More Updates [late]

I want to start off by first apologizing PROFUSELY for my lack of blogging during my trip. The internet would rarely load my blog and therefore, I was unable to update it. Also, our schedule did not allow a lot of time for internet (only on Saturdays), and the last week I got stuck in the province of Mercado without a ride home, so I did not have enough time to go on the internet by the time we found a taxi.

So, I am very sorry that you only got two updates during my entire 5 weeks in Africa. However, this now means that I can update you on everything since I am back.
My trip to Ethiopia was incredible and life-changing. I will definitely be writing more, probably at the end of this week once my body adjusts to everything, but here is a brief overview of my trip.

The kids at the orphanage I worked at, KVI, or Kingdom Vision International, were amazing. Some of them told me their testimonies and you would not believe the amount of trauma they have had to overcome, or the lives that they had to live before they got to the orphanage. I found out that many were there either because their families could not afford them, or they that they were being seriously neglected. I connected so well with the children- if I were married at the moment I would have adopted all of them. Okay, probably not all of them, but as many as I could afford. My heart was broken for them in a way I never thought it could be. I learned to love at a whole new level....one that I never even knew existed. I sobbed the day that I had to leave. And I still cry every moment that I think about them.

During the trip I learned a lot about Islam and about Muslims, since nearly half the population of Ethiopia is Muslim. Basically they believe that Jesus was a prophet and Allah is their God. Mohammad is a higher prophet than Jesus. Women have no rights whatsoever and they can be beaten and forced to have sex at anytime. A man can also have as many wives as he wants. Mohammad was 53 when he married a girl that was 7 years old. Women also must cover their entire bodies with a dress (most of the time it is black if they are very strict). Strict Muslim women also wear burkas, or headdresses, that cover their entire face so that only their eyes show. I even saw some women have their eyes covered, as well as their hands. It looked pretty scary, actually. When men die, they get to go to a heaven with 72 virgin women. Women do not get anything. If they leave the religion of Islam, they could potentially get killed. The funny thing about Islam, is that you cannot have a relationship with Allah, only know his will. Allah is not even in heaven either- you never get to see him. When I heard this, I was shocked. I couldn't believe that you weren't allowed to have a relationship at all. I'm so glad that I get to meet Jesus in heaven, and have a relationship with Him while I am on earth.

I got worms while in Ethiopia. Not sure where I picked them up or how exactly I got them, but after 2 rounds of medicine (first mebendazole- THANK YOU microbiology for teaching me the drugs that I needed to cure myself, and second, albendazole). I was cured naturally and supernaturally. I did take medicine, and lots of it, but I was also prayed for and that day the itching quit. Oh yes, for those of you that do not know the "symptoms" of worms, it is basically an uncontrollable (and unrelenting) itching of the butt. It was really annoying, especially when I was in public (which was 75% of the time), because you cannot itch your butt without having a stigma attached to it. It got painful towards the end, and I was extremely happy when the itching ceased, as you can probably imagine.

I visited a Fistula Hospital while in Addis. A fistula is basically the formation of another hole in the bowel region, either from prolonged labor or from sex [many prostitutes get fistulas, especially if they are really young in age]. The girls at this hospital usually had them from prolonged labor and the average age of the girls was 16. It was really sad to see them, but I was glad they were getting treatment. The average childbirth is 5 days long. Can you imagine having to go through that much pain [naturally, of course] for 5 days? I would never have kids. Another awesome thing about the hospital is that the founder still works there and performs surgeries- and is 86 years old! How crazy is that? Pretty crazy if you ask me.

There were so many incredible things that happened to me, I'm not sure how to explain everything, nor do I have enough space to write it all. For now, I am going to leave you with this blog, and I will write again soon with more updates.

-Atalie

Update #2

Hey everyone!

I hope you are all doing well. I am doing great in Ethiopia! I love it so much that I don't want to come home [seriously!].
I don't have a lot of time to write details today in this blog so I'll just give you a synopsis of what has happened so far.

I climbed an entire mountain (Mt. Entoto). It was crazy and really hard! I thought I was going to die because I couldn't breathe. Guess I'm pretty out of shape.

I also got to finally go to my worksite! I am working at KVI or Kingdom Vision International, which is an orphanage for babies up through the age of 13. It was amazing to see the children and I LOVE going there everyday. I am teaching them English and about the bible. I teach toddlers and the older children. I also play games with them (especially futbol or soccer which they love!)
One of the children has a webbed knee, so he cannot walk on his foot but rather slides around on his hands on other knee. He was also pretty badly burned in a fire so his leg has infection. I prayed for him that day and that night with our American team and the next day found out that he is going to America to get surgery- so he will be healed!!! He got a sponsor that day that decided to host him. Isn't that CRAZY????

Also please pray for one of the other children that has warts all over his face, and another child that is completely deaf in both ears.

Ethiopia has been such an incredible experience so far and I am learning a lot! When I first came I was in culture shock and felt completely helpless because the poverty is so abundant and never-ending. Now I am starting to become hopeful, and I believe that we can help people here. I am learning a lot of Amharic and I really want to take a class in order to be fluent. The language barrier is pretty hard to deal with sometimes- especially at our worksites. Most of the kids at KVI speak Amharic, or very few English, so I have to speak through a translator, which is another Ethiopian named Pariseam.

I also went shopping in Mercado, which is the biggest market in AFRICA!!! Isn't that crazy? It was really crowded and you got pushed everywhere you went. I did manage to buy a pair of zebra earrings though so that is exciting! :)

All in all I am getting used to Ethiopian culture and our roommates. I love them so much and I wish I could tell you stories about all of them! Unfortunately, internet costs money per minute that you use it, so I have to try and be brief in my writing.

I love and miss you all! See you in 3 weeks!

-Atalie

I'm HERE!!!

Hello, how are you?! [Selam, denonesh?] hopefully that spelling is correct.

I'm here in Ethiopia! Our team arrived safe and sound! It was a very long flight. I enjoyed the plane ride somewhat, but I don't think I'll ever fly again after I get back, haha. I constantly think we are going to crash and do not like take-off or landings very well.
Gosh, I don't know what to say in the short amount of time that I have! We have to pay per minute when we are on the computers.

First off- we climbed a mountain called Mount Entoto. Literally climbed the entire mountain. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but definitely very rewarding. It storms everyday here- and the past 2 days have been with hail- SCARY!

There are beggars everywhere on the streets. All the time. Everyone is always taking mini buses or walking everywhere. The minibuses just drive- there really are not traffic signals or anything like that, so it's pretty scary to ride on them. I just close my eyes and choose not to look.

We are staying at the Red Cross which is surrounded by gating and barb wire, and has guards out there at night, so I feel very safe. I really have not felt totally unsafe though I did get scared the first day when everyone was yelling at us because they have not seen a lot of white people.

I'm getting used to being stared at- haha. And yelled at. I'm learning a lot of Amharic though so it is making it easier for me to talk to people on the street and our roommates. I love my roomie! Her name is Mekon. She is very wealthy and her father is a teacher at the University where she goes. She is exactly like me- only Ethiopian so that she give you a pretty good idea about what she likes.

Food. Food is different. They serve everything on injera. Which is like a spongy bread. You eat only with your hands (and only with your right one). All "pop" and drinks are served in a glass- you never drink from the can. I'm still getting used to the food and actually have not been hungry since we got here. I'm very nauseous all the time and have a hard time eating. I have taken one shower and it was WARM! The place we are staying is very nice for Ethiopia, so we lucked out.

This may be gross to all of you but I finally pooped last night after 6 days of not pooping. I was really clogged up and had to eat one of Amy's Fiber One bars. So for those of you out there that need to poop- those things really work. :)

I think I've mostly touched on everything. We don't know what we are doing for our worksites yet, but once I know I'll update another blog. The poverty here is insane. It's more than you could ever imagine and pictures do not capture the heart of it. The streets are mud and rock, and everywhere floods when it rains. There is trash and animals everywhere- mostly dogs, some cats, and a lot of goats and donkeys.

That's all I got for now. Ciao! (as they would say in Amharic)

Atalie

TWO DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Selam [hello!]

I first want to apologize for not blogging in two months. Things have been crazy!
I've been trying to adjust living in my new house, along with 4 other roommates, trying to fundraise for Ethiopia, writing thank-you notes, doing more fundraising, and taking two summer classes which were very intense.

Thank goodness all of that stuff is mostly done with! I'm now just waiting to go to Ethiopia! We leave in 2 days, and honestly, I still cannot believe I'm going. I do not think it will hit me until I'm on the plane and we are taking off.

On another note, I've been receiving incredible prayer! Both from Heartland Assembly and Vineyard Community Church, as well as others. So I just want to thank all of you for praying for me (and for everyone). Please keep praying for us as we depart and also while spend our 5 weeks over in Ethiopia. We will need it!

I also want to thank everyone who has donated money to me for this trip. I would not be going if it were not for your generous donations and your generous hearts. If you would still like to give while I am Ethiopia, you can give online here: http://tinyurl.com/25gslgc. I currently have $3,100 and I need a total of $4,000 in order to be fully funded for the trip. So that leaves $900 still yet to raise.

God is going to move in incredible ways in Ethiopia, and I know and believe that miraculous things are going to happen. I'm excited to have this opportunity to grow exponentially in my faith, and to let Jesus have my whole heart. I want Him to break my heart for what breaks His.

I'll be able to blog once a week while I am in Ethiopia, and I will be telling stories and sharing testimonies over this blog of the incredible and powerful ways I've seen Jesus move.


Thank you all again for everything you've done for me in regards to this trip!! I honestly could not have done it without all of you!

Love,

Atalie

I cannot think of a witty title...Fundraising Continued.

Hey everyone!

I figured I should probably write again to update all of you on my fundraising status since it's been about a week. It has definitely been a crazy week to say the least.
I'm currently sitting at $1,040.00, which is INSANE!!!!!!!!!!
I don't even know how to express my gratitude in words. I never imagined that I would have this much money this quickly.

For those of you who do not know how much my trip costs, it is about $4,000.00. So, as of right now, I have about 1/4 of my trip covered!!!! I am so grateful for everyone that has contributed financially to my trip, and am equally as grateful for all the prayers, support, and encouragement I have received. It seriously means so much to me.

On another note, I am still attempting to memorize my Amharic sayings in previous posts. My goal is to know the days of the week, numbers 1-10, hello, please, and thank you before I get there. I think that is pretty feasible.

Well, that's all I got for now. I will continue to keep you all updated on my fundraising status :)
Also, I want to send a brief shout-out to all my followers: you guys ROCK!


XOXO,

Atalie

More stamps, more envelopes, and more letters...ohhhhh my!

Hey everyone!

I wanted to keep you all updated on my fundraising status :)
God has been SO good! Right now I have roughly $560! This is an incredible amount, as I have not been fundraising for very long.

$440 more and I will have about 1/4 of my trip covered.

I want to thank you all for your contributions and support- whether you are supporting financially or through prayer. I appreciate it so much, and am so, so thankful!
I am so blessed to know each and every one of you.


Now, for those of you who are keeping up on my culture research, here are the days of the week in Amharic (the most common language in North central Ethiopia):

Sunday: Ihud
Monday: Segno
Tuesday: Maksegno
Wednesday: Erob
Thursday: Hamus
Friday: Arb
Saturday: Kidame

I think this is about all I'm going to be able to learn due to limited resources. Hello, please, thank-you, numbers 1-10, and the days of the week. Now I need to memorize all of it and learn how to pronounce it correctly :)

That's all I got.

LOL,

Atalie

Stamps, envelopes, and letters oh my!

Hello everyone!

I want to thank you all for following my blog and reading my updates! Right now I am in preparation mode. Basically that involves buying a ton of stamps, envelopes, and address labels and printing out a lot of letters. It also involves a lot of paper cuts, so it seems. I'm basically sending out a letter to anyone that knows my first name. I'm hoping (and praying) for generous hearts and a lot of response!

The trip has become less surreal to me as July draws closer. We had training this past weekend for the trip, and I met my fellow team members and got to bond with them. I really enjoy the girls on my team (it will be an all-girls team). They come from all different colleges around the Des Moines area including Drake, DMACC, Grandview, and Central.
My favorite part of training was the "culture-immersion" activities, one of which involved me having to play a quiet, careful person. HA!

I've been doing some research on the country of Ethiopia, just so that I feel more comfortable with the culture once I get there. I figure it will make the transition a little easier if I'm knowledgable :) I've been learning some Amharic, which is the common language in North central Ethiopia. For example, hello is "selam" (if you are speaking to someone informally). The word "please" differs depending on whether or not you are speaking to a man or woman, either "ebakih" to a man or "ebakish" to a woman. I thought that was interesting.

Now I will count from one to ten in Amharic. Ready?
And, Hoolet, Sost, Arat, Amest, Sidist, Sebat, Sement, ZeTegn, Aser.
Pretty impressed aren't you? That's what I thought.

That's all I got for now.


LOL (as in lots of love- not laugh out loud),

Atalie