Reflections

Reflections


We are back. The two weeks seemed to fly! Our team now will make the readjustment to home over the next days to weeks. There will be time to reflect on God's work and purpose.


Proverbs 19:21 says: "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails"
We made our plans for 6 months, but God had something else in mind. We were blessed in many ways. We were able to meet some wonderful brothers and sisters and witness their dedication to the people they serve in Addis Ababa through AIDs Care and Treatment. We were able to combine with a great team from Boston and work together seeing many patients in need. Along the way, God granted us reassurances that we were in the right place and glimpses of His divine purpose.


On the last day, we were able to see some of our beloved friends from Yetebon.
Dr Fekadu was able to make it to Addis safely and was able to bring Sister Meseret, her niece Honey, Zondra, and Kinsey. This was after he was unable to come earlier due to the unavailability of gasoline due to the unrest and road closures the week before. It was wonderful to spend time with them and talk about coming back next year!


We are grateful to all who have supported us with prayer.
Please continue pray for Project Mercy and ACT Ethiopia.
Please pray for the political situation in Ethiopia. There are some deeply rooted issues that need to be resolved for there to be sustainable peace.


Bill

We are home!

We arrived home safely this afternoon at SF airport!  Thank you for your support and prayers! Stay tuned for the final blog!

Arrived in Dubai!

We are safely in Dubai after our flight from Ethiopia, our last days were quite hectic and we arrived late and have an early morning flight. Everyone is well!  We will see you soon!

Some of the members had thoughts and quotes to share as we depart. . .

"In a place of so much poverty and despair I witnessed so much hope, positivity and genuine kindness. My team here and all the Ethiopian people I met taught me about faith and integrity. There were so many amzing stories of perseverance and strength that were shared.  All of them have given me the inspiration to go back home and do my best to live my life in service to God." -Janine

"The sounds of children growing up in poverty and yet worshipping joyfully in song may be what heaven is like." -Anna

Stay tuned for more posts and quotes as people come home and process our remarkable journey. . .

Day 10

                      Group photo outside the church/clinic in Lebu (where ACT housing complex is)

                   

                      Our daily group photo. Gizaw is pictured in the far left. (The Boston Team is                                                                                really into "selfies")

                                                           Another daily group photo

Sunday Worship about to start at Suki, the service was filled with children under 10 years

Today will be a short entry with various photos from the past few days.  We had a productive but long day at clinic, seeing patients at Gizaw Melese's church. Gizaw works with ACT as the Referral Coordinator and has been our "main man" here, coordinating and accompanying us with all our travels back and forth to the different clinic sites we have been to. He is a joyful man.

To introduce the Boston team that we have worked alongside for the past 11 days, there is Daniel, the Boston group leader who has an M Div and is pursuing ordination, Julia a Physical Therapist whom we have run ragged with all the musculoskeletal problems we have seen here, Rashaad, a graduate student in Counseling and Theology at Gordon Conwell, Decca, a nurse practitioner from Alabama whose specialty is HIV medicine, Tom an RN from Boston who works in the VA and Sun, a post-baccalaureate pre-medical student at Harvard.

Our teams have bonded through the fun and games of "Scattergories" in the evenings after a long day, and through the camaraderie that comes from working alongside each other as a team. We have come to rely on each other to adapt to unpredictable and stressful circumstances, in order to achieve our common mission, which is to serve the many people that come to the clinics with significant medical, spiritual and social needs.

Returning "Home"

                        The elegant and lively (!) Workayehu at Yod Abyssinia Restaurant

                                                            We all had a great time

                                           Various Ethiopian Stews on Injera--Delicious!

                                       The fabulous and energetic dancers at Yod Abyssinia

This evening we had the opportunity to enjoy Ethiopian food, music and dance as a team and with our new brothers and sisters on the Boston team, at the Yod Abyssinia Restaurant in Addis.  We had great fun enjoying the company, food and ambiance, and many of our team members were fine dancers and joined in the traditional Ethiopian dancing throughout the evening!

But what would it be like to return to Ethiopia on a medical missionary trip as a nurse,  to one of the poorest communities in Addis Ababa, when you have been raised there?  Workayehu one of our team, immigrated to the US when she was 31 but grew up in Addis in a middle income household where her father was an LVN. Her mother and 1 sister still live here in Addis.

This is what she shared:

What was it like to return to Ethiopia?  She had been wanting to go on a mission trip for years as she had felt led to serve God, but for various reasons, it hadn't been possible. When this trip came up, Bill Zuber invited her to come--they had met when Workayehu had assisted with an Ethiopian child who came to this country for surgery a few years ago. With a new job and other things "falling into place" the dream became a reality and she knew this was her answer to prayer.

Were there any surprises? Since it had been 2 years since she had visited, there weren't too many surprises regarding the various challenges facing the people of Ethiopia. While it was an adjustment to have our plans changed from Yetebon to Addis, she has been touched and impressed by the work being done by ACT and wishes to continue to support their work.

What has been the favorite part of the trip so far? Being part of a team that wants to serve God has been a wonderful thing, as she has felt part of a group of people who have a common goal.

What do you want non-Ethiopians to know? There are many challenges for the people of Ethiopia, aside from the basic needs for food, water, shelter and dignity that all humans share. Much prayer and support are needed on an ongoing basis, but there is also hope, hope that comes from organizations like ACT who are in Ethiopia and dedicated to the mission of serving "the least of these." (Matthew 25: 31-46)

A Day in the Life in Suki

Today was our day for home visits in the Suki Project.  We began our morning with a lovely worship time with the combined staff of ACT , the Boston Team and Menlo Church. We split up into teams of 3 with a translator and started off to visit beneficiaries in the community .  We traversed rocky , uneven and narrow roadways over small rivulets of unknown substances to finally arrive at our destination. 

At first I thought the rocky roads were a hindrance but then I remembered that during the rainy season the mud flows easily down the streets and the elevated rocks will make walking dryer. We entered through a corrugated metal fence with a gate into a small compound with two or three households sharing the property.  It was wash day so a woman was busy scrubbing her clothes in a large basin and hanging them on the line to dry.  Across from her was a drying mat where sheets of Eucalyptus bark was drying in the sun for the evening dinner fire.  The sun was shining and it was peaceful and quiet .

We continued on our way to our second stop past a field where young men were playing soccer and on to our destination.   Genet welcomed us into her home where her 14 year old son was playing quietly by the front door.  The room was dark and musty but had some pieces of old furniture and a bed.  In corner was  a traditional Ethiopian coffee pot.  I've said that even if people don't have food to eat they have their buna, which is coffee in Amharic!  We asked Genet how she came to participate in the ACT program and she told us of how she saw how the ACT children were being treated while working at a Health Center.  She has been participating for a year and is already an "expert patient", which is a type of mentor and counselor to the new patients.  She has a difficult family situation since her oldest son has a seizure disorder, and is still having seizures, and her husband is hostile to her new-found faith and community.  She told us she receives financial, social, medical and emotional support from the ACT community and it has become her "Life".  We had a sweet time of conversation through our interpreter and prayed with her before leaving.  We are so grateful to be partnering with a ministry that touches the lives of so many in this community.

Sally Marsh

Sabat--The Sabbath

                       The Mountains Behind our "Home" at ACT where some of the team hiked

Day 7 - (Sabat in Amharic), the Sabbath

We rose early for church today. Some went to St Matthew's Anglican Church and a few of us went to the Suki Church, a church planted by the Sudanese Interior Mission (SIM) and one of the sites of our busy clinics.

The service at Suki Church was an amazing experience. The majority of the congregation were children who sang beautifully to Ethiopian hymns accompanied by drum and led by "Jambo" who opened the service (and also leads the children's program). The service was in Amharic. The children were all devoted, and completely earnest in their singing and worship. After a few songs, the adults adjoined to a service in an adjacent tent where Jason Polk conducted the service in Amharic and English and gave a teaching on Mathew 16 v 13-20  and spoke about the power of Heaven as an offensive force over Hell and the promise that we will ultimately prevail.

It was a day for worship and rest. After lunch some visited with friends, hiked or rested. In the evening, we gathered together for a delicious Ethiopian dinner, prepared by our wonderful cooks. The evening ended with the elegant and traditional coffee ceremony orchestrated by our own Workayehu. What a special treat!

                                             Jason Polk and his sons Nathan and Isaiah

                     
                                  Workayehu, who is joyful at all times, including coffee ceremony!

We were also pleased to be able to give the equipment and supplies to Lali Demeke of Project Mercy, and to spend some time with him and his family in fellowship.

Posted by
Isabella Zuber

Day Of Adventures

                                                      Flowers at St. George's Church


Hello Friends and Family!

     Today we had a day off and a chance to explore Addis Ababa.  It was an adventure that started early in the morning.  We journeyed through the hustle and bustle of the city up to a mountain top where we could view all of Addis.  From there we visited the Entoto Mariam Church.  Menelik II first established his capital and palace compound there.

     While wondering the grounds, I witnessed many examples of the beauty God has given to us, both in nature and in what man has created.  This sweet little kitten greeted us along our path as we explored.  After this, we went on to visit the beautiful and very sacred St. George's Church.

     The simple beauty of this door really drew me.  It reminded me of how special the simple things in life are.  This trip to Ethiopia has really given me much to think about.   The amazing people I have met here have left a great impression on me of how to live a good life in service to others.  It has been so rewarding and touching to me to be able to share and talk with others about their lives and experiences.  

     With the experiences and interactions I have had here, I have great gratitude for the opportunities that occur that allow us to help others.  Along our way to the grocery store. we came upon 3 puppies along the side of the road.  2 of my fellow teammates and I felt for them and wanted to give them something to eat. So we walked to the grocery store and got them some meat and water.  They appreciated our attention very much.  All God's creature are special!

Janine Bonanno

Gratitude

A patient's children...one of the kids didn't make the picture!

                                                 Our makeshift pharmacy - but it worked!

We have just finished sharing and laughing about our day over dinner. Although we worked together, attended to the same patients, worked in the same room...we all have different stories.  I am amazed by this team, by the unceasing love that they display to these people they are tending to! It reminds me of the saying, "nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care". All of the servants on this team are here because they were led here, because they answered a call from their Heavenly Father. And so watching this team, working with them shoulder to shoulder, developing relationships with both members of the team and these local brothers and sisters in Christ is humbling and so much more rewarding than I can ever describe. I am reminded that just because you're not materially rich, does not mean you're spiritually poor.

Gratitude...it is the language of unlimited grace. I am grateful to be here, in this place, with these people. And I know that when I get home and try to tell of my experience here, it will not be adequate. So I will leave you with some pictures and a few observations...

You know you're a nurse in a developing world when:

1.  You call your patients by the name listed on their chart...and they laugh.
2.  When you commute to work, you see more donkeys on the road than cars.
3.  You're doing a job where you make no money, work longer works than you ever have, and still find it the most rewarding job you've ever had.
4.  Your patient kisses your hand at the end of the exam because they are just so grateful to have actually seen a medical professional.
5.  You can't pronounce the items on a menu and when it's brought to the table, you can't identify it.
6.  No HIPPA laws, no charting implants lot numbers, much of the medical equipment is outdated, but the medical team always takes the time to pray with the patients.
7.  A patient gets stitches to sew up a wound, but doesn't get them removed because she can't afford it.
8.  You can't wait to get home...but you also never want to leave.
9. The water stops running as often as the electricity goes out.
10. You see the poorest of the poor and they still act with more dignity than both of our US presidential candidates.

Jan McClintock

The Gift of Prayer

                                                                     Team Picture

We have just completed the third day at the ACT clinic. with my role being a triage nurse.  That means I would do assessments and vitals signs on each patient, in preparation to see a Nurse Practitioner or MD. After the medical assessment, I would ask each patient if they would like to pray together. Little did I know what seemed like a minor part of my time with each patient would be so profoundly life changing to me, and hopefully them as well.

I never thought of myself as a Prayer Warrior, but with the power of the Holy Spirit, I believe I could do anything God calls me to do. And it has nothing to do with me, but that God uses us as vessels to work through us, when we allow Him to. God has revealed to me in just these first 3 days, how powerful prayer truly is.  Not only that, but that it is a privilege and a gift to all of us when we pray with others.  And even though the physical needs of God's people here are more obvious, their spiritual needs were even more apparent when we prayed together.

The first day at clinic, I remember praying with a young woman with a few minor physical ailments.  There didn't seem like anything life threatening happening in her life to speak of, in fact I don't even remember her main physical complaint. After responding "yes" to prayer when offered, we held hands to pray together, with the help of my nurse translator.  With the direction of the Holy Spirit, I asked God to help heal her physically and spiritually, to protect her and give her Peace, Love, and Joy, and for her to remember how much God truly loved her as her beloved and precious daughter. She then began to cry, and weep, for it was obvious she needed to feel God's unconditional love from her Abba Father at that moment in her life, to feel cherished as God created her to be.  I was moved to tears by her response to our prayer together, and know that the Holy Spirit had intervened. Then she said through her tears, "I believe God brought me here today to the clinic to pray with you!" I told her that we weren't supposed to be here originally, but that our plans had changed. I told her, "I believe God brought me here to pray with you, too!"  It reminded me of Matthew 18:20 which says, " For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." God's Presence was so evident that day.  Prayer bonded us together with God in such a deep, spiritually intimate way.  I am forever grateful for that experience, and will always look at prayer as a privilege and a gift from God, not to be taken for granted.

I pray as you read this that you will be open to pray with others, for it is a gift God gives us to meet Him together with others in a most intimate way.

Blessings,
Kathy Leong

October 12, 2016 ~ What a blessed day!

Today was a wonderful day filled with God’s Grace at every turn.

While we weathered a surprise thunderstorm yesterday, today we were blessed with beautiful weather, with quick, light showers and the skies carrying tiny slivers of light powder-blue clouds, hanging with anticipation and joy regarding the gifts of the coming day.

The streets of this city were filled with vendors, men and women with brightly-colored scarves, selling their vegetables on tiny hibachi ovens perched on the street. Many of these people are struggling daily for their survival, and this includes housing, meals and medical care.

The ACT Community Project offers the solution regarding providing basic and some emergency care. Their clients are divided into two different populations. 

The first population is for those with AIDS  or HIV positive clients, as well as those with other critical health issues. These people are called 'beneficiaries' and, if qualified. will receive not only medical care but meal and housing support as well.

The second group of patients are comprised of the local population of the capital city, Addis Ababa, and the surrounding cities. The health issues of this group can be a vast array of health problems. They are seen on a first-come, first-served capacity. 

The medical staff were prepared to take the very best care of them that we could. There were many who were in great need of urgent care and were immediately triaged into seeing our on-site visiting physicians.  We  were so blessed that we had the incredible opportunity to meet and care for them. The Ethiopian people are the most grateful and kind people that you would ever meet, and appreciate every single gesture of kindness.

It has been an incredible opportunity to participate in this journey and we are amazed as it unfolds.

                                            One of the many mothers and children we saw

                           Our team at the pharmacy/treatment center, making sure everyone gets                                                                                            what they need

                                                                        
Rochelle Roberts 

First Day in Clinic

Group photo prior to departing for our first day of Clinic

The Clinic

                                                 Some of the beautiful children we saw

Hello all of you following at home we had a wonderful day today in the AIDs Care and Treatment clinic! 

After a very smooth trip from the U.S., including an unbelievably rapid passage through Ethiopian customs (they only searched two bags, did not confiscate any equipment or medications, they did not even see the two fetal monitors!) we are here in Addis Ababa with some wonderful people. We are here with the dedicated staff of ACT and a team from Boston, with whom we will be working over the next two weeks. 

This morning our bigger, bolder team (Boston + BAMM = BBAM) met together for devotions. In one of those things that may you say Wow!, Daniel, the pastor on the Boston team, is the cousin of Eugene Lee, the campus pastor at Menlo Church San Mateo. Eugene is the pastor who did our commissioning at Menlo San Mateo one week ago. After a hearty breakfast we headed to the ACT clinic in Suki. 

ACT has two types of clinics: A Beneficiary Clinic and a Community Clinic. 

The Beneficiary Clinic is composed of patients with ongoing conditions including AIDs, Tuberculosis, Cancer and other chronic illnesses. The Community Clinic is for the local community and are new patients. 

Today we worked in the Beneficiary Clinic. We saw 100 patients over the course of the day with a range of problems - from ages 1 to 80. The patients were incredibly sweet and very appreciative of their care. Despite this being the first day of clinic it went very smoothly. We had some awesome translators. 

The patients started with Kathy, Janine, and Jan in triage. They were sent to the MDs and NP for evaluation, then off for tests, or directly to the pharmacy where the veteran Sally and Workayehu gave out the medications. Isabella and Rochelle kept things running smoothly. Part of our triage was to ask the patients if they would like someone to pray with them. Almost all said yes. It was a blessing for the patients and staff alike. We were even treated to a sudden thunderstorm in the middle of the afternoon, very rare in the dry season. Our patients, who were waiting out in the courtyard, took shelter in our pharmacy during the storm. After the rain let up, clinic resumed. We returned after a long, but satisfying day to the ACT lodging for our dinner and some fellowship. It has been exciting to see how God is working here. This in not the trip we had planned, but it is the plan God had for us. Our eyes and hearts are open to see what God does over the next two weeks. After dinner most of the team headed soon to bed for a deserved rest - we are still adjusting to the 10 hour time difference, and sleep is a wonderful thing. So, good night for now. 

Posted by Bill

Arrived and Safe in Addis Ababa!

We are grateful to report that we have arrived in Addis Ababa safely, with smooth flights and a quick transit through customs.  We were then greeted warmly by several members of the staff of ACT, who lugged our million pounds of luggage to a waiting van, and Wanda Demeke from Project Mercy who took time just to welcome us. We drove through the very sprawling city of Addis and all seemed very calm with people walking about in their usual routines of school, shopping and work.

We are now settled in the residential housing facility for ACT which is nicer than I could have imagined and had a wonderful dinner (made by a cook who is really good at it) after being oriented by Jason Polk and Theodros Alemayehu part of the leadership for ACT,  who let us know about the very well thought out plans for us in the coming weeks. We will have the opportunity to serve the regular patients of ACT or "beneficiaries" as they are called, as well as patients in the community, all of whom are some of the poorer people in this community. Serving will include not just medical care, but caring, prayer and counsel.

We are staying in the home with 4 other volunteers from Boston, who are also here to serve in ACT, and they will soon be joined by 2 other team members this weekend and they will all be here the same amount of time as we will.

Bill, Isabella, Janine, Jan, Kathy, Rochelle, Sally, Workayehu are all looking good and eating well--I know because I just saw them and they still seem to have a lot of energy even after all this travel--they are currently singing worship songs. Tomorrow we will be rested and  ready for whatever God has for us.

Family and friends, stay tuned for the posting of an emergency phone contact aside from ACT's contact info. Hopefully we will get the Ethiopian Sim cards soon so that our phones can work here and we can be called directly. 

                                     

The sign behind us says "Welcome To Ethiopia" It is in the airport.

This is the living room (its as nice as it looks) where we will have meetings/devotions

Posted by Anna

Arrived in Dubai

We departed this morning from SFO after juggling with luggage contents and worrying about going over weight limits, and in the midst of this were blessed to have a very special send off from some of our "home team" Ann, Fidelia, Frank, Joanne and Mary Beth who were so supportive in practical and spiritual ways (and cheering us on as this picture was taken). We are also grateful for the support of Mike, Cathleen and the many others keeping us in their thoughts and prayers.                                                                                          
  

 We have since arrived in Dubai safely, and a few of us went on a little tour of the rather impressive city of Dubai, sponsored by the airline hotel where we have our long layover. We are looking forward  to flying to Addis Ababa tomorrow morning, a 4 hour flight, and then meeting with the ACT team.and learning how we will best serve their needs in the coming 2 weeks 

It may be a few days before we can update again as we will have to get settled, and then set up our internet and we expect internet and cell phone coverage to be sporadic at best. Even posting this blog was an  adventure, as Google is translated into Arabic when you use it in the UAE (fancy that), so had to guess which buttons were for what and the formatting is different. As Dorothy said in the
Wizard of Oz, we are not in Kansas  anymore--although I was able to catch a Pokemon here


Posted by Anna..    

The Road Less Traveled

Follow our team down the road less traveled!  Our destination has changed, but our mission has not--which is to serve however and wherever God leads us.  Due to issues within Ethiopia, we are disappointed to learn that we will not be able to travel to Project Mercy in Yetebon on this trip. Please pray for their provision and safety during this time.

However, we have been graciously provided with the opportunity to serve elsewhere. We depart tomorrow and arrive in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday via Dubai. We are excited to be working with Ethiopia ACT, an organization started in 2002 to care for the "sickest and poorest AIDS sufferers" amongst the urban poor of Addis. The vision of the multicultural team at ACT is "to reduce the impact of poverty and disease on the most vulnerable of Addis Ababa and to see communities transformed by the power of the gospel."

Aside from providing health care for a variety of illnesses, ACT focuses on public health interventions, education, counseling and support for families and church planting 

You can read more about ACT through this link: http://www.mtwact.org/

Please remember us as we travel, "switch gears" and begin to focus on this new opportunity and its inherent challenges. Our group has had a motto from the beginning "SFINC" which stands for "Smile" "Be Flexible" "Innovate"and "No Complaining."  Little did I know we would really have to live up to it.




Posted by Anna

Project Mercy

Project Mercy Compound

Project Mercy was established in 1977 by Marta Gabre-Tsadick and Deme Tekle-Wold, Ethiopians with a heart to provide emergency relief aid, educational assistance and refugee relocation to African refugees in the context of a Christian mission. In 1993, they started a community development program in Yetebon, Ethiopia, providing health care, education, self-sustaining agricultural projects and infrastructure such as running water and roads. The goal of the Project is to create "economically independent communities with high ethical and social values." Yetebon is located 87 miles south of Addis Ababa, with a population of 70,000, and is the home of the Gurage people who are tradesmen, herdsmen, and farmers. The majority of citizens of Yetebon are of the Muslim faith. Project Mercy is a year round mission with permanent staff but volunteers provide needed assistance with its many projects.

Our team of 15 (Ann, Anna, Bill, Cathleen, Fidelia, Isabella, Jan, Janine, Joanne, Kathy, Marybeth, Michael, Rochelle, Sally and Workayehu) , will be traveling to Ethiopia October 8-22, offering our help with medical care of children and adults, education and other projects.

Follow our blog as various members of the team share our experiences with you!