Weygoss Guest House

This is the place we are staying.

Well today we are gong to Entoto with my friend Jen and her little girl. Tegegn is down for a nap now and Ella and I are just working on her sowing. She is doing so good. I have never seen her focus on something for so long. She is making an elephant and is almost done.

We are pretty excited because Brett will be here in 2 days! It will be so nice to have someone to tag off on the poopie diapers. I am also excited because he is bring warmer cloths and deodorant. Not that I am not wearing any, it is just that I decided to use the all natural stuff before we came here, not the best  idea when you have to wearing the same clothes over and over again, not good.

Tegegn learned a new trick again the other day, yes  his sister taught him this one too. He now puckers up to give kisses and it is soooo cute. I cant wait to post a photo of it. He is also saying Moma, Dada, Ella, Anta, and hot. Ella thinks he has said a lot more but we will have to get that verified.


Hoping to hear about our MOWA letter today or tomorrow, send good thoughts our way!!!

Rainy Days in Addis

Well yesterday was "one of those days". Tegegn did not want to go down for a nap although he was up early and up during the night and Ella was just having a day when nothing was going right, thus I had two whiny children.  But I am very thankful because we have only had one day like that since we have got here so I am not complaining.

It was an eye opening day, yesterday. I was exhausted by late afternoon but we had to walk down to the Shoa supermarket to get some food. It is only about a 10 minute walk but with a 4 year old and a 22lbs baby strapped on it seemed longer.  On our way home I was at the point of just wanting the day to be done. My back was killing me because I was now carrying about 20 lbs of groceries as well. I almost started that line of complaining in my head but then it was like something spoke to me. We were walking down the sidewalk and we had to literally step over a person passed out in the middle of the sidewalk with a blanket over him, legs swollen and chapped, two street children were by my side trying to sell us gum, and begging for food, my back and shoulders aching  and then I looked around. What could I complain about? That I had a bag full of  food when everywhere around me people were begging for food, little children having to beg for whatever they may get to eat that day, if anything? That I had a heavy healthy baby in a country where children are currently dying of starvation? That I had to walk 10 minutes for food with 2 kids, when thousands have to walk on for days with their children.  I felt very humbled at that moment, and it will forever make me think twice before I utter a word of sorrow for myself, instead I gave thanks, (and a couple bananas and birrs to the children).

As famine looms in Ethiopia, only the neediest get food aid

As famine looms in Ethiopia, only the neediest get food aid

This article is about 3 years old but it is near the village where Tegegn was born.

Addis Ababa

Today broke my heart. Addis is a beautiful place but one thing that is so different about it, is the number of homeless people and children on the streets, and I don't just mean a few and I don't just mean just the poor. I mean many and beyond the poor I mean the destitute. People in wheel chairs with mangled legs, children with faces so badly burnt that they can not close their mouths. Mothers with wrapped up in rags with their little children curled up next to them just sitting in the middle of the side walk with literally no place to go and with nothing.  I know I am not the most travelled person, but I have been to Haiti, Angola, South Africa, Tejewana (sp?) but no place on earth have I seen so much sadness. Their are so many children. They sell gum or kleenex or just begging for food. They will follow you for blocks and wait outside the stores for you. Some so sad, not even the coldest heart could turn away.  Today though was heartbreaking. Ella, T and I were walking to a restaurant to get dinner and there in the middle of the sidewalk was a little boy, probably 10 or so. He was laying on his side, it looked as though he may have passed out because his box of kleenexes he was selling was beside him but in his other hand was a few Birr (dollars)  laying  out  for anyone to steal. I stopped and so did a couple of other Ethiopian ladies, we tried to wake him but couldn't, finally after a couple minutes he slowly sat up, his eyes were swollen and he began to cry a bit. The ladies asked him what was wrong, I felt his forehead and he was not hot but he slowly pointed at his mouth and opened it for me, his teeth were all full of cavities and infected. I could not imagine the pain he must of been in to just collapse on the side walk and not even being strong enough to protect the few precious dollars (cents)  he had earned. He said he had no family and did not want to go "home".  A lot of the street kids work for someone and I am sure he would not be welcomed home before the his work was done. The ladies helped him up and we talked, they said they would help him. I don't know what they were going to do, they spoke amharic to him. He looked so sad I will never forget his eyes, scared, hopeless, full of pain and sorrow.  

Tonight I think of him again and pray for him, what else can I do? It makes me again so grateful for everything in my life, grateful that at least one of my children was born in a country of prosperity and grateful that my son will never be alone on the streets, but I can not help but be heartbroken for all those children that are. That did not have the luck that we have. It seems so unfair. I don't know why I felt compelled to share this with you all.  It is something that you have to see with your own eyes, the impact it has on your soul is profound and humbling. I don't know how to make this better, how to help. I just know that the need for help is great, so great it is beyond words.