during this short term famine. If you've read my blog before, you know that I was pretty excited to take this little garden seeder over for the ladies to use. The picture below is of one of my crops widows using the seeder to plant vegetables behind the FOVC school. One of many encouraging parts was seeing these ladies excitement for use of the seeder. I gave them vegetable seed to take home and plant and told them to borrow the seeder to do it.

Another cool picture. This is of Judah's bio brother - the younger of the two. While there in June, this sweet little boy was scared of me and ran away crying. This time he was bashful but not scared. He came just as we were getting ready to leave. I'm so glad we didn't miss him! I thank God (and my friends) for making this prayer to see them again a reality!

In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia :)

2011-10-22T16:33:00.001-05:00

Amazing how well our flight went... and how frustrating it was all at the same time. Who knew that the last 32 hours would pass so quickly. Much quicker than my 37 hour labor with Scott in case you're wondering. Thought I'd share a few things I jotted down that Joe and I collectively got to experience on our trip here.

- I'm so glad I've been here, done this before. It could be pretty overwhelming to fly to Africa with a friend who's never been and then meet up with your driver/guide who you've never met. But it wasn't overwhelming at all.

- I thank God for the opporunity to go and love because he first loved us. I get to love on 8 widows this week. Will you join me in praying for them? You could pray for one each day and that would be awesome!
    day 1: Trunge
    day 2: Latashe
    day 3: Bontashe
    day 4: Aster
    day 5: Matafe
    day 6: Martane
    day 7: Shibre
    day 8: Galate

- Listening to John Piper's message about Adirnirom Judson's life is a tough challenge but interesting timing as i'm going to serve.

- I've seen so much waste in the airports and airplanes. Particularly with food and water. At Chili's I in Detroit I watched the water pitcher fill and then overflow while being left unattended. Of course, I got up and fixed it.

- While the seats certainly aren't luxury, I thank Godd for sustaining my back so far. (written from Amsterdam to Addis) and my most discomfort was my tailbone, not my back.

- Pretty smooth process until security in Amsterdam took away my pliers and brand new crescent wrench. I begged and pleaded and even asked if they stewardess would carry it on and hide it and give it to me later. She could have even put it in the cockpit! I even tried informming them that my whole trip was based around those tools putting the seeder together. I did all but cry. No mercy. Stupid Amsterdam security. You're the same guys who confiscated my bottle of wine a few years ago!

- arrived in Addis. Shoulda had Joe get in line for visas while I exchanged money. I hate exchanging large sums of money by the way. LONG line for visas followed by a long line for customs or whatever was next. Almost 2 hours after landing, we were headed to luggage. I didn't expect it to be on the conveyor but I did expect it to not be lost. More drama ensued. Lack of communication mostly. Did you know that KLM doesn't have a bag delivery when they lose your luggage? I think Ethiopian airlines does. Plus with Et Air you don't have nasty security guys taking stuff away. Yes, I'm bitter. Anyway, we then started the process for lost luggage and we're told we'd have to come back to get it. All donations. I needed them!!! Joe and I weren't satisfied with the lack of looking through the rooms of bags they had so I went hunting for them. The sweet employee told me one spot to look, then another. Then across the room, 100 yards away, he spotted what he thought was my luggage. Could it be???? I ran over and sure enough, I picked up all 4 suitcases of donations!!!! Thank you Lord.

- As I drug all four suitcases through the airport, bypassing the customs guy who wasn't very happy but I just kept smiling at him I made it to Joe who had our ticket stubs in hand. We headed back to the guy I smiled at and let him make sure it was our bags we had and not someone elses. And as we put the bags on the conveyor belt, I continue to pray asking God to let those bags go through with ease. Prepared to fight and then pay for them to be allowed through, I about fell over when they didn't ask one.single.question!!! Thank you God again!!! I hadn't prayed for an easy flight but I had prayed and prayed for gifts and a seeder and all the medical stuff to make it through customs.

- Another bit later our guide tells me that he's reserved one room with two twin beds. While I trust Joe, I really did want my own room. And out of respect for Joe's wife and my husband, I thought it was very important. Thankfully, we got to the guest house and each have our own beautiful rrom.

- It's 1230am on Sunday here. I'm in much need of a shower and some sleep. I didn't catch Ryan on facebook but I did get to chat with my dad and that was a treat!

ciao for now. We head to Shanto tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   :)

Packing

2011-10-20T14:43:00.002-05:00

Today I stayed home from work to pack and get my house in order.

Well, it's almost 3 and I'm almost done packing. But I still have a list of things to purchase on my way down to the airport. And I've made a bigger mess in my house, not cleaned. At all.

In preparation for leaving, I also wanted to take some time with my family. So, this morning I took my kids to school. After a quick visit to the chiropractor, I joined Bethany's class for a field trip to the pumpkin patch. Then after a few quick errands in town (like mailing out a bunch of FOVC shirts), I headed back to the school for lunch with Scott. Only I was a bit early so I also got to join him for recess whereI pushed him on the swing and he grinned from ear to ear. Then lunch. By the way, I learned today that my son, who fixes his own sandwich, doesn't eat the bread. Hmm. Son, leave off the bread next time... or just eat the bread so you're not starving by time school is out.

Eventually I made it home to begin taking the piles in our reading room and putting them in suitcases. What a chore that is to figure out how to combine the lighter weight stuff with the heavier weight stuff. I'm taking in some IV fluids for Dr. Jo which really impact the weight. Each bag weighs 2 1/2 pounds! So, I got a little creative with my packing. And when I finished, none of my bags are full but each weighs the 50 pound max. side note: one of my pet peeves is having a full suitcase but I guess I'll have to get over that.

Tomorrow, I'll be meeting the other half of my crops team, Joe, at the airport. This is where we'll finalize our packing. I'll kiss my husband good-bye, get a little anxious, ask God to take away my anxiety and set off for Ethiopia.

Tamara volunteers with FOVC to help teach widows

to grow their own crops, therefore giving them the

means to feed and sustain their family unit.

7 days left...

2011-10-15T07:46:00.000-05:00

and my to-do list is still quite long. Normally that list includes getting the house in order and tying up loose ends at work. This list, well, it doesn't even have room for that.

I'm so thankful for friends, family, and the love of my life who've pitched in to help or loved me enough to ignore the things in my home that I've ignored lately. In the last two weeks we've had someone cook for our family on Wednesday night, and someone else cook for us on Thursday night. Little things like that sure help.

On my to-do list today:

Start packing the stuff I won't need in the next 7 days.

Track down a few high quality items for the FOVC wine social silent auction.

Sweet talk, or beg, at least 10 people to buy tickets to the wine social.

Make cookies with Bethany and her girlfriend who's here for the weekend.

Pray for the FOVC crops widows.

Prepare a meal for a neighbor who's having surgery.

I'm sure there's at least 10 other things but I'm sure you don't care to know it all :)

Updated

2011-10-14T20:08:00.002-05:00

I updated the wine social, puzzled and the necklace pages. So click on the links at the top and see what new info I have up there.

I had some cool pics of the RamosTorres winery to share but my hard drive crashed. All the more reason to buy a ticket to the wine social and check it out yourself :)

Getting Ready

2011-10-13T22:16:00.000-05:00

Like all of you, I'm a busy momma. And I think several times throughout each day about a blog post. But I never get it done. Kinda like cleaning my house lately. But, it's really fund and important for me to share with you about what's going on with my upcoming trip. So, here's a few things you might like to know:

1. FOVC hit their $30,000 fundraiser mark for the Feed Hope relief project. But, just because they raised the $30k and just because the fundraiser is officially finishing up, doesn't mean there isn't a great need there. The $30k will feed lots of people but there a lots more that won't be fed. My point here is that while I'm super thankful for the many who gave, if any of you still want to give on behalf of the families in and around Shanto, you can mail the check to my house and I'll hand carry the money to Ethiopia. And it will go towards feeding people. 100% of it.

2. Last weekend I put 998 miles on my old minivan. Friday, the two littles and I headed down to a cute college town to visit SemiFeralMama, one of my travel buddies. Our kids played together while us adults chased the kids and chatted some (first pic). It was good to see them again. Saturday afternoon SFM and I left her cute college town and headed to a bigger city to the West to see CaptainMurdock, another of my adoption travel buddies. They hosted yet another very successful fundraiser for FOVC's Feed Hope relief project. Murdock's daughter whose super fancy secret blog identity I can't remember right now had her own little mini fundraiser too (pic 2). Her heart was beyond precious! The third pic is of some of the "shower" hosts counting out the generous donations. You can read the details about it on Murdock's blog www.godwilladd.com

3. Did I mention that I suprised Murdock. That was the fun part. The other fun part was meeting some of Murdock's friends - some for the first time and some for a second time. She picks good friends. I loved them.

4. On our drive home, I was way to tired to stop and see friends so I continued on I-35 heading back home. We left at 10am and got home by 840pm. I guess we stopped a few different times and shopped and ate and shopped and ate some more.

5. I really haven't made any necklaces lately. I know some of you have asked about them. I've made a few special orders I guess (pic 4). I plan to make more necklaces but just haven't had the time, energy, or strength in my back. I'll make some more in the near future. Maybe on my flight to Ethiopia.

6. While I was on my little adventure South, my external hard drive started to crash. It would connect, then stop. It was wierd. Well, it's done working all together now. EVERYTHING is saved on there. So, for my missions meeting on Tuesday night, I didn't have the stuff I needed. For the the trip to Ethiopia in 8 days, there's stuff I need from my hard drive. Grr. To say it simply, I could really use for this hard drive to work next time I try.

7. I leave in 8 days. Our reading room is becoming piled with things to take: seeder, sponsor gifts, vitamins, feed hope shirts, a few medical things, and I don't remember what else. Eventually I'll have to start organizing that. Two of our team leave late Friday night/early saturday morning. Joe and I leave next Friday. Boy am I getting excited, even though I have a ton to do yet!

I thank God for how He allows me to be a little part of showing love to His people in Ethiopia. I am also so thankful for my husband who is supportive of my never-ending need to be helping someone out. But I'm not Wonder-Woman. I get tired and cranky too. So pray for me. For strength and energy and patience. Especially when it's Thursday and my babysitter doesn't work out and I have to leave bible study and my kids are naughty. Oh that I can love like God loves.

Ask and it shall be given to you

2011-10-03T19:49:00.006-05:00

When I was preparing for my 2009 mission trip to Mexico City, we were encouraged to write support letters. Even if we could afford the trip without financial assistance. Why? Because doing so allows others to be involved who might not otherwise get to do so.

Last year while preparing for Ryan and I to head to Ethiopia to serve with FOVC, we were looking at big expenses for the trip and wrote letters asking friends and family to support us financially. One friend was very generous and sent us a check for $500. Thanking him over the phone, he shared that he believed it was important to do things like this. That he wasn't in a position to "go", and was thankful to give to someone who could go. It was his way of getting involved. We were both blessed by his giving.

I've tried to include people in our work with FOVC in Ethiopia. Some allow me to share while others show a genuine interest and get involved. Maybe they can't spend 10 days in Ethiopia but they can do things like show me old corn planters, walk me through how horse/oxen drawn equipment, allow me to take equipment home to look at, share with others about FOVC via blogs, facebook, and chats at the dining room table.

Yesterday we sat in the living room with our friend, Marty. Yet another person I've invited to join this adventure from the comfort of his own home, er shop. I have a borrowed little garden seeder in my living room for him to look at. Marty welds, machines and does other "guy" things out in his metal shop. Before the Cardinals game started, we were asking Marty if he could duplicate something like this with metal that would stand up longer. The more we talked, the more I thought this little garden seeder would be ideal... to get us started. So, I began searching online for this little gadget - an Earthway 1001-B. Made with the large scale gardener in mind, this tool is

an "ideal row crop planter, the 1001-B is a tool that takes the guesswork out of planting any row crop. Here’s how it works: install one of the precision seed plates that best fits your seed, then adjust the depth of planting on the ground opener, and then set your 30” long row marker for the desired width, then fill the seed hopper with seeds, then begin pushing in your well tilled soil, that’s it." (taken straight from their website).

For those friends who plant their crops with a 12 or 24 row John-Deere corn planter, they can't imagine planting their crops with this tool. But, I love the idea of using this tool. The widows I'll be working with crop very few acres (probably less than 3), and this would get them started right away with planting their corn rather than the all-too-common method of broadcast seeding the corn. Our machinist friend, Marty, thought that the plastic and aluminum would hold up well enough that we wouldn't need to have it made of heavier metal. Which sure makes it easier to get to Ethiopia in my checked luggage!!!

I checked out Earthway's website and then began comparing with similar products online. From the comments I read, for a tool of this size and durability, the Earthway was the hands-down way to go. I decided that I would invest a little of the crops money I'd raised to buy this tool. I envisioned it being the beginning of moving forward with improving cropping for the widows of Shanto. I stressed the importance of planting corn but now they'd be able to see it.

However, before I ordered an Earthway Precision Garden Seeder, or the broadcas seeder, I sent them a the following comment via their contact button:
"I volunteer with a non-profit called Friends of Orphans and vulnerable Children (www.fovc.org). I began a crops for widows project with them to teach the widows and community members how to grow a crop and feed themselves. This is in Southern Ethiopia. I've been looking at taking an earthway seeder to help them get corn planted (they currently broadcast seed it). If I can help them improve how they plant crops, along with other education, then these people will have a better chance at providing for their families. And as an adoptive mother of a child from there, I believe strongly in keeping families together compared to them deciding which child to give up for adoption because they're starving - our personal story but also a common one in poverty stricken rural southern ethiopia. I'm contacting you to ask if you'd be willing to donate a precision garden seeder for me to take with me to ethiopia when I fly over there Oct 21st. I would love to answer any questions you might have. Thank you in advance, Tamara B, FOVC Crops Expert, mom, and garderner"

You can imagine my excitement when I had the following reply in my inbox when I got home from work today:
"Tamara, Thanks for the email. We would be happy to help. I'll have a 1001-B and the optional seed plates sent to your address below. Sincerely, Jeff KendallVP Sales & Marketing, Earthway Products, Inc."

I read the email and immediately jumped up and interrupted Ryan's "quiet time" to tell him the good news. I was so EXCITED. I still am. Thank you Jeff and the Earthway Inc team for your partnership in sharing good news with the poorest of poor in Ethiopia. With your generous heart and helpful contribution, you'll join me in helping women keep their families together... something I've dreamed of since the day I met Judah's birth momma! Thank you, thank you Jeff. Your message in my inbox made my day. I'm excited to serve along side FOVC, working to to educate and support orphans, vulnerable children & widows in Ethiopia, empowering them to break the cycle of poverty and hunger as we offer them hope and independence for the future.

I have learned to ask. And it has been given to us. Thank you Lord Jesus for the peole You use to be Your hands and feet. Anyone else want to volunteer and partner with FOVC? Let me know!

[I in no way personally benefitted by posting such nice things about Earthway Inc. However, the people of Shanto, Ethiopia will personally benefit from their generous donation. And I certainly benefitted in that I was encouraged by their generosity. Hmm, maybe I'll put one of these on my Christmas list...]

Necklaces and Wine

2011-10-01T17:04:00.002-05:00

I had necklaces done earlier this week ready to add here for sale. I took them up to show Ryan's family last night and his aunt bought them. While I'm glad I have them sold, I also want to share why I didn't keep my word about having any new ones posted.

21 day until I'm heading to Ethiopia!

I'm having a wine social event back home in Kingsburg in November. Trying to come up with a creative and catchy name for the event. Got any ideas? Leave me a comment.

Puzzle Pieces

2011-09-29T23:12:00.002-05:00

Today, I was blown away when Lory called me to tell me she'd received a check for $1050 with my name on it. Seriously, I was amazed. I had yet to tell anyone, except maybe my husband, that my in-country expenses for my October trip are $1046. Thank you God for how you provide and encourage me.

While it would be nice to have my in-country expenses paid for, it was intended to pay that. And I love how intentional the gift was! I called the gift giver's wife and learned that the $1050 gift was for 150 puzzle pieces. I'm thrilled for multiple reasons:

I was secretly a little bummed that I'd sold very few puzzle pieces.

Of this gift, $700 goes towards feeding people during the famine - approximately 54 kids for one month. Thanks dear friends for feeding God's precious created children.

$350 goes towards my travel expenses which will be close to $2600. Thanks friends for helping shoulder those expenses for me.

I have put it on my to do list to start piecing all those pieces together for the puzzle. Thanks friends. For those who are interested, there's 345 tickets left to be purchased :)

2011-09-24T07:35:00.002-05:00

So, I've been doing this puzzle fundraiser. And not doing a good job of it. And I feel bad because while I'm focusing on the bead necklace fundraiser, I'm not focusing on the puzzle fundraiser that my friend, Megan, so generously set up for me.

504 pieces to sell. 6 pieces sold to date.

Obviously, I'm behind. And because of that, I've also not raised any funds for the trip. I'm glad to volunteer and serve along side FOVC. But, it's not like we have all the money in the world to fly to Africa every four months. I'm going to be real and honest here. Even with some donations towards our last trip (which helped a ton), it still costs money. And while I really wanted to go home to CA to see family and friends, we couldn't do both and so I chose Ethiopia. And with this recent trip, I chose Ethiopia again. And then recently, with some medical issues with both grandma's, I knew I needed to get home. So, I thought I could better justify the expense of going if I could share about FOVC while there. And it all costs money. And I'm so thankful that I have a husband who wonderfully supports our family. But it costs more than we make. About $2500 for this next Ethiopia trip. And if you average it out, it's a little over $500/month in expenses for the last two trips. Which I would consider expensive.

All of that mumbling to let you know that I really, really could use your help. Would you buy some puzzle pieces? I believe strongly in the work that FOVC is doing and have chosen to fundraise to keep children alive. But if I'm going to go and offer long term hope through the crops program, then I also have to fundraise a little for my own expenses. If you'd like to make a donation, I'd humbly accept.

hating to ask,
tamara b

"very big food shortage"

2011-09-23T20:14:00.002-05:00

Raising funds to support families through this famine is priceless. But raising awareness is also highly valuable. I don't know a lot of the detailsof what happens day to day at FOVC or in and around Shanto. But I did get to read a report from Desalegn. I wanted to share a few things that you might be interested in. Things that are good for us priveledged folks here in the US to know about.

While there's a drought in the horn of Africa, there's very localized, heavy rains in Shanto. Because of the rains, farmers are unable to plant crops. No planting crops = no food to harvest later on. No food to harvest = increased hunger...

Desalegn visits homes in Shanto. In his words, there is a "very big food shortage". I could have cried when I read this - for two reasons. One is that I can't imagine not being able to feed my family. And two, because I'm overjoyed that I can play a little role in raising money to feed families through this famine. To date, we've raised ~$200. That will feed 15 kids for one month, or just under 4 kids for the length of the expected famine. Oh, how I can only hope that number grows.

My very non-medical mind understands that following heavy rains, an area will see things like malaria and measles break out. So, not only are they dealing with famine which equals suppressed immune systems and then they'll have to face diseases. Oh Lord, my heart aches for these people.

Food inflation continues as a rule of thumb. When will it stop?

Friends, I know that I'm passionate about this and know that not everyone is. But, if you could spare 5 bucks, or more, it would be a huge help to others. Just this week, a sweet little girl at Awanas handed me $5 for my trip. It may not pay for my $1500 airline ticket, but her heart and her smile and her $5 were worth so much to me! Be encouraged friends to give a little love this week.

necklace sales

2011-09-21T22:10:00.001-05:00

I'm so, so thankful for the outpouring of support to buy the necklaces (see tab above). We have so far raised $180 which feeds 13 kids for one month of the famine. THANK YOU!!! I'm also super appreciative that Bethany's bracelet sold. She was SO excited about that, especially when we told her that it would be enough to feed one child for the famine. She wants to make at least two more so she can feed Judah's mom and brothers. That's my girl. And today when she earned a quarter for picking up walnuts at mom's, she asked if she could give it to feed hungry kids. She gets it. I'm so glad for that. So, be on the lookout for more necklaces to be added Sunday or early next week.

In the meantime, I love talking about FOVC. But I often don't have time to blog about it. So here's a quick snippet.

We're leaving October 21st. Focusing on teaching them techniques that will grow a crop during the famine. I have lots of prep work to do in the next few weeks. Teaching material to get together. Soil test kits to put together. That on top of my other FOVC fundraising activities - mailing out shirts, making necklaces and mailing them out, and getting together idea for the wine tasting fundraiser.

I'm so, so thankful for my husband who plays a critical role of keeping me grounded, encouraging my strengths and building my weaknesses. There may be dirty dishes on the counter but we're loving God together and I'm so thankful!

Just in Case

2011-09-17T23:10:00.003-05:00

In case you missed it on my side-bar or on the tab at the top here, I have my necklace fundraiser finally up. Please, please, please check it out and share with others. This is kind of a big deal to me. Just sayin'. If you want the direct link to the page, it's here: http://journey4hope.blogspot.com/p/necklaces.html

Don't forget about the two other fundraisers I have going on. I'm not trying to over do it. It's just that important to me to help others in need. This is not enabling them. It's saving their lives from famine and teaching them skills so they can provide for themselves long term. Those two fundraisers are:
1. The Feed Hope tshirts that I designed. These shirts help bring an awareness to the work FOVC is doing plus they bring in a little money for the organization I whole-heartedly believe in. A little less than half of the $20 cost of the shirts goes towards the famine relief project.
2. The Puzzle Fundraiser. Thanks to Megan for coming up with this fundraiser. two-thirds of your $21 donation goes towards the FOVC Feed Hope relief project and 1/3 goes towards my personal expenses for the trip.

As always, if you'd like to donate to FOVC, you can always do that by writing a check and mailing it or by donating online. If you'd like to donate to my personal expenses, leave a comment here or toss me an email.

Feed Hope Shirts

2011-09-14T18:12:00.002-05:00

I have these sweet shirts needing a home. Shirts are for sale for $20/each with the proceeds going directly to FOVC's Feed Hope relief project.

Need a cool t-shirt that gives hope back to Southern Ethiopia during the drought/famine?

So, while I was sweet talking my kids into modeling a shirt, Judah didn't want me to take his picture. I asked Judah if he wanted to help momma raise money to feed kids. He said yes. I said "then smile big". This is what I got:

Will you help Judah raise money to feed hope to kids just like him in southern Ethiopia?

Puzzled

2011-09-13T20:51:00.004-05:00

First of all, thank you to Tamara B for allowing me to guest post on her blog today. My name is Megan. Tamara and I have been long time adoption buddies! Judah and my son were born in the same area of Ethiopia, and it has been a blessing to have her as a friend. I am here to support her and FOVC's efforts to feed local communities in Southern Ethiopia.

As many of you know, Tamara had been asked to return to Ethiopia because of the drought/famine issues. Her personal expenses are ~$2500 this trip, which is just 4 months after her last trip. This wasn't a "planned" trip in that she wasn't planning on going 4 months later but is going because of the drought/famine issues. She has been blessed in that she can get the time off of work but then there is the obstacle of the money. She hoped to raise funds for the Feed Hope relief project but could also use some help funding her travel.

A little more about the trip (and I am sure you will hear more from Tamara), the Feed Hope relief project is raising funds to feed the local communities for 4 months of the famine. This late October trip will be a small team of 4 (which makes it more expensive per individual). Two of the team will focus on food delivery and medical. Joe and Tamara will focus on crops training - specifically on growing drops during drought. Wow, what a long term impact Tamara will be having on these communities. It is not just immediate relief, but what she is doing will help to insure the communities will be ready for the next drought!

I began to dream of how Tamara could donate to FOVC and also fund her trip. I am not the most creative or experienced fundraiser, but I came up with a little idea.

A puzzle fundraiser! Here's how it will work. I made a 504 piece puzzle, out of the Feed Hope Logo. We are asking folks (YOU) to sponsor pieces of the puzzle. Each piece will cost $7. I am asking each donor will sponsor 3 pieces of the puzzle, so a $21 donation. Yes, 3 pieces! The $7 from one piece will go to Tamara's travel fund, and $14 from the other two pieces will go to FOVC's Feed Hope relief project!!!! When you sponsor a piece of the puzzle, we will write your name on the back, and then start piecing the puzzle together. With your help, we will complete the puzzle before Tamara leaves for her trip! Each piece of the puzzle will literally help complete the Feed Hope logo, and also help build the relief effort!!!!

This is Tamara's wish...to fund part of her own trip AND donate to Feed Hope!!! Let's help her fulfill her dream!!!!

How do you sponsor 3 pieces (or more!)? Funds can be donated directly to FOVC - checks written to FOVC at 1428 Venice Ln., Longmont CO 80503. Please put a sticky note (NOT the memo line) identifying that it's for Tamara's puzzle fundraiser so they will know where to allocate the funds!

THANK YOU so much for considering helping Tamara in her efforts. We hope to have the 500 piece puzzle completed by this time next month!!!! This will raise $3,528!!!!! About the $1176 towards Tamara's travels and $2352 to Feed Hope!!!!! We will keep you updated on the progress! I know many of you are stretched this right now, and $21 is a lot to ask, so we are so thankful for your sacrifice.

Again...here are the steps...
1) Send a $21 (or more) check to FOVC with a sticky note that reads "Tamara". This will sponsor 3 pieces of the puzzle which funds Tamara's travels and Feed Hope.
One step, pretty simple huh??? If you want extra credit, here ya go:
2.) Tell your friends via your blog, facebook, twitter, letters to your old Aunt Sally about FOVC's Feed Hope Relief project

Thanks again friends,
Megan

ISU vs. Iowa

2011-09-09T07:16:00.001-05:00

Raising money today for FOVC's Feed Hope Relief Project. These two necklaces are themed ever so slightly for each of the teams playing this weekend. They both utilize paper beads made in Ethiopia mixed in with some beads from Kenya. Necklaces made by yours truly.

Will you buy one? Can we sell it to the highest bidder, starting at $20 each? What are you willing to pay?

Water is Life

2011-09-07T21:28:00.002-05:00

The following was posted on the FOVC blog by Desalegn:

Thank you all for this unexpected thing happen to Shanto! This is more than life to us. Water born diseases killed many children, girls drop out from school to fetch water, pregnant mothers and infants died due to lack of clean water, etc, etc, etc. But clean water is coming soon due to your support. Thank you all many million times for what you did and are doing! A little to you is more than life to the people of Shanto. We love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't that so cool. To see pictures, you'll have to go directly to the blog. I read this and asked myself the following: how can I not find some money in my pocket or piggy bank to give to them that would lead to LIFE. Literally, clean water is the difference of life and death for some. I keep thinking of that change jar in my room that was going towards a vacation. But, right now I don't want to consider a vacation knowing that our change can make lasting change. How about you?

I love a few other things about this project. First off that the well is finally being drilled which allows many to see the fruits of their labor. Secondly that it's being done by "local" guys. Thirdly that it literally means life for some people. Fourthly, ... who knows, I'm so excited I can't even remember what I was thinking.

Anyway, check out the blog and consider if you might have a jar of change that could make a change.

Beading with Bahe was a Blast

2011-09-05T19:47:00.003-05:00

So when I was in Ethiopia this past summer I bought a bunch of beads. I thought I might use them at some point. Though I thought about keeping them to myself, I knewt they'd be great to use as a fundraiser for FOVC or my future involvement with them. I didn't know that my involvement would be this October.

I recently called my friend Bahe, the beading queen, and asked her to help me put a few necklaces together. Bahe was super generous and brought her tools and supplies over to help. We discussed what we wanted them to look like and eventually starting putting them together.

We even had a little helper.

We were so busy beading that we didn't take any pictures.

Except one.

In the hours Bahe was helping, we put together a few necklaces. And there are more to come. Some with glass beads, some with paper beads and some with an Ethiopian cross. I have some more to put together and in two weeks we'll have them finished up.

So, be ready to see them here. I will be selling them. All proceeds (which is 100% since I donated the beads) will go towards FOVC and/or my October trip. Be on the lookout.

Fun_raiser

2011-08-30T09:54:00.001-05:00

So, without me even knowing about it, a few of my friends pulled off a super successful fundraiser. It was fun. It raised money and awareness. I'm super greatful. In the last two weeks I've seen some pretty creative ideas for raising funds:

Baby shower - where all the gifts were financial donations to FOVC.

Rockin' Night - where local gal (who happens to be a surgeon, not a singer) rocked out to some fun songs and raised money. I assume they paid her to sing more, not to stop singing as they would do to me.

Selling some Ethiopian handi-and-art work.

What I'm saying is that you don't have to be a movie star or a millionaire to come up with a fundraiser to support FOVC's Feed Hope relief project. In fact, I'm horrible at fundraisers, I think. But my heart is there so I continue to try. And maybe you suck at singing like I do, but maybe they'd pay you big money to stop singing. Anyone want to give it a shot? Maybe not the stop-singing fundraiser but something else?

Monday night I emailed my childhood friend who happens to be the winemaker and owner of RamosTorres Winery. He's got a pretty sweet winery and tasting room. He hosts several events each year where you can taste his wines. I don't know if it will work for him to do a fundraiser but I thought it would be a great idea. Taste good wine, support RamosTorres Winery, bring awareness to FOVC and encourage people to support the FOVC Feed Hope relief project OR the Crops for Widows Project. It would be sweet. Don't ya think?

If you're from Kingsburg area, would you stop over to the RamosTorres facebook page and tell him that you would come to the fundraiser if I came to town????

(p.s. today is my dad's birthday and I'd love, love, love to tell him happy birthday in the same sentence I tell him that I'm coming home. Just sayin')

Done Sorta

2011-08-29T21:36:00.002-05:00

Well MB's shower may officially be over, but the fundraising efforts are not. FOVC is still needing to raise somewhere in the ballpark of $10,000 to feed people through the famine. While I'm super thankful for Megan, SemiFeralMama, and Murdock (just so you know Murdock, I hate referring to you by that name and always type your real name and then have to backspace), who not only raised funds for FOVC but awareness, there's lots of work to be done. I know that $10k is totally possible in the next 4 weeks and I look forward to seeing how that unfolds.

If you're on the fence about giving money to FOVC, will you email me or leave a comment? I'd be happy to answer any questions.

If you wished you had participated in Shonda's shower but didn't get to it, please know that I'll be giving you an opportunity to support FOVC with another cool fundraiser. Coming Soon. For now, I want to thank the many people who have come along side FOVC with one time donations for the Feed Hope relief project. If you're interested in particpating with FOVC long term (like sponsoring an orphan, or helping with the various widows projects, or furnishing the orphanage, FOVC would love that too).

Until next time,
Tamara B.

It's still shower time

2011-08-28T22:30:00.003-05:00

If you haven't heard by now about Captain Murdock's/MB's shower, you should click on over to her blog and check it out: http://www.godwilladd.com/. A few friends are showering Murdock. But, it's not your traditional shower. This one is 100% going towards famine relief. All of your donation goes directly to FOVC's Feed Hope project.

Don't know much about FOVC, well I can tell you a little more about that in a sec, but first I want to share about Feed Hope. For just $13, you can feed one child for a month. We ate the bare minimum at DQ tonight and it was still $15. So, if you do the math $13/month x 4 months of the expected famine = $52. For $52, you could guarantee that a child will have enough to eat through the famine. Wow, that is amazing. Would you take this challenge and feed a child with a $52 dollar donation?

If you've been to my blog regularly, you've seen these faces. If you're new, let me introduce them to you. This is a woman named Abebech with her sons who are 10 and 8. I love this woman. We share a son together. His name is Judah. Abebech is one of the reasons I came into contact with FOVC. Simply put, I wanted to find an org that was working in the area of my son's birth. And voila, fifteen steps later, I connected with FOVC. Abebech is a widow earning a living - most of which goes towards the rent of her home in the background. She longs to provide for her children's needs. But with the increase in food prices in the last 6 months, and the affects of the famine, I'm not sure if those books will look so healthy come September. In fact, I pray nightly that they will survive. Vulnerable families like this one need our support. They need us to sacrifice our "wants" so that we can help provide for their basics "needs". Will you help?

As Murdock's shower winds down, will you jump on board and surprise her with a donation on behalf of the middle brother she's preparing to bring home? Stop by and let her know www.godwilladd.com and then go to www.fovc.org and donate. Thanks friends.

And because I'm going to ethiopia to serve during this Feed Hope relief project, you can bet that I'll be seeing first hand where your generous donation is going. And because I will be seeing it, I will also photograph it and share here!

Animals of Shanto

2011-08-24T17:29:00.002-05:00

Ryan just read me a brief facebook conversation with the Director of FOVC. "Dr. T" is a reference to Tuto, the guy that Ryan trained with some veterinary skills. I'm sure you'll find this conversation encouraging as you get a little glimpse of day to day issues that FOVC works with:

Ryan: Just checking in to see how Dr. T is doing. I know you are busy with 100 other things but I wanted to make sure he was doing okay and being the blessing that I'm sure he can be to the people and animals of Shanto.

FOVC Director, Desalegn:
Hi Ryan, Dr T is really working very good. He visits the animals and widows three times per week and he has a plan to contact you with some questions soon. I will translate his questions into English and send to you then.
The cows are very well. The widows are reporting that the cows are health and becoming bigger than expected due to the treatment which you provided in June.
I will come with some questions from Dr. T soon.
Thank you in advance and God bless you and your family.
Desalegn

Ryan also shared with me that Desalegn is mostly speaking to Tuto in English. Ryan encouraged Tuto to learn English (it's was pretty broken English when we were there in early June) so he can better communicate with and learn from Ryan and other veterinarians. Of course, we're glad to hear that Desalegn is helping Tuto improve English by speaking to him that way. I look forward to the day Tuto can be used as a translator as well as the local veterinarian in serving his own community!

Trip to Ethiopia: Update

2011-08-23T17:11:00.002-05:00

I'm going to do famine relief. Long term training to help be prepared for the next drought with some cropping methods. I'm so glad to play such a role. But I'm also prepared for the chaos of drought/famine issues that might consume our time. Maybe I'll end up doing more medical than crop. God knows, I don't. But I'll be prepared, at least somewhat, for that.

In the last few days, details have continued to fall into place. Just thought I'd share a few with you:

Tickets purchased. $100 less than expected. Thank you Lord for the break on tickets!

Met up with my travel buddy Joe and most of his family.

Happened to run into (you know I don't believe in coincidences, right?) a local lady who's a nurse. Ryan's their vet and I don't really know her. But I really know no stranger so I interrupted her and asked if she would teach me some medical stuff that might be useful to Dr. Jo. She agreed. I'm hoping to take a CPR course on Thursday and Friday afternoon.

A few friends are doing FOVC fundraisers which warms my heart (and feeds families) and I'm so thankful.

A friend emailed me asking if I needed any money for my October trip. I hate asking for money. She made my day!!!

And while things are falling into place, additional things still need to happen.

I need to get Thursday and Friday afternoon off. Not usually a HUGE deal but considering that's my last two days in my current office (I start a new job on Monday), I kind of need to be tying up loose ends there.

I have a busy, busy week. But I also need time to focus on FOVC and spend time with my priorities in the right places.

Some trip details still are in the works.

Things are ever changing in Ethiopia which can daily change how we go about things there.

But I serve a big God. And beyond that, I'll be serving along side some cool people. While I loved working along side my husband last time, he's trying to do some things state side for veterinary life there and will stay home with our kids. Which means one less thing I have to organize. So, any friends near by who want to feed my family while I'm gone in October, I'm sure Ryan would be up for it :)

Off to school open house I go...

BABY SHOWER

2011-08-22T23:04:00.002-05:00

So my friends are pretty cool. And they're throwing my friend Shonda a virtual "Baby Shower." Instead of gifts, they are asking donations be made to FOVC.org in honor of MB. Not only is FOVC the org we're involved with but an org working very near where her boys and their family is from. The hostess' and I would also love it if people would drop a comment, a prayer or a word of excitement about this new little man joining their family. For those who don't know the story, they adopted Taz last summer when we adopted Judah. They are now heading back to adopt Taz' older brother. To read more check out Captain Murdock's blog.

Would you consider sharing this link on your blog and/or facebook page? I would love this to spread like wildfire over the internet and to be able to raise lots of funds for FOVC and have lots of words of love to add to MB's "baby book."

Thank you so much, Murdock's real life friend, Tamara B.

Didn't get it done

2011-08-20T22:56:00.001-05:00

I know my post yesterday said that I'd get a more specific post up today. But as you could see, that didn't happen. Instead, I did dishes, folded laundry, met up with my travel partner, Joe, for the Ethiopia trip, listened to an audiobook with my kids, played at two different parks with the kids, fixed a dish for a church potluck, bathed and tucked a few kids in bed, prayed for a particular child who's naughty A LOT, and finally crashed on the couch while I chatted with Megan for a few minutes on facebook.

Megan, you are so sweet! One of these days I hope we cross paths in real life.

As I mentioned earlier, Joe will be my travel partner to Ethiopia. I'm so, so thankful for his willingness to step up to the plate and help me with this all important crops stuff. I will tell you more about him later. But for now, I just wanted to put a shout out to the many people who are partnering with us in this venture to serve along side FOVC. To those who pray, donate, encourage, travel, provide helpful information, give us a deal on supplies, etc, I am so thankful for you. Seriously thankful.

Tomorrow I'm heading to central Iowa for kids' doctor appointments. But I really hope that I get to talk to someone who doesn't know about FOVC's work in Ethiopia who would be interested in knowing more. Oh Lord, would you use me to bring awareness to the thousands of people dying in the horn of Africa. And Father, as my heart continues to ache wondering what Judah's family is facing, would you continue to give them hope for a future. Amen.

Important

2011-08-19T13:22:00.001-05:00

It's important to know specifically where your assistance is going. I've had several people mention lately about always wondering if they're assistance actually got to the intended place. One of the things I like about FOVC is that they're a small organization with boots on the ground. They know the exact needs of the people in their area. And they're working tirelessly to meet those needs.

I recently saw pics on the White House website of some important people visiting the famine hit areas. I will have a post up by Saturday morning that talks specifically about their trip and how it confirms the work FOVC is doing. In the mean time, know that these are the faces of people who need help, people that FOVC can feed with your help. Please check out www.fovc.org and click on the Feed Hope (relief) link.

Tickets, Get your Tickets

2011-08-18T23:33:00.001-05:00

Today Lory firmed up mine and Joe's tickets. We're leaving Oct 21st and returning October 30th. Out of a nearby airport for a very reasonable price. Thank you Lord!

guess now I should start thinking a little more seriously about how I'm going to fund my trip... looking at a total of roughly $2500 this time.

FOVC tshirts for sale

2011-08-16T18:30:00.001-05:00

FOVC is selling shirts designed by yours truly. The two pics you see are the two sides of the shirt. The Africa logo is on the front and the FOVC logo/website is on the back. For $20, you get a cool tshirt, FOVC gets a few bucks (it's not much), and we all get to share with others about what's going on in the horn of africa and what good things FOVC is doing. Wanna order. I would be so thankful if you do.

If you order, I'd love to post a pic of you in your shirt on my blog. Also, if you raise $250 for FOVC's campaign to FEED HOPE (http://www.fovc.org/grassroots.html), you will get one of these sweet tshirts as a thank you.

So, go here http://www.fovc.org/store.html to place your order. Pretty please.

Give UP

2011-08-12T16:14:00.001-05:00

This week we've been busy with bible school each night, an extra 5 year old in the house and the loss of our 6 friends (they didn't die or anything, just moved out). All the while, I have in the back of my mind, this drought and famine going on in Ethiopia. I find the little things that we do that are so wasteful. And I imagine how I could give that stuff up, save the money, and send it to feed someone during this famine.

I wonder why not everyone is doing something. After all, we're not all called to be passionate about it, but we are all commanded to look after the widows and the orphans in their distress [bible: james 1:27].

So in thinking about what I could be doing, or how I could be doing things differently, I thought I'd just share a few ideas:

Cheap frappuccino. So, maybe you're not able to give up your morning coffee drink, but there's a cheaper way you can do it. On Sunday I served my cousin a famine friendly version of a expensive coffee: one pot of coffee with a can of sweetened condensed milk mixed in, chilled, and served over ice. Cousin T liked it. And she texted me on Wednesday to tell me that I saved her $12 so far this week. How 'bout that. Now imagine if each week she saved her $12 and put it towards FOVC's campaign to FEED HOPE during the famine. In 8 weeks, she would have $96 to donate. And if just 10 of us did that same thing, we'd have almost $1,000. Crazy how quickly that can add up! (disclaimer: now I'm not suggesting T do this, in fact, I know she's saving for increased child care costs but it's just an idea)
On Fridays, the staff at our neigboring office always eats out together. I love that they prioritize one lunch break each week to sit down together. Today I joined them. My lunch was cheap but was still $5.15. Imagine if instead of eating out, the 5 of them rotated making something at home and bringing it in to share. At half the cost of the meal over an 8 week period, they would have $100 to donate and probably would have eaten healthier meals too.
The CHANGE jar. How many of you have a change jar or use the cigarette tray in your car for loose change? I have one too. Except I don't carry cash very often. I find myself with cash and wasting it so I try to put the cash in the change jar. Sometimes it's a twenty and sometimes it's quarters. But every time it's not money I absolutely need right now or I'll starve. Imagine if I cashed that out and donated it, how it could CHANGE someone's life who literally is starving.
Vacations. Ryan and I don't do glamorous vacations. In fact, our last family vacation was probably to CA in 2008 to visit my family and friends. Anyway, some friends were looking at awesome Mexico vacations and I thought that my husband might enjoy something like that instead of me using all my vacation time on mission trips. Then I happened to see a magazine article highlighting local places in the midwest that are on a lakefront. That wouldn't be too bad. A couple hours drive, a night on the lake and some good food. But that magazine is collecting dust while I think of other alternatives. What about a little bed and breakfast an hour away. I'd still get the time away with my hubby without all the time driving, the expense of fuel, or the expense of a fancy resort. And the money I save can go to feeding a family who desperately needs a hand up.

Is this drought and famine on your mind at all. What are you doing to help out. Those people are certainly orphans, widows and oppressed. I help because I want to. But I also help because I don't want to stand before the almighty God when he asks me what I did for His children and not have an answer. What are you willing to give up?

the "F" word

2011-08-08T10:30:00.001-05:00

It's sad to hear the "F" word: famine. When you understand the definition of it, it literally takes my breath away. Here's what TIME reported about the "F" word:

The word 'famine' may be a familiar one, but it is not thrown around lightly by the people who decide when there is one. The fact that most of us today probably associate the term with the 1984 crisis in Ethiopia is testament to its exceedingly careful dispensation; to use it too often would dilute its power to command the attention of the press and governments around the world. Famines don't happen overnight, but when the United Nations declares one, those governments are expected to pay attention – and help pay to get the situation under control.

Read more: http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/07/22/famine-in-somalia-when-does-the-world-decide-to-use-the-%e2%80%98f%e2%80%99-word/#ixzz1US2wEiy2

IMPORTANT

2011-08-03T20:47:00.002-05:00

So, I haven't written much about it. When I did, I shared MY wishes and not FOVC's. Now, FOVC has had a chance to get their leadership on board with a huge fundraiser. I mean, doable, but huge. It's directly related to the famine. But it's so much more than that. It's long term, tangible help. Feeding them during this emergency crisis but teaching them to provide for themselves long term. To be prepared for the next drought.

We can't fathom the implications of the drought because we have insurance when our things get destroyed. They don't. I'm impressed by the the focus and strategy of FOVC. I've read some lately about us thinking we're helping but we're really hurting them long term. I can attest that this plan does NOT put them in that situation. Emergency, short term relief (what FOVC is doing) is important in times of crisis. But it's also important to teach a man to fish so to speak. FOVC is also doing that. I'm proud of the work FOVC is doing. And I'm proud to partner with them.

So, please, please, please head over to the FOVC's page on project Feed Hope and check out all the specifics of what they're doing. I'll give you a hint: it has to do with 30 G's.

Facing Famine

2011-08-03T08:31:00.001-05:00

As Southern Ethiopia is staring famine in the face, FOVC continues to put together the details of the Emergency Action and Intervention plan. This plan is a plea for help. But not just to beg for food for the famine, it's to continue to encourage and train the locals. To prepare them. Two of these three pictures are a good reminder of who needs our support. One of the pictures was just for fun :)

If you'd like to read more about the issues in Southern Ethiopia, check out the FOVC blog at http://www.fovc.org/blog.html

shanto faces

2011-07-30T15:29:00.001-05:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Today's Thoughts

2011-07-27T20:41:00.002-05:00

Today as I was working quietly at my desk, my thoughts were distracted with images of Ethiopia and Somalia and Kenya. As I grabbed my coffee concoction for a little snack, I thought of the kids who walked for weeks on end to find food. Here I was having a snack, which is fine, while kids were starving.

Do you know that the road the Somali's walk to get to the refugee camp is called "road of death"? Can you imagine being so famished that while you walk along, your 12 year old child collapses with literally not an ounce of energy. He died.

Today I saw a friend with 2 multiple page flyer bragging up vacation destinations. Which place did she want to go - Cabo or Cancun? Travelling and enjoying vacations are fine but kids are travelling for weeks on end just to survive.

Did you know that a refugee camp built for 90,000 people is overflowing with 400,000 people. People are literally living in makeshift shelters outside the camp because it's so full. If you naive enough to think that there's enough food and water there, you're wrong.

Today, like every other day, I emptied my compost bucket from the kitchen counter into my bin outside. The majority of the food in there was scraps, or food 7 little kids wouldn't finish eating. Wasted. Food. Today that makes me sick. As I walk by the pantry full of food, I think of those who have one.

Did you know that a World Food Program plane with 10 tons of peanut-butter paste landed Wednesday in Mogadishu, the first of several planned airlifts in coming weeks (source). But that's not enough.

I can help. You can help.

famine: a few pics

2011-07-27T10:52:00.001-05:00

photos courtesy of msnbc.com

Starving Children

2011-07-25T21:00:00.004-05:00

My head is swirling with thoughts of the drought and famine going on in the horn of Africa. If you want really sound insight on the matter, check out Dr. Jo's blog. She's a rockstar as far as knowledge and information. So, for the general information of what's going on, check out Dr. Jo's Africa cause I'm not going to get all technical.

Instead, I want to ask you when you hear the name/word Ethiopia, what do you think of? For those who know my sweet boy, you might think of him. Or those of you who have a personal connection through adoptions in Ethiopia, you think of that. But for most of the rest of Americans, with the mention of Ethiopia brings to mind the 1980's famine.

I debated on adding a picture cause I'm almost sure you had a picture in your mind. But friends, I'm here to tell you that the picture in your mind, or the one here to the right, has got nothin' on what's going on right now.

Even though you don't see it on the nightly news or on most facebook updates, a famine is happening. RIGHT NOW.

If you've read my blog at all in recent months, you know that we've adopted from Ethiopia. And following that, we returned to the area in Southern Ethiopia where our son was born to serve the widows and the orphans. We've been working with FOVC for the past 5 months. And the kids from FOVC are being affected by this drought. And the kids at FOVC haven't even seen just a tiny bit of what they're about to experience. Here's what I know from listening to details of conversations by the amazing Jo and Lory.

Today a lady showed up at the FOVC gate and began knocking. With her children in tow, she'd been walking for days to find FOVC because she heard they had food. Desalegn (the director) who loves everyone, couldn't say no to a person in need and gave her enough food for one day and sent her on. That's what we're supposed to do right? Give those who are hungry. The thing is that right now, did you hear that, RIGHT NOW, there's not enough food for the orphans that are part of FOVC. When we were there in June, the food prices had already jumped by 50%. On an already tight budget where they decide that 4 proteins a week are better than 2 meals a day, there's no extra money for increased food prices. So increased food prices on a set budget means less food purchased. And when you start giving away your decreased food supply, you quickly begin running out of food. Follow me on that thought? It's a hard balance to serve the community and the children in Ethiopia. The truth is that with drought in those areas comes famine. And with famine comes death. In Shanto. Those kids and community members we know and love. The ones we call our own.

See these faces on the left. These girls. They have names. They were wonderfully sweet. With one meal a day, an education and medical care, these girls finally have hope and a future. And these girls (whose names I can't share because of privacy requests) have names. Are people. And this famine, this drought, is affecting them. Is threatening their lives. Is causing them to go hungry.

The good thing is that FOVC exists to help. And they're doing just that. Amidst the regular life of FOVC development, the building of the orphanage, the raising of funds to furnish the orphanage, the developing the crops program, theirs a drought going on. If we at FOVC can feed them for 3 months to get through this period, then these beautiful faces will survive. The cost of doing so has increased because of the scarcity of food. So, FOVC, among regular life needs to raise $10-$12,000 dollars to feed the orphans at FOVC for 3 months. That's less than $2/day per child. How many of these beautiful faces would you like to buy food for over the next 3 months?

Yes, I agree $10-$12,000 is a LOT of money. Even to our wealthy American pocket books. But what I'm trying to share with you is that this is simply for survival. This doesn't give them a new outfit or a fun dessert, or a night out on the town. This is basic. survival. BASIC. I'm trying to explain it to you but even I can't fathom what they're going through. And this also doesn't include the many people who will be flooding the gates of FOVC because they know there's hope within those fences. This doesn't help the community that FOVC serves and loves. This doesn't help the many refugees who have fled Somalia and walked for days and days into Ethiopia to find food and water.

My friends, this is just a tiny bit of the story. I could type for hours to share with you about the impacts of the Somalis on the existing food crisis in ethiopia. Or about how some of the crops have already failed in and around Shanto. And for those who were smart enough to plant their crops with the rains, their is now too much rain which is devastating the crops. It has wiped them out too. Or about the roads being strewn with children and elderly who don't have the strength to continue walking and so they die on the roadside. Maybe I'll tell you about that tomorrow. For now, I think you have enough to chew on. And if you haven't read Jo's post, here's a link one more time because it's worth your five minutes to read.

People need our help. Are you willing to do something. Small or big. Can you do something? Pray, blog, give. FOVC is the only non-governmental organization in southern Ethiopia. You can give through them. They're a small org with boots on the ground and very, very little overhead costs (like less than 5%). You can give to FOVC through their website here. In the note line, write "famine".

If you have questions, please contact me at tam4buit at hotmail dot com.

Eight Widows, Eleven Bovine, Three Goats, and One Little Girl

2011-07-20T07:28:00.001-05:00

Guest post from the amazing, genius, animal doctor also known as my better half wrote the following post. I hope you enjoy.

Okay, it’s my turn to tell you about what I did while I was in Ethiopia with FOVC. I have to begin by introducing you to a friend of ours. Denise’s life took a tragic turn several years ago when her husband, a pilot, and their two boys died in a tragic plane crash on the fourth of July. She took this tragedy and turned it into a blessing by forming a foundation in their name. That foundation has done many things including helping people adopt children. Earlier this year the foundation partnered with FOVC to purchase 11 cows for eight widows in Shanto. The plan is for the women to be able to utilize these animals to aid them in making a living. They may be getting milk from them, or using them as beasts of burden, it is my understanding that this is left up to the widows.

When I agreed to go on this trip I was unsure as to what exactly I would be doing. I contacted a classmate of mine from vet school who served for several years as a veterinary missionary in Ethiopia. She gave me a lot of good advice, and I had a starting point. I still was not sure what I would be doing but I began to formulate some ideas of what to do if the opportunity presented itself. Having been on overseas trips before I knew better to make any concrete plans, but I did have some goals I hoped to be able to accomplish. I hoped to be able to make it to all of the widow’s homes to examine the animals, worm them, and teach them about the need to get colostrum into newborns. I thought if I was lucky I would be able to identify one of the widows that had some aptitude for animal care and train them in the basics.

Because I was not sure what I needed I was not overly aggressive in asking for donations. I knew I needed some wormers for sheep and goats but other than that I figured anything I was given would be better than what was over there. I approached a couple of drug companies to ask for donations and had Boehringer Ingelheim come through in spades. They donated twelve liters of an oral wormer for sheep and goats. Novartis Animal Health also donated some vaccine for me to bring along. Unfortunately that product was delayed in arriving so it was not brought along. Instead it has been sold and the money gone to help fund the program I will be discussing more in depth later. I also was blessed to talk to one of my distributing representatives who has become a friend and she informed me that she was changing jobs so she would send me all the “samples” she had in her garage. When I got the boxes from her I had no idea what I was in for. Not only was there a little bit of everything, but I had no idea how these donations would affect my first day in Ethiopia.

Having talked to my friend who used to work in Ethiopia we had “tips” on how to pack and still get everything into the country. Unfortunately we did not follow those tips to the letter because we did not want to spread the liquid through all of our luggage in case it spilled during transit. That way at least some of our luggage would arrive and be wearable. Unfortunately it drew the attention of the customs official in the Addis airport as well. No it wasn’t the nearly $1,000 dollar’s worth of wormer, it was a dozen bottles of expired iodine shampoo. Who knows why it drew their attention but it did and now they wanted me to run down town to get some form filled out saying the government thought it was safe to bring in. In the mean time I was to put it in storage somewhere. I did not want to get the form because we had other things to do. For two hours I went back and forth across the airport trying to get my passport back, and make sure I was going to be able to leave in two weeks. My, “Can’t we just throw it away and pretend I never brought it” defense was not working very well. Long story short, we got the shampoo through customs with the help of two veterinarians (think USDA equivalent) we met in the airport.

Once we got to Shanto I was able to go out to visit some of the widows on our second day. With the help of some rope that we had brought along to tie on the baggage we were able to restrain, check and treat the cattle of three widows that day. When we were done treating the animals we would take questions from the crowd. After all, how often do you get to talk to a veterinarian for free, or at all for that matter, in middle of nowhere Ethiopia. At our last stop of the day a man in the back asked me why his cows were not giving birth. What struck me about this man was the sincerity of his question. He appeared to be actually interested in the answer and had follow up questions. I told him it could be many things but that it was my best guess, and all I could do is guess without seeing his cows, was that his cows were underfed and worm infested. I suggested that he worm his animals and if that did not work he may need to make sure that his bull was good.

Another thing that happened on our last stop was the miracle of this trip. Wherever we stopped we would draw a cloud of children. At this stop one little girl latched on to Beverly, the grandmother on our trip, and would not let go. Even when we started to give out the food she did not leave Bev’s side. As we climbed back into the land cruiser to head back to the compound the little girl climbed in with us. Usually we shooed these children away but Desalegn told us it would be okay for her to come along. She would find her way home.

When we arrived back at the compound the little girl was taken to Dr. Jo to be check out. She got herself a new dress and shoes. She drank over a liter of water, ate a banana, and started on a piece of bread. We found out her name was Hannah, and that she had tuberculosis. Jo treated her for TB and she captured our hearts. The pure joy on her face as she ate that food, and the way she acted like such a little lady when she brushed the crumbs off her new dress and smoothed it out so it looked presentable, caused all of us to fall in love with her. Because of her “chance” meeting with us, she and her seven siblings are now sponsored so they can attend the school, everyone in her family was given a physical exam, the family received a goat and some chickens to help them support themselves, and the family will never be the same again.

That night as I lay on my slab or granite they called a hotel bed I thought about what had happened that day. Sure we had done some good things, but what difference would it make in a few months. What about that producer who needed to worm his cattle? Did he have access to the needed medicine? What about the equipment needed to administer the meds? I was also distracted by something I had learned earlier in the day about one of the volunteers that we worked with. His name was Tutu and he was always there when you needed him, and he always had a smile on his face. He was a man of honor. He had served his country in the military where he served as body guard to the prime minister. Because of his military service he had not attended school and had no formal education. With no formal education he was not very employable and FOVC had no money to give him a job so he had just volunteered for the last year and a half.

Finally I had an idea that I thought would help everyone out. What if Tutu became the one that I trained to act as a veterinarian? He would have the equipment that I had brought with me, and purchased in country, and I would be able to train him enough to be able to diagnose pneumonia, and administer worming boluses. It would provide him with a job, the widows with a “vet”, and the community with a “vet”. Plus he would be around the children of the FOVC compound where he could serve as a good role model. We were able to line up $50 support for his salary. I checked with Lory and found that this would be more than the security staff made but less than the teachers. I felt this was fair since he would have some education, but not enough to be considered trained like the teachers were.

As we move forward with Tutu I hope he continues to grow in his knowledge. He took to it so well the final two days I was there training him that I really have no doubt that he will. If all goes according to plan he will provide the widows with animal care, and serve the community in the same capacity. It is our hope that we will be able to fund this project separately from FOVC so it does not become a drain but rather a blessing. Future training for Tutu is in the works as well. Teaching him more English will help us communicate better with him, and we hope to get him into some agricultural classes as well. It is also our hope to continue to have American vets travel to Ethiopia and train him while they are there. If things go very well we may be able to plug him in with Christian Veterinary Missions a group that is already serving in Addis. They work all over the world training veterinarians and serving in any way they can.

Why so many Babies???

2011-07-18T18:22:00.003-05:00

Today I jumped into a conversation on the Ethiopia yahoo board about why Ethiopia has so many babies. It's not like I think I know the perfect answer, but I wanted to give my two cents worth so I shared a story from my trip (with a little creative licensing).

Really why I wanted to jump in and comment is that our perspective, as well intentioned, well fed Westerners is far different from Ethiopians. So until we've been there and lived it, who are we to say? And by being there and living it, I don't mean spending a few days in Ethiopia, making a whirlwind trip to the country-side, meeting a birthparent, heading back to our hotel that caters to us, and then jumping back on an airplane. That's not really living it.

The truth is. We don't really know. We haven't lived their lives. We haven't walked in their shoes of poverty, desperation, sickness, etc. Yes, maybe we've experienced some of that, but I'm guessing you likely can't say that you've lived their life. Can you? So imagine with me this story:

The rain is actually falling in Ethiopia. Praise God (or the heavens or whatever else you believe in) for the rain! People are on the roadside where shallow ditches carry the running water. Bent over the temporary stream are handfuls of people dipping water and washing their face and drinking until their bellies are full. A young family - seemingly a mother, father and 1-2 year old child - drink the fresh rain and fill their water jugs. It's awesome that they don't have to walk hours to water today. They can get it much easier. There's only one problem. The ditches are dirt and the water is filthy. Along with the fresh rain comes sediment, animal feces, and other water and air borne diseases. His joy on his aged face makes me smile and then frown. That so called fresh water was actually full of dysentery, a water-borne bacteria. Within a short period of time, this young father begins showing the tell-tale signs of dysentery that we can read about on the internet but that they have no clue of. First the abdominal cramps, then rectal pain, and eventually bloody stools. He can’t manage to stop the diarrhea and another villager recommends that he drink lots of water since he heard a “ferenge” talk about it some years ago. So, this man, whose name is Ayele, continues to drink what water they can gather up. But the diarrhea persists and Ayele begins to lack energy and lose his strength. His bride continues to carry their sweet baby, Asfaw, on her back to fetch water daily. It’s planting season and Ayele lays bed-ridden, meaning he lays on the dirt of his tukul, writhing in pain. Meanwhile his bride carries their child and their seed out and throws it out on the dirt, hoping something will grow. After all, she’s no farmer.

She has no clue how that works. In a matter of weeks, without clean water, IV fluids, or even a medical doctor to help, Ayele breaths his last painful breath while his wife is fetching water.

Can you imagine that? She returns home to find him gone. She’s now left to raise their son alone. Never mind the growing baby inside her belly that will be making its grand appearance any day now. How will she provide for them without her husband? The baby comes which brings some joy amongst the sorrow. His family is pressuring her to leave the home, their home, which they’d allowed their son to live in. The corn crop which had been broadcast sown was uneven and very little ears of corn matured. She daily asked herself how she would provide. Eventually she, having little to no value in her culture, was kicked out of her home and put to the streets. Her boys were hungry and she had very little to feed them. For her, it wasn’t even a choice of sacrificially giving to her toddler some food while she remained hungry because she had none to offer. As a means of providing a meal, she does what she sees other women doing and begins prostituting her body. Her boys, though she loves them, require so much. How is she supposed to provide for them? She can’t feed them without an income. There’s no welfare system to help her out. And because she’s in a small rural town, there’s no NGO presence either. She begs in the market place but can’t get enough for one meal. How can she make an income as a prostitute with two little children: one on her back and one at her side? While begging in the market the next day, she overhears a woman talking about giving her baby away. Another few weeks go by in which she begs, sells her body and watches her children become more and more malnourished. She constantly wonders if she’ll have to give her babies away too. Eventually, because she loves her children, she makes the hardest choice of her life. She kisses them on the forehead and through her tears tells them she loves them. She walks away broken hearted but is thankful that her boys will have a chance to be fed, and to live.

Several years later, I spend some time in Ethiopia. By now, this small rural town looks a little different. At the edge of the town is and organization called FOVC. And while the locals don’t know what the sign out front says, they understand that FOVC exists to help others. To care for the orphans and the widows. Even those widows who had to give up their babies. They know the children within the compound receive food, education and medical care. They know that Desalegn, who they watched grow up in this town, runs the organization and is constantly doing something, or a lot of things, for his neighbors. They know that FOVC gives them hope for tomorrow. As I stand in a crowd of villagers, some of which are seeing white people for the first time, I peer into the eyes of the people around me. One particular woman catches my attention. I watch her and she silently watches the veterinarian (my husband) treat the local livestock for parasites. With my camera in hand, I zoom in and capture a shot of that beautiful woman. As I make my way over to her, I show her the picture on my camera. She gasps having never seen herself in a mirror before, let alone on this contraption I’m holding. With the aid of a local translator, I sit and visit with this woman. And I hear her story. It’s heart breaking. But she tells me what she’s doing now and how she’s reaching out to her community. And in this small village in southern Ethiopia, I’m inspired by this woman I met who’s been through so much. She rocks my world when upon beginning to leave, she prays for us. And thanks God for using us to reach her people. I walk away with tears in my eyes. I can’t imagine the pain and loss she’s endured. Her story ends on a good note, but not all of them do.

This is all too often the case in Ethiopia. We have no clue what it’s really like there. We can’t comprehend what they go through or why they make the decisions they make. In this situation above, a baby was given up for adoption. His mom was alive. But she loved him enough to know that she could watch him die a slow death or give him up. She’d already watched the love of her life die. Once was enough. I share this story to help shed some light on their situation. It’s not perfect. And rather than argue over how and why it happens, I would love if we could work together to help prevent those situations from happening. My husband and I are volunteering with Friends of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in rural southern Ethiopia to help in these situations. If you would like to know more about them, visit their website at www.fovc.org or send me an email.

Support the Kids

2011-07-11T06:44:00.000-05:00

There are many organizations that support orphans in Ethiopia. We have supported an Ethiopian child for the last 6+ years. Without naming the organization, I will let you know that we haven't been overly impressed with this org. However, we found a new organization that we do love. Let me tell you about them.

FOVC exists for several reasons. One of which is supporting the orphans. FOVC has a sponsorship program. It works amazingly well. You can read about it here. Or I can tell you about it. Through FOVC's HOPE sponsorship, children receive a primary and secondary education (and hopefully a college education thanks to Cliff). They also receive clothing, health care and one meal a day. You don't think one meal is much? Just ask the other kids in and around Shanto how often they eat and you'll know the FOVC sponsored children are being well cared for. And you won't find it on their website but those kids receive lots of love from the FOVC staff.

Recently, FOVC moved into two new communities. Know what that means? Soon, FOVC will be looking for sponsors for those children. For $35/month, you can offer life-saving, hope-giving change to these children. That last statement is 100% serious. Sponsorship gives them life and hope. Just ask the amazing Dr. Jo who wept when she saw two smiling boys before her who she didn't expect to survive more than a few months when she met them in January. That's real change. And it's worth every single dollar. Every coffee you have to give up. Every meal you have to pack for lunch. Worth it. Will you commit to supporting a child? Feel free to contact me at tam4buit at hotmail dot com or sharon at fovc dot org. Sharon, who's in charge of HOPE sponsorships, would be happy to match you with a child.

Love Them

2011-07-10T06:12:00.000-05:00

These are 3 staff that I grew to love in my time in Ethiopia.

T. Not sure that anyone knows how to spell his real name. But an amazing guy. With amazing strength. A big heart. A big smile. The heart of a servant. A volunteer. An employee of FOVC. A well deserving man. He also happened to be the man who Ryan took under his wing to train in veterinary skills. And he happened to be the one who found our birth mom and then took us back to her the next day. We love you T.

My Elesa. I met her the first day in Soddo. Her words broke my heart. I couldn't imagine the grief she was enduring. Younger than me. Beautiful. Cares for the children. FOVC employee. Quiet but strong. Dependable. Elesa, I look forward to seeing you again soon. I love you.

Desalegn, a man with a big, big heart. Younger than me but wiser than me. I was warned about you Desalegn. Thank you for caring for the least of these. Thank you for letting us serve with you for a short period while you and your staff do so daily. We love you Desalegn!

You guys are doing amazing work to serve the orphans, the widows and the oppressed. You and the remaining staff are the back bone of FOVC.

More on 4th of July Fun

2011-07-09T15:44:00.000-05:00

So I've told you about my amazing travel group and how half of us were together for the 4th of July weekend. But I didn't talk much about it cause I was super exhausted when I posted. I am now too but we'll see how this goes. Here's a few more pics and maybe some stories to go with them.

This little fire-cracker, well, she belongs to me. You can't really see the auburn-reddish hair but it's there. More than once people have referred to her as a fire-cracker. Which is funny cause when Ryan met some classmates at my 10-year reunion, one of them said "oh T is your wife? She's a fire-cracker!" Anyway, she was full of energy all weekend with her curly hair, glow in the dark necklace and juice-box after juice box of sugar. I was too tired on Sunday night to do the fireworks and so we let the kids do the sparklers and called it good. All except for Scott. He was too busy catching "nature's fireworks" as he called the lightning bugs.

Guess which one is my little Dutch burrito. Yes, he needs some sunshine. Sorry Dad, he doesn't take after you at all does he? Here the kids are doing who knows what after/while playing in the kid wash. I forgot the shampoo though. Next time.
Sleepovers are always fun as kids. First thing in the morning Scott's ready to read. B agrees to read to him. My son is a smart little whip so he and B read the story together: I tried everything possible to avoid any and all TV for the weekend. Sometimes I gave in though.

This is one of my fav's of the weekend. I was waiting for K to post two pics. I'll still wait for one, cause it's super cool but I'm sharing this one of her hubby and daughter. They are precious. Quiet. Solitude. Who knew such a thing was possible in a group of 20!

For the most part, we're all super experienced mom's and dad's. Not everyone is used to having 3 kids tug on them at once like we are. Which is why A did amazingly well here. Looks like he was keeping all three boys swinging. A, I think you and M are ready for twins. Make that triplets.

Thanks again everyone for coming. We had a great time. Maybe we should meet twice a year. Farther South in January sounds good to me. And for those who want to be honorary group 8ers, let us know. We'll love you.

Bugs, Floods, and 5 Birr Poops

2011-07-09T06:49:00.002-05:00

A short story. Ethiopia is a developing nation. Not perfect. Not western. Beautiful. It's the not western part that sometimes surprises us. We stayed at a hotel in Soddo. While thankful for flushable toilets and clean towels (even if they were only hand towels) and the many other amenities that most Ethiopians have never seen, it wasn't the Hilton. Before I share the story, I want you to know that I'm not putting down Ethiopia or Soddo or the hotel. Not one bit. Just wanting to share a story of how you know you're in a developing nation.

While at the hotel, we had many funny and not so funny moments. It mostly was related to the water issue. It started with a leaky toilet in our hotel room and a few other similar situations. It may have been cold but at least we had water. It may have leaked but at least the toilet flushed. Until one day. A leaky pipe on Sunday was being fixed. When it was time to go home, they left the water off, packed up, and went home. After holding "it" all day, one team member rushed into the hotel, dropped her bag and ran upstairs. Upon flushing, she found that the stink didn't go down. The front desk was called for help. She, embarrassed, left the hotel room. Her amazing roommate paid the guy 5 birr for plunging the toilet. After that, it was referred to as a 5 birr poop. Maybe you had to be there to find it as funny as I do.

The rest of that story played out the next morning. When us Americans complained about the water (she wasn't the only one with a 5BP waiting), the staff had the water turned back on. Apparently they should have communicated that the water needed to be left off until the pipe. But it wasn't. The water was turned back on for us. By the next morning the 4th floor was flooded. Maybe the 3rd floor too. I don't remember how many floors were flooded because we were soon distracted with the water fall coming down the marble staircase. We couldn't believe it. Then again, we didn't know anything about the pipe problem from the day before. People lifted up their bags onto their beds, wrung their clothes out and headed to Shanto.

The next day, more and more people were complaining about their mosquito bites. One look from the amazingly talented vet and it was determined that they were flea bites, not mosquito bites. Flea bites? Seriously? It was Ryan's guess that somehow the flooded floors caused the fleas to come out of their hiding places and onto the beds of several of our team. Yuck. It makes my sin crawl thinking about it. Who knows where they actually came from.

Needless to say, the pool air mattress I'd taken stayed on my bed but could have been used for rafting. Shoot, it may have even protected me from the fleas. Am I complaining? No. Even with those little issues, we were still living it up compared to many people in Southern Ethiopia. I am so, so thankful for the many ways we were spoiled on that trip.

So, that's the short story of bugs, floods and 5 birr poops.

Widows

2011-07-08T23:08:00.002-05:00

denise, a sweet friend (and team-mate) of mine from my recent trip to Ethiopia has a sweet blog post up about the widows. As a widow herself, she has a sweet perspective. And I noticed in her pictures that we have matching ones: someone caught her crying/emotional too. Check out Denise's blog: http://familylivingston.blogspot.com/

2011-07-05T23:35:00.002-05:00

I've been asked questions by several people recently about FOVC. I figure if some people are asking, there might be others who are curious that haven't asked. So, I thought I'd post the answers I recently gave to a friend... and maybe tweaked them a bit to generalize them. This is not FOVC's opinion/response, this is my opinion on these issues:

It's a matter of perspective. FOVC isn't a 40-year old established org. The good of that is that its easy to jump in and assist because everything's new. The bad thing is that there are bumps in the road as they continue to move forward in several ways. One example was communication from a team leadership perspective. If they'd been leading trips for 10 years, I'm guessing they'd have it down pat. This is the 3rd or 4th trip so they're still figuring things out.

Do you need special skills? You think that "just" being a mom wouldn't be helpful? Don't sell yourself short about your normal mom-ish abilities. A couple of things come to mind: I'm guessing you can organize and manage kids well. Plus you can love on kids who need loved. Plus you're familiar with orphan issues. Plus you care. Plus you have a big heart. And I hardly even know you so I'm sure there's a lot more to add to that. One of the big things I think we could have used this last trip is someone to organize the kids while the teachers were being trained and some were in the medical room and some were doing an art project. It was exhausting to have unorganized play the whole time, especially for those who wouldn't say no to the kids very often.

Mission trip is taken to a whole different level. I don't know exactly where you are in your personal walk. Or what your understanding/experience is with missions. But, until 2009 when I did some mission training, I had a very limited view of missions. I learned that there's many types of mission trips (preaching the gospel, encouraging the believers, establishing relationships, etc). But the difference with FOVC is that it's not a specific church mission trip. And I guess what I mean by that is that not everyone is a bible-believing Christian. In fact, FOVC is officially not a "christian" org. You don't have to be a Christian to serve on their humanitarian projects.

What FOVC is doing. Currently their main work is in Shanto. The last however many trips were to Shanto. They recently moved into two other communities. We visited both of those locations. But I heard Lory say that she didn't expect we'd ever go to their towns like we do Shanto. So, that's what I know about location. Shanto it is. Currently.

Was it good? Yes. Was it easy? No. Have you spent much time in developing nations? They're similar in that their culture doesn't function on a to-do list like ours. If you want to know more about that, read "Foreign to Familiar". It's a short, easy, read. So, where I was supposed to do one thing, that didn't at all happen. Some might call that a total loss. Like I just spent how much $ and 2 weeks of vacation to not even meet the widows. I believe that God is in control and I'm going to leave that in His control but that means that I have to let "my" plans go and let God do, or not do, what He wants. That could easily be a cop-out but I'm believing in God's timing. I also believe that on this trip, FOVC had too much on their plate. And then they lost a translator which put us in more of a pinch. And it could easily add to crazy frustration.

Was it safe? There's always risk. Right before we left, I got really anxious about being gone from my kids. What if I died serving there and then my kids no longer had a momma. Maybe it was Satan putting doubt in my head (he likes to do that you know). But part of it was real anxiety that I was taking a risk that it wouldn't be safe there. So, was it safe. Mostly. Is there risk? Absolutely. Is it safe to go to downtown Chicago? There's risk there too. The difference is that when you take a risk in our country, you kinda know and maybe understand the legal system. After all, you are an American. When something goes down in another country, you play by their rules.

Would I recommend someone else? I don't know anyone else that's doing cool things like this. I've ran into others like missionaries at the Christian Hospital in Soddo, the veterinary missionary in Addis, etc. But I love the small scale, roll your sleeves up and get it done atmosphere. I love that Desalegn is just an average guy with a bigger than average heart. I love that they're seeking to exist in biblical context even though they don't have a Christian label. So, in light of that, would I recommend someone else? No. I'm excited to serve with FOVC. That's not to say that there's not issues. And it goes back to being a new org. They're still establishing themselves, getting things figured out. And with that comes with growing pains. But, so does parenting. So does my marriage, ya know.

Team Members. I think I said before, I love them. I didn't know anyone. I hardly knew Lory. But I became FB friends with a few of them and connected with them. Because most people didn't know each other, they sent out bios which helped placed names with faces. But, we all came together really well in Ethiopia. Of the 13 people on their team, there was only two that I felt like I didn't get to know very well. One was an introvert and the other was quiet.

Serving without your spouse. I've gone on trips without Ryan. It was tough to come home all fired up and him be ready to hand of the kids and get a break. So, I was pretty adamant about him going along. He used ALL of his vacation time and wasn't very excited about it. But that "along for the ride" attitude quickly changed. Our first day in Ethiopia, he was asking me if we could sponsor one of the orphans. And by the second day, my very manly husband was letting the kids hug on him. So, my point is that if you go without your spouse, I think it's good to have a plan of some sort for communicating your experience with him. I know people who journal and then let their spouse read their journal when they get home. Anyway, something to think about.

I think getting involved with orphans in Ethiopia is an excellent idea. Because I, right now, believe strongly in family preservation and getting those women out of desperate situations to where they can thrive. Judah's cute and all but he still has a birthmom and 2 bio brothers who live very, very meagerly. And not US standards of meager either. And she's just one of many women who could use a little help and encouragement. I'm all about doing that.

And that's it for now. Lory and others, please feel free to chime in in the comments. If anyone has specific questions, please let me know.

supportive of FOVC,
Tamara B

FOVC: Teacher Training

2011-07-05T13:10:00.002-05:00

Our team had lots of things to get done on this trip. Part of that was the teacher training for the FOVC school. Check out Denise's post to read more specifics and see pics of the teacher training: http://familylivingston.blogspot.com/

FOVC: Crops

2011-07-04T15:27:00.002-05:00

I say it every time, but I find it hard to blog about this trip. It might be that I'm so busy. It might also be that there was just so much that we experienced and learned. It's hard to put all of that plus a few of the 5,000 pictures into a few posts. Alas, right now it's quiet. And while I have some cleaning to do after our company left, and though I really want to go out for a jog, I've agreed to give my body and rest and veg on the couch. Makes for a great few minutes to share about the crops program with FOVC.

Where do I begin? Sandwich the good with the difficult? Just tell you how great it was? Give way too many details?

With a new program in a fairly new organization, you know there will be struggles, right? Right. So, I went to Ethiopia with a plan to train the chosen women widows on crops. Though I was conisdered the expert, I felt inadequate to do the training and kept begging God for knowledge of what and how to share. I had also spent a lot of time learning about the culture and climate of Southern Ethiopia.

As I type, I keep deleting and trying again. Seriously, I can't even begin to put my thoughts together in a readable manner. So, here it is - no editing, no making it all looking wonderful. Just my straight up experience.

Went knowing I was to train 8 or so women. About an hour each day I would be able to spend with them with a translator. Supposed to meet the Ag minister and visit some model farms. Gos some helpful information from My friends Marco and Jennine who have a non-prof called Food 4 the Future. We get to Shanto and it didn't go down like that. There's a handful of reasons why I'm sure. But the long and short of it, is that it didn't happen as planned. Below is a picture of the men I met. And worked with.

For several hours on one day of the trip. That's it. To say I was frustrated is an understatement. To never even meet the women widows angered me a bit. But, like my husband says, it's not all about me. Below is a picture taken of me talking to the men about soil fertility and showing them a basic soil test kit.

These men were the ag specialist for their area (think Extension agronomy) and the model farmers. So on the day that the widows came, they sat and waited while we did the cultural ceremony thing. A lack of communication occurred and when the ladies had waited several hours, they left to get home to take care of their families. The men remained. So, I spent some time in an office talking with my "specialist" guys about all kinds of crops stuff in their area. They confirmed what I already knew and then taught me a bunch more. When that was done we went to a model farmers home where we looked at his crops. I was quite impressed with the degree in which he was thinking outside the box. He had a water catchment basin, a corn crib type of thing, one for potatoes too and several other things. He was applying some manure and thinking about composting. I also saw several small plots where he had broadcasted seed rather than planting it. But, it was good to see. Unfortunatley that was the only farm we visited and I would have liked to see more.

So, it didn't go like I planned. I was frustrated but understanding of their culture but there's a really important lesson in all of it. I could have brought my American attitude in and made a big deal about not meeting the widows. I could have requested that they be brought back the next day to do some training. I could have thrown a fit because after all, I spent a lot of money and all my vacation to do this. But I didn't. And I'm thanking God for giving me some maturity in that arena. What happened instead was that I spent a lot more time with the specialists. And in that time, I was able to begin relationships with them. And since Ethiopia prides itself on relationships, this was a great thing. In that time, I learned that Shanto has a farmer training center. So, while I went in without a lot of knowledge and my help would have truly been limited this first trip, I met some very helpful/valuable people. These specialists who know way more than I do. This training center that trains farmers. How cool is that!?!?!?

So, now I have a new idea of maybe how things can go. I know they can still change. But I'm hoping to partner with these specialists and this training center to get my widows trained. And as they continue to see me invest in the community, they'll continue to trust me and what I have to say. And maybe then, some of the model farmers will be willing to try a few new things. ANd once they try, then their neighbors will too. I look forward to the progress that we can make in the next few months and then to see what we can make happen (with help, of course) when I go back (tentatively) over Thanksgiving.

The model farmers wearing the John Deere hats that my friends Lyn/Joel and Julie/Bob donated for the guys. They loved their new hats so much they didn't want to take the tags off.

Ethiopia Gathering Overview

2011-07-04T14:32:00.005-05:00

We prepared a lot of food.

(Ethiopian food for this meal)

Did lots of dishes.

(whether the adults knew it or not in this pic)

Got into a little mischief.

Had lots of fun with our friends.

As did the dogs (mine + the neighbors)

And in general, had a good time.

Only a handful of things, I mean families, were missing. Maybe next time.

Welcome

2011-07-03T08:54:00.001-05:00

9 adults + 11 kids = a whole lot of fun... and business. Glad to have my house full of friends.

Togehter Again

2011-06-30T13:33:00.002-05:00

Apparently I'm too tired to spell correctly and too lazy to fix it. Did you even catch that I mis-spelled that?

A little over a year ago I travelled to Ethiopia with a group of 9 other families. I would have never imagined that we would connect so well. In just a few days we'll be getting together with 4 other families. I seriously am giddy about it.

S & M: I love you dearly. And I'm thankful that I manage to connect with you every few months.

M: We really don't live that far from each other. After all, I'm only 35 miles from your state's border with mine. I'm super excited to see you and the rest of your crew.

K: Oh my word. I'm so giddy to see you again. I just read your blog and I laughed. You crack me up. Loved your comment to M in the email you sent last night. And the food you're going to cook, I guess I'll be trying something new

J&S: Seriously, can't you both move closer to the midwest so we can get together eaiser? That or become super wealthy, buy a jet and come hang out every few months. I miss you ladies. A lot.

Oh, this weekend is going to be fun. Hopefully my maid shows up before you do. But if she doesn't, know that it's because she, which is me, is busy working on a few other big things which you'll hear about when you're here. K? K.

you, you, you

2011-06-30T10:07:00.001-05:00

Missing my FOVC friends - both the Ethiopians and the ferenge.

Last trip, the kids were taught the sign language sign for "I love you". They all knew it this time. Even kids in town knew it. So, we were bombarded with greetings of "you, you, you" followed by "I love you" and the sign. Too sweet.

2011-06-29T19:34:00.003-05:00

Did any of you read Jo's blog that I linked to last time. She's a great story teller. Me, well I thought I was half decent until I read Jo's stuff. I guess I tend to be more factual with specific details instead of making it a story. I thought about doing the story thing for this post but honestly I don't have the time or energy to be that creative. While I type this, I really, really should be working on a resume and application that needs to be done before my travel buddies arrive on Saturday.

One of the things I love and appreciate about Ethiopia is the culture. I've found similar cultures before. Commonly called warm climate culture, they valued relationships over their task list. I love it and I find it annoying. Tonight while washing the dishes I was thinking about this. And I think their culture might be a little more biblically based. Do you know the story in the bible of Mary and Martha at Jesus' feet? It's a story I've struggled with as long as I've known it. Found in Mark chapter 10, the take home message of this story, in my opinion, is that relationships (especially with Christ) are more important than the task list. That's hard for a person like me to swallow. After all, I have a task list in my journal of all the things I hoped to accomplish. But in this Ethiopian culture, they are choosing relationships over the task list.

So, we had lots of ceremonies. Lots of officials who came to thanks us for coming. Lots of precious moments where the children entertained us with skits and songs. Lots of coffee served. Lots of traditional dancing and singing. And even lots of waiting for those things to happen. But you know what else occurred in that time? Lots of relationship building. And it was beautiful. Building relationships is important no matter what culture you're in.

As somewhat of an outsider to FOVC, it was great to see how the Ethiopian government was so supportive of the work FOVC is doing. That was certainly evident by the many officials who came to thank us. Who, in a poor part of the country, brought books for the private school who educates the orphans but also some children from the community.

If I remember right, they were math books and hygeine books. I might be wrong on that detail but none the less, the support was obvious. And it wasn't just the government officials. The local priest met us our first night for supper and then joined us Sunday after his mass was finished and spent the day with us.

Of course, all these ceremonies take time. The children did so well patiently waiting for all the big people type of business. When it came time for them to get involved, they did that too. Below are some of the older children dancing for us. Some are in uniforms while others are in a traditional shirt. Their dancing was amazing. Some of us willingly danced with them while others were drug out in the middle to shake their thang!

And when it came time for more formal gift giving, the children took part. The teachers have amazing control of the students. They have been taught well. The children thanked each person for coming and presented us with a traditional scarf. The two little girls who gave us scarves were adorable.

Though my task list didn't get done and though I didn't think we needed all those official thank you's, I did love that time. It was wonderful for them to be thankful and share their gratitude but really, I'm so thankful that I got to play a part in the team. I got to see God working through FOVC. I was blessed by my new friendships - both the Ethiopians and the ferenge. As you can see below, the pictures tell a story, but the videos give such a bigger glimpse. The one below is of the kids singing "bah, bah black sheep" even though they're not proficient english speakers. Thanks kids. You are so sweet!

updates

2011-06-27T23:07:00.000-05:00

So, I got through two updates. More are coming. I promise. I'll try to have them up before I start giving details of the next trip. But lately, lately I just haven't had the physical time or emotional energy. I might have said it before but it was a difficult trip in several ways so it's hard to share all the good things without the bad things coming to mind. I don't want to be all negative but I also don't want to come across like it was all fine and dandy. And honeslty, I don't have it figured out yet. When you combine that with a busy personal life, the blog posts are rolling through my mind but not making it to the computer. Sorry. Bear with me. I have lots of amazingly cool things to share and I hope to capture it. For now though, my dear friend Jo puts things together very well. And she's sharing about the trip here: http://josafrica.blogspot.com/

FOVC: Welcome

2011-06-24T21:49:00.004-05:00

The FOVC welcome was crazy and wonderful and so community oriented. I have one picture to show you. But even if I had 20, it wouldn't do justice to the actual welcome. Steve has a video. It's posted on the FOVC site here. It gives you a better idea but it doesn't do justice either. Let me try to explain to you what I experienced.

We pulled into Shanto. We knew they were waiting for us. At one end of town was the open air market. As soon as the landcruisers pulled in, people began leaving the market and gathering around our vehicles. Eventually we were told to go ahead and get out of the vehicle and to take only our camera. We were met by a large number of villagers. The elders dressed in traditional attire, were dancing and singing the traditional dance. It took us almost an hour I'm guessing to walk down the road to the compound. Not because it was a long walk but because we were surrounded by curious onlookers. Like, worse than the shopping mall on Christmas Eve. Like worse than the football stadium right after the game ends. I'm a people person so I loved it. Being surrounded by tons of people I didn't know didn't make me uneasy at all. What really touched my heart was that as I walked I had one child holding my left hand and not sharing with others while I had 4 different children holding my right hand. And when we came to a mucky puddle, rather than let go of my hand and walk in front of or behind me through the dry spot, the children would wade through the puddle so they could keep holding my hand. I wondered what they were thinking as I tried to let go and let them go ahead of me. I'm not even sure what I was thinking.

When we finally reached the FOVC compound, we were greeted by this group of children and their teachers at the front gate. They were singing a song, in English, for us while proudly holding up their signs. It was warm. They were hot and been waiting a while so I'm sure they were as glad as we were that we were finally there!

One of the coolest parts of all this was when Jo locked eyes with her sponsored child and they ran for each other. Their embrace was one of long lost friends. What I didn't know then was that when Jo left in January, Ayelech was quite upset. Jo assured her that she would come back and said to look for her. Well looking she was and she found her and it was precious. When they hugged, Ayelech said "my mummy, you've come back". Yes, indeed she did Ayelech.

Of course, there was one sweet boy that was holding a sign with our names on it. We made sure to track him down and Julie grabbed a picture of us. This was the beginning of many little buddies that we would come to know.

Below is a picture of some of the town elders who were dancing, singing and playing their instruments. These people danced us all the way down the road and then continued after we greeted the children at the compound gate. They must have burned a lot of calories that day doing the "hand drying" (as we called it) dance.

Just a few of my friends are below. Really, I don't think I really knew any of these kids yet except the one to my immediate right. She stuck close to me all week. Love that sweet child. What was even better was that she asked about Ingrid shortly after I got to know her a little. How cool is that!!! She was asking about Ingrid, one of 4 people I know from last January's team of 28. I had brought her a little photo book from Ingrid and was so glad to be loving on her for my friend. As the week progressed, my little buddy would rarely leave my side.

Coming up next: come on, do you seriously think I have a plan of action for these posts? I think I'm saving the crops for last, just so you know. Other posts will be Judah's birthmom, livestock, medical, and who knows what else...

FOVC: Journey

2011-06-23T20:12:00.008-05:00

So, I think I've decided to do topical posts rather than daily updates. Here's the first installment.

This photo above captures much of our journey. And a journey it was. Literally and figuratively. In 12 days time, I spent approximately 88 hours, or 3 and 2/3 days, travelling. That's a lot of sitting. The following are some pictures, and maybe some stories mixed in, of our travels in Ethiopia.

The above photo was a typical scene: people travelling along side the road, livestock travelling along-side and across the road all while the driver speeds down the center at 80mph. Even though there were lines painted on this road, drivers had no regard for the lines and would even pass on a hill going around a corner. Crazy driving to say the least. So much so that one driver earned the name Speedy because of his crazier than normal driving.

The picture below speaks of travelling to the South for me. I first saw the picture on Bethany Hutchison's blog. Then on our first trip to Ethiopia, this hill stuck out like a sore thumb as we passed it. Of course when we saw it on this trip, I once again asked Ryan to grab the camera. I had no clue we were headed the same route as our trip to Durame until I saw this beautiful landmark.

If you live in my world or better yet, work in my world, this picture grabs your attention on many levels. What I want to point out to you here is the chocolatey-brown river in the center of the photo. Could you imagine your nearby river looking like this? How about if it was your drinking water. Getting drinking water is a daily journey for most Ethiopian's in the rural country-side. They travel for hours, carrying jugs to get dirty water like you see below to use for the day. The next day is a repeat. What I wish I had a picture of was the last day on our way out of town. It had just rained. A lot. Water was running down the side of the road through a ditch. Women were huddled over the draining water scooping it up. In their hands. In their storage jugs. Washing their face. Dirty, parasite filled water. Out of the road ditch. So sad. It makes me sick. But not as sick as it makes them. I wish I had that picture so you could see why we need to help them provide clean water.

The reason I waited to post was so that I could take the time to write detailed, accurate posts. But now that I'm sitting on the couch, I don't dare get my lazy butt up and grab my journal to get the name of this next place. We stopped twice on our drive down to Soddo. Once was at an open air national museum called Melka Kuntere. On a beauitful location we saw soils profiles and information, as well as digs for human bones. The second place we stopped is the next two pictures. It's a site of really, really old burial sites. Ancient would be the word I was looking for. Anyway, these ancient burials were of soldiers. The back side of the stones were carved. The swords indicated how many they'd killed. The circles indicated if they if they were male or female. We even had a tour guide.

PS, when we took our missions leader training in February, one of the important things we learned was to entertain your host when they want to show off their pride and joy places. So, while we struggled with just wanting to get to FOVC and getting work accomplished, we also knew the value of seeing the things our host's wanted to show us.

So this next picture didn't load big enough. Seriously blogger, you're driving this tired, grumpy lady crazy. Anyway, this picture shows how the ground is tilled up. It's old school. But it works. Plowing with this method is quite the journey for the oxen and the man. It takes me hours and steps to get this field prepared for a crop to be planted.

This next picture is one of my favorite. If I could have only stepped into this woman's life a little more, I would have been speechless I'm sure. As we pulled along side the road for a quick break, locals began to gather around us. As I turned my head to the hill side, I watched a middle aged woman rush down the hillside. I wondered what was going through her mind. Did she want to see the ferenge (white people)? Did she think we had something to give her? Never-the-less, she hustled down the hillside and as she got to the bottom, she made sure to wipe the mud off her feet before she greeted us. The least we could do for her was to take her picture. Imagine her surprise, having never seen herself before, when she saw a picture of herself on my camera. I couldn't leave without taking a picture of this sweet woman on a journey, along with about 20 other curious locals.
For the most part I did just fine. We may have drove in style while in Ethiopia but because of my easy car sickness, I made sure I rode in the center, and most uncomfortable seat, so I wouldn't get sick. Though my team offerred to change, I preferred the discomfort of the seat over sickness. On our flight home, after a 4-hour drive from the country-side, I believe God had pity on my hind end (and my husband) by leaving an open seat next to me. Being emotionally and physically wiped out, and a little help from a muscle relaxer, I spread out in those two seats and crashed.

This concludes my first installment of the posts about my trip to Ethiopia with FOVC. More are coming. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe not. But I guarantee I have lots more pictures and stories to share!

More Detailed Et Maps

2011-06-21T20:43:00.002-05:00

My friend Denise Ward (who was a veterinary missionary in Et) gave me a link to some detailed maps of Ethiopia. Unfortunately, I still can't find Damot Pulasa on there Sharon. Take a look at the link but know that it's a BIG file. I saved it, will remove the amharic pages and then maybe post some individual maps...http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/atlasall.pdf

If it takes you to the ifpri homepage, just navigate to the country of ethiopia in the top bar and then go down to a May 2007 publication. And if you're interested in agriculture things like me, you might read the whole document. This 108 page document titled "Ethiopian Rural Economy" talks about crop production, access to clean water, livestock, etc. Don't be overwhelmed, for each map/graph in English, there's a subsequent map/graph in Amharic. And really, the first 17 pages explain all their processes. So, if you do the math, that should really only be 37 pages of reading... I might just start tonight. Then again I have four loads of laundry to fold, 4 more to wash and blogs posts to write about my trip... wishful thinking...

Beginning of Et posts

2011-06-19T18:20:00.003-05:00

Not knowing where to begin regarding our recent trip to Ethiopia with FOVC, I thought I'd update my sidebar. Unfortunately I can't even do that. Guess I'll write a post then...

Okay, I think I'll start with a general over view of our trip and then do follow up posts to break down specifics that will surprise you, encourage you, and make you thankful for the richness in your life.

We left home on Monday the 30th of May. Met up with Ingrid from Reaching His Kids for a short visit where we got some awesome pics and gifts to take to FOVC. Our hotel was in the middle of no-where with only one option of a place to eat. Guess we're not having a nice meal out before heading to Ethiopia.

Tuesday morning we were on the shuttle by 4am. Waited in the Minneapolis airport for 3 hours. There was no one down in our neck of the airport as we waited. Except one security guard who walked through. Left a little before 8am and flew to DC. Met up with some familiar faces I now call friends. Jumped on a big fancy new plane together. Unfortunately the entertainment (tv's, USB ports) didn't work on our section of the plane. We also missed the message that was supposed to inform us to get up and ask if you wanted something to drink. It was a long flight. Twelve hours later it was now Wednesday morning in Addis and we finally landed. One annoying little mishap occured with customs and all the meds Ryan took into the country. Two hours and $45 later, we were leaving the airport.

Thursday morning we drove to Soddo, Ethiopia where we stayed in a hotel. Though we were eager to get to Shanto and get work done, we stopped at two places on the way. One was a cool open air and outdoor museum and the other was the Ethiopian version of Stone Henge. Both were interesting and a good break for the hind end. We arrived at the hotel and checked in. That went well but the "well" dried up quickly. We walked over to the government building to meet with the local rotary. There was some confusion and that meeting didn't occur but that allowed us time to go for a walk with Desalegn, the director, and about half of our team. It was good to get a tiny taste of Ethiopian culture. Supper at the neigboring restaraunt before we headed back to our hotel.

Friday was our first day in Shanto. A wonderful welcome followed by lots of ceremony. Honestly, at this point, it all gets a little fuzzy as to when what happens. Thanks to pictures, I have a clue when things happened. But, basically, each day that we were there we were welcomed and had some sorts of welcome ceremony. Amazing traditional singing and dancing, coffee ceremony, skits, etc. Then down to business. Lunch at 130 or 2 which was a welcome break from chasing kids around. We did this for 4 days and accomplished LOTS of things because of God's hand in it all. On the 5th day, Tuesday, we left Shanto/Soddo and went to the other two villages that FOVC has reached into. It was a hike to get there. After those two visits we arrived at Sabana Lodge on Lake Langano for a chance to decompress as a team. The next morning some team members headed back to Addis to catch their flight while the rest of us decided to stay one more night. It was actually cheaper. Without giving too much detail and not wanting to belittle the situation, I'll share that our last night was hell on earth for some on our team. And hell on earth for everyone on our team the next morning.

On Thursday part of the remaining team began our journey home. A 4-hour drive back to Addis Ababa, then relaxed a few hours before heading to the airport. Really early is better than last minute chaos. We know from experience. We began our 17 hour flight home. I slept through the landing and hanging out on the tarmac in Italy. With that long of a flight, Thursday turned to Friday. Eventually we landed in DC. It is so good to here "welcome to the United States!" Had a brief run-in with customs again and then gathered as a team for lunch/breakfast. Though it was only 6 of us, it was great to gather one last time. We left DC and flew to Minneapolis, got our bags, grabbed the shuttle ride to our van, and headed HOME. So, so good to be going home.

still journeying

2011-06-18T23:17:00.001-05:00

This past week I've:
- met with some people who wanted to hear about our trip
- rambled to some close friends about the not-so-pretty parts of our trip
- Had a filling in a tooth. I hate cavities!
- facilitated our missions meeting at the church
- Ordered thank you's for our Ethiopia trip and Father's Day cards for the dad's on my list.
- Attended a presentation for one of our church sponsored missionaries and went to supper with him, the missions committee and my family
- Sat on the couch and did nothing even though I really should have been cleaning
- Hosted my in-laws and their friend, Kathy, in our home for supper. Thank you honey for doing ALL the food prep.
- Worked all week. Boy did that suck the first day back.
- Weeded the garden mostly until I was tired of getting bit by bugs. At least I don't have to worry about malaria here.
- Presented to some people in our church about our Ethiopia trip. (that's a whole 'nother ramble)
- Addressed and filled out all the thank you cards. Except the few I left for Ryan.
- Edited our pictures from the trip
- Prepared a presentation on the trip for a work meeting. Not quite done with that one.
- Hosted my favoritist FIL for the evening.
- Read Tom Sawyer to Scott. A few chapters that is.
- Drooled over other team members pics

Now I'm ready to crash if only the bug bites would quit itching.

Next on my list:
- Begin blogging about the trip
- Pull weeds in the flower beds

SNNPR zones and woredas map

2011-06-18T14:33:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I was online looking for a map to do a quick geography lesson for our Ethiopia presentation. I didn't know that I'd find such a detailed map. In fact, so detailed that I've been able to get a real close idea of where several friend's ET kids are from. Isn't that worth sharing? I thought so! I found it works best if you save it and then zoom into your zone to see the details.

2011-06-16T20:46:00.001-05:00

I know, I know, I haven't posted about our trip yet. Seriously, I have been busy. With life. For now, you'll just have to enjoy a picture of my handsome teddy bear, I mean macho, husband.

I would love to be blogging but I have company coming and a crazy, not guest friendly, house. And two presentations to prepare. And a photo book to create. More from me next week... unless I share bits and pieces here and there.

thank you's

2011-06-14T00:18:00.001-05:00

I just ordered my Ethiopia trip thank you's off of shutterfly. I hope I'm not dissapointed since I ordered so many!

ongoing

2011-06-13T23:38:00.001-05:00

Still working on editing photos. Did I mention we took approximately 5,000 pictures while we were gone? Some are posted to facebook already. Lots more need edited. I already started working on designing thank you's. We'll see how they turn out. I also need to work on the presentation for Saturday for the community, the one for Tuesday at our area all staff meeting, and gather a few to show my coworkers. Oh, and I better get my agenda ready for tomorrow night's missions meeting...

and of course another sneak peak at a photo. One that's not yet on FB.

getting there

2011-06-11T21:23:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm home. Settled back in. Kinda. Between laundry and catching up on kisses from Bethany, I've got a lot swirling around in my head. I managed to edit some pictures and load them to facebook. I have about 4 days worth of pictures left to do. But for now I'm tired and my crazy neck muscle drama is going crazy. guess I shouldn't have played on the trampoline with the kids. I leave you with this one picture for now. I hope it serves as a reminder to you that we all travel a different road. For some it's much more difficult with others. May you be encouraged to carry another's burden as you journey down life's road.

Met Them

2011-06-10T09:30:00.001-05:00

One of the goals of my trip to Ethiopia was to meet Judah's birth mom and brothers. I knew that we would be in the general area of Judah's mom. I didn't know if that would mean a 2 hour drive down a dirt road or what. What I didn't know is that she was a 20 minute drive from where we were staying in Soddo. On Sunday, Tuto went out on his motorbike with the information and a picture in his hand to find Ms. A. Four hours later after my hopes were slim, he arrived at Shanto and gave us all a thumbs up. Who knew such a simple gesture would make me cry!

On Monday morning, our driver took us back to Ms. A in his landcruiser. My emotions were overwhelming as I watched the local village people break branches along the foot path so the "ferenge" could get through in the landcruiser. While one woman walked along the path that led us to Ms. A, I was overcome with how wonderful the people of Ethiopia are.

We did meet Judah's birth mom for a second time. And we met the brothers. And I'm so, so thankful. In addition to that, my friend, Dr. Jo went along with us to check on our birthmom who said she'd been very sick. Jo happily reported that mom and boys were well and then proceeded to treat 30+ people for MMR.

Thank you FOVC staff, Dr. Jo, and Guillermo (our driver) for blessing us in such an incredible way!!!

For the other AP's reading, there was no involvement of Holt for this meeting. They didn't have the staff available. We did not take her anything except the one picture of Judah. She had received the letters and pictures we sent in the past. Great news.

More from me later...

in DC

2011-06-10T09:17:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the United States. Oh, how I love those words! We're in DC and just had lunch for breakfast. Thanks to the wonder worker Dr. Jo, I slept well about half of the flight! In just a little bit, we'll be loading for our last flight. We'll land in Minneapolis, then pray that our shuttle guy and luggage find us quickly, then start the 4 hour drive home... oh, I'm eager to be there.

home stretch

2011-06-09T07:56:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to share with everyone that we're on the home stretch of our trip. After a bad start to the morning, we just arrived back in Addis Ababa, where we'll fly out from. It was an amazing but difficult few weeks.

Please continue to pray for our team. That everyone will arrive in Addis safely and then return safely. Pray for God to bring Shalom to our team!

from the guest house where the kind lady lets me sneak on her computer...

TB

One Step Closer

2011-05-30T21:12:00.002-05:00

For those who want to know, I have a wonderful travel buddy for this Ethiopia trip. I happen to love him bunches. My favorite part of the day was when he opened the door of the van for me. So sweet.

Luggage is weighed and packed. Was able to fit some of Ingrid's amazing pics from last January to share with FOVC. Four bags at just under 50 pounds a piece. Hopefully our scale that we just bought at T9rget is accurate!!! Now, time to hit the hay for a few hours before our 3am alarm wakes us.

Thanks for praying guys. We are one step closer tonight.

And my daughter who for two days has wanted to go home with her grammy has finally changed her tune and missed her momma and her daddy tonight. Thanks mom for keeping them and for our many friends who will hang out with them at night. May they grow up knowing what it means to serve others - both at home and abroad. We love you babies!

Getting Ready

2011-05-29T16:17:00.002-05:00

Yesterday while my kids were destroying my house and my kithen sink filled up with more dishes, I packed. What a tedious job. When are the airlines going to get with the program like the post office: "if it fits, it ships". Weight limits on carry-ons??? Seriously, that stinks. My carry on has NEVER been weighed... but once. And man, oh man could we have been in trouble.

On our trip to Ethiopia last summer, we stayed in Amsterdam for two days. When we left Amsterdam, they weighed Ryan's carry-on. Since my amazing husband is also way strong, he had the bulk of the weight in his carry-on. So, we took some out of his and moved it into mine. That one time, it could have mattered. So now, I pay close attention to the weight restriction.

A limit of 17 lbs for a carry-on stinks! It's horrible. I so could have packed ALL my clothes into my carry-on if it weren't for the 17 lb limit. Now instead of a neatly, tightly packed carryon that doesn't allow for crap to move, I have a 3/4 full carry-on where stuff is going to move around. So annoying to this slightly OCD person. And worse than that, it meant that I had to put some additional stuff into my checked luggage which means less room for donations.

Oh well, I guess I should get over it. The thing that really bugs me is if they're not going to check, then I would prefer to just fill my carry-on and let it be over by 3 lbs and be less stressed about it. Have you ever seen the commercial where someone is checking in for a flight and has layers and layers of clothes because of the weight limit of the bags. That's so going to be me on Tuesday. I'm going to have my sweatshirt on and every pocket filled with snacks, make-up, etc. Ug, so retarded... the rule that is.

Anyway, we're all packed. Mostly. Yesterday I packed myself and the kids. This morning I dropped the kids' stuff off at my mom's. Bethany had to pack every dolly she could find in her room! Ryan, well, he's packing right now. He carried the suitcases down the stairs for the 4th time lately. I had determined that we weren't using our luggage cause it was just too heavy. The big suitcase weighs 17 pounds. So, we've packed in smaller canvas luggage. I wanted to do the rubbermaids but Ryan didn't want to carry those suckers around at the airport. Down to our last bag to pack, we might have to move to the big suitcase and give up weight for cubic inches of space. I have about 15 pairs of crocs left to get packed. They don't weigh much at all but they take up space. And Ryan has 150 blade/needle/surgery things (sorry can't remember the techy term) and they weigh nothing but take up space too. So, we'll see what we get accomplished.

By the way, Ryan just came down and weighed his carry-on. It holds our camera equipment, and the laptop. It weighed 18.5 pounds. I told him to just go with it. Pray with us that our checked luggage makes it through customs (lots of vet meds that are worth moola) and that our carry-ons don't get weighed :)

Ciao.

Find me Elsewhere

2011-05-22T14:09:00.002-05:00

Today, I'm a guest blogger on the FOVC blog. Check it out to read my thoughts on being an "average" person and being able to help.

Click here to read.

Check. Check. Check. Check

2011-05-16T23:24:00.001-05:00

I'm a list maker. It helps keep me on task. But often times the list gets too long so I don't really pay attention to it. One of my recent lists has been a great way for Ryan to jump in and help me get things checked off my list. He's wonderful like that. We make a good team. Here are a few things off my list now:

1. Finish "A Hole in Our Gospel". Check.
2. Finished prayer letter for our trip. Almost Check.
3. Weighed all our donations. Check. Thanks to the many hands that provided 120 pounds of donation.
4. Received our tax return in the mail. CHECK!

Less than two weeks...

Sunshine State

2011-05-14T23:36:00.002-05:00

I do not live in the sunshine state. The state of our sunshine sucks. I'd like to state how little sunshine we've had lately. To state that my skin needs sunshine is an under-statement.

You get the point, right?

We've had little sunshine. Lots of rain. Lots of cold weather. Even for Iowa. If it would actually warm up to normal temps here, I might have a chance to get a little sunshine on my skin before I skin both loves and hates the constant sunshine in Ethiopia.

What's today? I think it's 16 more days until we leave for Ethiopia!!!

2011-05-13T21:49:00.001-05:00

Holt informed me today that they aren't staffed well enough to help me with a search for Judah's birth mom when we're there in a few weeks. I'll take that as it's my own responsiblity to find her and the part of Holt that says I have to use them as the middle-man goes right out the window. Thanks Holt for focusing on the orphans and not me. I'm fine with that. Please continue to focus on the orphans and not me when I seek to find his birth momma in a few weeks.

a to-do list a mile long,
TB

About the Widows

2011-05-10T22:06:00.002-05:00

I was curious and asked Desalegn about the widows I will be working with. Here was his reply:

Hi Tamara, The widows are new to FOVC that means they have not been included inFOVC's other Widows Hope Programs (like Sewing Projects, Livestock forWidows Projects). The widows will be part of FOVC's Crops for WidowsProject only. They are some of 50 widows who will be included in ourCrops for Widows Project in Shanto area. By the way we are not includingwidows in two programs at the same time i.e a widow who is benefitingfrom FOVC's Crops for Widows Project can not be included in Livestock orSewing Projects or Small Scale Businesses for Widows Project. Crops forWidows Project is new to FOVC. So the widows are also new to FOVC.
Thanks,Desalegn

Isn't that cool!?!? Love that FOVC is working to serve many women and their families.